The Winter Souls Series

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fright…" What if St. Nicholas was really a young, mad trickster and you had the one thing he wanted? What if the only person who agreed to protect you from him had a past of letting those he's meant to protect die? What if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and you gained the ability to see a whole other world tucked into the cracks of your own? Helen Bell is a student with a past she'd rather not remember and a high school social life that doesn't exist. Almost everyone she passes either forgets she's there or doesn't notice her in the first place. She survives her life in the shadows by focusing on her studies.   Until the day everything changes.     When a strange encounter leaves Helen able to see a species of invisible people existing among us, naturally she assumes she's going delusional or is getting ill from the cold Canadian weather. But when a young, handsome Winter guardian appears to aid her in a crisis, and a train horn starts blasting over the city in a search to hunt her down, she finds herself in the middle of a war where nothing is quite as it seems, and what's "right" isn't always right.   "No matter what happens," her Winter guardian warns as creatures all down the street begin to shriek and freeze in place, "Don't move a muscle…"   Zane Cohen is a young, retired Patrolman. Even though he craves mischief and would rather play tricks on snow rabbits than get dragged back into the guardian life, he finds he can't help himself when he meets Helen Bell. She's not suitable to play the games of the Rime Folk. If she's not careful, she's going to get herself killed. And he shouldn't care, but…   But a long time ago, he believed in an ancient "Truth". This same Truth begins calling Helen's name across the snow, forcing her to make the ultimate decision to either run back to her empty life, or do the unthinkable—to face off with the Snow Queen in The Quarrel of Sword and Bone; a match that takes place in a Winter arena before one thousand witnesses and will likely mean certain death.   So, the retired Patrolman becomes not so retired after all.   A Soul as Cold as Frost is Jennifer Kropf's debut novel, ideal for fans of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms by Meredith Rusu and Ashleigh Powell.   Book Facts: *The Winter Souls Series is an adventure for ages 10+, loved by teens and parents alike. *This series contains a Christian allegory. *A Soul as Cold as Frost was rewritten, reimagined, and reformatted with illustrations by Kyannah Durocher in 2024 for a better reading experience. "Wow, I loved this book! This book was a magical twist between Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, and Spirited Away, yet somehow read as effortlessly original. It was gripping, fast paced and full of action, yet not lacking in heart. Highly recommended for young YA readers upwards." – Alice Ivinya, USA Today Bestselling author of Stars May Burn   "The Chronicles of Narnia meets Harry Potter. This fantastic winter tale is the perfect blend of classic portal fantasy and the magical world co-existing with our own. This magical Christian fantasy adventure totally hits the spot and got everything right. It is a beautiful reminder of what is truly important in life." - USA Today Bestselling author Astrid V. J.

"Deck the halls with bells and folly..." Helen Bell has changed since facing off with Mara Rouge in the Quarrel of Sword and Bone. But so has Winter. When a Timepiece crosses the intersect to give Helen a set of three warnings in the form of a puzzle, she's forced to re-enter the world she thought she might never see again to solve it before she meets a deadly end. But things are different in Winter. Things that were once proudly colourful have been painted red, and the Patrolman who swore to always be there for her has his own demons to face. Helen is forced to hide in plain sight by impersonating a Red Kingdom celebrity, all to follow the leads and solve the Timepiece's puzzle before she's taken and Winter's last Carrier of Truth is silenced forever. A Heart as Red as Paint is the second installment of The Winter Souls Series; a faith-based Christmas collection for teens, with characters from old holiday legends and folklore. Praise for The Winter Souls Series: "Wow, I loved this book! This book was a magical twist between Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, and Spirited Away, yet somehow read as effortlessly original. The descriptions are vivid and really make you feel like you're freezing, trudging through snow, or drinking the best hot chocolate of your life. It was gripping, fast paced, and full of action, yet not lacking in heart. High recommend for young YA readers upwards."  - USA Today Bestselling author Alice Ivinya "The Chronicles of Narnia meets Harry Potter. This fantastic winter tale is the perfect blend of classic portal fantasy and the magical world co-existing with our own. This magical Christian fantasy adventure totally hits the spot and got everything right. It is a beautiful reminder of what is truly important in life."  - USA Today Bestselling author Astrid V. J. "A Soul as Cold as Frost instantly transports you into a magical world that the whole family will adore. Fans of Chronicles of Narnia will be thrilled with this new wintery adventure!"  - Nikki Mitchell, author of Nightshade Forest "Whimsical, action-packed, clean, and completely immersive."  - Goodreads Review

