Horror for the Holidays: A Twisted Tale

by M.A. Savino, Jessica Lynn Sorensen, Nadija Mujagic

Alyssa just wants to give her daughter, Carley, the perfect Christmas—complete with the season's most sought-after toy. But when the store doors open after hours of waiting, chaos erupts. In the frenzy of desperate parents and dwindling supplies, something sinister awakens. Trapped in a nightmare of blood, greed, and survival, Alyssa will discover just how far a mother will go to protect her child—before the holiday cheer turns deadly.

Horror for the Holidays is a unique collaboration written by twenty-four authors, each taking on a chapter and continuing the story from where the last left off. Providing a glimpse into the writing style and talent of each author, you don't want to miss this twisted take on a Christmas Advent.

Authors in order of appearance:

M. A. Savino, Nadija Mujagic, Tina S. Transformation, Erica Damon, Elisa Daniels, Jeff VanOudenhove, Danielle Fear, Tayler Vaughn, Brody Butcher, Heather S. Chauvin, D. J. Maughan, Darin Miller, Jed Kent, Hayley Bernard-Ryan, Brooke Montoya, Amanda Josephine, Staci Andrea, A. V. Donaldson, Charlene Mattson, Carly Black, Courtney Capone, Alisha Clark, D. M. Foley, Jessica Lynn Sorenson.

Genres: Christmas, Thriller, Horror

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Ali O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horror For The Holidays:
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
AMAZING!!
24 fantastic authors = 5🌟 read!!
This is such a cool and unique holiday book which is set up as an advent calendar style!! Read one chapter each day of December up until Christmas!
Each author has their own chapter and I’m floored at how well the story flows! I honestly wouldn’t have known that so many people put this together. Each chapter continues to build on the other one and they are all detailed and full of imagery.

Not only is the concept really exciting, but the story is creepy and very entertaining!!
As a mom, Alyssa just wants to get her daughter what she wants for Christmas. This year the big fad is Grimkids dolls and Alyssa will do whatever she has to in order to get her daughter this toy. Little does she know that these “toys” aren’t what they seem!

**I absolutely recommend grabbing this book, but good luck not reading it all in a few days!**

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was suuuuuch a wild ride! It's meant as an advent calendar, with one chapter per day, each written by a different author. When i first heard the concept I was dubious about it playing out in a cohesive manner, but I shouldn't have doubted. These are all talented authors and this turned in to such a fun story. Twists and turns and pov swaps. I promise you, you will be hard pressed to stick to the one chapter per day concept. 😅

[Rachel Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Horror For The Holidays” is a wonderfully fun and gruesome collaboration where each chapter—written by a different author—seamlessly builds on the last. The story flows impressively well, with each voice adding new layers of suspense, dark humor, and plenty of gore. Even though it leans more into fantasy than I usually read, I couldn’t put it down! This was such an enjoyable and creative read. Highly recommended for anyone craving a holiday-themed thriller or horror story that delivers both chills and laughs.

[Stephanie Metros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite the page turner!! I love the concept of each author building off the previous. How freaking cool. And they did it seamlessly and horrifically. This “advent calendar” read was gobbled up in only a few short days!!

[Kari Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do get when 24 authors come together to write one story? It sounds like a hot mess waiting to happen. A too many cooks spoil the stew scenario. But somehow, this bunch pulled it off!

As I started reading, I was impressed by how easily the story transitioned from one writer to the next. Not sure how these guys pulled it off, but they created something great, made even more amazing by the fact that so many were involved.

The intention is for this book to be read advent-style, one chapter a day, but I am here to tell you that you won't want to put it down! 24 truly great thriller/horror writers, one great book! Just grab this one! You won't regret it!

[VDKeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’all… Horror for the Holidays is Black Friday meets Silent Night—a blood-slick sleigh ride of chaos and carnage! Alyssa just wants the perfect Christmas for her daughter, but when the store doors open, it’s peppermint-scented pandemonium. 🧸💀

Twenty-four authors tag-team this nightmare, each adding their own wicked twist while keeping the tension tighter than a ribbon on a present. 🎀 The result? Greed, fear, and motherly fury wrapped in flashing lights and pure terror.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Horror for the Holidays” is pure festive madness wrapped in terror and tied with a bow of brilliance! Twenty-four authors deliver a chilling, fast-paced descent into Christmas chaos that’s equal parts fun and horrifying. Twisted, tense, and impossible to stop reading—this is one holiday tale you won’t forget!

