by: Annie M. Ballard
Series: A Stella Mare Story
Genre: Christmas Romance
Release Date: October 10, 2023
Publisher: Devon Station Books
Mackenzie and Declan need a miracle. Or two.
Mackenzie wants to belong – to Declan, her boyfriend, and to Stella Mare, her new Canadian home. Putting on the village’s first-ever Sea Stars Festival at Christmas will help, but it must be perfect. She can’t risk making a mistake.
Declan can’t commit – except to his writing career. Much as he loves Mackenzie and teaching at the high school, he dreams of moving to the city as a successful novelist. In the meantime, he’s producing his first-ever play.
Pulled in different directions, a distance grows between them as the play and festival near. Emotions flare amid twinkling lights while personalities clash, equipment fails, and people fall short. They need a miracle. Or two.
Crusty villagers with a past, problem principals, an errant Santa all do their part as Christmas spirit blooms in the village. Come home to Stella Mare, as Mackenzie and Declan explore what it means to belong – to a village and to each other.
Annie M. Ballard writes about women and family ties in the small villages that feel like home. With one foot in the Canadian Maritimes and the other in New England, she digs deep into the lives of her characters. When she’s not writing, she’s happily baking, gardening, powerlifting and trying to make friends with every dog in her neighbourhood.
Annie’s stories include strong women living real lives, good men trying to do better, and always a happy ending.
Mackenzie and Declan need a miracle. Or two.
Mackenzie wants to belong – to Declan, her boyfriend, and to Stella Mare, her new Canadian home. Putting on the village’s first-ever Sea Stars Festival at Christmas will help, but it must be perfect. She can’t risk making a mistake.
Declan can’t commit – except to his writing career. Much as he loves Mackenzie and teaching at the high school, he dreams of moving to the city as a successful novelist. In the meantime, he’s producing his first-ever play.
Pulled in different directions, a distance grows between them as the play and festival near. Emotions flare amid twinkling lights while personalities clash, equipment fails, and people fall short. They need a miracle. Or two.
Crusty villagers with a past, problem principals, an errant Santa all do their part as Christmas spirit blooms in the village. Come home to Stella Mare, as Mackenzie and Declan explore what it means to belong – to a village and to each other.
Her phone woke her and the dog. “Hi, Magda.” She tried to sound alert.
“Hi. We’ve got a problem.”
She closed her eyes, then opened them. “Okay. Tell me.”
“There’s no Santa costume.”
“They said it would be there by one p.m.”
“Yeah, well, it’s here. It’s just that it got peed on at the morning event and there’s no time to clean it.”
“What? They must be used to that,” Mackenzie said, heart in her throat. “Can’t they clean it? We have to have a Santa costume.”
“I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve seen it and smelled it. It can’t be used, probably ever again. The costume store tried every place they knew of to get an alternate, but we are just out of luck.”
Mackenzie slumped over the steering wheel, holding her head. “Oh, no. This is the worst. We can’t have a Santa without the suit.” No Santa, unhappy children, unhappy parents, no fun at all. It would ruin the festival, at least for the kids. Murphy whined from the backseat.
“I’m so sorry,” Magda said. “I hate bringing bad news.”
“It’s not your fault, obviously.” She sat up and gazed past the old fish houses at the grey water, fishing boats floating on their moorings. The nearest boat sported a Christmas wreath. “I might have an idea. What does a Maritime Santa wear? Could there be a Santa who doesn’t wear a fuzzy red suit?”
“What are you thinking?”
“What does the Santa of the Sea wear?” She put Magda on speaker and started scrolling her phone.
“Santa of the Sea? You’re ahead of me, Mackenzie.”
“Maybe the Sea Stars Santa wears hauling gear, like those yellow rain slickers and pants I’ve seen the fishermen wear. Storm gear.”
“You mean like the Gortons’ of Gloucester guy. Yellow top and bottom. And boots.”
“Yes, him! I’ve got a picture right here. The big boots could hold the presents.”
“We might be desperate, but I don’t think that’s going to work,” Magda said. “What about the reindeer?”
“Leaping dolphins? I don’t know. We don’t have any reindeer anyway,” Mackenzie. “We’re in a spot here. If we’re going to make this work, we have to believe in it totally. Otherwise nobody else will.”
