Reding, Jaclyn

PERSONAL:

Born in OH; married; children: one son. Hobbies and other interests: Collecting tea tins and antique books, watching hockey, music.

ADDRESSES:

Home—MA. Office—P.O. Box 3554, Worcester, MA 01613-3554. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Golden Quill Award.

WRITINGS:

"WHITE" SERIES

White Heather, Topaz (New York, NY), 1997.

White Magic, Topaz (New York, NY), 1998.

White Knight, Signet (New York, NY), 1999.

White Mist, Signet (New York, NY), 2000.

"HIGHLAND HEROES" SERIES

The Pretender, Signet (New York, NY), 2002.

The Adventurer, Signet (New York, NY), 2002.

The Secret Gift, Signet (New York, NY), 2003.

NOVELS

Deception's Bride, Diamond Books (New York, NY), 1993.

The Second Chance, Signet (New York, NY), 2006.

OTHER

(With others) In Praise of Younger Men, Signet (New York, NY), 2001.

Also author of Stealing Heaven, Chasing Dreams, and Tempting Fate.

SIDELIGHTS:

Jaclyn Reding has won praise for her historical fiction, which features carefully researched Scottish settings. White Heather, White Magic, White Knight, and White Mist are set in the Regency era and feature many misunderstandings and romantic entanglements between lords and ladies. Although the books are interrelated, they can also stand alone. Reviewing White Knight for Romance Reader Web site, Karen Lynch noted that it was more than a simple romance: "Clearly, this is the story of a woman's growth from sheltered wife to independent woman." The heroine is Lady Grace Ledys, a country girl who can't seem to transform herself into a suitable wife for her husband, a sullen nobleman who avoids her. Escaping to an ancestral home, she finally develops confidence in herself. In White Mist, Lady Eleanor Wycliffe seeks refuge in the highlands after discovering that the man she loves may be her half-brother. She takes a position as governess to the mute daughter of a mysterious lord whose wife has vanished inexplicably. Library Journal reviewer Kristin Ramsdell remarked that the characters and the "isolated, beautifully rendered setting combine to produce a sensual romance," and Diana Tixier Herald, reviewing the novel for Booklist, found that it "enticingly portrays a compellingly evoked wild landscape and its resilient denizens."

In The Pretender, Reding serves up a tale of confused identity as Lady Elizabeth Drayton attempts to escape an arranged marriage to an aging nobleman. She declares she will marry a stranger, even a commoner, to avoid what has been planned for her. Elizabeth does marry a man whom she believes to be poor, but he is really wealthy Douglas MacKinnon. The tangled story is "a delicious blend of humor, history, and adventure," stated Shelley Mosley in Booklist. Harriet Klausner, reviewing the book on the Best Reviews Web site, noted that "the story line is loaded with plots and counterplots that feel like an espionage tale, but instead provides a robust historical romance."

An unusual crystal necklace is central to the plot in both The Adventurer and The Secret Gift. In The Adventurer, Lady Isabella Drayton is entrusted with returning an enchanted mermaid stone to its rightful owner. If she chooses the incorrect owner, history will be severely altered. Her subsequent capture by Scottish pirates, also aware of the necklace's mythical powers, puts her into the presence of a love interest who may cloud her views on her mission. In another Booklist review, Mosley called The Adventurer "sheer magic" and "a fine Scottish plaid expertly woven of romance, history, and legends." On the Best Reviews Web site, Klausner lamented that the book "starts slow" but later found that "the lead couple is a delight to watch together while readers ponder whether their love was fated to happen due to the stone."

In The Secret Gift, Libby, an ancestor over one hundred years removed of Lady Isabella Drayton, inherits her mother's Victorian house and finds the mythical necklace. With only scant clues of its story, she sets off to learn more about the stone and her own past. Her journey leads her to the castle of Graeme Mackenzie, the Viscount Kintail and the Marquess of Waltham, who has difficulty trusting women for fear of ulterior motives. Klausner, writing in a review on the Best Reviews Web site, commented that "fans of a contemporary village romance with a touch of intrigue will find this novel is just the gift for them." Klausner also praised the characterizations. Reviewing the work in Booklist, Mosley concluded that The Secret Gift is "a deliciously detailed story of an inheritance lost and found."

The Second Chance is not part of Reding's "Highland Heroes" series, but it does feature Flora MacCallum, best friend of The Secret Gift's Libby. Flora moves to Ipswitch-by-the-Sea to manage Libby's bed & breakfast when small-town life gets the best of her. She is quickly set up with composer Gavin, both couples in need of a second chance for love. Lynne Welch, writing in Booklist, called the book "a nice blend of the old country and the new." On a Romance Reader Web site review, Laura Scott found the tale "powerful and immensely moving." Scott also praised the description of the location, saying that it was "set against a backdrop so meticulously sketched that you can smell the sea and taste the scones."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 1, 2000, Diana Tixier Herald, review of White Mist, p. 327; March 1, 2002, Shelley Mosley, review of The Pretender, p. 1098; October 15, 2002, Shelley Mosley, review of The Adventurer, p. 393; October 15, 2003, Shelley Mosley, review of The Secret Gift, p. 397; February 15, 2006, Lynne Welch, review of Second Chance.

Library Journal, November 15, 2000, Kristin Ramsdell, review of White Mist, p. 57.

Publishers Weekly, October 18, 1999, review of White Night, p. 78; February 19, 2001, review of In Praise of Younger Men, p. 75.

Voice of Youth Advocates, February, 1999, review of White Magic, p. 417.

ONLINE

Amazon.com,http://www.amazon.com/ (June 10, 2001), author interview.

Best Reviews,http://thebestreviews.com/ (February 10, 2002), Harriet Klausner, review of The Pretender; (October 1, 2002), Harriet Klausner, review of The Adventurer; (October 7, 2003), Harriet Klausner, review of Secret Gift; (January 31, 2006), Harriet Klausner, review of Second Chance.

Jaclyn Reding Home Page,http://www.jaclynreding.com (December 26, 2006), author biography.

RomanceEverAfter,http://www.romanceeverafter.com/ (December 26, 2006), author interview.

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (July 31, 1998), Lesley Dunlap, review of White Magic; (November 8, 1999), Karen Lynch, review of White Knight; (December 26, 2006), Jean Mason, review of White Mist; (December 31, 2002), Anne Bulin, review of The Adventurer;(April 2, 2002), Judi McKee, review of The Pretender; and (February 20, 2006), Laura Scott, review of Second Chance.

Romance Reader at Heart,http://romancereaderatheart.com/ (December 26, 2006), author interview.

Scottish Radiance,http://www.scottishradiance.com/ (June 12, 2001), Lynne Remick, review of White Heather. *