Happy Advent

In just a few hours, we will be entering the final month of 2021 – where did the year go? As the inexorable march of time brings us to the end of another year, it is lucky for us that we have Advent and the Christmas Season to distract us from any gloom we may have that twelve months have been and gone in the wink of an eye. Surely, it is not just the darkness and cold that makes it so important to have Christmas to look forward to, but also a need to celebrate the passing of the year rather than let it slip by with a sense of regret.

There are no regrets here. I have now been running my Advent Story offer for five years, and it has slowly but surely been gathering strength each year. 2021 has been a record year for downloads. I am absolutely amazed by the figures this November, and I am proud and happy to think that so many families will be waking up to their story tomorrow morning, and every day of Advent until the happy ending on Christmas Eve. And there has been a change in the rankings. The top five are now…

Dropping to Number 5, but still beating its total for last year, The Shepherd’s Tale.

Holding strong at Number 4, Disaster at the Christmas Pudding Factory.

Proving that traditional is still popular is The Very Special Christmas Star at Number 3.

At Number 2, the story I was worried was too miserable, Mrs Christmas – after all, it does have a very happy ending.

But at Number 1, and personal favourite of my children, Bunny and Pup’s Big Christmas Adventure, just going to prove that mischievous toys and an appearance from the big man in red will always be a winner at Christmas.

Whichever one of my stories you may have chosen – and there’s still time, just click here– I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love all my stories, and think every one of them offers a perfect touch for Advent. And you don’t even need an Advent Calendar, because I will be publishing one of the stories on Facebook, one episode each day. This year, I give you my tribute to Thomas Hardy – The Shepherd’s Tale, the story of young Joe Turnicock and his experience of watching the sheep in the fields on Christmas Eve. If you want to be sure of getting every episode, click here to Follow my page.

But now, with Advent rapidly approaching, I had better say goodnight. Happy Advent.