I love a great character spotlight and Regina Jennings has never failed me! Love that she imagines her characters as real life couple, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt! Get to know Jack and Hattie in this fun post, enter the giveaway, and be sure to add The Lieutenant’s Bargain to your Christmas wish lists.

Over to you, Regina…

*****

Lt. Jack Hennessey

Physical Stats

Height: Always looked taller than he was because he was so skinny. Now he’s matured and filled out nicely.

Hair colour & style: Colour – Brown. Style – Are you kidding? As long as Jack’s hair is short enough to stay out of his eyes, he’s not thinking about it.

Eye colour: Brown

Dress sense: He’s particular about his cavalry uniform, but nothing more.

Resembles…

John Krasinski.

Can’t live without…

His books. He has them stacked up all over his house. It may look like chaos, but he knows exactly where to find something when he needs it.

Strengths:

Jack is intelligent and studious. When others point out a flaw of his, he makes an effort to correct it.

Vulnerabilities:

He’s too blunt. He doesn’t understand women, or maybe women don’t understand him. In fact, he’s pretty dense when it comes to most social situations.

Passions:

Learning about the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes and helping them navigate the changes that are being forced upon them. In particular, Jack is determined to keep the school at Darlington open so that the children can prepare for the new world that’s coming.

What Book would he recommend?

The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Your inspiration for the character:

My character for Jack was inspired by all the late-bloomers of the world. He’s the nerdy kid from school that grew up into someone more interesting than anyone expected.

Background to the story

While researching, I kept coming back to the conundrum that many Native American parents found themselves in. Sending your child to school meant sending them away to live with strangers where they would learn a foreign culture and forget their upbringing. The other option (if they were allowed a choice) was for the children to stay on the reservation where they would probably become reliant on the government. I wanted to write a hero who bridged that gap between the native parents and the government, and tried to find solutions for the families.

Hattie Walker

Physical Stats

Height: Small enough to make people think she needs their help. Big enough to get what she needs without them.

Hair colour & style: Long, brown hair that she arranges effortlessly.

Eye colour: brown

Dress sense: Hattie has an eye for color and design and puts together outfits effortlessly. She doesn’t put a lot of thought into her wardrobe, but she takes for granted that she’ll have access to the latest fashions.

Resembles…

Emily Blunt

Can’t live without…

Her paints. Hattie is an accomplished artist seeking a professional career.

Strengths:

Compassion. Bravery. Independence. Ambition. Good-hearted.

Vulnerabilities:

She judges things (and people) by appearances. Her independent streak can hurt the people who care about her.

Passions:

Art. Freedom to make her own choices.

What book would she recommend?

Hattie doesn’t spend much time reading. She’d recommend going outside and finding a beautiful sunset to paint instead.

Your inspiration for the character:

Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and really pay attention to people that got overlooked in school. When I meet them now, I wonder how I could’ve missed them. Hattie did the same thing when she was younger (although she was popular, where I was too busy studying), but when the boy she hurt the most comes to her rescue, she’s forced to reevaluate and make amends.

 Thanks Regina!

Hattie Walker dreams of becoming a painter, while her parents want her to settle down. As a compromise, they give her two months to head to Denver and place her works in an exhibition or give up the dream forever. Her journey is derailed when a gunman attacks her stagecoach, leaving her to be rescued by a group of Arapaho but she’s too terrified to recognize them as friendly.

Confirmed bachelor Lieutenant Jack Hennessey has long worked with the tribe and is tasked with trying to convince them that the mission school at Fort Reno can help their children. When a message arrives about a recovered survivor, Jack heads out to take her home and plead his case once more.

He’s stunned to run into Hattie Walker, the girl who shattered his heart–but quickly realizes he has a chance to impress her. When his plan gets tangled through translation, Jack and Hattie end up in a mess that puts her dreams in peril and tests Jack’s resolve to remain single.

Regina Jennings writes historical romance. She is the winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award, a finalist for the Oklahoma Book of the Year Award and a handful of others. When not writing funny stories, she’s living a comedy of errors with her long-suffering husband and four subversive children.  

Relz Reviewz Extras
All Things Jennings @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Regina’s website and blog
Buy at Amazon: Holding the Fort or Koorong

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