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Spotlight on A Widow’s Christmas Rogue

Jessica Lady Colyton has no intention of being a wicked widow and no time for rogues. Her father, her brothers and her husband were rogues enough for a lifetime. However, she has joined the Wicked Widow’s League, seeking help after her husband’s will proves to be just one more blow from a controlling and manipulative man.

It has been a difficult year. When her new friends organise a holiday in a country cottage for her, she blesses them—right up until she finds a naked rogue in her bed.
Martin Lord Tavistock is no rogue, unlike his father before him. The man’s early death in sordid circumstances brought him a title and a barrow-load of responsibilities. His uncle’s strict upbringing has given him little taste for pleasure and no skill in making friends.

He wants only to go home to Yorkshire, shunning the Christmas house party to which his matchmaking sister has invited him, and the beauties she has undoubtedly lined up to tempt him. When he wakes up in a strange lady’s bed, naked, tied down, and clueless as to how he arrived at her cottage, he wants no part in whatever plot is underway.

Trapped by a snowstorm, he and his furious hostess must form a reluctant alliance to survive, and that will be the end of their acquaintance. Won’t it?

Except that Martin doesn’t want to fight his attraction to Jessica, and she hopes that his promises of pleasure will prove that her experiences with Colton were not her fault. They can walk away after three days and nights of lovemaking. But will they want to?

Preorder The Widow’s Christmas Rogue, and find out what happened to Aldridge’s sister Jessica and Chloe’s sister Martin (from Lord Cuckoo Comes Home). Published 24 December on Amazon and 27 December everywhere else.

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Christmas Cookie Hop–Christmas Mince Pies

Welcome to my stop on the Christmas hop. Here’s the link to Heather’s master list of hop stops: https://www.heathermccollum.com/kitchen/

And here’s the Facebook page for the hop: https://www.facebook.com/events/3866532973589852/ This page gives you the details of what you have to do to be in the draw for the $150 gift card.

Christmas mince pies are part of my memories of Christmas. Mum’s shortbread, mince pies, and Christmas cake rich in fruit–yum! Don’t let the name put you off. The mince in question is minced dried fruit, seasoned with spices, and the case is a rich buttery short pastry. Christmas mince pies are served during the Christmas season throughout much of the English-speaking world. And they are oh so easy to make, if you can get your hands on some Christmas mincemeat. (If you can’t, read on for a recipe for that part of it, too. If you’re making your own, you’ll need to start three days before you make the pies, and you need a heap of ingredients, but the recipe is easy-peasy.)

How to make the pastry

You’ll need: 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons mixed spice, 2/3 cup butter, softened, 2 tablespoons grated orange zest, 1/4 cup ice water, 1 large egg, beaten. You’ll also need a jar of sweet Christmas mincemeat. )

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil or butter your mini tart tins.

Sift the flour, half the sugar, and the spices into a bowl. (You can use pumpin spice or cinnamon or make your own mixed spice with 8 parts cinnamon, 4 parts ground allspice, 1 part ground nutmeg, 1 part ground ginger, and a pinch of ground cloves.)

Use a pastry cutter or two forks to mix in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Fingers work, too.

Stir in the orange zest. Sprinkle with ice water and gather the dough into a ball.

How to make the little pies

Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Use a round cookie cutter to cut into circles. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, the rim of a glass will do. Choose one a bit bigger than the mouth of your tart tins. Also use a star cutter to make the star for the top. If you wish, you can cut out other shapes, or even use smaller circles to give the pies covered tops.

Line your mini tart tins with pastry.

Fill each cup with about a tablespoon of sweet mincemeat filling. Add your top piece of pastry. If you making a full lid, cut a cross in the centre to stop the mincemeat from bubbling out the sides. When the tray is filled, brush the tops with egg.

Bake in the oven until golden brown–about 15 or 20 minutes.

Cool slightly on a wire rack and then dust with the remaining icing sugar.

How to make Christmas mincemeat

2 large apples (a tart variety is best), peeled, cored, chopped

1 cup apple cider (substitute if you don’t want alcohol. Cranberry juice would be interesting, but whatever you wish)

1 cup candied red cherries

⅔ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup dried apricots, chopped

½ cup dried cherries

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup dried currants

½ cup dried figs, chopped

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

½ cup fresh orange juice

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup raisins

¼ cup lard–or, if you don’t have lard, unsalted butter works

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup dark rum, or you can use brandy or whiskey or something non-alcoholic

Fundamentally, you put all the ingredients into a bowl and leave them to soak overnight. Then, the next day, you simmer them stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated. Maybe 25 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in another quarter cup of whatever alcohol (or non-alcohol) you’re using, and put into sterilised jars.

