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The Return of “The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy” from Regina Jeffers + a Giveaway

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Originally published on 12 April 2012, The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery was my ninth novel released by Ulysses Press. Although I loved working with Ulysses, they have turned their interest toward nonfiction titles, and, so recently, I pushed to have the rights of all my books published with them returned to me. Those of you who have published with traditional publishing houses know that process is not an easy one. The author cannot customarily reclaim the rights to a book for a period of two years (sometimes up to seven years). He/She must ask for the books in a certified letter, return request required. Generally, the publisher has the option to rerelease the title, and if it does so, the cycle starts over. Even if the publisher agrees to release the title back to the author, it can take up to a year or more for that to happen. Some publishers require the author to purchase any copies of the book setting in a warehouse that have not yet sold. As I was asking for the rights returned of ten title, I feared the worst. Such can be an expensive undertaking. When Ulysses finally agreed to remove the titles from Amazon, Kobo, etc., I had to wait for six months for the returns to come back to Ulysses. I was fortunate in many ways as Print On Demand technology has eased the number of copies setting in various warehouses, but I am certain other authors are not so lucky.

The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy was only the second mystery I had written, but I am pleased how it turned out. Although the book can be read as a stand alone, I generally say it is helpful if one has read Christmas at Pemberley beforehand, for CaP introduces some of the minor characters in TDoGD. The story begins where Christmas at Pemberley leaves off. Georgiana and our ever-faithful Colonel Fitzwilliam have married right before he is sent back to the Continent after Napoleon’s escape from Elba. He has been made a Major General at the end of Christmas at Pemberley for the service he provided Prince George’s family, which is part of the plot of that book.

With this rerelease of the novel, it was necessary for me to change out the cover. As much as I adored the original cover, the image was purchased for use on the book by Ulysses Press. Moreover, I wanted a cover that reflected the main plot of the story: Georgiana Fitzwilliam has traveled to Scotland to meet her husband for an overdue wedding journey. However, before the Major General can arrive, she goes missing and Darcy and the rest of her family search for her on the Scottish moors. The new image better reflects that story line.

The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery

A THRILLING NOVEL OF MALICIOUS VILLAINS, DRAMATIC REVELATIONS, AND HEROIC GESTURES THAT STAYS TRUE TO AUSTEN’S STYLE

SHACKLED IN THE DUNGEON of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds herself falling in love with her captor—the estate’s master. Trusting him before she regains her memory and unravels the castle’s wicked truths would be a catastrophe.

Far away at Pemberley, the Darcys happily gather to celebrate the marriage of Kitty Bennet. But a dark cloud sweeps through the festivities: Georgiana has disappeared without a trace. Upon receiving word of his sister’s likely demise, Darcy and his wife, Elizabeth, set off across the English countryside, seeking answers in the unfamiliar and menacing Scottish moors.

How can Darcy keep his sister safe from the most sinister threat she has ever faced when he doesn’t even know if she’s alive? True to Austen’s style and rife with malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, this suspense-packed mystery places Darcy and Elizabeth in the most harrowing situation they have ever faced— finding Georgiana before it’s too late.

Enjoy this excerpt from Chapter Eleven:

Edward Fitzwilliam bedded down in an orchard. Some of the aristocracy would name his choice of accommodations abhorrent. He was an earl’s son, after all. The “spare” for his brother Rowland. Yet, Edward had always preferred the outdoors and freedom to a crowded ballroom. It was the reason he had chosen the army over the navy when selecting his military calling. That and the fact that rough oceans made him seasick. “I would have made a deplorable captain in that respect,” he mumbled to his horse as he tied the stallion loosely to one of the bushes.

“Another day—maybe a day and a half,” he told the animal as he wiped down its coat. “Then you may rest, my friend, and I may bury myself in the sweet scent of jasmine. I have a beautiful wife, you know. A woman to quell the emptiness.” He patted the stallion’s neck.

He unwrapped the bedding and stretched out under the stars. “At least, there is no rain. No mud. No longer knee-deep in blood,” he continued to talk to himself. “No dreams of the horror that was Waterloo. Only Georgie’s beautiful countenance and her sweet body. Heaven on Earth.” A smile spread across his features. “A lifetime of proving myself worthy of Georgiana’s love.” He sighed deeply. “A sentence I will gladly serve.”

* * *

“Prisoners.” The word beat a staccato in her mind as she reentered the simple chamber with its obvious guard just outside the door. She had considered the idea that she was the MacBethans’ prisoner, but somehow she had not previously mustered the panic that now filled her chest. “Prisoner,” she mouthed the word. The MacBethans continued to lock her in this small room. “It is obviously not a guest room.”

She had observed several elaborate bedchambers during her house tour. With its plain furnishings, the room she occupied did not delineate her as an honored member of the household. What would happen if she refused to become Aulay’s bride? Would the MacBethans return her to where the others were being held? And where was that exactly? Lord Wotherspoon had rushed toward the lower staircase when he had left her in Ronald’s care. “What happens to the other prisoners?” she wondered aloud. “Are they tortured? Killed? Why are they here? What offense have they committed? And if I was one of them, what offense did I practice on the MacBethans to give them dominion over me?”

And there had to be more than one prisoner. The servant had specifically said, “One of the prisoners.” her thoughts flooded the room. Could she escape? Could she assist the others? She must learn exactly where she was being held. She could observe part of the estate’s entrance from the room’s small window. A better view of the grounds became paramount. If she escaped the MacBethans, could she discover someone who would come to her aid? Usually, estates were several miles apart. Could she locate a Good Samaritan before Lady Wotherspoon found her? The girl held no doubt the woman would hunt her down as if chasing a fox in the woods.

“I require more information,” she told herself as she paced the small open space. “What can I remember from my so-called sick-room stay?” she mused. The bandage on her wrist was an obvious reminder. Carefully, she unwrapped the cloth to examine the raw scrapes along the pale skin. “What could have caused these lacerations?” She gently touched the deepest cut, which had scabbed over. “I must remember why I felt gratitude for the kindness Lady Wotherspoon has shown me.” She rewrapped her wrist so no one would know she had considered her injuries to result from anything but a simple fall.

“This shan’t be easy,” she cautioned her rapidly beating pulse. “Lord Wotherspoon reminded me that I must settle my past before I accept the future his mother has designed for me. Most assuredly, I must do so carefully without offending the woman. Domhnall MacBethan has sworn to protect me, but can I trust anyone in this house?”

* * *

“I have sent a message to Drouot house,” Elizabeth explained. “I expect Mrs. Bingley to issue an invitation for your family to join them as quickly as she receives my letter. As Mr. Joseph and Mr. Darcy were to use Drouot as their base for their business dealings, the Bingleys shall be expecting your husband.”

Mary Joseph protested, “Yet, not as a man recovering from a gunshot wound.”

“Trust me, Mrs. Joseph,” Darcy countered, “Mrs. Bingley would be offended if you did not take shelter at Drouot House. My wife’s sister has the kindest of hearts.”

“That means Mrs. Bingley thought highly of Mr. Darcy long before I did,” Elizabeth teased. “Even so, my husband speaks the truth. The Bingleys are two of the most obliging adults on this earth. My father has always contended that Jane and Mr. Bingley would do very well together because their tempers are by no means unlike. Mr. Bennet claimed the Bingleys were each so complying that nothing would ever be resolved upon between them, and they were so easy that every servant would cheat them and so generous they would always exceed their income.”

Darcy chuckled. “I would call Mr. Bennet’s a fair evaluation.”

Mary’s lips twitched. “Mr. Joseph and I shall quash the urge to make the Bingleys our mark.”

“If you are tempted,” Darcy returned the smile, “keep in mind Mrs. Darcy and I will follow you to Newton Stewart, and my wife and I are less inclined to be generous.”

“Did you hear that, Matthew?” Mary teased.

The clergyman sat propped against a stack of pillows. Someone had shaved him, and although he still appeared pale, a bit of color had returned to his cheeks. “I would say we have been duly warned, Wife. And we are very familiar with the Darcys of Pemberley’s less than charitable natures,” he said jokingly. All four knew that if it had not been for the Darcys’ generosity, the Josephs’ son would have been born in a lowly stable and would have likely died. The couple owed them much more than could ever be repaid. Joseph extended his hand to Darcy. “Be safe, sir. You and Mrs. Darcy are very important to the Joseph family. You will remain in our daily prayers.”

“Thank you.” Darcy nodded his understanding. He stood and reached for his hat and gloves. “Mrs. Darcy, we should be on the road.”

“Certainly.” Elizabeth hugged Mary one last time. “Promise me you shall accept the Bingleys’ hospitality.”

Mary returned the embrace. “I promise.”

* * *

Darcy handed her into the carriage. He had taken Bennet from Mrs. Prulock and had deposited his son in his wife’s arms. Then he had assisted the wet nurse to a place beside Elizabeth. Traditionally, the nurse and Bennet would have followed in Darcy’s small coach, but they would make do with the one carriage. He would welcome the nurse’s presence if it meant having Bennet in close proximity. His son had brought Darcy a peace that he could not explain to anyone who had never walked the floor with a colicky baby in order to allow his mate a few extra hours of sleep. He and Elizabeth had created this beautiful bundle of arms and legs and joy as a result of their love. He placed his hat and gloves on the seat beside him. “I will hold Bennet,” he said softly.

Elizabeth smiled brightly. “You will notice, Mrs. Prulock,” she said in that familiar teasing tone he so adored—the one which had disappeared from his wife’s personality after her previous miscarriages. It was as if Bennet’s birth had given him back the woman Darcy loved with every fiber of his being. “That Mr. Darcy relishes holding his son when Bennet sleeps. However, let the boy kick up a fuss, and the child is instantly my son, not our son.”

“Wait until the young master be cutting his teeth. He be keeping the household awake with his temper,” Mrs. Prulock predicted.

With his fingertips, Darcy traced his child’s jawline. “Even a case of the Darcy stubbornness will not deter my joy at looking at this angelic countenance.”

“At least Mr. Darcy did not blame said stubbornness on my side of the family,” Elizabeth countered as the carriage lurched into motion.

Darcy did not remove his eyes from his son’s face, but he said, “I have learned, Mrs. Darcy, to accept that all Bennet’s failings lie at my feet while our son’s more magnanimous qualities are a direct result of your influence.”

Elizabeth suppressed her grin. “You were difficult to bring to the bit,” she teased. “But I am quite content with the end result.” They sat in silence for several minutes while each contemplated his own tumultuous part in their coming together as man and wife. Finally, she asked, “How long before we reach Alpin Hall?”

“Seven to eight hours depending on the roads,” he said softly.

“I am most anxious to settle what has transpired with Mrs. Fitzwilliam,” Elizabeth said.

He nodded as he sat back into the soft squabs. “As am I. I have missed Georgiana.”

* * *

“Shall you sleep the day away?” the voice from her dream asked in concern.

She turned over to look at the room’s ceiling and once more to count the knots in the wood. “Two and twenty,” she said to test her voice.

“Yes, two and twenty,” the voice spoke with a bit of irritation. “What else shall you do today?”

She said defensively, “What else would you have me do?”

The voice “tutted” her disapproval. “Discover a means out of this dilemma. You are a brave, intelligent woman.”

“I would beg to differ. If I were brave and intelligent, I would not have succumbed to my doubts, and I would not be at another’s beck and call.”

* * *

“Shall ye sleep the day away?” Lady Wotherspoon said close to the girl’s ear, pulling her from her dreams. A splitting headache had driven her to her bed several hours prior. She had searched her memory for details of her life before coming to Normanna Hall, as well as what had happened to her since arriving at the estate. The process had left her exhausted and suffering with a megrim.

The girl shoved herself to a seated position. “Forgive me, Lady Wotherspoon. I thought it best to recover my energies fully. If I am to accept Aulay, then I must be at my best.”

“Most assuredly, ye shall accept Aulay,” the woman declared as she began to brush Esme’s hair to remove the tangles.

Esme’ frowned deeply. “I have thought much of what is best. I recall—” she paused. “I recall few details of my life prior to my time in this room.” She sat quietly for several minutes before saying, “Before I could accept Aulay, I must learn more of my child’s father.” Her fingers splayed protectively across her abdomen.

Her request had, evidently, surprised Lady Wotherspoon. The woman’s eyes flared with incredulity, but she quickly masked her true response. “A woman should have pleasant memories to share with the bairn.” She braided Esme’s hair. “I think it best if ye remember on yer own, but if’n ye kinnae I kin tell ye more of yer life.”

“You know of my lost memories?” Esme returned the woman’s earlier surprise.

“I’s know some of it. Enough to know yer husband be gone. Ye do not wish the child to be bairn without a lovin’ father. Aulay would be a good companion.”

“If I cannot remember on my own, you will tell me what you know?” The girl insisted.

“I shall share it all.”

* * *

Lady Wotherspoon rushed through Normanna’s intricate passageways until she reached the Grand Hall. Finding Munro, her husband’s nephew, drinking with several of the other cousins and distant relatives, with a tilt of her head, she motioned him to follow her into the chapel. Although he was of the MacBethan clan, the man had proved resourceful when she had sent him on previous tasks.

“What be it?” he grumbled when he sat behind her on one of the few pews within the circular room.

“Ye shud not be afeared of God’s hand,” she said coldly.

He warned, “Tell me what ye require, Aunt, and leave off worryin’ fer me soul.”

Dolina glanced around to assure their privacy. “I require information on the girl Blane found on the moor. Who might she be? Ride out and check the inns. See if’n anyone be lookin fer her.”

“Why? What hive ye in mind for the lass?”

“Jist do as I say,” she instructed. “What I’ve planned be none of yer doings.”

KINDLE

AMAZON

Read for FREE on KINDLE UNLIMITED.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY. I HAVE TWO eBOOK COPIES OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF GEORGIANA DARCY AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO COMMENT BELOW. THE GIVEAWAY WILL END AT MIDNIGHT EST, JANUARY 31, 2020.

NOTE! THERE IS ANOTHER EXCERPT AND ANOTHER GIVEAWAY FOR THE BOOK ON TODAY’S AUSTEN AUTHORS. SWING OVER THERE AND CHECK IT OUT!

Posted in Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, George Wickham, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, Jane Austen, mystery, Napoleonic Wars, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, romance, writing | Tagged Austen Authors, book excerpt, book giveaway, book release, cozy mystery, George Wickham, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, release, Romantic Suspense, The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy, Ulysses Press | 25 Comments

Life Below Stairs ~ Part Four ~ The Work Never Ends

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Up before dawn, the servants of an aristocratic household found the work tedious. Likely, the lower servants worked two hours before he/she was permitted to sit to his own meager breakfast.

The kitchen maid began her day with lighting the cooking fire. To do so in a cast iron stove, she must first rake out the cinders and sweep the bars, the hobs, and the hearth free of dust. She would then clean the stove with a round-headed brush and black lead mixed with some water to make a “paste.” When the black lead dried, it was polished with a special brush, which was designed to get into the groves of the ornamental work. At least one weekly, she also swept away the accumulated soot from the flues. Generally, she was expected to bring the cook the woman’s morning tea.

