Romancing the Holidays - Theresa Romain

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?