And Now for Something Completely Different: Writing a Christmas-Themed Book

by Mike Martin, @mike54martin

Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries was the longest book to write. Over a period of 10 years I wrote a Christmas themed story for my family. They started as memories from my early days but later morphed into mini-mysteries featuring the characters of my Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. I also included a story that was told to me about Christmas in a long-ago Grand Bank, Newfoundland where gifts were few and love was plenty.

Those were days when the plentiful snow and a home-made sled were a child’s entertainment and nights were filled with songs and kerosene lamps and laughter. And the 12 days of Christmas were a time for family, friends and roving bands of mummers. Those are people who dressed up in outrageous clothing and for a drink of rum would sing and dance in your kitchen.

My own early Christmas memories come from the streets of St. John’s, Newfoundland in the 1960’s when downtown was the best and only place to shop and the store windows held a young child in rapture with their Christmas toy display and Christmas music blaring everywhere. There was even a live turkey raffle to raise money for the local orphanage and one special night was spent on a hot, sticky bus to see the wondrous lights all over town.

It was easy to bring Sgt. Windflower and his friends and new family into the Christmas story tradition. He loved Christmas, of course, as well as the enduring traditions of caring and sharing that he found in Grand Bank. Windflower, Sheila and Eddie Tizzard all had new adventures across Christmas time each year as they found their way into trouble and back out again. Always in time to enjoy the most magical time of the year.

Why did I decide to publish these stories now? That’s a good question. I have an active writing life with a new Sgt. Windflower book each year (Book # 8 Fire, Fog and Water is just released) and lots of other freelance and contract pieces to keep me busy. Why did I venture outside my comfort zone and want to share these personal stories and memories with a wider audience?

I think there are two main reasons for doing it. One, is that I want to keep some of those stories and memories alive. That is the ultimate job of a writer, to be a storyteller, to take small pieces and scraps and memories and keep them from fading away. Secondly, and maybe more importantly is to bring a little joy, a little more Christmas magic, into the world. It’s hard for many people these days and we have lots of problems and worries and concerns and very real issues to deal with. But if we can think about a happy memory from a Christmas long ago or dream about a new memory we can create with our own children and grandchildren, all those worries may pass for a few moments.

Then we can all be that little boy or girl with our nose pressed up against the window of the toy shop or trying to fall asleep so that Santa can finally come. I hope you can find some of that Christmas magic in these little stories and if you do, please take the time to spread it along around your family, friends and neighbours. We could all use a little more Christmas.

Mike Martin is the award-winning author of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series.

You can follow him and Sgt. Windflower on Facebook.

Here are some online links for Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries

Amazon: United States

Amazon: Canada

Chapters/Indigo: Canada

Amazon: UK

Amazon: Australia

Photo credit: smilla4 on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC