Season's Creepings: Tales of Holiday Horror

by Ronald Kelly

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree... what lurks among thy branches...

Christmas can be the most wonderful time of the year. Candy canes and hot cocoa. Snowmen and sleigh rides. The love and hope that the Nativity brings. Cold milk and warm cookies for Santa. Family, friends, and the cheerful laughter of children.

But, beneath the festive wrapping paper and the gleam and glitter of the lights and tinsel, things less jubilant may lie in wait. The holiday season can bring love, peace, and benevolence... but it may also spawn a darkness lurking amid the shadowy boughs of the Christmas tree, ornaments that should have never seen the light of day, let along hung on festive branches, and bones that jingle and dance, in search of Santa's crimson suit... and the flesh that resides within.

In this collection of harrowing holiday tales, Ronald Kelly leaves ten frightful and horrific gifts in the Christmas stockings that hang from the mantle of your cheerful fireplace. Ghastly and gruesome presents that slowly unwrap and burst into life while you are tucked, snug and warm, in your bed and take on nightmarish form in the icy winter hours of Christmas Eve, turning comfort and joy into terror and dread.

Stories included in this collection:

Jingle Bones
The Skating Pond
Depravity Road
Heirlooms
The Winds Within
Then Came a Woodsman
As for Me, My Little Brain
Beneath the Branches
Papa’s Exile
The Peddler’s Journey

Genres: Horror, Christmas, Short Stories, Holiday, Anthologies, Fiction, Collections

130 pages, Paperback

First published November 24, 2020

About the author

Ronald Kelly was born and raised in the hills and hollows of Middle Tennessee. He became interested in horror as a child, watching the local "Creature Feature" on Saturday nights and "The Big Show"---a Nashville-based TV show that presented every old monster movie ever made ---in the afternoons after school. In high school, his interest turned to horror literature and he read such writers as Poe, Lovecraft, Matheson, and King. He originally had dreams of becoming a comic book artist and created many of his own superheroes. But during his junior year, the writing bug bit him and he focused his attention on penning short stories and full-length novels. To date, he has had thirteen novels and twelve short fiction collections published. In 2021, his extreme horror collection, THE ESSENTIAL SICK STUFF, won a Splatterpunk Award for Best Collection.

He currently lives in Brush Creek, Tennessee with his wife, young'uns, and an ultra-hyper Jack Russel named Toby.

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very cool holiday theme collection of stories by author, Ronald Kelly and I can say that I enjoyed all of them!

I am going to give a very small cryptic taste for each story within these pages without giving away spoilers.

Jingle Bones - A stepfather gets his just rewards for Christmas.

The Skating Pond - Skating on a frozen pond is more hazardous than you think!

Depravity Road - An isolated farm is home to a serial killer - a family of four are lucky to be alive.

Heirlooms - What really resides in heirloom ornaments on a Christmas tree?

The Winds Within - Eyes are for more than to see with.

Then Came A Woodsman - A hero comes in all forms.

As for Me, My Little Brain - The tables are flipped on Santa Claus as he ends up getting a surprise.

Beneath the Branches - Be careful what you buy from someone on the road as you don't know what you will bring home with you.

Papa's Exile - A tree gives a little girl a surprise that she will never forget.

The Peddler's Journey - Sometimes ghost stories turn out to be true.

Loved all the stories and though some of them were twisted, they still had the right "jingle" for the holiday season! Five stars for this collection!

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as Holiday Horror goes, Ronald Kelly is the best in the biz! I had so much fun reading this collection. One of the best aspects of Kelly's particular brand of storytelling is his imagination. This collection shows versatility and range in style, tone, and intensity. If you enjoy reading specific, seasonal horror at Christmas and Halloween--I fully recommend both of Kelly's collections that released this year. THE HALLOWEEN STORE & SEASON'S CREEPINGS are must-haves. Rated 5 stars because this is what horror fans are looking for if they just want well-written, quality creepy Christmas stories in December!

