Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Spirit of Christmas

Pumpkins may still be in the patch, but Christmas and the holidays are already upon us, and CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS - 101 JOYFUL HOLIDAY STORIES is sure to strike a cheerful holiday mood!

I'm pleased to share a personal essay with this collection. In "Meatballs...for Thanksgiving?" (page 26), I demonstrate how a turkey feast might be the norm on most Thanksgiving tables, but variations on the feast can be equally welcomed.

In addition to my essay, this inspiring, heart-warming anthology features 100 more stories that 'Deck the Halls' by tackling themes that extol gratitude, treasured traditions, holiday hiccups and miracles, getting creative amidst the joy of giving and selecting perfect presents, and experiencing the magic of the season through the wonderment of children. All bases are covered...These entertaining stories are the perfect literary pairing for the holidays!  

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS makes a great gift for yourself and/or for those you love. Pick up a copy today!

Note: Royalties from this book benefit Toys for Tots

Happy Reading!

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to all!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Spirit of Christmas - 101 Joyful Holiday Stories– edited by Amy Newmark

Chicken Soup for the Soul, $16.99 paperback, 368 pages, 978-1611591262

Publication date October 24, 2025

To order this book on Amazon, link HERE

To order this book on Barnes & Noble, link HERE

To order this book on bookshop.org link HERE

To learn more about Chicken Soup for the Soul - books and other related media - link HERE

Mystery Magazine

I am pleased to share that Mystery Magazine has featured one of my comic mystery short stories in their latest issue (May 2024). 

In "My Son, My Son," a Southern woman (a wife and mother) becomes exasperated by her notorious small-time criminal son, her "do-good" of a husband, and the stifling nature of her hometown.

The issue of the magazine is available to read as an ezine (via Kindle), via select library platforms, and it can also be purchased in hardcopy from Amazon or direct from the Mystery Magazine website. 

Happy Reading! Click directly on links below to purchase: 

Mystery Magazine (May 2024) 

Kindle (digital copy) Newsstand

Amazon (paper copy) 

NOTE: Back in 2019, I had another mystery short published by this same magazine (when it was called Mystery Weekly). You can learn more about that story, "To Whom It May Concern" - a comic mystery about a corporate Client Intimacy Expert, with a very high opinion of himself, whose career snowballs into a life of crime - by clicking on the link HERE.

If you like the story (and the magazine), please consider leaving a review on Amazon...and I would also appreciate your leaving (hopefully positive) reviews for my other books/work on Amazon, as well. Reviews help (struggling) authors better promote their work. Thank you :)

Mystery Weekly Magazine

I’m pleased to share that one of my short stories is included in the latest issue of Mystery Weekly Magazine (November 2019). In the comic mystery story, “To Whom It May Concern,” a Client Intimacy Customer Service Expert--with an extremely high opinion of himself--tells the story of how he was forced into a life of crime that snowballed beyond his wildest dreams. The issue of the magazine is available as an ezine (Kindle), via libraries and can also be purchased as a paperback on Amazon. Links are below – click on the highlighted text to learn more. Happy Reading!

To read an excerpt from “To Whom It May Concern,” link HERE

Mystery Weekly Magazine (November 2019)

Purchase the magazine as an e-zine via the Kindle Newsstand

Purchase a hardcopy/paperback copy of the magazine via Amazon

Purchase direct via Mystery Weekly Magazine

Are You a Winner?

Want to win a FREE book/e-book or a $50 gift certificate to Amazon? 

For a limited time, enter for a chance to win a signed book of your choice, an e-book of your choice or a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

All you have to do is like/follow the authors listed below (from Red Adept Publishing) on Facebook and on BookBub, a website devoted to books and authors, readers and daily book deals.

Click on the highlighted "Giveaway" link to enter the GIVEAWAY

Happy Reading! 

Click to like/follow the 14 authors sponsoring the contest:

Kelly Stone Gamble
Erica Lucke Dean
Fern Ronay
Gail Cleare
Debbie S. TenBrink
Cindy Dorminy
Jessica Dall
Stefanie Spangler
Kelley Kaye
Karissa Laurel
Laura Oles
Jeannie Zokan
Alessandra Harris
Kathleen Gerard

Red Adept Publishing

The Dog Really Did That?

Pleased to share two fun essays in a new book about dogs presented by the ever prolific--and always inspiring--Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Royalties from this particular book go to American-Humane, an organization that "promotes the welfare and safety of animals and strengthens the bond between animals and people." 

I contributed two, true stories about two different mischievous Yorkshire terriers I've shared my life with that actually served as the inspiration for the therapy dog, Prozac, who stars in my novel THE THING IS. 

One story is about a beloved (yet very quirky) agoraphobic Yorkie who loved to hide...and one day hid in a place I'd never expect. Yuck! Another story is about a Yorkie, no angel, who decided to treat herself to a sweet (off-limits) feast one Saint Patrick's Day.

Don't miss this collection - a perfect read for dog and pet lovers. Great fun!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dog Really Did That? 101 Stories of Miracles, Mischief, and Magical Moments edited by Amy Newmark (Foreword by Dr. Robin Ganzert)

Chicken Soup for the Soul, $14.95 Paperback, 9781611599695, 400 pages

Publication Date: August 8, 2017

To order this book on INDIEBOUND, link HERE

Not all books require batteries

Opinion: 

Not all books require batteries

How has your local indie bookshop changed YOUR life? 

Read how 
Shaw's Book Shop 

has influenced mine.

Thank you Tom Downs at Shaw's Book Shop in Westwood, NJ!

(Shaw's will celebrate 40 years in business in 2017)

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Opinion/Editorial: "Other Views/ Guest Columnist" (Section A-7)

BY KATHLEEN GERARD

To read the article in its entirety, click on the highlighted title above

SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS!

