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Wind Chimes: Christmas Story Collection
Christmas is a day of forgiveness, love, God, and family, no matter where you live or when you lived. These stories will take you somewhere long ago, and yet much like today.
With a touch of humor and a family-loving gentleness, these stories carry all the hope of Christmas.
The Wind Chimes-- Still bitter over a hurtful mistake a year ago, Martin Roebuck meets the despised doctor on Christmas Eve.
The Two Runaways-- Lost while running away from home, Albert Russell is taken in by an old man, who seems to also have past grievances.
On the Fourth Floor-- Though living on the same floor, George Nolan and Christin Rimmers overlook each other-- until a common challenge brings them together the night before Christmas Eve.
The Spinster-- Wanting to avoid Christmas loneliness, Milly Lambert finds herself in the cabin of an old woman who holds a wise secret.
The Broken Man-- Criminal Arch Fisher attempts to take advantage of a kindly old settler in the woods, but things go miserably awry.
Winifred's Adventure-- Elderly couple Amias and Winifred Hambly--eager for an uncommon life--discover a dying mother the day before Christmas.
With a touch of humor and a family-loving gentleness, these stories carry all the hope of Christmas.
The Wind Chimes-- Still bitter over a hurtful mistake a year ago, Martin Roebuck meets the despised doctor on Christmas Eve.
The Two Runaways-- Lost while running away from home, Albert Russell is taken in by an old man, who seems to also have past grievances.
On the Fourth Floor-- Though living on the same floor, George Nolan and Christin Rimmers overlook each other-- until a common challenge brings them together the night before Christmas Eve.
The Spinster-- Wanting to avoid Christmas loneliness, Milly Lambert finds herself in the cabin of an old woman who holds a wise secret.
The Broken Man-- Criminal Arch Fisher attempts to take advantage of a kindly old settler in the woods, but things go miserably awry.
Winifred's Adventure-- Elderly couple Amias and Winifred Hambly--eager for an uncommon life--discover a dying mother the day before Christmas.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2015
About the author
Victoria Minks
5 books67 followers Victoria Minks grew up as a third culture kid, enjoying the life of a foreigner in four different locations in Japan and traveling all across the United States twice with her family. This has instilled in her a love of travel and adventure, and while she is currently attending college in the northern woods of Michigan, she is eagerly anticipating her next adventure and location in life.
An avid bookworm ever since she can remember, she has cultivated a desire for telling stories since a young age, and still has hoards of old manuscripts from her first 15 years of life that she's too embarrassed to show anybody but too sentimental to throw out. These papers hidden in attic boxes are a timeline of her growth in the area of writing through the years and proof of the passion for books that she has nurtured.
When she was sixteen she began the first novel she decided was going to get published, whatever the cost. Since then she has written multiple books, all in various stages of the process to publication. A self-taught Jack-of-all-trades, she takes pleasure in learning how to web design, format books, create book covers, edit, market, budget, and finance everything.
She believes that life is a gift from God and is filled with beauty and whimsy. She is determined to live it fully for His honor and glory, through whatever means she has available to her--whether through writing, entrepreneurship, travel, or more. She has a heart for children, music, and ministry, as well as an affinity for drinking an excessive amount of coffee, throwing glitter into the air, singing in cars, and studying whatever random new topic catches her fancy.
An avid bookworm ever since she can remember, she has cultivated a desire for telling stories since a young age, and still has hoards of old manuscripts from her first 15 years of life that she's too embarrassed to show anybody but too sentimental to throw out. These papers hidden in attic boxes are a timeline of her growth in the area of writing through the years and proof of the passion for books that she has nurtured.
When she was sixteen she began the first novel she decided was going to get published, whatever the cost. Since then she has written multiple books, all in various stages of the process to publication. A self-taught Jack-of-all-trades, she takes pleasure in learning how to web design, format books, create book covers, edit, market, budget, and finance everything.
She believes that life is a gift from God and is filled with beauty and whimsy. She is determined to live it fully for His honor and glory, through whatever means she has available to her--whether through writing, entrepreneurship, travel, or more. She has a heart for children, music, and ministry, as well as an affinity for drinking an excessive amount of coffee, throwing glitter into the air, singing in cars, and studying whatever random new topic catches her fancy.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 1, 2016
A fun little set of Christmas stories to get ready for the holidays. I love the uniqueness of the characters and the names were so different (for instance, Habbakuk Jones who quotes verses nearly every sentence). These stories will make you feel happy; every single one has the salvation message and verse references. A great read for all ages :) Looking forward to reading Jonas and Olivia!!
