Product Description

It’s Christmastime in Skary, Indiana, but the holiday season has been hijacked by maverick director Lois Stepaphanopolis as she attempts to bring her horror-ific vision of A Christmas Carol to life. But the holly-decked path from page to stage is a thorny one, as Lois attempts to rally her skeptical cast, including new father Wolfe Boone, and then she learns that her reluctant marketing director, Alfred Tennison, is truly a Christmas Scrooge.

Alfred’s grassroots marketing plan proves more than successful as the buzz builds that Skary should anticipate an overflowing audience for their opening night– but a crucial miscommunication leaves the visiting theatergoers expecting of a very different Christmas production. As chaos ensues, can the actors pull off an improv miracle — and can the Skary community convince their own Scrooge to embrace the true meaning of Christmas?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #199499 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-11
• Released on: 2007-09-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781400073535
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
“Move over Dickens, there’s a new Scrooge in town. Of course, this one may be heading for a straitjacket. With Boo Humbug, Rene Gutteridge serves up a romping good read that alternately had me scratching my head and chuckling. And just when I thought the tale had reached its peak--a surprise ending that delivers the Christmas message with feeling.”
–Tamara Leigh, author of Splitting Harriet


“A touch of eccentric, a measure of Dickens, and a generous dollop of love, and you have the perfect recipe for Christmas. Boo Humbug!”
–DiAnn Mills, When the Nile Runs Red


“What fun!  I enjoyed Boo Humbug from the first page to the last.  With characters that come alive and a storyline full of clever turns, it had me chuckling, cheering, and even reaching for a tissue at the end.  I think I’ll have to start a new Christmas tradition — reading Rene Gutteridge’s Boo Humbug.  I loved it!” 
–Marlo Schalesky, author of 5 books, including Veil of Fire


“Only in Skary, Indiana, would a simple production of The Christmas Carol devolve into a hilarious disaster. With her trademark blend of insight and wit, Rene Gutteridge’s return to Skary is funny, heartwarming, and an absolute delight to read.”
–Melanie Dobson, author of Together for Good and Going for Broke


“In Boo Humbug, Rene Gutteridge and her loveable cast of characters present a story of Christmas unlike any other. Charming, witty, and fun, this tale promises to delight readers for years to come.”
–Diann Hunt, author of fourteen novels, including Be Sweet

About the Author
Rene Gutteridge is the author of several novels including Ghost Writer, the Boo series, and the Occupational Hazard novels. She is a published playwright with a degree in screenwriting and a decade of experience writing, directing, and publishing church comedy sketches. Rene is married to Sean, a musician, and is the mother of two. She is a fulltime novelist who lives and writes in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1

“What’s Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding
yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in ’em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will,” said Scrooge indignantly, “every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.”


“THINK OUTSIDE the box,” Mr. Watson implored as his gaze fell over his students, all clustered together on the stage floor, their backs erect with enthusiasm. Lois Stepaphanolopolis was the only one not sitting on the floor. She’d tried it once, but her hips hurt for a solid seven days afterward, so now she used a chair and a comfortable slump. She watched Mr. Watson gesture toward an imaginary audience.

“Give them something they’re not expecting!” his voice held an authoritative nobility, and he looked down his nose at his students. Lois was the oldest by at least thirty years. The rest were barely out of high school, had somehow missed out on college for one reason or another, and now bet their dreams on one community college class.

Lois wasn’t that naive. She didn’t dream of going to New York and starring on Broadway. She was too old for that kind of grand self-deception. But she did have her little theater company, and they’d had quite a nice summer producing one-acts.

Yet something was tugging at her creative conscience. She couldn’t really identify it, but it kept her awake at night, dreaming of bigger and better. She knew she had it in her to do more–to rise higher–but with what? Which story needed to be told?

Mr. Watson’s sparkling blue eyes studied each face with great dramatic pause, just like he’d taught them. “Don’t be afraid of silence on the stage. Embrace it. Use it to its full benefit. Sometimes silence is more powerful than words. Don’t let it linger too long. But if you use it just right, it can be the perfect punctuation to a piece of dialogue that was meant to change the world.”

Lois smiled at the thought. Never had she imagined theater could change the world, but the more she did it, the more she understood how much people craved entertainment and the enlightenment that often came from it.

Lois’s hand popped up right as Mr. Watson started to describe the finest moment in his stage career. He blinked a couple of times, as if a bright light were aimed at him. “Yes, Ms. Stepaphanolopolis? What is it?”

“I’m going to do it!”

“Do what?” Mr. Watson asked.

“Conceive! Outside the box!”

Mr. Watson glanced around at all the students, then back at Lois. “I’m assuming we’re not talking about in vitro fertilization here?”

