In my sweet historical romance, The Christmas Kiss (releasing today!), a cousin to the hero gives him a kissing ball for a decoration.
He knows exactly what it represents and thinks about kicking it outside, but refrains.
As I was writing about the kissing ball, I decided to do a little research about them. Kissing balls have been around a long, long time.
During the Middle Ages, villagers would wind twine and
evergreen branches into a ball shape. In the center of the boughs, they would
place a clay figure to represent baby Jesus. The boughs were hung from the ceiling
to render blessings and good fortune to all who passed beneath it.
It was during Tudor times that the kissing bough became a
popular Christmas tradition. They were made with two intertwined hoops covered
with evergreens that included holly, bay, and mistletoe, and were hung over
doorways to welcome guests. Legend says the tradition of the day was to salute
or kiss in greeting or leave-taking. Amid the Christmas season, this bough gave
free license for the activity. Those who met beneath it would often pick a
berry from the mistletoe as proof of a kiss.
Victorian England brought a new look and name to the ornament.
The kissing ball was elaborately decorated, incorporating mistletoe and evergreens
such as pine, as well as flowers and herbs. Herbs were chosen for both beauty
and symbolic value. Lavender and rosemary signified loyalty and devotion,
mistletoe brought good fortune and fertility, while thyme promoted courage. An
apple or potato frequently served as the base. Victorians emphasized romance
with the kissing ball, waltzing beneath it at parties and women lingering near
it in hopes of a suitor catching them there.
He’s a devoted single dad still grieving the loss of his wife.
She’s an outrageously fun female with a temper that runs as hot as a teakettle.
Will the two of them find a way to work together to give his son a Merry Christmas?
When Gracy Randall returns to Hardman after almost six years away, she can’t wait to see the look of surprise on her parents’ faces. But the surprises are for her, it seems, as everything she thought she could depend on turns out to be different than she expected. The family ranch? Sold. The fabulous job she lined up for her return? Gone. The life she left behind? Memories. Now what will she do?
Cord Granger has problems of his own. The ranch he bought to make a fresh start requires far more work and time than he’d anticipated. Until he can find someone to take care of the house and his son, Bodie, he struggles to keep up with each day’s demands. Yet, the thought of letting another woman into his home, even if she is hired to be there, feels like dishonoring the memory of his wife. But he has to do something. The work? Piling up. The grief he faces every day? Staggering. The life he left behind? Memories. Who can he trust to help?
After landing on the wrong foot the moment they meet, the last thing Gracy and Cord want to admit is that the other may hold the answer to their problems. Can a little holiday hope help Gracy bring fun and joy back into Cord’s world? Will Cord’s return to the land of the living break the heart she locked up six years ago?
Find out in The Christmas Kiss, a sweet historical holiday romance brimming with the wonder of the season, a town full of humorous characters, and heartwarming story of love.
His head lowered toward hers and their lips had just barely
brushed when Bodie ran into the room, full of giggles.
“What’s this, Daddy? Is it a ball? Can I kick it like my
other ball?”
Cord sighed and stepped back, grasping at the unraveled
threads of his composure. Everything in him wanted to tell Bodie to kick the kissing
ball until it was an obliterated pile of leaves, but he experienced the desire
to kick it a few times himself, preferably at Luke.
Instead, he forced himself to smile and turned to face his son.
“It’s not a toy, Bode. Your cousin Maura made it as a decoration.” He knelt
beside Bodie, took the kissing ball from him, and dangled it from his index
finger. “See, it hangs from this ribbon here. Where do you think we should put
it?”
“I … I …” Bodie was so excited about the decoration, he raced
out of the kitchen, scurried right back in, and grabbed Cord’s hand. “Come on,
Daddy. We gots to find a good place for it!”
Cord stood and let Bodie tug him from the room but not before glancing back at Gracy with a look of promise. Maybe next time he cornered her at the sink, he’d make sure the kissing ball was hanging overhead.
What's your favorite holiday decoration or tradition?
