By Mary Jo
What have the Wenches been reading, or what are they looking forward to reading in December? Pull up a comfy chair by the fire and find out!
Nicola here:
I haven’t really got into my Christmas reading as yet despite the fact that there are Christmas books all around! At the moment I’m glomming on The Royal Wedding Invitations series, which features books by some of my favourite HMB authors including Sophie Weston, Jessica Hart and Liz Fielding. I’m such a sucker for a royal wedding story and this is a gorgeous series!
However, I have started to get into the Christmas spirit with a novella by Jane Lovering called Christmas at the Little Village School. It’s wonderfully warm, funny and uplifting, it’s out on 12th December but up for pre-order now and I loved it!
Anne here.
I'm a sucker for a good Christmas story, but I haven't yet started my Christmas reading. Prompted by Mary Jo's mention last month of a Lois McMaster Bujold novella that I hadn't read, I've been rereading her books, starting with the Penric and the Demon series, and I'm now well into the Vorkosigan series — the earliest of which I'd read years ago, but not in order. It's been a delight reading them in order, one after the other. Housework? What's that? (Bujold's The Warrior's Apprentice )
When I do get around to Christmas reading, I know I'll re-read some old favorites — Trisha Ashley's Twelve Days of Christmas. MJP's Christmas Cuckoo and others, Pat Rice's Tin Angel, some of Mary Balogh's Christmas stories and others, not forgetting the two Wenchly Christmas anthologies. (The Last Chance Christmas Ball)
Patricia Rice:
My TBR pile is so tottering that I don’t deliberately seek out Christmas stories to re-read, but I generally buy a story or two each year. I’m particularly fond of Jane Lovering’s novellas. Last year I read the Boys of Christmas (99c at Amazon right now), and I’ve ordered her Christmas at the Little Village School, which won’t be out until December 12.
Generally, I don’t think in terms of writing Christmas novellas just for the sake of Christmas, unless they’re needed for an anthology like the ones the Wenches have produced. I’ve also done them for other publishers and compiled them in a collection—CHRISTMAS ENCHANTMENT. But the INCOMPARABLE LORD MEATH story only works as a Christmas story—so I released that title as a stand-alone. I love when that happens!
Andrea weighs in:
With all the hectic hustle and bustle of the end-of-year holidays, I especially enjoy Christmas novellas, which offer short but fun reads to get me into the spirit of the season. Give me a comfy chair, a blazing fire, a cup of hot chocolate and an engaging story—and I’m happy to escape into a yuletide tale of love and friendship.
This year, I was delighted to see that one of my favorite mystery authors has put out a Christmas story, Gone Before Christmas , so of course I immediately ordered it—and am so glad I did. I’ve loved following Finch’s protagonist, Charles Lenox, through his various adventures, as well as his personal life where readers meet his family and friends. This story weaves together a pressing mystery and Lenox’s love and loyalty to those who are dear to his heart. I highly recommend it.
I don’t write many novellas, but I’ve very much enjoyed trying my hand at Christmas stories. It was such fun to do the Wench anthologies with all my dear friends (trust me, we shared a lot of laughter and beta reading with each other. And I’ve also re-published an anthology of two Regency Christmas novellas that I did for the Signet. Christmas by Candlelight is all about discovering love in unexpected encounters . . .when winter nights are at their darkest, the spirit of Christmas can spark light and love in even the most guarded hearts.
Susanna offers a family Christmas tradition:
Christmas tends to be a very busy time at my house—busier this year, with proofreading deadlines and a novella to finish—but I always make time for my annual re-read of Rosamunde Pilcher’s Winter Solstice, a tradition my mother and I both keep, so that most of our December phone calls start with us asking each other, “So, what part are you reading now?”
This year I’ve also decided it’s time for a long overdue re-read of an old favourite: Dinah Dean’s The Cockermouth Mail. I love Dinah Dean’s writing, and this particular story—a romance between a colonel newly invalided out of Wellington’s army, and a penniless young woman on her way to start work as a governess, travelling together by stage-coach—hits all the right buttons for me.
Mary Jo wrapping up:
I don't really need to add more since my sister Wenches have mentioned so many books I love! Winter Solstice, anything by Lois McMaster Bujold, and most certainly Trisha Ashley's Twelve Days of Christmas, which Anne introduced us to, and
for which I'll be forever grateful.
So I'll end with a favorite Christmas movie of mine. SILENT NIGHT: Here's the Netflix description of the fact based story:
This retelling of a heartwarming true story is set in Germany on Christmas Eve of 1944, as a German mother, Elisabeth Vincken (Linda Hamilton), and her young son, Fritz (Matthew Harbour), face invasion of their home by both American and German troops. Against all odds, the mother and son try to persuade the soldiers from both sides to temporarily call a truce so that they may all join together and break bread in the spirit of Christmas.
It's lovely and warm and is also available to buy from Amazon and other sources.
So what are your favorite Christmas stories? Or really, any stories you'd like to mention!
Mary Jo