IN THE SPOTLIGHT: AN INTERVIEW WITH REGINA JEFFERS

I’m delighted to welcome to Award-Winning Author and fellow blogger REGINA JEFFERS to Rakes and Rascals today for an exclusive interview.

Diolch, Carol. As often as you and I interact on social media, it only seemed proper that we “meet” and have a pleasant conversation and perhaps a cup of tea. My cup is filled with lemon ginger today.

I’m partial to a cup of Earl Grey, Regina.

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R&R:
Could you tell us where you were born and what it was like growing up there?

Regina:
I am from Huntington, West Virginia, a small town on the Ohio River, where the states of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia meet. It is a college town, home of Marshall University (named after Chief Justice John Marshall). It is a city steeped in history, founded in 1775 in what was then the Colony of Virginia, but the area was settled as early as 1609 by French settlers. It is named after Collis Potter Huntington, the founder of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.

Living in Huntington was the best. You could never meet friendlier people. In fact, a large number of my followers on my Facebook page are long-time friends and former students who wish to see me succeed. Even though I have not lived in Huntington since 1982, they consider me part of them.  It is the way of things in my hometown. People still stop to assist others. You can bet that one of your new neighbors will show up on your doorstep with a smile of welcome and a chocolate cake for your sweet tooth. A person can still purchase a frosted mug of root beer at the FrostTop drive in, the best hotdogs at Stewarts, and yummy pork sandwiches at Midway Drive Thru. Growing up, we did not go to Crispy Creme We went for long walks, rode our bikes, and simply enjoyed life. Our parents never worried for our safety, for even strangers were helpful. It is a community with strong Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and German ties.

I was an only child. A Navy military brat. Part of the Sputnik generation. I skipped grades in school. Was crippled with Rheumatic fever until I was 5. Played with my two cousins. Respected my elders. Enjoyed the outdoors. Loved to listen to the stories around the dinner table. Attended church regularly. Recognized we were poor, but was proud of how my mother always kept us safe. Read everything placed before me. Mine ideal life for I knew friends, family, and love.

 

R&R:
How would you describe yourself – temperamental or easy-going?

Regina:
I often say I am a “lead, follow, or get out of my way” type of person. I am one of those people that if I am in a crowd, I become the authority in charge. Although I do not consider myself high maintenance, I guess I would say temperamental. Those of us raised during the Second World War forward understand the idea of females claiming their own while still knowing certain subjugation to males. I tend to be a type-A personality – bordering on OCD when it comes to some facets of my life. LOL! I am a perfectionist and my own worst critic. I was once a “clean freak,” but having children broke that exacting habit.

 

R&R:
When it comes to food do you like sweet or savoury or both?

Regina:
Although I like something salty periodically, I do avoid too much sodium in my diet. I will be 69 in September, and my physician is most insistent upon that fact. As to spicy food, I generally avoid it for I have an esophageal ulcer. That simply leaves me with my sweet tooth – generally ice cream for I do love Magnum Gold and Double Caramel bars. That being said, I have been a vegetarian for many years. I do eat fish for protein and for the iron component.

 

R&R:
What is your most treasured possession?

Regina:
Needless to say, my son and grandchildren are more important than any physical possessions, but I do hold onto some items close to my heart. From my grandmother, I have a necklace and bracelet that is made from pink gold. There are so unusual, that I receive lots of compliments on them. I also have a bicycle that has the original 1947 license plate on it. It was a used bike and my first one.

 

R&R:
If you were able to afford a second home anywhere in the world where would you choose and why?

Regina:
It will sound as if I am just playing to the British “card,”  but I would choose a home in the UK. I said earlier that I was a military brat, but I was also a military wife. I have seen enough of the world. I do not require a tropical beach. Give me England’s rain. When I did the ancestry.com DNA test, my ancestral results came back as 99.7% being from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and western Europe. One could put a large glass tumbler over the British Isles on a map, draw a circle, and you would mark my ancestral roots. At my age, learning more of my family in the UK and Germany would serve me well. Plus, I could explore the fascinating history that consumes my waking hours.

 

R&R:
Finally, what has been your most embarrassing moment?

Regina:
I have had my fair share of falls, guffaws, misspeaks, and pure “blonde” moments. Yet, the most embarrassing one was when I went into labor in the middle of my theatre class. I was nearly two months early. While my students were practicing scenes, I walked across the room to the file cabinet to retrieve another list of play excerpts from which they could choose to perform for their acting finals. Unfortunately, my son decided to make himself known at just that moment. My water broke, flooding my slacks and oozing onto the floor. My acting class suddenly became “marriage and family life.”

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Thank you for taking time out to be here today and sharing these interesting facts about yourself, Regina.

This was great fun, Carol. Thank you for hosting me today. The questions had me laughing good-naturedly at my shortcomings.

 

If you would like to find out more about Regina, her books and her blog, here are the links:

Website: http://reginajeffers.com
Blog: https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1153072.Regina_Jeffers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Regina-Jeffers-Author-Page-141407102548455
Twitter: https://twitter.com/reginajeffers

 

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