Escape into ten tempting stories of the holiday season! Roguish lords and lovely ladies find their happily-ever-afters amidst the warmth and glitter of a historical Christmas. Whether you prefer a dashing spy, a haughty prince, or a scoundrel who is more than he seems, the lord you're looking for is just a page turn away… A FIRST FOOTER FOR LADY JANE (*mild) Jennifer Ashley When Grandfather MacDonald predicts Lady Jane will marry this year’s First-Footer–the first guest into the house on Hogmanay—she dismisses the notion. Her childhood sweetheart is fighting on the Peninsula, and she can’t imagine marrying anyone but the staid Major Barnett. But when the clock strikes midnight, and Hogmanay begins, a knock at the front door changes Jane’s life forever. LORD LOCRYN AND THE PIXIE’S KISS (*mild) Deb Marlowe When is a kiss actually a curse? When an irate Pixie forbids you to kiss the wrong girl — ever. A DUKE BY ANY OTHER NAME (***hot) Claire Delacroix The Duke of Inverfyre disguises himself as a vain fop in order to catch a notorious jewel thief, which proves most inconvenient when he meets a lovely maiden who might steal his heart under other circumstance. But Daphne Goodenham is not deterred by his outrageous clothing and foppish manner. Is she a fortune hunter indifferent to appearances, a perceptive lady who sees his hidden truth, or an ally of the villain? At the very least, she is a perilous and untimely distraction... A COUNTERFEIT CHRISTMAS SUMMONS (*mild) Ava Stone Lady Emma Whitton has decided its time to take her future in her own hands. She has been in love with Viscount Heathfield since she was in leading strings. Unfortunately, it's been almost that long since she's laid eyes on her brother's old friend and vice versa. Tired of waiting for him to remember her, Emma pens a holiday invitation (in her brother's hand) to Heathfield and waits as patiently as she is able for her one true love to arrive… LADY HOLLY’S JOLLY CHRISTMAS (**medium) Nadine Millard Lady Holly has no interest in the Christmas season, and hasn’t since the tragic death of her mother. The widowed Earl of Stockton has as much reason to despise the season as Holly does. But fate and the arrival of a mysterious old lady have plans for these two. Will Lord Stockton learn to open his heart? And will Lady Holly finally have a jolly Christmas? CHRISTMAS KISSES (*mild) Nicole Zoltack Lady Anna has her sights on a scoundrel of a duke. Her mother insists on Anna befriending a marquess’s son, a man Anna finds far too rude. Is either gentleman the right one for Anna? THE DUKE WAGER (***hot) Eve Pendle Her family's Christmas eve bankruptcy means aspiring doctor Miss Tamara Patterson must save them with a marriage to a wealthy man. Any man except her longtime nemesis, The Duke of Newton. Until he offers her a wager she can't refuse… A PRINCE FOR YULETIDE (*mild) Anthea Lawson Miss Eliana Banning attends the Midwinter Masque. There, she meets a gentleman in wolf’s clothing who might prove to be her heart’s desire…or her worst enemy. RESCUED BY A CHRISTMAS KISS (**medium) Larissa Lyons Seeking shelter from danger during an ice storm, an unemployed companion barges in on an unsuspecting widower. Thanks to his mischievous, superior cat, love blooms during the topsy-turvied days before Christmas. MAKING MERRY (*mild) Erica Ridley Holiday romance blossoms in Christmas, England, between theatre director Miss Estelle Blaire and Marlowe Castle solicitor Mr. Aaron Thompson… discover the 12 Dukes of Christmas series with this prequel novella! A NOTE ON THE HEAT LEVELS: * One star = mild. Kisses ** Two star = medium. More than kisses, but not all the way. *** Three star = hot. Open door steamy scenes.

