9/19/2011

Ashley March

Get Lost in This Story…






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…



Today, I am thrilled to welcome historical romance author Ashley March to the blog! I got the chance to hang out with Ashley this summer at RWA’s conference in New York, and I can tell you that not only is she a fabulously talented author, but funny, sweet and absolutely lovely.








So let’s get to know Ashley better!



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 historical romance 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.



And now, for the Get Lost Interview!



Heather: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Ashley: Love, Actually. I probably watched it at least 5 times last Christmas—once even with the director’s commentary. Although not every couple’s thread has a happy-ever-after, there is hope for each one. The characters seem very realistic to me, and they each had their flaws. They made me laugh, they made my chest hurt, they made me root for them. Also, the British humor. Need I say anything more?





Heather: What’s the first book you remember reading?

Ashley: I’m sure there were ones before this, but the first one that made such an impression that I actually remember reading it was Anne of Green Gables. I don’t think I liked it very much until the romance started developing. Then I LOVED it. What can I say? I’ve been a romantic from the beginning J.



Heather: What turns you off like nothing else?

Ashley: Someone shushing me when I’m in the middle of talking or trying to talk. My husband does this ALL of the time and it’s so infuriating. You know, because usually I have something important and life-altering to say ;)



Heather: What sound or noise do you love?

Ashley: My bedroom fan. Because it usually means the next thing that’s going to happen is I’m going to go to sleep J. No, really, I think it’s the sound of my girls giggling. I love their joy. For the opposite, nothing is worse than a baby crying. Nothing, nothing, nothing. My husband and I have nightmares about babies crying. When the baby starts to cry when she wakes up, my husband and I flinch in horror.



Heather: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?

Ashley: If by story-telling you mean telling a story verbally, then writing, definitely. I am horribly inarticulate when I speak, especially when I’m in front of a group of people or around people I’m not comfortable with. And I can’t tell a joke to save my life. When you write, you can edit as much as you want. I’m terribly clever when I write ;)



Heather: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

Ashley: I know it sounds cheesy and corny and other authors have probably said this already, but there’s nothing better about being a published author than being able to connect with you. I love getting to know you, and appreciate your support and enthusiasm for my work. Seeing my book on a bookshelf is nothing compared to getting an email, tweet, or Facebook message from you. That is all. J



Heather: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?

Ashley: Assuming that anything is possible, I’d love to become a worker in an international aid organization. I’ve always dreamed of helping others in a way that MEANT something. Of course, I wouldn’t know what to do with my children. J Maybe I’ll have to save this dream for a later date.



Heather: What do you do to unwind and relax?

Ashley: Read. There’s nothing like it to be able to escape from the outside world. Even movies don’t do as much for me as reading does. If I could have one day to myself in my usual world where I could do anything I wanted, I wouldn’t go shopping or go to the spa, etc. I’d read all day. Of course, maybe that sounds like a day in paradise because I never get to do that J





Heather: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?

Ashley: It’s not as much of a tradition as a way of respect. I was raised to say “yes, ma’am”, “no, ma’am”, “yes, sir”, “no, sir”, and I expect to raise my children to do the same. Some people think it’s old-fashioned, but I think respect for others is a basic concept that so many have lost in our society.



Heather: What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?

Ashley: Not necessarily that I need people to know this, just something outside of Ashley the Author. I had two nicknames in high school: “The Brain” (yeah, I was valedictorian; just go ahead and throw that nerd label up on my forehead) and “McFro” (because my maiden name started with Mc and I have naturally curly hari and one Halloween I thought it would be funny to make my hair into an afro…I didn’t really mind the nickname, though, especially when it was used affectionately by the cute guys in school ;) )



Heather: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

Ashley: I’m a sleep deprived mother in desperate need of caffeine to keep me away both during the day when I’m up with my daughters and at night when I stay up late to work on writing. I gave up soda in 2008 when I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter, and I refuse to go back to that. But I need SOMETHING. I tried energy drinks, but they made me sick. I tried tea, but not only does it just taste like flavored water to me, it didn’t help me stay away. Just last week I started drinking coffee, and if I can get past the aftertaste I think I’m going to stick with it. Of course, right now I drink it with LOTS of French vanilla creamer and LOTS of caramel syrup J



Heather: What does it mean to love someone?

