Blog Tour: The Best Part of Love By Amy D’Orazio

I’m so excited — this is my first time participating in a book blog tour! I have a guest post by the author, a book excerpt, and a giveaway for you from the Meryton Press Blog Tour.

The Best Part of Love author Amy D’Orazio has kindly stopped by to write a guest post for Every Savage Can Dance’s readers.

Blurbing the book:

Avoiding the truth does not change the truth

When Fitzwilliam Darcy meets Miss Elizabeth Bennet he has no idea that she — that indeed, the entire town of Meryton — harbors a secret. Miss Elizabeth, a simply country girl from a humble estate, manages to capture first his fascination and then his heart without him ever knowing the truth of her past.

When she meets Darcy, Elizabeth had spent the two years prior hiding from the men who killed her beloved first husband. Feeling herself destroyed by love, Elizabeth has no intention of loving again, certainly not with the haughty man who could do nothing but offend her in Hertfordshire.

In London, Elizabeth surprises herself by finding in Darcy a friend; even greater is her surprise to find herself gradually coming to love him and even accepting an offer of marriage from him. Newly married, they are just beginning to settle into their happily ever after when a condemned man on his way to the gallows divulges a shattering truth, a secret that contradicts everything Elizabeth thought she knew about the tragic circumstances of her first marriage. Against the advice of everyone who loves her, including Darcy, Elizabeth begins to ask questions. But will what they learn destroy them both?

And a word about the author:

Amy D’Orazio is a former breast cancer researcher and current stay-at-home mom who is addicted to Jane Austen and Starbucks in about equal measures. While she adores Mr. Darcy, she is married to Mr. Bingley and their Pemberley is in Pittsburgh PA.

She has two daughters who are devoted to sports which require long practices, and began writing her own stories as a way to pass the time she spent sitting in the lobbies of various gyms and studios. She is a firm believer that all stories should have long looks, stolen kisses, and happily ever afters. Like her favorite heroine, she dearly loves a laugh and considers herself an excellent walker.

Now let’s pass the quill to you, Amy!

It is such a pleasure to meet all of you at Every Savage Can Dance. I am really excited about the publication of The Best Part of Love. This is my first published work although I have been writing and posting Austenesque stories for about five years now. To me there is nothing more enjoyable than exploring new paths to a happy-ever-after with Darcy, Elizabeth and many other characters given to us by Jane Austen.

Like many authors, I first began my JAFF journey as an insatiable reader. I started with what I could find on amazon which, at the time, wasn’t a lot. Then I found the forums and really got hooked into it — it was a pretty happy day when I discovered just how much was out there.

For as much fun as reading is though, once I started writing, I really got addicted. Reading about Darcy and Elizabeth is great, but I found writing allowed me to really immerse myself in their world and their story. Of course it’s a danger too — I tend to be in the middle of the grocery store or driving somewhere when the exact right thing I need to make Darcy say hits me and then my mind is gone and I wonder how it is I came home without the shampoo I desperately needed!

The Best Part of Love was the fourth or fifth novel-length story I wrote and posted at A Happy Assembly, although parts of it were written before anything else. What I really loved was the idea of Darcy being in Hertfordshire and looking down on Elizabeth and not realizing that she is, in fact, both wealthy and titled. It took me a while to figure out how that scenario would come about and it certainly took me into story lines and plots that I could not have envisioned back then — but it was definitely a fun ride! I hope you will have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.

Book Excerpt

Elizabeth seized upon the warmer weather of Kent gratefully, departing on an early walk the first morning she was in residence at Rosings. Elizabeth chose a lane at random, delighting in the burgeoning verdure before her. She inhaled deeply, drawing the fresh spring air into her lungs and feeling the bounce return to her step. She soon came upon Mr. Darcy.

“May I join you?” he requested. “It is a lovely morning, is it not?”

“It is splendid, and yes, you may join me.” They began to walk, and Elizabeth asked, “Do you always rise early, or did the sounds of the country awaken you?”

“I am an early riser. Are you?”

“I am,” she admitted. “Not the mode, I know! I much prefer a walk at dawn to a promenade during the fashionable hour.”

“As do I.”

They walked on, sometimes silent and other times voluble. Elizabeth had many questions about the grounds, the house, and the parish that Darcy was happy to answer.

From that morning on, their rambles together became a regularity. At first, Elizabeth counselled herself to be kindly to him, honouring her promise to Lady Matlock, but she was soon surprised to realise she anticipated his company.