The housemaids began their days with cleaning the carpets. An unusual ritual included scattering wet sand or damp tea leaves over the carpets before they swept them. They cleaned the main hall and receiving rooms thoroughly and set fires in the hearths (after cleaning the grates). After morning prayers, the housemaids cleaned the bedchambers: changed bed linens, emptied chamberpots and baths, swept the carpets, dusted the furnishings, washed and polished wooden floors, etc. One must recall that there were three mattresses on a Victorian bed. The bottom one was filled with straw and was turned once weekly. The middle one was filled with wool or horsehair. It was turned daily. The top mattress was filled with feathers. Please recall that the housemaids were supposed to finished with their work by mid day.

Upper servants (cook, lady’s maid, governess, parlour maid, and nurse) usually got an extra hour sleep while others began their days as early as 5 A.M. The cook was responsible for 4 meals daily for the master and mistress and their guests, the children, and the other servants. She prepared a different type of meal for each group. All the servants, minus the nursery staff, sat down to breakfast shortly after 8 A.M. They would dine on leftovers of yesterday’s roast or cold meat pie and a slice of bread, along with a weak tea or home brewed beer. A tea break for the servants came at approximately 11 A.M. The cook would meet regularly with the mistress to discuss the menus for the day. The servants had their “dinner” between midday and one o’clock. Generally, it was a roast and vegetables with a rice or suet pudding. Beer was served with the meal. The nursery staff were given a shepherd’s pie or mutton stew. The master and mistress and the older children had a luncheon served by liveried footmen. This was a more formal meal than was breakfast. The course was usual fish, which was followed by hot dishes and then a sweet dessert or fresh fruit. The ladies would be out the door for afternoon social calls.

Parlour maids, which replaced butlers during the Victorian era, set the table in the dining room, as well as to oversee the removal of the leftovers. Occasionally, the parlour maid acted as a valet to the master of the house. Parlour maids, like footmen, were chosen for their height and good looks, and they were often a target for unfaithful husbands. At about 9 each morning, the parlour maid would summon the family, the children, and the other servants to family prayers in the drawing room. (If you recall, Edmund Bertram and Mary Crawford discuss this practice in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park.) Before she called the household to prayers, the parlour maid had set the table with linen and silverware. She had also placed bread, toast, butter, jam, and honey on the table, along with a cream and sugar for tea. After the prayers, she brought in the covered breakfast dishes. They family would then choose from hot and cold dishes: eggs, bacon, kidneys, kippers, fish, tongue, potted meat, etc.

The lady’s maid woke her mistress and helped the lady of the house with her ablutions and dress. Remember that women of the Victorian Period wore tightly laced corsets or stays, several petticoats, steel-hooped crinolines, tight pantaloons, and dresses with yards and yards and yards of material.

Nursery maids swept and cleaned the day nursery and lit the hearth for warmth. The governess saw to the children. Upper class ladies rarely visited their children in the nursery for longer than 30 minutes per day. With infants, a wet nurse was engaged. Ladies of quality never breast fed their children. Governesses were occasionally accused of using a bit of laudanum to keep the children in order. The first duty of the day was to bath and feed the babies/children. A mixture of milk and barley water was used for the infants. The governess was also responsible for administering prescribed medicines and purges of castor oil, senna, or peppermint. They took the children out for morning and afternoon excursions. Older children were bathed and dressed. Even little boys wore stays until the age of 7 or 8. Breakfast was a porridge or gruel. It was quite bland when compared to what the parents ate.

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged Georgian Era, household servants, lady's maid, parlour maid, real-life tales, Regency Era, Victorian era | 2 Comments

The Battle of Rorke’s Drift

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

On 22 January 1879, one of the world’s most remarkable military engagements took place. It was a short, but intense, battle in what is known as the Anglo- Zulu Wars. For two days, some 150 British soldiers defended Rorke’s Drift mission station from an estimated 4,000 Zulu warriors.

The British Empire wished to annex the Zulu Kingdom in South Africa. The entire war lasted only five months. The Zulus decisively won the first of the engagements at the Battle of Isandlwana, but the British knew the final victory. The Battle of Rorke’s Drift occurred some two weeks into the war. 150 British and colonial soldiers spent two days defending their garrison against 4,000 Zulu warriors.

Britain was intent on expanding its territory and influence in South Africa in the 1870s and had declared war on the Kingdom of Zululand. Rorke’s Drift was a mission station — named for James Rorke, an Irish merchant who once ran a trading post there, near the border between the British colony of Natal and the Zulu Kingdom. At the beginning of the war, the British had set up camp there, transforming two bungalows on the site into a supply depot and hospital. When the British troops departed to engage the Zulus in the Battle of Isandlwana, “B” Company was left behind to guard the garrison. Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead was the “B” Company leader. When the Battle of Rorke’s Drift began, though, only 139 soldiers were encamped there. They had no idea how their defense of the mission station would change their lives and history.

Having suffered a devastating defeat at Isanlwana, losing 1300 of the 1800 soldiers involved to an army carrying spears, not guns. Major Henry Spalding and some of those under his command when to look for the British forces when the troops did not return from the battle. He left Rorke’s Drift in the command of Lieutenant John Chard. Unfortunately, for Chard, two British soldiers delivered the news of the British defeat at Isanlwana and the warning that the Zulu Impi (army) was heading for the station. The small company remaining in the mission station had little choice but to set up their defenses. They could not “outrun” the Zulus in their own territory, and it was too dangerous to move the hospital patients. Chard, Bromhead, and other officers at the garrison ordered sacks of corn and biscuit boxes be used to create a crude defensive perimeter, knocked firing holes through the walls of the site’s buildings and barricading the doors with furniture.

As preparations were nearing completion, a group of cavalry on retreat from Isandlwana arrived and offered to take position on a hill near the station in the direction the Zulus would be coming from. They added their numbers to between 100 and 350 foot soldiers from Natal who had been ordered to remain at the garrison to support B Company. At this point there were several hundred men in the vicinity of Rorke’s Drift, including ‘walking wounded’ in the hospital, and Chard felt his force was sufficient to stave off the coming threat.

The site Sabaton provides us with this account of the battle: “But the Zulu force was much larger than feared, comprising 3,000 to 4,000 reserve troops who had not even seen combat in the previous day’s battle and were fresh and fit. The cavalry on the hill engaged the first of the Zulus but, tired and running low on ammunition, they fled. On seeing this, the soldiers from Natal and their commander also turned and ran, leaving B Company and the hospital patients alone. Some members of B Company were so angry that they fired after the deserters, killing one of them.

“With the defending force now down to just over 150 men inside the garrison, Chard ordered a hasty reorganisation of the defences to create a fall-back position for the defenders, and at 4.30pm the first group of 600 Zulus attacked. With few guns, the Zulus resorted to crouching under the defensive wall, trying to grab the British rifles or stab and slash with their spears. In places they climbed over each other’s bodies to try to drive the British off the wall, but were driven back.

“After some time, it was clear the wall could not hold under the sheer volume of attackers, so Chard began pulled his men back toward the inner perimeter and the hospital. A melee ensued, with Zulus grabbing for the British rifles whenever they were put through the firing holes, or trying to fire their own weapons through them into the hospital. At some point the hospital roof was set ablaze. As the entrance to each room in the hospital gave way, the defenders would hack their way through the wall to retreat into the neighbouring room, pulling the hospital patients through with them. Eventually they made it through to the other side and made a break across the yard to the fall-back barricades.

“The Zulus kept up their assault long into the night. The attacks began to subside after midnight but did not cease fully until 2am. By then, the garrison had lost 14 men, with 10 others suffering serious wounds. They had fought for 10 hours and had just 900 rounds of ammunition remaining from the 20,000 that had been stored at the mission.

“Fortunately, when dawn broke, the Zulus were gone; for them it had not been a planned raid but an opportunistic one. As the garrison began picking up the pieces from the night before, another Impi of Zulus suddenly appeared and they rushed to man their positions again. These Zulus, however, had been on the march for days and were carrying wounded comrades, and they left the way they had come. An hour later another group of soldiers appeared and the positions were manned again – but these turned out to be the relief force from the next garrison.

“Eleven of the defenders of Rorke’s Drift were awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military honour for bravery. It was the most ever awarded for a single action by one regiment. Some commentators suggested it was a way of drawing the British public’s attention away from the embarrassing defeat at Isandlwana the preceding day, however many more have challenged that assumption, with the battle capturing popular imagination and inspiring generations of artists and authors. The most famous depiction of Rorke’s Drift in popular culture is the 1964 film Zulu, produced by Stanley Baker and starring a young Michael Caine.”

According to On This Day, “At 4.20 PM on January 22, 1879 a force of 4,000 Zulu warriors began to lay siege to the station. Their intermittent attacks were to last for almost twelve hours. Fortunately for the British, although some of the Zulus had old muskets and antiquated rifles, most were armed only with a short spear called an assegai and a shield made of cowhide. So in weaponry they were no match for the highly trained soldiers with their (then) sophisticated rifles and firepower. But the manpower advantage lay massively in favour of the Zulus.

“By 4 AM, after nearly 12 hours repulsing wave after wave of attacks involving hand-to-hand combat, a number of British soldiers lay dead. Most of the others were exhausted, rapidly running out of ammunition, and probably in no condition to repel another assault. But they didn’t have to. As dawn broke they saw that the Zulus were gone, leaving behind a battleground littered with the dead and dying. Zulu casualties were around 500, while the British sustained 17 dead and 10 wounded.”

The Victoria Cross is Britain’s highest medal for bravery. Eleven were awarded to the defenders of Rorke’s Drift – the most ever received in a single action by one regiment.

NOTE! The song Rorke’s Drift can be found on Sabaton’s 2016 album The Last Stand. You may listen to the song HERE.

Posted in British history, England, history, military, political stance, real life tales, war | Tagged Anglo-Zulu War, Battle of Rorke's Drift, British history, military, war | Comments Off

Catholic/Protestant Marriages During the Regency + “The Earl Claims His Comfort”

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Catholic/ Protestant Weddings During the Regency Era

On 25 March 1754, the Hardwicke Act went into effect in England. It was designed to prevent Clandestine Weddings (Read More on Clandestine Weddings HERE) and to force couples marrying in England to follow certain guidelines or have their marriage declared illegal. Under an earlier Statute of King George II (19 Geo. 2. c. 13), any marriage between a Catholic (Popish) and a Protestant or a marriage between two Protestants celebrated by a Catholic priest was null and void.

Prior to the Hardwicke Act, couples simply required a clergyman ordained by the Church of England to administer their vows. We often hear of a Fleet Marriage, which is the best-known example of an irregular or a clandestine marriage taking place in England. These joinings were popular at the end of the late 17th and early 18th Century. The Marriage Duty Act 1695 put an end to irregular marriages at parochial churches by penalizing clergymen who married couples without banns or license. By a legal quirk, however, clergymen operating in the Fleet could not effectively be prosecuted for disobeying the Act, and the clandestine marriage business there carried on. In the 1740s, over half of all London weddings were taking place in the environs of the Fleet Prison.

The Hardwicke Act made marriages more public. A calling of the banns became a requirement, which could only be put aside if the couple obtained an “ordinary” or “standard” license from the local bishop or a special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury. The standard license came with a bond of £100. This bond was forfeited if the couple lied to the local bishop regarding their fitness to marry. The license named the specific parish church where the exchange of vows would be held. It required a 7-days’ waiting period.

A calling of the banns had to take place over three successive Sundays before the couple could marry before an ordained Church of England clergyman. Two witnesses were required for the ceremony to be legal.

Only Quakers or Jews were exempt from the Hardwicke Act. All others, including Roman Catholics, had to follow the law’s guidelines. NO exceptions! Catholics in England who married only under their own rites were not considered legally married under English law. They had to be married by a Protestant minister legally to be considered married. The Catholics disagreed with this requirement, and many married in the local Catholic church first and then almost immediately in the Protestant church. If they had not married in the Protestant church, their children were illegitimate under the Hardwicke Act. During this time, a Catholic priest faced fines and possible imprisonment for marrying a Protestant to a Catholic unless the couple had already been married by a Protestant clergyman.

In Ireland, the Catholics did not need to be married by a Protestant at all, but the clergy was still forbidden to celebrate a mixed marriage unless there had already been a Protestant one. All through the 19th Century, the restrictions against other religious groups were eased, and there even was a provision for a civil marriage, but a Catholic and a Protestant still could not marry in the Catholic Church unless they had already married by civil or Protestant ceremony. Any marriage of a Protestant to a Catholic by Catholic ritual alone was considered invalid.

Catholic emancipation (or Catholic relief) saw some reduction in and the removal of the restrictions on Roman Catholics during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but it would be 1829 before the Roman Catholic Relief Act came into being. The Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland in 1800 issued in greater political emancipation, but such wording was not written into the actual text of the Act for fear it would lead to a stronger opposition by the Irish Protestants to the new law. William Pitt the Younger, who was Prime Minister, had promised emancipation to accompany the Act, but King George III believed doing so would violate his Coronation Oath, which reads in part: “Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?” Pitt resigned his post, for he failed in keeping his promise to the Irish.

Marriage of the Prince of Wales and Caroline of Brunswick at St. James Palace.

Prince George, the Prince of Wales (the Prince Regent and later King George IV) married a widow, Mrs. Maria Fitzherbert on 15 December 1785 in a secret marriage. This marriage between a Protestant and a Catholic was illegal. The Prince Regent was forced to deny this marriage if he ever wished to claim the throne of England. The Act of Settlement of 1701 forbade a Roman Catholic from sitting on the throne. Maria could not be George IV’s queen. If they were to remain married, he would be required to give up his place in the line of succession. Moreover, the prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert had ignored the Royal Marriage Act of 1772, which required all members of the Royal Family to ask the Sovereign’s permission before marrying. George III, as we saw above, would not extend such permission to any of his children. When the Regent’s debts increased to some £600,000, he finally agreed to abandon Maria and take a Protestant wife of Parliament’s choosing in order to settle his debts.

The Napoleonic Wars saw an increase of Catholic officers and enlisted men in both the army and navy. Even so, these men could not take a seat in Parliament, and they still could not vote or attend university or schools such as Eton, Harrow, Westminster, etc. Before the war, the Catholic children of prominent families were often sent to the continent to elite Catholic schools.

The Dukes of Norfolk were a prominent Catholic family. Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, renounced his Catholicism to start his political life, but remained a staunch supporter of Catholic Emancipation. He sat in Parliament from 1780–84, became a lord of the treasury in the Portland cabinet in 1783, and was dismissed in 1798 from the lord lieutenancy of the West Riding for toasting the “sovereign English people” in terms displeasing to the Crown. In addition, he held a hereditary position as Earl marshal, a royal officeholder responsible, along with the constable, for the monarch’s horses and stables. However, Charles Howard was made to permit a Protestant to fulfill many of his official duties. He was also supposed to allow the churches to which he held the livings to be handled by the universities, but he refused to hand them over.