Lois laughed. Mr. Watson was terribly witty. “That’s what you’ve been telling us all week. Don’t do it like everyone else does it. Bring something new to the table, right?”

“You’ve been listening,” Mr. Watson said, with a mild smile. “Good for you.”

“Not just listening, Mr. Watson. Obeying! I can hardly sleep at night. I think I have an idea. A really great idea. An idea that no one in the history of the world has ever thought of.”

“Hmm.” Mr. Watson looked skeptical but amused. “Lois, I’m thankful you’re implementing what I’ve been teaching you. I encourage every student to think outside the box. It’s what makes great characters. When you’re tackling a role, remember to bring your own version to the table and–”

“Bigger!” Lois spread her arms wide. “Not just the characters, but the story.” She closed her eyes, her face turned up toward the stage lights. “I’m going to do something that’s never been done before.”

A few people snickered. Lois dropped her arms and looked at them. Jealous. The youngsters didn’t have the experience she had. They couldn’t go to the places she could.

Mr. Watson cleared his throat. “That’s terrific, Lois.”

Lois stood and gathered her things. “I have to go now.”

“Class isn’t over,” Mr. Watson said.

“I know, but I have a lot of work to do. You, of all people, Mr. Watson, understand that once…maybe twice…in a lifetime, brilliance strikes in such a way that everything must come to a stop until the vision has been fulfilled.”

Mr. Watson raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, all right,” Lois said, smiling demurely. “If you must know.”

“Must know what?”

“I’m doing Dickens.” She paused, letting the silence do the talking. When it’d had its effect, she cut it off and said, “A Christmas Carol.”

Mr. Watson hushed the sudden flurry of snickering.

“What?” Lois asked with a frown.

A bobble-headed blonde, otherwise known as Staci, said, “You’re kidding, right? I mean, if there’s ever been a Christmas play that’s overdone, it’s that. It’s been done thirteen billion times as a play, and at least a million times as a movie. It’s been done on television, on radio, in the park, off Broadway, on Broadway–”

“Every way possible,” another student interrupted.

Lois folded her arms together and narrowed her eyes. Poor Mr. Watson. No wonder he appeared so aggravated all the time. At first, it seemed like he didn’t want to be teaching at a community college, but upon further observation, surely the cause was the narrowmindedness of today’s young people. She gave Mr. Watson a knowing glance. “They have a lot to learn, don’t they, Mr. Watson?” She threw her scarf around her neck. “I bid you farewell and lots of luck in your future careers as waiters and waitresses.”

Staci smirked. “Please. You really think you can do theater better than the rest of us? Give me a break. No offense, lady, but you’re from a small town, and you’re way over the hill–and in over your head. You’re the one person here who never seems to know what’s going on.”

Lois looked at Mr. Watson, whose understanding expression tried to compensate for Bobblehead’s attitude. “Lois, I’m glad you’re trying to think outside the box. It’s a huge improvement. Wasn’t it just last week that you walked out of the improv lesson because you thought it was a waste of time, since actors always use scripts?”

“Thank you for your confidence, Mr. Watson,” Lois said. “And I can assure you, A Christmas Carol has never been done like this.”

She addressed the students. “Wait and see. It will be unforgettable.” She slid her arms through her coat sleeves, buttoned the front, and walked off the stage, her heels clicking loudly until she reached the carpet of the center aisle, where she marched forward. And with each step, one thought built onto another, forming a tower of brilliance.

She stopped at the front doors of the auditorium and smiled to herself. Everything came together inside her head. She knew exactly what she wanted to do and how she would do it.


Alfred Tennison strolled along the leafy path that wound through the woods just north of his rental house. It was actually the only house in Skary, Indiana, to rent. People either lived and died here or didn’t come at all. And he wasn’t sure why he always felt the need to return.

Since crashing and burning in publishing, first as Wolfe Boone’s editor and later as his agent, Alfred’s career had improved slowly but steadily. Now he worked as a freelance editor, pulling in enough to afford a modest apartment in Manhattan. Sometimes, for no reason he could identify, he came back to Skary and stayed for indefinite periods of time.

He’d started morning walks a while back when he was trying to get a grasp on the string of life that was quickly unwinding around him. Then he added one after lunch. Now he walked in the evenings too. It made him feel kind of old. Back in New York, he used to feel almost repelled by the sight of old people walking the sidewalks and the parks. He wondered if it was the most exciting part of their day and the only time that they were near other human beings before returning home to eat their dinner at four and turn in at seven.

