THERESA ROMAIN
The Hour Six winner of
a book, a mug and English Christmas crackers
is
Armenia Fox
Congratulations!
Hour Three — The Gift of...Scandal?
In my new historical romance, SEASON FOR SURRENDER, a
holiday house party blends notorious and proper guests for two weeks of games,
wagers, and—of course—romance.
At this party,
everything isn’t quite
as it seems. The hero, Lord Xavier, is known for debauchery, but his reputation
has far outstripped reality. This Christmas, he’s begun to suspect that what he
would like most of all is to be taken seriously. As for the bluestocking
heroine, Louisa Oliver? She’s used to being overlooked, but at Xavier’s house
party, she discovers a confidence she never knew she had.
Here’s a little snippet from a party game Xavier’s guests
were playing. Louisa, a keen observer, was asked to guess what everyone wanted
for Christmas:
“What do I want?”
Louisa turned her way and regarded Jane with close interest. “A
scandal.”
Jane hooted. “Everyone knows that. What else?”
Louisa grinned. “A bigger scandal.”
Xavier raised his eyebrows. “She’s got you there, Jane.”
As everyone else laughed, he gave Louisa a little smile. Lovely work.
She noticed a startling amount, and he would enjoy the entertainment. As long
as she didn’t turn her deep eyes his way.
“And I?” Lockwood this time. “What do I want for Christmas, Miss
Oliver?”
God, Xavier had taught him nothing. The way Lockwood was waggling his
brows, he looked like some old roué from a comic opera.
Louisa looked him up and down, cool as ever. “A scandal for you, too.
But you want it to be someone else’s.”
“Dash it,” called Freddie Pellington, “they can’t all want a scandal.”
Pellington had impeccably styled curly hair, which covered a completely empty
head.
“Naturally we all want to see some scandal, Pellington,” confirmed Lady
Irving in a carrying voice. “That’s why we’ve come to spend Christmas with
Xavier, you ninny.”
Of course, scandal eventually erupts, though not in the form
anyone expects. And of course, Louisa figured out what Xavier wants most for
Christmas: to be seen, known, and loved for himself. She wants the same, and
over the course of the book they find a way to get, and give, the gift they
most desire.
It seems natural to talk about giving at this time of year,
since gifts are a part of so many winter holidays. And it seemed natural, too,
to make giving a part of this “Romancing the Holidays” event. Public libraries
and women’s shelters are struggling with budget cuts and increased demand for
services. They may be able to fund essentials, but there’s little left for
extras. As four book-lovers, Grace and Vanessa and Victoria and I wanted to
help out a few of these wonderful agencies with a book donation. And thanks to
the master-planning of Grace, the generosity of Kensington Publishing, and the
nominations from you lovely readers who signed up at holiday-gala.com, it’s
going to happen today.
Thanks so much to PJ and Andrea for hosting us today at The
Romance Dish, and thanks to all of you who are stopping by to chat!
For this
hour, do tell: what’s the best gift you ever received? At any age, on any
occasion.
The Hour Five winner of
a stocking filled with
Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight
His Mistletoe Bride
Season for Surrender
and
What Happens at Christmas
is
Beth Mills
Congratulations, Beth!
Hour Two — Revisiting Our Favorites
When Victoria, Grace, Vanessa, and I were planning this
event, we batted around the idea of all building something out of books. First
and foremost, because it’s fun. (Most likely, it’s been far too long since you
played with blocks.) And secondly, because it’s satisfying. Jetting off to see
the Eiffel Tower in person is hardly an impulse move for me. But making the
Eiffel Tower out of romance novels?
That
I can do.
As I stacked up this book-Christmas-tree recently, here’s
what else I found: building with books is a way to revisit beloved stories I
might not have thought of for a while. All these books are on my shelves for a
reason: I’ve loved them enough not only to buy and read them, but to keep them. And when building time was
over, it was hard to put them all back in their places. Some of these wonderful
stories made their way back to my nightstand instead.
Maybe it’s extra-fitting to make a festive tree out of
books, since the holidays are a season to dust off sweet memories. For me, a
favorite tradition is decorating a tree with my family. As we unpack the
ornaments, we talk about where we got each one, and why, and whether there’s a
funny story to go along with it. (There usually is.)
Of course, Christmas isn’t the only holiday being celebrated
this time of year. Hanukkah, Muharram, Kwanzaa, and Bodhi Day also fall near
the end of the year, each with their own unique traditions and symbols. Though
sometimes these weeks can become hectic and stressful with special events,
there’s a flip side to that. People do things they don’t do at other times of
year: decorate their homes, cook traditional foods, look for just the right
gift to make someone feel appreciated, or simply try to be kinder than usual.
At their heart, all these observances can help us connect with one another.
What’s your favorite holiday symbol or tradition? Or to go
back to building with books: what book do you most enjoy rereading? Let us know
how you reconnect with loved ones or favorite stories this time of year.
The Hour Four winner of
What Happens at Christmas
by Victoria Alexander
is
Jennifer McQuiston
Congratulations, Jennifer!
Hour One — Welcome to Romancing the Holidays!!!
Buon Natale, In Desserts
In my family, the holiday traditions include both the
odd—like stuffing a toy skeleton into the Christmas tree branches when my mom
isn’t looking—and the edible. Homemade pralines, sugar cookies, ravioli, and
above all, cuccidatis.
These little pastries are basically pie-crust dough around a
fruit filling. The Sicilian branch of my family has been making them every
Christmas since at least my great-grandmother’s generation. Nani used mincemeat
(yes, really) in the filling—so we kids tended to nibble the tinted frosting off
the top and leave the insides alone.
When Nani got older, my great-aunt took over the tradition.
And then, about 15 years ago, my mother and I decided to give cuccidatis a try with
a sweeter filling (read: no mincemeat). While I snipped up dried apricots and
apples in addition to the usual figs, candied fruit, slivered almonds, and
brandy, she rolled out a truly luscious pastry dough and mixed up the
buttery-sweet frosting.
From our cuccidati experiment, we learned that no one minded
a little tinkering with tradition, as long as the results tasted good. And boy,
did they. My guess is that over time, a lot of our family recipes have gone
through variations as each cook puts his or her stamp on them. It’s all a
matter of taste (ha!).
My mom and I have now become the family’s designated
cuccidati-bakers. It takes both of us, because it takes a long time to seal, cut,
and frost everything. (Also, I can’t for the life of me make a decent pastry
dough, so that’s up to her.) Working together with my mom? That’s the best part
of the tradition. And it sure doesn’t hurt that we wind up with delicious
desserts too.
What’s your favorite holiday food tradition? Is there
someone in your family who’s responsible for keeping it up?