Read the Hardwicke Act (Marital Law 26 Geo II c 33) HERE:

http://www.regencyresearcher.com/pages/marriagelaw.html

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Earl6x9 Introducing The Earl Claims His Comfort: Book 2 in the Twins’ Trilogy, releasing September 16, 2017, from Black Opal Books

– a 2016 Hot Prospects finalist in Romantic Suspense

Hurrying home to Tegen Castle from the Continent to assume guardianship of a child not his, but one who holds his countenance, Levison Davids, Earl of Remmington, is shot and left to die upon the road leading to his manor house. The incident has Remmington chasing after a man who remains one step ahead and who claims a distinct similarity—a man who wishes to replace Remmington as the rightful earl. Rem must solve the mystery of how a stranger’s life parallels his, while protecting his title, the child, and the woman he loves.

Comfort Neville has escorted Deirdre Kavanaugh from Ireland to England, in hopes that the Earl of Remmington will prove a better guardian for the girl than did the child’s father. When she discovers the earl’s body upon a road backing the castle, it is she who nurses him to health. As the daughter of a minor son of an Irish baron, Comfort is impossibly removed from the earl’s sphere, but the man claims her affections. She will do anything for him, including confronting his enemies. When she is kidnapped as part of a plot for revenge against the earl, she must protect Rem’s life, while guarding her heart.

Currently Available:

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1626947457/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505774153&sr=8-2&keywords=the+earl+claims+his+comfort

Black Opal Books https://black-opal-books.myshopify.com/products/the-earl-claims-his-comfort

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-earl-claims-his-comfort-regina-jeffers/1127101127?ean=2940158592270

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-earl-claims-his-comfort

Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Earl-Claims-His-Comfort-ebook/dp/B075B323MN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505561066&sr=8-1&keywords=the+earl+claims+his+comfort

Barnes and Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-earl-claims-his-comfort-regina-jeffers/1127101127?ean=9781626947450

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Excerpt…

“I mean to escort Miss Deirdre to services this morning,” Rem announced as they shared a Sunday breakfast. Other than supper each evening, he purposely had avoided Miss Neville’s company. The temptation to touch her again would disappear on Tuesday with her departure. “I pray you will join us.”

“I think not, my lord,” she said coldly.

It was the first time Rem heard Miss Neville use the same indifferent tone he employed, and the fact the lady meant to place distance between them bothered him more than he cared to admit. “Do you not fear damnation?” he asked with uncharacteristic venom. He was not a Bible thumper, and in truth, he often missed services, but something about the woman’s refusal clawed at his sense of rightness.

“No more than you,” the lady responded smartly. “Moreover, as a Catholic, I am already damned in the eyes of the Church of England.”

“Catholic?” A pang announced his snobbish regrets clutched at his heart. He did not give a fig what religion the woman claimed. Even so, he spoke sternly. “I am surprised Lord Kavanagh would place Miss Deirdre in the care of a Catholic,” he pronounced in misplaced disdain. It was as if he celebrated any spot on Miss Neville’s character to remain detached from her.

“As Lord Kavanagh meant to wash his hands of the child, I doubt he much cared to which God Miss Deirdre prayed,” she snapped.

“Does Lord Swenton realize your preferences?” he countered.

“As his baroness, my cousin, also claims a Catholic upbringing, I doubt his lordship will take note of my ‘transgressions.’ From what I know of the baron, he chooses to see the person’s worthiness rather than his religious beliefs. Lord Swenton is a man of honor.”

“And you are implying I am not.” He could not remove the bitterness from his tone. For days, he had wanted Miss Neville not to look upon him with that softness he so craved, but now that the woman turned on him, he was not happy with the result.

“In truth, I do not know enough of your character to pronounce you a man of honor.” He flinched as if slapped. “It would seem to me that if you performed honorably in your dealings, then there would be no cause for two attempts upon your life within a sennight,” Miss Neville continued, as if a dam of accusations needed to be expressed.

In many ways, Rem supposed they did. He had played with the woman’s emotions, and he deserved her vehemence. At least her tirade would keep her at arm’s length.

“This is what I know of Lord Swenton. The gentleman married a woman who required his protection but who treated him in a false manner. Even so, he risked his life to save her. Although he had developed a deep affection for my cousin, his lordship properly grieved for a wife that was untrue when the previous Lady Swenton lost her life. When he married Isolde, he did so in the Catholic Church before her family and friends in Ireland.

“Only after Cousin Isolde discovered she was enceinte did they marry again in the Church of England. Even then it was at Isolde’s insistence, not Lord Swenton’s. The baron married my cousin because he adores her, and nothing else mattered to the man. Only to name his eventual heir as ‘legitimate’ did Lord Swenton consider remarrying his bride according to the dictates of the Church of England. Therefore, in my opinion, Cousin Isolde claimed the only decent Englishman this country has produced.”

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Angel Comes to the Devil’s Keep: Book 1 of the Twins’ Trilogy

– a 2017 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense finalist

-a SOLA’s Eighth Annual Dixie Kane Memorial Award finalist for Historical Romance

Huntington McLaughlin, the Marquess of Malvern, wakes in a farmhouse, after a head injury, being tended by an ethereal “angel,” who claims to be his wife. However, reality is often deceptive, and Angelica Lovelace is far from innocent in Hunt’s difficulties. Yet, there is something about the woman that calls to him as no other ever has. When she attends his mother’s annual summer house party, their lives are intertwined in a series of mistaken identities, assaults, kidnappings, overlapping relations, and murders, which will either bring them together forever or tear them irretrievably apart. As Hunt attempts to right his world from problems caused by the head injury that has robbed him of parts of his memory, his best friend, the Earl of Remmington, makes it clear that he intends to claim Angelica as his wife. Hunt must decide whether to permit her to align herself with the earldom or claim the only woman who stirs his heart–and if he does the latter, can he still serve the dukedom with a hoydenish American heiress at his side?

Posted in Black Opal Books, blog hop, book excerpts, book release, British history, Church of England, excerpt, George IV, Georgian England, historical fiction, Ireland, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, Regency romance, research, romance | Tagged Black Opal Books, book excerpt, book release, British history, Catholic, Catholic Emancipation, Church of England, George IV, Hardwicke Act, Ireland, Maria Fitzherbert, marriage, Protestant, Regency Era, religion, Romantic Suspense, The Earl Claims His Comfort, William Pitt the Younger | Comments Off

Did Jane Austen Play Her Own Version of Regency “Monopoly”? a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

The post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on December 10, 2019. I think you will discover it as fascinating as did I. Enjoy!

“The Most Agreeable & Rational Recreation Ever Invented”

During a recent visit to Edinburgh’s Museum of Childhood, I was drawn to one of the exhibits, a board game called The New Game of Human Life. Published in London in 1790, it was aimed at the family market and was the British adaptation of a French game, Le Nouveau Jeu de La Vie Humaine.

The New Game of Human Life is a classic roll-and-move game with 84 spaces, each representing a year of human life. The 84 spaces are divided into the seven ages of man: childhood, youth, young man, the prime of life, the sedate middle age, the old man and decrepitude.

The players take turns to advance with the goal is to be the first to reach the ending space: The Immortal Man. It’s like Snakes and Ladders meets Monopoly, in that some spaces take you forward and others set you back, and the players pay and receive stakes depending on where they land.

Human Life as the Georgians Knew It

The depiction of the life stages in the game is fascinating, and it tells us a lot about what Georgians thought of life as a whole. For example, a player landing on The Studious Boy (nr 7) can advance to The Orator (nr 42). However, one ending up in The Negligent Boy (nr 11) has to pay a stake and skip two rounds.

As the players advance, the stakes also increase. A player arriving at The Duellist (nr 22) has to pay two stakes and return to The Boy (nr 3), presumably to learn to be less troublesome. In contrast, a player landing on The Married Man (nr 34) gets two stakes (the wife’s dowry, of course) and skips ahead The Good Father (nr 56)

There are some interesting distinctions as well. A player landing on The Romance Writer (nr 40) has to pay two stakes and go back to Mischievous Boy (nr 5), while the lucky player landing on The Tragic Author (nr 45) jumps straight onto the last space and wins. It’s clear what type of genre was held in admiration and which in contempt.

The game also features cameos by famous contemporaries. The Poet (nr 41) stands for Alexander Pope. “The Patriot” (nr 55) represents William Pitt. The Glutton (nr 59) is supposedly the Prince of Wales, although for obvious reasons his identity isn’t clearly stated. The last space, The Immortal Man, is for Isaac Newton, who died at the ripe old age of 84.

“Utility and Moral Tendencies”

The New Game of Human Life had a strong moral component. It even included advice for parents and tutors as to how to explain the meaning of the different spaces to children under the reassuring title “utility and moral tendency of this game.”

Paradoxically, winning the game was utterly dependent on luck. However, to avoid introducing gambling to children, the London publishers decided to replace the two dice of the original French version with a teetotum, which is a sort of spinning wheel.

A Clever Marketing Ploy

The game was a commercial success, and one can see why. For starters, it was practical. The board I admired was mounted on 12 separate pieces of thick paper or cardboard with a cloth backing, and could be easily folded and stored away.

Although the copy in the Edinburgh museum was in black and white, the game was sold in different finishes in a scale of rising price points. The cheapest version was little more than printed pieces of paper. In the most expensive version, the materials were more refined and the illustrations in colour. It was a shrewd move to widen the game’s appeal to a broader audience by making it more accessible.

A Game for the Little Knights?

We know from Jane Austen’s letters that she spent long periods at Chawton House, home of her brother Edward Knight and his brood. She doted on her many nephews and nieces and played all sorts of games with them.

Since my discovery of The New Game of Human Life, I have reached the conclusion that Jane Austen must have played a similar board game at some point – or perhaps this very one. Edward’s fortune meant that he could easily afford even the fanciest version of the game!

In any case, if you visit Edinburgh, do give yourself a couple of hours to visit the Museum of Childhood and its collection of toys, games, books and artifacts for children. It’s a little gem, and very centrally located, too – just off the Royal Mile – so you have no excuse to miss it.

What do you think of The New Game of Human Life? Do you enjoy boardgames, or think you will find one under the Christmas tree?

To find out more:

http://www.branchcollective.org/?ps_articles=christopher-rovee-the-new-game-of-human-life-1790

https://www.lucyworsley.com/jolly-good-fun-parlour-games-of-the-past/

Posted in Austen Authors, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged Austen Authors, board games, British history, Edinburgh, Georgian era The New Game of Human Life, guest post, Museum of Childhood, Regency Era | Comments Off

“A Touch of Honor” [or] What to Do With a Character You Despise?

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Early on, I convinced my traditional publisher, Ulysses Press, to print one of my Regency romances – a book I originally called A Touch of Gold and later called A Touch of Scandal. Ulysses released the book under the title The Scandal of Lady Eleanor. That book has been followed by seven others, each the tale of one of the members of a fictional covert military group operating out of the Home Office during the Napoleonic Wars and known as “the Realm.” The men of the Realm have served their country honorably and have returned home to claim their titles and a chance at love, a fleeting hope each held during their service. Unfortunately, a Baloch warlord claims one of the group has stolen a fist-sized emerald, and Shaheed Mir means to have the jewel’s return, or he will know his revenge.

Today, I celebrate Book 7 in the series, one of favorites. As with each of the others, A Touch of Honor addresses what we sometimes think of as “modern” issues, but ones commonplace in the Regency Period. This one addresses the desire of young women to remain slim, as well as the addictive overuse of laudanum during this period.

Those who followed this series waited for this episode, which they had predicted to include the bringing together of Baron John Swenton and Miss Satiné Aldridge. However, for me, I had long ago forsaken the possibility of the two finding happiness. You see, I did not like the character of Satiné Aldridge, and before you chastise me by saying such things as “You created the girl, you could have endowed her with endearing qualities,” I get it! If I wanted Satiné to be as strong willed and intelligent as her twin, Cashémere, who is the heroine of book 3, I should have written her as such.

However, the more I thought of treating her as a “twin” to Cashémere in all ways, Satiné told me otherwise – told me that she had been raised in the “ideal” home with their maternal uncle, Lord Charles Morton, a baron, while Cashé had suffered under the care of their paternal uncle, Lord Samuel Aldridge, a religious fanatic. There was no means for them to be equals. Therefore, Satiné would not react to adversity in the same manner, as had her twin. The more I wrote of her, the less I liked Miss Satiné, and I made up my mind she was not good enough for any of the Realm heroes. That fact created a problem: Who would be the ideal mate for the VERY private Lord Swenton? John has never known love; his mother deserted him and the former baron (his father) for life upon the European continent. John means never to make the same mistakes as his father and never to know the scandal of a disastrous marriage, but from the beginning of their relationship, Satiné Aldridge offers nothing but duplicity and manipulations, even bringing Shaheed Mir’s notice to their marriage.

The books in the series are…
The Scandal of Lady Eleanor (Book 1) – the story of James Kerrington, Lord Worthing, and Lady Eleanor Fowler

A Touch of Velvet (Book 2) – the story of Brantley Fowler, the Duke of Thornhill (and brother to Lady Eleanor), and Miss Velvet Aldridge (the Fowlers’ cousin and Cashémere and Satiné’ s elder sister)

A Touch of Cashémere (Book 3) – the story of Marcus Wellston, the future Earl of Berwick, and Miss Cashémere Aldridge, the middle Aldridge sister and twin to Satiné Aldridge

A Touch of Grace (Book 4) – the story of Gabriel Crowden, the Marquis of Godown, and Miss Grace Nelson, a governess in Samuel Aldridge’s household and sister to a baron

A Touch of Mercy (Book 5) – the story of Aidan Kimbolt, Lord Lexford, a viscount, and Miss Mercy Nelson, the younger sister of Miss Grace Nelson

A Touch of Love (Book 6) – the story of Sir Carter Lowery and war widow, Mrs. Lucinda Warren

A Touch of Honor (Book 7) – the story of Lord John Swenton and, well, he starts out with Satiné

A Touch of Emerald (Book 8) – the conclusion to the series and the story of Daniel Kerrington (son of James Kerrington by his first wife) and Lady Sonalí Fowler (the Duke of Thornhill’s daughter by his first wife).

His American Heartsong: A Companion Novel to the Realm Series – the story of Lawrence Lowery (brother to Sir Carter Lowery) and Miss Arabella Tilney

Book Blurb for A Touch of Honor:

For two years, LORD JOHN SWENTON has thought of little else other than making Satiné Aldridge his wife; so when he discovers her reputation in tatters, Swenton acts honorably: He puts forward a marriage of convenience that will save her from ruination and provide him the one woman he believes will bring joy to his life. However, the moment he utters his proposal, Swenton’s instincts scream he has made a mistake: Unfortunately, a man of honor makes the best of even the most averse situations.

MISS SATINE ALDRIDGE has fallen for a man she can never possess and has accepted a man she finds only mildly tolerable. What will she do to extricate herself from Baron Swenton’s life and claim the elusive Prince Henrí? Obviously, more than anyone would ever expect.

