This collection of one novella and three short stories captures the traditional, emotional spirit of Christmas and presents the spirit in contemporary settings. Holly Day's Caf, the novella, relates the story of the last day of business at a Kentucky diner. This last day happens to be Christmas Eve. It is also the day of a rare blizzard-one which strands several customers in the diner. What occurs next demonstrates the magic and wonder of the power and spirit of Christmas. "Molly's Santa Claus" tells of the drunken homeless man that six-year-old Molly literally finds on her doorstep. What follows exemplifies this family's true, selfless Christmas spirit. "Angel Tree" is a story of Christmas promises broken and Christmas promises kept when a busy businessman comes face to face with his memories of Christmas past. Finally, "St. Nicholas of the Neighborhood" shows that things have a way of working out at Christmas, even when the presents are forgotten in someone else's house! This collection of Christmas stories for adults is also ideal entertainment for families to share together as they count the days until Santa's visit! Gerald R. Toner is a great lover of Christmas. He is the author of two other books about the holiday, Lipstick Like Lindsay's and Other Christmas Stories and Whittlesworth Comes to Christmas, both published by Pelican.

With more than 1,800 entries, The Encyclopedia of Louisville is the ultimate reference for Kentucky's largest city. For more than 125 years, the world's attention has turned to Louisville for the annual running of the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. Louisville Slugger bats still reign supreme in major league baseball. The city was also the birthplace of the famed Hot Brown and Benedictine spread, and the cheeseburger made its debut at Kaelin's Restaurant on Newburg Road in 1934. The "Happy Birthday" had its origins in the Louisville kindergarten class of sisters Mildred Jane Hill and Patty Smith Hill. Named for King Louis XVI of France in appreciation for his assistance during the Revolutionary War, Louisville was founded by George Rogers Clark in 1778. The city has been home to a number of men and women who changed the face of American history. President Zachary Taylor was reared in surrounding Jefferson County, and two U.S. Supreme Court Justices were from the city proper. Second Lt. F. Scott Fitzgerald, stationed at Camp Zachary Taylor during World War I, frequented the bar in the famous Seelbach Hotel, immortalized in The Great Gatsby. Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville and won six Golden Gloves tournaments in Kentucky.

Writers love to tell stories, so when L. Elisabeth Beattie remarked that her next book ought to be a Kentucky writers' cookbook, Betty Layman Receveur replied, "Actually, all my sons ever demand of me is my pound cake." Adding a cup of this and a pinch of that, Beattie cooked up Savory Memories, a collection of twenty-two essays about particular dishes that call up warm memories in the writers. Featuring recipes and memories from writers such as Joy Bale Boone, George Ella Lyon, Ronni Ludy, Ed McClanahan, Sena Jeter Naslund, and Richard Taylor, this is both a cookbook and a compendium of sentiments. This warm and enjoyable blending of essays, illustrations, and recipes is leavened with humor and laden with nostalgia. As much as the food, these writers celebrate the personalities who lovingly prepared and provided their favorite dishes, sustaining life and helping to shape the personas of the authors themselves. A collection of highly personal recollections, Savory Memories is a veritable smorgasbord of delights.

The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, the 'Big Bopper' and Ritchie Valens. The tragic deaths of these three fifties Rock n Roll stars was immortalised in Don McLean's classic hit American Pie. The poignant story of the build-up to, events of, and the fall-out from the infamous 'Day The Music Died' are told here in painstaking chronological detail. A must for any serious rock n roll fan or student.