What’s better than Christmas? A Christmas with a hunky Highlander, of course. And today Sophie Renwick is giving us exactly that so please welcome her warmly and with much gratitude. 😉
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A special thanks to Beverley for allowing me to blog at The Season. Tis, the season, it’s perfect, don’t you think? What can be better than a hunky Highlander surrounded by snow, the Highlands, and the promise of love at Yuletide?
When my publisher invited me to be part of this anthology, I only wrote erotic contemporaries for them under the pseudonym, Sophie Renwick. But my savvy editor knew that I was published with Harlequin Spice writing erotic historicals as Charlotte Featherstone. She also knew my parents were from Scotland. And that’s how my novella Yuletide Enchantment in A Highlander Christmas came into being.
Despite having never written a Scottish set historical, or a virile, strapping Highland hero, my editor felt that my background would pull through, and save the day! And boy did it ever!
You see, my grandparents were married on Christmas Eve, during the fiercest fighting of WWll. My gran, who I adored, was instrumental in telling me all kinds of thrilling stories, from old Scottish fairy tales, to the heart warming story of how she first met my grandfather—skating on a frozen pond with her sisters. They skated by, and he whistled. To which she gave a glare for the impertinence, and pretended offence, while secretly hoping he’d do it again! That story always makes me smile, because my gran was a diminutive little thing. She was very prim and proper, and had a temper like a spit fire. But never with us. With us, she was the grandmother of dreams. I remember the contents of her purse consisted of nothing but Kleenex, lipstick, and sweeties—which she gave to us, even when my mother said we had had enough. My grandfather on the other hand, was very charming, dark and handsome. He had a wild streak, which endeared so many people to him. His was the perfect foil to my grandmother. So, it is their story, in a way, that helped me to forge Isobel, and Daegan’s characters.
A Highlander Christmas
Authors: Sophie Renwick,
Dawn Halliday, Cindy Miles
Publisher: NAL Trade
Pub. Date: November 3, 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0451228727
336 pages
For centuries, a mystical family heirloom–the MacDonald clan pin–has been passed down through the generations, helping each owner find her heart’s desire.
Sophie Renwick
In Yuletide Enchantment, Isobel MacDonald is spending Christmas at her ancestral Highland estate when she loses her treasured clan pin in the woods. The enigmatic Price Daegan offers his help in finding it—but the stranger’s charms are more powerful than she imagines.
Dawn Halliday
In Winter Heat, a lost beauty melts the cold heart of a Jacobite warrior… Stranded in a blizzard, Maggie MacDonald is rescued by Highland warrior Logan Douglas. But a tempest of another kind brews when Logan discovers that Maggie has been promised to a cruel suitor.
I knew this novella would be a prequel to the first book in my Immortals of Annywn series (Velvet Haven March 2010) But more than that, I wanted it to be magical. To capture the essence of the stories my grandmother used to tell me about faeries, and enchanted woods and the promise of love everlasting.
My roots are very special to me. Even now, I tell my daughter the same stories my grandmother told me, and my mother has now become the granny with the purse full of Kleenex and sweeties.
When my author copies of A Highlander Christmas arrived, I got a bit teary eyed, as well as nostalgic. I suppose there is nothing like Christmas to bring out the warm fuzzy memories of a time gone by. I always think of my grandparents on Christmas Eve, wondering what it was like to pledge your love to someone on that magical night (they were married in the evening!) I suppose this, more than anything, made me want Daegan and Isobel’s love to flourish on Christmas Eve. And I’m happy to say, that in the magical, enchanted grove in Annwyn, Daegan and Isobel were united in that perfect union of souls! I remember feeling an enormous amount of satisfaction, and dare I say…the warm fuzzies when I wrote The End.
What about you? What seasonal memories make you feel the warm cosies? For sharing your memories with me, I’d like to offer a signed copy of A Highlander Christmas to a randomly chosen commentor.
May the blessings of the season be upon you.
The seasonal memories for me will be when we celebrate Eid. All of family will come to my parents’ house (since my father is the older in his family). Eats, drinks, gather around. it always fun !!
Hi Sophie
I have heard so much about this book and it is on my must have list I love Scottish stories and I love Christmas time.
Christmas memories are so great aren’t they I live in Australia and our Christmases are always very hot but I still cook the big traditional English lunch I make Christmas cakes and boiled Christmas puddings in the cloth and for me the smell of them cooking always brings back memories af fantastic Christmases with the family I have 4 grandchildren of my own now and look forward to many memories with them.
Have Fun
Helen
I have many great memories of putting up and decorating the tree. I also remember how we always open the presents at midnight when we were kids.
Hi Sophie,
Oh I love your sharing of your memories. I’m sitting here with tears. ( happy ones) What a wonderful and loving memory you have of your grandparents. And passing them on is so important. I have been reading about this book for a bit now and since my first love in reading is Scotland and those beautiful Highlanders. 🙂 This has been on my TRL and I ‘ll keep my fingers crossed.
My memories are now of past Christmas’s and my 2 brothers and Mom who aren’t with us anymore.
My memories are all wonderful because Christmas was so important to all of us so I always fall back on those magical moments when we were all together during the holidays.
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com
I love putting up the Christmas tree and baking peanut butter kiss cookies. And visiting my relatives.
And listening to Christmas songs! And opening presents, and giving presents! 🙂
“A Highlander Christmas” looks fun and magical and Christmassy! I’d really love a copy of this book for Christmas!!
Hi everyone! Thanks for dropping by! So glad everyone seems to be talking about A Highlander Christmas! For me, that Highlander on the cover is rather….yummy! 🙂
Mariska, may ask what is Eid? (excuse my ignorance)
Helen, greetings Down Under! I love your traditions. Christmas being hot? I can’t imagine it! Not here, anyway, living in the Great White North!
Hi Jane and Sandra! Oh, I love putting up the tree. Our family tradition was that my dad sat on his chair with a glass of Drambuie and watched us kids and my mum decorate the tree, and then, at the very last, he was asked to put the angel on top. My husband has carried on the tradition, but being a typical Cannuck, his choice of libation is a beer! I never could talk my mum into opening presents Christmas Eve, though!
Carol, memories of Christmases past can be such fun!
Good luck everyone!
Hello!
I’ve been thinking about getting your book for awhile and this might have sealed the deal. I absolutely love! the cover. I have saved on my desktop. ^^
I would have to say memories of celebrating the holidays with my Aunt Bev makes me feel all warm and cozy. My Aunt always went out of her way to make every holiday special. Whether it was making sure everyone came or using the special “glasses” for dinner. This Thanksgiving and Christmas is going to be the first ones without her since she passed away from cancer awhile back in the year. So these memories will always be some of my favorites.
I was very, very lucky to have wonderful holdiays with my family. My mother and I lived with her parents, and the four of us were a “family unit”. Mama could sing and play piano. She said she “played by ear”. I always teased her about adding extra notes to the music! My grandmother was the greatest cook ever, and we had so many good things to eat! My grandfather was a “Christmas Tree Specialist”. He and I always picked out the tree, and he very precisely added the lights. Then we added the ornaments (and I mean all the ornaments). The silver icicles had to placed on the tree one by one. More than once, I got scolded for throwing little handfuls of icicles at random. Hey…I was a kid! I have to admit, they were beautiful trees. Paw Paw knew what he was doing! He also taught me that if you have more than you need, you have enough to share. He worked with a man who had a large family, so I passed some of my clothes and toys along to them each year. My Granny filled the house with edible delights. Fruitcake, fudge, cookies, country ham, homemade rolls, pies, turkey & dressing, mashed potatoes & gravy, veggies & salads…how could we even move! We also had a “gumdrop tree”. Our stockings were filled with tangerines, peppermints, nuts and chocolates. The scent of Christmas is truly a magical fragrance! I love Christmas, and I carry the spirit of Christmas in my heart all year long. Remember the reason for the season.
Hi Sophie. What precious memories!
I love all things Scotland and traditional folk tales so your story sounds wonderful.
