A Christmas Tart!

The Christmas Tart Stands Alone! 

By Mary Jo

I have a weakness for writing Christmas novellas, but many people never read the original anthologies.  This is why I love publishing older novellas independently because good stories deserve a second chance at life.

Because I love writing novellas, in an excess of enthusiasm in the early '90s, I agreed to do two novellas the same year. Ooops!

For the Signet Victorian Christmas anthology, I wrote my Beauty and the Beast story, The Black Beast of Belleterre, which had to be written really fast!

Then I had to write another story really fast for the Signet Regency Christmas anthology.  Hence The Christmas Tart.  I have no idea where the story idea came from, other than the fact that I wanted a light, suspension-of-disbelief-type story.

 

And that's what the Muse handed me: Pure fluff, but I had fun with it. <G> 

Tired of dealing with legalities relating to his father's unexpected death, new baronet Sir Philip Selbourne is ready to leave London and head home for Christmas. But having spent a boyhood rescuing strays, he's unable to resist helping a desperate young woman with speaking brown eyes and a kitten in her pocket. (Kitten picture by Ewa at unsplash.com)

Young French seamstress Nicole Chambord is in dire straits after being wrongly fired by her dreadful employer. Then chance brings her together with Philip Selbourne. His kindness leads her to accept when he offers to take her to his family estate so she can become a companion to his French-born mother.

(As a minor point, Nicole names her homeless kitten Merkle after a character in the story, but in truth, I chose that name because of Judith Merkle Riley, a most wonderful historical novelist, gone, but not forgotten.)

But the roads are icy and an accident forces Philip, Nicole (and the kitten!) to seek refuge at the cottage of a lonely widow—and creates a Christmas miracle for them all. 

Novellas don't get a lot of attention, so after I posted on Facebook that I was reissuing this story, I was pleased that several long term readers said the story was a favorite of theirs.  This is a sure way to warm an author's heart!  

If you'd like to read an excerpt, one is posted on my website.

AUDIO BONUS!  Siobhan Waring, my wonderful British narrator has produced an audio edition of The Christmas Tart. In theory it's been released today, October 11th, but I can't guarantee that it will be live on all platforms immediately.  If it isn't yet, it should be soon. 

Audio update!  The Christmas Tart Audio now seems to be available on Apple, B&N, and Audible, and quite likely other platforms as well.

Happy reading and listening!

 

 

Mary Jo, adding that the candles picture is by Laura Nyhuis on unsplash.com

Comments

[Kareni]

Best wishes, Mary Jo, as you reissue this novella.

(Did you mean October 11 above?)

[Susannah]

Thank you for having it produced in audio as well. I can’t wait to revisit the story that way!

[Mary T]

Love Christmas Novellas and this one sounds really good. And a kitten can only add to the story. Good luck with it.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Acckkkk, Kareni! September 11th is a day that lives in infamy, but the pub date is today, October 11th. Thanks for catching that.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Susannah, Siobhan Waring always does a wonderful job. In theory the audio should be available everywhere today and it seems to be at B&N and Apple but not yet on Audible. It should show up soon there. Happy listening whenever you hear it!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Mary T--a definite yes on the kitten. *G* I think animals generally improve a story, and they're a good way to show aspects of the main characters.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Susannah--I just checked and The Christmas Tart is now available on Audible as well.

[Jeanne Behnke]

I love Christmas novellas & I know I haven’t read this one. Excitement ensues!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Jeanne, I hope you enjoy the story! Fluff reading is always fun. *G*

[Janice J.]

Many of us did and do read Christmas anthologies, and I believe I still have all my golden era Signet regency holiday anthologies and even know which box they're in. I pull one out for a reread every year (at least).

That said, I think it is great that the novelettes are being issued independently by their authors. They're a perfect length for an hour's read on one's kindle app, and I don't think pound for pound that any other series so well captured the spirit of Christmas romance. It would be a damn shame, for instance, if Edith Layton's classics were forgotten, but now new readers can easily find them.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Janice, Edith Layton was absolutely the Queen of Novellas. A well done novella is like a perfect chocolate truffle--just the right size and it leaves you smiling. *G*