Shannon here: Historical Romance author, Lorna Seilstad shares the inspiration for her latest novella, Father Christmas which is included in The Victorian Brides Christmas Collection. Comment or answer one or both of the questions at the end of this post to enter the drawing for a copy. Deadline: Dec 15th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Lorna:
With Christmas right around the corner, I’ve been thinking about our past Christmases. My three children are now all young adults ages 26, 24, and 19, so the days of Hot Wheels tracks and Polly Pockets have passed.
What surprised me as I reminisced was how often my thoughts turned not to the kids, but to my husband David and his excitement about making the children happy. Even though he is no carpenter, he stayed up all night to build them a puppet stage and spent hours making our son a farm board with pieces of green and brown carpet. And of course, there were the bikes, the kitchen sets, and all the other things that had to be assembled before Christmas morning.
There is something about seeing my big, tough guy in the role of thoughtful, sweet, tender father that touches my heart in a special way. It’s a little piece of Christmas I cherish and wanted to capture that in my story “Father Christmas”, one of the nine novellas contained in The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection.
The hero in “Father Christmas” is Hugh. Hugh, a widower, has a little girl named Clara, and he wants to get her a doll for Christmas. Since Hugh has no idea what to look for in a doll, he asks Clara’s music teacher Beatrix to help him make the selection.
This scene was a delight for me to write. Besides wanting to capture the love of a father at Christmas, I wanted to
share about Victorian era dolls. I have been collecting antique dolls all of my life. One of my best childhood memories involves coming home from school one day to a living room filled with 30 Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls my father had purchased for me at an auction. There is something magical to me about the dolls of yesteryear.
Now, you may not agree. My two daughters do not share my love for dolls. They call the room where I keep my treasures “the creepy doll room.”
About Lorna: Lorna Seilstad brings history back to life using a generous dash of humor. She is a Carol Award finalist and the author of the Lake Manawa Summers series and the Gregory Sisters series. Her stories are also part of several novella collections. When she isn’t eating chocolate, she teaches women’s Bible study classes, volunteers with 4-H, and does wedding planning. She and her husband have three adult children and live in Iowa. Learn more about Lorna at www.lornaseilstad.com.
About the novella collection – The Victorian Brides Christmas Collection
Experience a Dickens of a Christmas
Faced with the daily extremes of gluttony and want in the Victorian Era, nine women seek to create the perfect Christmas celebrations. But will expectations and pride cause them to overlook imperfect men who offer true love?
Paper Snowflake Christmas by Vanessa Riley
1837 Framlingham, England
How can widow Ophelia Hanover give her son a perfect Christmas when his guardian, the Earl of Litton, arrives early to take permeant custody of the boy?
One Golden Ring by C.J. Chase
1855 Devonshire, England
Wounded soldier Tristram Nowell returns home to indulge his mother’s wish for a family Christmas—and encounters Marianna Granville. Can he forgive the former heiress who jilted him years before?
Love Brick by Brick by Kathleen L. Maher
1857 Elmira, New York
SarahAnn Winnifred overcomes orphanhood apprenticing with pioneering doctors. Rufus Sedgwick, relocating his English estate, seeks help for his ailing Mum. Christmas reveals the secret wish of both hearts—for love.
The Sugarplum Ladies by Carrie Fancett Pagels
1867 Windsor, Ontario, Canada and Detroit, Michigan
When Canadian barrister Percy Gladstone finds his aristocratic British family unexpectedly descending upon him for Christmas, he turns to American social reformer Eugenie Mott and her fledgling catering crew for help.
Star of Wonder by Susanne Dietze
1875 County Durham, England
This Yuletide, Bennet Hett, Viscount Harwood, offers Lady Celeste Sidwell matrimony and the Star of Wonder diamond necklace, as their fathers arranged. When the diamond disappears, will they find a greater treasure?
Father Christmas by Lorna Seilstad
Chicago, Christmas 1880
Widowed harpist Beatrix Kent believes love can only come once in a lifetime, but this Christmas, carpenter Hugo Sherman hopes to pull on the musician’s heartstrings and prove her wrong.
The Perfect Christmas by Erica Vetsch
1880s London
Melisande Verity might be in over her head trying to create the perfect Christmas window display, but if she succeeds, will she finally attract the attention of her boss, Gray Garamond?
A Christmas Vow by Gabrielle Meyer
London, England, Christmas 1899
Lady Ashleigh Pendleton is hosting a houseful of guests for Christmas when railroad executive Christopher Campbell unexpectedly arrives from America with a mysterious agreement signed by their fathers before their birth.
