Travel to Somerset, England for your
Holiday Season!
Out Sept 27th – Regency Romance,
A Kiss At Christmastide by Christina McKnight
Follow the blitz and enter to #win one of 5 signed
copies of Christmas Ever More by Christina McKnight
Title: A Kiss at Christmastide
Author: Christina McKnight
Genre: Regency Historical Romance, Christmas
Release Date: Sept 27, 2016
Lady Pippa Godfrey has suffered the most ruinous London Season. She escapes to her Somerset estate for a quiet Christmastide holiday with her family, away from society’s prying eyes. But before her parents can join her, a storm crashes down on Somerset to destroy any hope of Pippa’s white Christmas dream. The roads have flooded and travel is impossible, leaving her stranded and alone. But a muddied, angry and devilishly handsome lord appears at her door demanding shelter.
Lucas Hartfeld, the Earl of Maddox, has been summoned by his parents, the Marquis and Marchioness of Bowmont, to attend a holiday party in the wilds of the country, far from his London townhouse. He suspects they command his attendance for far different reasons than a simple country party. When a storm strands his carriage, he’s forced to seek shelter at the only home for miles around, a local manor called Helton House.
When Lady Pippa is reluctant to admit him, he does what he’s been raised to do—demand she provide him and his servants with shelter until the storm passes. But the beautiful woman draws his interest far more than he’s willing to admit. Can Lucas find a way out of the predicament his parents are planning?
As Lady Pippa scrutinizes another arrogant, demanding lord, she is bombarded with memories of betrayals in her past. Can she forget those difficult life lessons to claim a Christmastide kiss from a perfect stranger?
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GUEST POST Q & A
What was your favorite part about writing the book and is there a character you had the most fun with?
A Kiss at Christmastide brought together a couple who likely would have never met in London. Lady Pippa is more of a bookworm—a woman who enjoys reading of long ago fables before a roaring fire and being close to her small family. Lucas, the Earl of Maddox, is a rakehell and man used to living life on his own terms, answering to no one.
In a crowded London ballroom, Pippa would have stayed close to her mother’s side and spoke demurely with other misses and their mothers. She would have graciously accepted to dance with men of her father’s choosing, keeping the conversations to appropriate topics such as the drizzly weather.
On the other hand, Lucas would have holed up in the card room, only leaving his place to seek out his latest conquest; a comely widow or a woman of questionable morals. He would not give a care in the world if he consumed too my spirits—there was no one he sought to impress and no person daring enough to comment on his behaviors.
But that all changes when Lucas’ carriage throws a wheel and becomes stuck in the mud during a violent storm only days before Christmas. He is drenched, angry, and has a bloody horrible headache, when he is forced to seek shelter at Lady Pippa’s country manor in Somerset. There is no tavern close by nor willing and wanton females. Lucas has no other option but to play by Lady Pippa’s rules or insult her gracious hospitality. With time on his hands as the storm rages on around him, Lucas must come to terms with his wounded past—and determine what he truly wants for his future.
A Kiss at Christmastide forces Lucas, an alpha hero, to take a moment and enjoy the simple things in life; cooking a holiday meal, decorating the foyer with holly and ribbon, and, possibly the simplest joy of all, giving to those who are less fortunate.
Excerpt
Pippa pushed her hair away to continue with instructing the servant to the nearest inn. “Your lord will be far more comfortable…”
The wind whipped the last of her hair from her face to reveal not the servant from before, but a tall, very tall, broad-shouldered, very broad-shouldered, man—that was all Pippa saw of him as her glance locked on his chest. He was drenched, with his shirt plastered to his enormous width. It hadn’t been the wind that had knocked the door from her hands and allowed the storm access to her home, but the man before her.
And he was fuming mad—his nostrils flared as water dripped from his hair and he stared at her pointedly—not bothering to mask his aggressive stance.
“Were you truly going to turn away a man in need of shelter?” his voice boomed.
Pippa gasped, taking yet another step back. She glanced quickly over her shoulder, hoping the noise had awoken one of her servants, abed on the third floor of the house. But none came running to aid her.
“I knew I was venturing to the depths of hell when I agreed to come all this way from London, but are manners not taught in the wilds of Somerset?” The man ran his hands down the front of his shirt, pushing the water from his body to pool on the floor beneath him. “My servants will need space in your stables. I thank you for…” he eyed her up and down before continuing. “…your hospitality, my lady.”
He bowed before Pippa with his last words and his breath caressed her body, making her acutely aware of two things; he smelled heavily of spirits and she was attired in a sheer nightshift that did not leave much to the imagination.
Christina McKnight is a book lover turned writer. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to tell her own stories. She’s been writing ever since.
Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.
