Welcome to the blog, Regina. Iβm so excited to have you here today. Congratulations on your new release, The Lieutenantβs Bargain. I have loved this series and I canβt wait to read this one too!
What do you love most about your hero and heroine in this story?
Thanks for having me here, Savanna! What I love about Jack and Hattie is that they make a great team. From the first, you just know that they need to be together. For instance, Jack is brilliant, but in many ways he doesnβt have a clue. Then thereβs Hattie, who wasnβt known for her success as a student, but she understands people and sees things that Jack misses. They complement each other nicely.
They sound like they were made for each other. π
Have you visited any of the historical sites from your book? If not, what places are at the top of your list to visit someday?
Yes, I visit Fort Reno regularly. Itβs just down the interstate from where I live, and I love spending an afternoon there when I have a chance. This summer Iβve got to know several people who have their offices there in the historic buildings, and thatβs allowed me a few behind-the-scenes tours. (Hyperventilating!!) Iβm so in love with that place!
That is SO cool! Would love to visit there someday.
How do you choose your charactersβ names?
Hattie Walker is named after my niece and my nephew β Hattie and Walker. Lieutenant Jack Hennesseyβs naming story is a little more complicated. Locals will recognize the name of Hennessey as being a town north of Darlington and the fort. They might not know that the town was named after Pat Hennessey, a freighter who was killed by a band of Cheyenne (with possibly some Kiowa, Osage and Comanche participants) in 1874. In fact, it was the murder of Hennessey and the four other members of his team that brought about the establishment of Fort Reno to protect the workers at the Darlington Indian Agency. Our fictional Lieutenant Jack is blissfully unbothered by the connection with the tragic tale and intent on leaving his own happier story for posterity.
Fascinating! Love the family and historical connections.
Whatβs one of your favorite things about being an author?
That people go out of their way to tell me interesting things. For instance, the ladies at the fort pull out the research and records that most visitors donβt get to see. Itβs so cool!
Ahhhh, jealous!! π
Since Christmas is just around the corner, whatβs one of your fun family traditions this time of year?
My husband and son go deer hunting to fill our freezer. We have a meat grinder and vacuum sealer and we totally destroy our kitchen processing all the meat. Sometimes we go to friendβs house and do it there, and of course eat chicken-fried deer meat to celebrate a successful season. That meat is usually the Christmas present that gets the most use.
That’s awesome, Regina! Sounds like the two of you make a good team too. π
Thank you so much for visiting with us today. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Any upcoming project you can share with us?
Certainly! Iβm working on edits of the third Fort Reno book, and we already have a title β The Majorβs Daughter. Guess who thatβs about? Be watching for hard-headed Caroline Adams in the series. Sheβs soon to have a story of her own.
Yay! Can’t wait! Have a Merry Christmas!!
GIVEAWAY!!
Regina has graciously offered to give away a print copy of The Lieutenant’s Bargain. Enter below and it could be YOU! π
Thanks for entering!Β Contest is open only in the U.S. and ends December 11, 2018.Β The winner will be notified by email. Happy Reading, everybody!
Our family is really into Legos, and we collect the holiday sets so that we can make a Lego winter village every year. Itβs so much fun for our whole family but especially for our daughter!
That sounds AMAZING, Karen!! My husband LOVES playing Legos with our daughter. We need to start a tradition like this. π
My family goes to our church’s Christmas Eve service and then we go to ourfriend’s home for pizza and games.
How fun! Love it, Melissa. Hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas!
Picking out tree and baking cookies.
We just baked sugar cookies at my mom’s last week. It was the first time my two-year-old had done it. She had a ball. The cookies were yummy too! π Happy Holidays, Vera!
Going to church on Christmas Eve.
A perfect way to spend Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas, Faith!
I would like to say…I LOVE this book!
I listened to the audio version on release day. It’s amazing!
Good luck to those entering the giveaway!
Yay, Andrea! SO happy you stopped by. Aren’t Regina’s books the best? π
My husbands family makes tamales every year. Then we stay up until midnight and play games like Spanish bingo. So much fun!
Ohhh, that sounds delicious and fun! I need your recipe. I’ve always wanted to make tamales. π
Seeing the Festival of Lights at the Zoo.
How neat!! I bet kiddos love that! π Thanks for visiting, Becky.
When we lived together we would all be in the kitchen on Christmas Eve cooking and baking. Johnny Mathis, Jim Reeves or Maria Carey would be playing in the background. When the food was set for Christmas we would play board games.
Sounds like a lovely tradition, Sonnetta. Made me smile just picturing you all. π Merry Christmas!
Getting together with the entire family on Christmas eve sot they can all enjoy their Christmas Day at home and just enjoying their ‘individual’ families and making their own memories.
wfnren at aol dot com
How sweet! That’s a great way of helping spread out the celebrations. It’s often too much to squeeze into one day. π Merry Christmas, Wendy!
