Tony Bertauski

Christmas is hot. When Kandi's dad gets a mysterious call, they fly to a tropical island where the buildings are enormous and the rooms empty. Despite the heat, his sunburned client wears a heavy cloak. Kandi meets a boy living all alone in one of the empty resorts. When he goes missing, she enlists the help of the technological wonders that haunt the island to find him. What she uncovers is a much deeper mystery that will affect more than just Christmas. The world doesn't know it yet, but Santa Claus is missing. Kandi knows where he is. And why.

In the early 1800s, Nicholas, Jessica, and Jon Santa attempt the first human trek to the North Pole and stumble upon an ancient race of people left over from the Ice Age. They are short, fat, and hairy. They slide across the ice on scaly soles and carve their homes in the ice that floats on the Arctic Ocean. The elven are adapted to life in the extreme cold. They are as wise as they are ancient.Their scientific advancements have yielded great inventions - time-stopping devices and gravitational spheres that build living snowmen and genetically-modified reindeer that leap great distances. They've even unlocked the secrets to aging. For 40,000 years, they have lived in peace.Until now.An elven known as The Cold One has divided his people. He's tired of their seclusion and wants to conquer the world. Only one elven stands between The Cold One and total chaos. He's white-bearded and red-coated. The Santa family will help him stop The Cold One. They will come to the aid of a legendary elven known as...Claus.

Every herd needs a leader.

This is Ryder's last stop. It's a half million acre ranch and home to forty teenagers. It's also home to a famous and eccentric philanthropist with a peculiar obsession with the North Pole. His name is Billy "Big Game" Sinterklaas. But shortly after Ryder arrives, secret messages begin leading him to what's really happening. Billy Big Game believes that Santa Claus is real. This is the year he proves it. He says there's one Christmas story no one has ever heard, the legend of the biggest and baddest reindeer of them all, the one who leads the sleigh and protects the herd. But Billy Big Game doesn't want to discover the last reindeer. He wants to capture him. That's why he brought Ryder to the ranch.

Worlds are waiting to be opened. All Van Holloway wanted was to survive the night unnoticed. He didn't ask to be dragged to a Christmas party full of people he barely knew, or to end up in the same room as Charli McNichols-the girl he's had a silent crush on since September. He certainly didn't plan to follow her into a game that wasn't a game, wearing glasses that weren't really glasses. What begins in a crowded game room ends somewhere else entirely. Somewhere cold. Somewhere impossible. Inside a hidden world buried beneath holiday cheer, Van and Charli discover a place filled with clockwork toys, forgotten workshops, and secrets meant to stay buried. They stumble out with more than they bargained for, and something comes back with them. Now, the rules of reality are shifting. Time slips. Closets snow. Strangers appear. Something wants what Van took, and it's willing to do whatever it takes to find him. The green hat was only the beginning. From festive parties to frozen halls, from droids in Santa suits to gingerbread rebels, Van and Charli are caught in a battle between belief and cynicism, myth and machinery. If they want to make it back home-and remember who they are-they'll need to trust each other, hold on to what's real, and face the one thing more powerful than magic: Doubt. Christmas Presence: The Prequel launches the Claus Universe saga, blending sci-fi and holiday fantasy in a story full of sharp humor, suspense, and heart. For fans of Stranger Things, The Santa Clause, and Ready Player One, this is a bold reimagining of Christmas like you've never seen before.

Worlds are waiting to be opened. All Van Holloway wanted was to survive the night unnoticed. He didn't ask to be dragged to a Christmas party full of people he barely knew, or to end up in the same room as Charli McNichols-the girl he's had a silent crush on since September. He certainly didn't plan to follow her into a game that wasn't a game, wearing glasses that weren't really glasses. What begins in a crowded game room ends somewhere else entirely. Somewhere cold. Somewhere impossible. Inside a hidden world buried beneath holiday cheer, Van and Charli discover a place filled with clockwork toys, forgotten workshops, and secrets meant to stay buried. They stumble out with more than they bargained for, and something comes back with them. Now, the rules of reality are shifting. Time slips. Closets snow. Strangers appear. Something wants what Van took, and it's willing to do whatever it takes to find him. The green hat was only the beginning. From festive parties to frozen halls, from droids in Santa suits to gingerbread rebels, Van and Charli are caught in a battle between belief and cynicism, myth and machinery. If they want to make it back home-and remember who they are-they'll need to trust each other, hold on to what's real, and face the one thing more powerful than magic: Doubt. Christmas Presence: The Prequel launches the Claus Universe saga, blending sci-fi and holiday fantasy in a story full of sharp humor, suspense, and heart. For fans of Stranger Things, The Santa Clause, and Ready Player One, this is a bold reimagining of Christmas like you've never seen before.

