The Widow's Christmas Surprise

                                   The Widow's Christmas Surprise

by Jenna Jaxon

 

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GENRE: Historical Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

The death of her husband has thrown Lady Maria Kersey’s future into doubt—and her heart into the arms of a man she cannot have. But Christmas with the Widows’ Club will bring choices—and surprises--that may change all her holidays to come . . .

 

Maria just gave birth to her first child, a beautiful daughter—but the event is shrouded in sorrow.  A month earlier, Maria’s husband, Lord Kersey, was killed in a duel under compromising circumstances. Worse, Maria’s failure to provide a male heir has stripped her of any hope of an inheritance. Scorned by the ton, one of her few allies is her late husband’s steward, Hugh Granger. Hugh is everything her husband was not—warm, charming—and penniless. . . .

 

Hugh has fallen desperately in love with Maria, but has little to offer but comfort. As their attraction becomes impossible to resist, Maria flees to London to spend Christmas with her dearest friends, a group of widows who lost their own husbands in the Battle of Waterloo. Little does she know the holidays will reveal a twist of fate she never expected—proving that the greatest Christmas gift is the magic of true love . . .

 

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NOTE: The book is on sale for $0.99.

 

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EXCERPT              

 

“I see the skating came back to you,” he steered them down the center of the frozen pond toward the bulrushes at the end, then turned to head back up the far side.

 

“It did–this is so marvelous–I did not realize how much I had missed it until I started to skate.” Maria’s excitement was infectious. He’d not thought of skating since last year, but now the thrill of the speed—almost like flying—seemed one of the most exhilarating things he’d ever done. “Take my hands like this.”

 

He clasped her hands, left in left and right in right, until they faced one another, then he began to spin them around, faster and faster until the world sped by at a dizzying pace.

Maria leaned her head back, laughing up to the cloudless sky, her face more beautiful than he’d ever seen it.

 

He slowed them down until they stood facing one another, panting. “I love you.” Hugh managed to get the words out before he sank his mouth onto hers.

 

The kiss was quick—they were still both gasping for breath—then a gulp of air, then he kissed her again. Longer this time, pressing against her even as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her to him. Another breath and he settled in for a lengthy kiss that he deepened, delving through her lips, into her mouth, tasting all the entrancing flavors that were uniquely her. God, he would never get enough.

A Word With the Author

 1.Did you always want to be an author?

   As a declared career path, no. I wanted to be a teacher, then a theater director. However, I always loved writing assignments in school. I wrote a short story in the third grade, Miss Priss Finds a Kitten (they say write what you know and I had cats and kittens galore at home), and a time travel short story for another assignment in 8^th grade. So even though I didn’t want to be an author…I really wanted to be an author.

2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.

 My first full-length novel, Only Scandal Will Do, had a rocky road to publication. I wrote it in about two months, and began sending out query letters to editors and agents. Forty-seven rejection letters later, I was beginning to think maybe I should just bite the bullet and self-publish. I got one acceptance letter, but I discovered it was from a brand new small publisher with no track record, who didn’t think the book needed editing at all. I told them thank you, but no (the hardest letter I’ve ever written) and continued to query it. Then one night I was in an online chat with the editor for Lyrical Press. I mentioned my book (I really wanted a big six contact, not a small press) and the editor, Mary Murray, asked me about it. After I told her the synopsis, she asked to read the first three chapters. So I sent it off and she asked for the full book. Then she made an offer for the book. And after much soul searching, I said yes. It was the best decision I ever made. Mary Murray was a fabulous editor. The book sold extremely well. And when Lyrical was bought by Kensington Publishing, that book went right along with the company. Four years later, I got my agent and Kensington bought my first print series, The Widows’ Club. And it all came out of the publication of that first book.

3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

  That would be Jo Beverley. I discovered her soon after I began writing historical romance and blew through all her Company of Rogues series, her medieval series, her Malloren series and all the others. Her Georgian Malloren series inspired me to write my second book, Only Scandal Will Do.

4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst?

  The best part of being an author is creating the story—the plot, the characters, the world of a time long ago. That is when I feel most creative—when I’m bringing that story in my head to life on the page.

  The worst part—the necessary evil—is marketing. It takes so much time away from writing, but you have to get the word out so readers will know about your books.

5.What are you working on now?

  I’m currently revising a book I wrote right after Only Scandal Will Do, so it’s been languishing for a long time and needs a lot of revision. Still, I like the story and want it to make its way in the world soon. Its current title is As Long As You’re Mine, set in late Victorian London, about a young lady who is so afraid of falling in love, she plots to have herself compromised by a young man she knows she doesn’t love. That plan goes awry and she ends up getting compromised by a different, very rakish, personable young man she’s terribly afraid she may fall in love with and become miserable because he doesn’t love her. I hope you see it on shelves or on Amazon sometime in the near future!

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Jenna Jaxon is a best-selling author of historical romance, writing in a variety of time periods because she believes that passion is timeless. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, Jenna has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories.

 

She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets--including two vocal cats, one almost silent cat, two curious bunnies, and a Shar-pei mix named Frenchie.

 

Blog:  www.jennajaxon.wordpress.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jenna.jaxon

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Jenna_Jaxon

Instagram: passionistimeless

TicTok: @jennajaxon1

 

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B2B8KLB3

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Jenna Jaxon will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway