Re-release of MISTLETOE EVERYWHERE!

Mistletoe Everywhere is here!

The all-new, expanded and completely rewritten Mistletoe Everywhere is now available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords and other retailers:

http://books2read.com/u/478kLR
 

Have all the fun of a Regency Christmas, but especially with mistletoe only the hero can see over the heroine.

BLURB:
A man who sees mistletoe everywhere is mad—or in love.

Mr. Charles Gordon sees mistletoe. Not surprising, since he's spending Christmas at Mistletoe Manor. But the mistletoe always hangs over Miss Penelope Lawrence, the despised lady who jilted him the day after she accepted his marriage proposal. Even worse, no one else sees the benighted plant. Real or imagined, the weed taunts him with the treasure he lost. And might also drive him insane.

Penelope wants nothing to do with the faithless Charles, who broke her heart into tiny pieces when he cried off after proposing marriage. But try as she might, she’s never succeeded in removing him from her heart and mind. The baffling thing is, he stares at her all the time. Or rather, at something on the empty ceiling over her head.

Despite their struggles to extinguish every ounce of feeling, their love still burns bright. According to folklore, mistletoe is the plant of peace. Can Penelope and Charles, so full of hurt and anger, heed the mistletoe's message and make peace?

A sweet, traditional Regency romantic comedy with fantasy. 34,000 words. A new version of the previous work, expanded and completely rewritten.

EXCERPT: 

“Here’s to Christmas!” Gavin, on Baring’s far side, raised his class in a toast. Everyone around Gavin joined in and then drank heartily.

“And here’s to the New Year!” Lord Fane added his own toast.

The rest, including Charles, joined in. Toast followed toast again and again, until the end of the table rang with alcohol-fueled jollity.

The plates, the table, the people—all grew a little fuzzy around the edges. Now what had bothered him so?

Smythe, on Charles’s other side, stood up shakily and raised his glass. “And here’s to—uh—what’s left?”

“How about mistletoe?” Baring’s words slurred.

Charles’s head whipped toward Smythe.

And toward Penelope—and the monstrous bunch of mistletoe above her.

“Gordon? What is it?” Smythe set down his glass and then swiveled toward the top of the table. He looked up and down, and then from one side to the other. “I say, with your mouth hanging open like that, you must see something spectacular, but curst if I see anything.”

With an audible click, Charles clamped his jaw shut. “I thought I saw…” He smiled at Smythe. “Nothing. I imagined I saw mistletoe.”

Smythe’s eyebrows rose. “Mistletoe?”

“Yes. The house’s name is ‘Mistletoe Manor’, so mistletoe decorations fill the place. Pictures, wall hangings, ceiling trim, whatnot.”

Smythe’s eyebrows shot higher. “That ‘mistletoe’ you didn’t see is over Miss Lawrence.” His lips curved into a knowing grin. “Lovely little filly. My jaw dropped the first time I saw her, too.”

Charles stiffened. “I was not looking at Miss Lawrence. I believed I saw mistletoe over her.”

“‘Mistletoe’.” Smythe’s grin widened. “Of course.” He raised his glass again. “A toast to mistletoe!”




Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords and other retailers:

http://books2read.com/u/478kLR

Thank you all,
Linda

Re-release of MISTLETOE EVERYWHERE Available for Pre-order

Christmas in July is here!

The all-new, expanded and completely rewritten Mistletoe Everywhere is available for pre-order. Release date is October 5, 2017.

Have all the fun of a Regency Christmas, but especially with mistletoe only the hero can see over the heroine.

BLURB:
A man who sees mistletoe everywhere is mad—or in love.

Mr. Charles Gordon sees mistletoe. Not surprising, since he's spending Christmas at Mistletoe Manor. But the mistletoe always hangs over Miss Penelope Lawrence, the despised lady who jilted him the day after she accepted his marriage proposal. Even worse, no one else sees the benighted plant. Real or imagined, the weed taunts him with the treasure he lost. And might also drive him insane.

Penelope wants nothing to do with the faithless Charles, who broke her heart into tiny pieces when he cried off after proposing marriage. But try as she might, she’s never succeeded in removing him from her heart and mind. The baffling thing is, he stares at her all the time. Or rather, at something on the empty ceiling over her head.

Despite their struggles to extinguish every ounce of feeling, their love still burns bright. According to folklore, mistletoe is the plant of peace. Can Penelope and Charles, so full of hurt and anger, heed the mistletoe's message and make peace?

A sweet, traditional Regency romantic comedy with fantasy. 34,000 words. A new version of the previous work, expanded and completely rewritten.

EXCERPT: 

“Here’s to Christmas!” Gavin, on Baring’s far side, raised his class in a toast. Everyone around Gavin joined in and then drank heartily.

“And here’s to the New Year!” Lord Fane added his own toast.

The rest, including Charles, joined in. Toast followed toast again and again, until the end of the table rang with alcohol-fueled jollity.

The plates, the table, the people—all grew a little fuzzy around the edges. Now what had bothered him so?

Smythe, on Charles’s other side, stood up shakily and raised his glass. “And here’s to—uh—what’s left?”

“How about mistletoe?” Baring’s words slurred.

Charles’s head whipped toward Smythe.

