A Historical Christmas Eve with Carrie Lofty (+Giveaway)

A Historical Christmas Eve 
with Carrie Lofty

About the Author:

Carrie Lofty holds a Masters degree in history, which she puts to good use as a historical romance writer and lecturer on the craft of writing. Active within the Romance Writers of America, she also weight trains and soaks up movie trivia like a sponge. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two daughters.
Co-writing as Ellen Connor, Carrie's RITA™ nominated NIGHTFALL, from the "Dark Age Dawning" trilogy, won RT's Reviewers' Choice Best Futuristic Romance of 2011.
And as Katie Porter, Carrie and her long-time friend and critique partner, Lorelie Brown, write contemporary erotic romance. Their "Vegas Top Guns" series debuted July 31 with DOUBLE DOWN.

Find Carrie Online: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Joe Weber returned to the United States after having served as a paratrooper. He dropped into Normandy and the Netherlands, and barely survived a brutal winter in camped in Belgium just outside the German border. Letters from the complicated, unconventional woman he loved kept him strong. Lulu Davies emigrated from England months after the war's conclusion to be reunited with her husband. Here I present their first Christmas Eve together, as well as a glimpse into their future together.-Carrie

Home For Christmas

by Carrie Lofty

Saving a Lady... with Nicola Cornick (+Giveaway)

Saving a Lady  
on Christmas Eve with Nicola Cornick

About the Author:

Bestselling British author Nicola Cornick writes historical romance for Harlequin HQN Books in the US and MIRA Books UK. She was born in Yorkshire and studied history at London University and Ruskin College, Oxford. Nicola is also a historian working for the National Trust at the seventeenth century hunting lodge, Ashdown House. A triple nominee for the Romance Writers of America RITA award, Nicola has been described by Publisher’s Weekly as “a rising star of the Regency genre.”

Find Nicola Online: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

A number of years ago I wrote a series of books, the Bluestocking Brides, set in Suffolk and featuring the rakish Kestrel brothers. At the end of the series the youngest brother, Lord Stephen Kestrel, was the only one who was unmarried and lots of readers asked me if Stephen would ever have his own story.

My most recent series has been The Scandalous Women of the Ton. In book 4, NOTORIOUS, Miss Francesca Devlin marries the dissolute Marquis of Alton. Later in the series it comes out that she has been widowed and in book 6 she receives a proposal of marriage from Lord Stephen Kestrel.

This is what happened in between…- Nicola

Lady Alton's Adventure

by Nicola Cornick

Sharing a First Kiss...with Cheryl Hoyt (+Giveaway)

Sharing a First Kiss  
on Christmas Eve with Cheryl Holt

About the Author:

CHERYL HOLT is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels. 

She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories. 

Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.

She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans. Visit her website at www.cherylholt.com.

Find Cheryl Online: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

I’m so excited to be included in this year’s Christmas event. For my scene, I have chosen to feature Miss Clarinda Dudley and Captain Aiden Bramwell. They have appeared as secondary characters in several of my books.
Clarinda Dudley is a recurring character in the three novels of my “Spinster’s Cure” trilogy that was released in 2010. She is a healer and white witch who travels with her brother, Phillip Dudley (aka Philippe Dubois). He is a smooth-talking con artist and swindler who sells fake love potions and tonics to unsuspecting women. Throughout Clarinda’s life, her main tasks were to keep him out of trouble, out of jail, and to curb his worst schemes. The last time readers saw Clarinda, she had parted with her brother and was house-sitting for her friend, Captain Tristan Odell, at his lovely manor house in rural Scotland.
Aiden Bramwell is the younger brother of the earl of Roxbury. He is an experienced sea captain who—much to his family’s horror—is engaged in trade. He owns several ships and is using them to build his own fortune so, when he marries, he can do so as a rich man without having to beg his older brother for money. His family is very stuffy, very snobbish, with annoying opinions about class and status and how the nobility shouldn’t interact with commoners. So Clarinda is the exact opposite of the woman he would deem suitable for anything. He made a cameo appearance in my book, DREAMS OF DESIRE, and will also appear in my long-lost book, LOVE’S PRICE, coming in 2013.
Clarinda and Aiden come from very different backgrounds and have very different personalities, which is a set up that produces a terrific hero and heroine. I’ve always thought they should cross paths and end up together with their own story and their own book. But I simply haven’t had time to write it.
In this short scene, I decided to see how they fit together as a couple. They are both in Scotland, with Clarinda living there and Aiden on holiday. They meet on Christmas Eve when he’s had a bit too much to drink and has been in a fight in a taproom.
Merry Christmas Clarinda and Aiden! - Cheryl

