*Highlighting up and coming illustrators and authors from independent publishing houses and self-publishers*

Please reach out to MaiStoryBook through Instagram, FB, or by commenting on my blog, and *share or tag* books, authors, or illustrators who would fit into this category of independent/self publishing! I’m excited for the wonders we will find!

Now without further ado~

This week’s featured *Holiday-edition*  finds:

The Twelve Hats of Christmas By Brett O. Parson and Holly Parson Nielsen

Published by Parson Publishing: Self- Published

*~Welcome to the land of Christmas~ with hat elves, and shop elves, and presents galore~ and candy canes, and cookies, and cocoa, and more!~*

Be ready to be charmed with this bound-to-be holiday classic. Through the clever, catchy rhymes, reminiscent of *Twas’ the Night before Christmas,*  discover the secrets of the North Pole on Christmas Eve~ through the eyes of one very special elf~ a hat elf named Thaddeus Willard Elf, to be exact *but we’ll call him T.W. for short.* In the North Pole, Christmas Eve falls on a very magical night, Santa’s Birthday of course! And what better way to celebrate than with a *Big Winter Ball.* But what would be the perfect gift to give Santa, the ultimate gift-giver of them all?? Join T.W. for a sneak peak at the North Pole, as he weaves his way through the snowy hills, through Candy Cane Lane, the North Pole Bakery, and Elf Village, towards Santa’s Ball, bearing his gifts of 11 of his most precious hats ~ he is a hat elf after all~. Along the way, T.W. comes across friends, who could use one of his special hats to help bring some holiday cheer of their own. You’ll see that on his journey to Santa, T.W. will learn the most important part of Christmas to believe, *~That it’s really much better to give than receive~*

This book is bound to put you and your little ones in the holiday spirit! The festive storyline rolls off your tongue with its fun, flowing rhymes mentioning all things Christmas~ from reindeers to snowman, to gingerbread to polar bears ~ to elves to Jolly St. Nick himself! Plus, the red and green color schemed illustrations are rich with holiday detail~ your little ones will love pouring over the pages, pointing out all of the Christmas cheer! Be prepared for some Christmas cookie cravings upon entering the Elf Bakery~ shelves of holiday cookies and cakes will have your tummies rumbling and taste buds tingling for some holiday treats. I recommend baking up a batch of holiday sweets for a reading snack. Prepare an evening to snuggle up with your little ones, with your mugs of cocoa and plates of cookies, with the Christmas lights sparkling overhead and the fireplace glowing, and be ready to dive into the world of Christmas with T.W. and his 12 special hats!

A bit more about the Author and Illustrator: Brett O. Parson and Holly Parson Nielsen

Author Brett O. Parson lives in Idaho with his wife and four children. When he is not running his own marketing and design firm, you can find him enjoying time with his family at Disneyland. Brett remembers being read to as a child by his mother, and can recall dreaming that one day, he and his sister, Holly, would create a book together. With his love of storytelling and her award-winning illustrations, his dream came true with *The Twelve Hats of Christmas.* Illustrator Holly Parson Nielsen, has been drawing ever since she could hold a pencil! Holly has a bachelor’s degree in fine art, and lives in Idaho with her husband and three children. They enjoy celebrating the snowy, white, and magical Christmases. To see more of her art visit www.artbyholly.com.  To learn more, follow them on Instagram: @parsonpublishing and @12hatsofchristmas. And visit their site: www.12hatsofchristmas.com.

Check here to find this book for your own home library!

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Doodle and the Magic Christmas Float by Cindy L. Shirley

Published by Let’s Pretend Publishing LLC: located in Woodstock, Georgia, this organization primarily operates in the Miscellaneous Publishing business / industry within the Printing, Publishing and Allied Industries sector.

Unwrap your candy canes and prepare for this red and white wintery tale of the magic of kindness, giving, and friendship! Welcome to Tinsel, a tiny farm town where a young girl named Doodle lives with her grandma Mimi, and her inventive, handy-man grandpa Paw Paw. Join Doodle on her winter adventures, riding the red tractor through the snow, swinging on tire swings through the crisp, cool winter air, and playing with Paw Paw’s toy scrap inventions. One day, while searching through the woods for the perfect Christmas tree, Doodle and her friends come across an abandoned, old rusty trailer,  with a tag on its back naming it *Magic.* With the help of Paw Paw, her friends, town, and family, Doodle transforms the rusty trailer into a glowing, candy-cane, holiday float~ just in time to showcase for the holiday parade! This Christmas tale has the perfect message for the holiday season, reminding us all to search for and find the beauty and potential in every person and everything!

Join Doodle and her gang of friends as they model the importance of teamwork, the beauty of creativity, and the value of family and friends this holiday season! With full-page spreads of bold colored illustrations, every turn of the page brings a bust of color and festive cheer! Plus, the farm adventures don’t just end after Christmas~ be sure to check out author Cindy L. Shirley’s additional titles: *Diesel the Body Guard*- the 2017 Readers Favorite International Book Competition Silver Medal Award Winner, and *The Fabulous Life of Minnie the Sassy Chick* another Reader’s Favorite.

A bit more about the Author: Cindy L. Shirley:

Author Cindy L. Shirley  lives in Woodstock, GA, and writes all of her stories based on her family and personal experiences. She is a mom, grandma, wife, and sharer of silly stories! *Doodle and the Magic Christmas Float* is based off the annual Christmas Parade of Lights that takes place  in her own home town. To learn more, follow her on Instagram:  @cindy.letspretend.126. and on Facebook @letspretendpublishing.

Check here to find this book for your own home library!

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*~Support these independent/self-published authors and illustrators and check out what they’ve been writing and creating.  Please share any books, authors, or illustrators that fit into this category by tagging me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary,  posting on MaiStoryBook’s FaceBook page, or commenting on the blog below! I’m always looking for new treasures to read, support, and share with all of you!~*

*Plus, checkout out an interactive  read aloud of a heart-warming, inspiring tale   here. *

*~Until Next Time, Happy Reading~*