Christmas Under Northern Lights

The inspirational and autobiographical tale of Christmas Under Northern Lights is, at its heart, a story of a family seeing the gifts of the season in a different light. It is the recounting of a Christmas where two young girls from the big city are going through the dark days of a winter above the Arctic Circle. Living among the native villagers in Kotzebue, Alaska in very rural conditions the two sisters, ages four and six, are intently focused on the possibility that Santa might not find their little village. We see much through the eyes of the children as they look and wish for signs of Old Saint Nick. Meanwhile, the story reveals other magical tidings of joy at work through newfound friendships and relishing a truly hand-made Christmas. With less glitter and more heart, the true message of Christmas and a different perspective comes into full view under the Northern Lights.

Peter Trimarco started his professional doodling career as an editorial cartoonist in Chicago and Denver before turning to commercial art and designing packaging for music and film. He studied fine arts at Columbia College and Lake Forest College where received a BA in English Literature. These days, he brings his creative juices to the printed page for youngsters. He is the illustrator on numerous picture books, many of which have been critically acclaimed and honored with prestigious awards, including the Foreword Indies and the Benjamin Franklin Awards. Deanne Burch was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and attended the University of Toronto, with a B.A. in both liberal arts and social work. She also lived eight years in Winnipeg where her husband was a professor of anthropology. Currently, she calls Harrisburg Pennsylvania home, though she spent many of her early years traveling and periodically living above the Arctic Circle while raising a family in the late 1960s. Recalling a ten-month visit to Kotzebue, Alaska, in the land of the midnight sun and Northern Lights, Deanne found inspiration for her first children’ s picture book. Catherine Gebauer is a fine artist who has taught children’ s art programs for the Art Association of Harrisburg, Carlisle Arts Learning Center and the Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In addition to Catherine’ s creative endeavors, she has had a successful career as an attorney and is a graduate of Randolph Macon’ s Woman’ s College and the University of Richmond Law School. Outside the courtroom, her passions are painting in oils and watercolors. Her first book illustration project comes by way of adding color and visuals to the autobiographical tale written by her godmother.