You can use after 24 or 48 hours, or you can keep for up to a year.

Hop to the next stop on the cookie hop: Glynnis Campbell

# Name Author Links
1 Heather McCollum https://www.heathermccollum.com/kitchen/
2 Callie Hutton http://calliehutton.com/2024/12/welcome
3 Allison B. Hanson https://allisonbhanson.wordpress.com/
4 Jane Charles https://www.janecharlesauthor.com/christmas-fun
5 Katherine Bone https://www.katherinebone.com/
6 Alanna Lucas https://alannalucas.com
7 Jude Knight https://judeknightauthor.com
8 Glynnis Campbell https://glynnis.net/ChristmasCookies
9 Anna St. Claire https://www.annastclaire.com/contests
10 Brenna Ash https://www.brennaash.com/parlor
11 Tabetha Waite https://www.authortabethawaite.com/contact
12 Kate Bateman https://www.facebook.com/kcbatemanauthor/
13 Eliana Piers www.facebook.com/groups/elianasbeaumondereadergroup
14 C.H. Admirand https://www.facebook.com/CHAdmirandAuthor
15 Rachel Ann Smith https://www.facebook.com/rachelannsmit11
16 Margaux Thorne https://www.facebook.com/margauxthorneauthor/
17 Sara Adrien https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565938324623
18 Ruth A. Casie https://ruthacasie.com/blog/
19 Maeve Greyson https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaeveGreyson
20 Tina Gabrielle https://www.facebook.com/TinaGabrielle
21 Christina Diane https://christinadianebooks.com/cookiehop/
22 Melanie McCarthy https://www.facebook.com/groups/1159564541120841
23 Edie Cay ediecay.com
24 Aubrey Wynne https://www.aubreywynne.com
25 Misty Urban https://www.mistyurban.com/holiday
26 Elizabeth Rose https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethRoseNovels
27 Tara Kingston https://www.facebook.com/TaraKingstonAuthor/
28 Rebecca Paula https://www.facebook.com/rebeccapaulaauthor/
29 Terri Brisbin https://terribrisbin.com/news/?p=1975
30 Sydney Jane Baily https://sydneyjanebaily.com/2024-cookie-hop/

E-mail your completed list of cookie names to Heather@HeatherMcCollum.com with “Historical Romance Authors are Sweet” in the subject line. Good luck!

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Sightseeing on WIP Wednesday

In a book full of lies, deceit, assault, attempting kidnapping, theft, and other offences, I was happy to send my hero and heroine on a day of sightseeing.

The following morning, the duchess provided not just the guidebook and a maid, but also a carriage and a driver, waving off protests and thanks. “There is no need for thanks, Apollo, Jacqueline. My dear Clara was a Godsend in the early days of my marriage. I have no idea how I would have survived without her. I am only too happy to be able to repay her many kindnesses.”
Nor would she hear of them seeking work just yet. “I know I am being selfish, dear children, but I am not willing to give Clara up, yet. However—it is foolish, I know, but people will have these ideas—you cannot run a dressmaking business from my husband’s house, Jacqueline, and Apollo, you must not abandon your grandmother and your betrothed for a new position. Not yet. Surely it cannot hurt to just take a holiday for a week or two. While David Wakefield looks into your problems.”
How could they argue when she presented it as a favor to her? Not to mention that a week or maybe two of holiday was enormously appealing, especially when they expected to spend it together.
It was a gloriously day. Just the day to be out and about in London in a sociable, or two-bodied phaeton, with the maid and driver up before and Jackie and Pol in the seat behind, the whole of London at their feet.
Their first goal on the first morning of their London adventure was Westminster Abbey. “It was built by the order of Henry the Third,” said Jackie, reading from the guide book. “Or rebuilt, rather. There has been a church and abbey here for more than a thousand years.”
“Henry the Third is… what? Six hundred years past?” Pol commented. “It is certainly a magnificent building!”
“Breathtaking,” Jackie agreed, and insisted on seeing the choir where kings of England were crowned, each of the chapels, and dozens of tombs, including those in Poet’s Corner. Pol, who was taking a turn with the guide book, read, “It says, ‘never could a place be named with more propriety.” They spent perhaps fifteen minutes reading the epitaphs of luminaries such as Chaucer, Spencer, Shakespeare and Milton.
For sixpence each, they were allowed to climb nearly three hundred steps to the top of one of the western towers, to look out over London. The maid was offered the chance to accompany them, but looked so alarmed at the prospect that Pol suggested she make her way back to the carriage and gave her a couple of pennies to purchase tea or ale from a street vendor.
They were not alone on the tower, however. A kindly verger explained the vista spread before them: the Banqueting House at Whitehall, St. James’s Park, with the Parade and Horse Guards, Carleton House where the Prince of Wales had his principal residence, the gardens of the Queen’s Palace, the Green Park, the western end of Piccadilly, and Hyde Park, with the Serpentine curling amongst the green trees and lawns. Looking towards the Thames, they could see both Westminster and Blackfriars bridges, with the river spread between them. Beyond, St Paul’s Cathedral, with the sun falling on, was exquisitely beautiful.
“We shall go there, shall we not, Pol?” Jackie said.
And they did. They visited St Paul’s Cathedral, drove past Queen’s Palace and Carleton House, and through Green Park and Hyde Park, all before the fashionable hour.
They returned to Winshire House to describe the sights they’d seen to Gran and Maman, and to read out what the guide book has to say about the Tower of London, which was to be their first stop the following day.
And Pol managed to find an unused parlor after dinner, as they made their way upstairs to bed, so Jackie finished the day thoroughly kissed, and went to sleep dreaming of more. It was a perfect day.

