Advent road

HELLO, little one!” Penny Dauntless greeted a robin-redbreast, who cocked his head as she pushed along her trolley of post on the daily round. “How often is there such a perfect mid-December morning?”

JENNA had a length of Christmas-themed fabric. She had used it previously to cover the table of her market stall, and was willing to sacrifice to help beautify Santa’s Grotto. It was patterned with al

JESSIE didn’t bother to knock before entering her parents’ house. “Hello, I come bearing gingerbread men! Call me the gingerbread woman.” The hallway was strung with fairy lights and colourful paper c

HER phone pinged with the e-mail while she was lying on the beach. The Greek sun blazed down from – well, being a writer, it was second nature for Amy to think about how she would describe the blue sk

WHAT do you mean, no Christmas lights?” Abigail Thornton stood in the town hall, arms crossed. The announcement had barely settled, but already the room was stirring with murmurs of discontent. Alan F

JOHANN KERNER saw the woman coming out of the darkness. She looked ancient and she moved as slowly as a snail, her back bent. She was the most likely source of information he had seen on his travels.