Finalist in the 2016 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition. (Florida Writers Association) Dear Reader: Please be aware that this is not a children's book. The perfect Christmas stocking stuffer for pet lovers, family and friends. This book contains four heartwarming Christmas stories about our feline friends and the humans who love them. Slipper's Last Breath For most people Christmas is a time reflection, a time to share and celebrate with family and friends, but for some it is a time of sadness and quiet desperation. What if your soul mate, best friend and lover is no longer around to share in the season of joy and you are about to lose the last remaining link to a life you once knew and loved. Would you find the strength to survive? Slipper's Last Breath is a story about love, companionship and triumph over tragedy. Some might call it a Christmas miracle, but I call it the power of unconditional love. The Unwrapped Gift Sometimes the best gifts are the unexpected ones. After enduring the heartbreak of a bad marriage, Beth is in no mood to celebrate the Christmas season. It's sad enough spending the holidays alone, but watching Spice, her five-year-old Labrador retriever, mope around the house was more than she could bear. A visit to Miller's tree farm to cheer up her canine companion leads to an unexpected find and the possibility of a new found relationship. When she least expects it, Beth rediscovers love and the magic of Christmas. A Charcoal Christmas She was born under the loading dock behind Johnson's Market and lost her mother when she was only five weeks old. One of a litter of six, she and her siblings had to learn to fend for themselves at a young age. The life expectancy of a feral cat is short, but thanks to the generosity of a compassionate store owner, the kittens were well fed and enjoying their lives. Then one day a stranger appears and takes her away from the safety of her kin. Confused and frightened, she is forced to endure an uncaring human and ultimately the forces of nature, in hopes of returning to the ones she loves. A Charcoal Christmas is a bittersweet tale of survival, hope and loving companionship. Christmas Mourning A troubled priest struggling with doubts about his faith and vocation has an unexpected encounter with a stray, weather-beaten black cat. When Father Pedro decides to provide warmth and shelter for the lost creature, he has no idea how this simple act of kindness will impact his life forever.