The Christmas adventures continue. The fourth volume of the holiday tales you never heard growing up...TOYWORLDHiro doesn't remember a jolly fat man or flying reindeer, or elves on the North Pole. No one in Hiro's world remembers Christmas at all. Someone has stolen the Christmas spirit from the universe and hidden it in the dream. He and others like him need to free the Christmas spirit. If they fail, his world and all others like it will stay cold and gray without Christmas... unless they discover the thief's true identity.NUTCRACKERThe Nutcracker was a story, nothing more. Marie didn't believe in fairy tales or Christmas spirit anymore. Certainly didn't believe in a wooden soldier and a cursed princess who needed saving. Until she discovered the gift. Marie and her brother, Fritz, find a small box hidden in the old toy store. When they open it, the real journey begins.CANDYLANDArthur woke up in a realm where fairy tales are born and Christmas never ends. The kind-hearted natives tried to help him find his way back home, but he was quickly caught up in the endless battle between Naughty and Nice. King Chocolate ruled the Naughty Side, and with Christmas fast approaching, he was determined to win at any cost. When he heard rumors of Arthur's arrival, the king sprang into action. The last thing he wanted was a talented crosser aiding the Nice Side.REVIEWSA very good read with an ending that will not disappoint. -Amazon Review for HumbugEven Dickens would approve. -Amazon Review for HumbugYou'll LOVE Humbug -Amazon Review for HumbugAnother great addition to the Claus series -Amazon Review for HumbugA great retelling of a classic story - with a sci-fi twist. -Amazon Review for HumbugA total 10 I love it. -Amazon Review for HumbugI absolutely love his Christmas series. -Amazon Review for The Rise of the MiserAll of these winter wonderland characters are given new and meaningful outlooks as the author re-writes their stories... -Amazon Review for The Rise of the MiserA must read for all Santa followers. -Amazon Review for The Rise of the MiserGreat characters and an awesome twist at the end. -Amazon Review for The Rise of the MiserI love everything he has every written but this is a personal favorite -Amazon Review for The Rise of the Miser

The Christmas adventures continue. The fourth volume of the holiday tales you never heard growing up...TOYWORLDHiro doesn't remember a jolly fat man or flying reindeer, or elves on the North Pole. No one in Hiro's world remembers Christmas at all. Someone has stolen the Christmas spirit from the universe and hidden it in the dream. He and others like him need to free the Christmas spirit. If they fail, his world and all others like it will stay cold and gray without Christmas... unless they discover the thief's true identity.NUTCRACKERThe Nutcracker was a story, nothing more. Marie didn't believe in fairy tales or Christmas spirit anymore. Certainly didn't believe in a wooden soldier and a cursed princess who needed saving. Until she discovered the gift. Marie and her brother, Fritz, find a small box hidden in the old toy store. When they open it, the real journey begins.CANDYLANDArthur woke up in a realm where fairy tales are born and Christmas never ends. The kind-hearted natives tried to help him find his way back home, but he was quickly caught up in the endless battle between Naughty and Nice. King Chocolate ruled the Naughty Side, and with Christmas fast approaching, he was determined to win at any cost. When he heard rumors of Arthur's arrival, the king sprang into action. The last thing he wanted was a talented crosser aiding the Nice Side.REVIEWSA very good read with an ending that will not disappoint. -Amazon Review for HumbugEven Dickens would approve. -Amazon Review for HumbugYou'll LOVE Humbug -Amazon Review for HumbugAnother great addition to the Claus series -Amazon Review for HumbugA great retelling of a classic story - with a sci-fi twist. -Amazon Review for HumbugA total 10 I love it. -Amazon Review for HumbugI absolutely love his Christmas series. -Amazon Review for The Rise of the MiserAll of these winter wonderland characters are given new and meaningful outlooks as the author re-writes their stories... -Amazon Review for The Rise of the MiserA must read for all Santa followers. -Amazon Review for The Rise of the MiserGreat characters and an awesome twist at the end. -Amazon Review for The Rise of the MiserI love everything he has every written but this is a personal favorite -Amazon Review for The Rise of the Miser

