Christmas Carol tells the fun and whimsical adventure of young Carol Greenleaf, Santa Claus' most trusted elf, as she goes on a mission to save Christmas from the clutches of a monstrous enemy. Inspired by classic fantasy-adventure tales, it is an engaging and entertaining story, full of action, exciting discoveries, funny character interactions, and heartwarming moments.
Written and published by first time author James Pujals, the book is beautifully printed in large hardcover format, expertly laid out with exquisite care for a comfortable and pleasant reading experience. It includes full color illustrations depicting some of the more memorable scenes from the story, and even a delightful map of the places Carol explores along her trek — all lovingly hand-drawn by the author.
Christmas Carol vs. The Ghost Of Christmas Presents is written for children ages seven to nine years, and for everyone who's young of spirit and retains a fondness for the innocent wonder of Christmas.
Whether read as a bedtime story to young children, or straight through by the older ones, Christmas Carol's magical tale of adventure is sure to inspire the joy and splendor of Christmas in all of them, and to become part of their Holiday tradition.
On Christmas Eve, while Santa Claus and his elves were busy getting ready for their most important night of the year, an Evil Snowman broke into Santa's workshop and stole some of the presents!
With no time to lose, Santa called on his most trusted and resourceful elf, young Carol Greenleaf, to confront the fiend and return the stolen presents in time for his upcoming trip.
Meanwhile, the Evil Snowman has hidden the loot deep within the Frozen Ice-Cube Caverns, nestled away in the Himalayan mountains. The caverns are haunted by the Ghost Of Christmas Presents, a mysterious and spooky spirit who will steal any present he can get his hands on.
Relying on her wits and resourcefulness (and a little bit of magic), Carol must explore the dark caverns, defeat her foes, and return the stolen presents before time runs out — Christmas morning is fast approaching!
Smart, ingenious, and with beautiful golden hair, Christmas Carol is highly regarded around the North Pole by her fellow elves. Her sharp skills and resourcefulness have quickly risen her through the ranks of Santa's Elite Elf Squad, earning her the honor of being Santa's most trusted elf. This new adventure, however, will prove to be her most dangerous mission yet.
The legendary Ghost Of Christmas Presents is a mysterious and spooky spirit who haunts the frozen Ice-Cube Caverns. Not much is known about the Ghost, but legend says that he is an unhappy soul, who for some unknown but foul reason delights in stealing presents and hiding them. He will sure prove to be a nuisance to Carol on her mission.
Black coal eyes, a carrot nose, and twiggy arms. Despite his simple appearance, the Evil Snowman is a formidable enemy. A bitter, wicked monster, he is as rotten as they come, and will do anything his twisted little mind can conceive to ruin Christmas for everyone. This year it seems his monstrously clever plan stands a chance of succeeding — unless Carol can find a way to stop him.
The Toy Of Mischief 3000, or T.O.M.Bot 3K, can be found in most little boys' Christmas lists this year. However, don't be fooled by its cute and mild demeanor — this toy is designed for mischief, to the chagrin of mothers everywhere! This one is especially naughty, for the Evil Snowman has reprogrammed it to aid his foul deeds.
Christmas Carol vs. The Ghost Of Christmas Presents started out as an arcade-style video game for the Mattel Intellivision™, a vintage video game console of the 1980s. Fulfilling a life-long dream of creating video games for the console of his youth, James Pujals conceived and developed the game back in December of 2010. Inspired by the Holiday Season, James chose a Christmas motif as its theme, and little by little the elements of a simple story of a magical world came together in his mind.
Being a passionate and imaginative individual, James was not satisfied with just implementing game mechanics and crude graphics in the primitive console. He insisted that every single element in the game — from the user controls, to the sprite interactions, to the scoring rules — had some relation to the overarching story formulating in his mind; and that all of it must fit within the bounds of the world he was creating.
Thus, it was not just a sprite running around a maze collecting items, eating dots for points, and avoiding enemies; it was Carol Greenleaf, Santa's most trusted elf, exploring the dark and frozen Ice Cube Caverns, retrieving the stolen presents, and eating candy on the run from the Evil Snowman. Despite the crude graphics of the vintage hardware, James managed to depict a clear and coherent story arc, told through whimsical cartoon-like animated sequences interspersed throughout the game as the player advances.
Christmas Carol
The Ghost
The Evil Snowman
The Bad Toy
The game was released to accolades and critical acclaim at the Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September, 2012; and a small community of enthusiastic fans built around it. Retro-game enthusiasts from all over the world responded positively to the depth of characters and story, unusual for such types of games.
To promote sales and to foster community among fellow Intellivision™ aficionados, James and his wife, Shera, personally hosted the annual Christmas Carol vs. The World high-score championship during Christmas time, offering prizes for the best performing players. For several years, the themed contest became a staple of the AtariAge community, fostering an environment of friendly competition infused with joy and the Spirit of Christmas, where everyone — young and old, novices and veterans — was invited to join in the fun and camaraderie.
To its players, Christmas Carol became more than a video game: it was an experience. Crude as it was conveyed in the game's primitive medium, the world of Christmas Carol appeared to be as evident and real to everyone as it was in James' mind.
The story of Christmas Carol vs. The Ghost Of Christmas Presents would have ended right then and there if it were not for a special surprise life had in store for James.
Stage #1: Haunted Hollow
Stage #3: Candy Cove
In the intervening years after the release of his first game, James was blessed with the gift of becoming grandfather to two beautiful little girls. As he watched them grow and develop, it occurred to him that the fun and whimsical story he created for his game — ever growing yet still mostly locked within his own head — would be the perfect bedtime story for his granddaughters, who remain yet starry-eyed and full of that childhood magical wonder.
Then, in the summer of 2018, contemplating the little girls at play, it dawned on James that the eldest of the two was about to turn five; and suddenly the past six years that he spent dreaming of a little children's story felt squandered, and he was sure to miss the opportunity to share its magic with his grandaughters, who would likely soon outgrow it.
So motivated, and eagerly encouraged by his dear wife, Shera; James decided once and for all to put his thoughts to paper. Starting from the characters and simple story arc he conceived for his game, he set out to explore this fantasy world and finally realize its full potential. As things happen, chapter by chapter, the story took a life of its own, turning from what was intended to be a short bedtime story, into a full blown novella.
Carol's Big Haul
What started out as a simple Christmas-themed video game had truly taken a life of its own. Through the span of nine years, Christmas Carol had come full-circle from a collection of whimsical vignettes, and was now a full-fledged story — just as it always felt inside its author's mind. With 16 chapters of narrative prose and 15 accompanying illustrations depicting its characters, locations, and events; James Pujals had finally realized his vision.
The results are nothing short of spectacular: A wonderful and compelling story of adventure set in a magical world populated with interesting characters and exciting locations. Christmas Carol vs. The Ghost Of Christmas Presents was ready for the world.
Upon publication, James dedicated the book to his beloved wife, for all her encouragement and support; and to his two beautiful granddaughters, for being the motivating and inspirational force behind his work. For, as he likes to say, children are the true source of magic in our world.
Chapter 11: The Enchanted Weapon
First time author James Pujals has a long history of creative endeavors in multiple disciplines and media. From drawing and graphic design, to music remixing, to blogging and video game development, James has had the blessed opportunity to produce creative works that tell compelling stories and build interesting and imaginative worlds.
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