Hallo, Hallo dear hearts, I am taking part in a special series of interviews!
I recently had the joy of sharing with you a conversation about my fascination and appreciation for #HistoricalRomances when I shared my interview with Rebecca Connolly! She wrote the Spinster Chronicles – of which I am reading the first two installments of her series this November! However, anchoured to the joyfulness of discovering her stories, this Autumn I had the pleasure of finding out about *Somerstone!* and the Regency House Party series!
This is one of those uniquely styled *round robin!* stories wherein each new author who steps into the story-line is picking up the threads of the previous author’s installment! Similar in the vein of why I am enjoying reading the Return of the Blackwell Brothers? Herein as we get a lovely introduction to Somerstone through a series of interviews and conversations I crafted together with the authors who make up this new series set in the Regency – one of my eras of preference for #HistRoms – we get to sort out what inspired the authors as they wrote their individual installments but also, get the chance to learn more about how the series was assembled!
Publishers (or in this case, the writers themselves!) create these nifty ‘mini-series’ and serial round robins not just to create a more unique environment for the reader to explore but also for their authors! There are several of these within my beloved #LoveINSPIRED Suspense I am slowly making my way through and finding out there is one for the Regency was truly a lift of joy to find! Especially as like most Regencies – when there is a ball or a formal party afoot, there is generally a heap more going on than what is generally taken on appearance alone! Where tucked away secrets can percolate to the surface and where everyone either knows someone directly or indirectly through their peerage, family or friends!
The beauty of course is going story by story, seeing how the arc of the series will continue to increase in climax and how each new writer who steps into an installment will put their own spin on the established narrative. The points of view could change or the mannerisms of the character(s) themselves could feel altered a bit – but if the whole of the mini-series maintains its rhythm and internal heart of centre, what you will discover dear hearts is a smashingly lovely respite to curl inside as the hours melt off the clock!
As this is a promotional tour focusing on the Digital First status of the novellas, I opted to host the series of interviews in lieu of reviews as I am eager for each of the novellas to become released into print. Although in theory, they might have already released – I haven’t checked on all the statuses when I shared my first interview in this series! It will take me a bit to gather them but I might also, lean on my local library to see if they might want to add this series to their card catalogue ahead of when I can bring a set home! Then, I shall have the same pleasure of joy of disappearing inside this series start to finish, finding what the readers on this blog tour have discovered and beyond! For the Regency holds a dear spot in my bookish heart!
May your #AutumnReads be as excitingly awesome as mine are becoming!
Tabitha’s Folly is one of Five books all set at the same Regency House Party Series. While each is a standalone story, watch our characters mingle together with others from the books in the series. The stories can be read in any order.
Lady Tabitha Easton recklessly dodges four over-protective brothers while trying to gain attention from the man who holds her heart. She has many choices of suitors, and with Henry as disinterested as ever, she turns to what is wholly forbidden, an irresistibly handsome footman. While their friendship grows, her trust in him increases while her hurt and doubt in her childhood love and friend pushes her away from all she’s ever known as family.
When Lord Henry Courtenay discovers a new attraction to his childhood friend, his role as one of her chaperones at the house party becomes near impossible. Irrationally defensive about any potential suitors and seeking time alone with the enticing Tabby, maintaining friendship with her brothers proves more difficult than he ever imagined. His task becomes all the more difficult when she refuses to understand his growing attraction and often finds herself in almost compromising situations.
When Tabitha’s choices might lead her to danger, and doubt and distrust are high, Henry must prove himself or lose her forever.
These novels and stories set in Somerstone within the Regency House Party series were first serialised via RegencyHouseParty.com and were thus independently published afterwards.
Regency House Party: @RegencyParty | Instagram | Facebook Group
Published on: 18th August, 2018 | ISBN: 978-1718179134
Formats Available: Paperback and Ebook
Converse via: #Somerstone + #RegencyHouseParty OR #Regency and #HistRom
When it comes to Historical Romance – what do you find the most challenging bit to developing the story? Setting your characters in the historical past, sorting out the choices in dialogue and language or the issues in society and class as compared to modern day? How did you work through those issues as they arose or if they weren’t challenging, what made them easier to write?