I'm dreaming of a frightful Christmas...   The first thing that Patrolman Zane Cohen notices when he meets Helen Bell again in this new season is that she is not herself. The libraries of the Volumes of Wisdom have been burned to ash. Believers of the Truth are disappearing across the snow globe. A Beast of the darkness is taking hostages and building his army in Winter. And Helen... Helen sees it all unfolding in her dreams. When the Volumes of Wisdom begin to whisper clues of something hidden in Winter that might turn the tides of the oncoming war, Helen finds herself trekking into the prickly pines and thundering songs of war drums in the Green Kingdom. She claims she's there as an emissary of the Three Kings of the East. But the true reason she's risked stepping into a kingdom of the verge of losing a deadly war... Is to steal the Queen of the Pines garland crown right from atop her head.   A Crown as Sharp as Pines is Book #3 of The Winter Souls Series: a Christmas themed collection with holiday myths and folklore. Praise for A Soul as Cold as Frost, Book #1 of The Winter Souls Series: "Wow, I loved this book! This book was a magical twist between The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, and Spirited Away, yet somehow read as effortlessly original. It was gripping, fast paced, and full of action, yet not lacking in heart. High recommend for young YA readers upwards." - USA Today Bestselling author Alice Ivinya "It's the Chronicles of Narnia meets Harry Potter. This fantastic winter tale is the perfect blend of classic portal fantasy and the magic world co-existing with our own. This magical Christian fantasy adventure totally hits the spot and got everything right. It is a beautiful reminder of what is truly important in life." - USA Today Bestselling author Astrid V. J.  

Once, there was the Truth which shone as pure as Gold. Then, came a Beast who devoured Winter's lights.   'Twas Gold versus Poison Darkness versus Light King versus Beast Day verses Night A Beast as Dark as Night is the epic finale to The Winter Souls Series, a Christmas themed collection with holiday myths and folklore. Ideal for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms by Meredith Rusu and Ashleigh Powell. Praise for the Winter Souls Series: "Wow, I loved this book! It was gripping, fast paced, and full of action, yet not lacking in heart. Highly recommend for young YA readers upwards." - USA Today Bestselling author Alice Ivinya "It's the Chronicles of Narnia meets Harry Potter. This fantastic winter tale is the perfect blend of classic portal fantasy and the magic world co-existing with our own. It's a beautiful reminder of what is truly important in life." - USA Today Bestselling author Astrid V. J. "Fans of Chronicles of Narnia will be thrilled with this new wintery adventure!" - Nikki Mitchell, author of Nightshade Forest "Whimsical, action-packed, clean, and completely immersive." - Goodreads Review

Carols and Spies is a collection of novellas that take place in the world of The Winter Souls Series by Jennifer Kropf. Complete with six stories of Winter legends, this prequel weaves together the origin tale of the underground cathedral in the Red Kingdom and the spark that brought the Carriers of Truth into existence. Synopsis for A Blend of Harmonies (Novella, The First) in Carols and Spies: Red versus Green. It has always been this way since the beginning of the war. Charlie and Cora are from different kingdoms. Charlie is a son of the woods, the pines, and the deep earth-shaking drums of celebration and war–a true Green Kingdom citizen. Cora is as Red as its gets; a daughter of crimson dresses and scarlet stained-glass, living among the royals in the Red Kingdom palace with all its luxuries and twisted games. But when they're brought together by a mysterious power who calls himself Elowin for a reason neither can seem to figure out, they learn they each carry a weight on their shoulders placed there by their own kingdoms. And if they want to be free, they'll have to figure out who exactly Elowin is, what he's doing, and why his plan involves them both before Charlie is caught in Red Kingdom territory where he will have to face the wrath of the Red royals. In Carols and Spies (Collection, The First), meet a keyholding spy, a magic singer, a Prince of the Pines, a pair of elite hunters, an Ink Whipper, a Savior, and a young, wicked witch called Mara Rouge who aims to take them all down.