MISS ISOLDE NEVILLE has been hired to serve as Satiné Aldridge’s companion, but her loyalty rests purely with the lady’s husband. With regret, she watches the baron struggle against the impossible situation in which Miss Aldridge has placed him, while her heart desires to claim the man as her own. Yet, Isolde is as honorable as the baron. She means to see him happy, even if that requires her to aid him in his quest to earn Miss Satiné’s affections.

The first fully original series from Austen pastiche author Jeffers is a knockout. – Publishers Weekly

Book Excerpt: (In this scene, John has reluctantly escorted his wife to a ball where he has encountered his baroness’s former “lover,” Prince Henrí of Rintoul. Deeply drowsy from the excessive laudanum she has consumed, Satiné is unaware of Henrí’s appearance in London. John has removed Satiné to his Town home, but his quick anger finds a target, Miss Isolde Neville, his wife’s companion and a woman he secretly desires.)

She had repaired the tat where the material had torn in one of the gowns presented to her by Lady Lowery. It was a beautiful royal blue confection, and Isolde had been anxious to wear it. Her cousins would think she had taken on airs, but she would enjoy their jealousy. It was like no gown she had ever thought to wear for she was essentially of a very practical nature. In truth, she would prefer to wear it for Lord Swenton’s eyes only, but those dreams would never know fruition. Tomorrow, the baron meant to remove his household to York, and soon after, Isolde would depart for Ireland. She would never return to England, and most certainly would never see London again. She would accept the intentions of one of her countrymen, marry, and bear the man a half dozen children. Yet, she would always remember her time with Lord Swenton. “Your days are numbered,” she warned her foolish heart. “No dancing a jig in celebration of your marriage. No wearing a gown, which would set his lordship’s heart a reeling.” A wistful sigh escaped before Isolde could swallow it. “Best to wear the drab clothes of a lady’s companion,” she chastised her whims. “It remains my armor against temptation.”

The sound of a ruckus below interrupted her thoughts. She rushed from her rooms to encounter the man over whom she had spent too many hours of late in daydreams. Lord Swenton carried his wife toward the lady’s quarters. Lady Swenton’s limp form announced the baroness had discovered a new supply of laudanum.

“My Goodness!” Isolde rasped and then raced ahead of the baron to open the connecting doors. She jerked the counterpane free of the bed to permit him to deposit Lady Swenton upon the mattress. “What happened?” Isolde asked as she undressed her mistress.

“Did you know?” the baron asked in accusatory tones. He stood beside his wife’s bed, his hands fisting and unfisting, arms akimbo.

Isolde’s fingers released the clasp of the baroness’s necklace and turned her mistress to her stomach so she could unlace Lady Swenton’s gown. Out of breath, she asked testily, “Did I know what?”

Lord Swenton’s voice had turned cold. “When you convinced me to escort my mother’s remains to York, did you know Lady Swenton meant to remain in London to meet her lover? Or was it your purpose for me to encounter Prince Henrí tonight? You did say this evening would be a monumental event.”

Isolde’s fingers froze in their task. “Have you taken leave of your senses?” Her hands wildly brushed away his allegations. “I have been nothing but loyal to you. Other than Lord Morse, I am ignorant of a potential lover, and I have never heard of Prince Henrí.”

“What of a heated spat between your mistress and Lady Fiona?” he accused.

“Nothing!” Isolde said defiantly. “When I came to Miss Aldridge’s service, the baroness was some four months with child. She withdrew from her social engagements shortly after my taking the position. I never held the pleasure of an acquaintance with the former baroness.” With a huff of exasperation, Isolde returned to Lady Swenton’s unconscious state. “If you will pardon me, I must attend to your wife.” Despite her best efforts, a soft sob escaped. He had never spoken to her harshly.

Within a heartbeat, the baron had circled the bed and had caught her to him. He drove Isolde backward until her spine was pressed against the interior door and his hard body plastered her front. “Forgive me,” he whispered roughly against her temple. “I never meant to harm you. Please, Isolde, I have acted a fool.”

Some dark, inexplicable passion rushed through her, and Isolde instinctively pressed against him. The white-flare of need ripped the breath from her chest, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck. “We should not…”

“Should not what?” His voice sounded as breathy as did hers. “Should not claim one moment of happiness?”

Isolde could not dismiss how aware she was of this man’s masculinity. “One moment would never be enough.” She could taste the salt upon his skin, and Isolde ran her tongue along the crease of his neck. A groan of desire rewarded her efforts.

A rush of silence followed before Lord Swenton placed his hands against the wall on either side of her head and lifted his body from hers. Immediately, she experienced the bleakness of his withdrawal. “Some way,” he rasped as he gently cuffed her cheek. “I mean to finish this. For now, please assist me with Lady Swenton. I cannot fathom what the future holds, but please know somehow my soul will find its way to you.”

* * *

After they had undressed Satiné, they had tucked his baroness into her bed to sleep away the effects of the medicinal. Then by silent consent, he had escorted Miss Neville into his sitting room to discuss what had happened earlier. “Evidently, my wife has discovered someone within my household to keep her confidences,” he disclosed when he had seated Miss Neville across from him and had poured her a small sherry and him a well-deserved brandy.

“No doubt Sally,” she asserted. “The girl has ambitions, but has not yet learned subtlety.”

Deep in thought, John nodded his agreement. “I will return the girl to Thornhill tomorrow. The duke has sent Mrs. Tailor and the boy ahead to Marwood Manor. I will see Sally returned to him.”

Miss Neville sat straighter. “Might you inform me of what occurred this evening?”

John closed his eyes to the shame racing to his heart. He dealt better with chaos when he could keep busy; this “rush” to wait endlessly vexed him greatly. “Lady Swenton could barely speak or move. If not for Lady Worthing’s assistance, the prince and much of the ton would have learned of Satiné’s dependency on laudanum. The only saving grace was my wife will likely not recall the appearance of Prince Henrí.”

“Is this prince Rupert’s father?” she asked quietly.

“In appearance, it would seem so. The boy has the countenance of the Prince of Rintoul. However, Prince Henrí claimed no previous knowledge of Rupert. He accused Lady Swenton of keeping secrets.” John recalled the familiar way the prince had spoken to Satiné, and fury rushed to his mind again.

“What does the prince mean to do?”

John attempted to place the tumult of his soul aside. “I have convinced Prince Henrí to call upon my household in a week. I did not think it wise for him to be seen entering Swenton Hall, but the prince made it clear he means to claim Rupert.”

“What will you do?” she whispered into the familiar silence that rested between them. John required these moments or he would run mad into the streets. The lady held no idea how important she had become to his sanity.

“What will I do?” he repeated. Every emotion within John rushed into the dark void of helplessness. “The question is what will my baroness do when her former lover and the father of her child makes an appearance on my threshold?”

Posted in book excerpts, Church of England, estates, fashion, Georgian England, historical fiction, Inheritance, Ireland, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, medicine, Realm series, Regency era, Ulysses Press | Tagged " "His American Heartsong, " A Touch of Cashémere, A Touch of Emerald, A Touch of Grace, A Touch of Honor, A Touch of Love, A Touch of Mercy, A Touch of Scandal, A Touch of Velvet, Napoleonic Wars, Regency historical fiction, series, the Realm | 2 Comments

James Wilmot on “Who Wrote Shakespeare’s Plays?” + an eBook Giveaway

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

anonymous engraving of James Wilmot – scanned from Serres, O The Life of the Author of the Letters of Junius, the Reverend James Wilmot, MD, London, 1813. ~ public domain via Wikipedia

James Wilton was supposedly the first to question whether William Shakespeare was the actual author of the plays and sonnets we now attribute to him. Wilmot was an English clergyman, having been educated at Oxford, and scholar from Barton-on-the-Heath, Warwickwickshire, some six miles from Stratford-upon-Avon. We know something of his Shakespeare research because his friend James Corton Cowell conducted two lectures at the Ipswich Philosophic Society on the subject in 1805. However, there are those who believe the Ipswich Philosophic Society did not exist, nor can they find a record of James Corton Cowell. That being said, Cowell’s two lectures DO exist in handwritten manuscript form: “Some Reflections on the Life of William Shakespeare.” They can be found in the Durning-Lawrence collection at London University. Could Cowell simply have written out his research, but not shared it with others?

Page from a manuscript purportedly written in 1805 by James Cowell, which has since been determined to be a forgery. MS 294, Senate House Library, University of London ~ public domain ~ via Wikipedia

Sir Edwin Durning-Lawrence was a British lawyer and Member of Parliament. He was a strong advocate for the idea that Francis Bacon was the true author of Shakespeare’s plays. Durning-Lawrence penned several books on the subject and hosted public debates on his Baconian theory. His widow donated his research to London University upon his death, among those pieces were the two “Cowell” manuscripts, which tell something of Wilmot’s search for any books or papers that reference Shakespeare as being the author of the plays attributed to him. After covering a 50-mile radius of Stratford, Shakespeare’s home, Wilmot concluded that Shakespeare was not the author of the plays, but rather the author was Sir Francis Bacon. The problem is that Wilmot only confided his findings to Cowell. The actual research was supposedly burned.

It has even been suggested that Wilmot may have been the author of The Story of the Learned Pig (1786). “The anonymous pamphlet The Story of the Learned Pig, By an officer of the Royal Navy (1786) picked up the theme of reincarnation. This presents itself as the personal reminiscences of the pig, as told to the author. He describes himself as a soul that has successively migrated from the body of Romulus into various humans and animals before becoming the Learned Pig. He recalls his previous incarnations. After Romulus he became Brutus, and then entered several human and animal bodies. Adapting the Shakespeare theme, the pamphlet states that he became a man called “Pimping Billy”, who worked as a horse-holder at a playhouse with Shakespeare and was the real author of his plays. He then became a famous British aristocrat and general — identified only by asterisks — before entering the body of a pig. [McMichael, George L.; Glenn, Edgar M. (1962), Shakespeare and His Rivals: A Casebook on the Authorship Controversy, Odyssey Press, p.56. via Wikipedia]

caricature by John Leech

“Puns on the name “Bacon”, referring to the philosopher Francis Bacon, also appeared in the literature. In the poem ‘The Prophetic Pig,’ in The Whim of the Day (c.1794) a believer in reincarnation states, ‘I can easily trace…A metempsychosis in this pig’s face!…And in transmigration, if I’m not mistaken,/This learned pig must be, by consanguinity,/Descended from the great Lord Bacon. Thomas Hood’s poem The Lament of Toby, The Learned Pig also uses the Bacon pun, adding another on the poet James Hogg. He describes the thoughts of a learned pig forced to retire from his intellectual pursuits to be fattened for slaughter.” [Learned Pig]

In The Times Literary Supplement, James Shapirio, author of Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?, declared the document [the lecture manuscripts] a forgery based on facts stated in the text about Shakespeare that were not discovered or publicised until decades after the purported date of composition. Peter Bower, an expert in paper history analysis, identified the paper as drawing paper, not writing paper, probably made shortly after the type was introduced in the mid-1790s. He noted that he knew of no instances of that type of paper being used to write out a long lecture. You can read the whole article HERE: Forgery on Forgery

Introducing Pride and Prejudice and a Shakespearean Scholar

Unless one knows the value of loyalty, he cannot appreciate the cost of betrayal.

What if Darcy and Elizabeth met weeks before the Meryton assembly? What if there is no barely “tolerable” remark to have Elizabeth rejecting Mr. Darcy’s affections, but rather a dip in a cold creek that sets her against him? What if Mr. Bennet is a renown Shakespearean scholar who encourages Darcy to act the role of Petruchio from Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” to bring Elizabeth’s Katherina persona to the line.

ELIZABETH BENNET’s pride has her learning a difficult lesson: Loyalty is hard to find, and trust is easy to lose. Even after they share a passionate kiss outside the Meryton assembly hall and are forced to marry, Elizabeth cannot forget the indignity she experienced at the hands of Fitzwilliam Darcy. Although she despises his high-handedness, Elizabeth appreciates the protection he provides her in their marriage. But can she set her prejudice aside long enough to know a great love?

FITZWILLIAM DARCY places only two demands on his new wife: her loyalty and her trust, but when she invites his worst enemy to Darcy House, he has no choice but to turn her out. Trusting her had been his decision, but proving his choice the right one before she destroys two hearts meant to be together must be hers, and Darcy is not certain Elizabeth is up to the task.

Excerpt from Chapter Two, where Darcy learns the true identity of Mr. Bennet. You can see how the “history” becomes part of the story line.

“Darcy!” Bingley called from the third storey balustrade. “I did not hear your carriage.”

“Likely because it is some two miles removed with a lame horse being tended to by Mr. Farrin. Do you possess an animal that would serve until my horse can heal?”

Bingley spoke as he rushed down the stairs to greet Darcy properly. “I sent my large coach to London to fetch my sisters to Netherfield, but the smaller carriage and its team is available. I planned to dine out this evening—before Caroline and Louisa arrive,” he said conspiratorially, “but I can take my curricle, if necessary arrangements cannot be made otherwise. Longbourn is only a little more than three miles removed. Permit me to send to the stables, and you may explain to the head groomsman what you require.” He motioned to the footman to fetch the groomsman. “Come join me in my study. You must be starving. Mr. Byers, ask Cook to send up something for Mr. Darcy and prepare a room for him.”

“Yes, Mr. Bingley.” The butler rushed away to do Bingley’s bidding.

Bingley motioned for Darcy to follow him. “I did not expect you today. In truth, I was not certain how long you might be required in Kent.”

“I removed my sister from my aunt’s residence and returned her to Darcy House yesterday,” Darcy explained. “Lady Catherine will not have such easy access to Miss Darcy at my home.”

“Another of her ladyship’s demands that you marry Miss De Bourgh?” Bingley asked in what sounded of concern.

“My aunt is hard to dissuade,” Darcy admitted.

Bingley ventured, “Perhaps you should choose another to wife.”

Darcy prayed his friend was not suggesting his younger sister Caroline would make a good mistress for Darcy’s properties. If so, Bingley would be as disappointed as Lady Catherine. “While we traveled to London, Georgiana suggested something similar.”

Bingley, thankfully, changed the subject. “I despise that I was unaware of your distress today. It would be pleasant to be of service to you.”

“You are of service to me,” Darcy corrected. “You have rescued me from Lady Catherine’s manipulations.”

“Most assuredly, but I wish to be more. I mean to employ your knowledge of running an estate to determine whether this one would serve me well. Therefore, I will be further in your debt.”

Darcy chuckled as he sat before his friend’s desk. “We shan’t keep tallies, Bingley. That is not the way of friendship.”

“Nevertheless, I will be in the positive this evening for more than a daring rescue of your person from Lady Catherine’s demands.” Bingley reached for a sheet of foolscap. “Permit me to send a note around to Mr. Bennet that I will be bringing a guest with me this evening.”

“I would be perfectly content to remain at Netherfield. You do not need to alter your plans simply because I have appeared upon your doorstep,” Darcy assured his friend. “I do not expect you to cry off at such short notice nor should you inconvenience Mr. Bennet’s cook by adding another to her preparations.”