And toward Penelope—and the monstrous bunch of mistletoe above her.

“Gordon? What is it?” Smythe set down his glass and then swiveled toward the top of the table. He looked up and down, and then from one side to the other. “I say, with your mouth hanging open like that, you must see something spectacular, but curst if I see anything.”

With an audible click, Charles clamped his jaw shut. “I thought I saw…” He smiled at Smythe. “Nothing. I imagined I saw mistletoe.”

Smythe’s eyebrows rose. “Mistletoe?”

“Yes. The house’s name is ‘Mistletoe Manor’, so mistletoe decorations fill the place. Pictures, wall hangings, ceiling trim, whatnot.”

Smythe’s eyebrows shot higher. “That ‘mistletoe’ you didn’t see is over Miss Lawrence.” His lips curved into a knowing grin. “Lovely little filly. My jaw dropped the first time I saw her, too.”

Charles stiffened. “I was not looking at Miss Lawrence. I believed I saw mistletoe over her.”

“‘Mistletoe’.” Smythe’s grin widened. “Of course.” He raised his glass again. “A toast to mistletoe!”




Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords and other retailers:

http://books2read.com/u/478kLR

Thank you all,
Linda

My Regency Christmas Books

I have two Regency Christmas books, A Gift from the Stars and Mistletoe Everywhere.

A Gift from the Stars, Book 1 of The Regency Star Travelers, is my latest, and adds a bit of science fiction to the mostly Regency tale. The setting is the English countryside in December, and the gift is a mysterious crystal left behind when a space ship takes off after landing beside the heroine's house. The story also contains a wolf, the two-tailed comet of 1811, meteors, a wounded hero and a daring heroine. Whew! Did I get everything?

Mistletoe Everywhere adds some fantasy to Christmas. The hero sees mistletoe over the lady who jilted him, mistletoe only he can see. The heroine never wants to see the hero again because he called off their betrothal. Who's right? There are the estranged lovers, lots of mistletoe, real or supernatural, and the hero becomes the butt of mistletoe jokes.

Buy links below. Note, Mistletoe Everywhere and all ebooks are 25% off at The Wild Rose Press website through December 25, 2013.

A Gift from the Stars  

The Regency Star Travelers--where the Regency and outer space meet with romance.

BLURB:

A gift from the stars can change your life.

Miss Elizabeth Ashby loves astronomy. She especially enjoys her once-in-a-lifetime chance to observe the Great Comet of 1811. However, her excitement vanishes the night an odd-looking meteor proves to be a sky craft which lands nearby. The man who emerges from the vehicle doesn’t see her, but as he reenters his craft to fly away, he drops a small red stone.

The stone from the stars glows and sends waves of warmth and something else through Elizabeth. Her incipient cold disappears, her illness-prone mother shakes off her maladies, and everyone else who comes near the stone, which Elizabeth wears as a pendant, feels in the pink of health.

Including Mr. Jonathan Markham, who also saw the strange meteor but was too far away to determine what the object was. Gored by a bull, Jon has been slow to mend until he meets the enchanting Elizabeth. Does his sudden speedy recovery emanate from his fascination with the desirable lady? Or something else?

A sweet, traditional Regency romance novel with science fiction elements. 71,000 words. A clean romance.

EXCERPT:

Lower and lower the shooting star descended, much too slowly to Elizabeth’s way of thinking. From the angle and rate of its motion, the object would likely strike the earth close by. If she could distinguish some landmarks by its glow, perhaps she could find the stone.

She craned her neck back as the meteor soared across the firmament. The unearthly rock blazed with the colors of the rainbow from friction with the air.

 

Coldness pricked her spine. A meteor that enormous should race through the heavens, shrieking in outrage as its surface pounded through the atmosphere. This one was silent. And the stone—or was it a stone?—sloped down in a leisurely, graceful curve, as gently as a feather floating in a light breeze.

 

With eerie stillness, the object continued its glide across the ebony sky, looming ever immense as its bulk neared the ground.

She could even make out features. In her experience, meteors were dark, pitted lumps of rock or metal. This one was white, its pointed nose flaring out behind to form a stretched-out triangle, almost like a bird with unfurled wings.

And its size! Her heart in her throat, she jumped up. The thing was larger than a mail coach. And it would fall onto Sentinel Moor beside her house!

 

Continually slowing, the peculiar entity descended. The object slipped below the level of the high Sentinel Oak across the field, and then behind the top of the six-foot hawthorn hedge separating her garden from the meadow.

 

Elizabeth took a step to run around the tall shrub. Blinding whiteness exploded on the moor. She threw up her hands to shield her eyes and then tumbled to the ground.

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble , Smashwords, Sony, Kobo, and Apple. Note, all formats are available on Smashwords.

Mistletoe Everywhere

BLURB:
A man who sees mistletoe everywhere is mad--or in love.

Charles sees mistletoe. Not surprising, since he's spending Christmas at Mistletoe Manor. But why does no one else see it? And why does it always appear above Penelope, the despised lady who jilted him after their last meeting?

Penelope wants nothing to do with the faithless Charles, the man who cried off after she accepted his marriage proposal. But he still stirs her heart--and he stares at her all the time. Or rather, he stares at the empty ceiling over her head…What does he see?