Stories included in this collection:
****Jingle Bones- As much as I am a little tired of the abusive/drunk step-dad trope (and this one lays it on very thick), I was able to overlook it to find out how this would end and I was not disappointed! Jingle Bones makes sure all good little boys and girls get what they really want (need) for Christmas and abusive parents get what they deserve.

****The Skating Pond-I love the melancholy tone of this tale. A strange, natural phenomenon in a man's hometown takes & doesn't give back or offer any answers.

*****Depravity Road- This was terrifying and suspenseful. It reminded me of a story with a similar vibe in the Halloween collection/ a familiar ending and I hope Ronald Kelly makes these a reoccurring trope for future collections. Very creepy. True Crime fans, this one is for you. (trigger: detailed commentary of a woman's weight. There was a story like this in the previous collection too)

****Heirlooms- Who doesn't want a black-magic, witchy tale for Christmas??

***The Winds Within- This story appealed to my affinity for a good crime drama. But I didn't much care for the ending, to be honest.

****Then Came a Woodsman- a re-telling of the folktale/fairytale Little Red Riding Hood. Loved it.

****As for Me, My Little Brain- OK, I almost tapped out of this one because, well, reasons. I liked this story, the ending especially, but for sensitive readers, it's pretty problematic. (triggers: children with disabilities/pedophilia)

*****Beneath the Branches- My favorite story! This is an awesome Christmas Creature Feature. I loved it. I was sitting in a comfy chair, in the glow of Christmas tree lights with hot cocoa and marshmallows. Horror Heaven.

***Papa’s Exile- Not my favorite of the bunch but I still loved the unique surprise.

****The Peddler’s Journey- A Christmas ghost story and a great ending for the collection.

[Latasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ronald Kelly is keeping the tradition of ghost stories at Christmas alive with his new collection of 10 scary stories. We return to a fan favorite for help, brush right up against one of our favorite- but forbidden- counties and much more. I enjoyed every one of these stories. This is a must have for your Christmas horror collections.

[Brooke (Books are my Favorite!!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining collection of holiday shorts with a twist of terror. I loved some of the premises and settings, among them: a glow-in-the-dark cardboard skeleton come to life, a Christmas Tree with mysterious chrysalis in the branches, a witch who stores souls in tree ornaments, a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, a spooky ice skating rink, and girl gets brutal revenge on creepy mall Santa. I thought the different holiday elements were well-blended. There was no explicit graphic violence. Nothing life changing as far as story-telling, but very fun and entertaining shorts especially if you're looking to combine Halloween and Christmas. These stories would read well in November or December. Can be read in one sitting, or read 1-2 stories a night.
Stories:
Jingle Bones
The Skating Pond
Depravity Road
Heirlooms
The Winds Within
Then Came a Woodsman
As for Me, My Little Brain
Beneath the Branches
Papa's Exile

There were some themes of childhood sexual abuse, where predators show up in a couple of the stories as villains. There are no graphic details but it is told to the reader. While it wasn't graphic, it was a little off-putting to have the repeating trope in at least 3 of the stories, just felt uncomfortable. That could have been more nuanced. Overall, entertaining fun, I got what I signed up for which was an easy Christmas horror collection :)

[Hail Hydra! ~Dave Anderson~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chester watched as John McCorkendale gently cradled the wooden stallion with the reverence of some great and long sought-after treasure. Then, limping, the old man returned to the comfort of his bed…and boyish dreams of decades long past.

[Sharmyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 creepy tales of Christmas terror. I read one treat a day for ten days like an advent calendar.

Depravity Road was a favourite, I love when true crime stories get a fictional twist.

The Winds Within was another highlight, an atmospheric detective story which I wish had been written as a full novel.

[Kelsi - Slime and Slashers · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up for GR. This was a fun collection of stories. However, I wouldn't call it my very favorite Christmas horror anthology, and it didn't really blow me away. As I write this review, I am actually struggling to remember much about the majority of the stories in this collection. However, the very first story, Jingle Bones, does stick out in my mind. I really liked that one, and I would call it my favorite of the entire collection.

