Recent News
Aurora Public Library Thursday 6PM Is There A Novel In You?
Novelist William Hazelgrove will speak at the Aurora Public Library on Thursday 11/06 and read from his latest novel Real Santa. The critically acclaimed novelist will talk about getting started as a novelist and explain the secrets of getting published.
Forest Park Library Tuesday 7PM November 4th
Novelist William Hazelgrove will be reading and signing his new novel, Real Santa at Forest Park Library. The story of a man who becomes the Real Santa to prove to his daughter there is a Santa Claus. All welcome.
Lincolnwood Library Finding the Novel Inside of You Nov 1 2 PM
Finding the Novel Inside of You. Bestselling Novelist William Hazelgrove will be reading from his novel Real Santa and presenting his ideas on what it takes to write a novel at Lincolnwood Library November 1 2PM.
Foreword Reviews Gives Real Santa a Boost
GENERAL
Real Santa
William Hazelgrove
Koehler Books
978-1-938467-94-3
(Oct 1, 2014)
This heartwarming and humorous Christmas story shows the determination of one man
to bring magic to his daughter’s childhood.
Themes of parenthood and the spirit of Christmas come together in this lively tale about
a father’s quest to keep the magic of Christmas alive for his nine-year-old daughter.
George is fired from his engineering job twelve days before Christmas. His young-adult
children from a previous marriage despise him, and now his nine-year-old daughter, Megan, is
questioning the existence of Santa Claus. Unwilling to repeat the same mistake he made of
destroying his older children’s belief in Santa, George is determined to show Megan that,
despite what her teacher says, Santa is real. He concocts a plan involving screen projectors,
smoke machines, and various colorful characters and animals. Though this scheme jeopardizes
George’s financial and marital stability, it might just save Christmas not only for Megan but also
for George himself.
Real Santa jumps right into a debate between fourth graders and their somewhat
crotchety teacher about the reality of Santa Claus, whose existence and practice of building toys
with a team of elves and distributing said toys on a sled of reindeer is challenged by
geographical and physical impossibilities, not to mention theories of global warming. William
Hazelgrove offers a vivid picture of the classroom scene with humorous descriptions of the
flummoxed teacher, who must contend with children who educate themselves using the Internet,
and children like Josh, whom Hazelgrove describes as the “walking plague” because of his
seriously runny nose.
The short chapters mostly conclude on a sentimental or humorous note, offering insight
to the characters and conveying the depth of emotion and warmth among the family members.
There are some distractions in the otherwise smooth flowing narrative, such as George’s friend’s
overuse of the word “stupendous” or George’s repeated assertion that Christmas makes him feel
young again.
Hazelgrove offers just enough information about the scheme to allow the plot to move
forward without getting too hung up on the actual logistics of the plan—though some
suspension of disbelief is necessary in order to let the touching moments work their magic.
Real Santa is a humorous and heartwarming tale that reveals the magic of childhood and
the power of family.
Maya Fleischmann
Elk Grove Library Selling Books Through Social Media Oct 27 7PM
Bestselling Novelist William Hazelgrove will give a talk on selling books through Social Media at the Elk Grove Library Oct 27th 7PM. He will also read from his latest novel Real Santa the story of a man who becomes Santa Claus to keep his daughters faith alive.
Library Journal Review Says There is a Real Santa
Hazelgrove, William. Real Santa. Koehler. Oct. 2014. 224p. ISBN 9781940192963. $26.95; pap. 9781938467943. $16.95; ebk. ISBN 9781940192598. F
George Kronenfeldt lost his job just 20 days before Christmas. This, added to his nagging ex-wife, his disaffected older children, and his nine-year-old’s Scrooge of a teacher, has put him in a dangerous place. When Megan begins to question the Santa story, George hatches an elaborate plot to convince her that Santa is real. Some $80,000 later, he has nine reindeer and a full-blown film crew on his snow-covered roof, and he goes down the chimney while wide-eyed Megan videotapes his every move. In the end, George discovers that he wants to believe in the magic of Christmas as much as he wants his daughter to believe in it.
Verdict Best-selling author Hazelgrove (e.g., Ripples; Tobacco Sticks) captures the human need to believe in something good. His mixed bag of characters can all trace their adult personae to their loss of Santa and how they adapted to the news. This book will satisfy readers looking for a happy Christmas story.—Joanna Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Libs., Providence
Signing and Reading Real Santa Elk Grove Library Oct 27th 7PM
Novelist William Hazelgrove will be reading and singing Real Santa at the Elk Grove Library on Oct 27th 7Pm
William Hazelgrove is the National Bestselling author of ten novels and three nonfiction titles. Ripples, Tobacco Sticks Mica Highways Rocket Man, The Pitcher, Real Santa, Jackpine, The Bad Author, My Best Year, The Pitcher 2, and Madam President The Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson, Forging A President How the Wild West Created Teddy Roosevelt and Al Capone and the Worlds Fair of 1933. His books have received starred reviews in Publisher Weekly and Booklist, Book of the Month Selections, ALA Editors Choice Awards Junior Library Guild Selections Literary Guild Selections, and sold to the movies. He was the Ernest Hemingway Writer in Residence where he wrote in the attic of Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace. He has written articles and reviews for USA Today and other publications and has been featured on NPR All Things Considered. The New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today have all covered his books with features. He runs a cultural blog, The View From Hemingway’s Attic. He lives in Chicago.
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