According to folklore, mistletoe is the plant of peace. Can Penelope and Charles, so full of hurt and anger, heed the mistletoe's message and make peace?

A sweet, traditional Regency romance, clean read.

EXCERPT:
After Charles had heaped his plate with more food than he wanted, he took one of the empty chairs at the table bottom, as far from Penelope as possible.

His tensed muscles eased as he joked with his friends. Smythe made a comment and Charles turned to answer. He caught sight of Penelope…and a monstrous bunch of mistletoe above her.

"Gordon? What is it?" Smythe swiveled in the direction Charles was staring. He looked up and down, and from one side to the other. "I say, with your mouth hanging open like that, you must see something spectacular, but damned if I know what it is."

With an audible click, Charles clamped his jaw shut. "I thought I saw…" He forced his gaze back to his companion. "Nothing. I imagined I saw mistletoe."

Smythe's eyebrows rose. "Mistletoe?"

"Yes. The house is named 'Mistletoe Manor', so the place is filled with mistletoe decorations. Pictures, wall hangings, ceiling trim, whatnot."

"Indeed." Smythe's eyebrows rose higher. "That 'mistletoe' you saw is over that Miss Lawrence. Lovely little filly." His lips curved into a knowing grin. "My jaw dropped the first time I saw her, too."

Charles stiffened. "I was not looking at Miss Lawrence. I believed I saw mistletoe over her."

"'Mistletoe'." Symthe's grin widened. "Of course."

Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance Ebooks and other places where ebooks are sold. 

Through December 25, 2013, Mistletoe Everywhere is 25% off at The Wild Rose Press, and so are my other Wild Rose Press books, link to all my books here.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Thank you all,

Linda

Where to Elope in Regency England

In Regency England, common law marriages, which the Hardwicke Act outlawed in England and Wales, were still legal in Scotland. As such, the border towns of Scotland became famous for providing these marriages. No ceremony was required, and anyone could officiate, if so desired.

The most famous of the marriage border towns was Gretna Green in Dumfries and Galloway. Weddings are still a thriving business in Gretna Green. The two pictures above are Gretna Green then (left) and now. Gretna Green also has its own website. http://www.gretnagreen.com/cms/

Gretna Green was not the only place for these so-called irregular, but legal, marriages. Other towns, especially in the Eastern Borders of Scotland, also performed quick marriages. While Gretna Green was the destination of choice in the west, these next towns are in eastern Scotland.

Lamberton, Berwickshire was the most popular of the eastern destinations, since it’s the first Scottish town reached via the Great North Road, the main thoroughfare from London to Edinburgh. The toll-keepers provided the marriages at the Old Toll House. Here’s a picture of the Old Toll House in 1890.

The toll-keepers at Paxton and Mordington, other border towns near Lamberton, and also close to the Great North Road, also performed marriages.

Another town is Coldstream, Scottish Borders. The couple would cross the river Tweed using the Coldstream Bridge, which links Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland to Coldstream. As in the other towns, the Toll House, here called the Marriage House, on the Scottish side of the bridge provided common law marriages.

Like Gretna Green, Coldstream still does a thriving business in marriages. Here’s their marriage website: http://www.coldstreamweddings.co.uk/

Who performed these marriages? Anyone who wanted to. Two people need only declare themselves married before two witnesses to be married. Thriving businesses provided a marriage ceremony of sorts, with witnesses and a clergyman, if desired, officiating. These ceremonies would also provide a certificate as proof of the marriage, for when the couple returned home.

Various laws in the early 1800’s changed and restricted these marriages, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_Act), but many of these towns continued their clandestine wedding business almost up to the twentieth century. Nowadays, the most famous, like Gretna Green and Coldstream, still trade on their history as they provide marriages.

My Regency Christmas comedy, Mistletoe Everywhere, takes place in Northumberland, England, across the river Tweed from the Marriage House in Coldstream. Eloping plays a part in the story.

BLURB:
A man who sees mistletoe everywhere is mad--or in love.

Charles sees mistletoe. Not surprising, since he's spending Christmas at Mistletoe Manor. But why does no one else see it? And why does it always appear above Penelope, the despised lady who jilted him after their last meeting?

Penelope wants nothing to do with the faithless Charles, the man who cried off after she accepted his marriage proposal. But he still stirs her heart--and he stares at her all the time. Or rather, he stares at the empty ceiling over her head…What does he see?

According to folklore, mistletoe is the plant of peace. Can Penelope and Charles, so full of hurt and anger, heed the mistletoe's message and make peace?

NEW! EXCERPT:
“Penny, look out!”

Penelope spun on her heel. Charles, his eyes wide with terror, raced down the hall. He grabbed her arms and shoved her to the side. Her back hit the wall and her breath rushed out in a startled huff.
Charles gripped her shoulders hard as his body slammed full-length against hers, his forearms bracketing her sides, his head over hers.

“Thank God, I reached you in time.” His breath sawed in and out of his chest, crushing her nose into the starched folds of his cravat. The silver buttons of his coat dug into her breasts. His legs pinned hers to the wall.

Her own breaths were uneven pants, partly from his weight, and partly from his nearness. Her pulse thudded. “What happened?” she asked, her voice whispery.

“The kissing bough above you fell.”

