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Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight by Grace Burrowes

Merry Christmas!
Well, Merry Christmas to Lady Louisa Windham, that is, whose story, "Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight" hits the shelves tomorrow. This is the sixth tale in the Regency series that will eventually include stories for all eight Windham sibings, and so far, this is the one that gave me the most trouble in the writing.

I should have expected that. Louisa, you see, has never really fit in. Her beauty is not the English rose variety, her intellect is not content with small talk and embroidery, and her passions--including her literary passions--are the kind to get her in trouble.

Fortunately  for Louisa, Sir Joseph Carrington has a soft spot for a lady on the margins, where he himself dwells. A mere knight who makes his fortune raising swine, he's tolerated by polite society because of his accomplishments under Wellington on the Peninsula. Then too, he's a widower with a pair of little girls who need a mother, and for somebody, he might be a suitable match... but surely not for a duke's difficult daughter?

And yet, when Louisa faces an untenable social contretemps, it's Sir Joseph who's on hand to solve her problems, even to the point of offering marriage.

And Louisa sorts him out too. His daughters are little scamps, whom Louisa finds delightful. Sir Joseph limps, except when he's waltzing with the woman he loves. Others consider him a dark, growling, taciturn man, but Louisa finds him handsome, and--how anybody fail to appreciate this?--a good listener.
The difficult part of this book was coming up with a problem to inflict on Louisa worthy of Joseph's heroic attentions. Louisa kept her own counsel about this, until I was ready to call Madam Editor and plead for Impossible Heroine relief, but then--like a Christmas gift--inspiration struck, and my, what tricks our Louisa got up to when nobody was looking!

If you'd like to read the first few chapters of this book, click here. Otherwise, leave a comment about the most unexpected, wonderful gift you ever received, and you might be one of two people to whom I'll send a signed copy of "Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight."  

Comments

  1. Grace's books are terrific and I'm really looking forward to this one.

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  2. Sounds delightful, Grace! And what a WONDERFUL way to start early on the Christmas season! I can't wait to read it! Everyone should have a Christmas Knight. Well, and a wolf and jaguar too, but...that's for another night!!!

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  3. Congratulations on another block bustin' best seller, m'lady! My most unusual, best gift? Remember back when film came in a little black plastic canister? Okay, keep that picture in mind. Husband always gave me something filmy and black for Christmas but after the kids came along, they sure weren't appropriate anymore so one Christmas he gave me a cute little knit night shirt. But inside was a screw inside one of those little film canisters. I still have it tucked away in the drawer with all those little black things that no longer fit!

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  4. Congratulations on another block bustin' best seller, m'lady! My most unusual, best gift? Remember back when film came in a little black plastic canister? Okay, keep that picture in mind. Husband always gave me something filmy and black for Christmas but after the kids came along, they sure weren't appropriate anymore so one Christmas he gave me a cute little knit night shirt. But inside was a screw inside one of those little film canisters. I still have it tucked away in the drawer with all those little black things that no longer fit!

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  5. Ruth, welcome, and thanks for stopping by. Glad you enjoy reading the books, because I surely do enjoy writing them--even when my heroines are stubborn.

    Terry--when is a feline of any description not a welcome gift?

    Carolyn--Hooboy! And I wonder what Favorite Cowboy's best Christmas gift was? Three of my brothers are born in mid-September, and my Mom's birthday is December 30. Go fig.

    And if I didn't say on the post, I will mail these two books anywhere in the world, folks.

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  6. One year for Christmas my husband bought me a strand of black pearls. I cried when I opened them! Before that year he had never surprised me with a gift. He usually asked me what I wanted and then bought whatever I had said.

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  7. Your books are definately "keepers" for me! I have waited patiently for this one to be released and would be thrilled to win an autographed copy!!!

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  8. My most surprised and wonderful gift was a sister born on Christmas day. About 5 years later Mom gave us another sister on December 23! We ended up a family with 9 siblings and many MANY wonderful Christmases.... but those 2 were the best!

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  9. When I was about 12 we had just moved to a housing project- we were poor but I didn't really know it. Everyone else had bikes but me. One day when I was at school, my father,who had just retired, drove the 7 or 8 blocks to the local Sears store, bought me a bike, and because it wouldn't fit in our car, drove back home, then walked back to the store and walked back back home pushing the bike. All with a bad hip from the Army. He died at 98 in 1990 as a much loved daddy and Poppy.