Johnson responds: When I write a story, I tend to totally immerse in the experience. I become a character, more or less, as I try to figure out what that person would do in many various circumstances. Because I do this, I tend to immerse in the culture and language also. This isn’t seamless. In my editing, I will always e correcting modern phrases and ideas. Most of the time though, I will not need to correct modern character motivations. Because I had been trying to think like my character all along. Once you read several hundred regencies and spend enough time researching the era, a lot of it comes naturally. That doesn’t mean I’m not editing, of course I am.
Whom are your favourite Historical Romance authors outside the Regency and what do you love most about a romance back-lit by history which allows us a curious glimpse into the days left behind in journals, memories and living histories?
Johnson responds: I love historical romance for this awesome opportunity to really learn about the history of the time. The romance, the characters make it incredibly interesting, but I find I am almost as interested in the lifestyle of the people, in the happenings of the day. I love a good book, based on first hand sources, journals and things as well as the larger sources. I write much more history in my regencies than I see in a typical story because of that. Let’s see, historical romance I enjoy set outside of regency. I loved Kristin Lavransdotter. Such an amazing book. I loved The Far Pavillions. wow, incredible. I loved reading The Robe. Remember that one? I loved A Tale of Two Cities. The Scarlet Pimpernel.
How did you approach writing a story where the heroine is so dearly disinterested in being charmed by love’s arrow but where the hero is desperate to get her to understand her wishes? It sounds like a lovely potboiler of emotions and trials of patience!
Johnson responds: My story is not about that. It starts out very much the opposite. Where Tabitha has loved Henry for years and he only just begins to notice her at the party.
Hmm, this is interesting as from the outside looking in on the story I guess I gathered the wrong impression prior to having a chance to read the story myself.
House parties are rather a keen place to set a combustion of characters – where everyone is taking their entrances and exits at different intervals – how did all of you as a whole sort out the continuity of the Somerstone series and how much contact did you have with each other to place individual characters into each of your connecting stories to give the readers a sense of ‘one continuous series’ rather than five individual novels?
Johnson responds: This was so much fun at the same time that is was a lot of work. We talked every day. Often multiple times in a day. The things that helped most were a clear schedule with house party events, a weather timeline, and the order we were publishing. Because we originally posted these, one chapter at at time on a blog, we were also very careful to keep our posting in the order it was happening in the overall story. It was common for one of us to post something like, “Hey, can Henry be at dinner early with my character?” or “Who’s available in the afternoon on Wednesday?” or “Could you read this and make sure it sounds like your character?”
When your not writing or researching your stories what uplifts and renews your spirit the most?
Johnson responds: Life. Just living life, going about the day to day things, meeting people, talking, experiencing things. Also, reading a great book, or watching a really good movie. I love to connect with God also. And to hear really good music.
About Jen Geigle Johnson
An award winning author, including the GOLD in Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, Jen Geigle Johnson discovered her passion for England while kayaking on the Thames near London as a young teenager.
She once greeted an ancient turtle under the water by grabbing her fin. She knows all about the sound a water-ski makes on glassy water and how to fall down steep moguls with grace. During a study break date in college, she sat on top of a jeep’s roll bars up in the mountains and fell in love.
Now, she loves to share bits of history that might otherwise be forgotten. Whether in Regency England, the French Revolution, or Colonial America, her romance novels are much like life is supposed to be: full of adventure. She is a member of the RWA, the SCBWI, and LDStorymakers. She is also the chair of the Lonestar Ink writing conference.
This Blog Tour Stop is courtesy of SLB Tours:
Follow the Virtual Road Map
by visiting the blog tour route:
especially as this is a tour offering a special giveaway
Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers.
{SOURCES: Book cover of “Tabitha’s Folly”, synopsis, author photograph of Jen Geigle Johnson, author biography, the blog tour banner and SLB Tours badge were all provided by SLB Tours and used with permission. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Conversations with the Bookish and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2018.
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