Multi-talented Karla Lacey-Minors has turned her award winning 2000 Christmas Short Story entry into a children's book entitled 'In Search of The Christmas Spirit', with proceeds benefiting two children's charities.

Ms Lacey-Minors, who beat out 12 others to win the adult category in last year's Royal Gazette Christmas Short Story contest, wanted her prize winning story to become a keepsake. During the summer she began looking at writing a book and the newly arrived book will be launched tomorrow at both the Bookmart (with a reading of the story at 11 a.m.) and at A.S. Cooper's with a book signing from 12.30 to 2.30 p.m. Signings will continue on Fridays and Saturdays at the two locations.

Those are the only two outlets that will sell the book and neither are taking a percentage of the sale so as to enable the two charities, the Hands of Love Ministry and the Neverland Foundation, to receive maximum benefit from the sale. A total of 1,300 books will be sold at $15 each and the profits will be split evenly between the two charities.

The books only arrived in Bermuda on Wednesday, when a friend, Carol Talbot, arrived with them on a flight from Canada. A couple of hours later the author was in the Royal Gazette offices with copies of the book.

Though the self-published book was put together in a few months, the material, namely the story itself, has been around for almost a decade.

"I entered it nine years ago for a Royal Gazette Short Story Christmas competition and delivered it after the deadline, like quarter-after-five, on the last day and it was never published and I never heard anything more about it," Ms Lacey-Minors recalls.

"I was so upset about it but I just chalked it up to experience. Over the years I have been sharing it with my children and others and everyone has always loved the story.

"So last year I decided to re-enter it - I edited it a bit - because I wanted people to read it. All I cared about was people reading it because I do believe it is a beautiful story.

"I was very surprised and, of course, pleased that it won first place. Even better was the response and feedback I got from people on the streets, people who read the story to their children...young and old and from all walks of life. People just loved the story, so this year I decided I wanted to publish it so that more people could enjoy it."

She first laid the groundwork for the book in early August and within a couple of weeks of the new school term, the illustrations were done by students at Bermuda Institute which included her own two children, son Grae and daughter Dia.

In keeping with the spirit of Christmas, Ms Lacey-Minors will be donating profits from the book to the two charities and as a result, RB&K, who designed the book, also donated their services free of charge.

"Because of the nature of the story, which is about the true spirit of Christmas and the spirit of giving, any monies made off this book will go to charity, that it only benefits those who needed it," she explained.

"Both the Hands of Love Ministry and Neverland Foundation do tremendous work for children here in Bermuda. The agency that designed the book, RB&K, did it free of charge. Because it was a charity project, they were very excited to be involved and the illustrations were all done by school children in the art classes at the Bermuda Institute."

To show her appreciation, Ms Lacey-Minors will donate 100 books to that school to sell as a fundraiser for the school.

"I'm pleased that two retailers, A.S. Cooper's and Bookmart, are assisting with the distribution of the books to the public," she stated.

"They will carry the book exclusively and are not taking any percentage off the sale of it and are assisting to ensure that the maximum goes to charities as well.

"There is a minimum of $12,000 that the books will raise. There is a special cover so that the book can be handled for a long time. The quality of the printing is excellent.

"Not only is it a very special gift but it is going to help others in the process. The story is meant to be read by adults to children and enjoyed by all ages."