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Sunday, October 16, 2016

A Carolina Christmas Anthology Book Review



I adore Christmas and everything about it! I love the snow, the cold, the festivities and decorations and, of course, the Christmas Movies and Christmas Books!!

I was so excited when I got the opportunity to be part of this tour and I was so happy to read the book and review it. See my review below and enjoy!!


The Pamlico Writers Group is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of our 2016 anthology of short stories and poems written by our members with a section of award winning prose and poetry from our 2015 and 2016 competition winners.
            A Carolina Christmas isn’t your traditional holiday feast of tinsel and sugar plums. While there is still a smattering of stars sprinkled through the pages and a little glitter and artificial snow lighting up a few plastic Santas, these stories are filled with more than ornaments and figgy pudding. From broken hearts to hopeful reunions, holiday anxiety to joyful tidings, the truest gift of Christmas is still found to be family, faith and friendship. But these stories are not fairy tales and every holiday is not Peace on Earth.
            “Readers are in for a holiday treat with the 2016 Pamlico Writers Anthology with its Christmas theme.” ~Marni Graff, award-winning author of The Nora Tierney English Mysteries and The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries
            “A Carolina Christmas establishes itself as a holiday classic, a must read. The journey isn’t your typical holiday adventure.” ~Angela Beach Silverthorne, author of Depression Cookies, two-time silver medalist in Women’s Fiction and Chick Lit for Readers’ Favorite and Cries of Innocence, a five-star Contemporary Christian Fiction.

Author/Poets & Titles
Suzannah Lynn Cockerille: How I Can Be So Sure Santa is Real (creative non-fiction)
Jonathan Clayborne: Winter Finds the Cardinal (poem)
Jerry Cuthrell: Unsolicited (poem), Candles (poem)
Nancy Eure Cordano: Misfits of Christmas Eve
Anne Blyth Davis: Orbit (2015 High School Competition ~ Poetry First Place)
Pam Desloges: Christmas Chaos (poem)
Deborah H. Doolittle: My Mother’s Rocky Road to Dublin (#1), Here I am Laughing with Bears (#2), Elizabeth Bishop Attends to the Amarilli (#3)--(2016 Adult Poetry Competion~ First Place)
Diane de Echeandia: Christmas Cards-Bah Humbug! (poem), Spring Melt (2015 Adult Poetry Competition~First Place)  
Polly Frank: My Christmas Tree (prose)
Sarah Haglund: Pray For Her (2016 High School Competition~ First Place Poetry)
Ted Harrison: In The Same Country (recreation of Biblical story)
Sherri Lupton-Hollister: Lexie and Ethel, Season of Hope, and Three Dresses (fiction)
Jeanne Julian: Allison’s Adventures on Christmas Eve, Holiday Flotillia (poem)
 James Keen: Christmas Stocking Conversation (creative non-fiction)
Richard Knowles: Long, Cold Road (2016 Adult Competion First Place Non-Fiction)
James Lupton: Christmas Adventures (creative non-fiction)
Michaela Rappleyea: Rolling in Her Grave (2016 High School Competition~First Place Prose)
Doris Schneider: Innocence on Holiday (creative non-fiction), The Gift (creative non-fiction),  and Christmas Confession (fiction)
Merry Simmons: The Naming of Things (2016 Adult Competition First Place Fiction)
Millie Johnson Sparks: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Courtney Staton: A Letter From a Gifted Kid (2015 High School Competition ~ Prose First Place)
Allison Stuart: The Combination (2015 Adult Competition First Place Fiction)
K D Wilson: Forgetful Adjustments (fiction)

Michael Worthington: Ayden Racial Unrest (2015 Adult Competition First Place Non-Fiction)


~ Amazon ~ Amazon UK


I honestly loved this book, and not just because it's about Christmas things (which I love). The stories were sweet and touching, the poems made me smile, and the whole feel of the book was incredible. It was over too quickly! It is a quick, enjoyable, read and when it was over I wanted more. The authors who put this together are very talented and each has his/her own writing style which shows throughout the book, but it wasn't hard to get into any of them. I would definitely recommend this book as a great winter or Christmas read (or, if you are like me, a read for any time of the year because I'm one of those people who enjoys Christmas music in July).

It is absolutely worth picking up and enjoying, reading aloud or just to yourself, and spreading the joy of Christmas and the talent of this amazing group. Thank you for letting me read your work. I'll be recommending this book to anyone and everyone!






The Pamlico Writers Group is from the Innerbanks of North Carolina, where the Tar and the Pamlico rivers meet in the town of little Washington. They’re housed just off the river in the old Turnage Theater, the oldest still-standing Burlesque Theater House still standing in North Carolina and home of the Arts of the Pamlico. The Pamlico Writers are a non-profit group and we affiliated with the Arts of the Pamlico.

The Turnage Theater stands on Main Street just one street over from the waterfront. The town of Washington is on the Inner Banks of North Carolina, where the Tar and Pamlico Rivers meet, just down the sound from the Atlantic Ocean. Forestry, watermen, and Military history are abundant in Washington and Beaufort County.


The Pamlico Writers Group hopes to use the funds generated by this anthology to assist in this, our fifth annual Pamlico Writers Conference March 17 and 18, 2017 with Keynote speaker Zelda Lockhart.


 Pamlico Writers Group Officers/anthology organizers:

PWG chairperson: Sherri Lupton-Hollister in charge of planning, theme and media
Financial Director: James “Jim” Keen in charge of formatting anthology and setting up Submittable and Drop-Box
Programming Director: Kay Wilson assisted with all aspects of planning and media
Conference Director: Doris Schneider in charge of editing and cover planning
Member: Jeanne Julian assisted with editing
Member: Marni Graff marketing
 2016 Pamlico Writers Competition Winners
(L to R) James Kelley, Michaela Rappleyea, Michael Worthington, Merry Simmons, Marty Silverthorne (in front), Richard Knowles, Sarah Swan, Deborah Doolittle, Jack Fay.2016 Winners of the Pamlico Writers Competition photo taken at the back of the Turnage Theater after the 2016 Pamlico Writers Conference.  Photo taken by Sherri Lupton-Hollister

2015 Pamlico Writers Group Competition

Pamlico Writers Competition is an annual juried writing contest featuring adult and student authors. Started in 2013, the current event featured adult contests in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and student contests in Prose and Poetry.  First, Second, and Honorary Mention Cash Prizes were awarded in the Adult competition while a cash student scholarship was awarded in each student contest.

(L to R) Nancy Clark, Alison Stuart, Kayla Wyrick, Courtney  Staton, Polly Frank, Diane De Echeandia, Debra Kornegay,  Michael Worthington, Anne Blythe Davis.
Heather Bell Adams and Lane Schroeder were not present.

Connect with the Group here: 



To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 



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