Leslie Anne Tarabella Southern With a Gulf Coast Accent

The new book is here! 

I’m so excited to share my new Christmas book with you. Bringing Christmas Home began as a short newspaper story, 10 years ago, and received so much attention, I always knew I wanted to expand it into a longer book. 

I’m thrilled with the way the cover turned out. The artist was Iana Zaalishvili  and she completely understood my vision. My husband is the actual designer and he and I had the same thought. To make sure we were on the same page, I ran to the attic and pulled out a wreath to demonstrate how I wanted the man on the cover to hold it. Bob took it from there and worked with Iana to make it perfect. I think it’s beautiful and sets the stage for the story. And here’s inside info; the cover is supposed to be an image of Bob’s great-grandfather. Yes! It’s a true story!

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it? 

Bringing Christmas Home is a novella,  and can be read in an hour or so. It’s perfect for the busy holiday season when you want to relax with a cup of hot chocolate. 

I can’t even begin to tell you how honored I am to have a back-cover note from New York Times best selling author, Andy Andrews. His encouragement has meant the world to me, and if you are familiar with him, you know Andy is an expert storyteller.  Click to tour his Wisdom Harbour site.

I ran the rough draft past men and women, young and old, from ages 12 to 103  (you know that’s my friend Jule). They all loved it and offered great feedback. Many said they were moved to tears and also laughed through other parts. 

The story begins . . . Mary, my grandmother-in-law, received the perfect Christmas gift as a child, but then, in a tragic accident, lost it forever.  She mourned this gift — a connection to her father, for 80 years. And then, a Christmas miracle took place . . . or did it? What will happen? 

Oh! The suspense! 

“Worrying about the unknown can make you second-guess everything. But playing it safe rarely ends in magic.” 

This is a clean, easy to read book suitable for older children to adults. It would be a fun thing to read aloud and I’ll soon have a teacher’s guide available. Even in the testing stage, I’ve already had orders for Christmas gifts. (Which makes me terribly excited and I do a happy dance around the house). 

You can purchase this book from my web site (click “shop” at the top of the page) or HERE. It is also available on Amazon as well as a few select bookstores. There will also be a teachers guide available for classroom and homeschool use.

For those of you who are local, I’ll have a book launch party at Bill-E’s in Fairhope on DATE CHANGE! Tuesday, September 20th at 6pm. Owner and chef extraordinaire, William Stitt, will serve a special Christmas treat, so make plans to join me there. same place and details but new date coming soon.

You, my readers, many of whom have followed me for a long time, have always been the kindest and most encouraging people I know. Many I’ve never met in person, but please know, to create a story for people I love is one of the most rewarding things in the world. Thank you for reading. 

Click HERE to order Bringing Christmas Home.

The site is new, and I’m hoping to add a feature to leave me a message in case you want the book personalized. – Give me a day or so. 

I’ll also be in Birmingham at the Samford University Legacy League Christmas Home Tour  on Thursday, December 8th. 

More dates and events coming soon.