Her breath slowing, Penelope shifted her nose out of his cravat and peered around his shoulder. The ceiling and floor were empty. “What kissing bough?”

Moving only his head, he looked over his shoulder. He stiffened. “I could have sworn…” He dipped his chin to look down at her, his body still holding her captive. “I beg your pardon, Miss Lawrence. I appear to be mistaken.”

“Indeed.”

Although the imagined danger was past, he made no move to release her. Instead, his hands, which had flattened on the wall beside her, cupped her cheeks. His fingers tangled in the strands of hair that had escaped from her braid. A smile played upon his lips. “Penny. My Shining Penny.”

His body heat flowed through her, and a different kind of heat arose. His face softened and time reeled backwards. Here was the Charles she remembered, the man who had placed her in the center of his world.
Her arms, flat against the wall, lifted and wound around his back. He bent his head to hers as she lifted her face to his. “Charles—”

His lips stroked hers, back and forth, warm and soft. Her eyes drifted shut as he feathered little kisses over her cheeks. She leaned against the wall, luxuriating in the soft caress of his lips on her face, the hardness of his body against hers…

And just to include everything, here's the original excerpt.

EXCERPT:
After Charles had heaped his plate with more food than he wanted, he took one of the empty chairs at the table bottom, as far from Penelope as possible.

His tensed muscles eased as he joked with his friends. Smythe made a comment and Charles turned to answer. He caught sight of Penelope…and a monstrous bunch of mistletoe above her.

"Gordon? What is it?" Smythe swiveled in the direction Charles was staring. He looked up and down, and from one side to the other. "I say, with your mouth hanging open like that, you must see something spectacular, but damned if I know what it is."

With an audible click, Charles clamped his jaw shut. "I thought I saw…" He forced his gaze back to his companion. "Nothing. I imagined I saw mistletoe."

Smythe's eyebrows rose. "Mistletoe?"

"Yes. The house is named 'Mistletoe Manor', so the place is filled with mistletoe decorations. Pictures, wall hangings, ceiling trim, whatnot."

"Indeed." Smythe's eyebrows rose higher. "That 'mistletoe' you saw is over that Miss Lawrence. Lovely little filly." His lips curved into a knowing grin. "My jaw dropped the first time I saw her, too."

Charles stiffened. "I was not looking at Miss Lawrence. I believed I saw mistletoe over her."

"'Mistletoe'." Symthe's grin widened. "Of course."

And I hope you get what you want for Christmas, too!

Available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance Ebooks and other places where ebooks are sold.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and I'll see you all in the new year.

Thank you all,

Linda

A MISTLETOE EVERYWHERE Merry Christmas

As Christmas approaches, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Have a laugh with Mistletoe Everywhere, and I'll see you all in the new year.

BLURB:
A man who sees mistletoe everywhere is mad--or in love.

Charles sees mistletoe. Not surprising, since he's spending Christmas at Mistletoe Manor. But why does no one else see it? And why does it always appear above Penelope, the despised lady who jilted him after their last meeting?

Penelope wants nothing to do with the faithless Charles, the man who cried off after she accepted his marriage proposal. But he still stirs her heart--and he stares at her all the time. Or rather, he stares at the empty ceiling over her head…What does he see?

According to folklore, mistletoe is the plant of peace. Can Penelope and Charles, so full of hurt and anger, heed the mistletoe's message and make peace?

EXCERPT:

After Charles had heaped his plate with more food than he wanted, he took one of the empty chairs at the table bottom, as far from Penelope as possible.

His tensed muscles eased as he joked with his friends. Smythe made a comment and Charles turned to answer. He caught sight of Penelope…and a monstrous bunch of mistletoe above her.

"Gordon? What is it?" Smythe swiveled in the direction Charles was staring. He looked up and down, and from one side to the other. "I say, with your mouth hanging open like that, you must see something spectacular, but damned if I know what it is."

With an audible click, Charles clamped his jaw shut. "I thought I saw…" He forced his gaze back to his companion. "Nothing. I imagined I saw mistletoe."

Smythe's eyebrows rose. "Mistletoe?"

"Yes. The house is named 'Mistletoe Manor', so the place is filled with mistletoe decorations. Pictures, wall hangings, ceiling trim, whatnot."

"Indeed." Smythe's eyebrows rose higher. "That 'mistletoe' you saw is over that Miss Lawrence. Lovely little filly." His lips curved into a knowing grin. "My jaw dropped the first time I saw her, too."

Charles stiffened. "I was not looking at Miss Lawrence. I believed I saw mistletoe over her."

"'Mistletoe'." Symthe's grin widened. "Of course."

And I hope you get what you want for Christmas, too!

All REVIEWS are here:

http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/2010/12/mistletoe-everywhere-reviews.html

Available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes and Noble and other places ebooks are sold.

Thank you all,
Linda

My Name is Getting Bigger

I've lined up my five book covers from earliest to latest, left to right, top to bottom.

And I've noticed that my name becomes larger on each succeeding title. It can't have anything to do with the cover artist, because I've had two different ones. The first three covers are by Nicola Martinez, and the last two by Rae Monet.

Does the progressive increase in the size of my name mean anything? I doubt it. The name size is probably a function of the cover composition.

