The Christmas Tree and Other Christmas Stories, Tales for a Christmas Evening, is a compilation of stories of Christmas magic from the master storyteller, Paul John Hausleben.

Following on the heels of his famous Christmas story, The Time Bomb in The Cupboard, Mr. Hausleben drops off a collection of some of his best Christmas short stories, novellas, and novelettes, as a present for underneath your Christmas tree this year.

Once more, some of your favorite characters have returned along with some new ones, and they all come alive within the pages of this book. Pages of a very special book, containing the author's unique humor, special language and nostalgic glimpse at life. A glimpse at life, when life was simple and sincere and the author mixes those glimpses with heart-warming touches and with finishes to stories that only Paul John Hausleben can deliver to you.

The anchor and title story for this collection The Christmas Tree is created from an original manuscript, written when the author was only sixteen years of age. The story has minimum edits and reworking to preserve the original manner in which the author wrote the story many years earlier. Through the eyes of the narrator of The Adventures of Harry and Paul, Paul John Henson, it tells the story of the beloved character of the "old man" and his amazing pitfall-filled quest for the perfect "fresh" Christmas tree to replace his "fake tree." The story is a hilarious romp of Christmas fun, but in the end, it is full of emotions as the old man not only finds his perfect tree, but finds part of himself along the way. This story contains one of the author's most famous minor characters, with the "giant guy who sells Christmas trees" becoming one of the favorite characters in the author's vast collection of Dickens-like-characters.

The remainder of the stories in this collection, including the classic story, The Collector, about an elderly man's awakening and his revival of his spirit and the remarkable results of his efforts, are all true classics that are sure to provide the perfect reading adventure for the Christmas season.

This is the perfect book for those special Christmas Evenings, curled up underneath your own Christmas tree, in front of a crackling fire, as you allow Mr. Hausleben once more to transport you into a world of holiday fun and sentiment. Ride along in a Christmas sleigh with the old man, Mum, Paul John Henson, Walter P. Thrump, and a cast of other unforgettable characters, back in time to when Christmas was so much more than money, holiday sales, or endless television commercials to convince you to purchase things that you really don't need. To a time when Christmas was really about families, simple times, peace, joy, and hope.
About the Author: It is difficult to classify the work of Paul John Hausleben. One critic's words might be the best description so far, when he wrote, "Mr. Hausleben is a myriad of storytelling adventures. When Mr. Hausleben writes humor, he is today's Jean Shepherd. When he dabbles in emotions, drama, fantasy or the other genres that he ventures into, then he is impossible to classify. His now, seemingly endless cast of characters has become almost 'Dickens-like.' He is indeed; a master storyteller and that might be the best description of all." If you are lucky enough to meet Paul John Hausleben in person and have a chance to sit and speak with him, then we can guarantee that it will be a magical experience. If your luck is exceptional and you are able to lure him into a story or two, then it will be forever memorable. As many people have said, you will not meet a better storyteller. Paul himself will tell you that he is not an author, he will insist in saying that he is just a storyteller. His mission is to continue to write and tell stories to warm your heart, make you laugh, and sometimes make you cry - just a little. Most of all, he deals in memories, and helping you to also remember the good times of your own life, and the special people who touched you along the way. Paul was born and raised in Paterson, and then nearby Haledon, New Jersey, and began writing at an early age. He revisited a writing career later in his life, and he now is the author of a number of novels, compilations, short stories and other works. Most of his work, touches upon nostalgic remembrances of simpler times, and tells the stories of heartfelt, humorous, and special human relationships. Other than writing, among many careers both paid and unpaid, he is a former semi-professional hockey goaltender, a music fan and music reviewer, an avid sports fan, photographer and amateur radio operator. He now resides in Somewhere, U.S.A., but his heart always remains along Belmont Avenue in good old Paterson, and Haledon, New Jersey.