First Kiss on Christmas Eve

by Cheryl Holt

Caught in a Snowstorm...with Valerie Bowman (+Giveaway)

Caught in a Snowstorm  
on Christmas Eve with Valerie Bowman

About the Author:

Valerie Bowman writes Racy Regency Romps with a focus on sharp dialogue, engaging storylines, and heroines who take matters into their own hands! Publishers Weekly calls Secrets of a Wedding Night, an “enchanting, engaging debut that will have readers seeking future installments” and Romantic Times Book Reviews says, “This fast-paced, charming debut, sparkling with witty dialogue and engaging characters, marks Bowman for stardom.” It has been nominated for Best Historical Debut of 2012 by RT. Booklist gave Secrets of a Wedding Night a starred review! You can find Valerie on the web atwww.ValerieBowmanBooks.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

Find Valerie Online: Website | Blog- The Dashing Duchesses | Facebook | Twitter

I was so excited when I was given the theme of ‘Caught in a Snowstorm on Christmas Eve.” Why? Well, not only is it a fantastic set up…it just so happens to be the set up of a pivotal scene in my third novel, Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage (St. Martin’s Press, October 2013). The hero, James Bancroft, Viscount Medford, has risked his reputation and his life to save the heroine, Kate, Duchess of Markingham, from being put to death for the murder of her hideous husband. Medford has commissioned Kate to write the most scandalous pamphlet to date…Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage.

This is an exclusive sneak-peek of the scene in which Kate and Medford are reunited on a snowy Christmas Eve at Lily and Devon’s country estate. They haven’t seen each other in days and were unsure they’d ever see each other again. Their friends conspired to get them together in the middle of a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. And who doesn’t like a little holiday angst?

- Valerie

Caught in a Snowstorm on Christmas Eve

by Valerie Bowman

An Unexpected Guest...with Vanessa Kelly (+Giveaway)

An Unexpected Guest
on Christmas Eve with Vanessa Kelly

About the Author:

Vanessa Kelly was named by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.” Her Regency-set historical romances have been nominated for awards in a number of contests, and her second book, Sex and The Single Earl, won the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance. Vanessa also writes contemporary romance with her husband under the name of V.K. Sykes. You can find her on the web at www.vanessakellyauthor.com or at www.vksykes.com.

Find Vanessa Online: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

I always enjoy taking a peek into the future to see how my characters are faring.  John and Bathsheba, the hero and heroine of my third book, My Favorite Countess, are on their way to a party on Christmas Eve.  It will turn out to be special evening for both of them, one that fulfils a long-held dream for Bathsheba.  And isn’t that one of the fantastic things about the holiday season?  That sense of wonderful possibilities is so much a part of Christmas Eve! - Vanessa

An Unexpected Guest on Christmas Eve

by Vanessa Kelly

An Accidental Fire...with Carolyn Jewel (+Giveaway)

An Accidental Fire
on Christmas Eve with Carolyn Jewel

About the Author:

Carolyn Jewel was born on a moonless night. That darkness was seared into her soul and she became an award winning author of historical and paranormal romance. She has a very dusty car and a Master’s degree in English that proves useful at the oddest times. An avid fan of fine chocolate, finer heroines, Bollywood films, and heroism in all forms, she has three cats and a dog. Also a son. One of the cats is his.

Find Caroyln Online: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Off The Cliff

by Caroyln Jewel

Alone with a Rogue...with Sherry Thomas (+Giveaway)

Alone with a Rogue
on Christmas Eve with Sherry Thomas

About the Author:

Sherry Thomas is one of the most acclaimed romance authors working today.  Her books regularly receive starred reviews from trade publications and are frequently found on best-of-the-year lists.  She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA® Award. 

English is Sherry's second language—she has come a long way from the days when she made her laborious way through Rosemary Roger's SWEET SAVAGE LOVE with an English-Chinese dictionary. She enjoys digging down to the emotional core of stories. And when she is not writing, she thinks about the zen and zaniness of her profession, plays computer games with her sons, and reads as many fabulous books as she can find.

Sherry’s next book, The Burning Sky, volume one of her young adult fantasy trilogy, will be available fall 2013.