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Spotlight on Marry Me, Marquis

Marry Me, Marquis

By Misty Urban

Desperate to avoid being forced into marriage, Leo Westrop offers his hand to Miss Lillian Gower, hoping that her antiquarian parents might smooth the way for his own archaeological dig. Lillian, a skilled illustrator, agrees to protect Leo from marriage-minded mamas in return for his help with her own publication. She’s too practical to expect the heir to a marquess would want anything more from her—but Leo turns out to be better company than she expected.

When Lillian offers Leo assistance on his expedition, their shared attraction turns into a passion that consumes them both. But with his family set against their union, what happens to their staged betrothal when feelings become all too real?

Excerpt:

“Miss Gower?” he said, and her name rang like a bell through the room.

A screech echoed in Lillian’s ears, and she hoped it wasn’t her making such a sound. She swallowed the pastille, a sour path scorching through her insides.

“I beg your pardon?”

He held her gaze steadily, and she saw his desperation writ clear. He was begging.

“Would you do me the honor—the very great honor—of accepting my suit?”

She stood frozen as he moved toward her and the crowd parted, their wondering eyes moving from him to her and back again. It was a large room, but he’d crossed it before Lillian could connect two thoughts together. All that filled her vision was the plea in his eyes.

“I’ve surprised you, I know.” He reached her. He was quite tall. He lifted her hand, sticky with the sugar coating of the pastille, and placed a kiss on the back of her glove. The print of his mouth scorched like a cooking fire.

“Miss Gower. I would have chosen more discreet circumstances, but now we all must know your answer. Will you knit your life to mine and make me the happiest of men?”

It was a trick. She saw it now. The teeth of the man trap were descending about him, and he wanted to bring her between him and descending annihilation. He was drowning, and she held the rope that could save him.

He squeezed her fingers. His grip was tight, yet oddly, he did not hurt her. It was a trap. If she stepped into the noose with him, everything she wanted for her future might disappear.

And yet, with him holding her, she was certain she would be safe.

She could read his eyes. Trust me. Help me, his eyes said.

That was her lot, was it not? Lillian the helper. Lillian the soother. Lillian the calm and steady. Lillian, the eye of the storm, who sacrificed what she needed so another might have their wish.

“Very well.” The words emerged a whisper around the pinch in her mouth. The knot in her stomach might never unravel. “Yes, Mr. Westrop, I suppose I’ll marry you.”

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Marry-Marquess-Ladies-Least-Likely-ebook/dp/B0DG31STYG/

Website: http://www.mistyurban.com

Elsewhere: https://linktr.ee/mistyurban

Meet Misty Urban

Misty Urban is a medieval scholar, freelance editor, and college professor who likes to write stories about misbehaving women who find adventure and romance. She lives in the Midwest in a little town on a big river, where she reads and writes in the company of one handsome park ranger, two young aspiring writers, and a rather heavy collection of books.

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Christmas and Holiday Book Festival!

Calling all holiday season readers!

The holidays are in full swing at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven’s Christmas and Holiday Book Festival. 31 books, 28 authors, a huge giveaway plus get an inside glimpse into a holiday tradition each author treasures. The Bluestocking Belles’ new holiday collection, A Christmas Quintet, is featured on 19th December. Visit me and the other authors on that day to read about our family holiday traditions. You won’t want to miss it.

To follow the entire event, bookmark the following link and visit every day. https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/christmas-holiday-festival

But wait. There’s more!

