The Christmas Stone

Abandoned at the age of two, Brân Finch anxiously waits for a family to take him in. But each year, the Elfin boy is passed over for other orphans.
Can it be that his eerie resemblance to the evil sorceress Maggie Crow has something to do with it?
Brân leaves the orphanage and ends up roaming from village to village picking pockets in order to survive. On one occasion, he is forced to escape from five village guards by jumping into a raging river.
The river carries him to the small village of Eve's Crossing. Each Christmas Eve, this village shines a special light that helps guide Mr. Kringle and his reindeer safely back home. The light comes from a special stone known to the villagers as the Christmas Stone.
Brân learns that the sorceress, Maggie Crow, has taken the stone. Without its light, Mr. Kringle and his reindeer would perish in the canyons below. Christmas Eve, as we know it, would come to an end.
Brân agrees to join four other elves in getting back the stone. Together, they make their way to the witch's house. But to get there, the group must cross through a mysterious forest where the trees nourish themselves with the blood of living creatures.
Can the five elves make it safely through these woods without becoming victims? Can Brân return the Christmas Stone to Eve's Crossing before midnight and also rescue the five villagers taken prisoner? And what about his close resemblance to Maggie Crow? Is it possible that he could be related to this sorceress and her family?
Find out what happens when Brân confronts the only person who may hold clues to his past and to the reason why he was abandoned at such a young age.

R.A. Flores is a native Californian who still resides in the state. He fell in love with reading at an early age, thanks to the many books given to him as a child.
He graduated from California State University, Northridge with both a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies and a secondary school teaching credential. He continued his graduate studies at the same university, receiving a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education. He returned to graduate school several years later to earn a second master's degree. This time, a Master of Science degree in Educational Computing from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.
Mr. Flores retired as a community college professor where he taught courses in computer literacy, HTML programming, and office applications. He now spends his time traveling with his wife, Linda, and writing from home.
The Christmas Stone is his first work of fiction available in print, although he has written and published several educational workbooks in computer literacy and office applications.