Foxburg & Stern Books
The Brothers Dragon was featured on Harvard Magazine’s Holiday Reading List 2023 in the November/December 2023 edition:
The Brothers Dragon
J.F. Baker, A.L.M. ’22
Brothers Luke and Nick stumble upon a huge secret: their family can transform into dragons. But when Nick is kidnapped by pirates, Luke must earn his fire before Nick—and their entire family legacy—is destroyed.
There is a place where animatronic penguins waddle next to an igloo and wildlife frolics with Santa on a snowy slope, in a bygone world of department store windows decorated for Christmas.
If only you could go back and jump in.
Author Jennifer Fickley-Baker transports readers through time to the holidays of 1942, when department stores in Downtown Pittsburgh reigned, in her recently released novella, “26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays” (Foxburg & Stern Books, $9.99)
A rom-com with a strong female main character, the book’s fictional Stella West is the first head of holidays for Hanover’s department store. Stella orchestrates the chaos in quickly creating 26 holiday windows at Hanover’s, inspired by the former Kaufmann’s at 434 Fifth Ave., now Kaufmann’s Apartments.
Jennifer Fickley-Baker grew up in Baldwin in a close-knit family. She remembers oddball phrases older family members used that evoked a different era, particularly a grandfather who would go on about whippersnappers, fuddy-duddys, and doohickeys.
“My grandfather talked like that all the time,” says Fickley-Baker, the author (under the pen name Jennifer Joy) of 26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays. “That was how he talked all the time: ‘Oh, run to the garage and get me one of those doohickeys,’ like, you had to know exactly what he was talking about.
26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays — released in October by Foxburg & Stern Books — serves as both an homage to Fickley-Baker’s family and a remembrance of Pittsburgh Christmases past. Set during Thanksgiving 1942, the book follows lead character Stella West, an employee at the Hanover Department Store in Downtown Pittsburgh. Stella faces a crisis when the store’s lead window designer suddenly departs, leaving 26 holiday window displays unfinished.
Author Jennifer Joy will sign copies of “26 WAYS TO COME HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS“
Location:
Barnes & Noble Plaza Venezia, FL
7900 W. Sand Lake Road
Orlando, FL 32819
Date:
Dec. 9, 2023
1:00-3:00 p.m.
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What was your inspiration for this book?
Pittsburgh was the inspiration! The city itself and the memories so many of us who grew up there have of going downtown and experiencing the Christmas season, the holiday windows, the lights and so much more. I loved Christmas when I was little and can remember getting so excited when the first lights would go up. That’s when the holiday season started for me.
WINDERMERE, FLA. – Nov. 1, 2023 – “The Brothers Dragon: Beyond Land’s End,” the first in a three-part fantasy series by J.F. Baker, was released Nov. 1, and debuted at #1 on Amazon’s Children’s European Folk Tales List, and #3 on the Best Sellers in Children’s Dragon Stories list in its first week.
“The Brothers Dragon: Beyond Land’s End” wraps the themes of overcoming childhood fears and—what being brave truly means—in an adventurous tale rife with dragons and pirates.
In the first book, 12-year-old Luke Walsh and his younger brother Nick are evacuated to their mysterious uncle’s house the English countryside during World War II. There, the brothers stumble through a magical portal that leads to the island of Draksmore. There, they discover a huge secret: everyone in their family has the power to turn into a dragon. But when Nick is captured by warring pirates who want dragon flight and fire power for themselves, Luke races to find a way to earn his wings before his brother—and all of Draksmore—are destroyed.
The second installment in the series, “The Brothers Dragon: Journey to Snowdonia,” will be released in 2024.
J.F. Baker (née Jennifer Fickley-Baker) is the writer of “The Brothers Dragon” fantasy series, as well as 26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays: A Christmastime Novella; The Tiny Kitchen Witch: A Modern-Day Fairy Tale; and short stories: “The Haunting at Darlington Boardwalk”; “Extinct Things”; and “The Blue Book Watchers” in Ground Fiction. She was born in Pittsburgh and fell in love with stories before she could read by listening to books on tape. Baker worked as a writer and editor for Disney Parks for 19 years, and a freelance entertainment and lifestyle journalist prior to that with her work appearing in newspapers and magazines across the U.S. She earned an MA in Creative Writing from Harvard University and a Ph.D. at the University of Central Florida. She lives in Florida with her husband, two children, and golden retriever. Follow her on Instagram @JennFickleyBaker.
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“Readers of all ages will be swept up in by the captivating prose, gripping plot, and the easy way that each of Baker’s characters appears fully formed and relatable from the start. As the tension rose and the surprising conclusion approached, I was incapable of putting the book down. Thankfully, the ending suggests more are coming! Extraordinarily fun and readable, The Brothers Dragon is a formidable new middle grade novel.”
Independent Book Review
“In this power-packed, fire-breathing adventure, [in which] the brothers must face their own greatest fears and fight off the deadly Moordock pirates. The first in a trilogy, “The Brothers Dragon,” set in WWII, is for those readers who love puzzles, mystery, and high action. This middle-grade novel will hold your reader captive and make them soar into a world where they discover their own dragon within—and earn their fire.”
Mary Sullivan, author of HIGH, and DEAR BLUE SKY
Foxburg & Stern Books was established in 2023. It publishes romance, thrillers, and middle-grade fantasy. Learn more at FoxburgandStern.com.
“A story that belongs near Narnia on the shelves: two brothers on an unforgettable adventure in Cornwall. A fast-paced mix of historical fiction, sibling dynamics, and, yes, magic.”
