Wednesday, August 31, 2011

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!

33 comments:

  1. I like the house party theme or a masquarade party. Sally MacKenzie used the same house party in several of her 'Naked' series books. Great backdrop...so many people, so many rooms, so much can happen! LOL

    Couldn't get this post in on my Google account name....sigh...Karen H in NC

    kareninnc at gemail dot com

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  2. Karen,

    Sorry you had trouble posting via Google, I'll check my settings to make sure they're not wonky. Thanks for stopping by! A masquarade is an excellent backdrop!

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  3. Hi Mollie! Thanks so much for hosting me today! Is the dog in your avatar the infamous dog who ate the book? ;) And I love that Scottish historicals are so popular--I just wonder why there aren't more Irish ones!

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  4. Hi, Ashley ~

    Great interview! I'm thinking His Lordship may end up eating many of these words...

    I'm also a sucker for anything in Scotland (historical or not). I've recently had a strange urge to read a historical romance set on a boat...

    Hope you're having fun on your blog tour!

    Tiffany

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  5. Hi Karen! Of course you can see that I like house parties, but I love masquerades, too! In fact, my third book with Signet has a masquerade at the very beginning. =)Thanks for dropping by today!

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  6. Hi Tiffany! Great to see you again on the book tour! =) You might want to check out Katharine Ashe. She has a great pirate series, and her newest book, IN THE ARMS OF A MARQUESS, just came out yesterday. =)

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  7. Definitely will do that. Thanks! BTW, just pre-ordered my very own copy of Romancing the Countess. *Doing a very silly but fun victory dance*

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  8. Lol. I think your victory dance is awesome! =D Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!

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  9. You're very welcome, and I have no doubt that I'll enjoy it! :0)

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  10. Hey Mollie and Ashley,
    SWEET interview! I can't wait to read Romancing the Countess! I read the blurb last week on Amazon and loved it. I think "break up" and divorce parties are too, funny. It seems as if Leah is going for the same type of party, out with the old in with the new kind of thing. I can imagine Leah and I as friends, party-ing the night away, back in the day. He he. Best of luck to you, Ashley! I wish I could speak Mandarin. Thx, Mollie, for always being such a doll. Have a great week!
    See ya,
    Dana

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  11. Thanks for stopping by Tiffany!

    Ashley, no that's not the culprit. That's my pooch the book-eater was my roommate's dog...he's a boxer. It was on the kitchen table which my little mini-dachshund could never get to unless she magically learned to fly.... ;)

    Dana, thanks for stopping by lady!

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  12. I love the house party settings... Lots of indoor & outdoor space, there's usually interesting neighbors, etc. By the way, I think Irish stories are more scarce due to the more complex history involved and the lack of kilts!

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  13. PS forget the housework & hire someone to come in and do it for you!! Those children are only young and fun for a short time.. Housework is boring!

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  14. Hi Ashley,

    In answer to your question, I have to say that I love house parties as a backdrop. This way, there's a lot more opportunity for romances to bloom and unexpected naughty things to happen.

    I loved the interview between you and Sebastian.

    Congratulations on your upcoming release and, looking forward to reading it.

    Thank you for this opportunity.

    dpd333 AT aol dot com

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  15. Hi Readaholics Anonymous/Dana! (Love the username. =) ) Thanks so much for visiting with me today! And you're right--I think Leah would love you. ;) Divorce parties... Well, I suppose people need closure, and that might help. Makes me think of the movie Stupid, Crazy, Love (which I recommend!) where everyone thinks the guy has cancer because he was crying in the bathroom, then they celebrate when they find out it's just that his wife wants a divorce. *shakes head*

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  16. Mollie--you're right. She does look too innocent/intelligent to eat a book. ;)

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  17. Hey girlygirlhoosier52! =) Lol...your comment about the lack of kilts made me literally laugh out loud. Although I have to say I prefer Irish accents over Scottish accents, so that might be why I have that preference. ;) And great point about the neighbors! Hmm..now I may have to write another romance with a country house party... =)

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  18. @girlygirlhoosier52. I should have read further down! You know, the truth is, I ATTEMPT to do the housework. Doesn't always get done. ;) I've always said that if I ever make any money off of this writing thing--or win the lottery; I could accept that, too--the first thing I would do for myself would be to hire a maid. I still think it's a good idea. =)

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  19. Hi Diane! So nice to see you again! =) I like your part about house parties being good places for unexpected naughty things to happen. ;) And thanks for the congrats!

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  20. Medieval Highland romances were the first ones I read. My heart is still in that wild and wonderful place, drafty castles and all. The men in kilts make up for the blustery weather and drafty castles.

    librarypat AT comcast DOT net

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  21. I like it when they take place either in the country or in London. I think both have their own aspects that I love. With stories being set in the country at a house party, I think we have more chances for character interaction in an intimate setting. I also love it when authors describe the countryside and have the characters outside. As for London settings, I love a good ball scene.

    iqb99@yahoo.com

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  22. I love country house parties. They are smaller and you get to know all the characters better and lots of chances for stolen kisses and other naughty things! LOL!


    evjochum[AT]aol[DOT]com

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  23. Thanks for stopping by everyone! Ashley, thanks for chatting with us!

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  24. My favorite backdrop is Scotland! Love me some kilts and Scottish accents! ;-)

    justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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  25. I quite like a (any) country setting. Something not in London anyway. I'm not really partial to any particular backdrop really; it's the storyline which is more important.

    thumbelinda03@yahoo.com

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  26. I like variety! if it's half in the city half in the country!=)

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  27. oops! forgot my email monika_restivow(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  28. Hi librarypat! When you say medieval highland romances, do you have specific authors whom you just love? I'd love new recs! =)

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  29. Hi Danielle! Great points about both settings! Of course, we can't forget the carriage scenes between London and the countryside. ;)

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  30. Thanks to everyone for visiting with me and telling me about your favorite settings! I have made notes. ;)

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  31. Favorite backdrop? Hmmm, I am reading all different kinds of historicals these days. I really like any backdrop with a story that includes humore.

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  32. Thanks for another great post, Ashley. I like Scotland and England as locales. But I'm not real picky about the settings. Now characters--that's another story! (Email in profile.)

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  33. I like regency era romances, at least just by looking at how many I have read! I think it is in part because there were such strict rules about interaction that the courtship/development is a very long and drawn out arc. I do prefer it to be in the cities, plenty of balls and plenty of visits to endure or enjoy.
    melorabrock {at} gmail {dot} com

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