Introducing my friend, Tessa Radley.
Tessa Radley writes for Silhouette Desire…which is like a dream come true since she loved reading Desire for years and years. When Tessa’s not writing she tries to make time to read…and wishes there were more minutes in every hour. Her most recent release was The Desert Bride of Al Zayed in November 2007.
Tessa is giving away a copy of her September book The Kyriakos Virgin Bride. All you need to do is post a comment about favorite Christmas rituals or Christmas themed books and you’re in the draw to win. (Winner will be posted in the comments the following day)
Check out my interview with Tessa in the post below
Okay, so there’s decorating the Christmas tree, making lists for Christmas shopping. One of my favorite Christmas rituals is packing a picnic supper and going to listen to Christmas carols in a park…
But over the last few years buying Christmas themed stories has become a ritual too. I particularly enjoy Christmas anthologies—and this year it looks like I’m going to be spoiled for choice! There’s A Very Merry Christmas with novellas by the fabulous Lori Foster, Gemma Bruce and Janice Maynard. Then there’s the intriguing It’s a Wonderful Christmas with stories by suspense authors Jasmine Cresswell and Kathleen Long. And I’ve heard that Gothic Christmas featuring Christine Feehan and Melanie George is ‘wicked and wonderful’—it certainly looks different. And I’ve decided I HAVE to have A Delaney Christmas Carol—a re-issue of a trio of stories I read years ago by Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen and Fayrene Preston, that I MUST read again.
Right now I’ve got Barbara Dunlop’s Silhouette Desire The Billionaire who Bought Christmas sitting on my bedside table. I seriously need to get my hands on Presents author Trish Morey’s The Boss’s Christmas Baby.
Then there’s The Last Noel by Heather Graham another HAVE to read…Christmas and suspense…what an irresistible mix. Lately I’ve been thoroughly enjoying historicals, so I’m going to have to find time to read Eloisa James’ Affair Before Christmas too. That’s a lot of Christmas books…!
Do you have any favorite Christmas rituals? Any Christmas themed books you’ve loved in the past? Or any you intend to read this season?
Related posts:
In our family, traditions last about three years and then we seem to go on to something else. So I guess that’s a tradition in itself. Constantly changing traditions. LOL
You’re the second person I’ve heard talk about the “Affair before Christmas” book. I’ll have to put that on my list of reads. :)
by RD Solange December 2nd, 2007 at 1:24 pmI love reading holiday stories! They’re comfort food for my eyes :)
by Shelli Stevens December 2nd, 2007 at 2:26 pmI enjoy Christmas stories, too. They help me get in the mood, and they’re relaxation after battling the crowds out on the streets
I think I have one on my keeper shelf and that’s not a romance but a mystery. A Highland Christmas by MC Beaton, which is a Hamish MacBeth mystery.
If you like your Christmas stories hot and spicy Ellora’s Cave have a few. Check out the Christmas Quickies (you might have to forward a few pages to get to the Christmas ones). Several of the stories are available in print anthologies. My release out this week is set at Christmas, although I wouldn’t call it a true Christmas romance. Oh, and I’d better mention that Last Wish is a gay romance – not everyone’s cup of tea
by Shelley Munro December 2nd, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I start with getting hot chocolate for a Dec. day and getting out my slippers to wear so I am comfy.Then I go get the trimmings and all my goodies I set out and do it all day. I enjoy the atmosphere and will play Christmas music too.My sons get into helping me and then the baking of cookies will start later in the days to come because I just don’t bake until my home is decorated!
by Valerie December 2nd, 2007 at 3:31 pmTessa it’s so nice to meet you! And ooh I love decorating the Christmas tree too but my back doesn’t. LOL!
I’m really aching to pick up some holiday reading -and your book sounds delicious, I’m going to have to pick it up too!
by Red December 2nd, 2007 at 4:10 pmWe don’t really have a lot of Christmas rituals, but every Christmas Eve we get together for dinner and have to hold the kids off from going downstairs where the presents are until everyone is ready to go down together. LOL! I remember how they used to hold me back when I was little as well. :P
by Rhonda W. December 2nd, 2007 at 6:23 pmI love to read Christmas Anthologies, and as for rituals, stringing up the lights and decorating the tree is always a joy!
by Eva December 2nd, 2007 at 7:13 pmHey Shelley,
by Mona December 2nd, 2007 at 8:20 pmNot really having much of Christmas rituals. I’m into Christmas movies more than Christmas books. But I can always read Christmas books anytime of the year.
I enjoy the cold weather, after all we don’t get snow here but I like cold air very much, very refreshing. So I like to take long walks with my mom.
