Thursday, May 16, 2013

Today's Special - - Regan Walker

We're happy to welcome Regan Walker back to the blog today.  I recently read Regan's latest historical, AGAINST THE WIND, second in her Agents of the Crown series, and enjoyed it a lot.  Regan joins us today to answer some questions about both this book, her Agents of the Crown series and other things going on in her life.  Please join us!



Welcome back, Regan!  Congratulations on the recent release of AGAINST THE WIND, the second book in your Agents of the Crown series.  Please tell our readers what they can expect from this series and this book.

The idea for the trilogy came from my early love of mysteries and spy stories and my knowledge that all branches of government have their own agents. It wasn’t much of a stretch to conceive of the Prince Regent asking a few of his subjects to take on “special assignments.” Kings have been doing it for centuries. Hence my trilogy features heroes who have been asked by the Prince Regent to take on unique tasks. First there was Racing With The Wind, and the British Lord who masqueraded as the Nighthawk, the thief of Napoleon’s secrets. Next is my latest release, Against the Wind, the story of Sir Martin Powell, the agent for the Crown in France who has come home to England for one last assignment. The 3rd in the trilogy—Wind Raven—takes place on a schooner and in the Caribbean in 1817 and features a rakish sea captain and a pirate who plied the seas around Puerto Rico at the time.
In Against the Wind, Sir Martin returns from ten years in France during Napoleon’s reign and before he begins his last assignment for the Prince Regent, he decides to have one night of pleasure in the most elegant bordello in London, Willow House. It is there he meets a beautiful redhead name Kit, never knowing she is the daughter of an earl, and a dowager baroness. While still knowing little about each other, he will sweep her away to the Midlands—and into the storms of revolution.

I fell in love with Martin and was firmly in Kit’s corner from the beginning.  What one thing do you want readers to understand about these two characters?

Kit, the beautiful redhead Sir Martin calls “Kitten,” is a wounded soul. When the story opens she and her
sister have already lost their parents, and in the middle of her first Season, Kit was forced to wed an old baron who, though he treated her kindly, was more like a grandfather than a husband. The baron died two weeks into their marriage and Kit went to live with her sister and her husband the Earl of Rutledge. When Kit’s beloved sister dies, her brother-in-law, the earl tries to take her by force. She flees to the only place she can think of…and runs right into the arms of Sir Martin. In Martin, Kit finds a gentle man whose lovemaking stirs her passions and whose words of comfort soothe her wounded soul. But Martin is wounded too, as he saw his wife murdered on the streets of Paris five years earlier. Together they will help each other heal as they become embroiled in the Pentrich Rebellion of 1817.

What one scene would you never cut from AGAINST THE WIND?

The scene in the bordello when Martin first makes love to Kit. It is the point around which their relationship pivots and essentially seals their fate.

I love how you weave the fictional story together with both real historical events as well as real people.  It draws me into the story and when I finish, it’s as if I’ve enjoyed a history lesson without realizing it.  Have you always been fascinated by this period of English history?  Are there other time periods and places we might see in future books?

History and the people who lived long ago fascinate me. The Regency period of history drew me because so much was changing. Wars were ending, industrialization was coming and the common people were no longer content to let the aristocracy decide their future. In the prequel, To Tame the Wind, which I haven’t yet started writing, you will experience France in 1783 before the Revolution. And I have a William the Conqueror medieval romance I started some time ago, The Red Wolf’s Prize, set in 1067. I intend to come back to it when my trilogy is done. I am intrigued by how England changed when the Normans conquered the land. We often forget how much French is at the root of our English language because of that one event. For many years, French was spoken at the English court.

Even though our introduction to him was brief, I was intrigued by Martin’s brother.  I understand the third book in the series is his story.  When will that be released and what can we expect from that book?

That would be Captain Jean Nicholas Powell, Martin’s older brother, a rake, a former privateer and an English merchant sea captain—named for his grandfather, a French pirate, Jean Donet. I’m writing Nick’s story now. There is a lot of research involved in learning all the nautical terminology for a schooner of the period and all that was going on in the Caribbean. (My story will feature the pirate Roberto Cofresi as a character, who was a real historic figure of the time.) The heroine is an American from Baltimore who still remembers the English attacking her city in the War of 1812. I hope it will be out late this year, but I’m moving this summer and that will disrupt my writing.

Just for fun, if you could host a dinner party for up to ten (real) historical figures, who would you invite and why?

Oh, that is a challenge. Let’s see. Off the top of my head, I’d say these: (1) Sir Winston Churchill (my hero), (2) the Apostle Paul (the most quoted author by America’s founders), (3) Abraham Lincoln (not just one of our greatest Presidents but a thoughtful man of faith and integrity), (4) Germaine de Stael (an author and an amazing woman of her time—and a character in Racing With The Wind), (5) William Wilberforce (English statesman who fought against the English slave trade and won), (6) Selina, Countess of Huntingdon (a member of the nobility who became a committed Christian and did amazing work as a widow), (7) C.S. Lewis, (8) Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (Irish born member of the Protestant Ascendancy whose success as a British soldier earned him a dukedom), (9) Queen Victoria and (10) King David (from the Old Testament). How’s that for an eclectic group?

Wow, that's quite a group!  Your books sweep me away to another time and place.  If you could be swept away to any place or time for a romantic evening, where and when would you choose?