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  10. Rhi--what is it with us? We want a guy to listen, but we also want him to not have to be told everything. Hope those pearls still make you tear up.

    Betty--Wonderful to see you here! I'm told Louisa is a free selection option at Discover a New Love (AND you download The Coursthip there): Here's the link: http://bit.ly/SuiXYn

    Sheila, LOVE that story, and you probably had tons of fun on your bike.

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  11. I never really expected it, but I thank God for giving me the gift to understand my demanding, quick-tempered and imposing boss (Sorry boss). Made me cry once, but never gave up. Hallelujah!

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  12. My amazing wonderful husband of 32 years arranged a surprise party for my 50th birthday. I was completely surprised. And look like a big goober in the pictures for probably 5 minutes before I figured out what was happening. To top that, he flew my sister in from 1600 miles away. I had no idea. And as if he runs the airlines, he flight was perfectly timed for her to get there at just the right time. It was the most amazing of gifts.

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  13. Oh my goodness! I want to congratulate you on another wonderful hit! Don't you love those difficult characters that really make you think?
    Without a doubt, I am the luckiest girl twice over. Christmas 2006, my husband said as a statement of faith in my writing, he bought me my first laptop. I wore that baby out, so he got me this second one in 2011 for Christmas.
    Look forward to reading Lady Louisa's story!

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  14. Sounds like you had your hands full--a difficult heroine can bring any author to her knees but twin kids as well... you must have had a secret wish to punish yourself! Glad it all worked out in the end.
    Amelia

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  15. Lory--I am too old to be crying for any bosses, but a coworker got me going not long ago, and it made me re-appraise where things stood. Sorry your trail also included tears.

    krazymama--The goods one just get better, don't they?

    Julee--I wrote "Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish" because my editor and publisher believed I could get a decent book done on the double quick. So far, Sophie has gotten the most awards, raves, and stars. Faith does move mountains.

    Amelia, I didn't start off intending to write an eight siblings series. I thought three brothers would be a nice way to begin a writing career. By the time the decision was made to include the sisters, their personalities had already begun to take shape. As a writer, you eat what's on your plate, and if it's not what you ordered... revise your order.

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  16. What a delightful post, Grace, you've caught my interest and cannot wait to read to discover just what kind of trouble Lady Louisa got into :)Congrats on the release!

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  17. My best Christmas gift was my youngest daughter. I had complications and had to be induced sooner than expected. She came 2 weeks before Christmas and they sent her home in a stocking. My husband is good with photoshop, so he made a Christmas card that looked like she was hanging from the mantle with the caption "Christmas came early this year" almost 10 years later she is still an awesome gift. She's healthy,happy, sweet, and wickedly qucik witted.

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  18. Yay! Christmas books! The weather here just turned fall-ish so I'm really in the mood. best Christmas gift? Babysitting!

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  19. A trip to Europe was unexpected

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  20. Grace,
    This sounds like great fun! I love that your hero raises swine. Not your typical regency romance formula, for sure, which is exciting to see. :)

    Congratulations and best wishes!

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  21. I can't wait to read your latest, Grace! As usualy the covers are beautiful.

    One of my favorite present was a surprise. My dad picked my sister and I up from school and when we got home in our room was the biggest llarger than a human teddy bear! There were smaller presents nearby but we adored the teddy the most. We kept it for many years and I did some of my early reading sitting on its lap.

    Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  22. CH, thanks for dropping by. Louisa's trouble is literary... haven't we been there?!

    Brandy--My mother has good memories of the year my sister showed up on December 11. Fifty years ago, a lady spent at least a week in the hospital following a birth, and that meant neighbors, friends and family took care of her family while she had her lying in. Somebody took on the Christmas shopping for the four older siblings, did the wrapping, made the Christmas dinner, etc. Mom, FOR ONCE, got something of a break (if you can call caring for your fifth new born a break).

    Shana (aka BG's Mom), we hear a lot about sheep farming in the UK, but pigs have far more young at once, have two litters a year, don't need much territory to roam around on, and can turn a wider range of forage and scraps into useful food. Pigs are, in short, a more profitable bet, and Sir Joseph figured this out about two fortunes ago.

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  23. Last Christmas my Best friend bought me a Georgian lace lamp with a broken off stand, that was found in a house in The Circus ,Bath. Wrapped in a piece of silk that disitergrated and with it a 1847 farthing. we had so much fun thinking up stories has to how it got there. A friend made me a clip to attach it to my sittingroon wall and I look on it every day.

