'A Searing Acquaintance' by J.L.Ashton Blog tour - Guest post

Hello fellow readers, 
today I have the pleasure of hosting J.L.Ashton, author of 'A Searing Acquaintance'. 
Welcome, and thank you for stopping by. I am most delighted, with the 'subject' of today's post. Therefore, I will detain you no longer and hand you over to the lovely J.L.Ashton.

The Colonel Tells All

When I was given the honor to do a guest post here, I realized that as much as I have to say about Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen, there is always a character, especially the beloved, teasing gossip, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who has a lot to say.
In canon, he says little but his words have impact. In A Searing Acquaintance, he says a lot more and as usual, makes things messier between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.

My modern Richard Fitzwilliam is a diplomatic attaché at the UN, but he doesn’t always mince words when he’s talking to his cousin about his personal life. So, without further ado (he’s a rather impatient man), here’s Richard’s take on my modern Darcy and Elizabeth and the romance he finds both sweet and frustrating.

Hello darlings,

Call me the Best Looking Plot Device who never gets any well-deserved appreciation. In Pride and Prejudice, I play a thankless role but I like to consider myself as the Dear Abby (and the moral conscience) of A Searing Acquaintance. My younger cousin lives like a monk, is clueless about women, and when he finally meets “the one,” he has his head in the sand and needs me to set him straight. It’s a simple formula:

Make him jealous:

“Ah, opening day. How was it?” Darcy leaned over and scratched Coco’s ears.

“You mean who was it? You already how it was—the Yankees won eight to three. But who it was—that was Elizabeth Bennet. The one at Annabella’s fiasco.”

Darcy froze as Rich’s words slowly sank in. How? Her? Him? He sat up and stared at the sails on the miniature sailboats whipping around the pond. “How did that come about?” he asked in a flat voice.

“She’s a Yankees fan. Never had good seats before and was thrilled to sit in the box.” He glanced at Darcy. “You never told her we have a suite?”

Squeezing his eyes shut, Darcy let out a breath. “I don’t know her well enough to have had that conversation.”

“Really? That’s not the impression I had. She seemed to know you pretty well. She’s met Coco and knew Georgie named her.” He looked carefully at Darcy. “But does she—?”

“Are you going to see her again?” Darcy missed Rich’s expression shift from confusion to amused incredulity.

“Tragically, no. I believe she found me dashing and brilliant and a helluva fun guy, but I’m not the man of her dreams.”

Make it clear he’s thick-headed. Dispense useful advice:

Darcy laid his head back against the chair. “I’m an idiot. I thought she knew—that she felt the same kind of connection between us. I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

“It couldn’t have been as one-sided as you think. There’s a thin line between love and hate.” Rich threw up his hands defensively. “Hey, that’s from Motown not Moldavia.”

Darcy shook his head. “You are incorrigible. How did your mother not return you to the cabbage patch?”

And finally, build up his ego by appearing more pathetic than he does:

“Your parents will be happy to spend some time with you, but don’t ask me to put Elizabeth through the Spanish Inquisition.”

“Hey!”

“You know your mother, Rich.”

“I know. It’s fine. You deserve time alone with her. If you two showed up, I’d be the one getting the third degree anyway. ‘Where’s your beautiful girlfriend, Richard?’” His chuckle sounded more like a sigh. “Thumb screws, the rack, the iron maiden…they’re quite a pair, my parents.”

“Will?” Darcy heard Elizabeth call his name. He turned and saw her walking up the dune toward them.

“I’m outta here. Have fun. And Darcy, don’t let anyone else see her in that bikini. Not everyone is a gentleman.” Rich smirked and went around the corner to his car.

Yeah, he gets the girl. Has the beach house and his business empire and his happily ever after. I have to say, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Unless it was me.

Anyway, just wait and see how the author makes me the hero in her next book, Mendacity & Mourning. Ignore the love story and the mushy bits and the really bizarre characters and dark comedy…., just focus on my heroics, my clever wit and my enormous mustache.

Thank you J.L.Ashton, I always delight in hearing of the Colonel. His jovial, teasing character, always brings a smile to my face. Thank you for sharing your post with us today and good luck with 'A Searing Acquaintance'. I look forward to reading it!

I would like to thank  Leatherbound reviews,  Meryton Press & J.L.Ashton, for another delightful Blog Tour.

Have fun on the rest of the blog tour!

3/7: Excerpt & Giveaway at My Jane Austen Book Club

3/8: Guest Post & Giveaway at So Little Time…

3/9: Review at Tomorrow is Another Day

3/10: Author Interview & Giveaway at From Pemberley to Milton

3/11: Character Interview & Giveaway at Leatherbound Reviews

3/12: Excerpt & Giveaway at Babblings of A Bookworm

3/13: Review at Liz’s Reading Life

3/14: Review at Half Agony, Half Hope

3/15: Review at Margie’s Must Reads

3/16: Excerpt & Giveaway at Best Sellers and Best Stellars

3/17: Guest Post at My Kids Led Me Back to Pride and Prejudice

3/18: Review at Diary of an Eccentric

3/19: Review at Just Jane 1813

3/20: Excerpt & Giveaway at Delighted Reader

3/21: Guest Post & Giveaway at Austenesque Reviews

Book Blurb:

 “I don’t know why I ever thought we made sense.”

Smart, educated people are fools in love, especially when they’re mired in denial and misunderstanding.

In this modern spin on Jane Austen’s classic tale, Elizabeth Bennet, a grad student with literary aspirations, has found her big career break—and broken up with yet another forgettable boyfriend. While grateful for the professional lifeline thrown by sports agent George Wickham, she is intrigued by the man she calls Mr. Noir. 

Fitzwilliam Darcy, marked by tragedy, is a man accustomed to living his life in the spotlight even as his heart dwells on the dark side of loneliness. When he first meets Elizabeth, he thinks she looks like “a bloody pumpkin,” but he soon sees so much more. She, however, can’t even decide what to call him. Mr. Noir? Nurse Darcy? Sleazy British playboy? Ferdinand?

“So, it’s Fitzwilliam, right? That’s an amazing name, you know. Which came first—the name or the accent?”

He looked at her.

“Oh, come on. It’s like the name of a subdivision or a sofa at Pottery Barn. `Please note the extra firm cushions on The Fitzwilliam.’”

Can an accidental encounter that leads to shocking intimacy change the course they’ve both set and bring them into love’s light? Or will they stay mired in cold words and angry misunderstandings, overshadowing the deep connection they each feel? Getting beyond their own mistakes to find each other again is one thing; they also have to heal the wounds of their pasts. Can they do that together?

As always, dear readers, I delight in hearing your thoughts!