During the fall of 2020, when everyone sorely needed some Christmas cheer, sisters Abigail and Sarah Falanga hit on the idea of putting together an anthology of speculative Christmas stories, all set in the same fictional English village, a village called Whitstead. A lovely, hopeful community grew up among the writers of the Whitstead stories. So far, two Whitstead anthologies have been published and a third is forthcoming.
Whitstead, December 1844
There has always been something a little otherworldly about the village of Whitstead; there are thin places, where the ordinary world touches on the realms of fairies, ghosts, and darkness. And this year, during the holy season of Christmas, various forces—dragons, demons, fae, dreams, and snow—act on the denizens of the town.
A dryad is on a mission to free something trapped in a mirror. A little girl prays for a Christmas pudding. A blind peddler sings in the town square. A gnome prepares for the mission of a lifetime. An alien spaceship crash-lands in the snow… And angels are on the move.
Charity and family love, healing and new purpose, visions and song, all awaken in the season celebrating the Greatest Gift.
Twenty-five stories of love and loss, adventure and homecoming, myth and legend, the chill of snow and the warmth of the Christmas fire. From authors David Wayne Landrum, Steve Rzasa, Mary Schlegel, Lauren Salisbury, Laura Nelson Selinsky, and many others.
Whitstead, Harvest 1845
Darkness threatens Whitstead as autumn comes. Evil forces are on the move against the town as a whole, but also individual hearts and minds. As Halloween approaches, the veil between worlds thins and demons, vampires, dangerous fae, and madmen are not the only threat—spirits and ghosts loom as well.
Love is lost and won. An exiled heir seeks help from dragons. An ancient guardian faces invading peril. Aliens seek lost equipment. A lady helps a ghost find peace. A mother searches for her lost daughter. A fawn faces defeat and a terrible quest. A faerie queen visits an old friend. And a cowardly boy must learn the power of faith and hope.
Sacrifice and redemption. The value of children. Injustice confronted. Loss and despair. The light of hope. Peace despite adversity as bounty and wonder touch Whitstead.
Thirty stories of adventure, humor, loneliness and family, myth and legend. From authors David Wayne Landrum, Laura Nelson Selinsky, Beka Gremikova, Pam Halter, Dana Bell, Lauren Salisbury, Melinda K. Busch, and many more.
From Abigail Falanga and Sarah Falanga, editors of the best-selling Whitstead Christmastide – a Speculative Anthology.
Forthcoming: Whitstead Summertide