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Sunday, December 18, 2016

A Historical Christmas Event with Ashlyn Macnamara


USA Today bestseller Ashlyn Macnamara writes Regency with a dash of wit and a hint of wicked. She also writes fantasy romances she considers fairy tales of the grown-up sort. She lives in the wilds of suburbia outside Montreal with her husband and a loudmouth cat. Though her fiction is rooted in the past, Ashlyn can be found in such newfangled places as her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Hello, readers. I hope you’re getting your shopping done and goodies made for the upcoming holidays. I’m here today to share a scene from my Christmas novella “One Magic Season,” which appears in the anthology All I Want for Christmas Is a Duke.

“One Magic Season” is a story of second chances, snow, and perhaps a little Christmas magic. Stranded by the storm over Christmas, Patience Markham and the Duke of Kingsbury must now confront their buried feelings for each other. Since neither had planned to spend the holidays where they currently are, they have decided to do a little quick and dirty decoration to make the day a little more festive.


Bright red berries dotted curling green leaves, their color in defiance of the surrounding wintry grays and whites. From the basket she carried over her arm, she produced a pair of secateurs and snipped off a few branches. Then she turned from her task to contemplate him.

The corners of her mouth stretched with humor. “It’s a good thing I brought my basket, else we’d have to make crowns of holly and carry them home on our heads.”

He shook off his misgivings. “Would you have me decked out like Father Christmas?”

“Or the Lord of Misrule.” Her impish smile widened into a promise of sin and pleasure.

“I’ll give you misrule.”

He gave in to temptation and reached for her, his hands grasping her by the waist. Her basket swung from her arm, its contents threatening to spill onto the frozen ground.

She responded with a yelp that turned into a throaty laugh as he pulled her closer. The cold had brought out a becoming bloom of pink across her cheeks. He dipped his head, but the instant before their lips touched, a great quantity of something cold and wet slipped down the back of his neck.

With a roar, he sprang back. The lump of snow only slipped farther down his spine. “Good God, woman. I’d expect someone as well bred and quiet as you to play fair.”

She laughed again, and despite the cold dousing, the sound spiked straight to his groin. “Goodness, what do you think I did? I cannot control the wind or even the trees if they decide to drop their weight of snow.”

“I call the timing of the action rather suspect.”

“Think what you will, I had nothing to do with that. This, on the other hand…” Quick as lightning, she scooped up a handful of snow and lobbed it at him. It splattered across his chest.

“If that’s the way you wish to play it, I shall demand satisfaction.” He bent and prepared his own weapon.

As the projectile left his hand, she ducked before coming back to stand with her own handful of snow and a wicked glint in her eye. “Satisfaction, is it?”

The battle was on, snowballs flying fast and furious. Like a pair of children, they pelted each other, Lady Worthington’s shrieks breaking the silence of the woods. By the third time she got him in the face, he was forced to admit that this woman, one whom he’d thought perfectly well brought up and even on the quiet side, possessed not only a surprisingly forceful arm but also a deadly aim.

Right. He was going to have to change tactics if he expected to emerge from this encounter with his pride intact. Though the action meant eating more snow, he worked his way closer, defending against her onslaught all the while. When he was near enough, he lunged, pinioning her arms.

“Now who’s not playing fair?” Her eyes were bright, her cheeks red, her mouth lush and inviting.

“Didn’t Cervantes have something to say about that?” He caught his breath and pulled her nearer. “Love and war are all one. It is lawful to use sleights and stratagems to attain the wished end.”

She gaped for a moment before pulling her lower lip between her teeth. “And which is this?”



Four popular romance novelists come together to bring readers delightful tales of Christmas Magic and the dukes that make us swoon… The holidays are a time for dining, dancing, and of course—dukes! Celebrate the Christmas season with this enchanting collection of historical romances featuring the most eligible bachelors of the ton…

The Duke and Duchess Trap by Valerie Bowman

A childish prank may have reunited the Duke of Hollingsworth with his estranged wife, but only the magic of Christmas will show this couple ‘tis the season of second chances…

Sophie and the Duke by Tiffany Clare

Sophie Kinsley planned to remain a wallflower at the Duke of Helmsworth’s ball. Yet when a dance with him leads to a stolen kiss, will the duke be willing to let her go? Or will Sophie’s Christmas wish be granted at last?

