Miracle at Midnight

Can a heart wrapped in stone discover the true meaning of love?A story from "The Perfect Gift"In 1507 France, Comtesse Amara de la Cortese wasn t a very nice person. She was a hard-hearted ruler who thought nothing of imprisoning beggars and ordering their children sold. Enter Saint Nicholas, whose quest is to protect the young. As punishment, he turned Amara into a statue a prison of stone to match her heart of stone.But Saint Nicholas believes in redemption, so every 50 years he frees her for 48 hours and gives her one of ten chances to answer one apparently simple question: "What is the true meaning of love?"Ten chances. One question. Sounds simple. But Amara, whose heart is stunted by a loveless past, has failed each time. Now, on her very last shot at lifting the curse, she finds herself in present-day Manhattan. She meets six-year-old Samantha, who totally believes her fantastic story, and her doctor dad, Nick, who totally doesn t.Despite the deadline hanging over her head, Amara is determined to enjoy her last taste of freedom. With Nick and Sami, she explores New York s unique style of Christmas. She also finds herself falling in love. Then, in a flash, time runs out in a way none of them imagined. The pressure s on for Amara to find the answer in her newly melted heart or return forever to her prison of stone.Warning: Warning: Could cause tears keep tissues close at hand!"