Les Délaissées Meet Santa focuses on a Christmas/holiday theme involving French heritage and the Santa Claus predecessor, Père Noël and his acolyte Petit Âne a little donkey who accompanies him. Santa Claus is officially introduced to them in this episode. It also alludes to Michigan's connection with the early arrival of French explorers and their introduction of Christianity to make friends with the Native American tribes already established here for centuries. Michigan has many towns and places named for these early explorers and their pathways in, on, and around the Great Lakes where they traveled and left their historical imprints. These places offer an opportunity for many people of the United States and the world to come, visit, and enjoy, for it is a breath-taking region of enchantment and great natural beauty.

The story is also a piece of holiday fiction dedicated to Christmas that I was able to fashion from my study of the French language, its history and culture, then mold into a delightful tale based on my experiences developing a sheep farm in Northern Michigan not far from the shores of Lake Michigan and Huron, adjacent the quaint cities of Mackinaw and Cross Village and across the straits from one of the oldest towns in the US, St. Ignace - not forgetting Mackinac Island and its step back in time with the Grand Hotel, horse drawn wagons and bicycles.

I've tried to keep the story simple but logical enough for adults and children together to enjoy. The main characters are three sheep I rescued five years ago as abandoned lambs, hence the term délaissées. Much time was spent with them, feeding and protecting them from the harsh temperatures and snowy conditions which exist in Northern Michigan from December through March. They are still in my flock and have delivered baby lambs of their own. Midnight, Moonlight, and Twilight will continued to entertain you throughout your reading pleasures.

About the Author

GP Shannon, LtCol USAF owns a farm in Carp Lake Township, about 15 minutes south of Mackinaw City, Michigan. He concentrates on raising Icelandic and Katahdin sheep. He is also an artist, specializing in oil and acrylic paintings - both portraits and landscapes. While assisting an elderly parent who had moved to live in Sarasota, Florida, he was invited to manage the Sarasota Alliance Francaise Website. He did this from 2010 to approximately 2012 when he left to purchase a farm in Northern Michigan not far from his cottage in Petoskey. He has three children, the youngest of whom lives in San Antonio, Texas, is married and blessed him with fraternal twin grandchildren. He is a retired USAF Lt Colonel with pilot licenses and was also a guidance counselor and Athletic Director in the Alanson Community School District from which he is also retired. As a previously published author, Colonel Shannon has produced his third story, concluding a trilogy about Midnight, Moonlight, and Twilight. He believes also that one is never too old to try something new or take on a challenging project. Please enjoy the story about the Délaissées.