Ashley: That you make them a priority over your own needs and desires. This is HARD, but I’ve found it to be true for my relationships with my husband and children as well as my friends and extended family.



Heather: What color would you make the sky if it wasn’t going to be blue anymore?

Ashley: I’d like it to alternate colors so that you were always surprised when you went outside or looked out the window J



Heather: What’s in your refrigerator right now?

Ashley: Half-eaten jar of baby food, tuna salad, leftover pasta with butter sauce, strawberries, broccoli, milk…This reminds me, I really need to go to the grocery store.



Heather: What would you do if you had a time machine?

Ashley: I’ve thought about this question or variations of this question for a while, and I keep coming back to the same answer time and again. So, sincerely, without trying to be cute or funny or even particularly vicious: go back in time and assassinate Hitler. Enough said.



Heather’s GOTTA ASK – Ashley’s GOTTA ANSWER J



Heather: What’s your idea of a dream date?



Ashley: No knowing what’s going to happen; letting my husband do all of the planning and being surprised at what happens next. Enjoying the date because I’m with him and there’s no pressure about what decisions have to be made, because they’ve all been made for me.



GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?



Ashley: Let’s talk about something outside of reading and writing. What’s is your favorite family vacation memory?



WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS?**



Ashley: One random commenter will be chosen to win a copy of my newest book, ROMANCING THE COUNTESS! Also, find out how to win the ROMANCING THE COUNTESS Book Tour Grand Prize of 50+ romance novels by visiting www.ashleymarch.com!








Thanks so much for being with us today, Ashley! Where can your fans learn more about you on the web?











**Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North American addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.



51 comments:

  1. My family never went on vacation so I don't have any vacation memories.

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  2. Good morning, Ashley, how fascinating, I never knew you were proficient in Chinese. Wow, that's something we don't read on the blog every day. Your excerpt sounds intriguing.

    Best family vacation. A trip to Florida, where I was desperate to get away from work. I relaxed for two weeks straight in a perfect setting.

    Thanks for joining us here today on GLIAS.

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  3. A widow and a widower story...did I get that right? Love the dilemma and the tension!

    Best family vacation ever? London, Africa, London! We did a trip in March of 2001. A photographic safari. I have pictures and memories from that trip that are so amazing! The experience has affected my whole life. We also spent time in London both going and coming home. London is like a second home to me, I just love it there!

    And you are seriously on the road to coffee addiction, Ashley! Oh well, join the club! Lol!

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  4. Hi Ashley,

    Just stopping by in today's stop on your Book Blog Tour to say HI and hope your had a great weekend!

    I have a copy of RtC so don't enter my name in that drawing.

    And as usual, my Google Account won't let me post under my google name.....don't know what the problem is so I'm using ANON.

    Karen H in NC
    kareninnc at gmail dot com

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  5. Ashley--I enjoyed your guest post, as always. Choosing a favorite family vacation is difficult. I'm old and I have lots of memories!

    I'm going to choose the year Hubby and I took the kids and my sister to Disney World at Thanksgiving. That's a great time of year to go. The overnight decorating changes for Christmas are magical. Having my sister there to spend time with my kids was so special. And they were a good age to enjoy everything! So, it was a great trip all around.

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  6. It's a tie between going to Laura Ingalls Wilder's house in Missouri and Little Bro spitting off the Empire State Building. I was mortified at the time, but it's really funny now that he's 19 and I can throw it in his face when he thinks he's being a genius.

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  7. What you said about storytelling when you're speaking vs. writing is the same for me. I have to think a second before I speak or I start babbling where I don't make sense. Writing comes a little easier to me, at least with an edit!

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  8. Ashley, your book sounds great! My favorite family vacation was a recent trip to Stone Mountain, GA. SO much fun and exhausting.

