{"product_id":"christmas-presence-tony-bertauski-9798290594477","title":"Christmas Presence: Prequel to the Claus Universe Series (A Science Fiction Adventure)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWorlds are waiting to be opened.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll Van Holloway wanted was to survive the night unnoticed. He didn't ask to be dragged to a Christmas party full of people he barely knew, or to end up in the same room as Charli McNichols-the girl he's had a silent crush on since September. He certainly didn't plan to follow her into a game that wasn't a game, wearing glasses that weren't really glasses.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat begins in a crowded game room ends somewhere else entirely. Somewhere cold. Somewhere impossible.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInside a hidden world buried beneath holiday cheer, Van and Charli discover a place filled with clockwork toys, forgotten workshops, and secrets meant to stay buried. They stumble out with more than they bargained for, and something comes back with them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNow, the rules of reality are shifting. Time slips. Closets snow. Strangers appear. Something wants what Van took, and it's willing to do whatever it takes to find him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe green hat was only the beginning.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom festive parties to frozen halls, from droids in Santa suits to gingerbread rebels, Van and Charli are caught in a battle between belief and cynicism, myth and machinery. If they want to make it back home-and remember who they are-they'll need to trust each other, hold on to what's real, and face the one thing more powerful than magic: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDoubt.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eChristmas Presence: The Prequel\u003c\/b\u003e launches the Claus Universe saga, blending sci-fi and holiday fantasy in a story full of sharp humor, suspense, and heart. For fans of \u003ci\u003eStranger Things\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Santa Clause\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eReady Player One\u003c\/i\u003e, this is a bold reimagining of Christmas like you've never seen before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Tony Bertauski\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798290594477\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/15\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 190\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.58lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.44d","brand":"Tony Bertauski","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48447170380031,"sku":"9798290594477","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_a6d03a00-9fb4-4628-bee3-f598b2da55d4.jpg?v=1777229311","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/christmas-presence-tony-bertauski-9798290594477","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}