Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Jennifer Delamere

I loved this author’s newest book, and I’m honored to chat with her today on the blog!

Jennifer Delamere writes tales of the past…and new beginnings. Her novels set in Victorian England have won numerous accolades, including a starred review from Publishers Weekly and nomination for the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® award. Jennifer earned a B.A. in English from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and has been an editor of nonfiction and educational materials for nearly two decades. She loves reading classics and histories, which she mines for the vivid details to bring to life the people and places in her books. A longtime resident of North Carolina, Jennifer can often be found hiking the mountains with her husband or planning their next travel adventure.

You can connect with Jennifer on her website, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter

Her new book, The Captain’s Daughter, starts the new London Beginnings series!

When a series of circumstances beyond her control leave Rosalyn Bernay alone and penniless in London, she chances upon a job backstage at a theater which is presenting the most popular show in London.

A talented musician and singer, she feels immediately at home and soon becomes enthralled with the idea of pursuing a career on the stage.

An injury during a skirmish in India has forced Nate Moran out of the army until he recovers. Filling his time at a stable of horses for hire in London, he has also spent the past two months working nights as a stagehand, filling in for his injured brother. Although he’s glad he can help his family through a tough time, he is counting the days until he can rejoin his regiment. London holds bitter memories for him that he is anxious to escape.

But then he meets the beautiful woman who has found a new lease on life in the very place Nate can’t wait to leave behind.

Hi Jennifer! Welcome to the blog! I start all of my guests out with a fast four:

Jennifer: Apples! There is so much variety and so many uses. I’m a big believer in the adage about an apple a day. My favorite is gala.

Carrie: Galas are great! My faves are Honey Crisp and/or Pink Lady.

Jennifer: Winter! I love the cooler weather. I also enjoy downhill skiing.

Carrie: I adore winter & cooler weather too! The downhill skiing, not so much 😉

Jennifer: I’m definitely a cat person. They are independent and yet lovable too (on their time). Great companionship –sitting on your lap when you want to read, or walking on your keyboard when you want to write. ?

Carrie: It’s the ‘on their time’ thing that keeps me a dog person lol!

Jennifer: Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon. Most of my books are a result of consuming large quantities of Caribou Coffee and Earl Grey tea.

Carrie: I’ve seen a mug floating around that claims, “I turn tea into books” – you need one 🙂

Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Jennifer: I’d love to be able to travel back in time so I could experience firsthand some of the places and times I write about. I wouldn’t want to change anything…but then again, maybe I would. Seems like human nature. Perhaps that’s why mere mortals don’t have this power in the first place!

Carrie: I think the temptation to change things might be too great for me, especially if I went back to certain eras.

Who is your favorite book character from childhood?

Jennifer: Alec Ramsay in the Black Stallion series. I love horses, and I loved reading those stories of Alec’s exciting adventures. Last year I attended a baby shower where the attendees were asked to bring a copy of our favorite childhood book for a gift. (What an awesome idea!) I went to my local bookstore and was so happy to discover this series is still in print today. 

Carrie: How fun!! And you are in good company because the Black Stallion series is mentioned most often when I ask authors this question!

Writing spaces are as diverse as authors and books. Where is your favorite space to write?

Jennifer: I’ve learned through trial and error that I write best in an open, airy environment, and it’s okay if people are around. So now I alternate between my favorite coffee shop (whenever I need caffeine and/or food while I write) and the quiet room at my local library. The quiet room has individual carrels and large windows that look out onto trees and sky. (But alas, no coffee.)

Carrie: Hmmm that’s a tough predicament. Library or coffee? Some people would call that a cruel and inhumane choice to ask of someone bookish 😉

Describe your main characters in one sentence each, and tell me who you would cast in their roles if Hollywood wanted to produce The Captain’s Daughter as a movie!

Jennifer: Nate Moran is a man of honor, but he has some contradictions too: he’s friendly but quiet, brooding and yet able to find joy when he plays on his fiddle the Irish melodies he learned as a youth.

Rosalyn Bernay is optimistic, hardworking, and fiercely devoted to her two sisters, as they all grew up together in an orphanage; she also has natural musical talent that will finally find a satisfying outlet over the course of events in this book.

Rosalyn and Nate are both made up of composites in my mind of several different actors, so it’s hard to name just one for each. I’d welcome suggestions from readers of whom they were envisioning as they read the book!

Carrie: Oh that’s a fun idea! (Also… I love how you got around the ‘in one sentence’ thing haha! It reminds me of my Top Ten Tuesday when ‘ten’ becomes a very relative term lol)

What surprised you most about The Captain’s Daughter or your characters as you wrote their story?

Jennifer: What surprised me most about this book, as well as the whole series, is that it has a lot to do with family dynamics—how our parents and/or siblings can be not only a tremendous source of strength and solace in bad times, but also how their expectations can add a lot of pressure to our lives and the decisions we make. The tension between being helpful and troublesome is a family dynamic that has been interesting to explore.

Carrie: I absolutely adored Nate’s family and I can’t wait to see how Rosalyn’s family’s story plays out across the rest of the series.

What do you most want readers to take away from The Captain’s Daughter?

Jennifer: A theme that runs through my books is that with God there can always be a new beginning. Mistakes or events in the past don’t have to prevent us from forging a new future. The Bible says the Lord’s mercies “are new every morning.” In this series, the characters find their new beginnings, but are surprised when life doesn’t take them in the direction they’d planned. I hope the readers will reflect and perhaps see how God has been at work in their own lives too—often in unique and unanticipated ways.

Carrie: That’s so true – so thankful for His new beginnings and new mercies.

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Jennifer: Thank you so much for inviting me! I’m currently working on book two of this series, called The Heart’s Appeal. Julia Bernay comes to London to be trained as a physician—a career which has just recently opened up to women. Although she knew there would be many obstacles to overcome, one in particular has taken her by surprise: she saves the life of a barrister after a train wreck, only to discover he is involved in a court case that could end up shutting down the medical school she plans to attend.

Carrie: Yay! Can’t wait!

Enter Here

What about you? If you’ve read The Captain’s Daughter, which actors could you envision playing Nate and Rosalyn? Or … if you haven’t read it yet … which actors come to mind based on Jennifer’s description?