A Pride & Prejudice Christmas Charms Book Series by MJ Stratton ~ Guest Post & Giveaway!

Hello, friends! MJ Stratton has written a series of Christmas stories! She's here today to share a little about Christmas pudding and the charms that are added! Why you ask? Well, she includes this lovely tradition in her new series, Catherine Called Kitty, Mary, Marry? Quite Contrary!, and Charmed. 

Plus, there's a chance to win a eCopy of the series! Details at the bottom of the page!

Please, give a warm welcome to MJ Stratton!

What is Christmas pudding, and what are the charms that were added? The Simple Things Blog says the tradition of gathering together to all have a stir of the pudding is said to have been brought to Britain by Prince Albert. A coin was dropped in before everyone took a turn at mixing and the person who unearthed the coin on Christmas day would be blessed with good fortune in the year to come, apparently. 

And charms were agreed to be so charming they soon moved on from simple thrupenny bits and sixpences to include more items, each said to have a different meaning. 

For the sake of my stories, I imagined that this tradition began before the 1800s.

Here are a few charms and their meanings.

Coin: Coming into money

Thimble: If a single woman finds it they’ll remain single another year

Button: If found by a single man he’ll remain a bachelor

Horseshoe: Good luck

Ring/bell: A wedding is on the cards

Wishbone: A wish will be granted

Anchor: They will have a safe year, protected from danger

Catherine Called Kitty

by MJ Stratton

Publication Date: Nov. 3rd, 2023

Blurb: 

Catherine Bennet does not believe in magic, per se, but she unequivocally stands by her mother’s assertion that the Christmas charms in their yearly pudding hold mystical properties. She was raised on Mrs. Bennet’s tales of the charms predicting her future, after all, and had not Lydia married the year following the Christmas she found the ring? 

When Kitty unearths the wishbone the winter after Lizzy and Jane wed, she is excited to use the charm’s magic to secure a happy future. Having been awakened to the possible consequences of Lydia’s choice of husband, she wishes for what Jane and Lizzy have secured in their respective husbands. 

This novella holds a touch of Christmas magic as Kitty Bennet finds her path to happily ever after.

 

Mary, Marry? Quite Contrary!

by MJ Stratton

Expected release date:  Dec. 1st, 2023

Blurb: 

Mary Bennet despises the tradition of Christmas charms. Too many years she discovered the thimble, and too many times Lydia taunted her, declaring her a spinster in the making. When she finally discovers the ring in her Christmas pudding, Mary scoffs at the idea that a little silver charm could decide one’s fate for the coming year. 

When Mary is given several doses of humility, the very foundations of who she thought she was is called into question. Joining her sister on a journey of self-discovery, Mary seeks to amend the flaws in her character. If she finds love along the way, it is purely a matter of chance. Isn’t it? 

This novella holds a touch of Christmas magic as Mary Bennet comes into her own. Follow Mary to London and back as she travels the path to her happiness.

 

Charmed 

by MJ Stratton

Expected release date: Dec. 25th, 2023

Blurb: 

What is a family to do when a certain Christmas tradition may or may not tell their future? A collection of short stories that accompany the first two books of the Christmas Charms series answers that question. Follow along with Fanny Gardiner as she meets and marries Thomas Bennet. Meet Mrs. Gardiner’s beloved brother and find out what happens to Mr. Bennet five years after the events of Mary, Marry? Quite Contrary! Are the Christmas charms magic? You decide.

 

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About the Author

MJ Stratton is a long-time lover of Jane Austen and her works, having been introduced to Pride and Prejudice by a much beloved aunt at the age of 16. The subsequent discovery of Austenesque fiction sealed her fate. After beta reading and editing for others for nearly a decade, MJ started publishing her own work in 2022. MJ balances being a wife and mother with writing, gardening, sewing, and many other favorite pastimes. She lives with her husband and four children in the small, rural town where she grew up.

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

MJ Stratton is giving away a set of A Pride & Prejudice Christmas Charms Books! Enter through the Rafflecopter below. 

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many thanks to MJ Stratton for stopping by here today! 

So friends, any thoughts? We'd love to hear from you. Please, leave a comment below!