Magda gave a short laugh. “We could just skip Santa this year.”
“We have to have Santa. Some version of Santa. We can’t disappoint the kids.” Her stomach contracted.
“Kids will still have Christmas, you know. We’re not their parents.”
Some kids might not have any Christmas except for this parade, she thought. “Magda, we can do this,” Mackenzie said. “Weave a story. Santa’s cousin is taking over for him today because he’s busy at the North Pole. Cousin, uh, cousin …”
“Freddy the Fisherman? Sammy the Sailor?” Magda offered hesitantly.
“Sammy the Sailor! We can do it.” Mackenzie said. “I’ll tweet it. Do you know anybody with yellow rain gear that might fit Billy Seymour?”
An emergency text to the members of the Village Marketing Group identified the problem. While she was waiting for a response, she drafted special announcements for social media. “Santa’s cousin Sammy the Sailor will be at the Sea Stars Festival in Stella Mare today only!”
It was lame but it was better than nothing. Maybe.
“Hi. We’ve got a problem.”
She closed her eyes, then opened them. “Okay. Tell me.”
“There’s no Santa costume.”
“They said it would be there by one p.m.”
“Yeah, well, it’s here. It’s just that it got peed on at the morning event and there’s no time to clean it.”
“What? They must be used to that,” Mackenzie said, heart in her throat. “Can’t they clean it? We have to have a Santa costume.”
“I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve seen it and smelled it. It can’t be used, probably ever again. The costume store tried every place they knew of to get an alternate, but we are just out of luck.”
Mackenzie slumped over the steering wheel, holding her head. “Oh, no. This is the worst. We can’t have a Santa without the suit.” No Santa, unhappy children, unhappy parents, no fun at all. It would ruin the festival, at least for the kids. Murphy whined from the backseat.
“I’m so sorry,” Magda said. “I hate bringing bad news.”
“It’s not your fault, obviously.” She sat up and gazed past the old fish houses at the grey water, fishing boats floating on their moorings. The nearest boat sported a Christmas wreath. “I might have an idea. What does a Maritime Santa wear? Could there be a Santa who doesn’t wear a fuzzy red suit?”
“What are you thinking?”
“What does the Santa of the Sea wear?” She put Magda on speaker and started scrolling her phone.
“Santa of the Sea? You’re ahead of me, Mackenzie.”
“Maybe the Sea Stars Santa wears hauling gear, like those yellow rain slickers and pants I’ve seen the fishermen wear. Storm gear.”
“You mean like the Gortons’ of Gloucester guy. Yellow top and bottom. And boots.”
“Yes, him! I’ve got a picture right here. The big boots could hold the presents.”
“We might be desperate, but I don’t think that’s going to work,” Magda said. “What about the reindeer?”
“Leaping dolphins? I don’t know. We don’t have any reindeer anyway,” Mackenzie. “We’re in a spot here. If we’re going to make this work, we have to believe in it totally. Otherwise nobody else will.”
Magda gave a short laugh. “We could just skip Santa this year.”
“We have to have Santa. Some version of Santa. We can’t disappoint the kids.” Her stomach contracted.
“Kids will still have Christmas, you know. We’re not their parents.”
Some kids might not have any Christmas except for this parade, she thought. “Magda, we can do this,” Mackenzie said. “Weave a story. Santa’s cousin is taking over for him today because he’s busy at the North Pole. Cousin, uh, cousin …”
“Freddy the Fisherman? Sammy the Sailor?” Magda offered hesitantly.
“Sammy the Sailor! We can do it.” Mackenzie said. “I’ll tweet it. Do you know anybody with yellow rain gear that might fit Billy Seymour?”
An emergency text to the members of the Village Marketing Group identified the problem. While she was waiting for a response, she drafted special announcements for social media. “Santa’s cousin Sammy the Sailor will be at the Sea Stars Festival in Stella Mare today only!”
It was lame but it was better than nothing. Maybe.
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Annie’s stories include strong women living real lives, good men trying to do better, and always a happy ending.
Places to find Annie M. Ballard:
Sounds like a lovely holiday book. Almost Christmas!
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