A collection of Christmas stories for readers to enjoy this holiday season...or any day of the year!

5 STARS TOTAL! “The Christmas Magi of Birch Bay by Christine DeSmet (Dame Moonstone): 5 Stars! This short tale by Dame Moonstone reminds readers that love can not only be right under your nose, but can come from unexpected sources. Christine DeSmet must be a lot of fun in person, because I found this story to be full of humor and very insightful. (On a personal note, I loved how the author named the hens after the other Dames.)

“Wings of Love (Cowboy Fever Series, Book 1) by Karen Wiesner (Dame Amethyst): 5 Stars! The couple's trouble in this story is mainly due to a lack of communication and the fear each has of possible rejection. Normally stories such as this make me want to smack the pair for stupidity and tell them to spit out their feelings for one another. Yet Karen Wiesner has written it in such a way that I sympathize with both of their plights. I cannot help but wonder if I would have done anything differently. I am left with a warm feeling and the belief that miracles are possible.

“A Christmas Surprise by Jane Toombs (Dame Turquoise): 5 Stars! In a word, WOW! This story covers a time line of (around) fifteen months. I can hardly believe how much drama Dame Turquoise has managed to insert into a story that is not the size of a full-length novel. Jane Toombs is a very gifted writer and I found myself hooked quickly. The real world seemed to fade away and I did not come up for air until the last word had been read. Just - Wow!

“Mistletoe and Holly by Carrie S. Masek (Dame Topaz): 5 Stars! I am amazed at how Carrie S. Masek is able to create two people with totally different in attitudes, place them in an inexorable situation, and then manage to show how opposites attract. And these two could not be more different from each other! The author's writing is very descriptive. I could almost see the snow falling and hear the wind howling its displeasure. A terrific way to end the anthology!” ~Detra Fitch for Huntress Reviews http://www.huntressreviews.com/

4 ½ Stars! “This Jewels of the Quill collection--just in time for the holidays--is a true gift. These Christmas stories will warm your heart and you’ll be looking forward to all the holiday cheer, family, friends, love and celebration. These stories offer a beautiful mixture of romance, fun, inspiration, love and miracles. In DeSmet’s The Christmas Magi of Birch Bay, Vienna Campbell comes home to Wisconsin to run her grandmother’s antique shop. She can still barely deal with the loneliness stemming from her husband’s death in Iraq five years before. Then her old rival comes to town and helps her love again. In Masek’s Mistletoe and Holly, Matt Potter almost runs over a tiny rabbit on a snow-covered highway. He takes it to a vet where he meets Holly, who is dressed as an elf and refuses to let Matt remain a Scrooge. A Christmas Surprise by Toombs is an amazing story of parents who get their abducted son back for the holidays. Wiesner’s Wings of Love is cowboy all the way when Mac Mackenzie falls in love for the third time with the same interior designer who’s fixing up his ranch.” ~Amy Lignor for RT Book Reviews http://www.rtbookreviews.com/

“The Christmas Magi of Birch Bay by Christine DeSmet: Whimsical. Wings of Love by Karen Wiesner: Exciting. A Christmas Surprise by Jane Toombs: A poignant tale. Mistletoe and Holly by Carrie S. Masek: Whimsical. These are four enjoyable Christmas Gems as each author contributes a warm family drama starring fully developed protagonists.” ~Harriet Klausner on the Mainstream Fiction Blog http://mainstreamfiction.blogspot.com/2011/08/christmas-gems-christine-desmet-karen.html

4 Books! “How do you know it is Christmas time? Is it the smell of your tree, the eggnog, mistletoe or holly? Each of these stories is based on a Christmas theme, but the characters here find love… The authors in this anthology do a very good job of describing the scene the story is set in. The stories are short, but each reads well and has enough detail to flesh the story out. They are established authors and clearly know how to tell a tale. The first story, The Christmas Magi of Birch Bay, is an updated version of O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi, which is a story I’ve always loved. This fresh look at an old story is done very well, and will make you smile before the end. Real love is hard to find, but this couple has it. Wings in Love was a fun read. Take a cowboy who works construction and mix him with an interior decorator and then add true love. Watching these two misunderstand each other will make you laugh and comment out loud. A Christmas Surprise is truly a unique story. The author takes a devastating loss (a kidnapped child) and a guilty sister who runs away from home and turns it into a positive story with a happy ending. It gets your blood running while you read about the main character’s adventures and troubles. And you aren’t sure just how the ending is going to work out… You won’t be bored. Mistletoe and Holly was my favorite story in the group. Meet a modern day Scrooge who gets snowbound in the vet clinic with one of Santa’s elves. Yes, it’s funny. And, yes, he mellows out a bit. None of these stories disappoint. All the authors write well and choose interesting situations. Why not pick up a copy for yourself and read it by fire while drinking hot chocolate (or maybe a bit of eggnog)? You won't regret it!” ~Aloe for Long and Short Romance Reviews http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2011/09/christmas-gems-by-jewels-of-quill.html

4 Stars! “CHRISTMAS GEMS is a quaint little collection of romantic Christmas stories. The four stories, The Christmas Magi of Birch Bay, Wings of Love, A Christmas Surprise, and Mistletoe and Holly were all about romantic Christmas miracles. In one story two lovers sold their most prized possessions in order to give each other the Christmas gifts they desired most only to find that their gifts were for these same prized possessions. In another story a man in love is determined to take it slow whilst the woman he loves is waiting impatiently for him to declare his love. In A Christmas Surprise, a young girl leaves her brother unattended and he is abducted. One year later, she finds him along with true love. This one was my personal favorite. In the final story, Mistletoe and Holly, a self-proclaimed grinch is snowed in with a beauty who absolutely loves Christmas. All the stories result in a magical Christmas where all parties involved get the one thing they wish for most. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories, getting angry at the characters at times and at others laughing at their awkwardness and other antics. I was rooting for the guys to get their girl. This little book is the perfect thing for a quiet Christmas. It brought joy to my heart and a smile to my face. It really speaks to the magic of Christmas. The general theme was that real love will flourish if given a chance and with Christmas being all about love, I find it the perfect Christmas Gem.” ~Joana James for Readers Favorite http://readersfavorite.com/review/5409

“The Christmas Magi of Birch Bay by Christine DeSmet: Whimsical. Wings of Love by Karen Wiesner: Exciting. A Christmas Surprise by Jane Toombs: A poignant tale. Mistletoe and Holly by Carrie S. Masek. Whimsical. These are four enjoyable Christmas Gems as each author contributes a warm family drama starring fully developed protagonists.” ~Harriet Klausner for Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com

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