    When I was a kid, we went camping. My sister and I shared a tent; everyone else was in a motor-home type thing. It rained all night. My sister and I slept right through it. Everyone in the home stayed awake all night listening to the pounding rain. Ha.

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  9. My family would drive to see my grandparents every month. It was a three hour drive and we would stop for dinner at this really cool looking restaurant. Gosh that was eons ago. Now I take myself to Disney. My kids are grown and don't want to go.

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  10. Welcome Ashley! And about the coffee... Find somewhere that sells freshly roasted coffee. It makes a huge difference.
    Signed coffee addict (but picky one)

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  11. Sadly, We never had family vacations. That I can remember. I'm the youngest girl of six kids and our parents divorced when I was in the first grade. The two oldest children were grown and already out of the house and by the time my parents all got settled down there was not much time or money for vacations. I did go to Disneyland with my mom, brother and sister when I was about 13 but I was 13 and had a bad attitude! Sorry mom! LOL! I try to make up for things I missed by creating awesome memories for my kids.

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  12. I can't say I have a favorite family vacation memory. We mostly went to visit with my mom's family, which was nice, but nothing that stands out.

    I do remember a vacation with a friend's family semi-fondly due to my first crush (horribly crushed too he he).

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  13. Hi Ashley,

    My favorite family vacation was our trip to Hong Kong last year. It was extra special because we got to spend time with my son and his family as he was working in Hong Kong at that time. It was simply amazing to experience a different culture, language and food. Some of the sights were awesome. We all went on a trip to see the 100ft Buddah by cable car. I wasn't going to go as I'm afraid of heights. The thought of being suspended in a cable car with hundreds of feet between me and the ground turned my tummy. However, I decided to be brave and go. I was so glad that I did, otherwise I would have missed out on some beautiful and glorious sights.

    Thank you for another opportunity to win "Romancing the Countess".

    dpd333 AT aol dot com

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  14. We never vacationed any as a child and I don't now!We have for a few but not many.

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  15. Great Interview Ashley! Looking forward to reading this book!

    I have so many vacation memories but this summer was the last family vacation for my family. My little sister is a high school senior will be off to college soon. I am married and my middle sister just moved to Chicago. With us all over the place, we took one last trip to the Bahamas just us. It was amazing!

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  16. When I was a teeenager, going to Yosemite every summer to visit with family friends who lived in Wawona.

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  17. Awesome interview, Ashley. And wow...50 romances!! If I had a place for 50 more books, I might just enter. Oh wait, I do!

    ~Angi

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  18. It was when I was 10 yrs old. We drove for a 2 weeks road trip all over Canada. We argued a lot obviously since we were together 24/7 but we also had a lot fun. I still have a lot fond memories looking thru those photos!

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  19. Hi Everyone! Thanks so much for commenting today! I just got the baby down (the world rejoices!) and I'm here to have fun with you guys now!=)

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  20. Hi Terri C.! Oh, I can totally empathize with you. Although my parents took us on vacation when we were little, my husband and I have yet to go on a vacation since we've been married (it's been 8 years now). It's just so easy to get caught up in everyday life.

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  21. When we all stayed together at the beach outside of Charleston SC and went into the city and took a carriage tour. Great Beach, touch of history & great seafood!

    sallans d at yahoo dot com

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  22. Hi Donnell! Well...I was ONCE proficient in Chinese. ;) Then I stopped practicing. But hopefully if I ever get a chance to go to China I'll remember a few things. Two weeks in Florida doing absolutely nothing sounds like heaven. =)

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  23. Hi Gjillian! You did get the story right. =) That sounds like a wonderful trip! My husband and I are *hoping* to be able to go to London for our 10th anniversary in 2013. We'd also like to go to Africa someday, but I think it'll have to be a separate trip. I don't think even 2 weeks in London/England will be enough for me!

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  24. Hi Karen! Thanks so much for stopping by! And I've heard a lot of problems with Google recently *fingers crossed for my account*, so I don't think you're the only one. Hope it gets fixed soon, though!

