New Release -- THE CHRISTMAS SPIDER by Randy Lee Eickhoff -- Giveaway!

Christmas promises to be a bitter time of change for Samantha “Sam” McCaslin following the death of her mother. At thirteen years old, tomboyish Sam tries to fill her mother’s place on the family’s South Dakota ranch, the Bar X. Pressure from her grandparents forces her father to choose between sending Sam to live with them, or seeking a housekeeper to help at the ranch.

When Mrs. Six Feathers and her two children, Sarah and Timmy, arrive at the Bar X, Sam deeply resents their coming. She chooses to ignore them as much as possible. But when Sarah and Sam become the victims of Billy Kincaid’s vicious bullying, a bond begins to develop between them as they fight back.

As Kincaid’s behavior becomes dangerously psychopathic, Sam’s very life is threatened. With only her quick wits to survive Kincaid’s ruthless cruelty, every second counts. Will her friends be able to help her in time, or will she become a victim of Billy’s deadly vendetta? At what should be the happiest season of the year, Sam will learn just how important family really is…

With The Christmas Spider, Randy Eickhoff has written a warm, wonderful, off-beat tale.  Yet, it also illustrates a modern problem concerning the bullying of children in today’s society. The timeliness, however, of the Christmas season will make it be a great choice for families to read aloud on Christmas Eve.  – Lucia St. Clair Robson Award winning American historical novelist

A heart-warming and beautiful fable for a beautiful season. Real people with real, human problems discover through the myth, spirit, and ultimate truth of Christmas that there is healing and hope in the world. Randy Eickhoff has given us an instant classic! – William Martin, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Lost Constitution and The Lincoln Letter

EXCERPT

     “Sam,” he began. “We need to talk.”

     I sighed. It was going to be worse than I suspected. Whenever Pa prefaced his words with “we need to talk” I knew to prepare myself. I made an elaborate show of closing my book, staring up at the exposed beams in the ceiling.

     “Sam, I would appreciate your attention.”

     Pa’s voice had a warning to it, and although I had heard what he said, I knew what he meant. I pulled my feet from between the cushions and swung around, sitting and facing him.

     “Sorry,” I mumbled. “I was caught up in my book.”

     “What are you reading?” he asked, although I knew he had seen the title. This was going to be really bad news if he felt he had to wade around in shallow water before jumping in.

     “Roy Rogers and the Mystery of Howling Mesa,” I said, holding the title so he could see it.

     “You’ve read that before.”

It wasn’t a question, but I treated it as such.

     “Yes, but I like it. Old books are comfortable, sometimes, like when you really don’t want any surprises, or can’t find another book like it that you want to read, so you read it again.” I shrugged. “Sometimes, I just like reading something familiar.”

     He cleared his throat again. “Sam, your grandparents and me’ve been talking about you maybe going in and living with them so you could go to school this year in Fort Pierre.”

     I shook my head, remembering suddenly what I had overheard the night when Pa and I had stayed over in town. A bad feeling came over me.

      “I don’t want to, Pa. I want to stay here.”

     “Sam,” he began, but I broke in.

     “Besides, you need me here, Pa. Especially with—” I couldn’t say the words about Mother being gone. The words just wouldn’t come. I continued, fumbling for something to say, rattling on desperately as if I could talk long enough, everything bad would go away.

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