Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/1518477
www.FredericksburgParent.NET 7 Did you ever wonder how Mrs. Claus whiles away the hours while Santa journeys across the globe delivering gifts to all good boys and girls on Christmas Eve? No sitting by the fire knitting socks for Santa or rolling dough to bake cookies for her this year. Instead, a mischie- vous puppy arrives to bring incredible adventures on this night before Christmas. Vianlix-Christine Schneider brings "Puffy Ball," a Christmas story for children ages four to eight, to life. Find out what Mrs. Claus is up to when Puffy Ball arrives all decked out with a gold bow on his head with fur the color of freshly fallen snow. "Puffy Ball" is Schneider's first children's book, which debuted in 2022 and won second place in the New York BookFest. Children will love finding out about the endearing Puffy Ball and his adventures, and they'll have more to look forward to because the book will become a series. Every year, a new story will come out (the second book will be released in November), ensuring children will be able to grow up with Puffy Ball. The colorful illustrations by Martina Terzi are the perfect accompaniment to the story. "I grew up with my grandma telling me bedtime stories about Puffy Ball," says Schneider. "When I had the resources to make her story into a children's book, I jumped at the opportunity." Schneider, who lives in Spotsylvania, graduated from high school in 2020 with plans to begin a career on Broadway. She spent years training her voice, but when the pandemic kept her and most of the world stuck at home, she wondered about her dreams and career. That's when she started writing her first book, "Seaside Magic," which took her out of the world for a few hours a day. Her career as an author had begun. The award-winning "Seaside Magic" series took first place at the BookFest for 2022 and 2023 in the Young Adult Category. The first book, "Seaside Magic," features Caroline Smith, whose life was always full of secrets, but there's nothing that can prepare her for what she finds out. The 14-year-old's family has magical powers, and she learns how to use them. Her happiness is soon erased when a man with dark powers uses magic to cause her harm and wants her dead. For young adult readers who couldn't put down the first book in the "Seaside Magic" series, there's good news. The second book, "The World of the Mirror," and the third book, "And the Binding Curse," are now available. "Maybe one day I'll step back into that world (Broadway), but, for now, I'll keep singing and writing," she says. "I hope to keep writing for the rest of my life. I love everything about it and can't wait to see where my career takes me." Find "Puffy Ball" and other books written by Schneider at Barnes & Noble and other bookstores. For more information about Schneider, to purchase her books and more, visit vianlix-christine.com. Pouches' Book Nook WRITTEN BY LENORA KRUK-MULLANAPHY Vianlix-Christine Schneider Vianlix-Christine Schneider brings "Puffy to eight, to life. Find out what Mrs. Claus is with a gold bow on his head with fur the color of freshly fallen snow. "Puffy Ball" is Schneider's first children's second place in the New York BookFest.