Review of the holiday Mixer by Beth Anderson
What a great little holiday book this anthology is, from the first section, Holiday Humor with stories by Randy Rawls and Judith R. Parker, to Holiday Horror with stories by Howard Hopkins, Sharon King-Booker and Elizabeth Delisi, to Holiday Hope with stories by duo Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton, Lea Tassie, Ingrid Taylor, and Maryann Miller.

The stories are short, sweet, and in my opinion the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone from thirteen on up to a hundred. All quite clever, very well written, and what struck me most was the variety of stories, from romance to fantasy to humor to poignancy, complementing the holiday season all the way. I loved it, my husband loved it, I think anyone would love it. Good job by a great group of authors.

Beth Anderson


Review of the holiday Mixer by dorien grey
After reading The Holiday Mixer I decided it definitely should have been named The Holiday Sampler, for it brought back fond memories of those little one-pound boxes of candy we used to find (or put) in our holiday stockings. Those of you who are old enough will surely remember them: You opened the lid, to reveal an embossed-paper cover over an assortment of maybe a dozen pieces of candy. Some chewy, some creamy; nougats and soft centers, nut-filled, round, oval, rectangular; smooth or swirled. No two alike, but all rich and delicious.

Like those boxes of chocolates, The Holiday Mixer would make a wonderful stocking-stuffer this holiday season. There's something in there to please every taste, and everyone involved in the preparation of this, Haypenny Press's first offering, deserves a hug, a nice cup of coffee, and a plate of fresh-baked cookies.

War and Peace it ain't, and War and Peace it isn't supposed to be. A really enjoyable, relaxing, and fun read it is, and that's more than enough.

There are only nine stories in its 112 pages, so it's a quick and easy read. But every one is different and enjoyable. Divided into three sections: Holiday Humor, Holiday Horror, and Holiday Hope, each section delivers what it promises, and if you can't find at least one offering in here to make you say "I really like this," well....

Randy Rawls' "Jingle Bell, S.I." starts the book off with some tongue-in-cheek whimsy not without an occasional "I wish I'd said that" turn of phrase ("Watching a ten-year-old's heart melt through his eyes was not my idea of fun.")

Judith R. Parker's "Shaping Up" offers some solid Jewish Mother's "been-there-done-that" advice on setting priorities.

Howard Hopkins "Slay Ride" starts the Horror section off with a tasty little tale demonstrating that "what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander."

Sharon King-Booker's "Down a Dark Street" might make you think twice before setting out a bowl of milk for the neighborhood kitties.

Elizabeth Delisi's "Step on a Crack" suggests that there may be hope for even the most obsessive of obsessive compulsives.

Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton open the Holiday Hope section with "Selma's News" is a cautionary tale for those who jump too quickly to conclusions.

Lea Tassie's "The Crystal Star" is a dew-on-spiderwebs fairy story for kids of any age.

Ingrid Taylor's "Christmas Eve, Interrupted" shows that as long as the embers of love still glow, there's hope for a rekindled fire.

And Maryann Miller's "The Last Dollar" ends the book with the kind of upbeat chest-grabber that reminded me of O. Henry.

So there you have it. Different themes, different approaches, different styles, different tones: a top-notch representation of the talent represented in the All About Muse group. I look forward to Haypenny's (and Muse's) next venture.

Dorien Grey