A Spirit of Christmas

It all started with finding a dog.... Keti Whitechapel likes to make money. In fact, even the love of her life, Martin Collins, refers to her as a Scrooge. Keti has had very few regrets in her life but the loss of anything other than an increasingly distant friendship with Martin is one of them. All of that changes the night she finds a dog. Marley, the dog, gets beneath that layer of ice encasing Keti's heart. It's Christmas Eve and a dream about the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future will work on melting more of that ice. Will Keti have a change of heart? Martin has always been waiting on her.... A SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS pays homage to Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL as Margot Early puts her own spin on the ghostly visitors of Christmases Past, Present and Future. There is even a Tiny Tim! However, Ms. Early's tale is pure romance as she takes readers on a quest where the love between Keti and Martin shines through, even as the years have passed. Margot Early does a magnificent job at setting the appropriate tone throughout A SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS. In the beginning introduction to Keti, the tone is rather distant, as if observing someone from afar. The tone begins to warm when Marley appears, and continues to draw the reader deeper and deeper into the heart of this story as the tale unfolds. Told through flashbacks to Christmases past, A SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS never seems disjointed. Margot Early is to be commended for linking the joy of Christmas to such momentous occasions in Keti's life, as readers see beneath the outward hardening of her heart over the years to the woman hiding deep within. The character development is superb, as Keti and Martin seem very believable in their love. The path is not easy for either of them, as Margot Early writes more of a realistic happily-ever-after tale. And isn't it nice to read about a mature couple in their 50s rather than the usual stereotypes? A SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS is stunning in its intensity. There are moments of such exquisite joy and sadness that I couldn't help but cry. A SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS perfectly captures the beauty and joy of the Christmas season and is easily recommended. COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Wealthy fifty-five years old Keti Whitechapel owns Bounty Mountain Resort in her hometown of Bounty, Nevada. Kei knows she has come a long way from her lonely impoverished childhood, but though she is rich, she remains alone in spite of having a child with Dr. Martin Collins. Her only childhood friend Martin ended his relationship with Keti though he loves her because he loathes her lack of business ethics, which extends to her personal relationships. Keti prepares to celebrate Christmas Eve as she always has by herself until she rescues a mutt she names Marley. However this time whether it is a dream or a ghost Keti looks back on the monumental events that shaped her miserable life. Keti is a modern day female Scrooge who looks back at what made her who she is today. Fans looking for a romance probably should pass though there is a glimpse of her first time with Martin and a possible second chance at love if she risks rejection by telling him how much she loves him. However, although the rest of the cast is never developed except in terms of how they relate to Keti, this well written update of a segment of A Christmas Carol is a character study of how the child becomes the adult. Harriet Klausner