Help me welcome author Donna Wichelman as she shares about finding joy--an appropriate topic this time of year. Read down for the link to download a free copy of her short story, "The Christmas Gift", which she's generously provided.

On December 2^nd, I had the privilege to speak before nearly ninety ladies at our church’s annual Christmas Tea. I based the topic on a short story called The Christmas Gift I wrote in 2004 and was published in the Standard Publishing Sunday School take-home pages for adults in December 2005. It was an incredible experience and a delightful time.

The opportunity to use The Christmas Gift to develop a message for the Christmas Tea was an exciting prospect on several levels. First, The Christmas Gift is a heartwarming short story of a father’s sacrificial love for his children at Christmas that affects his daughter for the rest of her life. The story is meant as an allegory, depicting God’s gift of love through his Son, Jesus, whose birth we celebrate every year. The short story provided an outline for developing a message without needing to start from scratch.

In addition, retelling The Christmas Gift meant I could recycle an already previously published short story that has value for every generation.

Moreover, I could use the story as a giveaway to my audience, and indeed, many people in the audience took a copy and have continued to ask me for copies even days later. At least one lady wants to give a copy to a family member who she believes would benefit from reading it. So, I’m not only able to attract a new audience with a message of hope, but they are passing it along—gifting it to others.

A by-product for me is that I’m now also establishing a reputation as a speaker as well as a writer. Having spoken at the Christmas Tea, I’m growing in confidence as a person that people believe has something to give them. And I’ve found that I love helping those who need strength and encouragement.

Finally, the marketing value for future writing projects and speaking engagements has increased. I’m able to demonstrate a proven track record for writing and speaking, which I can continue to build upon. With speaking now under my belt, I have another set of skills in my tool bag to market myself and my writing.

Wherever you are on the spectrum of novice to expert writer, I encourage you to think outside the box about how you can develop your skills in ways you never thought possible to inject new life and energy into your craft. Whether it’s speaking, podcasting, blogging, or another avenue, you just might be surprised how it moves you forward in your writing career and takes you into territory you love but never thought about before.

Donna’s short stories and articles have appeared in various inspirational publications, and she has two indie-published books, Light Out of Darkness and Undaunted Valor, available on Amazon.com. Weaving history and faith into stories of intrigue and redemption grew out of her love of history and literature as a young adult. Her stories reflect the hunger in all of us for love, forgiveness, and belonging.

To download your Kindle copy of The Christmas Gift click here.

About Donna:

My husband and I have traveled extensively. We enjoy biking, hiking and kayaking, and have done all three in the United States and Europe. We also love spending time with our two grandchildren, Rozalyn 5, and Maven almost 3. I also enjoy cooking, and my favorite food is Italian.

Connect online: 

Website: www.donnawichelman.com

Blogs: www.hhhistory.com and www.donnawichelman.com/blog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonnaWichelmanAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonnaWichelman

To get updates on Donna Wichelman’s books and writing projects as well as recommendations on authors and historical and slip-time novels, sign up for her newsletter at www.donnawichelman.com