If nothing else, I like all my covers. I'm especially happy with my latest for An Inheritance for the Birds, mainly because it has ducks on it, and I love ducks. Quack.

Thank you all,
Linda

Christmas in July: A Conversation with Mistletoe

Greetings all, I am Mistletoe.

You know me--the green plant with white berries most often seen at Christmas time. My association with Christmas arises because I am an evergreen and will remain vibrantly green even in the dead of winter, but you can see me all year if you know where to look. Mainly clinging to apple and oak trees.

Most often, people attach me or one of my relatives to chandeliers or above doorways so gentlemen can kiss their sweethearts.

Ah, Christmas love. I thoroughly enjoy my role as a Christmas matchmaker.

I find this even more gratifying since I am the hero of Linda Banche’s Mistletoe Everywhere.

What, you say? How can a plant be a romance hero? Isn’t Mr. Charles Gordon the hero? Well, he thinks he is, but my name is in the title, not his. And I have the pivotal role in the story.

In any event, how can the didactic Charles be the hero? He never again wants to see the lovely Penelope because she jilted him, or so he says. Meanwhile, according to Penelope, Charles withdrew his marriage proposal after she had accepted. While I have no intention of taking sides, something havy cavy is going on here.

Although I am best known as a Christmas fertility symbol, I have another persona as the plant of peace. In medieval times, enemies who met under the mistletoe had to lay down their weapons and call a truce for twenty-four hours. This ceasing of hostilities afforded them a chance to talk out their differences rather than resorting to violence.

Can either of my identities help Penelope and Charles? I flatter myself that I am just the plant for the job. As luck, or perhaps, design would have it, I am on the scene as both fertility symbol and plant of peace in Mistletoe Everywhere.

Let me see if I can reunite these two erstwhile lovers.

Thank you all,
Mistletoe
As told to Linda Banche

Mistletoe Everywhere universal buy link: https://books2read.com/u/478kLR
 

MISTLETOE EVERYWHERE Up For Sizzling Book of the Month

Please vote for me!

Last month, Sizzling Hot Reviews gave Mistletoe Everywhere 5 hearts, their highest rating.

As a result, Mistletoe Everywhere is now up for Sizzling Book of the Month.

Please vote for me. Poll is on the right.

http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/

The poll ends on January 9th at 5:00pm EST.

Their review (thank you, thank you, thank you) is here:

From Marissa D at Sizzling Hot Books - 5 hearts out of 5
"Mistletoe Everywhere is fast paced and keeps us involved with the characters. I was happy to see these happy-for-everyone endings and the warm fuzzy I was left with."
http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/2010/12/mistletoe-everywhere-by-linda-banche.html


Thank you all,
Linda

Mistletoe

A Regency Christmas story wouldn't be complete without the hero and heroine celebrating their love with a kiss under the mistletoe. Long a symbol of fertility, mistletoe, with its glossy green leaves and white berries, has become a Christmas symbol of love and marriage.

Mistletoe is an evergreen, a spot of life in the brown, dormant landscape of a northern winter. At this low point of the year, Regency people decorated their houses with mistletoe, along with other seasonal greens such as Christmas rose (Hellebore), evergreen boughs, holly, ivy, hawthorn, laurel, rosemary and bay, as a reminder that spring would return.

In England, mistletoe, which is a parasite, grows most often on apple trees, but also on blackthorn, hawthorn, lime, poplar, rowan, oak and willow. Although its range extends from Devon to Yorkshire, the plant grows mainly to the south and west, and is particularly abundant around London.

Some of the myths surrounding mistletoe originated with the Druids, who deemed the plant a sexual symbol--the juice from the white berries resembles semen--and, by extension, an aphrodisiac. As part of their winter solstice ceremonies, they cut mistletoe from oak trees, providing a link to the later holiday of Christmas.

The origin of kissing under the mistletoe may derive from the Norse legend of the death of the sun god, Balder, killed by a sprig of mistletoe hurled by his enemy, Loki. When Balder's mother, Frigga, the goddess of love, cried over her son, her tears resurrected him. In gratitude, she kissed everyone who came under the mistletoe.

A lesser known legend declares mistletoe the plant of peace. Enemies meeting under the mistletoe had to embrace and declare a truce until the next day. This goodwill and embrace may also be the source of the kiss under the mistletoe.

Regency people used mistletoe in the form of a kissing bough--a simple arrangement of mistletoe decorated with ribbons and hung over a doorway or entrance. The gentleman would kiss his lady and then pluck a white berry which he then presented to her, perhaps as a symbol of the child he could give her. When all the berries were gone, that sprig of mistletoe could no longer be used to steal kisses, although many people disregarded the berries' absence.

My Regency Christmas story, Mistletoe Everywhere, incorporates the myth of enemies--in this case, the estranged hero and heroine--declaring a truce under the mistletoe.

Short blurb: A man who sees mistletoe everywhere is mad--or in love.

More info at my website, http://www.lindabanche.com

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/478kLR

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Thank you all,
Linda

The painting is Mr. Fezziwig’s Ball (1843). Hand colored etching by John Leech from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. From https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Christmas_Carol_-_Mr._Fezziwig%27s_Ball.jpg

 

MISTLETOE EVERYWHERE Release Day!