Find Sherry Online: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

I am ashamed to say I’m not even sure what a rogue is, in terms of a romance hero. So I just did a playboy everybody likes. J But of course, me being me, the playboy carries a secret pain.- Sherry

Alone with a Rogue on Christmas Eve

by Sherry Thomas

Crashing a Ball...with Heather Snow (+Giveaway)

Crashing a Ball
on Christmas Eve with Heather Snow

About the Author:

Heather Snow is a historical romance author with a degree in Chemistry who discovered she much preferred creating chemistry on the page, rather than in the lab.  She lives in the Midwest with her husband, two rambunctious boys and one very put upon cat who is currently taking out all of her feline frustrations on the Snow family Christmas tree... 

Find Heather Online: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Happy Holidays and warm greetings to you all! Thank you so much for having me here today. I'm thrilled to have been invited to share a story with you in this fun Christmas tradition Rita and Dani have begun.

When I received my assigned theme of "Crashing a Ball on Christmas Eve", my first thought was, "Great. What am I going to write about? Neither one of my science-savvy heroines would be caught dead near a ballroom." Okay, Liliana (my lady chemist from Sweet Enemy) did crash a house party once, but only to solve the mystery of her father's murder. 

As I was considering how I might force one of them to crash a ball, the image of a soldier coming home for Christmas kept stealing into my thoughts instead. The idea didn't spring from nowhere. You see, I just finished the third book in the series, Sweet Madness, which is due out in April. In it, my heroine dabbles in psychology, and her passion is treating soldiers coming home from the Napoleonic wars who suffer from battle fatigue, so I certainly had soldiers on my mind.

Many of us do, especially at Christmas time, knowing that while we are enjoying special moments and memories with our families, some of our countrymen and women are far from home. So if you or your loved ones are serving, thank you for all that you sacrifice. Merry Christmas, and I pray your families are reunited soon... -Heather Snow

Lieutenant Pemberton's Proposal

by Heather Snow

A Drunken Escapade...with Sophie Barnes (+Giveaway)

A Drunken Escapade
on Christmas Eve with Sophie Barnes

About the Author:

Born in Denmark, Sophie has spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She’s lived in five different countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish and Romanian.
She has studied design in Paris and New York and has a bachelor’s degree from Parson’s School of design, but most impressive of all – she’s been married to the same man three times, in three different countries and in three different dresses.
While living in Africa, Sophie turned to her lifelong passion – writing.
When she’s not busy, dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course, reading. She currently lives on the East Coast.

Find Sophie Online: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

A Drunken Escapade on Christmas Eve

by Sophie Barnes

Stranded in a Carriage...with Robyn DeHart (+Giveaway)

Stranded in a Carriage
on Christmas Eve with Robyn Dehart

About the Author:

A life-long lover of stories and adventure, it was either become a stuntwoman for the movies or live out those adventures from the safety of her PJ’s and computer. Award-winning author,Robyn DeHart chose the latter and couldn’t be happier for doing so. Known for her unique plotlines and authentic characters, Robyn is a favorite among readers and reviewers. Publishers' Weekly claims her writing to be "comical and sexy" while the Chicago Tribune dubs her "wonderfully entertaining." Robyn is an award-winning author as well as being a four-time RT Bookclub Reviewers' Choice award nominee, and a three-time RomCon Reader’s Crown nominee. Look for Robyn’s new trilogy on forbidden love coming from Entangled. A Little Bit Wicked, A Little Bit Sinful (spring 2013) and A Little Bit Scandalous (summer 2013). Also in 2013 she'll launch her Jack the Ripper series with The Secrets of Mia Danvers (June 2013, NAL).Robyn lives in Texas with her brainy husband, two precocious little girls and two spoiled cats.

Find Robyn Online: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

One Scandalous Night

by Robyn DeHart

A Royal Guest...with Katy Madison (+Giveaway)

A Royal Guest  
on Christmas Eve with Katy Madison 

About The Author:

Award winning author Katy Madison has always loved stories. As a child she was always lugging around a book. At the age of eight, after having gone through over a hundred Nancy Drew mysteries, all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books—at least twice—and many others including her full weekly allotment of library books, Katy went to her mother and begged for a new book to read. Her frustrated mother handed her a romance novel. Katy fell in love with the genre. She quickly discovered where her mother hid the rest and began sneaking them out to read. She cut her eyeteeth on books by Georgetty Heyer and Mary Stewart, not to mention dozens of Barbara Cartland Regency romances. 

Katy writes gothic historical romances and Regency historical romance. She also writes American-set historical romances for Harlequin under the name Kate Madison and gritty romantic suspense under the name K. T. Madison. 

