5/03/2016

Regan Walker's Best of the Regency with Regina Jeffers

My guest today is Regina Jeffers, an award-winning author of historical Regencies as well as cozy mysteries and Austenesque sequels and retellings. She 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.

Jeffers lives outside Charlotte, North Carolina where she writes novels that take the ordinary and adds a bit of mayhem.

Today Regina is sharing with us a Georgian romance set on the American frontier after the Revolutionary War.  

She is offering 3 copies of the ebook so be sure and leave your email with your comment.

 
From Regina…

While I admit many of my 27 novels fall under the big “umbrella” of Regencies, in my short seven years of writing fiction, I have written a variety of genres/settings: retellings, sequels, Regencies, paranormal, cozy mysteries, vagaries, contemporaries, and inspirationals.


The Road to Understanding is set upon the Great Valley Road between what is current day Roanoke, Virginia, and Johnson City, Tennessee. The time is 1787, and the five counties that now form part of eastern Tennessee had joined together as a new state: the state of Franklin, named after Benjamin Franklin. Early reviews say…

  “… the chemistry between our hero and heroine was such that this reader felt like I was watching a John Wayne/Maureen O'Hara flick. The dialogue was so sharp and the misunderstandings proved quite diverting and frustrating at the same time.”

The characters are NOT Austen’s most famous couple placed in a new setting, but you will recognize the pair, nonetheless. I am one who believes that although Austen writes memorable characters, her plots are masterful and easily translated into new situations. For example, Pride and Prejudice can be found in Bridget Jones’s Diary, You’ve Got Mail, North and South (from Gaskell), Bride and Prejudice, and any other book or film featuring an uptight censorious man and a “free spirited,” independent female. So, why not an American version of my favorite book?

The Great Valley Road began as a buffalo trail, used later by Indians as the Great Warrior Path from New York to the Carolinas. At Salisbury, North Carolina, it joined what was known as the Great Trading Path. The road held many names. As it passed through the Shenandoah Valley, it came to be called both the Great Valley Road and the Shenandoah Valley Road. The connection called the Philadelphia Wagon Road laced its way through Pennsylvania. This portion was also referred to as the Lancaster Pike, and its 63 miles was the most heavily traveled portion of the entire road. The section of the Great Valley Road near Fincastle (Virginia) and present-day Roanoke, Virginia, was known locally as the Harshbarger Road. The southwestern end of the road at Big Lick (Roanoke) was extended. Travelers could continue south into North Carolina or head southwest into eastern Tennessee. 

 In August 1784, four counties of western North Carolina declared their independence and formed the state of Franklin. In April of that same year, North Carolina had ceded the land between the Allegheny Mountains and the Mississippi River to the U. S. Congress. The settlers in the area worried that Congress would sell the territory to France or Spain to pay off war debts. As a result, North Carolina retracted its cession and organized a “governing” body for the territory. Simultaneously, the counties petitioned Congress to form a separate state of “Frankland.” The majority of the states agreed, but the proposition did not receive a 2/3 majority required by Congress. 

 

Franklin survived but four years for it could never achieve a strong enough economy. John Sevier, its governor, approached the Spanish for aid. North Carolina feared the Spanish claim to land within its control and had Sevier arrested. The territory returned to North Carolina’s protection in 1788 because the Cherokee, Chickamauga, and Chickasaw Indians increased their attacks in the area.

 
The Road to Understanding: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

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 Brad
ford 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

Buy the book on Amazon, Kobo and Nook and keep up with Regina on her Website, Facebook and her blog
 

22 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting me today, Regan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are most welcome, Regina! So glad to have you as a part of my Regency authors series.

      Delete
  2. This setting sounds intriguing. I read books about Darcy and Elizabeth but as this seems to be based on their characters I am sure I would enjoy it. (I am a little concerned that he was engaged to Caroline but at least he didn't actually marry her!) Thanks for the chance of a giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do not fret, Glynis. He finds out about three pages into the book that Caroline has married a colonel. I couldn't do that to JAFF readers. LOL!

      Delete
  3. Welcome to GLIAS, Regina ! Glad to have you visit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Angi. I am pleased for the opportunity to meet new readers.

      Delete
  4. I'm looking forward to this one! Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Pam. I am excited about this one and already have plans for another.

      Delete
  5. love all of Regina's books.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good day, JoAnn. Glad you followed me over here.

      Delete
  6. interesting info

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for joining us today, my dear. I appreciate your continued support.

      Delete
  7. This is a wonderful story! Great post Regina.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good day, Claudine. It is wonderful to have you comment on the story. Your review is up on my website.

      Delete
  8. I live in North Carolina now. I really enjoyed your history lesson. yenastone at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for joining me today, Tammy. We heard nothing of the State of Franklin in our history books.

      Delete
  9. I keep waiting for my comment to show up, and since it's been a while since I wrote it, I can only assume that it's bit the dust!

    I believe that I said how much I enjoy the historical aspect of your story, and how much I look forward to following along with it. I would be thrilled to win a copy, in order to do so.
    GinnaSayWhat@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ginna, we're seeing this one. So glad you persisted! Thanks for coming.

      Delete
  10. Yeah, I know, Ginna. Google had me going to sign in with my password again before I could publish my comment. I am somewhat of a history geek. I love finding the tidbit others have overlooked.

    ReplyDelete
  11. We have our winners! Tammy Y., Ginna and Glynis. As Regina has all your emails, she will be in touch to send you the book. Congratulations! And thanks so much, Regina, for being my guest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! Thank you so much! I'm really going to enjoy this one. And I'm really glad that I came back to make sure my comment went through! :-)

      Delete
    2. Your persistence paid off, Ginna!

      Delete