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  Olivia Kimbrell Press™

  Copyright Notice

  Under the Christmas Star, Crossroads Collection 3, Copyright © 2018 by the authors. All rights reserved. This book is an anthology of collected works of fiction. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or recording—without express written permission by the authors and publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed or broadcasted articles and reviews.

  Comfort and Joy, Holiday Hearts series Book 4, original copyright © 2018 by Lesley Ann McDaniel

  Brushed with Love, original copyright © 2018 by April Hayman

  Tangoed in Tinsel, original copyright © 2018 by Chautona Havig

  Shattered Pieces, original copyright © 2018 by Alana Terry

  Under the Christmas Star, original copyright © 2018 by Amanda Tru

  Each book in this collection is the intellectual property and the copyrighted material of the respective author and/or publisher and is reprinted as a part of this collection (anthology) only once and only by permission of the owners. The publisher makes no claim on, or to, the property of the owners which exceeds that permission. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the authors’ imagination or intended to be used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, organizations, places, or persons living or dead is purely coincidental and beyond the intention of either the authors or the publisher. The characters are products of the authors’ imaginations and used fictitiously.

  PUBLISHED BY: Olivia Kimbrell Press™*, P.O. Box 470, Fort Knox, KY 40121-0470. The Olivia Kimbrell Press™ colophon and open book logo are trademarks of Olivia Kimbrell Press™. *Olivia Kimbrell Press™ is a publisher offering true to life, meaningful fiction from a Christian worldview intended to uplift the heart and engage the mind.

  Scripture quotations from the Holy Bible are excerpts from many versions and are reproduced in strict accordance with the copyright of the owners.

  Cover Design and Title Graphics by Chautona Havig

  Fonts: Eras Medium and Austina

  Library Cataloging Data

  Names: McDaniel, Hayman, Havig, Terry, Tru, Lesley Ann, April, Chautona, Alana, Amanda (Lesley Ann McDaniel, April Hayman, Chautona Havig, Alana Terry, Amanda Tru) -

  Title: Under the Christmas Star; Crossroads Collection 3 / Lesley Ann, April, Chautona, Alana, Amanda McDaniel, Hayman, Havig, Terry, Tru

  p. 825 6 in. × 9 in. (15.24 cm × 22.86 cm)

  Description: digital eBook edition | Print on Demand edition | Trade paperback edition | Hardcover Case Laminate edition | Kentucky: Olivia Kimbrell Press™, 2018.

  Summary: Five of today’s Best-selling Christian Authors weave five unique, connected stories where handmade Christmas ornaments lead to miraculous answers to prayer.

  Identifiers: ePCN: 2018960476 | ISBN-13: 978-1-68190-134-3 (ebk.) | 978-1-68190-135-0 (POD) | 978-1-68190-136-7 (trade) | 978-1-68190-137-4 (hardcover)

  1. clean romance love story 2. male female relationship 3. holy matrimony marriage 4. women’s inspirational 5. happily ever after ending 6. Christian fiction mystery 7. Christmas holiday

  Introduction

  Comfort and Joy by Lesley Ann McDaniel

  Brushed with Love by April Hayman

  Tangoed in Tinsel by Chautona Havig

  Shattered Pieces by Alana Terry

  Under the Christmas Star by Amanda Tru

  A Note from the Under the Christmas Star Authors

  Out of the Blue Bouquet, Crossroads Collection 1

  Yesterday's Mail, Crossroads Collection 2

  When I look at my Christmas tree, I see more than just ornaments. I see the stories and memories of a life of Christmases. From the ornaments that hung on my tree as a child, to the “Baby’s 1st Christmas” ornaments belonging to my own children, to the ones created by little hands and bestowed on me with love, every ornament is a special story. For each and every one of them, I can tell when and where and how I got it. I can point out to you the skater ornament my sisters and I fought over every year when growing up, the angels and snowflakes my grandma made by hand, and the glass icicles my husband and I chose the first year we were married. Of course, we have some plain ball ornaments, but even those I can recount how we got them on clearance and felt excited to be able to afford something so elegant.

  On its basic level, I think that’s why we decorate Christmas trees. We are making something beautiful out of our stories and memories, reminding ourselves of what truly matters.

  Such is the premise of Under the Christmas Star. Each of the five books in this set includes an ornament that is so much more than an ornament. Each book tells its own story while the last book adds another dimension to those ornaments hanging on the trees of random people.

  So let me be the first to welcome you to Crossroads! If this is the first Crossroads Collection you’ve encountered, you’re in for a treat! If you are already familiar with this series and have read the other two, welcome back! This collection of books is different from the normal boxed set you are likely familiar with. First of all, each book is a stand-alone novel that, while it may be connected to the author’s other series, is also a complete book. Each “Crossroads Collection” is stand-alone as well. However, the set is intended for you to read the five books in order. Though they are written by five different authors with unique settings and plots, the last book in the series ties them together as a whole. Part of the fun and surprise is seeing how the seemingly unrelated stories are tied together in the final book.

