The Winter Souls Series by Jennifer Kropf

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This book was REIMAGINED and REWRITTEN in 2024 to improve the reading experience. "Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good fright..."The Quarrel of Sword and Bone was a death sentence for anyone who stepped into the arena with the deranged Queen, whose soul had crisped to frost in an age long since past.Sixteen-year-old Helen Bell understood tragedy better than most kids growing up... more**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This book was REIMAGINED and REWRITTEN in 2024 to improve the reading experience. "Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good fright..."The Quarrel of Sword and Bone was a death sentence for anyone who stepped into the arena with the deranged Queen, whose soul had crisped to frost in an age long since past.Sixteen-year-old Helen Bell understood tragedy better than most kids growing up. She knew what it was like to wear clothes from donation bins and be mocked by the beautiful girls in high school. She thought those brutal experiences made her ready for anything, but she wasn't ready for this.After an eccentric girl opens Helen's eyes to let her see the realm of Winter—a world with intersects tucked carefully into the cracks of our own, where monarchs have risen and fallen, it's forbidden to mention the name of The Dead King, and the currency is gold rings—Helen discovers things are far from ordinary in Winter. After trying to deny the existence of a disrupting train horn ringing in her ears for days, Helen receives a mysterious summons from a group who call themselves “The Crimson Court” to enter into The Quarrel of Sword and Bone—a traditional duel performed before one thousand witnesses that leaves only one survivor—and she’s forced to finally pay attention to the handsome boy who's been following her around with a warning on his tongue.When the arrival of wicked villains propels Helen into the heart of Winter where there’s no going back, she finds herself being pursued by something else too—a whispered prayer battling on her behalf, and an ancient Truth that breathes living words of wisdom—the very wisdom forgotten by the Rime Folk when their disunity drove them to draw lines in the snow in an age of the past.Helen must find a way out, or she’ll be dragged into the arena to face the crooked Queen head on before a crowd ready to watch her die. The Winter Souls Series blends action and warm Christmas traditions, bringing the old forgotten tales of the season to life with new and grittier versions of famous characters out of old holiday legends, folklore, and myths; such as St. Nicholas, the Snow Queen, the Scrooge, and the Nutcracker. less

"Deck the halls with bells and folly..."Helen Bell has changed since facing off with Mara Rouge in the Quarrel of Sword and Bone. But so has Winter.When a Timepiece crosses the intersect to give Helen a set of three warnings in the form of a puzzle, she's forced to re-enter the world she thought she might never see again to solve it before she meets a deadly end.But things are different in Winter... more"Deck the halls with bells and folly..."Helen Bell has changed since facing off with Mara Rouge in the Quarrel of Sword and Bone. But so has Winter.When a Timepiece crosses the intersect to give Helen a set of three warnings in the form of a puzzle, she's forced to re-enter the world she thought she might never see again to solve it before she meets a deadly end.But things are different in Winter. Things that were once proudly colourful have been painted red, and the Patrolman who swore to always be there for her has his own demons to face. Helen is forced to hide in plain sight by impersonating a Red Kingdom celebrity, all to follow the leads and solve the Timepiece's puzzle before she's taken and Winter's last Carrier of Truth is silenced forever.A Heart as Red as Paint is the second installment of The Winter Souls Series; a faith-based Christmas collection for teens, with characters from old holiday legends and folklore. less

I'm dreaming of a frightful Christmas...The first thing that Patrolman Zane Cohen notices when he meets Helen Bell again in this new season is that she is not herself.The libraries of the Volumes of Wisdom have been burned to ash. Believers of the Truth are disappearing across the snow globe. A Beast of the darkness is taking hostages and building his army in Winter. And Helen...Helen sees it all unfolding in her dreams... moreI'm dreaming of a frightful Christmas...The first thing that Patrolman Zane Cohen notices when he meets Helen Bell again in this new season is that she is not herself.The libraries of the Volumes of Wisdom have been burned to ash. Believers of the Truth are disappearing across the snow globe. A Beast of the darkness is taking hostages and building his army in Winter. And Helen...Helen sees it all unfolding in her dreams.When the Volumes of Wisdom begin to whisper clues of something hidden in Winter that might turn the tides of the oncoming war, Helen finds herself trekking into the prickly pines and thundering songs of war drums in the Green Kingdom. She claims she's there as an emissary of the Three Kings of the East. But the true reason she's risked stepping into a kingdom of the verge of losing a deadly war...Is to steal the Queen of the Pines garland crown right from atop her head. less

Once, there was the Truth, which shone as pure as Gold.Then, came a Beast, who devoured Winter's lights.'Twas Gold versus PoisonDarkness versus LightKing versus BeastDay verses NightA Beast as Dark as Night is the epic finale to The Winter Souls Series, a Christmas themed collection with holiday myths and folklore. Ideal for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms by Meredith Rusu and Ashleigh Powell... moreOnce, there was the Truth, which shone as pure as Gold.Then, came a Beast, who devoured Winter's lights.'Twas Gold versus PoisonDarkness versus LightKing versus BeastDay verses NightA Beast as Dark as Night is the epic finale to The Winter Souls Series, a Christmas themed collection with holiday myths and folklore. Ideal for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms by Meredith Rusu and Ashleigh Powell. Praise for the Winter Souls Series:"Wow, I loved this book! It was gripping, fast paced, and full of action, yet not lacking in heart. Highly recommend for young YA readers upwards."- USA Today Bestselling author Alice Ivinya "It’s the Chronicles of Narnia meets Harry Potter. This fantastic winter tale is the perfect blend of classic portal fantasy and the magic world co-existing with our own. It’s a beautiful reminder of what is truly important in life."- USA Today Bestselling author Astrid V. J. "Fans of Chronicles of Narnia will be thrilled with this new wintery adventure!"- Nikki Mitchell, author of Nightshade Forest “Whimsical, action-packed, clean, and completely immersive.”- Goodreads Review less