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  25. Hi LSUReader! =) I always tell my dad that he's not old...he's just moderately young. ;) It's funny you mention Disney World...we just got a DVD for all the parks in today and were watching it with the girls. It looks like so much fun, and we're hoping to be able to take them next year to Disneyland since RWA will be in Anaheim. I think my husband's more excited than anyone, though; he's been wanting to go to Disney since he was a kid. =)

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  26. Lol Taylor. I'd have to go for the spitting off the Empire State Building. There's nothing better than having something to hold over your brother's head for all time. =)

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  27. Hi Stephsco! Whew, I'm so glad I'm not the only one. =) And it's even worse because I tend *not* to think before I speak, which means that I usually say something very, um, direct. Yeah, writing is definitely better...both for articulation's sake and, well, diplomacy. ;)

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  28. Best family vacation was to the Grand Canyon. We drove from Texas-so had a L-O-T of bonding. No, really it was a great time!

    kamwh1207(at)att(dot)net

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  29. Lol, Abigail. Loved the story about the camping trip. =) My family also used to go camping when I was little. We started with a tent, went to a pop-up, and finally graduated to a full-blown camper. Although we started out roughing it, I think I got spoiled, because just the idea of sleeping on the ground does NOT appeal to me anymore. Sticks and *mumbles* rocks and *mumbles* BUGS. ;)

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  30. Hi Susan! That sounds like a lot of fun. =) And I bet you guys played TONS of car games, such as finding a certain color of a passing car, etc. And really? Your kids don't want to go with you to Disney? That's CRAZY!

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  31. Hi Maureen! Thanks for the welcome. =) So, as to the freshly roasted coffee...do any coffee shops do that? I have absolutely no idea. I haven't even had coffee at a Starbucks yet, which I know means I haven't been initiated. The fanciest we've gotten so far is my husband grinding up coffee beans for me. =)

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  32. Hi Johanna. I guess the optimist in me would like to think that every child gets family vacations. =) I know that my mom and stepdad declared bankruptcy when we were little...probably no family vacation for us that year. =) As for your bad attitude at Disneyland...oh, man. My dad used to get my brother and me one weekend every month and would try to do something special. I remember he took us to NASA and I was rotten the ENTIRE time. Gah! I've since apologized, too. =)

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  33. Hi growlycub! I know some of my best childhood memories are of spending time with my parents' families. I hope it's the same for you, too. =) And as for the crush...I'd love to hear all the details sometime...with an alternate happy ending, of course. Maybe a short story romance? ;)

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  34. Hi Diane! =) Oh, that does sound amazing, and I would have been nervous, too! I'm glad you ended up going with everyone. =) Did you learn any Cantonese or Mandarin before you went on vacation or while you were there?

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  35. Hi Virginia! Do you guys do "staycations" where you do things locally around your town? We did that one year, and I was amazed at how expensive it was just for that!

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  36. Hi Sherie! Thanks so much! =) Oh, wow, the Bahamas--now THAT sounds like a vacation! I completely understand how it is to be scattered everywhere--my family lives in Florida, George, Texas, Indiana, etc. But I hope both of our families are able to do special things together in the future. If nothing else, at least during the holidays. =)

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  37. Hi Ora! That sounds like a lot of fun. =) Yosemite is on my bucket list, as is the Grand Canyon. Would love to hike both!

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  38. Lol Angi--thanks! =) It's actually 50 PLUS now. ;) And I'm glad you have room!

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  39. Hi May! Ah, road trips. =) It's so different for a lot of families nowadays, isn't it? So many people fly instead of driving (although I know they're skimping on that now with the economy), and so many cars have DVD entertainment systems to keep the kids from killing each other. What happened to the old days, when everything was a CHALLENGE for the parents? ;)

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  40. Ahhhh, Di. I can't even imagine--that sounds absolutely fabulous. I love the East Coast, and specifically the Southern states. So much history, and the BEACH! Truly, I would love to move there. =)

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  41. Lol @ tinaburiedunderbooks. SOUNDS like you have a lot of fond memories. ;) Strangely, my husband has absolutely no desire to go to the Grand Canyon. It seems like such an AMERICAN thing to do though, doesn't it? Was it worth the trip? Have you been back as an adult?

