Every so often, you get your heart set on that one special gift for Christmas… in today’s Casa for the Holidays blog stop, our authors are telling us what the heroines of the Christmas romance novels want this year, and what their heroes are ACTUALLY getting them :)
Grace Burrowes, author of Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait
For Christmas, Lady Jenny Windham thinks she’s going to give herself the freedom to pursue her art, and freedom from her family’s overprotective influence, and she will have those gifts, but not in the sense she intends.
Jenny is determined to leave Merry Olde England for Paris, where a talented female artist of Regency persuasion will not be held back by her gender or her station, or so Jenny hopes. In truth, Jenny wants to escape the weight of her family’s marital expectations—she’s the only one of eight siblings to remain unmarried—and she wants to escape the pitying looks she endures from those who regard her as a spinster in training.
But who should show up on the Windham doorstep as Christmas approaches but Elijah Harrison, the most in-demand portrait artist of the Beau Monde? Elijah has accepted commissions from Their Graces, Jenny’s parents, and thus Jenny’s holidays include the gift of Elijah’s artistic companionship…. and—to her surprise and delight—his kisses.
Jenny confides in Elijah that she intends to go to Paris, immediately after the holidays, and while Elijah understands that an artist deserves to nurture her ability, he also sees that Jenny is running, and that her departure will break her family’s heart.
And his.
For years ago, Elijah turned his back on family and friends to heed his muse, and while he has recognition and financial security now, he knows all too well the price paid for these accomplishments.
Elijah finds a way for Jenny to have her art and to have her family’s love and support, but it takes courage, honesty, and determination—also a bit of holiday magic, and the encouragement of not only Jenny’s siblings and relations, but Elijah’s as well.
I loved writing this story, in part because it’s about others seeing us more clearly, and more lovingly, than we see ourselves. Jenny needed Elijah’s artistic ability to see clearly, and to show her and her family some truths they were struggling to find on their own. Elijah sees clearly not only because he’s paid attention to his own journey, but also because he loves Jenny, and cannot bear for her to trade one lonely struggle for another.
So the gift Jenny thought she wanted—freedom to pursue her art—she did in fact receive, but she found this great boon in Elijah’s arms, not in the chilly streets of Paris!
The Christmas He Loved Her isn’t your typical Christmas romance. This books hurts. There are characters who are broken and damaged and in dire need of love and forgiveness. But ultimately, it’s an uplifting story that really plays on the power of love, family and second chances.
That being said, I truly believe that Christmas is the one time of the year when miracles can really happen. There is something so simplistic about the story of Jesus, about the hope that baby brought to his parents, and that hope carries through the holiday season.
And I think for Raine, the heroine in my book, hope is what she wants the most. Hope that things will get better and hope that she can find love again. Hope that she can help Jake, a man she’s known pretty much her entire life.
My hero, Jake is thinking the same thing. He wants Raine to be happy and I think the togetherness and family that a holiday like Christmas brings to the table is just what he needs. And in this story the magic of Christmas is the best gift of all.
Terry Spear, author of A SEAL Wolf Christmas
Anna has never had a Christmas before and she catches the hero, Bjornolf, ordering online before Christmas and asks if it's his old girlfriend in a teasing way. She gets him what every SEAL could ever need, so if she really thought about it, she would have thought he might get her some of the same. But instead, he gets her a beautiful crocheted sweater just like the one destroyed when a villain attempts to kill her. Only Bjornolf gets it in several different colors. What are heroes for after all but making our dreams come true on Christmas and every other day?
Carolyn Brown, author of The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby
Natalie hasn’t even thought about what Lucas might get her for Christmas but I’m sure she’s going to be blown away when she opens a booklet filled with kissing coupons. One says that with this coupon, you get a nonstop body kiss from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Another says that the coupon was good for a long and wonderful kiss under the stars. And then there’s the instrumental CD of an assortment of slow love songs and candles and bubble bath, lotion, and bath powder all in the same fragrance, funny socks with toes in them and fuzzy slippers in black and white zebra stripes to keep her feet warm when she had to get up at night with Joshua. But her big present, as he called it, was the shocker…which I could tell you all about but it would sure spoil the surprise.
To find out more about these authors, please visit their websites!
Carolyn Brown Website: http://carolynlbrown.com/
Grace Burrowes Website: http://graceburrowes.com/
Terry Spear Website: http://www.terryspear.com/
Juliana Stone Website: http://www.julianastone.com/
Carolyn Brown Website: http://carolynlbrown.com/
Grace Burrowes Website: http://graceburrowes.com/
Terry Spear Website: http://www.terryspear.com/
Juliana Stone Website: http://www.julianastone.com/
FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE “CASA FOR THE HOLIDAYS” VIRTUAL TOUR!
October-December 2013
Fun Holiday-Themed Posts from Carolyn, Grace, Terry and Juliana,
And Chances to WIN Books at Each Stop!
October
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Oct. 8
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Booked and Loaded
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Oct. 16
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Ramblings From This Chick
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Oct. 23
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Debbie's Book Bag
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Oct. 29
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The Reading Café
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November
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Nov. 4
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Book Girl of
Mur-y-Castell
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Nov. 6
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Smexy Books
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Nov. 12
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Cocktails and Books
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Nov. 14
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The Bookish Babe
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Nov. 20
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Night Owl Reviews
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Nov. 22
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Fresh Fiction
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December
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Dec. 4
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USA Today HEA
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Dec. 5
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Under the Covers
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Dec. 10
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Romancing the Book
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Dec. 11
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Anna's Book Blog
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Dec. 16
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What's on the Bookshelf
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Dec. 17
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That's What I'm Talking
About
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UPDATE: The winner of the Casa for the Holidays Prize is Veronica!