“Nonsense,” Bingley declared good-naturedly. “If worse comes to worse, we will split the portions between us. You know I could never abandon you to a house with which you are unfamiliar. The library here is sadly lacking. Moreover, Mr. Bennet of Longbourn is Mr. Thomas Bennet.”

“Thomas Bennet?” Darcy asked. “The Thomas Bennet? The man who is both a Shakespeare and a Bacon expert and who means to refute claims that Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets? The one our professors at Cambridge so often quoted?”

“The very man,” Bingley said with a wide smile. “Bacon made this part of Hertfordshire his home, thus Mr. Bennet’s interest in the man. Bennet and a group of scholars have been trying to refute Wilmot’s research claiming that Bacon is the true author of Shakespeare’s plays.”

“Ah, naturally. Who better to look for Bacon’s imprint upon the work of Stratford’s hero than England’s most renown expert on each?” Although he considered the true pleasure of taking Bennet’s acquaintance, Darcy wondered more upon the Shakespearean influence upon a certain young lady who had set his blood on fire when he touched her. “I happened to be in Suffolk when James Cowell lectured at the Ipswich Philosophic Society back in ’05. I was preparing for my final exams and thought to gain several insights to impress my professors. It was all quite fascinating.”

Bingley began to scratch out his message to Bennet. “What I find fascinating,” his friend said as he dipped his pen again into the ink well, “has nothing to do with Bennet’s treasured manuscripts. I am more concerned with the fact that the man possesses five daughters, equally renowned for their beauty and their amiability.”

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY! LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW TO BE PART OF THE GIVEAWAY, WHICH CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT EST ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 10. THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE AN eBOOK COPY OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND A SHAKESPEAREAN SCHOLAR.

Posted in Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, British history, Elizabethan drama, excerpt, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Jane Austen, legends and myths, literature, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, reading habits, real life tales, theatre, Vagary | Tagged Baconian theory, book excerpt, book release, historical fiction, James Corton Cowell, James Wilmot, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice and a Shakespearean Scholar, Regency romance, Vagary, William Shakespeare | 15 Comments

A Closer Look at “Mr. Darcy’s Present: A Pride and Prejudice Holiday Vagary”

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Regina Jeffers

Mr. Darcy’s Present: A Pride and Prejudice Holiday Vagary from Regina Jeffers is currently on sale until January 5, 2020. Enjoy the excerpt below.

Genre: Classics; Regency Romance; Austenesque; Christmas Romance

Book Blurb:

When we care more for another than ourselves, the seeds of love have an opportunity to blossom.

What if Mr. Darcy purchased a gift for Elizabeth Bennet to acknowledge the festive days even though he knows he will never present it to her? What if he suffers a terrible accident and cannot tend to his duties personally? What if, during his recovery, the gift is posted to the lady by his servants and without his knowledge? What if the enclosed card was meant for another and is more suggestive than a gentleman should share with an unmarried lady? Join Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, for a holiday romp, loaded with delightful twists and turns no one expects, but one in which our favorite couple take a very different path in thwarting George Wickham and Lydia Bennet’s elopement. Can a simple book of poetry be Darcy’s means to win Elizabeth’s love? Only time will tell.

Excerpt:

Darcy turned to view his sister holding the card from her gift. Her eyes were filled with tears. “Do not fret, my girl,” he said as he scooped her into his embrace. It seemed to him since the incident with Mr. Wickham that Georgiana cried often. “I did not mean for my card to

bring you unrest.” He turned his attention upon the earl. “I will escort my sister into the hall. We will return in a moment, once Georgiana reclaims her composure.”

“Such dramatics!” Lady Catherine grumbled.

In the hall, he turned Georgiana so she faced him. Lifting her chin with his fingertips, he wiped her tears away with a handkerchief. “My sweet girl, I am grieved to have upset you. I thought the circlet would please you.”

“It does,” she insisted. “A girl could not ask for a finer gift or a better brother.”

“Then what brings on your dismals?” he said with a smile of encouragement.

“It is…it is just…” A new round of tears ensued.

“Georgiana,” he said with emphasis. “I cannot correct of what I am ignorant.”

She shoved the gift’s card into his palm. “I know I am foolish,” she sobbed. “But this…this is something…you write to a stranger.”

Darcy tucked her into his shoulder, so she might have her cry while he brought the card to where he could read it. To a woman who will always claim my admiration and respect. “Bloody hell,” he growled beneath his breath, although shouting the curse would have proved more satisfying. He turned Georgiana to him. One step at a time, he told his racing heart. “Georgiana, this card was meant for another. Your card spoke of the pride Lady Anne would know with your debut into Society. Mrs. Guthrie and one of the maids wrapped the gifts because I could not. Somehow the cards and the parcels were mismatched.”

“Truly, William?” she asked through tear-rimmed tones.

“You are the most precious gift our mother could share with me. I think only of your pleasure.”

“I thought I disappointed you,” she confessed. “And you were simply reassuring me of your love while still despising me for what occurred at Ramsgate.”

“I feared for you,” he explained, “but never despised you.” Before more could be said between them a shriek of joy from Lady Catherine told him his worries were far from over. “I have an uncomfortable feeling the card intended for you has been located.” He caught Georgiana’s hand and returned to the drawing room and the confrontation he had anticipated.

“Ah, Darcy ” Lady Catherine gushed upon his entrance to the room. “I now understand why you spoke of not having a wife. You meant to propose to Anne as a surprise to us all!”

Darcy glanced to the Matlocks to determine how they would take his rejection of Anne, but neither the earl nor the countess displayed any emotions. Swallowing his anxiety, he announced, “Your assumption comes from a misunderstanding, your ladyship. It is not my intention to propose to anyone today.”

Lady Catherine held up the card from Anne’s gift. “How else is my daughter to interpret a card that reads Lady Anne looks down upon you and smiles. You were always meant to be a Darcy?”

“Such is the reason for Miss Darcy’s tears,” he explained in more calm than he felt. “The cards for the gifts were knocked to the floor when the fairings were wrapped on my behalf by one of my maids. Fearing she would be sacked for her clumsiness, the maid placed the cards in the prepared parcels, but the girl knows not her letters and made an egregious error.”

“So Georgiana’s card was in Anne’s presentation and vice versa?” his lordship clarified.

“Yes,” Georgiana agreed before he could respond. As it was best he did not mention the fact Georgiana’s card was meant for Elizabeth Bennet, he permitted the tale to stand. His sister knelt before their cousin. “I am grievously sorry, Anne,” she said in comforting tones.

Darcy knelt beside his sister to catch Anne’s fingers in his hand. “It was never my wish to harm you in any manner. We have been dear friends since our youth. I cherish the memories of us together in the nursery and later the schoolroom. Of sharing books and learning to dance. You were my first partner. Do you recall how often I stepped upon your toes?” Anne smiled weakly. “Yet, that is not enough for a tolerable marriage. You deserve someone not so…”

“Moody,” Anne supplied in the softest of tones.

Darcy smiled upon her. “I have been called impossible upon a rainy Sunday afternoon.”

“Impossible,” Anne repeated as if she enjoyed the characterization of his personality.

“Will you be well?” Darcy asked. He did not want his cousin to suffer because of his stubbornness.

Anne shot a glance to her scowling mother. “I believe I feel a headache coming on. Thank you for the music box. I shall cherish it as one of my most precious memories.”

Darcy nodded before standing to extend a hand to Georgiana. He turned to speak to the earl. They were at Rosings, but Lord Matlock was still the head of the Fitzwilliam family. “I should never have attempted to claim the Christmas celebration so soon after my injuries. I have made a bungle of this family tradition and caused my dear cousin to claim her bed once again. I beg you to forgive my vanity in thinking my presence was required this day. Miss Darcy and I will take our leave, so you may continue your reveries without the specter of my foolishness overshadowing your joy.”

“But it is Christmas,” the countess protested.

“Which means no one will be upon the road to delay our return to London.” Before his relatives could lodge another objection, he said, “Come, Georgiana. We must claim the daylight.” He led her from the room with the sound of Lady Catherine’s avowals trailing behind them.

Later, as he assisted Sheffield with the packing, he knew his trials were not yet over. If Mrs. Osborne received the greeting meant for Anne, and Anne received the one meant for Georgiana, and Georgiana received the one meant for Elizabeth, then Elizabeth received the one meant for Sarah Osborne. I learned so much of myself through you. I pray the wedding bells you desire will bring you joy. He must find a means of explaining away how he thought to send an unmarried woman a gift and if not, discover a means to convince Elizabeth Bennet to marry him.

Buy Links:

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Darcys-Present-Prejudice-Holiday/dp/1537422022/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1473685089&sr=8-5&keywords=mr.+darcy%27s+present

Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Darcys-Present-Prejudice-Holiday-ebook/dp/B01LYSCC2U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1473780113&sr=1-1&keywords=mr.+Darcy%27s+present#nav-subnav

Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Author Bio:

Regina Jeffers, an award-winning author of historical cozy mysteries, Austenesque sequels and retellings, as well as Regency era romances, has worn many hats over her lifetime: daughter, student, military brat, wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, tax preparer, journalist, choreographer, Broadway dancer, theatre director, history buff, grant writer, media literacy consultant, and author. Living outside of Charlotte, NC, Jeffers writes novels that take the ordinary and adds a bit of mayhem, while mastering tension in her own life with a bit of gardening and the exuberance of her “grand joys.”

Social Media Links:

Every Woman Dreams: https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com

Website: http://www.rjeffers.com

Austen Authors: http://austenauthors.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Regina-Jeffers-Author-Page-141407102548455/?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reginajeffers

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Regina-Jeffers/e/B008G0UI0I/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1479079637&sr=8-1

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/jeffers0306/

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/regina-jeffers

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darcy4ever/

You Tube Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzgjdUigkkU

Posted in book excerpts, British history, George Wickham, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, poetry, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era, Regency romance, Vagary, writing | Tagged Christmas, gift giving, holiday, Jane Austen, Mr. Darcy's Present, poetry, Pride and Prejudice, Publishing, tradition, Vagary, variation, writing | Comments Off

Twelfth Night Sale! 38 Titles from Regina Jeffers! December 26 – January 5!

Posted on December 25, 2019 by Regina Jeffers

On the upcoming Saturday, December 26, thirty-eight of my titles go on sale for my annual Twelfth Night Sale! The sale runs from December 26, 2020, to January 5, 2021. Fill up your eReaders!!!! For the books for which I own the rights, all books will be between $0.99 and $1.75. There are Austen-inspired titles, romantic suspense, a Regency series, and contemporary choices. Moreover, many are available to read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Darcy’s Passions: Pride and Prejudice Retold Through His Eyes [Austenesque; classics; retelling; Regency era; historical fiction]

FITZWILLIAM DARCY loves three things: his sister Georgiana, his ancestral estate, and Elizabeth Bennet. The first two come easily to him. He is a man who recognizes his place in the world, but the third, Elizabeth Bennet, is a woman Society would censure if he chose her for his wife. Can he risk everything he has ever known to love an impossible woman, a woman who has declared him to be “the last man in the world (she) could ever be prevailed upon to marry”?

Revisit Jane Austen’s beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice, retold from Mr. Darcy’s point of view. Discover his soul-searching transformation from hopeless into the world’s most romantic hero. Experience what is missing from Elizabeth Bennet’s tale. Learn something of the truth of Fitzwilliam Darcy’s pride. Return to your favorite scenes from Austen’s classic: Darcy’s rejection of Miss Elizabeth at the Meryton assembly; the Netherfield Ball; the first proposal; his discovering Elizabeth at Pemberley; and Darcy’s desperate plan to save Lydia Bennet from his worst enemy, George Wickham, all retold through his eyes. Satisfy your craving for Austen’s timeless love story, while defining the turmoil and vulnerability in a man who possesses everything except the one thing that can make him happy.

Kindle Kobo Nook

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Captain Frederick Wentworth’s Persuasion: Austen’s Classic Retold Through His Eyes [historical fiction; Regency romance; retelling’ Austenesque; classics]

(Disclaimer: This is not a new title; it is a reworking of “Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion” from Ulysses Press.)

The love affair behind Jane Austen’s classic, Persuasion, rests at the heart of this retelling from Captain Frederick Wentworth’s point of view.

He loved her from the moment their eyes met some eight years prior, but Frederick Wentworth is determined to prove to Anne Elliot that she made a mistake by refusing him. Persuaded by her family and friends of his lack of a future, Anne had sent him away, but now he is back with a fortune earned in the war, and it is Anne, whose circumstances have brought her low. Frederick means to name another to replace her, but whenever he looks upon Anne’s perfect countenance, his resolve wavers, and he finds himself lost once again to his desire for her. Return to the Regency and Austen’s most compelling and mature love story. Jeffers turns the tale upon its head while maintaining Jane Austen’s tale of love and devotion.

Nook Kobo Kindle

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Vampire Darcy’s Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Paranormal Adventure [Regency romance; paranormal; Scottish; Austenesque; classics]

[Disclaimer: This work was originally released by Ulysses Press. It has been reworked and self published by the author.]

Vampire Darcy’s Desire presents Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as a heart-pounding vampire romance filled with passion and danger.

Tormented by a 200-year-old curse and his fate as a half human/half vampire dhampir, Fitzwilliam Darcy vows to live a solitary life rather than inflict the horrors of his life upon an innocent wife and his first born son. However, when he encounters the captivating Elizabeth Bennet, his will is sorely tested.

As a man, Darcy yearns for Elizabeth, but as a vampire, he is also driven to possess her. Uncontrollably drawn to each other, they are forced to confront a different kind of “pride” and his enemy’s “prejudice,” while wrestling with the seductive power of forbidden love. Evil forces, led by George Wickham, the purveyor of the curse, attack from all sides, and Darcy learns his only hope to survive is to align himself with Elizabeth, who is uncannily astute in how to defeat Wickham, a demon determined to destroy each generation of Darcys.

Vampire Darcy’s Desire retells Austen’s greatest love story in a hauntingly compelling tale. Can love be the only thing that can change him?

“An engaging and romantic paranormal surprise” ~ JustJane1813

“Jeffers ups the ante even more by basing the core of the plot line on the traditional Scottish ballad.” ~ The Royal Reviews

Kindle Kobo Nook

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Christmas at Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Holiday Vagary, Told Through the Eyes of All Who Knew It

THE DARCYS AND THE BENNETS CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY: A PRIDE & PREJUDICE HOLIDAY SEQUEL

Darcy has invited the Bennets and the Bingleys to spend the Christmastide’s festive days at Pemberley. But as he and Elizabeth journey to their estate to join the gathered families, a blizzard blankets the English countryside. The Darcys find themselves stranded at a small inn while Pemberley is inundated with refugees seeking shelter from the storm.

Without her brother’s strong presence, Georgiana Darcy tries desperately to manage the chaos surrounding the arrival of six invited guests and eleven unscheduled visitors. But bitter feuds, old jealousies and intimate secrets quickly rise to the surface. Has Lady Catherine returned to Pemberley for forgiveness or revenge? Will the manipulative Caroline Bingley find a soul mate? Shall Kitty Bennet and Georgiana know happiness?

