I love Christmas! Yet, Iβve always felt a little sad that no one, even in Europe or England
really celebrates all twelve days of Christmas. Although, I suppose with our busy modern
lives, that would be a bit much. Although in Europe, everything seems to slow to a crawl
between Christmas Eve and Three Kings Day in January. However, when my editor asked me to
write a Christmas book, I was at a loss. You see, I write Regencies. Now I did live in
England for a couple of years, but that told me little to nothing about Christmas during the
Regency. So off a researching I went and found that Christmas in England differs greatly from
that in Europe and for a reason.
For hundreds of years, the entire advent season was a joyous time. There are a fair number of
separate religious holidays leading up to the twelve days of Christmas, then almost two whole
weeks of celebrations! The reason for all this was not a derivative of the Christian church,
represented in most part by the Church of Rome, but an attempt by the church to convert
heathens by incorporating pagan rituals into Christian celebrations. The idea was extremely
successful until the middle of the 17th Century when England suffered a civil war. The fight
boiled down to two groups, the Loyalists, who supported the monarchy and the
Parliamentarians, or Roundheads. The Roundheads were very like the early American Puritans in
that they despised ostentatious displays, including extravagant Christmas celebrations. In
many way, England never really recovered, at least when compared to Europe. However, some
families refused to give up the old traditions. By the time of the Regency, Christmas was
celebrated more in the country side than in cities such as London where scant attention was
paid to the holiday.
Still, even where Christmas was celebrated in the βold wayβ it was still nothing compared to
what we in the US do today. Generally, one selected one present for a person. Can you imagine
having to pick one present for your child, parent, husband, or wife? Think of the importance
that one gift could take on. What if you had just met someone, found out they were giving you
a gift and there was no twenty-four hour store to run out to? That is one of the many
problems Miss Meg Featherton runs into in
MISS FEATHERTON'S CHRISTMAS PRINCE.
What would you do, or how long would it take you to decide on the perfect present for
Christmas?
Bestselling author
Ella Quinnβs studies and other jobs have always been on the serious
side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love
of historical novels led her to start writing them. She has just finished her first series,
The Marriage Game, and her new series will start in April 2016.
She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and
granddaughter, one cat and a dog. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North
Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and
are now living on a sailboat cruising the Caribbean and North America.
She loves having readers connect with her.
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Ella Quinnβs wealthy, titled bachelors think they're immune to romantic notions. Yet no
matter how they try to evade it, love somehow finds a way...
In the two seasons since her triumphant debut, Meg Featherton's heart has been tested to its
limits. Her first suitor: a criminal. The second, a cur. For her third act, Meg vows to leave
love completely out of the marriage equation. She has set her sights on a newly made viscount
whom she could take or leave. However, now she must avoid his handsome, roguish, irresistible
best friend like the plague. Itβs no easy feat, as they are all attending the same house
partyβ¦
Damon, Marquis of Hawksworth, cannot imagine why Miss Featherton seems so damn disinterestedβ
or why he cares so terribly much. Certainly Meg is a fine wifely prospect for a man in his
position, but more than that, he finds he longs for her as he has never done for another
woman. She may be determined to protect her heart, but Damon is equally set on winning her
over, one delicious kiss at a time...
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