From the time the kids where born until they left the house, every Christmas eve we went to Christmas eve service. Came home and we read the story of the birth of Jesus. We would talk about it and pray. Thanking God for the one precious gift he gave us. Then we would have pizza and chocolate milk. Then we would pull out the lamb cake i had made and sing happy birthday to Jesus. Eat our cake and open one gift. As the kids got older, conversations would get deeper and longer. Prayers would get more heartfelt.
What a precious way to spend Christmas Eve, Lori. So many special memories too! Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!
We all gather on Christmas morning to see what Santa brought and enjoy a delicious breakfast together.
Fun fun!! Love it, Melanie. Thanks for sharing!
Christmas stockings on St. Nicholas day!
So fun! Hope you have a great holiday, Kathy!
I take each kid Christmas shopping and then to lunch just the two of us.Even my teenagers look forward to this tradition that we started when they were too young to drive.
Ohhh, I love that idea. Such a fun way to make some memories with each of your kids. Merry Christmas, Kim!
What’s one of your fun family traditions this time of year?
Our daughter comes from Dallas and makes her fabulous cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve ~ baking them Christmas morning. So Y*U*M throughout the day!! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
Oohhhh, that sounds sooo delicious! Wish I knew how to make good cinnamon rolls myself. Homemade ones are so yummy. π Happy Holidays, Kathleen!
We love listening to Christmas music while decorating the tree
Yes, totally! My mom would always make lots of yummy snacks on the night we decorated the tree too. π
I enjoy history, and so I like to attend one of the local or regional Christmas Candlelight Tours of Homes.
Ahhh, I LOVE this, Cathy. Me too!! I’m actually planning on going to one this weekend if the snow doesn’t cancel it. Merry Christmas!
Advent calendar and fun gifts on St Nicholas Day Eve.
Sweet! Happy Holidays, Jennifer!
Reading the story of Christ’s birth around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
That’s one of my favorites too. I especially love it now that we get to read it to Allison before bedtime on Christmas Eve. π Hugs to you, friend! So appreciate you visiting my blog!
One of our family traditions is we have a Christmas Advent calendar that tells the story of Jesus birth. We read it with our two daughters every year. So many memories…. Our daughters are now 20 & 24 and they still enjoy reading it together as a family. π
Thank you for the chance to win a copy of The Lieutenantβs Bargain! It sounds delightful!!
~ MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Oh, I love this, Alison. You’re never too old to read the story of Jesus’ birth. π Merry Christmas to you and your family!
We have a red Santa Bag. Special unique gifts are put in it to be opened last.
Joan
What a fun tradition, Joan. Merry Christmas!
I enjoy a Candlelight Christmas Eve service.
That sounds absolutely lovely on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas, friend!
This was a fun interview and I am super excited to read the next book in this series!
We go to the Christmas Eve Candlelight service.
Hope you have a wonderful time, Paula!!
We enjoy Christmas by attending church, enjoying Christmas lights around town, sharing Scripture and memories with family, making new friends, and giving gifts. Thanks for the opportunity to enter a giveaway! Would love to win a print copy!
So many wonderful things! Love them all, Lual. Merry Christmas and good luck in the giveaway!
I have 12 children and it can get pretty chaotic this time of year, well any time really. One fun things we enjoy this time of year is they each pick a cookie recipe and then bake with me their recipe individually. Lots of fun. We have discovered many fun and yummy kinds of cookies this way.
Wow, Deanne. You’re a super mom!! π I love your tradition. Hope you and all your sweet kiddos enjoy a blessed Christmas!! Thanks for visiting my blog during a busy season. π
Making fudge and cookies.
Mmmmm, fudge! Can I have some? π So glad you stopped by, Jan!
On Christmas Eve my family sits around the tree, drinks hot cocoa and take turns reading The Night Before Christmas. Thank you, and don’t forget the cookies!
That sounds so lovely, Linda. What a special time to share together. (And yes, you definitely can’t forget the cookies!) π
One of my favorites is I bake sugar cookies and make frosting and then we decorate the cookies as a family. Lots of sugar, lots of sprinkles, and loads of Christmas time fun.
What fun! Makes me wish I had some sugar cookies to enjoy right now myself. π Merry Christmas, Amanda!
I can’t wait to read this book!
Hi Heather! π Doesn’t it look great? I always LOVE Regina’s books. Good luck in the drawing!
We love baking cookies and delivering them to families.
Love that tradition! I want to do some of that too this year. π
We love to watch holiday classics like White Christmas, Holiday Inn, and Home Alone of course!
Those are some of my favorites too, Laura. I never get tired of them. π
I really like the story of how Regina named her characters. Her niece and nephew should feel special!
I know, isn’t that fun?! Love it! Thanks for joining us, Connie.