9/21/2016

Regan Walker's Best of the Regency with Author Sandra Masters!

Regan here. Welcome to the Best of the Regency! My guest today is Sandra Masters. From a humble beginning in Newark, New Jersey, a short stay at a convent in Morristown, N.J. at the age of fourteen, Sandra retired from a fantastic career for a play broadcasting company in Carlsbad, California, and settled in the rural foothills of the Sierras of Yosemite National Park with her husband, Ron, and two dogs, Silky and Sophie. She traded in the Board Rooms for the Ballrooms of the Regency Era and never looked back.

She wrote her first book at the age of thirteen and since then she’s always traveled with pen and notebook for her writing experiences. It’s been the journey of ten thousand miles with a few steps left to go. She deemed it a pleasure to leave the corporate world behind decades later.
Nothing she expected, but everything she desired. Her business card lists her occupation as Living The Dream.

Be sure and comment and leave your email as Sandra is giving away her books to 4 lucky winners!  Three winners will get Once Upon a Duke (paperback if in the US, or ebook if international). A 4th winner will get the ebook for Once Upon a Duke plus a $25 Amazon gift card.

The Interview with Sandra:

Why did you decide to write Regency romance?

I was a voracious reader with a love of history, particularly the historical period of the Regency era. I started out writing contemporary romance, but when I was introduced to writers such as Mary Balogh and Judith McNaught, to mention but a few, I knew this era was for me.

It was the book Slightly Dangerous, the Simply Series by Balogh, that caused me to research everything Regency related. The story between Wulfric Bedwyn and Christine Derrick was so emotional, I can still remember it. The aloof duke and the witty Christine were so ill suited to each other but so real, that I needed for them to finally fall in love.  I keep the entire series in a special place in my library.

Judith McNaught’s book Whitney, My Love, had me spellbound from the very first page. Since then I have read most of her books. This hero was so conflicted that at times I hated him, and yet I wanted him to mend his relationship with Whitney because underneath the stern exterior dwelt the heart of a good man.  Such powerful and sizzling storytelling pulled me in from the beginning for a book that broke many of the rules.

This is a rather long explanation.  I do have over seven hundred books in my library, but at least three hundred are in the Regency era. My debut novel was Once Upon a Duke, released July 14, 2015. I have been on a marvelous journey ever since, with my fourth book in The Duke Series soon to be released in November 2016, The Duke’s Magnificent Bastard.

I sometimes think that in another life, I was born during the Regency period. I’ve never created a duke I didn’t fall in love with.

When do you write?

Writing to me is not a pastime or a way to make money, it is an obsession. I write twelve to thirteen hours a day, every day, and then I read in the wee time of a morning, which doesn’t leave too much time to clean the house. The dust puppies will always be there.

What is the genre of your new story The Duke’s Magnificent Bastard?
 
This is a multi cultural romance story of a seventeen-year-old Anglo West Indian bastard, Thorn Wick, now acknowledged by his father, The Duke of Althorn, who was never made aware of his birth. Our hero admires the ward of his father from afar, an aristocratic flirtatious English lady, Alicia, who has designs on him. Throw in our noble duke, an evil witch doctor, a Barbados tribal chieftain intent on redemption, horse racing for the Regent, amazing “heavenly” Argamak Turkmen horses, and a conspiracy to bring down the monarchy, and our plot thickens.  Lust, desire, passion all conflict to epic proportions. Honor, truth and justice are tested. And then there’s love!

Where did I get the idea for this story?
 
Ever since I can remember, the subject of bastardy fascinated. I read John Jakes eight book series that spanned generations and centuries, and decided I wanted to create a ‘magnificent’ bastard of my own.

Is he too young to be a trainer?

At age twenty-one, mature for his age, our hero is an acknowledged trainer of a special eastern breed of horses. His experience is gained working for a Scotsman who was famous for his Argamak Turkmen horses.  Thorn Wick and his father have great plans for training and breeding of the unusual horse. Thorn has acquired a step-brother, who is the duke’s heir; a step-grandmother who spoils him; a step-mother who is wary; and a fierce reputation.

How does Thorn react to the stigma? 
 
Emotions run high. In 1820 Regency England, there is the stigma attached to our hero, Thorn Wick. Can anyone imagine how it must feel to be yanked from the West Indies where he was considered a half-breed, to London, England where he is considered illegitimate? Except for the noble duke’s recognition and that of the family who supports him, he would be denied relevance of any kind. Thorn fights for acceptance against all odds.
Prepare to be transported from island life in Barbados to aristocratic England and then back to Barbados where stunning revelations wrack our hero’s world.

Any stunning revelations?

Without spoiling the story for readers, all I can say is that there is a native uprising against foreign plantation owners, discovery of the truth about his mother’s death, and a flight to save his life as he swims out to a waiting ship bound for England.

Thank you, Regan, for allowing me to be a part of the Best of the Regency! 

Now, for the readers, I’d love to ask them what they like to see in a Regency romance!

The Duke’s Magnificent Bastard - Coming November 4th 2016

Keep up with Sandra on her website and Facebook


37 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks for the warm welcome, Regan. It's my pleasure to be here and spread the love for Regency romance. Looking forward to a great day with all your readers and friends--mine, too.