Written in Regency style and including Austen’s romantic entanglements and sardonic humor, Christmas at Pemberley places Jane Austen’s most beloved characters in an exciting yuletide story that speaks to the love, the family spirit and the generosity that remain as the heart of Christmas.

Kobo Nook

Kindle

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Mr. Darcy’s Fault: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary (Fiction/Historical Fiction; Romance; Austenesque; Variation; Regency)

What if an accident prevents Elizabeth Bennet from reading Mr. Darcy’s letter of apology? What if said letter goes missing and ends up in the hands of George Wickham? What if Mr. Wickham plans to use the evidence of both Georgiana Darcy’s ruination and Darcy’s disdain for the Bennets to his benefit? How will Darcy counter Wickham’s plans and claim happiness with the woman he loves?

When he notices his long-time enemy in the vicinity of Hunsford Cottage, FITZWILLIAM DARCY means to put an end to an assignation between ELIZABETH BENNET and Mr. Wickham, but Darcy is not prepared for the scene which greets him in Rosings Woods. Elizabeth lies injured and crumpled beneath the trees, and in order to save her, by Society’s standards, Darcy must compromise Elizabeth. Needless to say, Darcy does not mind being forced into claiming Elizabeth to wife, but what of the lady’s affections? Can Darcy tolerate Elizabeth’s regard being engaged elsewhere?

Kindle (Also available to read on Kindle Unlimited)

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The Pemberley Ball: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary Novella [Austeneque; Regency romance; historical fiction; vagary; multiple endings]

Elizabeth Bennet’s acceptance of his hand in marriage presents FITZWILLIAM DARCY a hope of the world being different. Elizabeth offers warmth and naturalness and a bit of defiance; but there is vulnerability also. With characteristic daring, she boldly withstood Caroline Bingley’s barbs, while displaying undying devotion to her sister Jane. More unpredictably, she verbally fenced with the paragon of crudeness, his aunt, Lady Catherine, and walked away relatively unscathed. One often finds his betrothed self-mockingly entertaining her sisters and friends, and despite Darcy’s best efforts, the woman makes him laugh. She brings lightness to his spirit after so many years of grief.

Unfortunately for ELIZABETH BENNET, what begins gloriously turns to concern for their future. She recognizes her burgeoning fears as unreasonable; yet, she cannot displace them. She refuses to speculate on what Mr. Darcy will say when he learns she is not the brilliant choice he proclaims her to be. Moreover, she does not think she can submit to the gentleman’s staid lifestyle. Not even for love can Elizabeth accept capitulation.

Will Elizabeth set her qualms aside to claim ‘home’ in the form of the man she truly affects or will her courage fail her? Enjoy a bit of mayhem that we commonly call “Happily Ever After,” along with three alternate turning points to this tale of love and loss and love again from Austen-inspired author, Regina Jeffers.

Kindle (Also available to read on Kindle Unlimited)

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Elizabeth Bennet’s Excellent Adventure: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary [Pride and Prejudice, Fiction, Jane Austen, Regency romance, Historical romance, classics, variation]

The Last Man in the World She Wishes to Marry is the One Man Who Owns Her Heart!

ELIZABETH BENNET adamantly refused Fitzwilliam Darcy’s proposal, but when Maria Lucas discovers the letter Darcy offers Elizabeth in explanation of his actions, Elizabeth must swallow her objections in order to save her reputation. She follows Darcy to London and pleads for the gentleman to renew his proposal. Yet, even as she does so, Elizabeth knows not what she fears most: being Mr. Darcy’s wife or the revenge he might consider for her earlier rebuke.

FITZWILLIAM DARCY would prefer that Elizabeth Bennet held him in affection, but he reasons that even if she does not, having Elizabeth at his side is far better than claiming another to wife. However, when a case of mistaken identity causes Darcy not to show at his wedding ceremony, he finds himself in a desperate search for his wayward bride-to-be.

Elizabeth, realizing Society will label her as “undesirable” after being abandoned at the altar, sets out on an adventure to mark her future days as the spinster aunt to her sisters’ children. However, Darcy means to locate her and to convince Elizabeth that his affections are true, and a second chance will prove him the “song that sets her heart strumming.”

Kobo (Also available to read on Kindle Unlimited)

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Elizabeth Bennet’s Deception: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary (Fiction/Historical Fiction; Romance; Austenesque; Regency Romance; Vagary; Classics)

What if Fitzwilliam Darcy refused to approach Elizabeth Bennet when he observes her upon the grounds of Pemberley? What if Elizabeth permits Mr. Darcy to think her the one ruined by Mr. Wickham? What if love is not enough to bring two souls together?

FITZWILLIAM DARCY’S pride makes the natural lead to ELIZABETH BENNET’S ruination when the lady appears, without notice, upon Pemberley’s threshold to plead for Darcy’s assistance in locating his long-time enemy, George Wickham. Initially, Darcy cannot look beyond the pain of lost hopes, but when Charles Bingley demands that Darcy act with honor, Darcy assumes the task. Even so, the idea of delivering Miss Elizabeth into the hands of Mr. Wickham leaves Darcy raw with anguish. Yet, Darcy loves Elizabeth Bennet too much to see her brought low. He sets his heartbreak aside to save the woman he affects, but it is not long before Darcy realizes Elizabeth practices a deception, one Darcy permits so he might remain at her side long enough to convince the lady that only in each other can either find happiness.

Kindle (Also available to read on Kindle Unlimited)

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Mr. Darcy’s Present: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary [Fiction; Romance; Regency; Austenesque; vagary; Christmas; holiday]

The Greatest Present He Would Ever Receive is the Gift of Her Love…

What if Mr. Darcy purchased a gift for Elizabeth Bennet to acknowledge the festive days even though he knows he will never present it to her? What if the gift is posted to the lady by his servants and without his knowledge? What if the enclosed card was meant for another and is more suggestive than a gentleman should share with an unmarried lady? Join Darcy and Elizabeth, for a holiday romp, loaded with delightful twists and turns no one expects, but one in which our favorite couple take a very different path in thwarting George Wickham and Lydia Bennet’s elopement. Can a simple book of poetry be Darcy’s means to win Elizabeth’s love? When we care more for another than ourselves, the seeds of love have an opportunity to blossom.

Words of Praise for Mr. Darcy’s Present… Jeffers takes a familiar story and reinvigorates it with humor, warmth, and wisdom. – Roses and Lilacs Reviews

Kindle (Also available to read on Kindle Unlimited)

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Mr. Darcy’s Bargain: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary [vagary; Austenesque; Regency romance; scams; Ponzi; historical fiction]

Darcy and Elizabeth are about to learn how “necessity” never makes a fair bargain.

When ELIZABETH BENNET appears on his doorstep some ten months after her refusal of his hand in marriage, FITZWILLIAM DARCY uses the opportunity to “bargain” for her acceptance of a renewal of his proposal in exchange for his assistance in bringing Mr. George Wickham to justice. In Darcy’s absence from Hertfordshire, Wickham has executed a scam to defraud the citizens of Meryton, including her father, of their hard-earned funds. All have invested in Wickham’s Ten Percent Annuity scheme. Her family and friends are in dire circumstances, and more importantly, Mr. Bennet’s heart has taken an ill turn. Elizabeth will risk everything to bring her father to health again and to save her friends from destitution; yet, is she willing to risk her heart? She places her trust in Darcy’s ability to thwart Wickham’s manipulations, but she is not aware that Darcy wishes more than her acquiescence. He desires her love. Neither considers what will happen if he does not succeed in bringing Mr. Wickham before a magistrate. Will his failure bring an end to their “bargain”? Or will true love prevail?

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The Road to Understanding: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary [Pride and Prejudice; Inspirational Romance; vagary; historical fiction; Great Valley Road; Colonial romance]

DARIUS FITZWILLIAM’s life is planned down to who he will marry and where he will live, but life has a way of saying, “You don’t get to choose.” When his marriage to his long-time betrothed Caroline Bradford falls through, Darius is forced to take a step back and to look upon a woman who enflames his blood with desire, but also engenders disbelief. Eliza Harris is everything that Darius never realized he wanted.

ELIZA HARRIS is accustomed to doing as she pleases. Yet, despite being infuriated by his authoritative manner, when she meets the staunchly disciplined Captain Fitzwilliam, she wishes for more. She instinctively knows he is “home,” but Eliza possesses no skills in achieving her aspirations.

Plagued with misunderstandings, manipulations, and peril upon the Great Valley Road between eastern Virginia and western Tennessee in the years following the Revolutionary War, Darius and Eliza claim a strong allegiance before love finds its way into their hearts.

This is a faith-based tale based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

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A Dance with Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary [JAFF, historical fiction, vagary, Pride and Prejudice, Scotland, sweet romance]

The reason fairy tales end with a wedding is no one wishes to view what happens next.

Five years earlier, Darcy had raced to Hertfordshire to soothe Elizabeth Bennet’s qualms after Lady Catherine’s venomous attack, but a devastating carriage accident left him near death for months and cost him his chance at happiness with the lady. Now, they meet again upon the Scottish side of the border, but can they forgive all that has transpired in those years? They are widow and widower; however, that does not mean they can take up where they left off. They are damaged people, and healing is not an easy path. To know happiness they must fall in love with the same person all over again.

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MR. DARCY’S BRIDEs: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.

ELIZABETH BENNET is determined that she will put a stop to her mother’s plans to marry off the eldest Bennet daughter to Mr. Collins, the Bennet heir to Longbourn, but a man that Mr. Bennet considers an annoying dimwit. Hence, Elizabeth disguises herself as Jane and repeats her vows to the supercilious rector as if she is her sister, thereby voiding the nuptials and saving Jane from a life of drudgery. Yet, even the “best laid plans” can often go awry.

FITZWILLIAM DARCY is desperate to find a woman who will assist him in leading his sister back to Society after Georgiana’s failed elopement with Darcy’s old enemy George Wickham. He is so desperate that he agrees to Lady Catherine De Bourgh’s suggestion that Darcy marry her ladyship’s “sickly” daughter Anne. Unfortunately, as he waits for his bride to join him at the altar, he realizes he has made a terrible error in judgement, but there is no means to right the wrong without ruining his cousin’s reputation. Yet, even as he weighs his options, the touch of “Anne’s” hand upon his sends an unusual “zing” of awareness shooting up Darcy’s arm. It is only when he realizes the “zing” has arrived at the hand of a stranger, who has disrupted his nuptials, that he breathes both a sigh of relief and a groan of frustration, for the question remains: Is Darcy’s marriage to the woman legal?

What if Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet met under different circumstances than those we know from Jane Austen’s classic tale: Circumstances that do not include the voices of vanity and pride and prejudice and doubt that we find in the original story? Their road to happily ever after may not, even then, be an easy one, but with the expectations of others removed from their relationship, can they learn to trust each other long enough to carve out a path to true happiness?

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Pride and Prejudice and a Shakespearean Scholar: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

Unless one knows the value of loyalty, he cannot appreciate the cost of betrayal.

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Honor and Hope: A Contemporary Pride and Prejudice [romance; contemporary romance; classics; Austenesque; football; winery]

Liz Bennet’s flirtatious nature acerbates Will Darcy’s controlling tendencies, sending him into despair when she fiercely demands her independence from him. How could she repeatedly turn him down? Darcy has it all: good looks, intelligence, a pro football career, and wealth. Attracted by a passionate desire, which neither time nor distance can quench, they are destined to love each other, while constantly misunderstanding one another until Fate deals them a blow from which their relationship may never recover. Set against the backdrop of professional sports and the North Carolina wine country, Honor and Hope offers a modern romance loosely based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

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Where There’s a Fitzwilliam Darcy, There’s a Way

To him that will, ways are never wanting.

ELIZABETH BENNET’s world has turned upon its head. Not only is her family about to be banished from their beloved Longbourn after her father’s sudden death, but Mr. Darcy has appeared upon her threshold, not to renew his proposal, as she first feared, but, rather, to serve as Mr. Collins’s agent in taking an accounting of the estate’s “treasures” before her father’s cousin steals away all her memories of the place.

FITZWILLIAM DARCY certainly has no desire to encounter Elizabeth Bennet again so soon after her mordant refusal of his hand in marriage, but when his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, strikes a bargain in which her ladyship agrees to provide his Cousin Anne a London Season if Darcy will become Mr. Collins’s agent in Hertfordshire, Darcy accepts in hopes he can convince Miss Elizabeth to think better of him than she, obviously, does. Yet, how can he persuade the woman to recognize his inherent sense of honor, when his inventory of Longbourn’s entailed land and real properties announces the date she and her family will be homeless?

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In Want of a Wife: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” – Jane Austen

Elizabeth Bennet Darcy wakes in an unfamiliar room, attended by a stranger, who claims she is his wife and saying she has suffered an injury to her head. He accuses her of pretending her memory loss, but to Elizabeth, the fear is real.

“Surely you know me,” he protested. His words sounded as if he held his emotions tightly in check. “I am William. Your husband.”

She thought to protest, but the darkness had caught her hand and was leading her away from him. With one final attempt to correct his declaration, her mind formed the words, but her lips would not cooperate. Her dissent died before she could tell him: I do not have a husband!

Fitzwilliam Darcy despises his new wife, for he fears she has faked her love for him, better to see her family well-settled, and if love is not powerful enough to change a life, what is?

“This is unacceptable. I realize I was never your first choice as a husband, but it is too late to change your mind. The vows have been spoken. The registry signed. You cannot deny your pledge with this ploy. I will not have it. No matter how often you call out George Wickham’s name, he will never be your husband. I will never release you.”

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Mr. Darcy’s Bet: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” – Act 1, Sc. 4, William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure

FITZWILLIAM DARCY has done everything within his power to prove his devotion to ELIZABETH BENNET. He believes they are so close to knowing happiness; howbeit, when his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, accosts Elizabeth with predictions of Elizabeth never being able to fit in with his social connections, everything changes. Although the lady sent his aunt packing with words to the contrary, a bit of doubt has slipped under Elizabeth’s shield of confidence, and she again refuses his hand in marriage, this time to protect him from the gossiping beau monde.

Therefore, Darcy must take a leap of faith; he proposes to her before the congregation gathered for the marriage of Jane Bennet and his friend Charles Bingley—a public proposal from which Darcy cannot legally or morally withdraw, one only Elizabeth Bennet can refuse. He bets, this time, he can win not only her heart, but also her consent. With the assistance of his family and hers, a plan is put into motion to prove to all comers that Elizabeth Bennet is not only worthy of his attentions, but also the only one Darcy should consider marrying.

