A Regency Christmas from Astraea Press

Do you love Christmas? Love Regency romance? You’ve come to the right place!

Step back in time – two centuries…200 years. Eleven Astraea Press authors want to take you on a journey to Christmas in Regency England…1812.

My contribution to this journey, The Toymaker, was inspired by a doll from my own collection – a doll I had long ago named Jenny.

Peg wooden dolls originated in Germany and the Netherlands around 1810, but because of their affordability and the ease with which they were crafted, they quickly became popular throughout Europe and were brought to America in the early to mid-nineteenth century. Originally hand-carved in pine, poplar, or maple, they were crafted by families of German and Dutch toymakers, and they varied in height from 2 to 12 inches, generally resembling wooden clothespins with peg joints. These dolls were known by an assortment of names, including peg wooden dolls, penny woodens and wooden poppets. Because of their affordability, young girls often developed extensive collections. The dolls were sold without clothing and the children would use scraps of fabric to sew dresses for them.

Jenny’s doll in The Toymaker was inspired by a peg wooden doll in my own doll collection. Years ago, when I was expecting my first child, I came across a simple wooden doll at a flea market outside of Detroit, Michigan. The vendor had discovered an entire crate of these antique dolls in her grandmother’s attic, and had dressed them all up. It was estimated at the time I made the purchase (for $2) that my doll was probably nearly 200 years old. I wondered then if she had been part of a young girl’s collection or if she had ended up in a scrap pile only to be salvaged for me to find her almost two centuries later. I’ll never know the history of my English peg wooden doll, so I wrote this story for all the might-have-beens.

I’m giving away two kindle or nook versions of The Toymaker (or may substitute any of my titles if you already have this one). All you have to do for a chance to win is first,  share my blog hop link on facebook (tag me on facebook  Kay Springsteen Tate) and then leave a comment here telling me about your favorite Christmas tradition.

Here’s a taste of what Mrs. Peabody thought of my hero and heroine’s antics at Lord and Lady Kringle’s grand ball…

To read more, continue on your Regency Christmas journey with a stop at Sherry Gloag’s blog!