[Brittany Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

24 Authors, each chapter so incredibly good. The flow in which the authors are able to blend this is flawless. You can see each style and appreciate the unique story from start to finish. I LOVE the humor and sass Alyssa has. She brings one heck of spark all the way through. Multiple POV is always great and gives the story depth and life. This is a great holiday read, very out there but so fun..

[Kelli Bilderback · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book. what a fantastically twisted story, written by such amazing authors. The flow from each chapter is absolutely seamless. Don't be greedy this Christmas season!

[Mikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an advent Christmas anthology written by 24 amazing authors that collaborated so perfectly 👌, that this book 📖, impressed me so much! If I did not have the proof right there in front of my face, it would be next to impossible for me to believe that this was an anthology!!! This is put together SO SMOOTHLY, like I said, it blows my mind, that this is not written by one person! Ya, ya, ya, enough about how this book made me feel !!! My review however, isn't going to give you much more, because as a reviewer, I insist, for your own happiness 😊, that you read this Christmas horror story for yourself, because it's really that GOOD. I believe you will be impressed too!! Please, go grab a copy today!!

[C.A. Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy, chaotic, and completely entertaining!
Horror for the Holidays was such a wild ride—each author brought their own deliciously twisted flavor to the story, and I loved watching the chaos unfold. The pacing kept me hooked, but let’s be real… the doll scenes? Nightmare fuel. As someone who’s already creeped out by dolls, this book hit all the right horror notes.

I especially loved the Advent calendar setup—25 chapters, 24 authors, each one a new surprise. I was amazed at how seamlessly it all flowed. So much fun, so much fear. I’m still grinning! Great job to all!!

[Candy Turk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a “twisted tale!” I love that multiple authors contributed to this book. Very cool how each author continued from where the prior author left off. And, the twist?? Didn’t see that coming!!! 🤯🤯. If you’re looking for a holiday horror read, this is it!!

[Lisa Hurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best thing I can say is, read it, its fantastic! You won't regret it if you love horror/thrillers!
This book is written by 25 different authors. each has their own way of writing and the things each had to come up with was fabulous!
What won't parents do for their children? Alyssa goes above and beyond for her daughter.

There is alot of gore, which I ❤️
Talk of death, blood, murder, you name it, its probably there.

Thank you D.M. Foley for the opportunity to read this book!

[Alyssa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think Christmas avent are all predictable meet-cutes and Hallmark-style endings, this one will prove you wrong. Each chapter, written by a different author mind you, manages to capture the warmth of the season while sneaking in emotional gut punches, sharp twists, and horrifying elements that keep you on the edge of your seat.

What makes it stand out is the balance: the authors don’t rely on festive fluff—they build on each other. Each providing their own flair specific to them. The story is stitched through with complicated choices, and poses the question can hearts actually change?

The connections between chapters flow are stratifying, and the pacing keeps you turning pages long after you planned to “just read one more.”

Merry Christmas ya filthy animals! Be careful of how far you go for the “most anticipated toy of the season” 🎄

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Horror for the Holidays was such a wild ride! It starts off innocent enough—Alyssa just wanting to get her daughter the perfect Christmas gift—but once those store doors open, things go from holiday cheer to absolute chaos. I couldn’t look away.

What makes this book extra fun is that it’s written by 24 different authors, each picking up where the last left off. You can totally feel the mix of styles and creativity, but it all fits together perfectly. Every chapter pulled me right back in with new twists, new voices, and plenty of dark, bloody surprises.

It’s creepy, fast-paced, and so original—definitely not your typical Christmas story (and that’s exactly why I loved it). 🎄🔪

[Laura Lindemulder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic from start to finish. It's the first book that I've read that has multiple authors with the chapters. The story line was great and kept my attention the whole time. I recommend it!

[Danielle Lundquist]

Horror for the holidays was so good! I love how one author finished another one’s story and it just made it flow. It also helps that a lot of my favorite authors were in this book!

This is an advent type book, so one chapter a day and there is no way possible that I would have been able to control myself and do that. I don’t have self control.