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The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery

A THRILLING STORY OF MURDER AND BETRAYAL FILLED WITH THE SCANDAL, WIT AND INTRIGUE CHARACTERISTIC OF AUSTEN’S CLASSIC NOVELS

Fitzwilliam Darcy is devastated. The joy of his recent wedding has been cut short by the news of the sudden death of his father’s beloved cousin, Samuel Darcy. Elizabeth and Darcy travel to Dorset, a popular Regency resort area, to pay their respects to the well-traveled and eccentric Samuel. But this is no summer holiday. Danger bubbles beneath Dorset’s peaceful surface as strange and foreboding events begin to occur. Several of Samuel’s ancient treasures go missing, and then his body itself disappears. As Darcy and Elizabeth investigate this mystery and unravel its tangled ties to the haunting legends of Dark Dorset, the legendary couple’s love is put to the test when sinister forces strike close to home. Some secrets should remain secrets, but Darcy will do all he can to find answers—even if it means meeting his own end in the damp depths of a newly dug grave.

With malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy will keep Austen fans and mystery readers turning the pages right up until its dramatic conclusion.

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A Touch of Scandal: Book 1 of the Realm Series [historical fiction; Regency romance; romantic suspense]

2011 Write Touch Readers’ Award, 2nd Place, Historical Romance

(Disclaimer: This book is the self-published version of The Scandal of Lady Eleanor.)

The men of the REALM have served their country, while ignoring their responsibilities to home and love, but now Bonaparte is defeated, they each mean to claim their portion of a new and prosperous England. However, their long-time enemy Shaheed Mir has other plans. The warlord believes one of the Realm has stolen a fist-sized emerald, and the Baloch intends to have its return or his revenge.

JAMES KERRINGTON, the future Earl of Linworth left his title and his infant son behind after the death of his beloved Elizabeth, but he has returned to England to tend his ailing father and to establish his roots. With Daniel as his heir, Kerrington has no need to marry, but when Eleanor Fowler stumbles and falls into his arms, Kerrington’s world is turned upon its head. He will do anything to claim her.

LADY ELEANOR FOWLER has hidden from Society, knowing her father’s notorious reputation for debauchery has tainted any hopes she might have of a happy marriage. And yet, despite her fears, her brother’s closest friend, James Kerrington, has rekindled her hopes, but when Sir Louis Levering appears with proof of Eleanor’s participation in her father’s wickedness, she is drawn into a world of depravity, and only Kerrington’s love can save her.

The first fully original series from Austen pastiche author Jeffers is a knockout. – Publishers Weekly

Jeffers’s characters stay in the reader’s heart and mind long after the last page has been turned. – Favored Elegance

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A Touch of Velvet: Book 2 of the Realm Series [historical fiction; Regency romance; romantic suspense; adventure; mystery]

After years away from England, members of the Realm return home to claim the titles and the lives they once abandoned. Each man holds on to the fleeting dream of finally knowing love. For now, all any of them can hope is the resolutions of their previous difficulties before Shaheed Mir, their old enemy, finds them and exacts his revenge. Mir seeks a mysterious emerald, and he believes one of the Realm has it.

No one finds his soul mate when she is twelve and he seventeen, but BRANTLEY FOWLER, the Duke of Thornhill, always thought he had found his. The memory of Velvet Aldridge’s face was the only thing that kept him alive all those years he remained estranged from his family. Now, he has returned to Kent to claim his title and the woman he loves, but first he must obliterate the memory of his infamous father, while staving off numerous attacks from Mir’s associates.

MISS VELVET ALDRIDGE always believed in “happily ever after.” Yet, when Brantley Fowler returns home, he has a daughter and his wife’s memory to accompany him. He promised her eight years prior that he would return to make her his wife, but Thornhill only offers her a Season and a dowry. How can she make him love her? Make him her “knight in shining armor”? Regency England has never been hotter or more dangerous.

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A Touch of Cashémere: Book 3 of the Realm Series [historical fiction; Regency romance; romantic suspense/adventure/mystery]

MARCUS WELLSTON never expected to inherit his father’s title. After all, he is the youngest of three sons. However, his oldest brother Trevor is judged incapable of meeting the title’s responsibilities, and his second brother Myles has lost his life in an freak accident; therefore, Marcus has returned to Tweed Hall and the earldom. Having departed Northumberland years prior to escape his guilt in his sister’s death, Marcus has spent the previous six years with the Realm, a covert governmental group, in atonement. Now, all he requires is a biddable wife with a pleasing personality. Neither of those phrases describes Cashémere Aldridge.

MISS CASHEMERE ALDRIDGE thought her opinions were absolutes and her world perfectly ordered, but when her eldest sister Velvet is kidnapped, Cashé becomes a part of the intrigue. She quickly discovers nothing she knew before is etched in stone. Leading her through these changes is a man who considers her a “spoiled brat.” A man who prefers her twin Satiné to Cashémere. A man whose approval she desperately requires: Marcus Wellston, the Earl of Berwick. Toss in an irate Baloch warlord, a missing emerald, a double kidnapping, a blackmail attempt, and an explosion in a glass cone, and the Realm has its hands full. The Regency era has never been hotter, nor more dangerous.

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A Touch of Grace: Book 4 of the Realm Series [historical fiction; Regency romance; adventure; romantic suspense/mystery]

SOLA’s Seventh Annual Dixie Kane Memorial Awards, 3rd Place, Historical Romance

“Jeffers’s close look at the dark secrets of Regency society instills a sense of realism.” – Publishers Weekly

After years away from England, members of the Realm return home to claim the titles and the lives they had previously abandoned. Each man holds onto the fleeting dream of finally know love and home. For now, all any of them can hope is the resolution of his earlier difficulties before Shaheed Mir, their old enemy, finds them and exacts his revenge. Mir seeks a mysterious emerald, and he believes one of the Realm has it.

GABRIEL CROWDEN, the Marquis of Godown, can easily recall the night that he made a vow to know love before he met his Maker. Of course, that was before Lady Gardenia Templeton’s duplicity had driven Godown from his home and before his father’s will had changed everything. Godown requires a wife to meet the unusual demands of the former marquis’s stipulations. Preferably one either already carrying his child or one who would tolerate his constant attentions to secure the Crowden line before the deadline.

MISS GRACE NELSON dreams of family died with her brother’s ascension to the title. Yet, when she meets the injured Marquis of Godown at a Scottish inn, her dreams have a new name. However, hope never has an easy path. Grace is but a lowly governess with ordinary features. She believes she can never earn the regard of the “Adonis” known as Gabriel Crowden. Besides, the man has a well-earned skepticism when it comes to the women in his life. How can she prove that she is the one woman who will never betray him? The Regency era has never been hotter.

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A Touch of Mercy: Book 5 of the Realm Series [historical fiction; Regency romance; adventure; romantic suspense; mystery]

Members of the Realm have retuned to England to claim the titles they left behind. Each holds to the fleeting dream of finally knowing love, but first he must face his old enemy Shaheed Mir, a Baloch warlord, who believes one of the group has stolen a fist-sized emerald. Mir will have the emerald’s return or will exact his bloody revenge.

A devastating injury has robbed AIDAN KIMBOLT, Viscount Lexford, of part of his memory, but surely not of the reality that lovely Mercy Nelson is his father’s by-blow. Aidan is intrigued by his “sister’s” vivacity and how easily she ushers life into Lexington Arms, a house plagued by Death’s secrets–secrets of his wife’s ghost, of his brother’s untimely passing, and of his parents’ marriage: Secrets Aidan must banish to finally know happiness.

Fate has delivered Miss MERCY NELSON to Lord Lexford’s door, where she quickly discovers appearances are deceiving. Not only does Mercy practice a bit of her own duplicity, so do all within Lexington Arms. Yet, dangerous intrigue cannot squash the burgeoning passion consuming her and Viscount Lexford, as the boundaries of their relationship are sorely tested. How can they find true love if they must begin a life peppered with lies?

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A Touch of Love: Book 6 of the Realm Series [historical fiction; Regency romance; adventure; romantic suspense; mystery]

The REALM has returned to England to claim the titles they left behind. Each man holds to the fleeting dream of finally knowing love and home, but first he must face his old enemy Shaheed Mir, a Baloch warlord, who believes one of the group has stolen a fist-sized emerald. Mir will have the emerald’s return or will exact his bloody revenge.. Aristotle Pennington has groomed

SIR CARTER LOWERY as his successor as the Realm’s leader, and Sir Carter has thought of little else for years. He has handcrafted his life, filled it with duties and responsibilities, and eventually, he will choose a marriage of convenience to bolster his career; yet, Lucinda Warren is a temptation he cannot resist. Every time he touches her, he recognizes his mistake because his desire for her is not easily quenched. To complicate matters, it was Mrs. Warren’s father, Colonel Roderick Rightnour, whom Sir Carter replaced at the Battle of Waterloo, an action which had named Sir Carter a national hero and her father a failure as a military strategist.

LUCINDA WARREN’s late husband has left her to tend to a child belonging to another woman and has drowned her in multiple scandals. Her only hope to discover the boy’s true parentage and to remove her name from the lips of the ton’s censors is Sir Carter Lowery, a man who causes her body to course with awareness, as if he had etched his name upon her soul. Cruel twists of Fate have thrown them together three times, and Lucinda prays to hold off her cry for completion long enough to deny her heart and to release Sir Carter to his future: A future to which she will never belong.

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A Touch of Honor: Book 7 of the Realm Series [historical fiction; Regency romance; romantic suspense/adventure/mystery]

For two years, BARON JOHN SWENTON has thought of little else other than making Satiné Aldridge his wife; so when he discovers her reputation in tatters, Swenton acts honorably: He puts forward a marriage of convenience that will save her from ruination and provide him the one woman he believes will bring joy to his life. However, the moment he utters his proposal, Swenton’s instincts scream he has made a mistake: Unfortunately, a man of honor makes the best of even the most horrendous of situations.

Sacrifice and honor, betrayal and redemption, all make for an exceptionally satisfying romance. A Touch of Honor is a mesmerizing story of extraordinary love realized against impossible odds. – Collette Cameron, Award-Winning Author

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A Touch of Emerald: The Conclusion of the Realm Series (Fiction/Historical; Historical Romance/Mystery/Adventure; Regency)

Four crazy Balochs. A Gypsy band. An Indian maiden. A cave with a maze of passages. A hero, not yet tested. And a missing emerald.

For nearly two decades, the Realm thwarted the efforts of all Shaheed Mir sent their way, but now the Baloch warlord is in England, and the tribal leader means to reclaim the fist-sized emerald he believes one of the Realm stole during their rescue of a girl upon whom Mir turned his men. Mir means to take his revenge on the Realm and the Indian girl’s child, LADY SONALI FOWLER.

DANIEL KERRINGTON, Viscount Worthing, has loved Lady Sonalí since they were but children. Yet, when his father, the Earl of Linworth, objects to Sonalí’s bloodlines, Worthing thinks never to claim her. However, when danger arrives in the form of the Realm’s old enemy, Kerrington ignores all caution for the woman he loves.

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His American Heartsong: A Companion Novel of the Realm Series (Regency romance, Historical romance, Series, The Realm)

The Deepest Love is Always Unexpected.

LAWRENCE LOWERY, Lord Hellsman, has served as the dutiful son since childhood, but when his father Baron Blakehell arranges a marriage with the insipid Annalee Dryburgh, Lowery must choose between his responsibilities to his future title and the one woman who makes sense in his life.

Although her mother was once a lady in waiting to the Queen, by Society’s standards, MISS ARABELLA TILNEY is completely unfit to be the future baroness: Bella is an American hoyden who demands that Lowery do the impossible: Be the man he always dreamed of being.

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His Irish Eve (Fiction/Historical Fiction; Romance; Regency Romance/Adventure)

When the Earl of Greenwall demands his only son, ADAM LAWRENCE, Viscount Stafford, retrieve the viscount’s by-blow, everything in Lawrence’s life changes. Six years prior, Stafford released his mistress, Cathleen Donnell, from his protection; now, he discovers from Greenwall that Cathleen was with child when she returned to her family. Stafford arrives in Cheshire to discover not only the son of which Greenwall spoke, but also two daughters, as well as a strong-willed woman, in the form of AOIFE KENNICE, who fascinates Stafford from the moment of their first encounter.

Set against the backdrop of the early radicalism of the Industrial Revolution and the Peterloo Massacre, a battle begins: A fight Lawrence must win: a fight for a woman worth knowing, his Irish Eve.

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Lady Joy and the Earl: A Regency Christmas Romance

They have loved each other since childhood, but life has not been kind to either of them. James Highcliffe’s arranged marriage had been everything but loving, and Lady Joy’s late husband believed a woman’s spirit was meant to be broken. Therefore, convincing Lady Jocelyn Lathrop to abandon her freedom and consider marriage to him after twenty plus years apart may be more than the Earl of Hough can manage. Only the spirit of Christmas can bring these two together when secrets mean to keep them apart.

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Letters from Home: A Regency Christmas Romance

She is the woman whose letters to another man kept Simon alive during the war. He is the English officer her late husband claimed to be incomparable. In her, his heart whispers of finally being “home.” In him, she discovers a man who truly stirs her soul. Unfortunately for both, the lady fears no longer being invisible to the world and assuming a place at his side. Can Major Lord Simon Lanford claim Mrs. Faith Lamont as his wife or will his rise to the earldom and his family’s expectations keep them apart?
“This was both a heart-breaking and heart-warming second chance love story, made all the more satisfying by the Christmas setting.” – Calico Hearts Review

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Lady Chandler’s Sister: Book 3 of the Twins’ Trilogy

Sir Alexander Chandler knows his place in the world. As the head of one of the divisions of the Home Office, he has his hand on the nation’s pulse. However, a carriage accident on a deserted Scottish road six months earlier has Sir Alexander questioning his every choice. He has no memory of what happened before he woke up in an Edinburgh hospital, and the unknown frightens him more than any enemy he ever met on a field of battle. One thing is for certain: He knows he did not marry Miss Alana Pottinger’s sister in an “over the anvil” type of ceremony in Scotland.

Miss Alana Pottinger has come to London, with Sir Alexander’s son in tow, to claim the life the baronet promised the boy when he married Sorcha, some eighteen months prior. She understands his responsibilities to King and Crown, but this particular fiery, Scottish miss refuses to permit Sir Alexander to deny his duty to his son. Nothing will keep her from securing the child’s future as heir to the baronetcy and restoring Sir Alexander’s memory of the love he shared with Sorcha: Nothing, that is, except the beginning of the Rockite Rebellion in Ireland and the kidnapping of said child for nefarious reasons.

An impressive ending to the beautifully crafted Twins’ Trilogy – Starr’s ***** Romance Reviews

Love. Power. Intrigue. Betrayal. All play their parts in this fitting conclusion to a captivating, romantic suspense trio. – Bella Graves, Author & Reviewer

“Lady Chandler’s Sister,” Award-Winning Finalist in the Fiction: Romance Category of the 2019 International Book Awards ~ http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2019awardannouncement.html

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A Regency Christmas Proposal: A Regency Romance Christmas Anthology

A Fabulous Regency Christmas anthology from Best-selling Authors.

Six full length novellas to keep you reading all through Christmas, each featuring a happily ever after centered around Christmas. The anthology includes:

The Last Woman Standing by Regina Jeffers
A Gypsy blessing for choosing a wife bound to rare flowers, a Marquess loath to comply with it, a companion with horticulture in her blood, lies, deception and manipulation, a blessing fulfilled in unexpected ways, an enduring love.

