Jo Ann Ferguson
Personal Information
Description
"One of my favorite memories is lying on the grass on a knoll on a late summer day and telling my sister stories I was making up," says Jo Ann Ferguson, who also writes as J.A. Ferguson, Joanna Hampton, Jo Ann Brown, and Rebecca North."There's something magical about being able to spend time with people you enjoy in your imagination. As a writer, I get to go with my characters to their time and place so I can share their adventures and falling in love for the first time…all over again." She has had a few adventures of her own, including a stint as an Army quartermaster officer where she was the first and only woman in her unit. She still enjoys traveling to the locations of her books and learning all about those places and people. Researching her novels is part of the fun. Whether it's ghosts, calling cards, how to fire an antique gun, or traveling to a world that exists only in her imagination, she pays a great deal of attention to the details that delight her reader. She's even learned a bit of Russian, Arabic, Welsh, and a lot of Regency slang. Her work has been honored with award nominations from Pearl, ROMY, Romantic Times, Rom/Con, and Affaire de Coeur magazine. Amazon Books chose her novels to showcase. And Romance Writers of America bestowed the two ARTemis Awards for Jo Ann's Zebra Regencies: The Counterfeit Count and A Christmas Bride. Nonfiction also appeals to her, because it's where she got her start, seeing her first byline when she was twelve years old. She contributed to an encyclopedia of the English Regency period published by Garland Press. For all three editions of the New England Chapter's Now That You've Sold Your Book…What Next?, she has served as co-editor. Believing in giving back, Jo Ann has served Romance Writers of America on both the local and national levels. She has served on the national board as president as well as a director and at term as vice president. For her volunteer work, she was given RWA's highest honor, the Emma Merritt National Service Award. She is also a creative writing instructor. She was awarded a Massachusetts Art Grant to teach creative writing and then established several creative writing courses at Brown University. Many of her students have gone on to publishing careers of their own. She lives in Massachusetts, where her favorite hero—her husband, Bill—and their children and two cats. She's not sure which is the most spoiled.
Books
Twice blessed
"Nine autobiographical essays by a pioneering female journalist who became part social worker, part roving documentarian; well-known storyteller; playwright; and essayist on National Public Radio's All Things Considered--photographing and writing about the people and places that fascinated her"--Provided by publisher.
The Perfect Match (aka The Perfect Bride)
Bianca Dunsworthy does not expect an earl, suffering from a gunshot wound, to appear at the house she shares with her sister and aunt. As she nurses Lucian Wandersee back to health, she realizes he is the answer to two problems. Napoleon, whom she blames for her brother's death, is aboard a ship in Plymouth, and that is where Lucian is bound. And the earl would make a splendid match for her shy younger sister.Lucian has no interest in a bride or escorting three women to Plymouth, but he owes Bianca a debt for saving his life. He would rather that she allow him to repay her with a few kisses. When he discovers her matchmaking plans, he decides to make a few of his own--for her! But how can he introduce her to his friends when he wants all her kisses for himself? And why is she so fascinated with Napoleon? Lucian needs answers to those questions before he can show Bianca that no match is perfect . . . without love.
Nothing Wagered
Golden dreams in California never came true for Lizzie Buchanan and her family. After her sister and brother-in-law died trying to find gold, Lizzie is left with her two young nephews. She vows to take them home to Kentucky where they can live far away from the greed in the gold fields. To fulfill her vow, she needs help. The only one she can turn to is the man who shattered her heart on her way west. Cliff Hollister likes working hard and playing hard. He doesn’t have room in his life for Lizzie and the boy. Then he realizes that she could earn him a fortune with her skills at the card table, so he agrees to escort them east. But it’s more than gold that draws him to her, because he is curious why he has never been able to forget lovely Lizzie. Now, as they travel, he is determined to find out . . .
The wedding caper
An evening at the theatre becomes more than a diversion from Neville and Priscilla's upcoming wedding when Lady Harmony Lummis is slain in her private box. Was the killer a mere thief, or was it her lover, acclaimed thespian Reginald Birdwell? Neville and Priscilla begin to investigate before the body is cold.
The Wolfe Wager
All London is abuzz with the news: the beautiful but willful Lady Vanessa Wolfe refuses to wed! With her father, the Marquess Wulfric, recently deceased and her brother missing in battle, she is sole heir to the Wulfric fortune and a great country estate. She is a catch--and no one can catch her. Refusing to be leg-shackled to any of the fawning fortune hunters who have offered for her, the high-spirited lady has vowed that she will say nay to them all. To wealthy Lord Brickendon--the most bored gentleman in the ton--Vanessa is the perfect antidote to his ennui. He has wagered against two other suitors that he will be the first to win her hand. But he reckons without the turnabout of fate, the unpredictability of the heart...and the certain disaster he is courting be deceiving a certain lady into falling in love.