Overall, I just may not have been in the mood to read an anthology while I was digging into this. I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this as the writing is terrific and many of the stories are indeed thematic. I may try re-reading this for a future December to give it another chance.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun! I've been meaning to read one of Ronald Kelly's short story collections for a while and I'm really happy that I finally did. All of the stories felt really clearly holiday-themed, which is exactly what I needed since I've been having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit this year, to tell the truth.

I think my favorite stories were 'Depravity Road', 'The Winds Within', and 'Beneath the Branches', but they were all genuinely enjoyable. A few of the stories were certainly less creepy than others, but there's something in here for everyone to like.

Buddy read with Misty! ♥

[Deb Soward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Kelly's collection of Christmas horror stories. This book begins with an introduction by Kelly about his Christmas memories.
This book consists of 10 chilling tales sure to fill your Christmas horror heart with terror. Add a little creature feature, a dash of supernatural, a drizzle of serial killer, and a sprinkle of psychological terror, which gives you a serving of Season's Creepings. Five out five glowing Horror Christmas stars!

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday horror is perfect for those of us who are ready for Christmas but still holding on to our Halloween spirit.
This is a nice collection of holiday-themed story centered around the macabre. And each story is incredibly unique. But, unlike his Halloween collections, I found myself not liking every story. Then Came a Woodsman was particularly disappointing. And I also didn't enjoy As For Me, My Little Brain and Papa's Exile largely because they weren't fleshed out enough.

But this collection does have some real gems, with my favorite being The Peddler's Journey. It's a heartwarming ghost story that I found endearing and a perfect ending to this collection.
Also notable are Depravity Road which was downright chilling! And The Winds Within which was a police procedural with a unique and scary premise.

[Nicholas Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Five Star book written by Ronald Kelly!

This one was a blast and perfect for this time of year. This one had a bunch of good tales, and it was hard to pick which one’s were the best, but here are my top 5 stories from Season’s Creepings by Ronald Kelly.

1. Skating Pond - A story about a Man and a cursed pond.
2. Depravity Road - a story about a Man who takes a pitstop with his family at an abandoned house.
3. Beneath the Branches - All I have to say about this one is Fear County!!!
4. Jingle Bones - Jingle Bones was ridiculously fun and is a continuation of Mister Glow-Bones from an earlier RK collection.
5. As For Me, My Little Brain - this one was awesome! A story about a little girl meeting Santa. How lovely!

Overall, I give this collection 5/5 stars!!!

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a creepy, spooky little holiday collection! Totally fun and un-put-downable!!

[Ed Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally, I'm a little leery of stories that are of the Horror/Christmas combination. Christmas is the most festive time of year focusing on the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. And, not the time to be scared and see innocent people suffer at the hands of evil.
However, my very good friend Ronald Kelly has put together a collection of the Horror/Christmas combo that I loved and really enjoyed reading. Yes -- scary things happen during the Christmas season in these collection of stories. But, very few innocent people or animals suffer at the hands of evil -- THANK GOD!!!
A case in point is the cover story -- Jingle Bones -- which has 12-year old Brennan McDonough as the centerpiece. Brennan's father passed away a few years ago in a tragic accident. And, his mother Peggy remarried a man named Stu Compton -- who is an overweight, drunken abusive man -- who will whip Brennan many time over with his belt or even break his bones. One day -- while Christmas shopping with his mom -- Brennan finds one of those glow-in-dark plastic skeletons in a discount bin. Brennan buys it and plans to dress it up respectively for every holiday season while it hangs on his bedroom closet door. And, Brennan has the strange sensation the skeleton speaks to him and tell Brennan that it will take care of him. For the Christmas season-- Brennan dresses up "Jingle Bones" in a Santa suit.
Then on Christmas Eve night -- Stu comes into Brennan's dark bedroom intent on breaking the boy's legs and fracturing his skull. Stu never liked Brennan and wants the boy's mother all to himself. However, before Stu gets to his evil intentions -- a skeletal arm grabs Stu around his neck, flings him off the bed and then drags the abusive man into the living room. Brennan notices "Jingle Bones" is no longer hanging on the bedroom closet door. Brennan rushes into the living room and comes across the "just desserts" Jingle Bones gave to Stu. The last thing Brennan sees is Jingle Bones walking off into the night.
"Beneath the Branches" is an enjoyable tale because it takes us "Ronald Kelly fans" back to Fear County and another snake critter. It's the present time -- and the Ballard family -- mother Kim, daughter Jordan age 14 and son Danny age 10 want to get a real, tall tree this Christmas because husband and father Nick Ballard -- who's in the military -- is coming home from Kuwait. However, the tree they buy is from a strange man in a pick-up truck from the other side of the Cumberland river -- the Fear County line. When they get home and put the tree up -- the orange pet tabby cat Sweetie-Pete doesn't like it at all. And, there is something mysterious moving around in the branches of the tree. Soon enough, the evil comes full force. And, elderly black man "Hot Pappy" Jeremiah Springer -- the grandson of the "Granny Woman" and now 80-something year old grandfather Jeb Sweeney have to come save the day. "The Peddler's Journey" is a great tale of a ghost of an old Irishman who leaves self-made carved toys in the Christmas stockings of young children. We find out why. These three stories are a sample of why this collection is a 5-star read.

