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Making Your Romance
Holiday Themed
By Regan Walker
The
Twelfth Night Wager, my newest Christmas novella, was not the first
holiday themed Romance I have written. In 2012, I wrote The Holly & The Thistle,
and in early 2013, I wrote The Shamrock & The Rose (a Valentine’s Day story). All are set
in 1818 in Regency England.
The
important thing when setting a story in a holiday period is to capture the
traditions of that special time, be it Valentine’s Day or Christmastide or
Twelfth Night, without taking the romance from center stage. You want the
reader to experience the love story and love the characters while also
experiencing the holiday. And, if you are a Regency author like me, you also
have to capture the history of the period and enough of the speech and customs
to make it real. So when Lord Eustace is invited to a house party in November
of 1818, I had to know that he’d expect to be shooting pheasant and riding to
hounds (fox hunting) in the countryside. I also had to know what flowers would
be blooming in the gardens of Wimpole Hall (an actual estate in
Cambridgeshire). When I describe a place I always have a visual in front of me.
In
Regency England, they celebrated the seasons a bit differently. For example, the
ornate Valentines we think of today are more from the Victorian period. They
were more simple love notes in the Regency. And at Christmastide, they did not
put up Christmas trees (that, too, came with the Victorians though Queen
Charlotte, the Prince Regent’s mother did recognize the German tradition). The
folks in Regency England decorated their homes with Christmas greenery
beginning on Christmas Eve and took them down on Epiphany (the day after Twelfth Night) when the greens would
be burned in the fireplace.
Also,
it is important in a holiday Romance to capture the sights, sounds and smells
of the season. When my characters walked into the parlour in my two Christmas
stories, I wanted them to hear the crackling fire, smell the wassail’s aromatic
and spicy fragrance and see the red velvet bows on the candle lighted
chandelier. And, I want the reader’s mouth to water when I’m describing the
Christmas feast. (One reader told me I sent her to the kitchen looking for
something to eat she got so hungry reading my story). I put recipes on my
website from my stories for my readers to cook them at home.
BLURB:
On
a dull day at White’s, the Redheaded Rake agreed to a wager: seduce and abandon
the lovely Lady Leisterfield by Twelfth Night. After one taste of her virtue,
he will stop at nothing less than complete possession.
Excerpt One:
Eustace slowed the horses and guided the phaeton to the side
of the path. Holding the reins in one hand, he turned to face to her. His eyes
seemed to glow in the dim light.
“I never would have thought the serene Lady Leisterfield
would be so stimulated by a ride in the park. You are flushed and your eyes
bright. I do think you enjoyed our dash through the Row.”
“Yes, I quite liked it,” Grace said, breathless. “Though you
must admit, the ride was more like a race.”
He looked at her lips and then her neck. “I can see your
pulse jumping. Perhaps you like to race as much as I do.”
Grace wondered if he was still speaking of horses or
something else. Her heart sped as he leaned toward her and brushed his lips
across hers. After only a moment, she pulled back.
“Too soon?” he asked.
“That question implies such is inevitable, my lord. I can
assure you it is not.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
As a child
Regan Walker loved to write stories, particularly about adventure-loving girls,
but by the time she got to college more serious pursuits took priority. One of
her professors thought her suited to the profession of law, and Regan realized
it would be better to be a hammer than a nail. Years of serving clients in
private practice and several stints in high levels of government gave her a
love of international travel and a feel for the demands of the “Crown” on its
subjects. Hence her romance novels often involve a demanding Prince Regent who
thinks of his subjects as his private talent pool.
website:
www.reganwalkerauthor.com/
blog:
reganromancereview.blogspot.com/
twitter:
twitter.com/RegansReview
GIVEAWAY:
Regan will be awarding a copy of three (3) of her books, Racing with the Wind, The Holly and the Thistle and The Shamrock and the Rose to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
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Hi, Krystal! So good to be on your blog. I was wondering, though, did GF not send you the images?