Christmas is all about family and being an American with Scottish heritage, family tartans often find their way into my holiday decorating. I have a bag piping Santa I always display on the mantle draped in Robertson and Henderson plaids and even the angel atop the tree has a tartan dress.
Happy Holidays.
Hi Sophie! Every Christmas Eve my family and I watch “Christmas Vacation” and laugh so hard our sides ache. I look forward to it every year, along with my mother’s homemade pecan pie.
Jedisakora, I’m sorry your aunt won’t be with you, but you’ll find that her spirit lingers with you!
Ginger, you’ve got the same fun memories of grandparents that I have! Grandparents can have such a profound effect and influence on a child’s life. I mean, hey, my dad is known to jump on the bed, and eat chips in bed with my daughter. Now, when we were kids….that’s a whole other story!!!!
Hi Chloe!!! Our family clan and tartarns are MacAlpine, Hastie and Walker. And I’d luuuv to find a piping Santa! My dad and brother play the bagpipes.
Jennifer, OMG, Christmas Vacation! Yes, we watch everyyear, and OMG, Uncle Eddy, he kills me, especially that part when he’s out in the robe, with that cigar and the sewage hose from this trailer….classic!
Hi Sophie,
Welcome! I loved reading the post when you sent it yesterday. I’m going to sound corny but it’s so heartwarming. Sigh. I can’t win the book which means I’ll have to hunt it down. 😉
The one thing we do every Christmas is watch It’s a Wonderful Life and When Harry Met Sally. I LOOOOVVVEEE those two movies. And morning breakfast is always freshed baked whole wheat bread. Yum. My son is young so Santa exists and we must have the cookies and milk for hard working Santa.
I’ve had this book on my wish list and can’t wait to get a copy. It looks really good and just the thing to read on a cold day!
Holiday memories – well, all my immediately family now live close to each other – more or less – so we’ve all finally been able to get together for the holidays. I enjoy Thanksgiving for that reason – everyone brings a dish, the house fills up with family and friends who might otherwise not be doing anything special. And I get to send home all those decadent desserts with all the visitors 🙂
Hi Bev! Thanks for having me. I just love The Season! Santa….sigh…my daughter has just recently decided that Santa is mum and dad. But, I suppose I should be grateful it lasted this long. She’s just a little over ten!
Christmas breakfast…ours is always 12th Night Scones, with butter, and clotted cream (an indulgence I never skip!) and toad in the hole. My husband always laughs at this, but not quite as much as when we have ‘sotted dick’…. 😉 For those that don’t know, no, I’m not being perverse, it really is a dessert. It’s a spongy type bread pudding with currants and raisins and spices, and my mum serves it with custard!!!
Susan, welcome! I love food and recipes, and Christmas just let’s you go whole hog, does’t it! I like it when the holidays are just relaxed, and you can sit back and indulge. Stress is just a downer for me, and I try just to go with the flow!
err, that should have been spotted dick……. which, for gentle readers, could be worse!
My favorite Christmas memories are from my childhood before my parents divorce. We would go to my grandparents on Christmas Eve, which is also my Mother’s birthday, and open presents. My Grandmother would make a ton of cookies, cakes, pies, and finger foods. Way more than enough for the 9 people in our family. Then we would sing carols while my Mother played the piano.
Now we still get together, but it isn’t the same. There are now 14 of us (including 4 little ones) and it is just mass chaos. I wish that my children could have that same Christmas Eve experience that I had as a child.
my favorite memory is having my brother wake me up at the crack of dawn when we were kids.
I don’t remember exactly when the tradition started, but all the families in the state would converge in one house for an evening to open presents, stuff ourselves silly, and laugh boisterously. And since my Grandma had four brothers and four sisters, all of who married and had children…there were a lot of people in that one little house. This happens with less people now that many of us are grown and moved away, but I wouldn’t trade the memories for anything.
