Twelfth Night with Susana Ellis…and 2 giveaways!

Regency romance author Susana Ellis is stopping by on her Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Tour to celebrate her newest release A Twelfth Night Tale. She’s brought with her some tidbits about the celebration of Twelfth Night and not one, but two giveaways!

Twelfth Night was the evening of January 5^th, the night before Epiphany (“Twelfth Day”), which marked the end of Christmastide. On Twelfth Day, Christmas greenery is taken down and burned in the fireplace, in order to avoid the penalty of an entire year of bad luck for everyone in the house.

Twelfth Night was the traditional night for wassailing (See December 15^th post), which was similar to caroling. “Twelfth Night Cakes” or “King Cakes” were served (See December 16^th post), which were baked with a bean and pea, the fortunate recipients of which would be crowned “King” and “Queen.”

It was also a time for masks and playacting, charades being a very popular game for the evening. Partners were chosen by gentlemen drawing ladies’ names out of a hat.

In A Twelfth Night Tale, Lucy and her best friend Jane Livingston, charged with planning the Twelfth Night party, were expressing concern about the numbers being unequal, with so many more “ladies”—the children were allowed to participate as well—than gentlemen, when Jane’s brother Andrew Livingston came in and offered a solution. (He seemed to “pop in” a lot when Lucy was there…hmm.)

A tradition customary of the Livingston family was to reenact the “lord of the manor” ritual from medieval times. The “lord and lady” (usually Mr. and Mrs. Livingston wearing period costumes) would welcome the wassailers (“peasants”) to their ballroom (decorated to appear as a medieval dining hall) and offer them food and drink as a gesture of goodwill for the New Year. This custom had ceased after Mrs. Livingston’s death several years ago, but this year, there seems to be a spark of Yuletide spirit in the air once again.

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Susana is going all out to celebrate the release of A Twelfth Night Tale! She is giving away a Twelfth Night Tale Christmas charm bracelet (silver-plated) for one random commenter here and on each of the other twelve stops of the tour.

As a grand prize, Susana is also giving away a treasure box full of goodies!

A Twelfth Night Tale Giant Treasure Box*

• lovely gift box
• A Twelfth Night Tale Christmas charm bracelet (silver-plated)
• Father Christmas figurine
• Three Wise Men figurine
• Thomas Kinkade photo collage
• Treasuring Theresa mug
• Treasuring Theresa necklace
• Treasuring Theresa keychain
• two Christmas ornaments from Scotland (Mary Queen of Scots and fleur-de-lys)
• two decks of Ellora’s Cave playing cards
• two perfumed soaps from Scotland
• fizzing bath salts from Scotland
• Celtic pen from Scotland
• “jeweled” soap
• nail clipper keychain from London
• stuffed toy bear

Click here for the Rafflecopter for the Giant Treasure Box!

*In lieu of the treasure box, a winner from outside the U.S. will receive a gift card from the book retailer of their choice.

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About A Twelfth Night Tale

A wounded soldier and the girl next door find peace and love amidst a backdrop of rural Christmas traditions.

Without dowries and the opportunity to meet eligible gentlemen, the five Barlow sisters stand little chance of making advantageous marriages. But when the eldest attracts the attention of a wealthy viscount, suddenly it seems as though Fate is smiling upon them.

Lucy knows that she owes it to her younger sisters to encourage Lord Bexley’s attentions, since marriage to a peer will secure their futures as well as hers. The man of her dreams has always looked like Andrew Livingston, her best friend’s brother. But he’s always treated her like a child, and, in any case, is betrothed to another. Perhaps the time has come to put away childhood dreams and accept reality…and Lord Bexley.

Andrew has returned from the Peninsula with more emotional scars to deal with than just the lame arm. Surprisingly, it’s his sister’s friend “Little Lucy” who shows him the way out of his melancholy. He can’t help noticing that Lucy’s grown up into a lovely young woman, but with an eligible viscount courting her, he’ll need a little Christmas magic to win her for himself.

Available at: Ellora’s Cave • Amazon • Barnes & Noble •Kobo

All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

A Blush® Regency romance from Ellora’s Cave

Chapter One

The Barlow Home

near Charlbury, Oxfordshire

23 December 1813

“It’s so kind of you to call, Lord Bexley. The flowers you sent are simply lovely, are they not, Lucy?”

Unable to miss the warning tone in her mother’s voice, Lucy sat up straight in her chair and smiled sweetly at their caller.

“Oh yes indeed. They are undoubtedly the most beautiful I’ve ever received, my lord.”

Of course, she did not mention that they were the first flowers she’d ever been sent by a gentleman. And considering that there were few opportunities to meet eligible gentlemen in the quiet little neck of the woods where the Barlows resided, the arrangement was quite likely to remain the only floral tribute to come her way.