  About a year ago, I had an idea for a unique collection where every author could write what they wanted, but the last book in the set tied everything together. I roped four other authors into trying the idea, and the first Crossroads Collection was born. Out of the Blue Bouquet proved amazingly popular, with readers loving how the flower delivery mistakes in each book were tied to the final book. With a slightly different concept, we tried the idea a second time, and Yesterday’s Mail met with rave reviews. Now we are at the third in the series, and for this one, we decided to go for a Christmas theme!

  Under the Christmas Star includes brand-new, full-length books, some of which are by authors familiar to “Crossroads” readers, but we’ve also included two new authors. This, like the two other sets, is a limited-time collection, meaning that at some point, it will be disbanded as a boxed set and the books will be published individually at higher price points.

  When planning a “Crossroads Collection,” I tell each of the authors the basic idea, but they are completely responsible for writing their own story any way they want. I, then, attempt to write around what they write, adapting my plot to meet what each of their story’s needs.

  As I mentioned before, Under the Christmas Star is based on a simple idea. Each of the books in the set includes a Christmas ornament. The ornament could be bought, given as a gift, or even found. Each author simply needed to let me know what that ornament looked like and how it was obtained. We then worked together, and I interwove their plots with my own in varying degrees. Some of the connections were quite intricate, involving my careful reading and study of my colleague’s book in order to get it right. Sometimes, we even shared characters and had to check with each other to make sure the borrowed characters remained true. It was a fun but involved process, and the end result is an amazing collection that is beautiful in the stories and the deeper truths portrayed.

  Now it is your turn to enjoy. Your first stop is a vet clinic with Lesley Ann McDaniel. There you will meet Joy Bennett, who, after a difficult divorce, is opposed to any possibility of romance and all set to merely endure the holidays
. Your second stop is with April Hayman, who also introduces you to a few people who are down on their luck at Christmas and trying to find God’s plan. Next up is Chautona Havig’s charming story that is sure to make you laugh, make you think, and possibly make you want to tango! Alana Terry’s book is truly one of the most unique I’ve read. There you’ll meet Woong, a lovable little boy with an important story to tell. Finally, your last stop is my own book, Under the Christmas Star. This book answers the question posed in each of the previous four: Can a simple Christmas ornament truly make a difference?

  Thank you for letting us be a part of your life through reading. Maybe our stories will provide a special moment to hang on your Christmas tree, making the season that much more meaningful. After all, it is my hope and prayer that Under the Christmas Star will make you both laugh and cry while touching you in a way that leaves you not the same as before you experienced a Christmas at Crossroads.

  Introducing Lesley Ann McDaniel

  By Amanda Tru

  I am so excited to introduce the first book in this collection! Lesley Ann McDaniel and I travel in some of the same author circles, and I have been acquainted with her for several years. However, this is the first time I’ve been in a collection with her and the first I’ve gotten to work with and know her.

  As you can probably imagine, writing around four other stories and authors can be very challenging! For Under the Christmas Star, each author had to include an ornament in her story. The ornament Lesley described for hers prompted me to create an entire character in my own book, one that I likely would have never thought to add myself but who ended up being one of my absolute favorites. Through the whole process of putting this set together, Lesley has been wonderful to work with, and I thank her for instigating the idea for a character named Orion

  My story, though the last in the set, has a direct connection to Lesley’s story through that Christmas ornament she originally described to me. Comfort and Joy is about a single mom who is struggling with the holiday season. Life has changed so much since her divorce, and between her work at a vet clinic, her children, and dealing with her narcissistic ex, there is not a lot of energy left for joy, and certainly none for romance. However, when a man brings his dog to the vet for emergency surgery, her resolve to simply endure is put to the test, especially when she finds the perfect ornament.

  Now, curl up in a comfy chair with a cup of your favorite hot coffee or tea, and find out everything that happens Under the Christmas Star!

  Author of Under the Christmas Star

  Holiday Hearts series

  Book 4

  by Lesley Ann McDaniel

  Copyright Notice

  Comfort and Joy, Holiday Hearts series Book 4, original copyright © 2018 by Lesley Ann McDaniel, all rights reserved.

  Description: Recently divorced from her cheating, narcissistic ex-husband, Joy Bennet has set a firm boundary against dating until her kids are grown. But when Kyle Montgomery brings his dog to her clinic for emergency surgery, her resolve is put to the test.

  Disclaimer: Each book in this collection is the intellectual property and copyrighted material of the respective author and/or publisher and is reprinted as a part of this collection (anthology) only once, only for a limited time, and only by permission of the owners. Olivia Kimbrell Press™ makes absolutely no claim on, or to, the property of the owner(s) which exceeds that permission.

  As much as Joy Bennett loved her job as the receptionist at the Emerald City Animal Clinic, some days she felt like a dog chasing its tail. Today had been one of those days.

  In the last hour alone, she had broken up a cat fight between two less-than-patient patients, explained to a six-year-old boy why he shouldn’t give marshmallows to his ferret, and corralled a runaway schnauzer under her desk while the owner was preoccupied on her cell phone.