Alyssa is trying to save her daughter Carley’s life. She is kidnapped for committing a crime to get her daughter the toy of the year. She has to try to figure out how to save her. Will she be able to do that? I was at the edge of my seat waiting to find out!

[Jaime Tragesser · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic ride! I heard a group of authors wanted to do an advent Christmas horror story where each chapter was written by a different author. I was intrigued immediately but never imagined that it would flow as well as this does! Each author contributed a piece from their twisted little minds to make one amazing horror Christmas advent book.

[Natasha Stills · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that 24 authors write this book was amazing. The fact that it all flowed as if one suthor wrote it is out of this world. All 24 authors did such an awesome job writing this book! It was a wild ride that will keep you engaged throughout the whole entire book! Must read!

[Olivia Konradt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooked from the first chapter! This story will keep you guessing and has a banger of an ending. If you like Krampus and all the things that go bump in the night this is story for you. Loved the accurate depictions of crazy Black Friday shoppers and the obsession people have with getting the “must have” toy of the year. This is my first read where each chapter of the story was a different author and I absolutely loved it, hope to see more stories like this ❤️

[Jon Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty-four authors contributed to this novel, and normally I’d see that as twenty-four chances to derail a story. Not here. This collection flows seamlessly. The story is fun, suspenseful, and full of energy. Yes, there are a few intense or violent moments, but nothing over the top. No spoilers from me, you’ll just have to dive in yourself. This is not your typical Christmas anthology, and that’s exactly why you should read it.

[Rachel Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an advent style book meant to read one chapter per day and each chapter is written by a different author. I love the concept, but I'll admit, I was weary of how cohesive it would be. It was such a well written and cohesive story, I was quite impressed.

The story has multiple narrators, which I always enjoy. Mostly, it follows Alyssa, a mom who wants to get her kid the most popular toy of the season when things go horribly wrong and she is in a fight for her daughter's life. The horror element in a Christmas book was fun and I couldn't anticipate what was going to happen. There were so many twists from the start to the finish of the book. It was such a good, hard to put down, book.

[Emily Chamberlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has kids or kids in the family will be able to relate to this story (I mean, some of us were around for Tickle me Elmo?)
The story takes us on a similar journey of just how far one mom will go to get this year’s hottest toy for her daughter. After reading this, I can assure you, I will not be rushing out to get the hottest toy of the season ever again. I don’t want to give too much of the story line away, but what a wild ride!
I love that each chapter is written by a different author, so this isn’t an anthology, it is one story line and each author adds to it which I thought was such a cool concept!
This is definitely not like any book you’ve read before and will have you second guessing whether your kid, niece/nephew…whoever..truly need that toy of the season!

[Alisa Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Definitely eerie but had a good storyline with multiple POVs.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun! And soooo many amazing authors!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this read... so much so that I finished it up early couldn't take the one chapter a day anymore.

really made me think of labubus haha! and makes you take a look at yourself for the holidays!

[Delory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant idea! 25 chapters, 24 authors! (M.A. Savino writing the first and last) Perfect horribly chilling page turner for Christmas, taking something as typically Christmassy as buying the year's must have present and turning it into a creepy horror story that will have you thinking was it really worth it?
The best part was that I read it through and tried to discern the differences in writing style between the various authors - and failed miserably! Not sure if that reflects more on my complete lack of literary nouse, or the fact that the book was so well conceived and written that the chapters blended so seamlessly into each other. I'll go with the latter! Either way, it was a suitably heart warming and comfortable hug of a horror for Christmas, with the added bonus of introducing me to about 20 new authors I can now explore.

[Myrna O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Read in one day. Great job on writing a great story by many authors and yet it all came together perfectly. The things that parents will do to please their children especially on Christmas. We will do anything and go anywhere to make sure they have e their perfect gift. We cannot disappoint them. I wonder what will happen if we teach them to give instead of receive???? Merry Christmas

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, chaotic, and wildly entertaining. Horror for the Holidays takes a simple Christmas wish and turns it into a brutal, blood-soaked nightmare. The multi-author format works surprisingly well, with each chapter raising the stakes. Perfect for readers who like their holiday cheer twisted!!!

[Hayley Bernard-Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun project to be a part of. Happy Horror Days! 🎄👹