The winner of TO TEMPT THE DEVIL is…Jen M. And the winner of the $15 gift card is…Anne! Congrats, ladies!!

Let’s go Down Under for the holidays! Awesome author CJ Archer is here to share some of her Australian traditions with us.   And, in addition to the holiday fun and a great recipe that she’s posting, CJ is giving away a copy of her new release, TO TEMPT THE DEVIL, and there is a $15 Amazon.com or B&N.com gift card up for grabs (winner’s choice!).

CJ, I’m so glad that you came to the party! And thanks for sharing your Christmas with us!

A Dinky Di Aussie Christmas

(Translation: A real Australian Christmas)

Thank you for having me on your blog, Cynthia.

December is summertime here in Australia, and that means Christmas day could be celebrated in 40+ degree heat (translation: 104+ Fahrenheit). But we’ve never let that stop us from enjoying a traditional Christmas, with a few Aussie twists thrown in to make the silly season memorable.

In my family, no matter the weather, we have a full hot midday meal – Turkey, ham, more varieties of vegetables than you can count after a few glasses of bubbly, and warm plum pudding with brandy butter. Do not, under pain of death, forget the brandy butter.

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Update: The winner of the Bath & Body Works gift card is…Janie McGaugh!

Have you heard of the Elf on the Shelf? I bet you have…

And I’ll confess, when I first heard of the Elf on the Shelf, I thought it was a little creepy.  An elf that “watches” your child and reports back to Santa Claus? A little being that sneaks around when you aren’t looking and plays tricks on you?  I think it was because the clown in the old Poltergeist movie frightened me so much (who remembers him?!), but I’ve been leery of stuffed animals/dolls/etc. that can “move” for a long time.

So, yes, I was hesitant about the Elf on the Shelf.

My son wasn’t so hesitant. From the minute he saw the elf in the store, he was hooked.  My son named his elf Fizzley–and he loves Fizzley. I’m talking mad, bad, total love. When Fizzley leaves our house, it’s like my son loses a friend. And when Fizzley comes back…oh, sweet happy times, there is much rejoicing.

And, Fizzley, well, he’s not creepy. He’s sweet. He plays tricks, sure, but they are all in good fun.  I like to think that if that crazy clown from Poltergeist ever came calling, Fizzley would fight him. Fizzley is my son’s protector, his guardian elf.

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Update: The winner of MY FAVORITE COUNTESS is…Rita Wray. Congratulations, Rita!

Thank you all so much for coming to the DECK THE HALLS WITH DARK ANGELS party! I hope you’re having fun! My next guest definitely knows how to party (because I’ve seen her do it!). Not only is Vanessa Kelly a fabulous author, but the woman is hilarious, too. I love hanging out with her, so I’m extra excited that she is posting at the party.  AND–Vanessa has a new book out, just in time for your holiday reading fun!  Now, here’s….VANESSA!

PARTY ON!!

I’m so happy to be here today, helping Cynthia celebrate the release of her new book.  I hoist my glass to you, girlfriend!

I also have a new book that was recently released, a holiday-themed historical romance called His Mistletoe Bride.  There are several festive occasions highlighted in the book—that was a lot of fun to write about because if there was one thing they knew how to do during the Regency period it was party.  This was especially true during the Christmas Season, which ran from Christmas Eve through to Twelfth Night on January 6.  The final party on Twelfth Night was usually a real wing-ding, roughly comparable to the kind of blow-out we now celebrate on New Year’s Eve.

One of my favorite scenes in the book happens at a family get-together, when the wassail bowl first makes its appearance.  Wassail, a very boozy and sometimes alarming beverage depending on the ingredients, was the high point of many a Christmas party, and family recipes were often closely guarded secrets.  And I suspect that over-consumption of wassail probably led to more than one family feud!

What were the ingredients that made wassail such a potent beverage?  Well, the base was usually mulled apple cider with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, sometimes topped with slices of toast.  Apples and oranges could be added to the mix too.  In earlier times, the base often consisted of either mulled beer or mead, and any wassail recipe could be topped off with brandy or sherry.  Do we really need to wonder why folks had such a great time at Regency Christmas parties?!

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Update: The winner of Midnight’s Seduction is…Glittergirl. Congrats!

Are you starting to get in the spirit of things?  Maybe humming a little holiday tune beneath your breath?

You’re a mean one, Mister Grinch
You really are a heel,
You’re as cuddly as a cactus, you’re as charming as an eel, Mister Grinch…

Well, our next guest is definitely not a Grinch. In fact, she’s one of the nicest ladies that I’ve ever met–DONNA GRANT. Today is also the release day of Donna’s new book, MIDNIGHT’S WARRIOR (Congrats, Donna!).

Thanks to Cynthia for offering a spot on her blog.  I love when I have a release the same time as a friend, and Cynthia and I had a blast yesterday with the Twitter party!

When Cynthia told me the theme for the blog was going to be Christmas I knew I was going to talk about how my Highlanders and Druids would spend Christmas.

My Warriors – immortal Highlanders with a primeval god inside them – have lived centuries.  Many of those shut away from the world.  A few were leapfrogged through time by Druid magic to wind up in modern day Scotland.

You can picture the time they have with cars, planes, mobile phones, razors, and a plethora of things we take for granted.  When my Warriors time traveled, I had to put myself in their shoes and think about how they would react to something they didn’t understand.

With most of my heroines Americans, they bring in different set of traditions and thinking to these medieval Warriors. In MIDNIGHT’S MASTER that released in May of this year, the story is set around Christmas.

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Update: The winner of the $25 Amazon.com gift card is Minna! Congratulations, Minna!

Did Katie’s post make you hungry? It’s got me craving all kinds of holiday treats. I’m afraid those cravings are about to get worse! Our next fabulous guest has another treat for you (and she’s also offering up a $25.com Amazon gift card–awesome!).  Please welcome Diana Miller to the blog!

I’m thrilled to be participating in the launch party for Cynthia’s newest soon-to-be bestseller. Thanks so much for having me! I’ll be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to a commentator.

I doubt my heroine Abby Langford’s dysfunctional parents made any special foods for Christmas when she was growing up. However, Abby’s now moved back to her home state of Minnesota, where a large percentage of the residents are of Scandinavian descent and take pride in dozens of traditional Christmas foods and beverages. As a Minnesotan who’s three-quarters Norwegian and married to a Norwegian native, I’d like to suggest a couple recipes Abby should try:

SPRITZ COOKIES
Supermom Abby would enjoy making these with her daughter Maddie, who could be in charge of decorating and, at age nine, may be old enough handle the cookie press herself.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Colored sugar and decorating candies

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