Throwback Thursday: Christmas Candi by L.L. Foster

Author: L.L.Foster
First published in 2009 

Amos Jardine first showed up as the hero's uncle in the L. L. Foster novella Total Control. If you like his story, you can read about his nephew, Brax Jardine, in that novella. His niece, Mercedes Jardine, was in Have Mercy. Both novellas are in the anthology, Out of the Light, Into the Shadow.

Christmas Candi was a novella published on L.L. Foster's website in 2009.  It's a very short addition to the two Jardine family novellas "Have Mercy" and "Total Control" which appeared in the anthology, Out of Light. Into the Shadow (Berkeley, 2009).  For those who don't know, L.L.Foster is a pseudonym for Lori Foster.

This is a super short story coming in at 20 pages, so it's a very quick read.  I thought it was a cute holiday story with a slight paranormal twist.  My only complaint is that I wish it had been longer.  In a way, I was glad I read the two other novellas before I read this one.  I felt like I had a better handle on Amos's ability, especially after reading "Total Control".  But, it's not completely necessary.  

As I said it was cute, but would have benefited from a longer length.  I felt a little like I didn't know the characters well enough to see how connected they were or to believe their love declarations at the end.  But, then, there is only so much you can get in a short story.  All three stories are worth picking up, especially reading them all back to back.