The 11th standalone novel in the Claus Universe.Once upon a time, there was a toy store filled with magical playthings and fantastical stories. But not anymore. That was a long time ago.When Marie arrived, the place was cobwebs and empty shelves. Little dry pellets covered the floor. Aunt Rinks called them dirt balls. They weren't dirt balls.The place didn't feel like Christmas. Nothing did anymore. What Marie wanted, she couldn't possibly have. A leaky air mattress and a self-absorbed aunt was all she got. But Christmas wasn't about what you wanted; it was about what you needed. Godfather told her that. That was when he told her the tale of the nutcracker."You must find the princess," he told Marie. "She's been waiting for you."It was a story, nothing more. Marie didn't believe in fairy tales or Christmas spirit anymore. Certainly didn't believe in a wooden soldier and a cursed princess who needed saving. Until she discovered the gift.Marie and her brother, Fritz, find a small box hidden in the old toy store. When they open it, the real journey begins. Marie discovers the nutcracker is more than just a silly toy. The princess isn't a metaphor. The nutcracker shows Marie a truth hidden inside her.They'll have to hurry to save the princess. When Aunt Rinks finds the gift, she aims to take everything they've discovered for herself, to leave Marie and Fritz with nothing and the princess still cursed. The journey, however, isn't a game. It will reveal Marie's true nature.What happens next is not what anyone wanted for Christmas.

The 11th standalone novel in the Claus Universe.Once upon a time, there was a toy store filled with magical playthings and fantastical stories. But not anymore. That was a long time ago.When Marie arrived, the place was cobwebs and empty shelves. Little dry pellets covered the floor. Aunt Rinks called them dirt balls. They weren't dirt balls.The place didn't feel like Christmas. Nothing did anymore. What Marie wanted, she couldn't possibly have. A leaky air mattress and a self-absorbed aunt was all she got. But Christmas wasn't about what you wanted; it was about what you needed. Godfather told her that. That was when he told her the tale of the nutcracker."You must find the princess," he told Marie. "She's been waiting for you."It was a story, nothing more. Marie didn't believe in fairy tales or Christmas spirit anymore. Certainly didn't believe in a wooden soldier and a cursed princess who needed saving. Until she discovered the gift.Marie and her brother, Fritz, find a small box hidden in the old toy store. When they open it, the real journey begins. Marie discovers the nutcracker is more than just a silly toy. The princess isn't a metaphor. The nutcracker shows Marie a truth hidden inside her.They'll have to hurry to save the princess. When Aunt Rinks finds the gift, she aims to take everything they've discovered for herself, to leave Marie and Fritz with nothing and the princess still cursed. The journey, however, isn't a game. It will reveal Marie's true nature.What happens next is not what anyone wanted for Christmas.

The 11th standalone novel in the Claus Universe.Once upon a time, there was a toy store filled with magical playthings and fantastical stories. But not anymore. That was a long time ago.When Marie arrived, the place was cobwebs and empty shelves. Little dry pellets covered the floor. Aunt Rinks called them dirt balls. They weren't dirt balls.The place didn't feel like Christmas. Nothing did anymore. What Marie wanted, she couldn't possibly have. A leaky air mattress and a self-absorbed aunt was all she got. But Christmas wasn't about what you wanted; it was about what you needed. Godfather told her that. That was when he told her the tale of the nutcracker."You must find the princess," he told Marie. "She's been waiting for you."It was a story, nothing more. Marie didn't believe in fairy tales or Christmas spirit anymore. Certainly didn't believe in a wooden soldier and a cursed princess who needed saving. Until she discovered the gift.Marie and her brother, Fritz, find a small box hidden in the old toy store. When they open it, the real journey begins. Marie discovers the nutcracker is more than just a silly toy. The princess isn't a metaphor. The nutcracker shows Marie a truth hidden inside her.They'll have to hurry to save the princess. When Aunt Rinks finds the gift, she aims to take everything they've discovered for herself, to leave Marie and Fritz with nothing and the princess still cursed. The journey, however, isn't a game. It will reveal Marie's true nature.What happens next is not what anyone wanted for Christmas.