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  24. I am so looking forward to this book. I love Christmas regencies! One of my unexpected gifts is sitting on my lap right now, trying to get me to pay attention to him, not the keyboard. He is a Persian cat abandoned at the vet, and somehow he made his way to our house - and my lap!

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  25. I loved this book. I am embarrassed to admit that this is the first of your titles that I have read but I now have "The Heir" near the top of my TBR pile and I am looking forward to reading about the rest of the family. I think that the most unexpected and touching gift that I have received was from my boyfriend (now hubby) when I was getting ready to go away to college. He didn't like the places I was contemplating for housing...so he committed to helping pay for a place that was out of my budget. What a guy!

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  26. Aunt Nettie--WOW, what a find, and you know its exact provenance. Can you imagine other ladies sitting by the light of that lamp, thinking up stories...?

    Amanda Forester, I have many such gifts lining up on my sidewalk a chow time. Some become personal kitties, like Petey Pumpkin, an enormous long-haired black feline whose purr rivals a C-5A for volume. Had to put him in a book, of course.

    Elf, glad you enjoyed the book, and yes, the heroes among us keep their ladies safe, or try to. Glad you found your, er, keeper.

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  27. One of the most recent unexpected gifts I've received was a signed tribute print of Virgina Woolf by the artist Justin Hillgrove. I just love his work! I can't wait to read your newest work now that I finally have some spare time.

    kliu107 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  28. Kristy, somebody once told me that when I'm on my Right Path, the appropriate regalia will come to me--clothes, accessories, books, art, music. People give them to you, you find them in second hand shops you've visited a dozen times before. Your mom decides its time to pass something along she's had for years, and so on. Glad you have your print!

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  29. I would love to be entered to win this one! Not a Christmas gift, but an anniversary trip to New Orleans for our 30th.

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  30. Can't wait to read this one, Grace!

    The the most unexpected, wonderful gift I've ever received was being asked by my sister to go in with her when she had her first C-section... total sister bonding moment and one that I will never forget:)

    yadkny@hotmail.com

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  31. Happy release day, Grace! Looking forward to reading Lady Louisa.

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  32. The most unexpected, wonderful gift I've ever received was a beautiful vase filled with flowers from my 10 year old son. He picked out the vase and then got assistance with the flowers and it was the most thoughtful, loving gift I've ever received. This was 30 years ago and I still think of it when asked about a special gift.

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  33. Congrats on the latest release!

    The most wonderful, unexpected gift I've received was my first laptop as I was saving up for one at the time because I was so ready for a new computer and looking forward to not using the old desktop anymore.

    chibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com

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  34. Now that's a Christmas gift, Grace!

    I know everybody here will think I'm nuts, but I'll share with you the most wonderful gift from my husband.

    We finished unwrapping all of our Christmas gifts at my parent's house, as was our ritual. My husband called me upstairs.

    I sighed, yelled up the steps, "What. Do. You. Want?"

    And all he repeated was, "Get up here."

    I threw away all of the wrapping paper and walked upstairs. My Mom, Dad and husband stood there with crazy expressions upon their face. And then I jumped five inches off the top step.

    There stood a lifesize cutout of Ace Frehley. I was motionless, and my husband told me to move it out of the corner so he could take "our" picture. He thought it was hilarious. Note: I'm a big KISS fan.

    I'm a good sport. I pulled out lifesize poster and there it sat with a big, red bow. A custom Ace Frehley Les Paul guitar. $$$

    There was no way we could afford such a thing, but my husband wheeled and dealed with my local guitar guy and graced me with the best gift EVER. He told me he loved me and I was worth every penny. *sigh*

    I don't need jewels. The man knows my weaknesses. He's a keeper.

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  35. Hi Grace!
    Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I can't wait to read Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish to get into the Christmas spirit early!

    My most unusual "gift" was December of 1972 when my first son decided to make an "early delivery" since my delivery date was in January! Someone forgot to tell him that and on December 6th he arrived weighing in at 9 lbs. 9 ounces! That may not be very unusual except that I'm undertall and after he was born I weighted 98pounds!

    When he was young I made the mistake of telling him one day that I was taller than he was and I was the "boss" (can you hear my husband laughing in the background when I said that?).

    Needless to say when he was a teenager I had to stand on the third step of the stairs so I could still be taller! And yes, I was still the "boss"!

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