12 New Christmas Stories is a heartwarming and nostalgic collection of short stories, each offering a different perspective on the holiday season. What was the collaboration process like with all the different authors, how did you choose what stories to include?

Smooth as cream, mostly.  Any rough patches were of my own rasping.  You see, my collaborators are all more civilized than I.  The fact that our interactions were conducted exclusively via the ether, no one was ever in physical danger.  C’mon, we’re geezers.  People our age don’t come to blows, we just sigh expressively—even when one is barely housebroken.  And I’m not talking about the Big Dawg, either.  Sorry, an inside joke.

I’m not sure how my book-mates chose their stories, but when Terry Broxson asked me to contribute, I knew he wanted me to include Jesus and Donkey.  When he asked for two more stories, I decided on Million Dollar Christmas, and Jo-Jo’s Turkey.  All three stories are built around young boys experiencing the Christmas Spirit in an adult way.  Read together, it’s a boyish Christmas trilogy.

What were some goals you set for yourself with this anthology?

A Pulitzer, a phone call from Stephen Spielberg, and a nice letter from my 7^th grade English teacher, Miss Eliza McCarthy.  Sadly, Miss McCarthy has passed.  But that doesn’t take you off the hook, Spielberg!

Are you working on any other collections for different holidays?

I haven’t broached the idea to my book-mates yet, but I’ve always felt Saint Swithin’s Day has gotten short shrift. Failing that, opening day of the Major League Baseball season offers lots of possibilities.  No, I ain’t kidding.  I’m thinking nine original stories—one per inning.  While the game seesaws in the background, each inning, we feature a story about something happening in the stands, or the dugout, or the broadcast booth, or the concession stands, or the Men’s room, for that matter.  Just one caveat:  I won’t take part unless the setting is Fenway Park.  And that’s final.