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Holiday Kisses
 Posted by Autumn Jordon Dec 15 2011, 12:01 am in Christmas stories, Holiday Reads
I love reading historical Christmas themed stories. I don’t care where they’re set, in time or place. I love learning the traditions of other lands and the life style of people during past periods. Is there anything more romantic that a carriage ride through Victorian England on a snowy eve with the Duke of your dreams pulling your hand from your furry muff and warming it next to his heart? Or, cozier then a family hunkered down in a cabin on the plains of Kansas, stringing popcorn and Indian corn garland for the Christmas branch and sharing the Christmas story? I so admire the authors that research and write these stories. Keep them coming. I’ve read quite a few contemporaries too. Some have been totally inspirational and sweet. They pulled at my heart strings, made me choke up and most had a valuable lesson to be learned. Others were just fun and promised a romantic holiday again with a strong, handsome and good man. A few of the contemporaries bordered on silly, using Santa’s Village or some variation of as the setting and every character was named after the big man’s reindeer or had elf like traits. The one type of Christmas story I haven’t read is one with a futuristic setting. I haven’t seen one and wonder why? It sure would be interesting to see the future through the eyes of another. If you’ve read one, please let me know. My latest novel, In The Presence of Evil, is set during the holiday season. It’s a romantic suspense and yes, there are murders. The heroine and hero do triumph however and, in the end, spend a happy holiday. But, the goodwill of this season and inspired by my holiday good reads has me itching to try my hand at penning a traditional holiday tale. Normally, I surround myself with music and scents and visual aids (like pictures of villains, Glocks, and clenching couples) when writing my novels. Why not take advantage of the world now, right? So do you have a favorite Christmas read and has it inspired you to pick up the pen? Ps: IMHO A few great reads are; The Christmas Shoes, The Christmas Dog, So This Is Christmas (an anthology featuring our own Hope Ramsey) and An American Christmas. Happy reading! Share:
              
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What I love are the corny Hallmark and Life Time movies. Those are the ablosute best!! Probably my favorite part of the holiday season. More so than the holiday themed romance novels.
Holidya movies certainly put me in the holiday mood. I love watching them while decorating, baking and wrapping the gifts. Maybe their draw is escape while being hands free. I really need to check out some audio books. I wonder if they’d have the same appeal as the movies?
Thanks for commenting, Tia! I hope to see you in our Winter WritingFest which starts, January 11. (See details on Elisa’s post eariler this week)
Sorry for the typos. Cold fingers this morning.
You wont hear me complaining about typos (considering I’m infamous for mine) ha!!
(((HUGS))) lady.
I love those, Tia!!!! I’ve watched like seven so far. LOL. Dear Santa is my fav so far this year.
Oh, cool! I DVR’d this but haven’t watched it yet. Glad to know it’s good!
It’s super cute. I love the actress. She was Fred on Angel. LOL
Great post, Autumn. I’m with Tina. I really love the holiday made-for-TV movies. Sadly, I haven’t had time this year to do much reading other than editing my own work. But when I do read Christmas stories, I like an anthology, because at the busiest time of the year, a short read works best for me.
Yup, Laurie. I’ve read a few collections. I admire those who can write short–especially those who can pack it with an overload of emotion. There are not a lot holiday theme fulls out there.
I don’t usually read holiday themed books…maybe because after Thanksgiving it’s off to the races for me. And, honestly, I’ve not been reading much at all since I climbed aboard the Harlequin express. I’ve been pretty busy writing. But, I just put in a proposal for my first Christmas book. Last year I had a December book that ended beneath the Christmas tree, but much of it was set in autumn. This new one is totally Christmas and revolves around a Scrooge-like theme. I’m really excited to write it – will be even more so if it gets bought
I have been watching Christmas movies. To date, White Christmas and Muppets’ A Christmas Carol. My kids have A Christmas Story waiting in the wings, but I’m kinda over sitting and watching it. It’s a background movie for me.
So I’m looking forward to some murder and mistletoe from Autumn Jordan – or you’d probably do an edgy cozy mystery well. How about a Grinch take-off where all the decorations are destroyed, Christmas trees run over and presents stomped all by a lonely old miser who hates Christmas. Go ahead and set it in Whomville. LOL. Okay, I need more coffee
Liz, a Muppet’s Christmas Carol is one of my favorites, but my husband swears Beaker flips off Michael Caine as Scrooge when he refuses to donate to their charity. Made for great holiday debates with my then teenagers.
LOL. My husband rewinded it back for that very reason! We concluded that since Beaker doesn’t have five fingers, we couldn’t accuse him of flipping off Scrooge. But really, the man deserved the finger.
Oh, Liz, I’m thinking and plotting. I’d really like to give writing a holiday story a try. Thanks fot the plug!
ooh, a Liz Talley Christmas book with a Scrooge theme!!! Sign me up right now!
If I read a holiday-themed book, it’s usually completely by accident. For example, Jennifer LeBrecque has written a connecting series for Blaze set in the fictional town of Good Riddance, Alaska. The town is known for its quirky Christmas celebrations, but Christmas isn’t the focus.
I find most holiday-themed romance fiction to be a little too sweet for my taste. If J.R. Ward were to write a twisted & bloody Black Dagger Brotherhood holiday story, I’d be all over it.
I’m with your, sister. I’m reading one now Has be rolling my eyes. No, I won’t share the title. I’ve even stopped and thought about killing off the h&H. LOL.
