Welcome Friends. Like wow and how cool to take a blast to the past in my four historical-fiction chapter books for readers eight and up. I’ve been on a seven year, fictional journey following and recording the activities and adventures of fictional characters, Pete, Carol Ann, their families, friends, and a cute, little beagle hound. The series is called The 1950s Adventures of Pete and Carol Ann. Book four starts on December 1, 1955. So it’s fitting to start blogging on this first day of December, 2012. Book four, the last book in my series, is called Wild Winter: Christmas, Clues, and Crooks.

The main characters, Pete and Carol Ann, say, “Hi, friends, please read the following sample from our story.”

“Merry Christmas, Pete and Carol Ann,” said Stu.
“Gee . . . Merry Christmas to you,” said Pete. “But isn’t it too early to be saying that?”
Stu smiled and said, “December is ‘Merry Christmas’ month starting today.”
I pulled my red raincoat hood over my brown hair, popped open my plaid umbrella, and strode into the rain. “Merry Christmas to both of you. Let’s hurry up, so we’re not late for school.”

Both boys charged off the porch while pulling their raincoat hoods over their heads. They splashed through a pathway of puddles while laughing, dodging, and kicking water at each other until they soaked their jeans with dark shades of wet.
I hope you enjoyed a peek into the past and the lives of these all-American kids. The songs “Dig That Crazy Santa Claus,” “What Child is This?”and “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas” played on car radios and Hi-fi stereos throughout the month of December, 1955, in El Monte, California.

All four books are for sale at my website: www.cahartnell.com and will soon be available at www.amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, bookstores, libraries and as eBooks.

While the song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” played, certain circumstances turned Pete and Carol Ann’s season of joy into a wild winter. Can they salvage the true gift of Christmas? Like crazy, like wow! The characters in Wild Winter want to share their cool Christmas adventures with you, so “stay-tuned” and let the Fifties fun begin.

See ya later, alligator!

C.A. Hartnell