In 1983, bestselling author David Morrell, who created the iconic character Rambo in his 1972 novel,  First Blood, decided to write a novella that was a complete change of pace from his traditional action thrillers.  The result was The Hundred-Year Christmas (nominated for the 1984 World Fantasy Award), which Stephen King hailed as “enchanting”.

Originally written as a Christmas present for Morrell’s two children, the novella has different meanings depending if you are a child or an adult.  It is about the poignant friendship between Father Christmas, who lives to be a hundred, and Father Time, who lives for only a single year before being replaced.  Each year, Santa sees a new version of his friend grow through infancy, boyhood, adulthood, and into an old man, eventually dying.  Now it is Santa’s turn, but he is having trouble finding a replacement.  If he doesn’t succeed, there will be no one to take care of the infant Father Time.  Time itself will stop.

Due to overwhelming requests for this rare and much-loved Christmas fable, published over twenty-five years ago, Morrell partnered with publisher Dave Hinchberger of Overlook Connection Press to create a new version of Morrell’s novella, featuring spectacular all new color drawings by artist Cortney Skinner, commissioned exclusively for this special reissue of the book.
“The Hundred-Year Christmas is my rarest book,” Morrell says, “and over the years I have had so many requests for it to be rereleased that I finally decided to do so, but with new artwork, slight structural changes, as well as an introduction entitled ‘A Snow Globe of Memories’.”

The Hundred Year Christmas (December 8, 2009) is available in two editions, which are selling out quickly via pre-orders: 

• 1000 First Edition Hardcover copies signed by author David Morrell, illustrated with full page, full-color original artwork by artist Cortney Skinner and a full-color wrap-around book cover ($34.95). 
  
  
• Also available are 500 Limited Slipcased Editions signed by author David Morrell and artist Cortney Skinner, illustrated with full-page, full-color artwork, with a full-color wrap around cover, accented with a completely foil embossed cloth slipcase ($75.00).

The book can be purchased directly through Overlook Connection Press (678-567-9777), on the publisher’s website at www.overlookconnection.com, as well as through select booksellers and online.  Pre-orders are being taken now, and books are selling quickly.

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DAVID MORRELL is the award-winning author of thirty books, including the New York Times bestsellers Creepers and Scavenger. He holds a Ph. D. in American literature from Pennsylvania State University and was a professor in the English department at the University of Iowa until he gave up his tenure to devote himself to a full-time writing career.  Co-founder of the International Thriller Writers Organization and creator of Rambo as well as the classic Brotherhood of the Rose spy trilogy, he is considered by many to be the father of the modern action novel.  His The Successful Novelist: A Lifetime of Lessons about Writing and Publishing discusses what he has learned in his three-and-a-half decades as an author.  His work has been translated into twenty-six languages.