Christmas at the country house by Nicola Cornick

Nicola Cornick, author of many historical romances, has an inspiring workplace: Ashdown House in Berkshire, near London. She joins us to shares what it's like to work in the setting of some of her books and what it's like at the holidays. It sounds wonderful – and reminds me a lot of Mount Vernon here in Virginia, George Washington's home.

Nicola: One of the things I enjoy most about writing historical romance is researching inspiring backgrounds and settings. Whether I'm exploring the wild landscapes of Scotland or waltzing around a Regency ballroom (trying// to waltz, anyway!) the sights, sounds and smells of history are very exciting.

When it comes to inspiring settings I'm particularly lucky because I work in a 17th- century country house called Ashdown House. It has the most romantic location imaginable, in the center of an ancient forest. When the snow falls it looks like a castle from a fairy tale.

It's only appropriate that Ashdown should also have a very romantic history. The builder was William, Earl of Craven, and the house was intended for the love of his life, Elizabeth of Bohemia, the Winter Queen. William wasn't shy about declaring his feelings for Elizabeth. He had their entwined initials carved into the gateposts and commissioned a painting from Van Dyck showing the two of them joined by Cupid, the God of Love.

Over the years the house became something of a love nest. In the 18th century it belonged to "the beautiful Lady Craven," a scandalous socialite who set Georgian society alight with her affairs. Her son, another William, was equally outrageous. He was the lover of infamous courtesan Harriette Wilson and took her to Ashdown. He went on to marry an actress. I love William; he is for me the absolute epitome of a Regency rake: handsome, charming and very wicked. Jane Austen commented on his beautiful manners – and disapproved of his morals!

At this time of year Ashdown looks stunning with the deer wandering across the snowy lawns and the woods looking deep, dark and secret under their blanket of snow. Inside, too, Christmas in the country house is magical. Before the 19th century it was not traditional to have a Christmas tree, but people used to dress themselves as well as their homes with branches of greenery – rosemary, bay, laurel and mistletoe entwined with branches of pine. Ashdown has a collection of stags' antlers that are the most perfect place to twine branches of greenery, and the herbs and pine make the house smell delicious.

The huge open fire in the servants' hall is a lovely place to gather to drink mulled wine, eat mince pies or Christmas cake (or Twelfth Cake, as it was known in those days because it was eaten on Twelfth Night) and sing carols by candlelight. And if we are lucky there is always the chance of a glimpse of the Ashdown ghost as we light ourselves up the huge sweeping staircase with the portraits of all those handsome cavaliers looking down at us. It's no wonder that this romance author's imagination runs wild at Ashdown!

I've used Ashdown House as a setting in a number of my books, especially A Regency House Party, which I wrote with Joanna Maitland and Elizabeth Rolls, where the roof terrace is the scene for sweet seduction on a hot summer night! Ashdown also featured as the hero's home in The Penniless Bride, a book I adored writing. It's something of a fairy tale!

I consider myself hugely privileged to work at such a wonderful place as Ashdown, where I can step back into history and be inspired by both the setting and the people associated with it. At this time of year it feels particularly magical.

Do you have a special Christmas tradition that you love, or a special place that feels magical to you?

I'm giving away a copy of The Penniless Bride to one commenter! Thank you! (You can comment through midnight ET Sunday, Dec. 9. Winner will be notified on Monday, Dec. 10.)

To find out more about Nicola and her books, you can visit her website, NicolaCornick.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Twitter (@NicolaCornick).

You can also find out more about Ashdown House at its blog for history buffs. www.ashdownhouse.blogspot.co.uk