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  42. Hi Ashley! It's great to see you featured here and since acouple of your books are on my wishlist, I am glad to learn more about you. I have to admit "shushers" can be pretty irritating.

    My favourite family vacation memory is our road trip of mishaps several years ago! Car breakdown, lost pictures and getting lost in a wooded road. The fun part was being through it all together.

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  43. Thank you, Na! It's fun to write about something a little different on the book tour, too. =) I'm glad you know what I mean about the shushing. However, I won't comment about how terribly bad of an interrupter I am. ;)

    Lol. Your family vacation brings back memories of another of mine. We reserved a spot for our pop-up camper in Destin, FL. Drove all the way there from East Texas for Memorial Day, only to find when we got there that the space had been double-booked and someone else was already there, and no other spaces were available--not just at that particular campground, but ANYWHERE nearby (because of the holiday weekend).

    Not knowing what else to do, we turned around (oh man, were my parents upset) and headed back home, thinking we might go to a beach in Texas instead. We stopped at a campground in Louisiana on the way back because my parents were so tired. You had to walk through sheep manure to get anywhere on the campground. Tons of ANTS came in the camper during the day. When we finally got to Galveston (the beach we chose), we could hardly go in the water because of all the jellyfish there!

    But as you said, the fun part was going through it all together. =)

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  44. One of my favorite memories from vacation is of my sister and I. For some reason we were obsessed with wanting glasses. I mean, seriously. We actually WANTED to wear glasses. So we both bought a fake pair at the local mall where we were vacationing and wore them the WHOLE TIME. So every picture we have from that week, we are both wearing fake pink rimmed glasses, haha :-)

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  45. You had quite a road trip adventure as well, Ashley! Looking back we can definitely see the fun moments in it all but it'sa different story to live it. Even from stories I have read it's hard to find a successful road trip. I think they are meant to test out luck and patience. At least we had company =)

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  46. Hi Ashley,

    My favorite family vacation would be when we went to the Gold Coast in Australia. It was a week filled with fun because we went to every theme park there was in that place. It was a family reunion so there was a whole bunch of us there, aunts, uncles, cousins, grand-parents. It was a week to remember.

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  47. Great interview! I'm really excite to read this book

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  48. Favorite family vacation memory, there have been many. One that always brings a smile happened when our girls were about 2 and 3. We were on Cape Cod I think at produce market and gift shop. Out front they had a slightly larger than life plastic statue of a stallion. One that was anatomically correct. Our girls were small enough to walk under it and of course did. They got under and looked up at the male part of the anatomy, looked at their dad, and asked :What's that?" He turned several shades of read and couldn't untangle his tongue to answer. Two senior ladies were standing nearby trying very hard not to laugh. I looked at the girls and said "It's where he goes to the bathroom." OK and off they went. Why do men so often over think things? It's either that or at times they don't seem to think at all. anyway it has made a fun family story over the years.

    I am enjoying your blog tour. The discussions, interviews, and excerpts have been interesting and fun.

    No need to enter me in the drawing. I won ROMANCING THE COUNTESS on an earlier blog on the tour. I am anxiously awaiting its arrival. I look forward to reading it. I hope the release is going well.

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  49. We went to Fiji a couple years ago and we had the best time! It's such a beautiful place and it was nice to expose our son to a bit of a different culture.

    Also, I'm totally with you on teaching children good manners!!

    hankts AT internode DOT on DOT net

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  50. Hm, there was that family trip to Washington, DC during which my then-12-year-old brother scared my then-5-year-old little cousin at the Jefferson Memorial by telling her that Thomas Jefferson was going to kill her, sending the poor kid screaming out of there. Ah, family trips...

    ironss [at] gmail [dot] com

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