About the Author

Jerry Dickey was born on December 11th in the midst of the struggles of World War II. Christmas arrived as one of his earliest celebrations of life; and throughout this book of inspirational stories, written over a 40-year span of his life, this celebration continues.

As a boy, Jerry remembers hearing his father, a Methodist minister, saying, "On Christmas Eve, no one wants to hear a long sermon. With all the excitement and anticipation, the people would rather hear a story." To embellish the Christmas scriptures, his father would share stories such as Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Match Girl," or Raymond MacDonald Alden's "Why the Chimes Rang." From these early influences, Jerry set out to write Christmas stories which would lift lives and reflect hope for all.

Jerry's studies included courses in speech, drama, theology, poetry, theater, music, art, languages and the liberal arts, for which he earned bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. He studied for two years in Europe. Along with teachers and professors, Jerry's creative mentors were Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, O. Henry and Leonardo da Vinci.

Saint John wrote "the Word became flesh," and Jerry's stories embody this message. His characters come to life from author-created common citizens of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The humble-meek become the messengers of the Christmas hope to our world, and their lives reveal the continuous presence of God among us.