The Duke’s Christmas Wish by Vivienne Lorret

To the Duke of Vale, science solves everything—even marriage. When the impulsive Ivy Sutherland makes him question all of his data, he realizes that he’s overlooked a vital component in his search for the perfect match: love.

One Magic Season by Ashlyn Macnamara

Patience Markham never forgot the fateful dance she had with the future Duke of Kingsbury. But when a twist of fate brings them together for Christmas Eve, will the stars finally align in their favor?

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Up For Grabs:
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26 comments :

  1. My favorite Christmas decoration is a small pink Christmas Tree my daughter picked out at Home Depot 3 years ago (she's 6 now). I set it up every year on a side table in our living room. We hang the kids toys on it. Her My Little Pony figurines (I tie fishing wire around them to hang), shopkins, and Ninja Turtles (my son is 3). It's my little family tradition for us to set it up together.

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  2. I enjoyed the excerpt and it's on my TRL. Thank you for being part of Joyathon. I love Holiday reads. Happy Holidays. I can't choose one but my favorites are the very first ornments each of my 7 children made. All 7.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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  3. My favorite is the angel on the top of the tree.

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  4. My favorite decoration is a little silver boy and girl kissing. They are engraved with mine and my husband's names. My mother-in-law gave it to us the first Christmas we were married in December 1966. We just celebrated our 50 wedding anniversary on December 17, 2016.

    Merry Christmas!

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  5. I loved this scene from One Magic Season, Ashlyn! I also love your book To Tame a Wild Lady, which releases on January 31. I got a copy from NetGalley and have posted my review on Goodreads only for now. Your romances are a delight to read at any time, but I adore reading them during the holiday season. Thanks! jdh2690@gmail.com

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  6. I have some ornaments that were my grandmother's.

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  7. My favorite Christmas decoration is a crochet Angel my Mom made years ago, it's still in good shape and I always put her on the tree.
    This sounds very good wonderful blog today thanks
    Penney

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  8. One of my favorite ornaments is a crystal dear givin to me from a dear friend who passed away. Every year when I put it on the tree I cry.

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  9. I have two Christmas collections - one is of Santa figures and one is my fathers Cardinals.
    sallans d at yahoo dot com

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  10. 2' Stockings knitted by my grandmother.

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  11. I don't know that I have one particular favorite. One favorite is the two Christmas stockings I crocheted years ago. They're nice and homey looking.

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  12. I have a bunch of Victorian themed ornament I have collected and we alternate each which kind of tree we put up. I like my victorian tree

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  13. Mine would be the ornaments for the tree. I collect ornaments and have about 800 of them. It takes me 4 days to decorate the tree but I love it!

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  14. Most of the ones my kids made when they were little.

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  15. My favorite ornaments were the blue ones that my sister gave us.

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  16. My favorite Christmas Decoration is a personalized one the year my son was born!

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  17. My silver bell that belonged to my grandmother. When you pull the clapper it plays "Silver Bells". For as long as I can remember it hung in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room. Now it hangs between my foyer and living room.

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  18. I don't have a specific Christmas ornament but my family has this tradition where we all come home the Sunday after Thanksgiving to set up the Christmas Tree. All children are now out of the parentals so I think it's sweet that we all make an effort to continue with the tradition.

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  19. My favorite Christmas decoration is a angel that I received from a Sunday school teacher with her wings folded and halo needing adjustment. I think of all the carols we sang when I hang that one up high on the tree near the bubble lights.

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  20. my favorite decoration is an angel I've had for about 22 years

    denise

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  21. I have one with my son's 3 year old face surrounded by popsicle sticks. Merry Christmas!

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  22. I can't think of a favorite Christmas decoration but enjoy the memories of them.

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  23. It's a Tinkerbell one. My daughter loves it.

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  24. I don't have a favorite. I love all the ones the kids made growing up.

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  25. I don't have a favorite decoration, but I do like all the ornaments the kids made for us when they were little.

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  26. I don't have a specific favorite ornament however I do cherish the ones made by my mom and myself together

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