She lives the glamorous life of a writer, which mostly means she stays in her pajamas all day, in an older house on a tree-lined street in Kansas City, Missouri. She thinks nothing is better than curling up in front of the fireplace with a good book. Visit her on the web at www.katymadison.com

Find Katy Online: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

The Duke and Duchess of Trent have a long history of Christmas house parties. After his father dies, the newest duke (The hero of Compromised by Christmas) is determined to keep this tradition alive. But when the Prince of Wales asks to hold a private knighting ceremony on Christmas Eve to honor men whose covert services to the crown have proved invaluable to the kingdom what can he do but acquiesce to the royal wish. The men will be knighted in secret, but they will be able to claim their status when their services are no longer needed in the war against France. The Duke never thinks that the sprigs of mistletoe that proved so lethal to him and his stepmother might trap another family member in another Christmastime enchantment... -Katy

A Royal Guest on Christmas Eve

Tossing Her scarf

by Katy Madison

Caught Under the Mistletoe...with Pamela Clare (+Giveaway)

Caught Under the Mistletoe

On Christmas Eve

With Pamela Clare

Colorado author Pamela Clare began her writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor-in-chief of two different newspapers. Along the way, she and her team won numerous state and national honors, including the First Amendment Award and the National Journalism Award for Public Service. This year, she was honored by the Colorado Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists with their Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for her work. A single mother with two college-aged sons, she writes historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense within view of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. She is a RITA finalist (Surrender, 2006) and a three-time Daphne du Maurier finalist (I-Team series). She loves history, having studied archaeology in college, and has traveled extensively, living for almost three years in Denmark, which feels like home to her. She attributes her love of historical romance with the years she spent visiting ruins and castles in Europe.

Find Pamela Online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. I cobbled together a little short story for you all that takes up a few weeks after the epilogue of DEFIANT, book 3 in the MacKinnon’s Rangers ends — just before Christmas of 1760. The setting is upstate New York on the MacKinnon farm. Enjoy! And Happy Holidays! -Pamela

Midnight Beneath the Mistletoe

A MacKinnon's Rangers Christmas Special
by Pamela Clare

Three Dukes and a Baby...with Miranda Neville (+Giveaway)

Three Dukes and a Baby

On Christmas Eve

With Miranda Neville

Miranda Neville moved to New York from her native England to work in Sotheby's Book Department. She later married and moved to Vermont, where she still lives and almost always gets a white Christmas. When she started to write historical romance, she set out to prove that, contrary to actual experience, rare book collectors are young and hot. She is now attempting the same transformation with art collectors and connoisseurs. The Importance of Being Wicked is the first in her new series The Wild Quartet. There will eventually be four books. Probably.

Find Miranda Online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | on The Ballroom Blog

No one loves a hot duke more than I do. But to fit three of them into one short story seemed like overkill. So I took a different approach to my Christmas tale of separated lovers. -Miranda

Three Dukes and a Baby

by Miranda Neville

A Lonely Courtesan....with Jess Michaels (+Giveaway)

A Lonely Courtesan
on Christmas Eve with Jess Michaels

About the Author:

Jess Michaels began writing full-time in 1999 after being encouraged by her husband to follow her dream. In 2003, she sold her first novella to Red Sage Press, an erotic historical romance about an Egyptian tomb and a very sexy curse. Since then she has published (or has contracted to publish by the end of 2013) 37 novels and novellas under three different pen names with several major publishers, small presses and via self-publishing. Her erotic historical romances have been national bestsellers and won awards from booksellers and readers.

In 2011, she and her husband moved to Tucson, AZ. There she enjoys hiking in the beautiful desert, spending time with her nephews, designing jewelry, reading and spending time with her awesome husband and cats.

Find Jess Online: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Upon A Christmas Star

by Jess Michaels

A Romantic Proposal...With Maggie Robinson (+Giveaway)

A Romantic Proposal  
on Christmas Eve with Maggie Robinson

About the Author:

Maggie Robinson is a former teacher, library clerk and mother of four who woke up in the middle of the night, absolutely compelled to create the perfect man and use as many adverbs as possible doing so. A transplanted New Yorker, she lives with her not-quite perfect husband in Maine, where the cold winters are ideal for staying inside and writing hot historical romances. 

Find Maggie Online: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

My November book, Lord Gray’s List, revolves around a Regency newspaper that serves as a clearinghouse for gossip, employment and matchmaking. Who better than Lord and Lady Gray to help another couple become as happy as they are? -Maggie

A Romantic Proposal on Christmas Eve

by Maggie Robinson

A Spy Mission...with Jillian Stone (+Giveaway)

A Spy Mission 
on Christmas Eve with Jillian Stone

About the Author:

Jillian Stone is the author of the Phaeton Black, Paranormal Investigator series, which includes The Seduction of Phaeton Black, and the just released, The Moonstone and Miss Jones. The third sequel, The Miss Education of Doctor Exeter, is scheduled to release in summer 2013. Jillian is also the author of The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard series. Watch for A Private Duel with Agent Gunn in late November!

