Aloha to Jack Caldwell and THE THREE COLONELS: JANE AUSTEN'S FIGHTING MEN

Yesterday featured several anniversaries related to the Regency villain, Napoleon.    On this day in ...

1801, British and French forces engaged in the Battle of Alexandria near the ruins of Nicopolis.

1804, Code Napoleon is adopted as French Civil Law.

1814, Austrian forces repel French troops in the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube.

Today's guest, Jack Caldwell, would appreciate this trivia as the author of THE THREE COLONELS:  JANE AUSTEN'S FIGHTING MEN.  From his bio,

Jack Caldwell is an author, amateur historian, professional economic developer, playwright, and like many Cajuns, a darn good cook. Born and raised in the Bayou County of Louisiana, Jack and his wife, Barbara, are Hurricane Katrina victims who now make the upper Midwest their home.

His nickname—The Cajun Cheesehead—came from his devotion to his two favorite NFL teams: the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers. (Every now and then, Jack has to play the DVD again to make sure the Saints really won in 2010.)

Always a history buff, Jack found and fell in love with Jane Austen in his twenties, struck by her innate understanding of the human condition. Jack uses his work to share his knowledge of history. Through his characters, he hopes the reader gains a better understanding of what went on before, developing an appreciation for our ancestors' trials and tribulations.

When not writing or traveling with Barbara, Jack attempts to play golf. A devout convert to Roman Catholicism, Jack is married with three grown sons.

Jack's blog postings—The Cajun Cheesehead Chronicles—appear regularly at Austen Authors. 

Kim:  What is your favorite sight, sound, and smell of Louisiana. How did you, as a Cajun, adjust to the upper Midwest?

Jack: Picture, if you will, sitting in a sidewalk café with your lover on a bright spring morning. On the table before you are two steaming cups of café au lait and two plates of beignets, covered in powdered sugar. Your senses are on overload because of the enticing aroma of the chicory coffee.You bite into the crunchy yet chewy beignet, and as the sugar rush hits you, the sounds of riverboats, street musicians playing jazz, horse-drawn carriages, and church bells flow by your ears. Your lover smiles with pleasure. This is paradise.

This is the famous Café du Monde at Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans.

As you can imagine, there is nothing in the Midwest that can compare. The best thing about living up here is that we have four seasons—winter, spring, summer, and fall—rather than two—summer and “not summer.” The winters are COLD, but one can adjust. You simply put on more clothes. Down south, the choices are more limited. You must survive summer there, because there is only so much clothing you can take off before you’re naked, and you’re STILL hot.

The worst thing about the Midwest is the lack of excellent, plentiful, and affordable seafood, cooked by chefs who know what they’re doing.

Let’s face it—New Orleans is the best eating city in the United States, challenged only by the incredible variety of ethnic food found in New York City. No other city even comes close. 

Kim: As an amateur historian, can you share your favorite tidbit of trivia from the Regency/Austen era?

Jack: I did a lot of research about the protagonists in the Battle of Waterloo. Fortunately, there is a wealth of information written about them. The Duke of Wellington was a very vain man; he was called “Beau” because of the care he took in his appearance. He did not like the common soldier—he found them dirty, rude, only a little better than scum. Yet he hated casualties with a passion—his soldiers’ lives were precious to him. At Waterloo he learned that Napoleon thought exactly the opposite. Soldiers to him were expendable. Before the battle Wellington admired Napoleon as a commander; afterwards he despised him. 

Kim: Who or what helped you get published?

Jack: My friend and mentor, Abigail Reynolds, author of the Pemberley Variations series. She read my stuff and strongly suggested that I send it to Sourcebooks. They fell in love with PEMBERLEY RANCH, and the rest is history. 

Kim: Tell us about THE THREE COLONELS – Jane Austen’s Fighting Men.

Jack: The novel, a joint sequel to Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility, takes place a few years after Darcy and Elizabeth marry. Napoleon is exiled to Elba and England’s soldiers come home, looking for their happily ever after. Colonel Brandon and his Marianne have started a family. Colonel Fitzwilliam courts a now-healthy Anne de Bourgh, something Lady Catherine opposes. And Caroline Bingley, trying to reform herself, enters into a marriage of convenience with Wellington’s aide, the dashing and notorious Colonel Sir John Buford.

Just as everything settles down, Napoleon escapes and Europe is at war again. The lack of troops forces the government to call up the reserves, so not only Fitzwilliam and Buford are sent to Belgium, but Brandon as well. The three colonels will face their destiny on the fields of Waterloo, while Marianne, Anne, and Caroline must carry on, not knowing if their loved ones will ever come home. 

Kim: What's next for Jack Caldwell?

Jack: I’m working on a sequel to THE THREE COLONELS, entitled ROSINGS PARK. I also have other manuscripts for my publisher. The muse isn’t dead yet—I have several other ideas floating about in my head. 

Mahalo, Jack, for joining us at SOS Aloha!  Check out my review on Amazon at this link.  I am giving away a print copy of THE THREE COLONELS: JANE AUSTEN'S FIGHTING MEN to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about your favorite cheese. Or, if you really must, your favorite Austen character.

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, March 24, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 25.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Jack and his books, check out his social media:

Web site – Ramblings of a Cajun in Exile – at this link.

Blog – Austen Authors – at this link.

Facebook - at this link.

March Madness continues here at SOS Aloha! All commenters to my blogs in March will be entered into a special drawing for prizes from RT in Chicago - 3 US, 3 Canadian, and 3 international readers will win a package with books and goodies. Comments can be made at:

- SOS Aloha, sosaloha.blogspot.com
- Aloha On My Mind, alohaonmymind.blogspot.com
- My guest posts at the Reading Reviewer (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) at marygramlich.blogspot.com

I'll post the winners of March Madness on Monday, April 2.