Blog Tour: Romancing the Countess by Ashley March

About the book:

Sebastian Madinger, the Earl of Wriothesly, thought he'd married the perfect woman-until a fatal accident revealed her betrayal with his best friend. After their deaths, Sebastian is determined to avoid a scandal for the sake of his son. But his best friend's widow is just as determined to cast her mourning veil aside by hosting a party that will surely destroy both their reputations and expose all of his carefully kept secrets...

Leah George has carried the painful knowledge of her husband's affair for almost a year. All she wants now is to enjoy her independence and make a new life for herself-even if that means being ostracized by the Society whose rules she was raised to obey. Now that the rumors are flying, there's only one thing left for Sebastian to do: silence the scandal by enticing the improper widow into becoming a proper wife. But when it comes to matters of the heart, neither Sebastian nor Leah is prepared for the passion they discover in each other's arms....

Quote from Romancing the Countess:

 “Leah tilted her chin and smiled. “I thought we disliked each other.”

“Oh, we do,” he said, taking another sip. “I detest you quite thoroughly. Especially when you smile.”

Her lips flattened. “Do you?”

He gestured toward her with the drink, the liquid sloshing out the side to drip over his thigh. Leah’s gaze followed the brandy’s path where it darkened on his trousers, then jerked upward again as he spoke.


“You’re too bloody happy. It’s very offensive.”

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 so much Ashley for joining me today!

Aislynn - You were the first author to participate in my weekly feature "A Day in the Life of.." back in June.  Since then you've become a full time writer.  Can you give readers a brief synopsis of what your day is like now?

Ashley – Sure! And thanks so much for having me back! =) Now I wake up at 8am (LOVE my hubby), feed the girls breakfast, hang out with them until we have lunch, then go to the gym as a family (this actually just started on Tuesday). When we get back sometimes I continue watching the kids and sometimes I work on writing business (if I get lucky, both girls will take naps at the same time). Next is dinner and a little playtime and baths for the girls. March Baby goes to bed around 6pm, and March Toddler gets more playtime until her bedtime around 8pm. From 8pm to usually 12am or 2am, I work on most of my writing and writing business—including writing the answers to this interview. =)

Aislynn - On average from concept to completion how long does it take you to work through a work in progress?

Ashley – Right now probably about 3 months, considering everything I have on my plate. That includes first draft and all the rounds of editing afterward. That’s a great estimate. It could be longer depending if other things crop up I hadn’t planned.

Aislynn - What inspired you to write the story of Leah and Sebastian?

Ashley – I had the idea for the story just pop in my head one day a few years ago, specifically about a widow and widower whose spouses had an affair. But I could never figure out who I wanted the characters to be or how I wanted the story to develop. However, after my mom died in April 2010, I think I finally knew enough about grief myself that I was able to write the book and tell Leah and Sebastian’s love story.

Aislynn - As an author, what was the most important thing you've learned through the process?

Ashley – The hardest part of writing is actually sitting your butt in the chair and writing. It really does matter whether you write every day or whether you keep putting it off till tomorrow. For all aspiring writers, that would be my #1 advice—keep writing and write every day, as much as you can.

Aislynn - What are you writing at the moment?  Can you give us a sneak peek into your current WIP?

Ashley – I’m still working on edits for my third Penguin book to come out in May 2012, MY LADY RIVAL (MLR is the start of a new series). I’m about to start working on the novella that will precede MY LADY RIVAL, which is about one of the family’s maids. Since I’ve never written a story about a servant before, I’m really looking forward to it. Oh, and one of the best parts? The hero will be the nude portraitist who painted Charlotte from SEDUCING THE DUCHESS. =)

Aislynn - What authors inspire you? 

Ashley – Oh, this is a long list and I don’t think I’ll even remember everyone, but I’ll try. =) These are the authors who I read and think: “I want to be you when I grow up!”

Lisa Kleypas, Loretta Chase, Julie Anne Long, Joanna Bourne, Meredith Duran, Sherry Thomas, Anne Mallory, Teresa Medeiros, Julie James…

Aislynn - You are the creator of the Romance's Biggest Winner (RBW) What inspired you to start this project?

Ashley – Simply, I’d been struggling to lose weight for a long time and finally got to the point where I realized I needed accountability from others outside my family. Since I love the romance community and have heard both authors and readers talking about their weight issues as well, I thought it would be a great idea to join together and support each other in an effort to all get healthy. I’m so thrilled that 93 authors and readers joined RBW, and although we’ve had a few people leave for health and personal reasons, the rest are going strong. Readers can visit romancebiggestwinner.blogspot.com for periodic updates on our progress!

Some quick questions:

Black or White?
Black. Classic. (And um, it hides some of the curves. ;)

Cat or Dog? 

Dog. No inside litterbox. (Before I had kids I cared about their personalities; now I just care about the practicalities.)

Day or Night? 

Day. =) Love the sunshine (and there’s plenty of it in Colorado).

Chocolate or Vanilla? 

Chocolate… (is this a trick question? ;)

Real Book or E-book? 

Okay, I admit it, I’m a convert. E-book.

Coffee or Tea? 

I suppose coffee. Although, since my coffee hangover last week I’m a little wary about it. Sweet tea is good, too, although it’s not something I’d normally drink.

Summer or Winter? 

Definitely summer! I despise the cold. Despise it, I tell you!

Wine or Beer? 

I can’t stand the taste of alcohol—which is unfortunate, because I’d LOVE to be a wine drinker. The glasses! The bottles! Everything’s just so pretty. =)

Heels or Flats? 

I think I love the IDEA of heels more than I love wearing them. I lust after them just like any red-blooded woman, but when it comes to which ones I’d wear….flats it is.

Thanks so much for having me today, Aislynn! 

Readers, do you prefer e-books or print books? If your favorite author suddenly went rogue and started self-publishing, would you consider ordering their books through a print-on-demand (POD) service just so you could buy the print version?

One random commenter will be chosen to win a copy of my newest book, ROMANCING THE COUNTESS (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! 

Giveaway is open until  Saturday October 8th, 2011 (Midnight EST)

To enter just answer Ashley's question - Don't forget to leave your email address so we can't get in touch with you!