Mistletoe Everywhere, my Regency Christmas comedy, is here!

BLURB:
A man who sees mistletoe everywhere is mad--or in love.

Charles sees mistletoe. Not surprising, since he's spending Christmas at Mistletoe Manor. But why does no one else see it? And why does it always appear above Penelope, the despised lady who jilted him after their last meeting?

Penelope wants nothing to do with the faithless Charles, the man who cried off after she accepted his marriage proposal. But he still stirs her heart--and he stares at her all the time. Or rather, he stares at the empty ceiling over her head…What does he see?

According to folklore, mistletoe is the plant of peace. Can Penelope and Charles, so full of hurt and anger, heed the mistletoe's message and make peace?

EXCERPT:

After Charles had heaped his plate with more food than he wanted, he took one of the empty chairs at the table bottom, as far from Penelope as possible.

His tensed muscles eased as he joked with his friends. Smythe made a comment and Charles turned to answer. He caught sight of Penelope…and a monstrous bunch of mistletoe above her.

"Gordon? What is it?" Smythe swiveled in the direction Charles was staring. He looked up and down, and from one side to the other. "I say, with your mouth hanging open like that, you must see something spectacular, but damned if I know what it is."

With an audible click, Charles clamped his jaw shut. "I thought I saw…" He forced his gaze back to his companion. "Nothing. I imagined I saw mistletoe."

Smythe's eyebrows rose. "Mistletoe?"

"Yes. The house is named 'Mistletoe Manor', so the place is filled with mistletoe decorations. Pictures, wall hangings, ceiling trim, whatnot."

"Indeed." Smythe's eyebrows rose higher. "That 'mistletoe' you saw is over that Miss Lawrence. Lovely little filly." His lips curved into a knowing grin. "My jaw dropped the first time I saw her, too."

Charles stiffened. "I was not looking at Miss Lawrence. I believed I saw mistletoe over her."

"'Mistletoe'." Symthe's grin widened. "Of course."

And I hope you will get what you want for Christmas, too!

Buy Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/mistletoe-everywhere-p-4295.html

CONTEST: Leave your name and email in the Guest Book on my website, http://www.lindabanche.com, for a chance to win a PDF copy of Mistletoe Everywhere. Contest runs through December 15. Note, all of you who entered my Pumpkinnapper contest are already entered to win a second copy of Mistletoe Everywhere.

Thank you all,
Linda

This Week: A Guest and My Release

On Tuesday, November 2, Rebecca Ann Collins, author of the ten-book series, The Pemberley Chronicles, which follows the Pride and Prejudice characters into the future, guests here. She will talk about the Regency and Victorian eras, when her saga takes place, and the last book of the series, The Legacy of Pemberley. She will also give away two copies of her The Legacy of Pemberley.

As for me, on Wednesday, November 3 sees the release of Mistletoe Everywhere, my Regency Christmas comedy. I'll be running a contest to give away a PDF copy of Mistletoe Everywhere. Come back on Wednesday to find out how to enter. I'll also be guesting on various blogs and sites. See the sidebar for my guest schedule.

Come on Tuesday to meet Rebecca Ann Collins and return on Wednesday to celebrate the release of Mistletoe Everywhere.

Thank you all,
Linda

MISTLETOE EVERYWHERE - Release Date November 3, 2010

Happy Easter, everyone!

On this holiday, we may as well look forward to another. The Wild Rose Press will release my Regency Christmas novella, Mistletoe Everywhere, on November 3, 2010.

BLURB:
A man who sees mistletoe everywhere is mad--or in love.

Charles sees mistletoe. Not surprising, since he's spending Christmas at Mistletoe Manor. But why does no one else see it? And why does it always appear above Penelope, the despised lady who jilted him after their last meeting?

Penelope wants nothing to do with the faithless Charles, the man who cried off after she accepted his marriage proposal. But he still stirs her heart--and he stares at her all the time. Or rather, he stares at the empty ceiling over her head…What does he see?

According to folklore, mistletoe is the plant of peace. Can Penelope and Charles, so full of hurt and anger, heed the mistletoe's message and make peace?

EXCERPT:

After Charles had heaped his plate with more food than he wanted, he took one of the empty chairs at the table bottom, as far from Penelope as possible.

His tensed muscles eased as he joked with his friends. Smythe made a comment and Charles turned to answer. He caught sight of Penelope…and a monstrous bunch of mistletoe above her.

"Gordon? What is it?" Smythe swiveled in the direction Charles was staring. He looked up and down, and from one side to the other. "I say, with your mouth hanging open like that, you must see something spectacular, but damned if I know what it is."

With an audible click, Charles clamped his jaw shut. "I thought I saw…" He forced his gaze back to his companion. "Nothing. I imagined I saw mistletoe."

Smythe's eyebrows rose. "Mistletoe?"

"Yes. The house is named 'Mistletoe Manor', so the place is filled with mistletoe decorations. Pictures, wall hangings, ceiling trim, whatnot."

"Indeed." Smythe's eyebrows rose higher. "That 'mistletoe' you saw is over that Miss Lawrence. Lovely little filly." His lips curved into a knowing grin. "My jaw dropped the first time I saw her, too."

