Special Color Edition
What if Christmas magic was never about Christmas?Deep beneath the Earth lies an ancient machine that keeps the world turning-but it's failing. When Earth Keeper Zander discovers that the mystical Carousel depends not just on planetary forces but on human creativity and joy, he faces an impossible truth: people have forgotten how to play, and without their energy, the world will literally stop spinning.
Reluctantly leaving his underground sanctuary, Zander teams up with two magical cats and embarks on a desperate quest across villages, learning that rekindling wonder in others might be the key to saving everything. As children rediscover the joy of play and communities transform through unexpected gifts, Zander himself begins to change-evolving from a reclusive guardian into someone, Santa, who finds profound purpose in bringing happiness to others.
But changing a few villages isn't enough. With time running out and the Earth's rotation faltering, Zander and his companions must attempt the impossible adventure: delivering joy to every child in the world in a single night. Their success will require not just magic and flying reindeer, but the cooperation of every magical being on Earth.
This is the untold story of how Santa came to be-not by deliberate intent, but through his discovery that teaching others to give, create, and find wonder is the most powerful force in the universe. A fantasy tale that reveals the familiar Christmas figures of candy canes, decorated trees, Santa's helpers, the North Pole, and gift-giving as something far more profound: the elements that keep our world alive.
This epic fantasy reveals how the world's most beloved Christmas traditions began-not as distant folklore, but as the natural result of one extraordinary journey. Discover the beginnings of candy canes, stockings, the decorated trees that bring communities together, Santa's sleigh and reindeer, his North Pole workshop, his loyal helpers, and the magical night when generosity spreads across the world.
Bowles, Norman C.: - "Norman Bowles is the author of The Earth Keeper's Quest: A Santa Origin Chronicle, a tale born from the playful inspiration of two cats and a long-held curiosity about Santa's secret beginnings. Though his first book, it grew out of a lifetime of seeking adventure in unexpected places.Norman's real-world adventures span continents, careers, and challenges as demanding as any quest in fiction. He has traveled to all seven continents and across the "seven seas," lived in six countries and ten states, and visited more than 80 nations. His career path was no less adventurous: service in military intelligence undercover, high-stakes problem-solving in government, and leading missions that felt more like expeditions than jobs. He created the regulatory and licensing framework that enabled new companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin to take flight, worked inside the White House during a time of national reinvention, and led a struggling 24/7 operation through a dramatic turnaround to win both national recognition and a Presidential award. At home in the mountains of Colorado, Norman is a ski, snowboard, and telemark instructor, and a former hiking guide who has led adventurers on remote trails and to the summits of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks. When not working or writing, he can be found cross-country skiing, biking, or exploring the high country on foot.These adventures through life, though demanding, always carried a sense of exploration. Norman approaches storytelling the same way - with imagination, courage, and wonder for what might come next. He lives with his wife, Karen, and their two cats, Cindr and Indy, who both played starring roles in the creation of this tale.This may be his first book, but if readers enjoy it, who knows what adventures await?"