And Shelley The Second Seduction was really super:)
Have a great Christmas
Hi Mona – thanks so much. I’m so thrilled you enjoyed The Second Seduction. I love Christmas movies, too. My favorite is Love Actually. Oh, I’ve just realized I have a Christmas ritual. Hubby and I watch Love Actually every Christmas. I have a Christmas ritual
by Shelley Munro December 2nd, 2007 at 9:04 pmRhonda – LOL about being held back from tearing into the presents. It must be a parent thing! I remember mine doing the same thing. Um…should I admit I make my nieces and nephews wait as well?
by Shelley Munro December 2nd, 2007 at 9:05 pmShelley, thanks so much for inviting me to blog…
RD, I had to laugh at your comment about changing traditions…yeah, I do that a little too!
I’m enjoying historicals set at Christmas–there’s a collection of historical Christmas novellas I want to read too, but I can’t remember the name of the anthology!
Shelli, try A Nascar Holiday 2–there’s a wonderful story in there by Abby Gaines and the novella by Ken Caspar is fun too. I’ve been saving the other two to read in the next couple of weeks.
Shelley, I think that’s what the charm of Christmas stories is…it relaxes us and puts us in the mood for the festive season. How wonderful to hear that you have a Christmas setting in your next release. Look forward to seeing that….I’m going to take a squizz at your site to find the cover…
Tessa
Tessa
by Tessa Radley December 2nd, 2007 at 9:22 pmValerie, your home sounds wonderful. The scent of hot chocolate and hot baking. The sound of Christmas music…mmmm.
Red, ooh, I like my books being described as delicious….
And yes I know what you mean about your back when you’re decorating. I always think that it’s a really bad time of the year to come crashing off a ladder while putting up decorations! Can’t have Santa find me in a cast with crutches.
Oh, Rhonda, what a lovely ritual. I can imagine how excited the kids must get…all those presents
Eva, glad to find another anthology reader. And I love the lights too. Something so special about the lights on a Christmas tree.
Mona, I was telling Shelley just the other day how much I LOVED The Second Seduction. I wish she’d write more historicals!!!!
My mom lives far away and she’s what I miss most at Christmas. But I love Christmas movies too…particularly romantic comedies. I’m trying to remember what was the movie with Sandra Bullock? Thanks for stopping by to comment.
Shelley, you have to stop them tearing them open. It increases the anticipation
Tessa
by Tessa Radley December 2nd, 2007 at 9:33 pmTessa, was the Sandra Bullock movie you’re thinking of While You Were Sleeping? I love that movie! I love Love, Actually as well
Christmas rituals – well we usually put the tree up over the first weekend in December. When the kids were little I’d do it, then as they got older they would help. For the last few years they’ve done the lot and left me feeling just a bit redundant!
Oh! I know a Christmas tradition we started 9 years ago – and that’s taking a walk along the beach on Christmas morning. Never mind if the kids really don’t want to, we make them! Because that’s something we could *never* do all the years we lived in England!
by Christina Phillips December 2nd, 2007 at 9:48 pmI enjoy all Christmas movies. It is such a great get together to watch with family. I guess my Christmas ritual would be either spending time with my family and relatives or going to the casino.
by Amelia December 3rd, 2007 at 9:30 amAmelia, thanks for dropping by…Christina, yes, it WAS While You Were Sleeping. Love that movie too! Walking along the beach sounds wonderful. That’s one to think about doing.
Tessa
by Tessa Radley December 3rd, 2007 at 1:36 pmDRUMROLL::::Winner on this comments thread is VALERIE.
Valerie, please email me on tessa@tessaradley.com to claim your copy of The Kyriakos Virgin Bride.
by Tessa Radley December 3rd, 2007 at 1:38 pmHi Shelley, it’s great that you have a Christmas ritual, ehem.. even if you didn’t know about from before.
Nice to know that you and Tessa are Christmas movie lovers too. 
Tessa, it’s really great meeting you again. The Second Seduction was really hard to put down without finishing it. I’d like to join forces with you to talk Shelley into writing more historicals.
by Mona December 3rd, 2007 at 11:44 pmWish you and your mother to get together this Christmas and have a great one
LOL – my own mother put presents under the tree as she would wrap them so every morning in Dec was like Christmas, waiting to see what was new under the tree. I don’t know how she held us back, though there was a lot of box shaking in the meantime! I don’t put our presents out until the kids go to sleep Christmas eve or else they’d drive me bonkers all month!
by jenyfer matthews December 3rd, 2007 at 11:44 pmMona – thanks. I’ll give serious thought to getting another historical under way.
Jenyfer – ah, I remember shaking Christmas presents well. That was half the fun!
by Shelley December 4th, 2007 at 1:01 am