December 26, 2025
5 stars. This book. It is so sweet. The perfect book to curl up with on Christmas morning after opening your presents. From a resenting young man full of anger to a spritely old lady secretly longing for a baby—and with plenty of minor and major characters that will capture your fancy at once—the author shows the true meaning of Christmas: love, joy, hope, family, and Jesus.
Wind Chimes
5+ stars. Can I just say, the plot is awesome?! I loved this story!! It is full of pathos and tenderness. So sweet and... just <3.
The Two Runaways
4 stars. I enjoyed this story. I felt very much for Albert, and I don't like his father, but I see Mr. Kobrick's point, and agree with him throughly. This is a story to make you reflect.
On the Fourth Floor
5 stars. OK, so I love Mannie and his part of the story. <3 He's just so sweet and caring. And Mr. Nolan is hilarious. Also, this story was full of beautiful images. And I so ship George Nolan + Christin Rimmers...
The Spinster
5 stars. This story has two laugh-out-loud scenes and a beautiful truth <3. And again, I ship Samuel Greenborough & Millie Lambert.
The Broken Man
5+ stars. This might be my second favourite of these stories. I loved, loved the plot. Arch... <3 He's like one of my own characters I had a very soft spot for. <3 I loved this story. Pathos + humour. Excellent.
Winifred's Adventure
5+ stars. Ohhh. . . If you want a heartbreaking but hope-filled story... here you go. The ending is so sadly sweet. <3 I loved Estie. Such a sweet, sweet story.
The writing is a little weak, but the stories... they totally makes up for it. <3 Read this book. You must. Humor, pathos, joy, love, beautiful characters, and Jesus. What else can you want?
A Favourite Quote: “Are you sure there’s hope for someone like me?” [...]
“There’s hope for every living soul.
A Favourite Short Humorous Quote: “I’m Snorts,” the boy introduced himself with a glum look as he sat down.
“My name is Mr. Hambly.” Amias extended his hand, making sure not to betray his desire to chuckle at Snorts’s name.”
Wind Chimes
5+ stars. Can I just say, the plot is awesome?! I loved this story!! It is full of pathos and tenderness. So sweet and... just <3.
The Two Runaways
4 stars. I enjoyed this story. I felt very much for Albert, and I don't like his father, but I see Mr. Kobrick's point, and agree with him throughly. This is a story to make you reflect.
On the Fourth Floor
5 stars. OK, so I love Mannie and his part of the story. <3 He's just so sweet and caring. And Mr. Nolan is hilarious. Also, this story was full of beautiful images. And I so ship George Nolan + Christin Rimmers...
The Spinster
5 stars. This story has two laugh-out-loud scenes and a beautiful truth <3. And again, I ship Samuel Greenborough & Millie Lambert.
The Broken Man
5+ stars. This might be my second favourite of these stories. I loved, loved the plot. Arch... <3 He's like one of my own characters I had a very soft spot for. <3 I loved this story. Pathos + humour. Excellent.
Winifred's Adventure
5+ stars. Ohhh. . . If you want a heartbreaking but hope-filled story... here you go. The ending is so sadly sweet. <3 I loved Estie. Such a sweet, sweet story.
The writing is a little weak, but the stories... they totally makes up for it. <3 Read this book. You must. Humor, pathos, joy, love, beautiful characters, and Jesus. What else can you want?
A Favourite Quote: “Are you sure there’s hope for someone like me?” [...]
“There’s hope for every living soul.
A Favourite Short Humorous Quote: “I’m Snorts,” the boy introduced himself with a glum look as he sat down.
“My name is Mr. Hambly.” Amias extended his hand, making sure not to betray his desire to chuckle at Snorts’s name.”
December 29, 2016
I enjoyed reading this sweet collection over the weekend of Christmas. Although the writing was slightly rough in a few places, I found the stories full of warmth and heart.
The Wind Chimes
This one had a great theme of forgiveness! It was especially interesting to notice how God keeps giving us opportunities to do what is right whether we want them or not.
The Two Runaways
It was neat to see an older man sharing his life experiences to encourage a younger one in the right way. I also want his library. ;)
The Fourth Floor
Probably my very favorite of the whole collection. The characters were delightfully unique, and the way they accidentally worked together to meet each other’s needs was great. I especially connected with Christin, and I was so happy when her neighbor took the time to draw her out and include her in his Christmas endeavors.
