Timing and luck conjure ‘The Best Christmas Yet’

Stembridge’s book was originally written 20 years ago, for his children who are now 31 and 32 years-old. “I busted it back out because they’re both great writers and I wanted them to help me edit it and clean it up, and we decided to publish it,” he said.

The story is woven from Stembridge’s memories of growing up in White Salmon and dreaming of Christmas. In the book, the main character is given a dog for Christmas and names him Max, after the sidekick in “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” Stembridge’s childhood dog was actually named Snoopy, he admits, but when writing the story an author has more wordplay opportunities with the name Max than with Snoopy.

“That’s the story from there on, he gets a dog for Christmas, and it’s about them growing up together all through life,” Stembridge explained. The book’s illustrations were brought to life by a Spanish illustrator recommended by his publisher, Alberto Massetti.

“I’ve never met the man,” said Stembridge, “He’s in Spain, and I’ve never talked to him on the phone. Everything was done through the publisher. It worked well. We would describe what we wanted and it came together well. I just love the collaboration and the way it worked.”

Even though Massetti is in Spain, he was still able to capture the detail of an American Christmas for Stembridge’s book. Houses decked with lights, snow blanketing the ground, and a star Christmas tree toper are just a sample of Massetti’s work. Stembridge pointed out Massetti’s attention to detail with the cover illustration, a mussed rug and slightly ajar door create a lived in scene.

Readers who spy the drawing of the blue 1949 Chevy will be pleased to know Stembridge drove one around White Salmon when he was younger. “I had a ’49 Chevy when I was in high school, I’m sure he [Massetti] had to go online and look up that too,” Stembridge said with a laugh. “He’s nailed it.”

“There’s enough humor in there for adults to be entertained and children as well, so it kind of works for all ages,” Stembridge noted. “The colors are so bright, big enough, and bold enough, that any little kid is attracted to it.”

Locals can find copies of “The Best Christmas Yet” locally at the library and Book Peddler book store as well as Amazon. “I’m proud of it, I’m really proud of the way it came out, and I’m glad to get my grandmothers written down for eternity, you know they’re in the book forever and in my memory,” said Stembridge.

Words of advice for aspiring authors? “If I can do it anybody can do it. It’s all about coming out of the brain and on to the paper,” said Stembridge. “Never throw anything away, never erase anything, otherwise this would have been gone.”