He also would’ve never guessed he’d be ambling through a forest at night. In New York, it could be risky even walking in a well-lit park during the day. But the woods seemed to be the only place in town where Christmas lights couldn’t be seen. The town had them strung up the flagpoles and down the light poles, around every government building, through the town hall, and over the roof of any building with access to electricity. They popped up overnight the day after Thanksgiving and would stay up until after the new year. It was no lie–on a moonless night in mid-December, if you walked down Main Street, you might think it was noon.

But it wasn’t just the Christmas lights. If that were all he had to consider, maybe on some level, he might be able to tolerate it. However, Christmas cheer wasn’t confined to decorations. It was the attitude of the entire town, as if life weren’t fully lived until you wore a Santa sweater and joined a Christmas carol touring group. If you had no desire to gush about pumpkin pie and Aunt Betsy’s turkey, it was hard to find common ground.

Even Wolfe, his longtime friend, seemed to have con...

Customer Reviews

Holiday novella not up to the standards of the rest of series
Boo Humbug by Rene Gutteridge is the new holiday book in the ongoing Boo series about former horror writer Wolfe Boone and the denizens of Skary, Indiana. First off, let me say that I love Rene Gutteridge. I've read most of her other books and they are fantastic (read my reviews, I really mean it!). But I was very disappointed in this addition to the series. Wolfe and his wife Ainsley have had their first child, as has his friend Ollie and wife Melba. The two mothers' obsessions with their babies send the men into a ill-conceived version of Dickens' Christmas Carol directed by Lois Stepaphanopolis, one of the town's many kooks. Skary is populated with quirkly, hilarious characters who through their actions teach about the presence and love of God. Gutteridge has used them to great effect in previous titles. But here they move from quirky precious to annoying. Ainsley and Melba are paranoid about their children past humor into psychosis, and I found myself completely sympathizing with Wolfe. Maybe because of the few pages allowed in a novella, the story had to be compressed, but I missed larger appearances by other characters, and if you haven't read the previous books, I think you would be completely lost. Gutteridge pulls it back together for a satisfying conclusion about forgiveness and thankfulness and the true meaning of Christmas.

it takes a village (idiot) to change a classic
Encouraged to think outside the box by her theatre teacher Professor Watson, Lois Stepaphanolopolis dreams of a special production of A Christmas Carol for the Skary, Indiana theatre. Her plan is turn the Dickens' classic into a horror thriller.

She writes a play, but everyone involved with the Stepaphanolopolis rendition struggles to understand it; perhaps because several films have adhered to the original classic and those that took some license did not stray anywhere near afar as Lois is pushing. Still the residents of Skary want to rally around their playwright that is if they can comprehend the message of her strange version that has Charles Dickens would haunt Stepaphanolopolis if he could come back from the grave.

Rene Gutteridge's "Boo" tales are some of the best inspirational stories on the market today (see BOO and BOO WHO). The latest winner BOO HUMBUG focuses on the Skary townsfolk rallying in support of Lois although many think her concept is dumb and those who do not for the most part cannot understand what she is doing. Readers will appreciate this fine novel as it takes a village to change a classic.

Harriet Klausner

Loved Gutteridge's trademark humor
In this charming and inspirational novel, Rene Gutteridge makes sure that Christmas will never be the same in Skary, Indiana.

When Lois Stepaphanolopolis comes up with a crazy spin on the familiar Dickens Christmas tale, the citizens of Skary, Indiana had better watch out. She dreams of creating a play that will wow her community and showcase her writing and directing talent. Now all she needs are some actors and promoters.

Alfred Tennison absolutely hates the Christmas season. Can't stand it. Between the lights, carolers and shoppers, he can't seem to escape its cheer. When he gets roped into promoting a Christmas play for the nutty Lois, he believes he's hit rock bottom.

Wolfe Boone feels like the walking dead from helping his wife Ainsley care for their new baby, Abigail. All Wolfe really wants is a decent night's sleep and a change from the never-ending dirty diapers. A friend talks him into a temporary reprieve in the form of Lois' play-he can spend several hours a night relaxing away from home. But Lois' writing leaves something to be desired, and Wolfe isn't sure he can stick it out.

Will these three be able to pull off the Christmas play that the community expects? Can Alfred overcome his past and find the peace he's been looking for? Will Wolfe?

Gutteridge has a great recipe for creating an engaging read. Take one part colorful characters, a dash of humor and witty dialogue, and fold all this into a small town setting that sparkles. Add in a cast of kooky but fun supporting characters, and you'll come up with Boo Humbug, a warmhearted novel full of Christmas cheer.

The spiritual thread in this novel is visible but not preachy. Gutteridge's trademark humor shines and readers will get a kick out of this book.

Armchair Interview says: Highly recommended.