Interview about THE THING IS

Was interviewed about 

my novel 

THE THING IS 

on

WGVU

(an NPR affiliate, Greater Michigan area)

Link HERE to listen to the 10-minute segment

on

"The Morning Show with Shelley Irwin"

The Dog Days of Summer

From My Shelf

Now is the perfect time to lounge in a hammock, sip an iced tea and cuddle up with fictions about furry, four-legged canine companions. Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley--a funny, moving novel about an aging and infirm dachshund who changes one man's life--has become a literary sensation.

There are many other dog-centric novels about unforgettable fictionalized pooches, as well:

In A Man of His Own by Susan Wilson, a WWII veteran, Rick Stanton, returns home, broken in body and spirit. When Rick and his wife are reunited with their beloved dog, Pax, a rescued German shepherd-mix who was later volunteered to serve in a K-9 military unit, a tug-of-war for the dog ensues between Rick and Pax's devoted handler from the front lines. 

Two dogs--Dante, a super-smart Border collie, and Sissy, a sweet natured spaniel--are unwillingly dumped on Jonathan Trefoil, a floundering, unfulfilled 20-something New Yorker in Jonathan Unleashed, a romantic comedy by Meg Rosoff. The dogs' attentiveness to Jonathan--and vice versa--create refreshing new beginnings for Jonathan's thorny, uncertain life.

Hector, a fluffy little white dog owned by a widow in a small town, and Trey Barkley, Hector's 26 year-old, professional dog walker who suffers from schizophrenia, are at the center of The Chocolate Debacle by Karen Winters Schwartz. When Hector's owner is found murdered, Trey becomes the prime suspect in this psychologically astute murder mystery.

And in my own novel, The Thing Is, a crafty therapy dog, a lovable Yorkshire terrier named Prozac--with supernatural wisdom, a canine Mensa IQ and an even higher opinion of himself--sets off on an adventurous, comedic quest to rescue a blocked romance writer grieving the death of her fiancé. 

So before summer winds down, let yourself 'go to the dogs'…literarily.

NOTE: This column previously appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers (8/16/16) and is being reprinted (in a slightly different form) with their permission. Link HERE to read the column as originally published.

Happy Take Your Dog/Pet to Work Day!

Opinion: 

For pooch, spending a day at work

Dogs and Pets at work?  

Read the story of my own (crazy) dog,

and 

how we'll both celebrate this very special day

Friday, June 24, 2016

Opinion/Editorial: "Other Views/ Guest Columnist" (Section A-19)

BY KATHLEEN GERARD

To read the article in its entirety, click on the highlighted title above

THE THING IS - Reviews

Reviews are pouring in for THE THING IS, a story about a therapy dog named Prozac who rescues a woman in grief. Take a glance at what a few readers and book bloggers have had to say about the novel:

"A story brimming with humor and heart, and an ending that's as unexpected as it is satisfying." -- Claire Ashby, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of When You Make it Home

"A truly humorous twist on the issue of human frailty interacting with animal charm...offers a new take on grief recovery, which is both lighthearted and insightful!" -- Trudie Barreras, Amazon "Vine Voice" Top Reviewer

"Kathleen Gerard captures the powers of caring, connection, and resilience...Prozac, the book's funny and wise canine hero, helps humans of all ages overcome their losses and grief, find happiness and adventure, and renew their joy in live and love." -- Susan Sipprelle, award-winning documentary filmmaker, Tree of Life Productions (Over 50 and Out of Work; Set for Life; Soldier On: Life After Deployment)

"Kathleen Gerard is a sterling storyteller who held my heart in her hands from start to finish. I recommend The Thing Is to anyone who is a pet lover (or not) and to anyone who is grieving or facing the unknown. The Thing Is brings hope, happiness, and new beginnings. This is my BEST read this year!" -- Pat Pascale, Fresh Fiction

"Is this an endearing book about a dog? Yes. But it's more than that. The devastating ache of loss throbs through its pages from beginning to end. Even though the story is tempered with a good dose of humor and tail-wagging cuteness, be prepared - it's an emotional read with a capital E !" -- Nicole Langan, Scranton Book Examiner

"If you love books that have a strong story with a tad of humor thrown in, then you need to pick up this little gem...Everyone needs a little Prozac in their lives!" -- Barbara Briggs, "Booker T Farms"

"I teared up, I smiled...A great book everyone should read!" -- Kelly Smith, "Kelly Smith Reviews"

"Totally lovely, heartwarming and hilarious...Some moments left me in tears, some moments made me laugh, and other moments touched deep into my soul." -- Elle, "Pretty Little Book Reviews"

To read all of the reviews link HERE



THE THING IS 
is available for purchase wherever books and ebooks are sold.
Link HERE to purchase the novel

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE THING IS, visit: 
http://www.thethingis-thenovel.blogspot.com

The Saturday Evening Post: Great American Fiction

 

I am pleased and honored that one of my short stories received honorable mention in The Saturday Evening Post: Great American Fiction Contest. The coordinators of the prize--Steven Slon and Patrick Perry (editors of The Saturday Evening Post magazine)--have compiled the top selections and assembled them in one collection entitled, Best Short Stories from The Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest 2016

My story, "Affentity," which is featured in the collection, takes place in 1922 and is about the relationship between an impressionable young girl and her bootlegging, spiritually challenged grandfather.

To learn more and to order the anthology link HERE

Happy Reading...Enjoy!

Best Short Stories from The Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest 2016 Edited by Steven Slon and Patrick Perry

The Saturday Evening Post Society, $3.99 ebook, B01A05K7RU, 402 pp

Publication Date: December 29, 2015

To order this book link HERE