Her caller beamed with pleasure. “They were the best I could find at the florist, but of course they cannot hold a candle to your beauty and sweetness, Miss Barlow.”

Lucy swallowed and forced herself to reply. “You embarrass me with your flattery, my lord.”

“Not at all,” he insisted. “You were quite the belle of the Christmas Ball last evening, Miss Barlow. I was much envied to be allowed the honor of two dances with you when so many gentlemen had to be turned away.”

The “Christmas Ball” was merely a small celebration at the local assembly rooms. Her mother had encouraged her to favor Lord Bexley, but in truth, Lucy herself had not found him objectionable. He was an accomplished dancer and quite distinguished-looking, in spite of the fact that he had at least twenty years over her.

At eighteen, she was of an age to be out in society, and Lord Bexley, a wealthy widower from Warwickshire, was undoubtedly the most eligible gentleman in the county. Recently out of mourning, he was seeking a new wife and a mother to his three children, and as Mrs. Barlow kept telling her, Lucy should be flattered that he seemed to be favoring her for the role.

Well, she was flattered. Wasn’t she? The number of young ladies far exceeded that of eligible gentlemen, and she didn’t wish to be left on the shelf. With her family in financial difficulties and four younger sisters to be married off, Lucy knew she owed it to them to marry well and do what she could to find her sisters suitable matches as well.

She was prepared to do her duty and make the best of it, but somehow, when she thought of marriage and children, it was not the kindly Lord Bexley who came to mind. It was the face of the strapping, dark-haired Adonis with laughing gray eyes who lived on an adjoining estate with his younger sister—her bosom friend Jane—who had teased her unmercifully from the time she learned to walk. She couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been in love with Andrew Livingston—she’d even asked him to marry her at the age of five when he’d been twelve and about to leave for Eton. He’d laughed and quipped that it would be like marrying his sister, and she’d nursed a broken heart ever since.

She sighed as she frequently did when she thought of Andrew and his affianced wife, and her mother glared at her. Fortunately, Phillips wheeled in the tea cart and Mrs. Barlow’s attention was mercifully diverted.

“Please do the honors, Lucy. An excellent opportunity to practice your housewifely skills.”

Lucy flushed. Could her mother’s intentions be more obvious? But Lord Bexley did not seem to notice. He smiled kindly at her somewhat shaky inquiry as to his preferences, and thanked her graciously when she brought him his tea and a plate of cherry tarts.

“Quite charming,” he commented as he regarded her with obvious approval. It was unclear whether he was speaking to her or to her mother, and Lucy wasn’t sure how to respond.

Fortunately, there was a shriek followed by the sound of fierce arguing from the back rooms of the house. Lucy turned instinctively to the door, which was promptly thrust open and filled by the figure of her sister Lydia, who was breathing hard and wringing her hands in agitation.

“Do come, Lucy! Lila and Louisa are having one of their rows again, in the kitchen of all places. Lila broke one of Cook’s mixing bowls, and Cook swears she’ll leave if someone doesn’t stop them and you know you’re the only one who can, Lucy!” She flushed when she saw Lord Bexley and her mother’s angry face. “Oh…pardon me, I didn’t realize we had a guest.” She backed out into the hall, shooting Lucy a pleading look as she did so.

Relieved for an excuse to terminate the social call, Lucy muttered her excuses and scrambled out of the room. But not before she heard her mother’s mortified apology and Lord Bexley’s soothing reply that he found it quite agreeable to discover a young lady so accomplished in the maternal skills.

Goodness, he really was intent on courting her! She should be flattered. She was a sensible girl, and it was pointless to set her cap at Andrew Livingston, in any case. Lord Bexley would be an excellent match for her. His three daughters could not possibly be as troublesome as her two youngest sisters, after all.

She gritted her teeth and hurried to the kitchen, the ineffectual Lydia as usual trailing behind her. The second eldest Barlow daughter was as helpless as their mother at controlling the two youngest children. When Lucy married and left the house, as she would in time, her bookish middle sister Laura was going to have to take up the reins.

About the Author

A former teacher, Susana is finally living her dream of being a full-time writer. She loves all genres of romance, but historical—Regency in particular—is her favorite. There’s just something about dashing heroes and spunky heroines waltzing in ballrooms and driving through Hyde Park that appeals to her imagination.

In real life, Susana is a lifelong resident of northwest Ohio, although she has lived in Ecuador and studied in Spain, France and Mexico. More recently, she was able to travel around the UK and visit many of the places she’s read about for years, and it was awesome! She is a member of the Maumee Valley and Beau Monde chapters of Romance Writers of America.

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Susana’s Parlour (Regency Blog) • Susana’s Morning Room (Romance Blog)