The holiday season starts early this year, with the release of Home for the Howlidays, an anthology of canine themed winter holiday stories featuring my story O Howly Night!
(And to celebrate, check out this Twitter thread from the publisher, in which the authors read my version of A Visit From Saint Nicholas, which references every story in the book.)
My story is about Bella, the littlest hellhound celebrating her first Christmas running with the Wild Hunt. But when they capture a human on the way home to his family, Bella decides it's up to her to give his children the Christmas they deserve.
I had a very hard time thinking of a name for this story, but after thinking long and hard, I came up with the best title ever.
Home for the Howlidays.
Only problem was… that was such a great title, it was already the title of the anthology I was submitting to.
Maybe that's why it sounded so familiar.
I renamed it Bark! The Hellhound Angels Sing, and it was accepted for publication. And my friend Lizz announced on Twitter that her story was going to be part of the anthology too!
Her story…called Bark! The Herald Angels Sing.
I offered to change mine but warned the editor I had absolutely no more ideas. Heck, I already tried to name the story after the book. Luckily, she remembered a suggestion for a story title someone else didn't use, which is how I ended up with O Howly Night.
(other titles I considered, with varying degrees of seriousness?
Happy Valhalla-Days
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Sleipnir
Bifrost-y The Snowman
Deck The Halls Of Valhalla)
This is a really fun book I’m honored to be a part of, and I hope you will consider buying a copy for yourself or for the dog lover on your holiday gift list. Home for the Howlidays is available in paperback and digital.
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