A Mother's Joy
The Dower House by Carola Dunn: When handsome, distinguished Sir Gideon March and his dashing cousin Harry move into a nearby estate, the widowed Lady Catriona schemes to marry her daughter off—only to find her matchmaking plans turned topsy-turvy by love! A Betting Affair by Marissa Edwards: Jessica and Lord Gordon Massey vow to show the ton a truly happy couple...until she finds him an insensitive cad and he declares her an unbearable shrew. Now, as a well-meaning mother-in-law takes matters into her own hands, society wags wager on whether the marriage will last. Lord Chartley's Lesson by Jo Ann Ferguson: Lord Chartley is aghast at the notion of sharing guardianship of his six-year-old ward with the vivacious Lily Armstrong, who upsets his proper life...and takes control of his heart! Change of Heart by Lynn Kerstan: Eager to escape her dull country existence, Elaine Bartell agrees to wed the handsome, worldly Viscount Halsey. But Lainie's plans for an exciting London season go awry when something unexpected and precious enters her life… Christening Day by Joy Reed: After the birth of her son, Lady Carlton regains her looks—but not her husband's attentions. Now, suspecting she has a rival, can she find a way to recapture his love before it is too late? The Present by Cindy Holbrook: The three orphaned Alden children want their step-sister Shannon to be a real mother. So they bring home a surprise: the Duke of Trenton, an irresistible rake with seduction—not sentiment—on his mind.
A Valentine Waltz
My Dearest Daisy - Daisy Kendall doesn't dare dream of love—and certainly not with a member of the ton. But when circumstances throw her together with Joshua, Lord Tremont, the charming gentleman won't take Daisy's regretful “no” for an answer. If the romantic letters he sends won't persuade her, how will Joshua convince his reticent valentine that she is worthy of his heart? Cupid's Arrow - When a reckless wager presents Lucien Montclair with the Herculean task of courting Angela Valentine—lately spurned by her fiancé and resentful of every male in existence—he's certain he'll pay the forfeit. But he hasn't banked on Angela's surprising compassion when his fortunes change for the worse—or the joy of calling her his own My Wicked Valentine - Marriage to virtuous, if rather boring, Lord Mandleton seems like the most sensible of propositions to widowed Caroline Benningham, who knows all too well the risks taken when one marries for love. Then Count Antonio Zarcone saunters back into her life, and Caroline must decide between stability…and the passion only true love can provide.
At the Rainbow's End
From the moment she set foot on the icy bank of the Yukon River, Samantha Perry realized it was no place for a woman alone. The legendary streets of gold were actually mud-caked trails, and the brave pioneers bore the hungry smiles of desperate scoundrels. She had traveled to the Great White North to marry the man of her dreams, only to find out that he didn't exist... The prospector who had sent for her was actually two men...and each wanted her as his bride. Kevin Houseman was just a boy when he fled the troubled Pennsylvania mining town of his childhood and followed the fortune trail north. His tender touch brought Samantha a myriad of memories, sweet reminders of civilized society. But was he man enough to weather this merciless frontier? Like a ferocious bear, Joel Gilchrist foraged the wilderness, taking what he needed from the lonely woods and icy rivers. Although Samantha scorned his roughhewn nature, his kisses kept her warm through the snowy Yukon nights. What sane woman could ever love a man so wild and untamed?
An Undomesticated Wife
A GROOM WHO JUST WON'T DO Regina Morrisey had a lively wit, a flawless education...and nary a shred of domestic experience. But that didn't stop her diplomat papa from wedding her by proxy to the Marquess of Daniston. Leaving exotic Algiers for foggy, dreary England was bad enough, but Regina drew the line at being subservient to a husband far more interested in fashion and frippery than important matters like love. A BRIDE WHO JUST... WON'T Lord Daniston had agreed to wed Regina Morrisey only because he needed a proper wife--one who would stay out of his affairs, run his household efficiently, and warm his bed long enough to provide an heir. However, a vixen with red-gold hair, saucy impertinence, and a desire to discuss politics was not what he had in mind... IT'S SURE TO BE LOVE! This arranged marriage was a mismatch, a misfit, and sure to be misbegotten. But the sparks between them certainly meant mischief ... because from first sight they were losing their hearts!