West Virginia native Robert L. Fouch makes his fiction debut with the release of “Christmas Carol & the Defenders of Claus,” a book bestselling children’s author Tony Abbott (“Kringle”) calls “a glittering sleigh ride of a holiday tale.”
The book, which is geared toward middle-grade children (ages 8 to 12), tells the story of Carol Glover, a 12-year-old girl so obsessed with Christmas that everyone teases her and calls her “Christmas Carol.” But on a magical trip to New York City, Carol meets Santa and her destiny, discovering that she comes from a long line of Defenders of Claus, those who protect and serve Santa.
For Fouch, a Marshall University graduate who grew up in Petersburg, W.Va., it’s a story that’s close to his heart. “Christmas has always been huge in our family,” Fouch said. “As kids, my brother and I actually had two Christmases, one at home in Petersburg and one at my grandmother’s on the mountain in Terra Alta. Needless to say, we made out pretty well. But it was more about being together as a family.”
So when Fouch, a 48-year-old newspaper journalist who now lives in Valley Stream, N.Y., decided to write a children’s book that his son might enjoy, a Christmas story was the natural choice. “I just started thinking about this girl who wished it could be Christmas all year round, and the story took off from there,” Fouch said. “And it’s not about the gifts. It’s about the feeling around the holiday, the magic of giving, and of Santa, and how that needs to be protected. Carol’s love for Santa and the holiday is pure.”
The hardcover book, which features a cover illustration by artist David Miles, is being published by Sky Pony Press and goes on sale Oct. 10. It’s available where all books are sold. For more information on “Christmas Carol & the Defenders of Claus,” visit robertfouch.com, skyponypress.com, or go to Fouch’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/robertlfouch.