My best memory that makes me feel cozy is when I used to go to a friends house to play in the snow. We’d come in afterward and drink hot chocolate. 🙂
The first memory that comes to mind that gives me the warm cosies is stringing popcorn with my Grandma to decorate the tree. It would start out with the whole family stringing the popcorn, but by the end it was just me and Grandma stringing popcorn and drinking hot coco.
Sophie~ What are 12th Night Scones? AND, do you have/are you willing to share the recipe?
The Highlander on the cover of A HIGHLANDER CHRISTMAS is rather yummy, isn’t he? I’m not certain, but he could have violet eyes…. 🙂
As much as I’d LOVE to win a copy of this amazing book signed by you, I just won a signed copy from Cindy Miles, so PLEAS DO NOT enter me in the drawing, let someone else enjoy these 3 wonderful Highlanders!
And Everyone Else, if you don’t win the book here, and you haven’t already gotten it, you will definitely want to go find it at your local book store! Its a read that you DON’T want to miss!
Sophie~ I just checked out your site, and I can’t wait till March 2010!!! We get Bran’s story!!! Ok, sorry I’ll calm down now. LOL
Hi Sophie, nice blog!!! I LUV all things involving the holiday season!! Right now I’m seeing the stores decorated and hearing the music and starting to get in the mood. We decorate the wk-end after Thanksgiving. I will start reading my holiday books later this month too. I always have to watch diff holiday shows and movies and have holiday music playing here and in the car. I keep spiced cider cooking low on the stove and burn holiday candles daily. This has got to be the best time of the year, ever!!! Your book has gotten very good reviews and I would love to add it to my TBR pile!! Happy Holiday to you!!! Thanks, Sue
Hi guys, hubby is home for lunch. I’ll be back in a bit.
Dorothy, I’d love to share the receipe for 12th Night Scones. Shoot me an email at sophie@sophierenwick.com and I’ll give it to you. And Bran…yep, Bran arrives in March!!!
Hi Sophie! What a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing your memories with us. I absolutely love the Christmas Holiday season. It’s a wonderful time of year. Ever since I can remember, my family has gathered together to celebrate and enjoy one another’s company. It’s amazing how the family seems to grow with each passing year.
My parents and I always enjoyed watching the holiday shows. My favorite has always been A Garfield Christmas. I have passed this enjoyment onto my children and we look forward to watching the different holiday shows. We also take that time to talk about the meaning of Christmas and what Christ did for us. I am truly blessed in being able to pass this down to my children. Seeing their eyes light up Christmas morning is such a wonderful feeling.
Your story sounds wonderful and as I am particular to Scottish tales, this book is certainly on my TBR pile now!
Thanks for sharing this with us!
Shannon
My favorite memories are the ones still being made with my children, remembering what it was like growing up myself and holding close to my family, each day gets more precious than the last.
My favorite memories involve decorating the tree while listening to Christmas music, baking holiday treats with my Mom and Christmas morning with all the family.
My memories has to be when my whole family gets together to eat. We all are talking about anything and everything without having to worry about anything else.
Hey Sophie,
I agree there can be nothing better this time of year than a Highlander Christmas story. Thank you so much for sharing the story of your grandparents. It’s one of those loves stories that I would never get tired of hearing. I hope that you preserve that memory for your daughter.
Some of my fav holiday memories are the Christmas Eve’s we spent at my grandparents house. We would go over earlier in the day and sled down the hill they had in their backyard for what seemed like hours. Honestly I don’t know how we could be out in the cold that long, but we were inexhaustible. We would come in with snow caked all over our clothes then get changed for the holiday pictures. Every year all of my cousins, brother and sister (all 9 of us) would be together. They would take our pics standing in front of the fireplace with the sparkly stockings that my grandmother made for each one of us. Then have a family pic with our parents. I still love those photos 🙂 But I remember thinking at the time that taking the pics was a complete waste of time because we all wanted to get to the gifts.
I still have the stocking she made for me and use it each year. My brother and sister have children know and all of them have handemade stockings in the same style of the ones my grandmother made for each one of use. I love them. And while they take countless hours to make I hope they will cherish them as I do mine.
