A Christmas to Remember

By Andy Bartnowak

Like most children, Danny Ryan believes in the magic of Christmas and Santa. He has heard rumors and whispers at school that Santa is a myth, that its just something parents made up, but he never really paid any attention to it. When Danny turns eleven, he begins having serious doubts. Maybe Santa isnt real; maybe its something only little kids believe in.

Beginning to doubt the existence of Santa Claus and generally finding himself down in his Christmas spirit while working on his familys Christmas tree farm, Danny and his brothers Patrick and Ben embark on a magical, reawakening journey with the mysterious Mr. Cunningham-or Mr. C.

From the beginning, Danny senses theres something different about old Sam Cunningham. Is Sam really the kind, elderly gentlemen he pretends to be, or is he the person Dannys younger brothers believe he is? Just when Danny thinks hes beginning to find the answers to his questions, a much bigger surprise awaits the entire Ryan family. It takes one very special night for Danny to find the answers he has been looking for about Santa and discover the true spirit of Christmas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Jul 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781480819528

Andy Bartnowak

Andy Bartnowak has been his family’s official expert on Christmas since his early childhood. Even during his twenty-two year career as a Special Agent with the FBI, he’s been extensively involved in all things Christmas. Andy lives in Michigan with his wife, Karen, their three sons, and their golden retriever Cooper.

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Copyright © 2015 Andy Bartnowak.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4808-1951-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-1952-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015944119

Archway Publishing rev. date: 09/23/2016

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ONE

Doubting Danny

TWO

Chief Christmas

THREE

The Tree Farm

FOUR

The Talk

FIVE

Dad’s Idea

SIX

Will You Be Santa?

SEVEN

The Visit

EIGHT

The Ride

NINE

St. Luke’s

TEN

Home

ELEVEN

Christmas Eve

No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Reprinted from Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

By Francis P. Church, first published in The New York Sun on September 21, 1897.

Keep your eyes open, keep your heart open, and you’ll find the magic of Christmas.

—MICHAEL RYAN

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Doubting Danny

As a young boy, Christmas was by far my favorite time of the year. There was nothing that could beat the holiday season: the glow of the lights hung on the tree, the smell of sugar cookies being freshly baked in our kitchen, the houses on our street all decorated, and of course the excitement to discover what Santa left under our tree when we awoke on Christmas morning.

Growing up, it never occurred to me to question Santa Claus. Like most children, I believed in the magic of Christmas and Santa. I had heard rumors and whispers at school that he was a myth, that it was just something parents made up, but I never really paid any attention to it. There was even an incident where one of my classmates at school told a few of us that Santa wasn’t real. When I yelled at him and told him he was wrong, he merely laughed, like he knew something I didn’t. He said, Really, Danny, you still believe in Santa Claus?

Perhaps it was a combination of that episode and turning eleven that began to shake my faith in Santa Claus. I suddenly started having serious doubts. Maybe Santa wasn’t real; maybe it was only something for little kids to believe in. I almost let these doubts and fears turn me from a kid who couldn’t wait until Christmas arrived to someone who couldn’t wait until it was over. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to believe—I did—but