The Holly and the Ivy by Rita Gerlach
1900. Small town along the Potomac near Washington DC
A glass ornament. Love letters tied in red Christmas ribbon. Lily Morningstar and British antiquities expert Andrew Stapleton are drawn into a family secret that binds their hearts together.
Questions for readers: Do you like antique china and bisque dolls or do you think they’re creepy? Have your feelings of love ever been stirred by your husband’s efforts to make your children happy at Christmas?
Come back Dec 7th for Stacy Monson!
i love the china bisque dolls.
I’m so glad, Sheila. My heroine picks a very nice one, too. 🙂
Oh, Lorna, this sounds terrific!!! I don’t collect dolls, but I do have ONE collection – the Madam Alexander “Little Women” dolls. I love them. And, like your children, my children think they’re creepy, so they’ve been relegated to a well-cushioned bin in a closet! LOL!
What is with this generation of girls, Regina? LOL
I’ve never been a collector of dolls and the china dolls kind of creep me out. My husband always makes an effort to make Christmas special for our children which brings me tears of joy every year.
I’m sure your girls will cherish those memories as much as you do.
I think China dolls are super creepy. That photo gave me the shivers!
My husband is sweet and has many wonderful qualities, but he doesn’t really do much for Christmas. It’s usually on me to get the gifts, prepare stockings, etc. He will get on board if I make him, though.
Dianna, you and my daughters are on the same page.
I do like antique china but I don’t collect antique dolls.
Oh Faith, you’ve hit my other weakness–china. I just love it.
This collection sounds special. My mother was an Antique Dealer so I grew up around antiques of all kinds. We never had any dolls like that. However I remember Mother telling about a doll she begged her father for. They were missionaries to China so couldn’t afford much, but somehow Grandpa got her the bisque head doll. I have a picture of her with the doll. She was born in 1917.
The doll I begged for when I was about 10 years old was a Tiny Tears. I still have her but she is in pretty bad shape. That was in 1959.
What a wonderful story, Paula. I can imagine how happy your mother was to receive her “baby”.
My mom has one of the dolls that has been in her family for many years.
An heirloom doll like that is a real treasure, Susanne.
I like the dolls, even though they can be a little creepy sometimes. They are a fascinating artifact from an earlier time!
Heidi, even I find some of the dolls a little creepy–especially when they use them in horror movies!
Lorna!! I collected porcelain dolls for years. From the time I received my first as a gift in 3rd grade up until a couple
Of years ago. In fact when my husband proposed it was with 2 porcelain dolls!! Unfortunately the size of our house and our children forced me to end my collection and pass them in. I still have the ones my husband used to propose and my daughter chose her favorite out of the collection for herself.
And…our first Christmas with our son was so much fun to watch my husband. He grew up with very little and knowing that he could give his son so much more than he ever had, he was like a kid in a candy store shopping!! He has since handed all shopping duties over to me as the kids get older, but he enjoys watching them open their gifts and still plays Santa, putting things together until midnight if he has to.
Anjanette, he proposed with dolls! That deserves a story all its own. And I’m sure you love seeing him at Christmas, too.
When we moved when I was 12, my Susie doll with the sawdust head and a bee-bee shot at the temple by my brother, bottom cloth leg below the knee missing, and one of her eye’s poked in a little, did not come with us. I put dainty thin cotton dresses on her with the little buttons, and always loved her. She has never left my memory.
Not china dishes, Blue Willow has been my collection favorite. Last month, my husband bought an antique tall cabinet from the 40s that had been in a grocery store. He is putting a back on it and glass doors beneath the top ones to complete it. My Blue Willow will be happily back home together! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
Kathleen, I love Blue Willow, too. When I was a little girl, my grandma gave it to me to play with in my play house. Can you imagine? And maybe you’ll find a “Susie” someday.
I don’t think they are creepy.
I am sorry to say I am not a huge fan of antique china and bisque dolls. I find them rather creepy.
I have a wonderful husband and 2 daughters. I love to watch my husband interact with our girls. He always tries to make everything about Christmas special…..from getting gifts for them, to wrapping their gifts, reading Christmas stories or watching Christmas movies with them, doing fun activites with them, etc. He is an amazing father and our girls love him dearly!! It so warms my heart to see them together. They are such a treaure to him. (happy sigh!)
I LOVE Christmas books!! The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection sounds delightful…so many wonderful stories in this one volume! And the cover is gorgeous!! Thank you for the chance to win a copy!!
~Merry Christmas!!
I have a winner! Anjanette won the drawing. I appreciate Lorna for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.