Charles stiffened. "I was not looking at Miss Lawrence. I believed I saw mistletoe over her."

"'Mistletoe'." Symthe's grin widened. "Of course."

And on April 7, my guest is Monica Fairview, who talks about her latest release, The Darcy Cousins.

Thank you all,
Linda

The Amount of Work Involved - Edits

In a previous post, I blogged about the seventy-four versions of Mistletoe Everywhere, my Regency Christmas story, that I wrote before I submitted it.

I've since edited the story, producing more versions. The editor didn't make very many changes, so I had sent in a pretty clean copy. Still, I made improvements.

Most of the changes involved replacing words I use too often with better words. Some of my particular culprits are "turn", "face", "head", "place" and "look". I type several possible choices into the manuscript and bold them. When I finally make my selection, I delete the losers. I also eliminated unnecessary words, rewrote some sentences that now sounded awkward, and gave better explanations of a few plot points.

The size of the story didn't change much. The length of the story at first submission was 26, 560 words. When I finished my edits, the length was 26, 388 words, after 17 versions. I'm allowed thirty days for edits, and I returned the story a few days early. The editor said she liked my changes, so I guess the extra work was worth it.

Then the galley arrived. I found all of seven typos and added something for the "Praise for" page.

The editor returned the galley with everything fixed. Now I wait for the release date. Since Mistletoe Everywhere is a Christmas story, I expect the release date to be sometime in December.

Thank you all,
Linda

Novel Time - CRR Blog Carnival

Welcome to my entry for the Classic Romance Revival Blog Carnival.

Leave a comment by March 1, 9AM Eastern Time for a chance to win a PDF copy of Lady of the Stars or a PDF copy of Pumpkinnapper. Note: You must check back after the contest closes to see if you’ve won. I will post the winner as a comment to this post as soon as possible after 9AM, March 1.

Leaving a comment will also put you in the running for a 5-ARC package from the Classic Romance Revival authors, and a copy of Cupid Diaries, also from the CRR authors. The winner will be selected from the people who visit the most blogs in the festival, BUT you MUST register to win. Registration and the complete list of participating blogs is at http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?p=1671. Good luck!

My topic is Time. In my Regency novellas, time plays a prominent role.

In Lady of the Stars, my Regency time travel, when the heroine, Caroline, suspects she's traveled into the past, she asks Richard, the hero, what the day is. He answers the day is Wednesday, July 9, 1817. I checked. July 9, 1817 was a Wednesday. Here's the calendar for 1817.

I selected that date on purpose. Astronomy is a prominent part of Lady of the Stars. Caroline and Richard fall in love as they observe the stars. Bright moonlight washes out the stars, so part of the storyline had to occur when there was no moon to interfere.

From Lady of the Stars: "The clouds thinned that very day, and the next five nights were clear and moonless, perfect for observation."

These five nights occurred on days 4-9 of Caroline's sojourn in the past, July 12-16. According to the calendar, the new moon occurred on July 14. The new moon rises at sunrise and sets at sunset, so was not in the sky to interfere with their observations.

Romantic Times Book Reviews gave Lady of the Stars a 4 star review (contains spoilers). From the review: "a quick read and a delightful short romance." Thank you, Romantic Times. Lady of the Stars is also a finalist in the 2010 EPIC EBook Competition in Science Fiction Romance.

Pumpkinnapper, my Regency Halloween comedy, also makes use of the moon's phases. The story starts on September 28, 1816, at the moon's first quarter. Here's the 1816 calendar.

The times for Pumpkinnapper were more complicated because most of the action occurs in the dark after moonset. I found the times for moonrise/moonset using the US Naval Observatory website. The times are valid only with the correct latitude and longitude, which I found at the NGA GEOnet Names Server (GNS) .

At first quarter, the sun rises about noon and sets around midnight. Corrected for the latitude and longitude of Lindsell, Essex, England, using the above sites, moonset on September 28, 1816, occurred around 10PM.

Each day, the moon rises and sets about an hour later. The Pumpkinnapper climax occurs on the night before full moon, the night of October 4-5, when the moon sets after 3AM.

Here, Hank, the hero, waits until he can go to Emily's, the heroine's, house to try and catch the pumpkinnapper: "Hank glanced at the clock on the mantle above the fire. Only midnight. Moonset was at three, so he couldn't leave for at least another hour."

Why did I pick the dark after moonset? All kinds of things happen in the dark.

In Mistletoe Everywhere, my upcoming Regency Christmas novella, the climax occurs on Christmas Eve, 1814: "The almost full moon’s light glinted off the snow to bathe the area in a silvery glow." December 24, 1814 was two nights before the full moon. 1814 calendar here.

Do you like this level of detail in your stories?

Thank you all,
Linda

Editing: Using Words Too Often

My editor returned Mistletoe Everywhere for edits. She didn't make that many changes, which means that I sent in a pretty clean copy, but every manuscript can use some improvement.

As I reread the story, I found that I use some words too often.

I didn't see them when I wrote the manuscript. Probably a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. But now, all those repeats glare back at me.

No one will notice "a", "and" or "the", no matter how many times you repeat them. Nor will they notice pronouns or "he said" or "she said", although you should use those tags as little as possible.