Their conversations soon revealed a side to him she would not have suspected: a good intentioned man with an honourable character and true heart and with similar frailties and problems to anyone else. It was endearing. When she had sketched his character in Hertfordshire, she had seen only a small portion of his true self.

“May I enquire as to your thoughts, my lady?”

“Forgive me.” She blushed lightly. “You have caught me in recollection.”

“Of what?”

“I was thinking of my initial impression of you. My opinion has improved markedly now that I know you better.”

He looked down, the brim of his hat putting his face into shadow. “How far improved is that opinion?”

She glanced at him quickly, her heart skipping a beat.

He stopped then, turning to her and looking into her eyes. Her hand, which had been on his arm, dropped and somehow found a place within his grasp. “You must know my feelings and wishes are unchanged. You may have me; nay, you already have me. On your word, we shall be husband and wife.”

Dismayed, Elizabeth spoke quietly and as gently as she could. “Forgive me if I have led you to think my feelings have changed. I treasure the time we spend together, but I cannot marry you.”

There was a bench nearby and he led her to it. “You do not doubt the sincerity of my love for you?”

“No, not that.” She looked down at her lap.

“Then what? Do you not think we would be as happy in marriage as we are in friendship?”

“No, I confess, I do not. We would argue and fight; you would grow resentful over what I could offer you, and I would grow weary of trying to love you well enough to satisfy you. I already know the pain of losing love, and I could not dare begin with a love that burns hot and see it grow cold. I could not bear it.”

She looked up; pain smote her chest in seeing the sadness in his eyes. She caressed his arm. “I am sorry. I have pained you.”

“I am only pained with my understanding of your sorrow. I should not be surprised. To have lost all you did and endure all you have, that you should be care-worn is expected. You do such an excellent job of appearing content and in good spirits, it deceives me into believing you truly are well.”

He removed her glove and brought her hand to his lips for a gentle kiss. “I am happy to wait for the day when you again have the courage to be loved as I intend to love you.”

Wow! Doesn’t that make you want to drop everything you’re doing and read the story from beginning to end? It does me! Fortunately The Best Part of Love has been released and is available here. Ebook version only at this time; paperback version should be available in two to three weeks.

The Giveaway!

Eight (8) lucky readers will win a copy of The Best Part of Love!

Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once a day and daily commenting on a blog post that has a giveaway attached for the tour. Entrants should provide the name of the blog where they commented (which will be verified).

Tweet and comment once daily to earn extra entries.

Each winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter. Paperback or ebook format will be randomly selected for each winner as well.

NOTE: Paperback copies are available for continental US winners! Ebook copies are available for all winners, including international winners! If more international winners are randomly chosen than the 4 allotted ebooks, then that will decrease the number of paperbacks. 8 books will be given away to 8 different winners.

Comment at Every Savage Can Dance by clicking the Comments link in the upper-left corner beneath this post’s title.

Connect with Amy D’Orazio:

Website 

Goodreads Author Page

Facebook: Amy D’Orazio

Twitter

Instagram: amydorazio

Pinterest

Visit Amy’s other stops on the blog tour for more of The Best Part of Love:

6 Jan My Jane Austen Book Club; Guest Post, Excerpt, Giveaway

7 Jan Just Jane 1813; Review

8 Jan Babblings of a Bookworm; Vignette, Giveaway

9 Jan Every Savage Can Dance; Guest Post, Excerpt, Giveaway

10 Jan Tomorrow is Another Day; Review

11 Jan Savvy Verse & Wit; Character Interview, Giveaway

12 Jan Half Agony, Half Hope; Review

13 Jan Austenesque Reviews; Vignette, Giveaway

14 Jan Darcyholic Diversions; Author Interview, Giveaway

15 Jan Delighted Reader; Review

16 Jan From Pemberley to Milton; Review

17 Jan A Covent Garden Gilflurt’s Guide to Life; Guest Post

18 Jan Obsessed with Mr. Darcy; Review

19 Jan My Kids Led Me Back to Pride & Prejudice; Vignette, Giveaway

20 Jan Diary of an Eccentric; Review

21 Jan More Agreeably Engaged; Vignette, Giveaway

Thank you all for joining me today and have fun visiting the other sites on this blog tour.

Best of luck to all of you who enter the giveaway. Many thanks again to Amy, and wishing you every success with The Best Part of Love!

And … if you haven’t already got your copy of Desperate Hearts, you can order a kindle copy here. (Coming soon for Nook.)

 

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