The best holiday stories remind us that hope , kindess, and faith aren't seasonal. They are gifts we can experience any time of the year, even when it's 99 degrees outside.

Some of the most powerful stories don't teach through lectures. They teach through life. A child watching a character choose forgiveness over revenge learns something valuable. A reader who sees a struggling protagonist refuse to give up despite overwhelming odds discovers...

At the time, I didn’t know exactly what the story would become, but I knew I had to make a few important decisions first. Who was this girl? How old was she? And where would her story take place?