  Now, seeing that the waiting area was finally quiet, she sank into her chair and checked the clock. Almost three. Only two more hours in her work day.

  She let out a long breath. Two more hours, in fact, until the beginning of her kid-free weekend. The first one she’d had in some time thanks to her ex-husband Mike’s erratic work schedule. This week, he had promised to fulfill his court-mandated obligation to provide full parenting from Friday afternoon all the way to Sunday evening.

  Not that she didn’t love spending time with her kids, but the thought of having two full days to catch up on sleep and laundry—and to help her sister Victoria with her wedding plans—without having to referee an argument or negotiate a food impasse eased her mind and her aching feet.

  “What a day, right?” Becky, the office manager who did double duty as lead vet tech, entered the reception area from the back. She looked surprisingly fresh for a woman who had spent her day assisting with the removal of a sewing needle from a cat’s digestive tract, and counseling said cat’s upholsterer-owner through the trauma of both the surgery and the plan to pay for it.

  “Well, T-G-I-F.” As Joy extended the sound of each letter for emphasis, she also extended her reach for the counter in front of the desk so she could straighten the stack of brochures for the upcoming shelter fundraiser. “A couple of days away from this place always helps.”

  “True.” Becky eased into the chair at her end of the desk and refreshed her computer screen. “Except that I’m coming in tomorrow to decorate the office. Do you realize we only have a little over three weeks until Christmas?”

  Slouching back into her seat, Joy groaned. “I know. Which means Victoria’s wedding is two weeks from tomorrow.”

  Becky’s eyes registered momentary shock before softening to the wistful look she normally reserved for conversations about romance novels and Hallmark movies. “A Christmas wedding. That’s so romantic.”

  A groan liberated itself from Joy’s throat before she could curtail it.

  “Which one are you objecting to?” Becky tossed her an amused look. “Christmas or romance?”

  Joy swallowed against an all-too-familiar lump that had formed in her throat. “Both.”

  Becky stopped typing and turned to Joy, her look filled with compassion “I’m sorry. I know this can’t be easy for you.”

  “It’s been a rough year.” Forcing herself to put on the brave-soldier face she’d perfected for moments like this, Joy picked up a patient chart from her desk and stood. “But I’ll be okay.”

  Pivoting around to return the file to its place on the wall behind them, she blinked away the tears that threatened to expose her vulnerable side. In the eleven months that she’d worked here, she’d managed to never once break down in front of a co-worker or a client. She usually saved the waterworks for when she was alone.

  Ever since Mike had walked out last year on the day after Thanksgiving, lending a new meaning to the term “Black Friday,” Joy had been fighting an uphill battle. It was hard enough making ends meet and caring for the kids on her own, but his betrayal had forced her to face her lifelong self-esteem issues head-on. And it hadn’t helped that his incredibly inconsiderate timing had cast a pall over the holidays. Not that his sticking around to ring in the New Year would have cushioned the blow. Leaving your wife and the kids for another woman was never really in season.

  “Hey.” Becky had joined her at the file wall. “It’ll be all right.” Speaking softly, she gave Joy’s arm a supportive squeeze. “You and the kids will create new memories.”

  Afraid that if she opened her mouth a sob would come out instead of words, Joy just scrunched up her face and nodded.

  Becky gave her a quick, sympathetic hug, then guided her back to the desk. “You’d better brace yourself, because we go all out around here at this time of year. I decorate everything and we play Christmas music all the time. Everyone brings in homemade treats so we can guarantee a constant sugar high.”

  Joy laughed. She couldn’t help but feel uplifted by Becky’s cheerful attitude. That was one of the things she appreciated the most about this job. Everyone in the office had an infe
ctious optimism that came in handy whenever they had to face difficult situations, whether personal or professional.

  “I guess I can probably tolerate that.” She chuckled lightly as she slipped back into her seat.

  “Christmas only comes once a year.” Becky sat again too. “You might as well savor the season.”

  “I’m afraid this Christmas is going to be more about getting through it than savoring it.” Joy felt like such a dud. Ordinarily, she wasn’t one to feel sorry for herself, but she had to be practical. It was a well-honed survival tactic, and at least it was cheaper than counseling.

  Becky started to say something, but the office phone cut her off. She answered it with her usual bubbly professionalism. “Emerald City Animal Clinic. This is Becky.” Her face drooped in disapproval as she said, “Just one moment.”

  Something about Becky’s sour-lemon expression as she handed over the phone told Joy that she had better brace herself.

  “Hello?”

  “Joy.” Mike spit her name out like it tasted bad.

  She closed her eyes. How many times had she received a phone call exactly like this from Mike right before she was counting on him to do something? He’d state her name in the most Joy-less way possible, as if taking the time to fully pronounce the single syllable might impede his progress at whatever important task he was calling to tell her he had to keep doing.

  She felt the blood rush to her face. “Don’t say it—”

  “I can’t get to the child care place by six.”

  “Mike—”

  “What? You know I’m in the middle of the Lieberman deal. Plus, it’s Friday. And there’s a Seahawks game. Traffic is going to be a nightmare—”