Courageous Kids Must Save Santa in Time for Christmas
New York, NY, November 16, 2020 — Amid the backdrop of an overindulgent culture and waning Christmas spirit, one company, Eastern Industries, is uniquely poised to monopolize the attention of children with the launch of its latest video game. But things have gotten way out of hand. Santa is missing, the North Pole is in a state of chaos, and Christmas may not happen at all! With the holiday traditions of the world hanging in the balance, can a team of intrepid youngsters drawn from the Naughty List, some toy soldiers and living snowmen save the day?
Author Thomas Conway sets the stage for worldwide adventure in The Naughty List, his imaginative, modern Christmas tale that blends elements of pop culture with the age-old tradition of Santa Claus. The story begins at a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade without Santa, where toy manufacturer Eastern Industries has just released a new holiday marketing scheme, which keeps kids glued to their devices and drains everyone’s holiday spirit. With Christmas fast approaching and Santa nowhere in sight, a team of daring youngsters recruited from Santa’s Naughty List aim to rescue Santa and save the holiday.
While primarily a Santa tale, The Naughty List cleverly incorporates Winter holiday beliefs from around the world, including the legend of Marduk, a Babylonian god; the Roman feast of Saturnalia; the epic story of Jangar from North Asia; Moravian traditions of animal communication; and the present real-life adventures of Israeli Santa Claus, Nicola Abdou.
Also sprinkled with references to holiday favorites such as Miracle on 34th Street, T’was the Night Before Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and others, this wonderfully rich tale promotes right over wrong, good over evil and love over fear.
Suitable for all ages, The Naughty List skillfully weaves valuable lessons about overindulgence and society’s tendency to put labels on children, with the overarching theme that when kids misbehave they should not be defined by their bad deeds but rather see it as a learning opportunity, since when we appreciate the best in humanity and combine our talents, we are capable of almost anything.
The Naughty List, winner of the 2020 Indie Book Award in the E-Book Fiction category, is the first release from Thomas Conway. His 30-year career spans various industries. When not at work, he devotes his time to environmental matters and inventing stories for his two children.
The Naughty List
Publisher: Skylands Publishing House
ISBN-10: 1734123400
ISBN-13: 978-1734123401
Available from Amazon.com
