Author Interview & Giveaway: "A Lady by Any Other Name," by Jennifer Kitchens

Today I have an interview with a lovely new Regency romance author, Jennifer Kitchens, and a giveaway for her debut romance, A Lady by Any Other Name. Stay tuned at the end of the interview for a chance to win a PDF copy of her book.

JDP: How long have you been reading Regency romances?

Jennifer: More years than I care to admit.  As a young teen, we would often take vacations to my Grandmother’s cabin where there wasn’t much to do but walk around outside, watch old movies, and play games. She had a great little collection of regency romances and I often found myself drawn to the bookshelf to pick out a new romance adventure. I’ve been reading them ever since.

JDP: What was the first Regency romance you ever read?

Jennifer: I’m not sure I remember. It was probably by Georgette Heyer though. I read a lot of hers first before branching out to find other wonderful authors.

JDP: My readers know I love Georgette Heyer, too! When did you first realize you wanted to write Regency romances?

Jennifer: A few years ago my husband encouraged me to write out some of the many stories that were rattling around in my head. As I started thinking seriously about it, the only genre that really called to me was regency romance because I love them so much. There is a lot to play with in this time period with the Napoleonic war, the war of 1812, British dealings with India and the Caribbean, the rising of the middle class, and more.  You can have spies, war heroes, political reform, and more in addition to dealing with strict rules of society and class.  With so much to play with, there are unlimited options to write with.

JDP: Which Regency romance authors have most influenced you in your love for the Regency period?

Jennifer: All of them. J  Of course I’ll have to say Georgette Heyer was a big influence on me when I was younger. To be honest, there aren’t too many other authors which I read more than one or two books, so there are so many I couldn’t name. I often have looked to those who were published about a decade ago, but there has been a recent resurgence of regency romances and I am enjoying them as well.

JDP: Since I’m always interested in how authors research their historical novels, could you tell us a little about how you researched the Regency era for A Lady by Any Other Name?

Jennifer: A lot of my research comes from reading hundreds of regency romances to get a general feel of the time period and how the people and society is viewed in literature. To get more technical, I have done research online of course. There are some good websites and Wikipedia should be every researcher’s best friend. There are a few books I used, some more helpful than others. Putting it all together helped me create a plausible and realistic background for my story.

JDP: Can you share with us your top three favorite Regency romance research books or other resources?

Jennifer: My favorite book was What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew. http://www.amazon.com/Austen-Charles-Dickens-Whist-Nineteenth-Century/dp/0671882368

This is a wonderful source for all aspects of society and everyday life. 

I’m not sure I have anything else that I would really cite as something I referred to often. Like I said, I often used my own knowledge from Regency literature and complemented it with Google searches and Wikipedia articles.

JDP: Do you have an all-time favorite Regency romance?

Jennifer: What a hard question!  I think I would have to say either The Twelve Days of Christmas by Regina Scott or The Substitute Bridegroom by Charlotte Louise Dolan. Fabulous books!

JDP: Ooo, thanks for the tips! I’ll check those books out. What inspired you to write A Lady by Any Other Name?

Jennifer: My husband was my motivation all along the way. Without his encouragement, I probably would have quit twice.  I also found that the book itself was its own inspiration. I often found that if I would re-read something I wrote, I would fall in love with it again and want to keep reading it, but as I hadn’t finished it yet I would have to write it myself. J  Then I would have to keep writing because I wanted to have the story keep going. 

JDP: Tell us a little bit about A Lady by Any Other Name. (You can share your book blurb here if you want)

JENNIFER: A Woman in Hiding

Nicole Farrington’s life had never been easy, but it had always been bearable. At least it had been until now. Faced with a horrible marriage her step-brother has contracted for her, she will do anything to get away.  She’ll run…run to anyone who might be able to help her. But running blindly down an unknown path may take her to an unexpected destination.

A Man Seeking Answers

Julian Huntington, Earl of Foxley, wants nothing more than to have his carefree life back. Now he is left with a title, a child, and a future that he never expected would be his. He refuses to believe his brother’s death was an accident, no matter what people say. Someone killed him and Julian plans to find out who and why. Maybe then he can go on with his life…his brother’s life. Will the answers he seeks be enough, or will he find love to be a worthier goal?

JDP: What project are you working on next?

Jennifer: I am working on another regency romance right now. It’s set during Christmas-time (a favorite of mine) and involves a bit of mystery and a lot of crazy relatives. I am really having fun with this one and I hope to be able to finish it before too long so I can share it with all of you!

JDP: I’m looking forward to that! Where can readers obtain a copy of A Lady by Any Other Name?

Jennifer: CreateSpace (Paperback): https://www.createspace.com/3901091

Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/Lady-By-Any-Other-Name/dp/1477612416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344526465&sr=8-1&keywords=a+lady+by+any+other+name

Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Any-Other-Name-ebook/dp/B008H2Z7VK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1344526465&sr=8-2&keywords=a+lady+by+any+other+name

Barnes & Noble (Nook): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-lady-by-any-other-name-jennifer-kitchens/1111978555

JDP: Thank you so much for joining us today! 

You can read a short excerpt from A Lady by Any Other Name on my latest Tuesday Teaser post.

More about Jennifer! : Jennifer Kitchens is a life-long lover of romance novels. She started reading Regency romances as a teenager and hasn’t stopped. She is the founder and sole reviewer for Clean Romance Reviews. When she isn’t writing and reading, she is raising her young children and dating her husband. Visit Jennifer’s author website, her review blog, and follow her on Facebook.

Okay, now for the giveaway. Jennifer is offering a PDF version of A Lady by Any Other Name to one lucky reader of this interview! (Yes, that means that international entries are welcome!) Deadline is August 29. Winner will be drawn August 30. Enter via Rafflecopter below.

OFFICIAL RULES:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

USA entries only

Entrants must be 18 years or older

Entries may be left in a comment or sent via email to jdipastena@yahoo.com

Winners will be selected on August 30, 2012. Winners have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win.

Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be reawarded

Sponsor name and contact info: Joyce DiPastena, jdipastena@yahoo.com.

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