Oh, this is fun! Well, it would have to be romantic, and there would have to be stars above and a man, yes a man, who was handsome and strong and who loved me. I think it might take place in a castle, perhaps in Scotland with a Highland laird whose land was at peace (for the moment). There is much to commend clan life where each person had a role and all were part of a large family. If the laird was a good man and a generous leader, his people could thrive. Being his mate could be very challenging—to help care for the people and his lands. To stand on the top of a castle, looking out on a moonlight-bathed loch and feel his arms wrapped around me, ah yes. That would be romantic.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I am actually a very serious lawyer, though I have only practiced part time in recent years. My left brain is overdeveloped. Another thing that might surprise people (especially those who know the first thing) is that I am a rank sentimentalist—a complete and hopeless romantic.

I never go anywhere without my camera.  What do you never travel without?

A book. Unless I’m looking at gorgeous scenery or having a good conversation, I detest idle time just staring into space. I like to think, of course, but I really like reading. Since my mother taught me to read at age four, I have been an avid reader. And when people I’m meeting, say for dinner, are late, I just whip out my book or my Kindle and I’m content.

What are you working on now?

Wind Raven. It’s the third in the trilogy and given all that is going on in my life right now, and the amount of research involved, it’s going a bit slow. I’m learning that Nick (Martin’s brother) and Tara (the American heroine) are going to be a challenge. Two stubborn people fighting the inevitable.

Thank you, Regan!  Do you have a question for our readers today?

Yes! What would you like to see me include in Wind Raven? I’ve added a ship’s cat because I know many of my readers love cats, but I’d be interested to hear of any other things you might have in mind…a character’s name perhaps? Here’s your chance to influence the book! If you do, I’ll give you credit in the acknowledgements!

26 comments:

  1. Hi, PJ! Thanks for having me on your blog. I'm so glad you liked Against the Wind!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I posted last night (rather early in the AM) and don't see it now even though it showed last night. Odd there are no other comments this late in the day.

    I appreciate your efforts to thoroughly research the settings and time periods for your books. One of the reasons I read historical fiction, romances included, is for the information gained on the eras in which they are set. Such information placed in the context of characters' lives is more clear and memorable than when presented in a dry history text. Spy stories are a favorite as are those with pirates, although these tend not to deal with the reality of pirate life and actions.

    If WIND RAVEN is set in the Puerto Rico area, a scene set at night in one of the bioluminescent bays would be nice. The ship anchored in the bay, the couple on the deck on a clear night surrounded by a shimmering, glowing sea. Rather romantic.

    Best of luck with the release of AGAINST THE WIND. I look forward to reading all three books in the trilogy. Medieval stories are also a favorite, so I hope THE RED WOLF'S PRIZE is finished in the not too distant future.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Library Pat: A great suggestion! I will keep that scene in mind. If you email me via my website with your name and contact information, if I am able to use the idea I will give you credit for it!

      Delete
    2. Pat, that's a great idea! Very, very romantic. :)

      Sorry your comment disappeared. I'm not sure what happened. Maybe a problem with Blogger? Thanks for trying again!

      Delete
  3. Great interview and I'm happy you're including a cat :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You'll like this cat, catslady. The ship's crew calls her Dutch Sam after the bare knuckled boxer who died in 1816 because she is a polydactyl (extra toed) cat with big white front paws. The heroine calls her Samantha. A very intelligent, gray cat with green eyes.

      Delete
    2. I had a feeling that detail would make you happy, catslady! ::grin::

      Delete
  4. Congratulations on you trilogy, Regan. Thanks for being at TRD today. I think LibraryPat's idea is a very good one.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I take it this is a night when it doesn't rain in Scotland. Seriously, I like the idea of a castle, a man and starlight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, no rain. I have been in Scotland on such a night.

      Thanks for commenting, Jackie!

      Delete
    2. A castle, a man, starlight and a kilt? Love the sound of such a night! :)

      Delete
  6. Hello again, Regan! I really don't have anything to add to the comments above...and I like your stories just the way you write them so don't think I could improve on a single thing. Am looking forward to your next book...and in the meantime I read your Scotland blog series with interest. jdh2690@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janice, You are such a sweetheart! Thanks so much for commenting. It really warms my heart to hear you like my stories! And that you are following my historical romance blog.

      Delete
    2. Love Scottish romances! Readers, you can follow Regan's romance review blog here:

      http://reganromancereview.blogspot.com/

      Delete
  7. Hi, Regan--

    I love spies, and I love this period. Your dinner party sounds like a great group.

    I have a fondness for secret coves on coastlines, so maybe the hero could have such a hideaway, maybe on an island.

    Good luck with the series!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, Nancy, you anticipated me, but it's not the hero who has the island hideaway; it's the pirate in Wind Raven!

      Delete
    2. Nancy, I think you'd like Regan's books. And I love the idea of a island hideaway. I have a fondness for secret coves. ;-)

      Delete
    3. Regan, as long as someone has a secret cove, I'm good. *g*

      PJ, island hideaways were one if the joys of pirate romances.

      Delete
  8. Hi Regan! Great to have you with us today!

    Sorry I've been MIA. I've been traveling all day. Give me a few minutes to unpack the car and I'll be back to catch up with the comments.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PJ, sent you a few emails you might want to look at, too.

      Delete
  9. For those who are interested, I'm giving you the link to my historical romances blog that one commenter referred to: http://reganromancereview.blogspot.com. I do hope you will stop by!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Replies
    1. Thanks, Georgie! And thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment so I know you were here!

      Delete
  11. I hope I'm not too late! Congrats on the new release! What a beautiful cover!

    ReplyDelete