A Hollade Christmas

By Dr Fabola

Eight-year-old Hollade’s world changes forever on the last day of school before the winter holidays. She hears her friends talking about Santa Claus and the goodies he has in store for them. Puzzled and intrigued, she rushes home to confront her parents with her questions and demands.

She wants what her friends have been promised – the presents, the goodies and the new-found Christmas of her dreams. But her parents have other ideas. They try to reason with her, and they explain why she can’t have the dreamy Christmas picture that her friends have painted. This drives a wedge between Hollade and her parents, and she goes to bed upset.

She’s visited by the most unexpected guest in the night, and they go on an adventure where she realises that the fate of the world, and all the Christmases to come, rests on her shoulders. She finds herself in a battle for good and evil, a battle that she, and only she can fight for the fate of humanity. Win, and she gets to return home and make things right with her parents. Lose, and she kisses her family, friends, and the world as she knows it, goodbye.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398486034

Dr Fabola

Dr Fabola is a tech consultant, author and singer-songwriter. He obtained a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2018, with contributions on leveraging virtual reality and immersive technologies in public learning contexts, as detailed in his 80,000-word thesis. As an author, he writes books in the non-fiction, literary fiction and middle-grade genres. Look out for more publications towards the end of 2023. As a singer-songwriter, his upbeat acoustic soul is laced with blues, jazz and world music, with intricate fingerpicking and soft, soulful vocals that combine effortlessly into sweet-sounding, feel-good music. He has released several records, available on all streaming platforms. He writes a weekly blog on the intersections of psychology and creativity. Visit www.drfabola.com for details.

Book preview

About the Author

Dr Fabola is a tech consultant, author and singer-songwriter.

He obtained a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2018, with contributions on leveraging virtual reality and immersive technologies in public learning contexts, as detailed in his 80,000-word thesis.

As an author, he writes books in the non-fiction, literary fiction and middle-grade genres. Look out for more publications towards the end of 2023.

As a singer-songwriter, his upbeat acoustic soul is laced with blues, jazz and world music, with intricate fingerpicking and soft, soulful vocals that combine effortlessly into sweet-sounding, feel-good music. He has released several records, available on all streaming platforms.

He writes a weekly blog on the intersections of psychology and creativity.

Visit www.drfabola.com for details.

Dedication

For Hollie and our family

Copyright Information ©

Dr Fabola 2023

The right of Dr Fabola to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398477742 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398486034 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgements

Thank you, Hollie and Carrie, for your unending love and unwavering support, and for the conversation that sparked the idea for the book.

And thanks to my publishers, editors and illustrators for the team effort that brought the idea to fruition.

Chapter 1

Another Day in Paradise

Mummy, Mummy, Mummy! Hollade bellowed with excitement as she ran up the stairs. Her mother, Hollie, emerged from behind the archway, standing at the top of the stairs.

Hollie’s face echoed her concern and irritation. Her eyes screamed her concern for her child’s safety as Hollade recklessly and hurriedly ran up the stairs. Her wide-open mouth expressed her irritation at the noise – the slammed front door, the loud calls, and the foot stomps, which together, formed a mild cacophony that broke her concentration.

What’s wrong, Pumpkin? Hollie said in her usual calm, high-pitched voice.Is everything okay?"

I’m good, Hollade answered hurriedly, as she completed her upstairs sprint and jumped into her mother’s arms.

How was school today? And why are you running? Did you get chased by the squirrels again on your way home? Hollie’s concern and irritation gave way to relief and joy, the joy of holding her only child in her arms. In moments like this, Hollie was reminded of just how blessed she was. She had it good, and she was ever so grateful for the life she had. She couldn’t help but smile as she cuddled the apple of her eye, her most precious daughter, in her arms. She smelled her hair and took in the deepest breath, savouring the moment like she did every day; she’d been here countless times before, but every time felt like the first time, and it never got old.

No Mummy, I missed the squirrels today, Hollade replied, her voice bringing her mum out of her mini trance. I have a question…the other kids were talking today…

Hollie gasped. She mumbled under her breath, Are we there already?

She couldn’t believe it was already time for THAT talk. How was her eight-year-old daughter already asking, or about to ask about sex? She couldn’t imagine that the time had come, that she would have to talk to her baby girl about the birds and the bees.

She always knew the day would come, and always thought of it as a priority, as a conversation worth having between parent and child, but she wasn’t ready for it; no, not really, or at least not that day.

Where has the time gone? She wondered. One moment you’re changing diapers, marvelling at this perfect little angel in your arms, and the next, they’re all grown-up, having grown-up conversations, about grown-up things. She sighed.

What were the other kids talking about? Hollie asked in anticipation, interrupting Hollade, who, without missing a beat, replied, Santa!

What was that sorry? Hollie needed clarification.

Who is Santa? Hollade asked. She’d spent the day at school listening to the other kids talk about a Christmas figure – an old man who brings them presents every year. Naturally, she was now bursting with questions.

How come you’ve never told me about Santa? Does he bring me presents too? Hollade asked.

Hollie breathed the biggest sigh of relief. It wasn’t time for ‘that’ talk – the inevitable if awkward, and yet necessary, sex talk. Her child’s innocence would be preserved for a little while longer. She basked in the relief that her plans to defer the responsibility of ‘the talk’ to Ade had not been foiled just yet. Surely, her ever-smiling, emotionally agile partner would feel less awkward about it than she, or so she imagined.

The momentary relief she felt from not having to have the sex talk was punctuated by the thought – the realisation – that the time had come for yet another monumental conversation. It wasn’t about sex or where babies come from, thankfully, not this time, but was no less important, and perhaps even more delicate…

Chapter 2

Family Values,

Parenting Choices

When Hollie and Ade started dating, they found that they had so much in common. They talked about anything and everything on their dates, which were usually long walks along