And while the stocking are not a clan pin I can understand the reasons why Isobel cherished it. I can’t wait to read this anthology so I am crossing my fingers that I am lucky enough to win. Congrats and definitely looking forward to Velvet Haven!
Hi Sophie,
I remember the excitement of waking up early on Christmas morning and going downstairs to look at all the presents under the tree when I was a kid.
My memories of past Christmases are great! We would go to my grandparents house for Christmas dinner every year as a child. My grandmother had about fifty grandchildren, a very large family. She would have a meal to feed them all. She would put newspapers on the floor and we would all set there to eat because she didn’t have enough room at the table for everyone. In later years we would got to my mother’s house for dinner with just our family, now we go to my sister’s house which was my mom’s house. Things have changed over the years but we still have dinner’s with our family, just a lot of them are gone now!
I just added another book to my must buy list!
I love Christmas anthologies. The magic therein appeals to the child that still believes anything can happen within the season’s special magic. Soon, I will be unearthing my stack and rereading them, one by one, to get my heart in the right place (some years I need it more than others!) Looks like there’ll be another added to my stack. Can’t wait.
This book sounds so good. I have added it to my TBR list. I need some new books to read in front of my fireplace with a log aflame on a cold winter night. Oh and hot chocolate goes with that scene.
The book sounds wonderful. I love Scotland historicals and, in fact, am working on my first one, a time travel which was inspired by my learning my grandfather’s name was Scottish and that he could well have been a Viking descendant.
My fondest memory of Christmas is of my two sisters and I sitting on the attic steps, wrapping presents to be put under the tree that night. There was always joy and excitement and the closeness of family.
Joan K. Maze
Hello Sophie!
I love Christmas and I can thank my parents, especially my mother for making it so very magical and special.
Thank you SO much for sharing your story of your grandparents….very sweet! I love hearing stories like that…what a treasure.
Here’s wishing you continued success and Happy Holidays, too!
family time, baking, pine smell, decorating the tree – too many seasonal memories to count!
My favorite Christmas memories are when my family all gathered at my sister’s house. She had the biggest place and has always done a wonderful j0b of decorating for the holidays as well as being a great cook. The best part, getting to eat and enjoy the family and not having to do anything but help clean up afterwards. I never had to bring anything but easy food (like rolls) because everyone knows I don’t cook :o) I now live across the country from my sister and miss those gatherings, especially at Christmas.
Family get togethers are my best memories. We are all so busy but at the holidays,we put it all away and have a good time.
The only ‘cold and cuddly’ seasonal memories me and my daughters have had was our Nov-Dec trip to New York, since it’s summer down here in Australia.
Some of my favorite memories involve decorating the tree while watching/listening to the animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer tv show. I don’t know exactly why, but that has been my favorite Christmas show since early childhood and it just isn’t Christmas without it. As a newer tradition, my husband and I, and now our daughter, attend the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas concert every year and have for the last 6 or 7. If I’m not in the spirit before then, I guarantee I will be afterwards!
Sophie, How did I not know you also wrote as Charlotte Featherstone. I must have ben wearing blinders. I haven’t picked up you new book but it is on my TBR list. What would give me the warm fuzzies is watching my favorite christmas shows with my kids at night, curled up and snuggly in blankets eating appricots, popcorn, cookies and drinking sparkling cider.
Zina
Wow, I did not know that either. I just finished reading Addicted and it was great. And of course The Art of Pleasure is on my keeper shelf. Looking forward to reading your new release!!!
My favourite Christmas memories are putting up the tree and decorating it while listening to classic Christmas music and drinking egg nog. Then spending the next four weeks in anticipation of Christmas Eve and day.
Going to midnight mass with my Mother’s family, then going back to my grandparents’ for a large brunch with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. We would open our presents when we got home because Santa had come while we were out (by then it was 2 AM or so). Smart on my parents part. We’d go to bed and everyone could sleep in the next morning. On Christmas Day, we went to my other grandparents’ house and had Christmas dinner with that set of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Made for a very full, wonderful day. We live too far away to do that now and I’m really sorry our children didn’t get to experience it.