I'm talking about words like "turn", "face", "head", "place", and "look". Aarg! Using them once in a page is fine, but using them in two succeeding sentences is a no-no.

I search in Microsoft Word (my manuscript is a Word file) and write down the pages of all the occurrences of each word. Then I go back and rewrite sentences where these troublesome words occur too close together. And, lo and behold, the sentences sound better.

Ah, editing. What a wonderful process.

Thank you all,
Linda

MISTLETOE EVERYWHERE Query Letter

I've read lots of examples of query letters. To add my two cents, here's the one for Mistletoe Everywhere that I sent to The Wild Rose Press.

Dear Editor (I left the name out):

Since you accepted my story "Pumpkinnapper", I hope my new tale, "Mistletoe Everywhere", will interest you. "Mistletoe Everywhere" is a Regency Christmas romance for the English Tea Rose line, complete at 26,600 words, heat rating Sensual.

"Mistletoe Everywhere" is the story of a couple separated by treachery and of the mistletoe, which may or may not be real, that reunites them.

Charles sees mistletoe. Not surprising, since he's spending Christmas at Mistletoe Manor. But the mistletoe always hangs over Penelope, the despised lady who jilted him. And the mistletoe moves when she does.

Penelope never again wants to see the faithless Charles, the man who cried off after she had accepted his marriage proposal. But he stares at her all the time. Or rather, he stares at the empty ceiling over her head. What does he see?

According to folklore, mistletoe is the plant of peace. Erstwhile lovers Penelope and Charles, so full of anger and hurt, must decide if they will heed the mistletoe's message and make peace.

Thank you for your consideration. Synopsis follows.

Very truly yours,

Linda Banche

The general format for a query letter is four paragraphs. I've deviated a little here.

Paragraph 1: Introduction, telling how you found this publisher, and giving the book title, genre, word count, and any other specific information the submissions guidelines request. The Wild Rose Press wants to know the heat rating, so I added it.

Paragraphs 2, 3, 4 and 5: The story. Think of these paragraphs as the back cover blurb. Don't give the ending away. The idea is to provide just enough information to whet the editor/agent's appetite for more. If you compare these paragraphs with last week's post, you'll see that here is my blurb in the making. I have to write my own blurbs, and I had most of it done when I wrote the query.

Note, paragraphs 2-5 are normally combined into two paragraphs.

Paragraph 6: Your writing credentials. List whatever you have--organizations you belong to, contests you've won or finalled in, and any writing credits. Since this editor accepted Pumpkinnapper, she knows my work, so I left it out.

I'm looking for an agent for my full-length, and here's the writing credentials I use in that query letter:

I have three Regency novellas: LADY OF THE STARS (2009), PUMPKINNAPPER (2009), and MISTLETOE EVERYWHERE (2010) at The Wild Rose Press. Romantic Times Book Reviews awarded 4 stars to LADY OF THE STARS. LADY OF THE STARS is also a finalist in the EPIC 2010 EBook Competition.

And finally, please address the letter to a person, unless the submission guidelines tell you otherwise.

Thank you all,
Linda

MISTLETOE EVERYWHERE-Cover, Blurb and Excerpt

My Wild Rose Press editor sent my cover along with the edits for my Regency Christmas novella, Mistletoe Everywhere, so here are cover, blurb and excerpt. This blurb is slightly different from the one I posted before--my editor worked her magic and made it better.

BLURB:
A man who sees mistletoe everywhere is mad--or in love.

Charles sees mistletoe. Not surprising, since he's spending Christmas at Mistletoe Manor. But why does no one else see it? And why does it always appear above Penelope, the despised lady who jilted him after their last meeting?

Penelope wants nothing to do with the faithless Charles, the man who cried off after she accepted his marriage proposal. But he still stirs her heart--and he stares at her all the time. Or rather, he stares at the empty ceiling over her head…What does he see?

According to folklore, mistletoe is the plant of peace. Can Penelope and Charles, so full of hurt and anger, heed the mistletoe's message and make peace?

EXCERPT:
After Charles had heaped his plate with more food than he wanted, he took one of the empty places at the table bottom, as far from Penelope as possible.

His tensed muscles eased as he joked with his friends. Smythe made a comment and Charles turned to answer. He caught sight of Penelope…and a monstrous sprig of mistletoe over her head.

"Gordon? What is it?" Smythe swiveled in the direction Charles was staring. He looked up and down, and from one side to the other. "I say, with your mouth hanging open like that, you must see something spectacular, but damned if I know what it is."

With an audible click, Charles clamped his jaw shut. "I thought I saw…" He forced his gaze back to his companion. "Nothing. I imagined I saw mistletoe."

Smythe's eyebrows rose. "Mistletoe?"

"Yes. The house is named 'Mistletoe Manor', so the place is filled with mistletoe decorations. Pictures, wall hangings, ceiling trim, whatnot."

"Indeed." Smythe's eyebrows rose higher. "That 'mistletoe' you saw is over Miss Lawrence. Lovely little filly." His lips curved into a knowing grin. "My jaw dropped the first time I saw her, too."

Charles stiffened. "I was not looking at Miss Lawrence. I believed I saw mistletoe over her."

"'Mistletoe'." Symthe's grin widened. "Of course."

Thank you all,
Linda