By Katharine stacy
“Tidings of Comfort and Joy” Featured in
Voices of the Future: Stories of Bravery and Belonging
Short Story (Part of Anthology)
Yorkshire, England, 1892. Maggie Baker loves all the delights of celebrating Christmas, the beautiful tree, sweet oranges, creamy egg nog, festive singing, and the story of Jesus’ birth. Therefore, she longs to share that joy with her fellow servants at Kensington Manor. But when she receives news that her beloved grandmother is ill, she can’t help but feel discouraged and worried. Not to mention, she wonders why the other staff members seem sad and disgruntled about all the preparations for the holiday.
Can Maggie find the courage to share both her own sadness and joy and help others open up? Or will she be held back by her fear of rocking the boat?
Author
Katharine Stacy
- I’m a native Nevadan, born in fabulous Las Vegas, but raised in colorful Colorado. I’ve loved stories since I was a little girl, listening to my mom read the Pooh Bear books to me, and from the age of 6, writing my own construction paper-covered volumes. I always especially loved classics, and I’ve often wondered if I was born in the wrong century. Whether sailing with pirates or singing Christmas carols by a roaring fire, I delight in historical ambience. I particularly love creaky ships, flowery wallpaper, and musty libraries. Therefore, I revel in writing historical fiction featuring that authentic, old-fashioned flavor, and seek to acknowledge life’s trials, while emphasizing its beauty. When not writing, I can be found singing, acting out my stories with stuffed animals and American Girl dolls, devouring battered books, enjoying Disney movies, talking till 3 a.m. with friends, or scorekeeping at Colorado Rockies baseball games.
Other Projects In Process
“Thicker Than Blood” Draft
1720, Atlantic Ocean. Newly orphaned Seaspray Porter has always loved her family. Therefore, after her parents’ death, she sets out for Kingston, Jamaica to find her grandma, who was last reported there. On the way, she befriends sailor Benjamin Robinson, and they bond. But when they’re attacked by pirates, they discover secrets that complicate both their lives more than they could have possibly imagined.
It’s the gloomy things that need our help. If everything in the garden is sunny, why meddle?
– Lady Sybil Crawley, “Downton Abbey”
Upcoming Events
March 26, 2025
Launch Day! • Fort Collins, CO
Celebrate with me as I release my first published short story into the world, along with 11 others!
Coming Soon!
Available March 26, 2025
Preorder now!
Short Stories
Join 9 students (soon to be graduates) of the Author Conservatory for their respectively authored 9 stories that explore the beauty found in taking a chance on yourself and finding one’s place in the world. Full of humor, heart, and a bit of heavy, these stories capture the human condition in all its sadness and joy.
My Writing Blog
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