Yes, you've seen these stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul and Family Circle, and you've heard them on the radio. They're written by the man New Englanders call the Christmas Story Pastor.
For decades Rev. Steve Burt wrote stories for Christmas Candlelight Services and magazines reprinted them. In 1999 he took the clippings and started a read-aloud program for nursing homes and senior centers. Audiences laughed and cried. They asked for a book they could both use and give. Thus, A Christmas Dozen was born. On release day, a Connecticut radio station had Dr. Burt read stories on-air for four hours. The phones lit up and listeners bought 5-10 at a time, selling out the first and second printings in 50 days. The stories' power to touch hearts and souls was undeniable. Over the next year, a national radio tour reached nearly a half million more listeners.
A Christmas Dozen is available as a Kindle e-book and as an Audible audio-book, but the paperback just went out of print. Yet people keep seeking the print version for gift-giving and especially for read-aloud at holiday gatherings. They love the emotional responses the stories elicit from hearers.
So here's the new paperback: Christmas Soup for the Soul, a collection of the Top 10 favorites according to readers. Enjoy. Savor. And most important, Share.
Steve Burt's writings have won the Moonbeam Children's Book Award, the Mom's Choice Award, 3 Ray Bradbury writing prizes, a Bram Stoker Award for young readers, the Florida Book Festival grand prize, and 8 New England Book Festival Awards. He and his wife Jolyn live in Wells, Maine and The Villages, Florida.
For decades Rev. Steve Burt wrote stories for Christmas Candlelight Services and magazines reprinted them. In 1999 he took the clippings and started a read-aloud program for nursing homes and senior centers. Audiences laughed and cried. They asked for a book they could both use and give. Thus, A Christmas Dozen was born. On release day, a Connecticut radio station had Dr. Burt read stories on-air for four hours. The phones lit up and listeners bought 5-10 at a time, selling out the first and second printings in 50 days. The stories' power to touch hearts and souls was undeniable. Over the next year, a national radio tour reached nearly a half million more listeners.
A Christmas Dozen is available as a Kindle e-book and as an Audible audio-book, but the paperback just went out of print. Yet people keep seeking the print version for gift-giving and especially for read-aloud at holiday gatherings. They love the emotional responses the stories elicit from hearers.
So here's the new paperback: Christmas Soup for the Soul, a collection of the Top 10 favorites according to readers. Enjoy. Savor. And most important, Share.
Steve Burt's writings have won the Moonbeam Children's Book Award, the Mom's Choice Award, 3 Ray Bradbury writing prizes, a Bram Stoker Award for young readers, the Florida Book Festival grand prize, and 8 New England Book Festival Awards. He and his wife Jolyn live in Wells, Maine and The Villages, Florida.
