Candy Canes: A Story of Joy, Revenge, and Christmas

by Michael Sova, William Todd, E.M. Kaplan

For Joy, things couldn’t have been going much better. She was already living her dream as the lead guitarist in a rock and roll band when a mysterious, twinkle-eyed, rosy-cheeked stranger came along and swept her off her feet. She believed she’d found her one true love, and that’s when she suddenly ran afoul of some small yet surprisingly fierce and overzealous adversaries. Instead of a magical trip to the North Pole, Joy suffered a disfiguring injury and her whole life was turned upside-down. She could no longer play guitar, and the intense but fleeting spark of romance had definitely been extinguished. She retreated, disillusioned and brokenhearted. Years later, armed with some candy canes and a burning desire to settle the score, Joy returned to the scene of the crimes and began her quest for retribution. It looked like things might be going badly for her again, but a timely visit and a dose of Christmas spirit help to save the day.

Co-written by Michael Sova, William Todd, EM Kaplan, and JD Kaplan, “Candy Canes: A Story of Joy, Revenge, and Christmas” is not your typical holiday tale. Instead of cheerful talking snowmen and red-nosed reindeer, you’ll meet a giant albino bartender named Tiny. You’ll encounter other odd characters too, and discover that some of Santa’s helpers have been helping themselves to a lot more than an extra Christmas cookie. As the title suggests, the theme is revenge. But in traditional Christmas story fashion, readers will be rewarded with a happy ending. Any proceeds from the sale of this story will be donated to Toys for Tots. Merry Christmas!

47 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 9, 2018

About the author

I was born in a one room log cabin I built myself. The quaint, thatch-roofed dwelling was nestled in the rolling hills of Concord, Massachusetts, the birth place of Henry David Thoreau. Come to think of it, my middle name is Henry David Thoreau. I've traveled Europe extensively, mostly on foot. My favorite color is tweed with leather elbow patches. My hobbies include art restoration, spelunking, and collecting extremely rare and expensive musical instruments. I likewise enjoy lying through my teeth. In the trade, we refer to that as literary license. And now that the proverbial cat is out of the bag, here is the real story.

I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. I'm quite sure they don't remember me. I despise tweed. I wouldn't know a Rembrandt from a Renoir. I love Rock and Roll and Electric Blues. I'm also fond of football, beer and potato chips. My main hobbies are reading and writing and swearing at the television when the Minnesota Vikings lose. I do a lot of swearing.

Once upon a time, my professional aspirations had me returning to the classroom as a professor of English Literature. Imagine my surprise when, instead, I somehow ended up as a night-time DJ at a Country music radio station. Did I mention I like Rock and Electric Blues? What did I know from Country? Still, I bounded up the corporate ladder and, several years later, had a big corner office with a window and a breathtaking view of the crib, changing table and Diaper Genie. Yes, I'd become a stay-at-home-dad. Don’t get me wrong. The experience was incredibly rewarding, but I knew I needed some form of intellectual stimulation or I’d be transferred to a room with rubber wallpaper. A writing career was born.

My debut novel, an auto racing themed thriller titled "A Shot at Redemption," was released in early 2014. I won’t tell you how embarrassingly long it took to complete. "Parlor City Paradise" hit the virtual bookshelves in the spring of 2016. Release No. 3 represented a major departure from mysteries, thrillers and fiction in general. It's a football-themed cookbook called "21 Sundays of Fantastic Football Food: Celebrating the Foods and Follies of Professional Football." I guarantee it's my most delicious effort to date. A third novel, tentatively titled "Blind Switch," is currently in the works. More on that in the coming months....