MUCH ADO ABOUT MARRIAGE—a conversation with Britt and Ashley

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Britt Carlton and Ashley Thornton from MUCH ADO ABOUT MARRIAGE, a Silhouette title originally released in print June 1998 and currently available in ebook.

Hello, Britt and Ashley.  Welcome and thanks for taking the time to be here today.

Britt:  Our pleasure.  As I understand it, you want to know about our road to romance?

Ashley:  Road to romance…(chuckles) that was the last thing on my mind when we met.  After a broken engagement to a man who turned out to be cheating on me while I was wearing his engagement ring, I had no intention of giving it another try.  The only thing on my agenda was settling into my new city and my new job so I could make some new friends and start my new life.

Britt:  Romance was definitely off my list, too.  Been there, done that.  I had no use for the concept of a committed relationship let alone where that could logically lead.  I'd been burned before.  No-strings-attached was the only thing I wanted.  But even if I had been looking for that certain someone, (he gives her a quick wink) I have to admit that I made a really bad first impression.

A bad first impression?  That sounds interesting.  How and where did the two of you meet?

Ashley:  I was just moving into my studio apartment, boxes piled on furniture and things in disarray.  I was hanging pictures and suddenly this very rude man was standing at my opened front door telling me to keep the noise down.  Since it was the middle of the afternoon rather than early morning or late at night, I was definitely put off my his attitude.  Not to mention that he looked like he'd been up all night partying.  My first impression was decidedly unfavorable.  Obviously a womanizer…just like my ex-fiancé.

Britt:  I had over indulged at a bachelor party that I wished I could have avoided, but didn't have a graceful way out.  I offered to help her unpack the boxes and even invited her to dinner as a means of apologizing for my rudeness…no ulterior motive, just friends.

Ashley:  I agreed to meet him at his apartment after I showered and put on some clean clothes.  I knew immediately he was the type of man that a woman should not get involved with, the type who would break her heart.  But two friends having a meal together?  No problem…as long as we were just friends.  But what did I find when I went next door to his apartment?

Britt:  (groans as if in pain) The first impression I made went from bad to worse.  The couple upstairs had an out of town relative visiting and they brought her to my apartment thinking the four of us could have dinner together.  To say this woman was overly aggressive would be an understatement.  Ashley walked in just as she wrapped herself around me.  Needless to say, Ashley made a hasty retreat.  (a thoughtful expression crosses his face) I'll never forget that look on her face…(he gives her hand an affectionate squeeze)…a combination of disgust and hurt.

And that was strike two?

Britt:  Exactly.  It took some fancy footwork to get all of that smoothed over, but things finally settled down and over the next couple of weeks we became genuine good friends.

Ashley:  And then he ended up with the flu, I took care of him, and to repay me he offered to take me on a flying sight-seeing tour.

You're a pilot, Britt?  Do you work for one of the airlines?

Britt:  No, a private charter company.

You mean like tour groups going on vacation?

Britt:  No, usually business executives and occasionally freight.

A flight-seeing tour sounds like fun.  Seattle is a beautiful part of the country with mountains and ocean as far as you can see.

Ashley:  (laughs) It was incredible…right up until the time the plane ended up in the ocean.

You crashed?  That sounds scary.  What happened?

Ashley:  It was definitely scary.

Britt:  And it's all in the book.

Did that put a damper on your relationship?

Ashley:  No, no…you forgot.  There was no relationship—we were just friends.

Britt:  Yep…just friends.

Well…obviously at some point being just friends wasn't enough.  When and how did friendship expand to include romance?

Britt:  That was a rocky road, too.  And it's all in the—

I know.  It's in the book!

Ashley:  Absolutely…in the book.

Well, it sounds like you're not going to divulge any more of the details.  I appreciate both of you stopping by.  Thank you, Britt and Ashley.

***

MUCH ADO ABOUT MARRIAGE, a Silhouette by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com/ (do search for Shawna Delacorte author name).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook.

Blurb:

WHEN BRITT MET ASHLEY

Britt Carlton wasn't looking to fall in love—he'd been there, done that…and didn't want to do it again! Then Ashley Thornton moved in to his apartment complex, all smiles and sass—and incredibly sexy—and Britt knew there was only one safe course of action: they had to be strictly friends. Nothing more. Uh-uh, no way.

But…

No matter how hard they resisted the pull between them, no matter how vehemently they rejected the idea of love and marriage, Britt and Ashley couldn't get away from one inescapable fact: they might have started out as just friends, but that just wasn't enough anymore….

Inside front cover:

What the opposing sexes say about marriage:

He Says: "Marriage? Forget it. I'll never consider marrying another woman ever again—one broken engagement's enough, thank you very much. No, I enjoy my bachelor life too much to get serious about anyone. Of course, my very attractive next-door neighbor has been causing me some sleepless nights—no, just friends, that's all I'm looking for…"

--Britt Carlton, 31

She Says: "Marriage?! I'm taking a break from dating for the rest of my life. I'm young, I'm attractive…I'm stupid. After all, I was the last to know that my fiancé was the Womanizer of Wichita! Anyway, I'm not bitter, I just want to start a new life…with new friends. Speaking of friends, there's this handsome charmer who lives next door. He could be fun to hang out with—on a strictly platonic level, of course…"

--Ashley Thornton, 25

You'll Say: "Just friends? Yeah, right…"

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Text Copyright © 1998 by SKDennison, Inc.  Cover Art Copyright © 1998 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

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http://www.shawnadelacorte.com/