Autumn, you are so timely. USA Today has a column of Christmas themed books, including Victoria Alexander’s His Mistress by Christmas “This Victorian yuletide romance provides erotic sizzle and delectably clever dialogue on every page.” and James Patterson’s The Christmas Wedding “All that’s missing is a bad Santa.” The one that really caught my eye was Alan Bradley’s I am Half Sick of Shadows, where an 11 year old girl investigates the murder of a famous actress while concocting a plan to capture Santa coming down the chimney.
Lots of good holiday reading this year.
Thanks, Kate. I downloaded Patterson’s last week–haven’t got to it yet. I’m really interested to see how he handles Christmas.
I enjoyed His Mistress by Christmas, Kate. Great read. Being a Christmas junky, no surprise there. And, last night, our one neighbor admonished his son to be good saying, “You know Santa lives across the street!” Hubble stood there smoking his pipe and nodding. Can you say big eyes? LOL
LOL. That is great. I can image the little eyes poppin’.
I LOVE holiday themed books!!! It’s a passion that started about three years ago for me. Now I can’t get enough of them. The first one I ever read was The Present by Johanna Lindsey. Loved that book!!!
I guess we’re so busy, we really need to escape into a world that is in a state of less kaos. Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll have to look that one up.
I haven’t read many holiday-themed books, but my current WIP is set over a holiday break at a private school. Might have to pick up a few good reads to get into the spirit!
There you go, Anne. I’ve been looking for that escape too. (((HUGS)))
I’ve a shelf full of holiday anthologies that I read over and over—as I said, a Christmas Junky! I wrote a Christmas novella years ago–a contemporary, believe it or not–and may have to resurrect it. Christmas always gives me a feeling of hope, no matter how bad things are, and the most wonderful things happen. Rarely a year goes by when something unexpected and wonderful doesn’t occur.
Campy and redundant as many of them are (not to mention poorly acted), I am wallowing in Christmas TV movies. Smokey Mountain Christmas, anyone?
Albert Finney’s Scrooge is a perennial fave as is the Muppet Christmas Carol. White Christmas has already graced our DVD player, and Holiday Inn, too.
Yep, it’s Christmas, and this gal’s smiling!
Holiday inn is my all time favorite. I remember the first time I saw it. I was pretty sick and the family had plans to tramp into the woods and bring back a tree. I couldn’t go. My dad carried the TV into my sister’s and my bedroom (Yes, there was one TV to household then)so I could watch a Christmas movie. I never forgot the movie.
My all time favorite holiday books are GIFT OF LOVE and HOLIDAY OF LOVE featuring novellas by Jude Deveraux, Judith McNaught, Jill Barnett, Arnette Lamb, Andrea Kane and Judith O’Brien. I’ve had them for years, and they are the ultimate comfort holiday reads.
And, yep, I’m a sucker for the cheesy made for TV movies too. Plus, I’ve already watched It’s A Wonderful Life. White Christmas and Holiday Inn will be next!
It’s a Wonderful Life is a staple at Christmas time!!!! Love so so much!
Oh, I love It’s A Wonderful Life too! Jimmy Stewart is so adorable. I don’t hear a bell ring without thinking an angels got recieved his or her wings.
Thanks for the suggestion. I need to make a trip to the library or B&N.
I love Christmas novellas!!!
My faves are always Mary Balogh’s, which tend to revolve around very similar scenes (it seems there’s always a mistletoe-and-holly-gathering scene in which the hero unbends by climbing a tree for the mistletoe or by riding on a sled, and often the hero and heroine tumble into the snow together, red-cheeked and laughing) but I enjoy the repetitions like any other holiday tradition. She often winds in themes of forgiveness and the rediscovery of love in a stagnant marriage, and I always sigh with happiness at the end.
Last year’s novella (or was it 2009??) was in the anthology THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS, which also introduced Courtney Milan. Grab that one if you can!
Awesome. They sound like just the type of stories I’ll love. I’ll definitely search them out. Thanks!
Wooooot – anything with Courtney Milan is a must-read for me. I popped over to Amazon and it’s winging its way to my Kindle as I type!
I read a lot of seasonal books – often lent to me by my mom or my aunt who both LOVE the holiday romance collections that come out every year. My favorite Xmas tales, though, are still A Christmas Carol & How the Grinch Stole Christmas – read ‘em every year. Which is probably why the one Christmas tale I wrote was all about the redemption of a baddie on Christmas Eve.
LOL. I hear you. If you think of another great holiday romance, please give me a shout. I’m always on the look out.
Don’t read a lot of holiday themed books for the same reason that most of you said- just a very busy time of year. I do tend to watch some holiday themed shows on the Hallmark Channel, like Tia, between Christmas and New Year’s. But I can’t remember the names of any of them. I just sort of zone out and enjoy watching.
The year, especially, they’ve been an escape for me. And, me too. I can’t wait to zone. Wait. I need to work on my plotline for the book I’m planning to tackle during the WInter WritingFest. Okay. Maybe I’ll zone for a day or two. WINK
Sorry to be so late, Autumn! I need to look up some of the titles you gals have mentioned! It’ll be so much easier to indulge once my Kindle shows up in my stocking.
Thanks for this! You helped me get into the spirit of Christmas.
No problem, Tina. Late is my middle name. Have fun with the new kindle. I love mine.
Another late straggler here! I haven’t ready any Christmas stories this season yet. Last year I had a classic Christmas movie binge — It’s a Wonderful Life and A Nightmare Before Christmas, and a few others. Hard to believe it’s *that* time of year again!