Twelfth Night Promise by Alanna Lucas
A Lord with a steadfast love, the Lady who broke his heart, six long years ago, now forced to a marriage against her will, a snowbound Christmas which brings them together again, deception unravelling as love proves stronger than lies, a second chance claimed.

A Bluestocking for a Baron by Arietta Richmond
A Bluestocking with unfashionable interests, a Baron with a deep investment in trade, an unscrupulous business rival, kidnapping, blackmail and rescue, love found in the face of danger.

The Earl and the Bluestocking by Janis Susan May
An Earl who needs a wife – but dislikes all of the women he meets, a young lady who staunchly denies any interest in fashion and frivolity, a Christmas Eve Ball, and a chance to be different – just once, a mysterious beauty who disappears, a slender clue to a lifetime love.

His Yuletide Kiss by Summer Hanford
A gentleman, the woman he believes he is fated to marry, her cousin, a family feud, an approval denied, secrets lies and deception, dark character revealed and true love redeemed.

Wooing the Wallflower by Emma Kaye
A Viscount’s daughter, a man of business, a conflict of class, a secret of art, an unsuitable affection, the threat of a marriage, a love worth fighting for.

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A Regency Summer Escape: A Regency Summer Romance Anthology

Three wonderful Regency Summer stories! Will the Lord win his Lady by summer’s end?

Her Summer Duke by Arietta Richmond
A Lady promised since childhood, now questioning her feelings, a Duke also promised, and questioning his desire for love, a noblemen turned to the sea, now desperately in love, a cousin doubting her own betrothal, a confusion of suitors, and unexpected triumph of love.

Lady Margaret Caulfield is somewhat spoiled, and newly come out into society, finds that she suddenly doubts everything – about love, and about her future. Promised since childhood to the man who saved her life when she was ten, she had not questioned it – until she met a man at a Masquerade Ball, and immediately fell in love with him.
Captain Lord Adam Halstone is barely accepted by society, and only then because he is the second son of a Duke – for he has done the inexcusable, and not only invested in trade, but chosen to work as a ship’s Captain. Love is not something that he has considered, yet when he meets a green eyed beauty at a Masquerade Ball, he finds himself utterly in love.
But Lady Margaret must contend with her uncertain feelings for the Duke she is promised to, who himself is coming to doubt the wisdom of the promise he made eight years before. And matters are complicated by others who would also seek Lady Margaret’s hand, should she cry off from that promise.
In the end, will love triumph? Or will duty bind each of the players in this tangle to an unhappy future?

Courting Lord Whitmire by Regina Jeffers
At a bend of the path, an unexpected meeting. She is all May, he is December. But love knows not time.

Miss Verity Coopersmith, at twenty, has not met a man she feels anything for, and expects that she never may. Mostly, she is content with her lot.
Andrew, Viscount Whitmire, at forty two, a widower newly come into his inheritance, with a fifteen year old daughter to contend with whom he had spent little time with since her birth, does not expect love or happiness to ever be part of his life. Duty will have to suffice.
But when they meet on a muddy lane in the rain, life is irreversibly changed for both of them.

Sarah’s Summer Surprise by Victoria Hinshaw
Miss Sarah Kinnard is the youngest of ten children, and when her father’s death and her mother’s grief delayed her London Season, she found herself with no options but to accompany a friend to the countryside, or to play nursemaid to her sisters’ children. The countryside seemed an excellent choice – until she met the man responsible for the renovations of the manor house at which they were staying. The man who, just by his presence, made her feel things that she had never felt before.
Captain Benjamin Lockhart took on the role of renovation manager to give himself something to do, as he healed after the war. It was a new life that he found comfort in, until the arrival of Miss Kinnard, when he found himself desiring more from life than he had ever considered before.
Can the restoration of a long abandoned manor house also restore the joy of life and love for two souls somewhat abandoned by their families?

If you love great stories, and the regency era, you’ll love these!

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Second Chances: The Courtship Wars (Contemporary Romance, Psychology, Sexology, Reality TV, Downs Syndrome, Eccentric Hermits)

Rushing through the concourse to make her way to the conference stage, GILLIAN CORNELL comes face-to-face with the one man she finds most contemptible, but suddenly her world tilts. His gaze tells stories she wants desperately to hear. As he undresses her with his eyes, Gillian finds all she can do is stumble through her opening remarks. The all-too-attractive cad challenges both her sensibility and her reputation as a competent sexologist.

DR. LUCIAN DAMRON never allows any woman to capture his interest for long. He uses them to boost his career and for his pleasure. Yet, Lucian cannot resist Gillian’s stubborn independence, her startling intelligence, and her surprising sensuality. Sinfully handsome, Lucian hides a badly wounded heart and a life of personal rejection.

Thrown together as the medical staff on “Second Chances,” a new reality TV show designed to reunite previously married couples, Lucian and Gillian soon pique the interest of the American viewing public, who tune in each week, fascinated by the passionate electricity coursing between them. Thus begins an all-consuming courtship war, plagued by potential relationship-ending secrets and misunderstandings and played out scandalously on a national stage.

Kindle (Also available to read on Kindle Unlimited)

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One Minute Past Christmas: Tale of an Appalachian Christmas Miracle [short story, Appalachia, holidays, Christmas, family relationships, legends]

One Minute Past Christmas is the story of a Greenbrier County, West Virginia, family in which a grandfather and his granddaughter share a special ability — they call it a “gift”– that enables them to briefly witness each year a miraculous gathering in the sky. What they see begins at precisely one minute past Christmas and fills them with as much relief as it does wonder. But they worry that the “gift” — which they cannot reveal to anyone else — will die with them because it has been passed to no other relative for forty-four years.

Kindle (Also available to read on Kindle Unlimited)

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I do not currently own the rights to the three books listed below, but Black Opal Books, the publisher, has placed a reasonable price on these eBooks.

Angel Comes to the Devil’s Keep: Book 1 of the Twins’ Trilogy [romantic suspense; Regency romance; historical fiction; mystery; twins]

SOLA’s Eighth Annual Dixie Kane Memorial Awards, 3rd Place, Historical Romance; 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense; 2017 finalist Derby Award for Fiction

The story is charming, with interesting and realistic characters, a complex plot with plenty of surprises, and a sweet romance woven through it all. The author has a good command of what it was like to be a woman in nineteenth-century England–almost as if she had been there. She really did her research for this one. – Taylor Jones

Angel Comes to Devil’s Keep is a well-written tale of courage and sacrifice and what women went through in order to marry well in Regency England. The author did her homework and it shows in an authenticity that we don’t often see in Regency romances. – Regan Murphy

Nook Kobo Smashwords Kindle All Romance eBooks

Black Opal Books iTunes Regency Reader

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The Earl Claims His Comfort: Book 2 of the Twins’ Trilogy [historical fiction; romantic suspense, Regency romance; mystery, twins]

2016 Hot Prospects Award Finalist, Romantic Suspense

Hurrying home to Tegen Castle from the Continent to assume guardianship of a child not his, but one who holds his countenance, Levison Davids, Earl of Remmington, is shot on the road and left to die. The incident has Remmington chasing after a man who remains one step ahead and who claims a distinct similarity—a man who wishes to replace Remmington as the rightful earl. Rem must solve the mystery of how Frederick Troutman’s life parallels his while protecting his title, the child, and the woman he loves.

Comfort Neville has escorted Deirdre Kavanaugh from Ireland to England, in hopes that the Earl of Remmington will prove a better guardian for the girl than did the child’s father. When she discovers the earl’s body upon road backing the castle, it is she who nurses him to health. As the daughter of a minor son of an Irish baron, Comfort is impossibly removed from the earl’s sphere, but the man claims her affections. She will do anything for him, including confronting his enemies. When she is kidnapped as part of a plot for revenge against the earl, she must protect Rem’s life, while guarding her heart.

Amazon Kindle Kobo Nook Black Opal Books

Barnes and Noble Smashwords

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The Heartless Earl:A Common Elements Romance Novel (Regency romance, historical romance, trilogy, series, mystery, family relationships)

STERLING BAXTER, the Earl of Merritt, has married the woman his father has chosen for him, but the marriage has been everything but comfortable. Sterling’s wife, Lady Claire, came to the marriage bed with a wanton’s experience. She dutifully provides Merritt his heir, but within a fortnight, she deserts father and son for a baron, Lord Lyall Sutherland. In the eyes of the ton, Lady Claire has cuckolded Merritt.

EBBA MAYER, longs for love and adventure. Unfortunately, she’s likely to find neither. As a squire’s daughter, Ebba holds no sway in Society; but she’s a true diamond of the first water. Yet, when she meets Merritt’s grandmother, the Dowager Countess of Merritt creates a “story” for the girl, claiming if Ebba is presented to the ton as a war widow with a small dowry, the girl will find a suitable match.

LORD LYALL SUTHERLAND remains a thorn in Merritt’s side, but when the baron makes Mrs. Mayer a pawn in his crazy game of control, Merritt offers the woman his protection. However, the earl has never faced a man who holds little strength of title, but who wields great power; and he finds himself always a step behind the enigmatic baron. When someone frames Merritt for Lady Claire’s sudden disappearance, Merritt must quickly learn the baron’s secrets or face a death sentence.

Smashwords Black Opal Books Amazon

Kobo Nook

Kindle

Posted in books, contemporary romance, eBooks, historical fiction, Jane Austen, paranormal, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading, Realm series, Regency romance, romance, Vagary, writing | Tagged contemporary romance, eBooks, Jane Austen, Regency romance, Romantic Suspense, Twelfth Night Sale, Vagary, Variations | 20 Comments

Say “Hello” to Author, Christina Alexandra

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Regina Jeffers

One of my new author friends is Christina Alexandra, a fellow historical romance writer. It is my great pleasure to introduce you to her.

First, tell us a bit about yourself. From where do you come? Past jobs, awards, the usual bio stuff.

Hi, my name is Christina Alexandra. I write historical romance set in Georgian and Regency England. I use my varied life and work experiences to craft true-to-life characters and emotional stories with a unique twist on modern issues. When not researching, writing or working as an emergency services operator, I spend my spare time travelling, cooking—oftentimes with a historical flare—and connecting with fans and friends on social media.

An avid trivia junkie, I am constantly on the lookout for random facts in the hopes that it will help me in my never ending quest for a spot on “Jeopardy!”

You can connect with me online at

website ~ facebook ~ Haute Ton Reader Society ~ twitter ~ instagram

Tell us about your new release.

I’ve actually had to delay my release due to health reasons. I’m hoping to have it out in January. It’s part of the Common Elements Romance Project—individual stories that are tied together by 5 common elements: a lightning storm, a haunted house, a person named Max, a thick stack of books, and a set of lost keys. Along with these elements, The Worth of a Viscount is based on one of my favorite tropes: second chance romance.

Led to believe her high-spirited nature chased away her first love, Lady Maxine Pearson bent to family demand, cultivating a facade of docile, boring perfection. But after four seasons without a single offer of marriage, she realizes perfection is decidedly overrated. Desperate to escape the cage of her own making, Maxine seizes the opportunity to travel to her cousin’s wedding scandalously alone.

Adam Hawkins always dreamed of marrying Lady Maxine. Even when the point was beaten into him, he refused to accept that a knight’s son would never be good enough for an earl’s daughter, leaving England to prove his worth. Now, six years later, he has returned with the wealth, influence, and status beyond his expectations.

When Maxine’s act of rebellion leaves her stranded, she has no choice but to accept help from the man who broke her heart, giving Adam the perfect opportunity to win it back. As passion flares, discovery by her family has Maxine falling back into her role as obedient daughter, leaving Adam to show her their second chance at love is worth fighting for.

What difficulties does writing this genre present?

The difficulty in writing Regency stories is getting past people’s perceived notions of what it is. Many stories take place in London, which was a bustling trading city. There were people of all nationalities there. It wasn’t made up of only an all white upper class or all white lower class. There was a thriving, rising middle class of merchants, bankers, etc. And the diversity! The more research I do, the more Regency London resembles modern London in its demographics. Incorporating character not just from the continent, but also Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East is important in representing the time period properly.

What do you enjoy most in the writing process? What parts of it do you really dislike?

I think I like the editing process the best. For me it’s really easy to come up with an Idea and it’s easy for me to fix something that has been done. But the actual first draft is painful!

Are you more of a plotter or a pantser, or does it change from book to book?

I’m a plotster! lol. I plot major events and the ending, but everything in between is a mystery until it’s on the page.

How do you keep all your research information and plot ideas organized and accessible?

I use Evernote to organize my ideas. I have a file of story ideas (I think I’m up to 120 now). Many can be combined with each other, some are duplicates, and some need more development. But I have about 65 useful plots I can pick from right away.

I have a file for names, too. I have names for heroes and heroines, names for secondary characters, surnames, titles, and estate names. These I get from everywhere. My favorite resource is the Day Job—either people in my department, or people I talk to over the phone. Even street names have some great sounds to them!

What will you be working on next?

After Worth, I’ll be working on book 2 of the Reluctant Lords, The Seduction of the Duke, as well as working on my as yet untitled Christmas novella for my reader group, the Haute Ton Reader Society.

911 Operator by Day, Historical Romance Writer by Night.
Critter keeper.
Travel & trivia junkie.
Historical & Everyday Foodie.

Posted in book release, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, historical fiction, Regency era, Regency romance, writing | Tagged book release, Christina Alexander, Georgian Era, guest post, historical fiction, Historical Romance, interview, Regency romance | 1 Comment

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Every Woman Dreams…

The Return of “The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy” from Regina Jeffers + a Giveaway

Life Below Stairs ~ Part Four ~ The Work Never Ends

The Battle of Rorke’s Drift

Catholic/Protestant Marriages During the Regency + “The Earl Claims His Comfort”

Did Jane Austen Play Her Own Version of Regency “Monopoly”? a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

The post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on December 10, 2019. I think you will discover it as fascinating as did I. Enjoy!

“The Most Agreeable & Rational Recreation Ever Invented”

During a recent visit to Edinburgh’s Museum of Childhood, I was drawn to one of the exhibits, a board game called The New Game of Human Life. Published in London in 1790, it was aimed at the family market and was the British adaptation of a French game, Le Nouveau Jeu de La Vie Humaine.

Human Life as the Georgians Knew It

“Utility and Moral Tendencies”

A Clever Marketing Ploy

A Game for the Little Knights?

“A Touch of Honor” [or] What to Do With a Character You Despise?

James Wilmot on “Who Wrote Shakespeare’s Plays?” + an eBook Giveaway

A Closer Look at “Mr. Darcy’s Present: A Pride and Prejudice Holiday Vagary”

Twelfth Night Sale! 38 Titles from Regina Jeffers! December 26 – January 5!

I do not currently own the rights to the three books listed below, but Black Opal Books, the publisher, has placed a reasonable price on these eBooks.

SOLA’s Eighth Annual Dixie Kane Memorial Awards, 3rd Place, Historical Romance; 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense; 2017 finalist Derby Award for Fiction

Say “Hello” to Author, Christina Alexandra

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