— Elisabeth Sharp McKetta, author of Ark
“The Brothers Dragon series, set in World War II, is for those readers who love puzzles, mystery, and high action. This middle-grade novel will hold your reader captive and make them soar into a world where they discover their own dragon within—and earn their fire.”
— Mary Sullivan, author of HIGH
“A fast-paced and charming colleagues-to-lovers tale for holiday romance fans.” — Kirkus Review
“An enchanting novella transporting you to a bygone era, where love and laughter are the true gifts of the holiday season…Put away your copy of Love, Actually this year and pivot to this story instead. This novella is a heartwarming gift to readers, wrapped in the festive spirit of the holidays.” — Independent Book Review
“Every town has their own cherished holiday tradition. In 26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays, we journey back to 1942 and follow the character of Stella as she races to save her city’s beloved department store Christmas window unveiling. With time running out, the unexpected news of her best pal Hector’s new single status knocks her off her feet. ’26 Ways’ is a delightful comedic look at the people who bring holiday traditions to life — yesterday, today and tomorrow.” – David Paul Kirkpatrick, former president of Paramount Pictures and former production chief of Walt Disney Studios
“A delightful, nostalgic throwback to the warmth that could be found on even the coldest days of the wartime holiday shopping season in downtown Pittsburgh. The story of Stella and Hector is at turns as lighthearted and heartwarming as their growing friendship. The surrounding cast of quirky and endearing personalities form a team that’s impossible not to root for as they work to give Pittsburgh the holiday traditions they love. [The author’s] scene-setting and dialogue will have readers feeling they’ve been transported to 1942 where they’re surrounded by laughter, love, and just a touch of good chaos.” — Virginia Montanez, author of Nothing. Everything.
“Jennifer Joy’s 26 Ways to Come Home For The Holidays is a festive Christmas love story about tradition, resourcefulness, home, and knowing how and when to buck the rules. Joy is a magnificent storyteller and researcher who has a knack for bringing stories—especially stories about the past—to life.”— Elisabeth Sharp McKetta, author of Ark and Awake with Asashoryu
WINDERMERE, FLA. – Sept. 1, 2023 – “26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays” by Jennifer Joy, is a friends-to-lovers historical romance set in a department store during the holiday season during World War II. The title will be released Oct. 2, 2023 by Foxburg & Stern Books.
It’s Thanksgiving 1942, and Stella West, the first-ever head of holidays for Hanover’s Department Store is left in a bind when her lead window designer runs off days before the grand unveiling of the store’s Christmas windows—a tradition the entire city treasures. Up against the clock, she scrambles to gather together a rag-tag team of store employees to finish the job, including their picky luxury stylist, two flirtatious personal shoppers, a handful of delivery boys, and Stella’s best pal, Hector.
As the group races to complete the store’s twenty-six ‘Home for the Holidays’-themed Christmas windows, Stella is stunned to discover that Hector is newly single and realizes the feelings she’d buried for him long ago may run deeper than she ever imagined. Dodging a baker who’s sweet on her, the store kiss-up who’s after her job, and the store owner who wants an early preview — Stella has more than enough to worry about without her love life adding to the mix. But with the ribbon-cutting approaching (and the news of Hector’s epic bachelor status swirling through the store), Stella realizes that telling him how she feels might be now or never, even if it means risking losing him entirely.
Jennifer Joy is the pen name of author Jennifer Fickley-Baker. Prior to jumping into fiction, Jennifer spent nearly 20 years as a writer and editor for Disney Parks. She grew up in Pittsburgh and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, University of Central Florida, and Harvard University’s Harvard Extension program. She currently resides in Windermere, Florida with her husband, two sons, and golden retriever.
HIGH-RES IMAGES AVAILABLE HERE
“Every town has their own cherished holiday tradition. In 26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays, we journey back to 1942 and follow the character of Stella as she races to save her city’s beloved department store Christmas window unveiling. With time running out, the unexpected news of her best pal Hector’s new single status knocks her off her feet. 26 Ways is a delightful comedic look at the people who bring holiday traditions to life — yesterday, today and tomorrow.”
—David Paul Kirkpatrick, former president of Paramount Pictures and former production chief of Walt Disney Studios
“26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays is a book that will resonate with fans of romantic comedies and those who revel in the joy of happiness. It encapsulates the very essence of the holiday season and is a reminder that sometimes the most important thing in life is to follow your heart and to trust in yourself. Put away your copy of Love, Actually this year and pivot to this story instead.”
Independent Book Review
“A fast-paced and charming colleagues-to-lovers tale for holiday romance fans.”
Kirkus
“A delightful, nostalgic throwback to the warmth that could be found on even the coldest days of the wartime holiday shopping season in downtown Pittsburgh. The story of Stella and Hector is at turns as lighthearted and heartwarming as their growing friendship. The surrounding cast of quirky and endearing personalities form a team that’s impossible not to root for as they work to give Pittsburgh the holiday traditions they love. [The author’s] scene-setting and dialogue will have readers feeling they’ve been transported to 1942 where they’re surrounded by laughter, love, and just a touch of good chaos.”
Virginia Montanez, Nothing. Everything.
“Jennifer Joy’s 26 Ways to Come Home for The Holidays is a festive Christmas love story about tradition, resourcefulness, home, and knowing how and when to buck the rules. Joy is a magnificent storyteller and researcher who has a knack for bringing stories—especially stories about the past—to life.”
Elisabeth Sharp McKetta, author of Ark and Awake with Asashoryu
Foxburg & Stern Books was established in 2023. It publishes romance, thrillers, and middle-grade fantasy. Learn more at FoxburgandStern.com.
Foxburg & Stern Books