Find Jillian Online: Website | Blog-O-Nauts | Facebook | Twitter

Detective Flynn Rhys is on duty Christmas Eve. Several months back, working a case with Detective Rafe Lewis, he was injured in a dynamite explosion. A rather serious compound leg fracture. Plastered up in a full leg cast, he’s been assigned to surveillance, day and night, weekends and holidays. Resigned to a lonely night ahead, he hunkers down with a pair of binoculars––until a pretty package in red and white arrives.

I am also happy to report that these next few pages, written for Dani and Rita’s Christmas Eve Blogfest, will eventually become the opening chapter of the next Gentlemen of Scotland Yard romantic suspense adventure: A Dragon Kiss from Detective Rhys.-Jillian

A Spy Mission on Christmas Eve

by Jillian Stone

A Wardrobe Malfunction...With Anna Campbell (+Giveaway)

A Wadrobe Malfunction
on Christmas Eve with Anna Campbell

About the Author:

ANNA CAMPBELL has won numerous awards for her seven Regency-set romances including Romantic Times Reviewers Choice, the Booksellers Best, the Golden Quill (three times), the Heart of Excellence (twice), the Aspen Gold (twice) and the Australian Romance Readers Association's favorite historical romance (four times). In 2012, Anna launches an exciting new publishing venture with Grand Central Publishing. She launches her first series, "Sons of Sin", with SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED in October 2012 with A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS to follow in September 2013.

Find Anna Online: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

I thought I give the word ‘wardrobe’ a slightly different meaning than I’m sure was intended by the girls – like to keep them on their toes! At a Christmas house party when there’s skullduggery afoot, a nice girl just doesn’t know who might end up sharing a dark, enclosed space with her. The funny thing is I checked the scene I did last year and my heroine ended up locked into a small, dark space with the hero in that one too. Clearly I associate Christmas with hide and seek!-Anna

A Wardrobe Malfunction on Christmas Eve

by Anna Campbell

What's on your Christmas Reading List? (+Giveaway)

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Beverley Kendall was not able to provide a scene for the event today. In lieu, I'll be putting together a small post featuring some of my favorite holiday reads and Beverley will be giving away some of HER fave holiday reads! Enjoy!

It's that time of year again! Mad dashes to Bath and Body works & Old Navy for last minute Xmas gifts, lots of studying late into the winter nights for finals, working retail while EVERYONE is last minute shopping as well-- this is what my last few winters have been like. Life can get crazy/overwhelming all year long- but especially when the snow hits the ground and your room starts to resemble the wrapping room at Santa's toy shop!

Holiday Excerpt + Giveaway with Sabrina Jeffries [Part 1]

By the time Sabrina Jeffries was 18, she'd eaten chicken heads and jellyfish, been chased by a baby elephant, seen countless cobras and pythons, had the entire series of rabies shots, and visited rain forests and rubber plantations.
But that wasn't enough excitement for her; to escape her mundane life in Thailand, she read romance novels.

Now she writes romance novels, and her bestselling, award-winning tales of strong women and sexy, dangerous men have been translated all over the world. Although she now lives in North Carolina with her husband and son, her colorful life has taken her from Thailand to New Orleans and given her plenty of inspiration for more books.

Find Sabrina Online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blogs on Goddess Blogs

About the Book:

Pierce Waverly, the Earl of Devonmont, has been estranged from his mother for most of his life. When his mother's new companion, Mrs. Camilla Stuart, writes to tell him that his mother is seriously ill, he goes home. But when he learns that the lovely widow tricked him in order to effect a holiday reconciliation, he refuses to stay - unless she meets his 'terms.' Somewhere between trying to seduce the beautiful Camilla and struggling with the cruel memories of his childhood Christmases, Pierce discovers that not only does forgiveness go two ways, but that love can blossom even in the coldest of winters.

Get Your Copy Today:

Amazon (Hardcover) | Amazon (Kindle)

Barnes and Noble (Hardcover) | Barnes and Noble (Nook)

AND NOW....

An Excerpt from Sabrina Jeffries’ ‘Twas the Night After Christmas (Gallery Books, On sale now!)
the New York Times bestselling author’s first-ever holiday hardcover

(Part One)