'Caliclaus and the Christmas Contraption' is Released

Valerie Hart's, author of "The New Tradition Cookbook" and "The Bounty of Central Florida," new book for children and adults incorporates four delightful Christmas stories with the title, "CaliClaus and the Christmas Contraption" (published by AuthorHouse).

Hart's entertaining story of a magical cat and her team of pedigree felines centers on the plight facing animals in overcrowded shelters. With her team of eight felines, Caliclaus rescues 200 cats and six dozen kittens from a local shelter. The contraption they have built from wooden planks and pieces of a wire fence is just big enough to hold all the cats as well as the food and supplies they have stockpiled. They round up eight neighborhood dogs and attach them with ropes. Then she taps the dogs with her magical claw and, with a different member of her team riding on each of the dogs, they fasten their helmets and, with her in the lead on a "borrowed" Harley motorcycle, the contraption rises in the air to fly gifts of love to deserving homes.

"The reader or listener (age 8 and older) will be enthralled with this cat that performs magic and can fly followed by a bunch of dogs pulling her contraption over the rooftops on Christmas Eve," she says. "Perhaps the children will convince their parents to visit a shelter in their area to adopt a homeless animal."

The second story, "Peter Penguin Goes Home," is equally delightful and light-hearted. Mollie and Maxie Mouse, Chuckie Chipmunk, Bubba Bunny Rabbit and Robbie Raccoon find Santa on Christmas Eve to return Peter Penguin, who has been with them since he sneaked into Santa's sleigh last Christmas and got lost. "Joey's Duck" is a story about a boy who takes - and returns - a toy duck from his neighbor's bicycle basket. And, "Sakie's Adventure in Wonderland" is a feline spoof on Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass." All four stories are illustrated in color.

Hart invites readers to visit her at http://www.cookingandtips.com.

"CaliClaus and the Christmas Contraption"
By Valerie Hart
Softcover | 8.25 x 11 in | 52 pages | ISBN 9781491842812
E-Book | 52 pages | 9781491842805
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Valerie Hart is a cookbook author, food and travel journalist and restaurant critic. She was the editor of the first Zagat Restaurant Survey in Florida and the Zagat Hotel, Resort and Spa Survey for Florida and Michigan. She has worked with many charities including the March of Dimes and Anthony House refuge for the homeless. She was awarded "Outstanding Woman of the Year" in Miami in 1985.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, LLC, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industry's only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrated 15 years of service to authors in Sept. 2011.For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.