[Janelle Janson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday horror at its best! Creepy good time!

[Horror Bookworm Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A decorative cardboard skeleton turns out to be its own yule-tide court appointed judge, jury, and executioner. A family becomes lost on a snowy rural road and ends up encountering a rather notoriously famous old farm house. An excited little girl is allowed to sit on Ole St. Nick’s lap at the local mall, simply to discover the real interpretation of being naughty or nice.
Ronald Kelly's Season’s Creepings contains 10 Tales of Holiday Horror. The King of Creepiness once again reaches into his morbid bag of gifts and bestows upon the reader his interpretations regarding tidings of comfort and joy. Beginning with the introduction, Kelly shares his cherished childhood memories of Xmas with that familiar entertaining twist of terror he spins into each recollection. Beyond the intro, Kelly begins hanging the reader’s stockings above a glowing fireplace and fills them with soul-chilling dread, mind-numbing terror and tormented winter chills. Keeping a blanket of gloom nearby just in case a shiver of gooseflesh materializes, Ronald Kelly summons his inner winter demon and rises to the challenge of spreading ten tales of holiday cheer in the most macabre of ways.
Ronald Kelly has a way of pulling the reader into a story by his down to earth approach to writing, much like a familiar warm and cozy chair. I feel his youthful experiences have often help create storylines, thereupon his imagination twists them into something horrifically appealing. Another five star Horror Bookworm Review. I can’t get enough of this guy.
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/

[DA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Kelly's writing style, he writes horror with heart. A nice surprise was meeting up with Mr Glow Bones again and taking a little trip back to Fear County. My favorite story, if I had to pick would be Peddler's Journey, made me tear up.

[Brennan LaFaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ronald Kelly does short fiction, and does it well. He also seems to be attempting to corner the market on holiday horror, first with Halloween Season, then dropping Season’s Creepings on us just a few months later. Clocking in at just over 100 pages makes this collection easily digestible and a fantastic candidate for perennial rereads.

I’m partial to the name of the main character in “Jingle Bones”, but it’s the supernaturally-aided revenge tale that drew me in and kept me turning pages. “The Skating Pond” fits a niche I really enjoy reading, where something terrible happens to the main character, and the reader is left to wonder how much is real, and how much is the imagination. Are we actually reading about a deluded villain?

“Depravity Road” is a fun (that doesn’t seem like the right word at all) bite-size tale that would have been more than at home in Kelly’s The Essential Sick Stuff. “Heirlooms” was a standout, presenting a unique idea of magic and revenge, and wrapping it all up in a satisfying package. “As For Me, My Little Brain” is definitely one of the creepiest of the bunch, a whole lot of uncertainty rolling around the parents in the tale.

