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Back in the long-ago time of the 2000s, Frosty and Kate Wheeler operated Country Homes & Land Real Estate in Murphy. A gifted writer, Kate’s work while she was here helped Murphy earn the distinction as one of the top 10 places to buy a vacation home in the United States, setting the stage for the next wave of local residents.
Even more importantly, I will never forget when Frosty and Kate decided their Christmas gift to each other that year was going to be providing a holiday for an entire family in need. With the help of a friend, we were able to locate a couple with children who had been down on their luck since the father had been laid off from a local plant.
This wasn’t just any Christmas, either. It included a tree with all the trimmings, a huge holiday dinner and multiple presents for every member of the family. They never shared the total cost, but it wasn’t cheap. It was beautiful, however, and I’ll never forget being able to play a small part in it.
Kate’s love of writing and Christmastime combined forces for the recent release of her book
The Day-After-Christmas Angel, a “sweet and uplifting holiday short story filled with love, understanding, kindness and a soul who finds his true calling,” according to the cover synopsis.
The book is a heartwarming tale for the day after Christmas, and every other day of the year. After all, who doesn’t want that spirit to stay with us year-round?
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“It happens in the blink of an eye. One minute Bob’s cleaning out his garage, and the next he’s wandering the halls of heaven in torn jeans and a ragged sweatshirt,” the book goes.
“When God assigns him to be the day-after-Christmas angel, Bob is sure there must have been a mistake. He’s an ordinary guy who lived an ordinary life. On the day after Christmas, disappointment, loneliness and grief run rampant among those whose dreams and wishes the Christmas angel couldn’t grant. Surely there’s someone smarter. More empathetic. More capable.
“But when Bob goes back to Earth, he discovers sometimes all it takes is a listening ear and compassion in your heart to fulfill your destiny.”
After retiring as a novelist under a pen name, why did Kate write this book now, and under her given name?
“All I can say is that it wasn’t really my idea. My angels have been running the show on this one. To quote an old friend of mine, ‘I hear them singing louder with every year that goes by!’ ” she said.
“I wanted to write something that will live on after I’m gone. Something I’d be proud to read to my grandkids. I put my heart into this book.”
That makes perfect sense for anyone who knows Kate, who always seems to be working on a story. In fact, this book may just be the start of a series about angels, and the next one promises to make your eyes water.
“It was time to do something different,” she said, “I’m having fun with what I’m doing, just putting it out in the universe and hoping it touches the right people’s hearts.”
Kate and Frosty live in Hickory today. The Day-After-Christmas Angel can be found on Amazon.com, where
the book has received a very good response, such as reaching No. 1 in the Christian fiction category after a Black Friday promotion.
Her dedication seems perfect for a story about angels: “This book is dedicated to the ones who came into my life when I needed them the most.”
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. You can reach him by phone, 837-5122; email, dbrown@cherokeescout.com; or on Twitter @daviddBstroh.