Complete the Rafflecopter for the chance to win a $100 gift card

Good luck, and happy holidays!

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Spotlight on Loving Lizzie Finn

Loving Lizzie Finn

By Tamara Hughes

Lizzie Finn grew up in a brothel, and she’s reminded of that fact every day. She dreams of finding a job and becoming independent. Only then can she be free of her aunt’s disdain. First, she must find an employer who won’t turn her away because of her past.

Byron Greeley is determined to save his family’s business after Lizzie’s uncle falsifies the amount Byron owes on a loan from the bank. Determined to find proof of Teague’s perfidy, Byron slips into the banker’s house and rummages through the study only to be discovered by Lizzie, a red-haired beauty who utterly captivates him.

Byron offers Lizzie a job in exchange for information about her uncle, and because she believes her uncle is innocent, she agrees. When Teague discovers Lizzie and Byron’s growing affection, he threatens to destroy Byron and his family, insisting Byron is exploiting her. Is Teague’s warning well-founded? Are Byron’s feelings for Lizzie true, or is Byron using her for his own gain?

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFMQ4X1H

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Loving-Lizzie-Finn-Tamara-Hughes-ebook/dp/B0DFMQ4X1H

Excerpt from Loving Lizzie Finn

She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re right on that count. I won’t let my aunt force me into anything I don’t want to do.”
He closed the distance between them. “If she gives you too much pressure, my offer still stands.”
“Your offer?”
He smiled. “You can always marry me.”
She smiled back and rolled her eyes. “My uncle would have no issue with that.”
“So what if he does?” In his heart, he wouldn’t marry anyone except Lizzie.
“Are you forgetting about the threat to your business?”
“Ah, yes, that does make things a bit more difficult. Our wedding will have to wait until after matters are settled with your uncle.”
She laughed. “Our wedding will have to wait?” She shook her head and strode closer, her gaze meeting his.
Was that challenge he saw in her eyes?
“Are you sure you want to brave all the gossip and censure that comes with me?”
When she would have moved away, he stopped her with his hands gently holding her arms. “As long as we’re together, I’d brave anything.” He grazed his lips along her cheek and felt her shiver.
The corner of her mouth curved upward. “Are you sure you know what you’re saying?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” He cradled her head in his hand and angled her face toward his.

Meet Tamara Hughes

A small town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds. She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh. To learn more, stop by her website: www.tamarahughes.com.

You can also find her on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tamarahughesauth
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tamara-hughes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamara.hughes2/
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/7738043.Tamara_Hughes
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/tamarahughes

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Spotlight on The Earl’s Bluestocking Bride

By Jayne Rivers

A desperate earl. A bluestocking heiress. A marriage of convenience gone awry.

Miss Amelia Hart may have a hefty dowry, but she seems to be invisible to eligible gentlemen. When the charming and handsome Earl of Longley begins courting her, she’s baffled. Until she realizes that he’s a fortune hunter.

Amelia proposes a mutually beneficial arrangement that could prove dangerous to her heart. They wed: he gets access to her dowry, and she has the freedom she’s always dreamed of…as long as she doesn’t fall for him.

Resisting the earl’s gentle touches and kind words proves almost impossible, but Amelia knows she isn’t the type of woman to entice a man like him. Loving her new husband can only end in heartbreak.

Excerpt from The Earl’s Bluestocking Bride

Andrew studied the strange woman, intrigued. She stared back at him with wide eyes the color of the sky on a clear summer’s day. He’d been looking for her ever since speaking with her mother, but securing an invitation to meet Miss Hart had proven much simpler than actually locating the chit.

He’d never expected to find her behind the shrubbery.

“S-sir.” She straightened and smoothed her free hand down the front of her dress. Something fascinating flashed through her eyes. “I was not hiding. I was merely… rearranging the greenery.”

He chuckled, enchanted by the little liar. “There are servants for that.”

Surely, she was used to having servants around. A man as rich as her father must have dozens of them.

Miss Hart raised her pert, slightly pointed nose. “I enjoy horticulture.”

“You do?” he asked, amused.

“Yes.” She sounded very uncertain. “It is a hobby of mine.”

Entertained as he was by her falsehoods, he needed to know what she was doing over here.

He took two steps toward her, ensuring that no one would be able to overhear their conversation. “Did someone upset you?”

She sighed and squeezed those bright eyes shut, only for them to flutter open a moment later. “This”—she gestured at their surroundings—“is quite a change of pace for me. I simply needed a moment alone to gather my thoughts.”

