Blue Ridge Christmas

A collection of stories about Christmas in rural Virginia and Tennessee, starting with a tale from the Virginia Creeper Train line in Ashe County, NC, from the 1920's, and ending with a woman's Christmas story from the first round of check distributions from Dolly Parton's My People Fund after the wildfires in Gatlinburg, TN, in late 2016. In-between, the reader encounters Santa, Duran Duran, Squeaky Fromme, a baby goat, Mary Kay, and other memories of Christmas past. Advance Praise for Blue Ridge Christmas:"Chrissie Anderson Peters captures the spirit of the season with these wonderful tales that embrace family and the Appalachia she loves. Chrissie shows us how things that change our lives can happen on an icy Christmas morning with a newborn billy goat or standing in line at the post office. Her belief in a shared humanity shines through in "Mary Kay Christmas" and "My People," but most of all, her tales pay tribute to those she loves and those she now spends Christmas with only in her memories." -- Rebecca Elswick, author of Mama's Shoes~ ~ ~"Chrissie Anderson Peters brings a tremendous amount of warmth and authenticity to her memories, such as how a single video suddenly launched her into Duran Duran devotion. Chrissie's voice resonates throughout the book, inviting readers to join in on her reflection, and the journey is a pleasure to embark on." -- Andrew "Durandy" Golub, author of Beautiful Colors and The Music Between Us~ ~ ~"Again and again, Chrissie Anderson Peters reminds us about everything that's magical, revealing the true spirit of Christmas." -- Denton Loving, author of Crimes Against Birds~ ~ ~"Chrissie Anderson Peters' collection of Christmas stories is an Appalachian delight that brought back my childhood memories of Christmas in the mountains. Her humorous take on family idiosyncrasies and deep love for people who sometimes broke her heart will leave you sighing with nostalgia and begging for more." -- Karen Lynn Nolan, author of Above the Fog, is a 2019 Finalist in the Director's Choice Awards for Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and 2019 Semi-Finalist for Georgia Author of the Year