The Spinster
This story is a great encouragement for those time when loneliness or feelings of worthlessness threaten to set in. Everyone in this story had to grow, and the results were awesome. ;) Just a note that this story is set during the Civil War, so the slaves are often referred to by their skin color.
The Broken Man
A Good Samaritan and a clear Gospel presentation--what could be better?! The descriptions in this one were especially good. I could feel the frigid weather.
Winifred’s Adventure
This was my other very favorite one. The whole family situation was so sweet, and Winifred is an inspiration! I love seeing older people being vibrant for the Lord, and adoption stories are always my favorite. ;) Another great Gospel presentation in this one too.
Best quote from the collection: “I don’t think so,” he admitted. “But I’m kind of friends with God, you see.”
Altogether, I enjoyed this collection and look forward to revisiting it next Christmas. ;)
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Wind Chimes
This one had a great theme of forgiveness! It was especially interesting to notice how God keeps giving us opportunities to do what is right whether we want them or not.
The Two Runaways
It was neat to see an older man sharing his life experiences to encourage a younger one in the right way. I also want his library. ;)
The Fourth Floor
Probably my very favorite of the whole collection. The characters were delightfully unique, and the way they accidentally worked together to meet each other’s needs was great. I especially connected with Christin, and I was so happy when her neighbor took the time to draw her out and include her in his Christmas endeavors.
The Spinster
This story is a great encouragement for those time when loneliness or feelings of worthlessness threaten to set in. Everyone in this story had to grow, and the results were awesome. ;) Just a note that this story is set during the Civil War, so the slaves are often referred to by their skin color.
The Broken Man
A Good Samaritan and a clear Gospel presentation--what could be better?! The descriptions in this one were especially good. I could feel the frigid weather.
Winifred’s Adventure
This was my other very favorite one. The whole family situation was so sweet, and Winifred is an inspiration! I love seeing older people being vibrant for the Lord, and adoption stories are always my favorite. ;) Another great Gospel presentation in this one too.
Best quote from the collection: “I don’t think so,” he admitted. “But I’m kind of friends with God, you see.”
Altogether, I enjoyed this collection and look forward to revisiting it next Christmas. ;)
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 11, 2016
I enjoyed these short Christmas stories. The plots and characters were unique. I'm not sure which of them was my favorite, perhaps the last one because of the ending, or maybe the fourth story because I could feel with the main character, but they all held such good messages. It was a little hard in several of the stories to get a good feel of the time period, and sometimes the conversations seems a bit forced or out of place, but over all, the stories were well done and I didn't want them to end.
December 28, 2018
A sweet little collection of Christmas short stories. There were some formatting anomalies in the Kindle file and a scattering of typos/rough spots, but not enough to seriously distract me. Here are my thoughts on the different stories:
The Wind Chimes - 3 stars
A sweet story of forgiveness with some interesting twists.
The Two Runaways - 2.5 stars
I liked the message of this one for the most part, although I would have liked to see Albert go back and work things out with his family, especially since the blame wasn't all one-sided. There were a lot of issues that still needed to be worked through, and it would have been interesting to see how he handled them. Also, while I really liked Mr. Kobrick, he confused me a little.
On the Fourth Floor - 3.5 stars
This one turned out a bit differently than I expected--more like a start than an ending--but it was very sweet and Christmasy. I liked the focus on "practicing Christmas" as being more like Christ and the way that helping other people in their troubles helped to broaden people's outlook. I really loved Mannie and his care for Mrs. Bascom, although poor Mrs. Bascom with her constant "yes...no" did get on my nerves a bit.
The Spinster - 4 stars
Definitely my favorite of the collection! This one reminded me a lot of Grace S. Richmond's short Christmas stories (that's a compliment!). I understood and sympathized with Milly's hurt at her family's attitudes and actions, and I appreciated the way her family woke up to her contributions and their own neglect. Rather a hard lesson to go through, but a worthwhile one. Favorite character was definitely Micah, and my favorite scene has to be the scuffle over the cookies! <3
The Broken Man - 3 stars
Again, more like the start than the end of a story, but several good lessons wrapped up here. I appreciated the glimpses into Arch's conscience that popped up at times, even if he didn't want to acknowledge it. Mr. Merrill was a great example of forgiveness and kindness to your enemies, and I appreciated the hope for change that we're left with at the end.
Winifred's Adventure - 3.5 stars
I loved Winifred's spunky spirit and sense of adventure and Amias's worried protectiveness--and the way they made a wonderful old couple in spite of it! Also, Snorts was an absolute darling. <3 The only thing I didn't like was one aspect of the ending.