Guilt flashed through him. While he’d never been one to get overwhelmed by social events, Ashford was, so he was familiar with how debilitating it could be. She’d sought out a few seconds of peace, and he’d intruded like a clumsy oaf.

“My apologies for the interruption. If you need a while longer, I can stand guard and ensure no one approaches.” It was the best peace offering he could think of, especially considering that he didn’t wish to alienate Miss Hart.

It was refreshing to speak with a woman who wasn’t either simpering at everything he said or too intimidated to respond.

She cocked her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I do believe it would be most improper. After all, we haven’t even been introduced.”

“Ah, but I have met your mother, and I am certain I have her blessing to introduce myself to you.” Mrs. Hart had been practically gleeful when he’d asked her about her daughter. “I’m the Earl of Longley.”

To his surprise, she cringed. “I see.”

She didn’t say anything more, and he wasn’t sure why his identity caused her distress.

“Would you like to dance?” he asked, to break the silence. “Assuming this dance is not promised to someone else.”

She laughed. “I am quite sure it is, but I’m avoiding taking part.”

He grinned, relieved she was conversing with him again. “Well, what about the next one, then?”

“I suppose so.” She held out her hand for him to look at her card.

He hid his amusement as he did so. He wasn’t accustomed to young women being quite so unimpressed by him. He read the list of names on her card, his eyebrow rising. Mrs. Hart hadn’t wasted any time in thrusting her daughter at every available titled man in the room, and a few second sons as well.

The next dance already had a name scrawled beside it, but he crossed it out and added his own. Her lips parted, and a breath gusted between them.

He put a finger to his lips. “Our secret. Trust me, you don’t want to dance with Lord Brunner.”

He half expected her to protest, but instead, her mouth curved into a sly smile.

“In that case, I appreciate your assistance.”

The music ended, and he offered her his hand. “If we intend to dance, we must, unfortunately, leave the cover of your beloved shrubbery.”

She stifled a laugh. “You are absurd, my lord.”

He winked. “Better that than boring.”

Meet Jane Rivers

Jayne Rivers writes heartfelt and steamy regency romance books. She’s also a professional chocolate connoisseur, a Sarah MacLean and Julia Quinn fangirl, and has a totally healthy obsession with tea.

https://jaynerivers.com/books

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553767020425

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Spotlight on A Christmas Quintet

UPDATE: As noted in the comments, the wrong file was delivered to all preorders. If you got this from Amazon, here’s what to do:

For anyone who ordered A Christmas Quintet on Amazon and received the wrong book, Amazon has advised us to (1) Ask for a refund on the order page and (2) if that doesn’t work, call 888-280-4331. Simply explain that you purchased the book, it was the wrong book, the book is no longer on your Kindle, and you require a refund.
The correct book is available at [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPNMGWV5] at the same price.
We humbly apologize for the error and the inconvenience it has caused you.
We are still working on a solution with other vendors.

A Christmas Quintet

The Bluestocking Belles bring you five charming stories for your holiday season:

  • Friends to Lovers—The farmer’s daughter, the viscount’s son, and the estate manager reunite as adults. Della is starry-eyed for the viscount’s son, but is he really the one for her? (Regency, Christmas)
  • Fake Relationship—When the pressure to marry is overwhelming, can a plan put in place at a Christmas house party turn into a love that will last forever? (Regency, Christmas)
  • Second-Chance Love—An accident leaves the modiste burned, blinded and in despair until the physician offers hope and stirs memories. (Regency, Christmas)
  • Country Mouse and Marriage-Shy Duke—Invited at the last minute to make up the numbers, she expects to be an interested observer. The duke has other ideas. (Georgian, Twelfth Night)
  • Two Spies, One Secret—Trapped in a deserted wilderness, will they set aside secrets and past betrayals to rekindle their love and ring in the New Year together? (Medieval, Hogmanay)

https://books2read.com/AChristmasQuintetBluestockingBelles

My contribution is Maryanne and the Twelfth Knight

Maryanne is only at the house party as chaperone for her half-sister. She is far too old and insignificant to attract the attention of a duke. Or, at least, if he is pursuing her it cannot be for honorable purposes. Can it?

Dell knows it is time to take a wife, but the offerings of the marriage mart bore him to tears. The only lady of interest at his sister’s house party is the spinster chaperone. But she isn’t eligible, is she?

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Titles and inheritance

I saw it again, today. The idea that a duke can decide not to leave his title to his eldest legitimate son. Wrong! That isn’t true, even today.

He might be able to strip the title of any unentailed property and leave that to someone else. But the title and the entailed property do not belong to the duke (or other peer), but are held in trust for his descendants.