
The Christmas House
A verified Amazon review-The Christmas House is the embodiment of the Christmas Spirit. Magical, wondrous, full of the warmth generated by the company of family and friends during good times and hard. This book hits you with a healthy dose of reality, but it also takes you on a fantastical journey filled with hope and joy, grace and forgiveness. If you don't examine it too closely, but just let the words transport you on a trip that will engage your emotions and give you cause to ponder what can be real, what may be true - if "close your eyes" and open your heart, this book will bring it all to life and make you believe. I found this book engaging from the first chapter, it kept drawing me in, pulling me into the world of the house and those who live there, as well as those individuals who visit once every year at Christmas. This story is not without tragedy, but it is also infused with the glorious strength and bright light that the human spirit is capable of producing, with a little divine help and the steadfast support of the people who love you. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, wanting to see what happened next, anxious to find out what happened to the characters in the book I had grown to care about. The story surrounds your senses and brings the sights and smells, the many textures of Christmas to your heart, as it lifts your spirit up and makes you wonder...This podcast offers the first four chapters of the novel. The entire audio book will not be available on Amazon until Thanksgiving 2022. More episodes (chapters) will be added in the future.
Episodes
40 episodes
CHAPTER NINETEEN - CHRISTMAS FOR ERNIE
6:00 am December 25th “Daddy? Dad? Hey Dad, you awake?” asks the super excited 6-year-old of Harry. “I am now. Ernie, it’s… what time is it anyway?” Harry stammers and then lo...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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16:09

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - TWO SOULS ON DIFFERENT FLIGHTS
Once outside, Caitlin and Rose stood in silence and disbelief. The warm winter night was now hot. Over 100 degrees and the sky was bright with what looked like fire. The sound surrounding them was that of a tornado of fire, filling their ears w...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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20:57

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - GUESS WHO’S COMING TO CHRISTMAS
At the front door stood Patrick and Megan McCann, Rick’s parents. “Patrick! Megan! What are you doing here?” asked Susan. “Susan? Carin’s sister? What are you doin...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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21:29

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - 6:00 PM CHRISTMAS EVE TWO
As the church bells chimed for the sixth time, the doorbell rang. Harry took a deep breath and said, “Okay, here we go.” He opened the door, and there stood Martha. “Merry Christmas, Hill Family!”...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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7:25

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - CHRISTMAS NUMBER TWO
A year had passed, and life continued for the Hill family. Each, a year older and for a few wiser as well, but the subject of conversation persisted in being would Rick and Carin be joining the family this second Christmas ...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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7:23

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - TIME TO DEPART
6:00 pm Christmas Day As the church bells rang out, the guests at the house on Festive Lane began to gather their belongings and bid their hosts a good evening until next Christmas. Harry, Susan, and the kids stood by...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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11:55

CHAPTER THIRTEEN - MY WHAT?
With a puzzled look on his face, Harry asked, “What’s that you say? It sounded like you said he was my son.” “That’s what I said, and that’s who he is. Ernest, this man is your father. His name is...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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30:39

CHAPTER TWELVE - CHRISTMAS DAY
7:00 am- As the sun shines into the master bedroom, the interior is bright and bold. Harry squints to see the alarm clock on his nightstand. “7:03? It’s Christmas ...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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8:11

CHAPTER ELEVEN - CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT
As the hours passed, Susan's immediate family, Harry, and the kids talked to the magical house visitors. Susan had explained the circumstances of the evening to Rose, Caitlin, and Victor. As predicted, Caitlin questioned Sus...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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11:10

CHAPTER TEN - SURPRISE VISITORS
The house on Festive Lane was once again filled with over fifty guests, all deceased but allowed to return for twenty-four hours due to the magic of the Christmas House. Some of the guests had been dead for only a short tim...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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15:32

CHAPTER NINE - THE HOUSE GUESTS
As the doorbell's tone faded into silence, Harry, Susan, and the kids all stood frozen in anticipation and disbelief. Susan stood up and walked to her father. She reached out her hand and poked him in the shoulder. His phys...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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12:13

CHAPTER EIGHT - THE FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE
Thirty days had passed since the Hill family celebrated their first Thanksgiving at the Festive Lane home. Unfortunately, Lindsay’s mother, Doris, had also died during this brief period. She was placed in a hospice center o...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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25:58

CHAPTER SEVEN - THANKSGIVING DINNER
Victor parked the car on the driveway because the garage floor area was cluttered with boxes and extension cords due to the decorating mission. “Wow, it looks great, Uncle Harry and Aunt Su...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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16:40

CHAPTER SIX- THE LETTER
Susan removed the letter from the light pink envelope and could smell Carin’s scent on the stationary. The fragrance brought her back to an earlier time when she and Carin were in high school. “Th...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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21:43

CHAPTER FIVE- THANKSGIVING DAY
It was a bright and sunny morning on this Thanksgiving Day, although a bit on the cool side with a temperature in the low 30s. Harry walked out to see if there was any mail from the previous two days. Harry would get so inv...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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7:17

CHAPTER FOUR- THE DAY BEFORE THE FIRST THANKSGIVING
About seven months had passed leading up to the first anniversary of Rick and Carin’s passing. Thanksgiving was but a day away, and the tension was building in the house on Festive Lane. Harry and Susan had discussed ...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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10:27

Chapter Three- The Carters are Out, and The Hills are In
Michael followed a moving truck to a new yet smaller home in Algonquin, IL, at the end of March. Algonquin was a lovely middle-class suburb just 60 miles west of Lake Forest. Michael sold the house on Festive Lane to Harry and Susan Hill, who b...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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18:32

Chapter Two- Welcome to 148 Festive Lane
As Harry, Susan, and the children entered the home at 148 Festive Lane, Michael offered them hot chocolate and some freshly baked cookies. “Oh no, thank you, Mr. Carter; we won’t be here that long. We just wanted to t...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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10:13

Chapter One- A New Adventure for the Hills
This is the first chapter of the sequel to The Christmas House. This book is The Christmas House II, Martha's Return. The story continues.It was a cold day in March, even for Chicago, but the sky was a bright blue, and the frigid winds ...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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11:59

Chapter Twenty Three- The Last Christmas
The story doesn't end with this chapter. To listen to the sequel, The Christmas House II, Martha's Return, visit www. minicooperproductions.com for options to download the book. Thank you for i...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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37:42

Chapter Twenty- A Critical Night for Michael
222 East Pleasant StreetApartment 326Evanston, IL10:30 p.m. Sharon slid her key into the lock of the eggshell-painted door with the number “326” displayed at eye level as Michael stood...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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13:25

Chapter Nineteen- A Test of Faith
May 2nd148 Festive Lane10:00 a.m. As Sharon drove up to the front of the house and parked across the street, she noticed Michael’s red pickup truck was parked in ...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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24:24

Chapter Eighteen- The First Step
April of the Following YearLake Forest, IL Over the last four months, Michael struggled with many challenges. His faith in life, love, and God was still uncertain. He tried to focus his energies o...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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14:32