Probably my favorite story in the bunch was “Beneath the Branches”. I’ll be diving into Kelly’s magnum opus, FEAR, in the next month, so I appreciated the opportunity to get an outsider’s glimpse at Fear County and see what might be in store for me. The creature in this creature feature is well-fleshed out, or at least scaled out, and will have me checking it twice next time I pick out a Christmas tree.

The stories range from creepy to psychological to funny to poignant, as showcased in “The Peddler’s Journey”. Kelly packs a lot into a small book, crafting a collection that is just downright enjoyable. The stories aren’t life-changing, but you’re going to have a good time.


I received a copy from the author for review consideration.

[Sidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little collection of short stories to get you in the mood for Christmas.

My Favorites:
Heirlooms
Depravity Road
Beneath the Branches

Honorable mention- The Peddlers Journey. So cute & a good ending to the collection!

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ronald Kelly is one of my favorite authors currently writing. His Southern Gothic tales fill my blackened heart with joy, and this collection is perfect for those of us who don't need their Christmas stories to be necessarily full of cheer.

Some of my favorites here include:

"Jingle Bones" is an incredibly satisfying tale of a boy's revenge on abusive parents.

I first read "Depravity Road" in Kelly's collection, Midnight Grinding, and it is one of his few stories not set in the south. It is still one of his best, as a man stops to ask for directions at what would become an infamous house of horrors.

"The Winds Within" is truly chilling, although I could have done without the animal death.

"Then Came a Woodsman" is another satisfying tale, this one a take on the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood.

"The Peddler's Journey" is the only really truly heartwarming tale in this collection and is thus perfect for Christmas even for those who don't like their holiday stories dark.

Overall, this is another fantastic collection from Ronald Kelly. As long as he keeps putting them out, I'll keep reading them.

[spookybookz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection of creepy Christmas stories! My favs where Jingle bones 🦴
The skating pond ⛸️
Depravity Road 🛣️
and my ultimate fav The winds within 💨

Highly recommend this collection of short horrors especially this time of year 😀
the cover and name is also awesome!

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the first half is rather lacklustre, kinda horrorlight and w annoying open-endings, but it does pick up from ‘Then Came a Woodsmen’, with the remaining stories being a bit more meaty! Nothing super-great however, prob really a 2.5⭐️

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great collection of holiday horror!

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been trying to read more short stories lately. So far, this is the only collection I’ve really liked! My favorite was Jingle Bones, which is the first story. These short stories were all festive, vivid and atmospheric, making them terrifying and creepy. There wasn’t a single bad story in this book. They were all wonderful and different in their own way. This collection is everything I’ve ever wanted from Christmas horror. Highly recommended for horror fans looking for creepy Christmas stories!

[Lars (theatretenor) Skaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this collection! My first Ronald Kelly book and will not be the last now! Here’s my rankings of the stories:

Beneath the Branches
Heirlooms
The Winds Within
Jingle Bones
As for Me, My Little Brain
Depravity Road
Then Came a Woodsman
The Peddler’s Journey
The Skating Pond
Papa’s Exile

[Maritsa Daumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little creepy Christmas 🎄 10 different short stories all taking place for Christmas, Jingle Bones was my favorite A thrifted skeleton that puts an end to an abusive stepfather Second Favorite was a retelling of little red riding hood ♡

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of short stories at all but this book is amazing! Every single story is good. Almost every story gave me the chills. That's my second book of Ronald Kelly and won't be the last.
Highly recommend it!

[Rick Slane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used my eyes instead of my ears this time, trying to get some holiday spirit.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the stories. Depravity Road and As For Me and My Little Brain were my favorites. These stories weren’t strictly Christmas tales but revolved around the theme of Christmas and Winter. Really glad I was able to read this before the holiday season was over.

[Patti Tindal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelly never disappoints

Although Halloween is my favorite holiday I greatly enjoyed the Christmas Horror within this book. I’ve never been tempted to skip or skim when reading one of Ronald Kelly’s books. I just wish it were three times longer! I recommend ALL of his horror. There’s definitely something for everyone !

[Erica Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best holiday horror stories book I have read!!