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  2. My favorite Recency era reads have to be Stephanie Laurens Bastion Club series. All of the main male characters are former spies and they band together to form a club to avoid the matchmaking mamas as they go about finding wives. The ladies are all facing either scandal or danger which the Bastion Club bands together to rescue the damsel in distress. The men are no match for the women they are charged with rescuing!

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    1. I, too, am a fan of Stephanie Laurens. The Bastion Club series fascinates me and I find that I can't put the books down. I confess I haven't read them all, but it's on my TBR list.

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  3. This will be a new author for me but I love finding authors to add to my favorites list. Looking forward to reading these. Gypsyrk7@gmail.com

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    1. Hi, Rhonda! Thanks for stopping by.

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    2. Rhonda, you have won a copy of Sandra's book! Congratulations; she will be in touch.

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  4. Rhonda, thank you for being here this early in the morning. Fortunately, I don't sleep much so I'm used to "wee hours". Do hope you will like my Book 4 in The Duke Series. It's available now for pre-order on Amazon. I seem to favor heroes who have complexity, and Thorn Wick delivers the right amount of spice, along with a penchant for honor.

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  6. Thanks for your patience. I'm back.

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  8. I love seeing rogues with hearts of gold and women with daring in Regency romances. The Duke’s Magnificent Bastard sounds like a good book to read.

    meowcat_21@hotmail.com

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    1. Morning Catherine.Thorn, our hero, takes on the role of Alicia, our heroine's protector, when secretly he want her for himself, but doesn't believe he is worthy. Alicia is daring for the time and era, but the reality of loving Thorn too much almost destroys her. Here's a quote from Page 5.
      She reminded him of some innocent wild thing that waited for life to open her caged doors.When it did, he would regret her flight to where her heart wanted to go. "Fly high," he muttered, "so you can never be taken down if it's away from me."
      I'm sighing. It's available on Amazon for pre-order. Enjoy your day.

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    2. Catherine, congratulations! You have won. Sandra will be in touch.

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  9. One of the reasons why I like historical romance (compared to a contemporary setting) is that I much prefer to more elegant speech. Otherwise I'm happy as long as it's a well written story with characters I can connect to.

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    1. Me, too, Linda. And I love the ambiance of historicals when well done.

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    2. I agree with you both. Elegant and classic never fails.

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  10. your book looks amazing! rc12d@yahoo.com

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    1. Thank you. I have an amazing publisher, The Wild Rose Press, whose graphic artists are excellent. I've learned to tell them what I don't want, and they just do their magic.

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    2. Congratulations, Rachael! You have won! Sandra will be in touch.

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  11. I love picturing it through an author's words... the clothes, their way of talking, the rules of society at the time, the gatherings... seeing a story unfold... love historicals! Thanks for sharing! greenshamrock ATcoxDOTnet

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    1. Yes, and every author's eyes are different. I'm a huge fan of history and I actually like doing research and learning new things. You're right that the unfolding of the story is a challenge.

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  12. Hello Sandra, this blog is great. I love the way you share the feelings and desires of your characters - on your website, newsletter, FB posts. It's evident that you research the Regency era, and have an affinity for your love-tossed characters.

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    1. Thanks, Krista. It's certainly exciting! There's always new things to learn, characters to create, and heroes and heroines to fall in love.

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  13. Another great place to find new authors & books! Loved the interview! neesie315@yahoo.com

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    1. Nessie: Thank you. The Duke's Magnificent Bastard has been in my head for two years now. It's such a thrill for my thoughts to come to life in a book filled with intrigue, conflict, a touch of suspense, and an amazing cast of characters. Not to mention, Regal, the amazing Argamak Turkmen horse.

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    2. Congratulations, Neesie, you have won! Sandra will be in touch.

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  14. something different

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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    1. Sometimes when you want something different, your publisher has certain guidelines that do not permit certain scenes. It's a conundrum to dare to be different and still exist according to your publisher's stated guidelines. I do believe as authors we sometimes have our hands tied, yet we do try to have worthy plots.

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  15. Wishing you butterfly mornings and wild flower afternoons, I wish you Good Night.

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  16. I do enjoy Regency Romance. I like at least one rake in the story. Just for the sheer fun of it. Stir things up.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. Hello Mary: I, too, am fond of rakes. My books have them, especially Once Upon A Duke. Geoffrey Austen, Duke of Sutton, is a special rogue. Most likely, because he was the first one that published. I love my version of fairy tales because it takes me away from reality.

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    2. Mary, congratulations! You have won. Sandra will be in touch.

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  17. Thanks to all who commented on Sandra Masters' interview. We have her winners! Congratulations are in order to those listed below. Sandra has your emails and will be in touch!

    Nessie: ebook of Once Upon a Duke and $25
    Catherine Maguire, print version, Once Upon a Duke
    Mary Preston, print version, Once Upon a Duke
    Rachael, print version, Once Upon a Duke

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    1. There has been a substitution since Catherine Maguire could not be reached. Rhonda Kirby is the new winner... congratulations, Rhonda!

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