The delightful Father Tom Christmas returns, and the cozy hamlet of Thornford Regis comes to life, in C. C. Benison’s witty, beautifully written series that is “a must-read for lovers of classic English mysteries” (Kirkus Reviews). Although Father Tom Christmas serves his little church in enchanting Thornford Regis with a glad and faithful heart, he never expects to find himself skydiving to raise money for it. Nor, safely back on the ground, to see two of the other divers leap from the plane, then tangle in a midair punch-up and begin falling to the earth. To say that there is tension between the men in question—Oliver, the 7th Marquess of Morborne, and his brother-in-law Hector, the 10th Earl of Fairhaven—would be an understatement. But the trouble among this ancient landed family really began a generation ago, when a marquess divorced his first spouse to marry his brother’s wife, fathering in his two marriages a viper’s nest of arrogant young aristocrats. Now they have all turned up for the show to witness this shocking event in the sky. Thankfully the men land safely, but death will not be slighted. Much to Father Tom’s dismay, he later discovers Lord Morborne lying deceased on castle grounds. Rumors of bigamy, art forgeries, and upstairs/downstairs intrigue fly. So do whispers of unvicarly behavior between Tom and Oliver’s beautiful half-sister, Lady Lucinda. In fact, the vicar may be headed for a very hard landing of his own. C. C. Benison gives a virtuoso performance in this gripping new puzzle, a compelling and wise holiday mystery with the irresistible allure of hot tea and warm scones on a cold winter’s day. Praise for C. C. Benison’s Father Christmas mysteries Ten Lords A-Leaping “A strong mystery reminiscent of P. D. James, with many well-developed characters, local color and a sensitive, intelligent investigator.”—Kirkus Reviews “An affable lead with a sympathetic backstory anchors Benison’s carefully crafted third Father Christmas mystery. . . . Readers will hope that Christmas will keeping detecting past the partridge-in-a-pear-tree volume.”—Publishers Weekly “This leisurely paced, English-country-house mystery has multiple plotlines and plot twists as Tom finds a long-lost relative of a friend and solves several mysteries.”—Booklist Eleven Pipers Piping “Benison uses the claustrophobia of village life to great effect, making the series a psychologically astute pleasure for fans of traditional cozies.”—The Washington Post “Smashingly clever . . . Readers will be crazy about this vicar.”—Library Journal “A great whodunit in the best British tradition.”—The Globe and Mail Twelve Drummers Drumming “A crime novel that Agatha Christie might have been justly proud to claim as her own.”—Margaret Maron “Benison does an admirable job balancing humor with suspense. . . . Father Christmas’s first case leaves you eager for his next.”—The Wall Street Journal “Splendid . . . an intelligent and empathic protagonist and skillful prose make this a winner.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Journal of Bloglandia, volume 1, issue 1, is a collection of the following blog essays: On Essays by Paul M. Rodriguez, Liberal Fascism: An Interesting Moral Question by Steve Gimbel, Paint Splatters & Pixie Dust by Dan Kelly, Ten Dates of Christmas? Ten Lords A Leaping: The Gallant Mariner by Deborah Teasdale, Vanity by Susan O'Doherty, The Pillory of Hillary by Becki Jayne Harrelson, Reparation... by TJ Bryan, Richer Than The Sum Of My Skirt by Birdie C. Jaworski, The Music's Between Us by Kathy Moseley, How to Scare People With Statistics by Tom Good, Red Lipstick by Eva Lake, Barbarella: A Woman of her Time? by Patti Martinson, An Invert's Manifesto by Chad Denton, Roadtripping by Molly Kiely. Enjoy!

The House of Lords will never be the same again. Disinclined to watch her language or moderate her manners, Jack Troutbeck, assisted by her old friend Robert Amiss, plots vigorously with others to scupper an anti-hunting bill of which she violently disapproves. But she hadn't reckoned with the campaign of intimidation mounted by the animal activists and the attempt on the life of one of her allies, shortly followed by scenes of horrifying carnage amongst the peers...

How did Sunday become the "Sabbath Day?" Why did St. Valentine become the patron saint of lovebirds? Most people happily participate in Mardi Gras, Halloween, and St. Patrick's Day with very little knowledge of the origins and meanings of those celebrations. Greg Tobin unearths the religious roots of the seemingly secular, offering historical trivia and the sometimes bizarre origins of the days throughout the year that bring people together. In these pages, readers will discover that: - Jesus was not born on Christmas Day. - The Easter Bunny is a deeply pagan tradition that simply could not be suppressed by the Church. Same with Easter eggs. - Mother's Day falls in early May, the month dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Christ and the Catholic symbol of motherhood. - Saint Patrick is not only the patron saint of Ireland but also Nigeria. and much more!

An illustrated collection of Christmas poems, stories, and songs.

12 Days - 12 Off-Worlders 12 Off-worlders work at their own embassies here on Earth. Understanding humans continues to be a problem. A study group must be the right solution. Until a wacky human instructor assigns a silly Christmas song for homework. Each off-worlder must interpret a verse and present their findings to the group. A heartwarming collection of connected stories. Readers who love humorous science fiction need to pick this one up today!