Romancing the Countess Book Tour

I have a very special guest today, Ms. Ashley March! I had the pleasure of participating in Ashley's March Madness, a celebration of all things historical romance and today she's here to tell us a little about her upcoming release, Romancing the Countess and give us a sneak peak inside the mind of its hero, Sebastian Madinger!

An Interview with Sebastian Madinger, Earl of Wriothesly: The Beginning

A huge thank you to Mollie for hosting me today as I get ready for the upcoming release of
ROMANCING THE COUNTESS on September 6th! I’m going to post an interview with my hero soon, but first I’d like to give you a little background about the book.

ROMANCING THE COUNTESS begins when Leah George and Sebastian Madinger, the Earl of Wriothesly, receive the news that their spouses have died in a carriage accident. While Leah is sad,
she is also relieved because she’s been carrying the secret of her husband’s affair for a year. She’s ready to move on with her life and finally find some happiness for herself. In contrast, Sebastian
never suspected that his best friend and his wife would betray him. After going through various stages of grief and anger, Sebastian must confront Leah when her actions risk the revelation of their spouses’ affair and the subsequent questioning of his son’s legitimacy.

DISCLAIMER: The following interview was conducted toward the beginning of the book.

ASHLEY: What do you like about Mrs. Leah George?

SEBASTIAN: A better question would be what do I not like about Mrs. Leah George, which would be most everything. To begin with, there is her smile. A woman who recently became a widow should not smile as she does. If she doesn’t grieve for her husband, she should at least have some care for propriety’s sake and pretend as if she’s miserable. She should be affected somehow, not appear as if she could burst into song or dance at any moment.

ASHLEY: I suppose you do not smile, then?

SEBASTIAN: No, I don’t. But I… *stares into the distance* I don’t wish to discuss it.

ASHLEY: Very well. Let’s return to Leah. How well do you know her?

SEBASTIAN: We are acquaintances of a sort. Or rather, a bit more than acquaintances. Her
husband was my best friend. We dined at one another’s houses, moved in the same social circles. My son practiced his bowing in front of her. But until the carriage accident, I only knew her as Ian’s wife, nothing more.

ASHLEY: And now, after the carriage accident?

SEBASTIAN: I’ve realized that I do not know her at all. The Leah George who I thought I knew—the woman the entire ton believed her to be—was a calm, obedient, and sensible woman. She was propriety’s golden standard, utterly predictable and reasonable. Now--*shakes head* Now she’s gone mad. I’m not sure if she’s completely changed since the accident, or if it she’s simply been hiding her true character all this time and has finally begun to show it. Regardless, I wish she’d return to the proper Leah George I once knew.

ASHLEY: I heard a rumor about Leah hosting a country house party. Surely that’s not true! Only three months into her widowhood?!?

SEBASTIAN: As I said, she’s gone mad. But I refuse to allow her to incite the gossips’ speculation about why a widow would show such disrespect for her husband’s memory. No one can know about the affair. No one will dare to question my son’s legitimacy as my heir.

ASHLEY, leaning forward to the edge of her seat: What do you intend to do, my lord?

SEBASTIAN, frowning: Whatever I must. Leah George may once have been a respected
acquaintance, but she has since made herself my enemy. I depart for the country house party at
once.

To read my next interview with Sebastian and my interviews with Leah, make
sure to keep up with my ROMANCING THE COUNTESS Book Tour (details at
www.ashleymarch.com).

But for now, I’d like to celebrate the release of ROMANCING THE COUNTESS next
week by giving away books! In ROMANCING THE COUNTESS, a large portion of
the story takes place at a country house party. What’s your favorite backdrop for a
historical romance?

One random commenter will be chosen to win a copy of my newest book,
ROMANCING THE COUNTESS, and will get a chance to send a copy of my debut,
SEDUCING THE DUCHESS, to a friend (open internationally)! Also, find out how
to win the ROMANCING THE COUNTESS Book Tour Grand Prize of 50+ romance
novels by visiting www.ashleymarch.com!

About the author:

After spending countless hours memorizing both traditional and simplified Chinese characters, perfecting her tones, and practicing her speaking with any Chinese native she could find, Ashley successfully graduated with a degree in Mandarin Chinese. She was determined to be the next best Chinese translator in the world... Then she discovered writing romances was as much fun as reading them, and her Chinese capabilities have never been the same. When she isn't writing, Ashley stays busy trying to entertain her two young daughters, attempting to do housework, and hiking in the beautiful foothills of Colorado.

Thank you for stopping by Ashley! I can't wait to get ANOTHER copy of Romancing the Countess, I swear my roommate's dog ate my copy and that's why I don't have a review for you! The tried and true "dog ate my homework" excuse! I should have taken pictures of the aftermath....

By the way my favorite backdrop for a historical romance is anything that takes place in Ireland or Scotland. I can't help it, it's an obsession!