Content--deaths; stealing, lying, and running away (shown as wrong); mentions of slaves and slavery
The Wind Chimes - 3 stars
A sweet story of forgiveness with some interesting twists.
The Two Runaways - 2.5 stars
I liked the message of this one for the most part, although I would have liked to see Albert go back and work things out with his family, especially since the blame wasn't all one-sided. There were a lot of issues that still needed to be worked through, and it would have been interesting to see how he handled them. Also, while I really liked Mr. Kobrick, he confused me a little.
On the Fourth Floor - 3.5 stars
This one turned out a bit differently than I expected--more like a start than an ending--but it was very sweet and Christmasy. I liked the focus on "practicing Christmas" as being more like Christ and the way that helping other people in their troubles helped to broaden people's outlook. I really loved Mannie and his care for Mrs. Bascom, although poor Mrs. Bascom with her constant "yes...no" did get on my nerves a bit.
The Spinster - 4 stars
Definitely my favorite of the collection! This one reminded me a lot of Grace S. Richmond's short Christmas stories (that's a compliment!). I understood and sympathized with Milly's hurt at her family's attitudes and actions, and I appreciated the way her family woke up to her contributions and their own neglect. Rather a hard lesson to go through, but a worthwhile one. Favorite character was definitely Micah, and my favorite scene has to be the scuffle over the cookies! <3
The Broken Man - 3 stars
Again, more like the start than the end of a story, but several good lessons wrapped up here. I appreciated the glimpses into Arch's conscience that popped up at times, even if he didn't want to acknowledge it. Mr. Merrill was a great example of forgiveness and kindness to your enemies, and I appreciated the hope for change that we're left with at the end.
Winifred's Adventure - 3.5 stars
I loved Winifred's spunky spirit and sense of adventure and Amias's worried protectiveness--and the way they made a wonderful old couple in spite of it! Also, Snorts was an absolute darling. <3 The only thing I didn't like was one aspect of the ending.
Content--deaths; stealing, lying, and running away (shown as wrong); mentions of slaves and slavery
November 29, 2019
First Christmas book of the 2019 season!
Appropriate for: All Ages
This was a great kick-off to my Christmas reading. The stories were just so sweet, satisfying, and God-honoring. Here is a quick review of each.
Wind Chimes (Three Stars) ~ While a sweet idea, I felt this was a weak story in that people change very quickly without a lot of reason why. However, still a feel-good story.
The Two Runaways (Four Stars) ~ A little sad, but also such an important lesson.
On the Fourth Floor (Five Stars) ~ Ahhh! This story was one of my two favorites in the collection. I love how these unlikely characters work together.
The Spinster (Five Stars) ~ My other favorite! Just a good story about family and appreciation.
The Broken Man (Five Stars) ~ A wonderful story of redemption and forgiveness.
Winifred's Adventure (Five Stars) ~ Such a sweet story about helping those in need.
Appropriate for: All Ages
This was a great kick-off to my Christmas reading. The stories were just so sweet, satisfying, and God-honoring. Here is a quick review of each.
Wind Chimes (Three Stars) ~ While a sweet idea, I felt this was a weak story in that people change very quickly without a lot of reason why. However, still a feel-good story.
The Two Runaways (Four Stars) ~ A little sad, but also such an important lesson.
On the Fourth Floor (Five Stars) ~ Ahhh! This story was one of my two favorites in the collection. I love how these unlikely characters work together.
The Spinster (Five Stars) ~ My other favorite! Just a good story about family and appreciation.
The Broken Man (Five Stars) ~ A wonderful story of redemption and forgiveness.
Winifred's Adventure (Five Stars) ~ Such a sweet story about helping those in need.
August 20, 2016
I learned of this young author through a review opportunity for her second book titled Jonas and Olivia. Minks has a lovely sense of story and fluid, mature writing style which can only grow better the more she practices and grows her craft. I love short stories and enjoyed each of the six Minks put together for a historical Christmas anthology. The stories take place in America and England.
The stories are described well. Each is layered in motivation and ethics, with a sense of moral minority under skirting each theme. Even though the author will continue to advance in mechanics, I was awed by the character development in each little bite of story, the natural dialog and her ability to set place and time. Well done. Enjoy this book and watch for more work from this author.
The stories are described well. Each is layered in motivation and ethics, with a sense of moral minority under skirting each theme. Even though the author will continue to advance in mechanics, I was awed by the character development in each little bite of story, the natural dialog and her ability to set place and time. Well done. Enjoy this book and watch for more work from this author.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews