Kiss Me Good Night, Major Darcy by Georgina Young-Ellis - Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

Today I’m happy to be welcoming Georgina Young-Ellis to the blog for the first time. She has written a WWII Pride & Prejudice-inspired novel called Kiss Me Good Night, Major Darcy, published by Meryton Press and the blog tour for it stops off here today.

Let’s look at the blurb and then I will hand over to Georgina for a character interview and an extremely exciting excerpt which I am sure you will enjoy.

Book Description

The wind ruffled Darcy’s hair. “You’re beautiful.”

Happiness surged through Elizabeth's body like electricity. This moment was as close to perfection as she had ever known.

1943. World War II has torn the continent since 1939 and tested families, the Bennets included. Elizabeth and Jane nurse wounded soldiers and civilians in a London hospital. The other sisters volunteer as best suits their inclinations. Mr. Bennet rattles about Longbourn. Wickham sniffs about the edges of the estate—and the Bennet daughters.

Even the ever-present threat of death from the skies cannot prepare Jane and Lizzy for the most devastating news. The words one never wishes to hear are delivered by two officers, each scarred by years on the front lines. In the dark days that follow, devotion is tested, and affection blooms.

Kiss Me Good Night, Major Darcy drops Jane Austen’s timeless characters into the midst of the most horrific conflict in human history. Their trail twists and encounters those who would turn sacrifice to their profit. Follow the women of Longbourn as they navigate the rocks and shoals of wartime Great Britain to endure misunderstandings and discover lasting love.

Guest Post from Georgina Young-Ellis

Hi Ceri, thanks so much for hosting me on your blog! For this post, we have a 1940s radio interview with one of our favorite incorrigible characters.

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Radio Host: Good evening, ladies and gentleman, thanks for joining us tonight on “Off The Top of Your Head.” With us is Miss Lydia Bennet of the Volunteer Aid Detachment at St. Andrews Hospital. Thank you for joining us, Lydia, and for doing your part in the war effort.

Lydia: It’s my pleasure! I can’t believe I’m on the radio. I’ll be famous!

Host: (chuckling) Well, maybe not quite famous. Tonight, I’ll be asking you ten questions to help our listeners get an idea of who is the real Lydia Bennet. The idea is to answer with the first thing that pops into your head. Here’s the first question: What’s your favorite color?

Lydia: Red!

Host: What’s your favorite vacation spot?

Lydia: Brighton, of course.

Host: What man would be your ideal date?

Lydia: Ooh, a military man.

Host: What’s your favorite season?

Lydia: Summer, because I can wear dresses that show off my—

Host: Keep the answers to one or two words. Who is your favorite person in the world?

Lydia: My mother, but she’s—

Host: One or two words. If you could go anywhere in the world (after the war, of course), where would you go?

Lydia: Paris, because it’s so romantic.

Host: (sighing) What’s your favorite food?

Lydia: Anything sweet!

Host: Pick one: books or motion pictures.

Lydia: Motion pictures!

Host: Who’s your favorite movie star?

Lydia: Clark Gable. He’s so dreamy!

Host: For a formal night out, would you rather wear lace, satin, fur, silk, or taffeta?

Lydia: All of the above.

There you have it, folks. Thank you for joining us, Lydia. And remember, everybody, loose lips sink ships!

 

Excerpt from Kiss Me Good Night, Major Darcy

The next day, after assisting with a long surgery, Lizzy stopped by the cafeteria for a quick cup of ersatz before getting back to work. She hoped to run into Jane. Instead, sitting there at one of the tables were none other than George Wickham and Lydia. As soon as they saw her, they stood.

“Lizzy!” Lydia called, waving her over. “Look who’s here!” She clung to Wickham’s arm possessively.

“What is the meaning of this?” Lizzy demanded, going to them.

“Oh, don’t be jealous, Lizzy,” Lydia said. “George is my beau now.”

Wickham’s face turned pink, and he grinned.

“Trust me,” Lizzy said directly to Wickham, “I’m not jealous.” Then she hammered at Lydia. “What are you doing in London? Does Papa know you’re here?”

The girl giggled. “No. I took the train by myself and met George here. We’re going to make a day of it.”

Lizzy searched for the words to express her disgust. When she found them, they dripped with sarcasm. “I’m glad you have so much free time. I, however, must get back to work. But before I do, Lydia, you can be sure I am calling Papa.”

“Oh, don’t be such a tattletale,” Lydia whined.

Lizzy ignored her. She hurried to the locker room where there was a call box. She was dialing the operator when an invisible hand threw her into the lockers on the other side of the aisle. As the world went gray, an explosion rumbled in the background. The cool floor beneath her cheek jellied for several more seconds as rubble falling from the ceiling crashed around her. Dust from the corridor seeped under the doors. Disoriented and aching, Lizzy ran her hands over her body, seeking any telltale signs of broken bones. She was unharmed in that respect but assumed that she would be severely bruised, especially in her back where she had hit the lockers. Thoughts of her sisters caused her to clamber quickly to her feet. Oh, that was brilliant. Dizzier now, and the floor is beckoning me again. She collapsed on one of the benches and took several slow deep breaths.

Equilibrium restored, she carefully stood again and decided she was able to make her way in search of the others. Feeling the locker room door for any indication of heat that betokened an inferno on the other side, she slowly opened it. The hallway was filled with smoke and dust. She went back to the bathroom sink and managed to wet her kerchief in the spigot’s trickle before the water stopped. Her impromptu mask pressed against her nose and mouth, she again stepped from the locker room. Screams filled the air. Lizzy hurried onward, feeling her way along the corridor’s walls. She entered a ward where the dust was thinner. This was the women’s ward. She rushed among the patients checking for injuries. They  were frightened and crying but unharmed. This was not where she was needed most. She went back into the hallway and realized she was heading toward Darcy’s ward. She heard rapid footsteps behind her and turned to see doctors and nurses running in the direction she was going.

One of Matron’s assistants grabbed Lizzy’s arm and dragged her along. “THIS WAY! The ceiling has gone in the cafeteria!”

She followed. Suddenly, someone grabbed her.

“Elizabeth!”

She could tell from the voice that it was Fitzwilliam.

“Elizabeth,” he repeated, “are you all right?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Are you?”

“Yes. I’m coming with you.”

“No, you should stay here. You’re not well enough.”

“I am well-bandaged, and I can move around well enough between cast and crutches. I’m coming with you.”

There was no time to argue. Leaning on his crutches, Darcy did his best to keep up with her. The sound of screaming grew louder and the dust thicker. In moments they were at the lunchroom. Great portions of the ceiling had collapsed. People were trapped under beams and concrete.

A panicked thought coursed through her. Lydia! Where is Lydia? Over the noisy chaos, she thought she heard her sister calling her name.

Elizabeth stopped picking her way, and Darcy nearly tumbled. “Lydia—LYDIA—where are you?”

Her shaking voice seemed small and far away. “Over here, help me.”

Darcy looked at the pile, shook his head, and ruefully looked down at his cast. “Go, Elizabeth. I will be useless. I’ll go where I can take part and rescue others. You find your sister.”

Lizzy clawed her way through the rubble.

“Where are you, Lydia?” Lizzy cried.

“Here!”

Suddenly, Lizzy saw her. She was near a wall, sitting on the floor and surrounded by debris, but she herself was unburied. Lizzy ran to her, stumbling through the debris. She knelt next to Lydia. A cursory exam saw that the girl’s limbs were unbloodied and straight. “Are you all right?”

Lydia whimpered, turning from a brassy thing into a ten-year-old looking for her mother’s comfort. “My head hurts.”

Lizzy took a closer look and discovered a wound in the back. As with all scalp injuries, this one was bloody. Lizzy used her damp handkerchief as a compress. As she swabbed away the grimy blood, she saw that the cut was shallow. Her next fear was that Lydia had a concussion. That, though, along with the moderate nature of the surface injury could wait for a more thorough examination. She wadded the handkerchief against the injury, tore a strip from her slip, and tied a bandeau around Lydia’s head. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“Yesh,” Lydia slurred. “Where’s George?”

Lizzy searched the room and finally spotted him several yards away. He was covered in dust but seemed unharmed. He was heading for the exit. “There he is!” Lizzy said, pointing to him.

“George!” Lydia cried, “George! Wait for me!”

Wickham turned around and looked directly at her but then, flicking his eyes away, kept moving.

“George!” Lydia screamed again. “George, don’t leave me!” She tried to stand, made it only halfway to her feet, and then fell back with a groan.

“Wait,” said Lizzy. “I’ll help you.”

The room rumbled, bits of ceiling sleeted the pair, and a beam crashed to the floor, blocking the path to Wickham’s retreat. Lydia screamed, but he never looked back; instead, he kept running. They last saw his back as he turned a corner.

Lydia sobbed. “He left me! He just left me here to die.”

“I’m sorry, Lydia. Listen, you are not going to die. I promise you that. I’ll get you out of here. But first, I need to see whether I can help anyone else. Just stay here against the wall. Whatever’s left of the hospital, this is the strongest part of it. You should be safe.”

Elizabeth worked her way over to where Darcy and other men were struggling to free people from the pile mounded in the center of the room. Elizabeth’s heart froze when she recognized this as her and Jane’s usual spot. Their refuge was now a jumble of concrete, ceiling panels, and broken tables. Looking closer, Elizabeth caught a flash of white under a pile of cement. She went to examine it, and a shock of bloodied blonde hair caught her eye. She scrabbled through the rubble, clawing at pieces until she cleared the victim’s face. It was Jane.

“Help!” Elizabeth cried. “Help!”

In a moment, Darcy was by her side.

“It’s Jane,” she said, sobbing. “It’s Jane!”

Large blocks of cement covered Jane in a stony blanket. An orderly named John lifted the heaviest ones away while Elizabeth and Darcy cleared the rest. As they dug, they discovered a blessing: Jane had tried to slide beneath the table as the room came down. That she had been partially successful protected her from potentially fatal crush injuries. As the men worked, Elizabeth brushed her sister’s hair from her eyes and leaned over her. “Jane!”

Her eyes fluttered open. She was alive!

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How exciting was that?!! Thanks so much to Georgina for stopping by, to Meryton Press for the blog tour and to Janet for arranging it. 

Read on for a giveaway opportunity, and buy links, in case you need to buy it right now!

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Author Bio

Georgina lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, Jon, who is an artist and professor of Media Arts. In 2015, they moved from New York City, where they lived for eighteen years, to Portland Oregon. Their son, a professional musician and sound engineer, still lives in Brooklyn. Georgina is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and was a stage actress for many years. Born and raised in the Southwest, she went to school in New York, graduating from New York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater. She’s also a language professor and, of course, a writer, recently graduating from Portland State University with a master’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature. In 2022 she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to identify and connect with emerging female writers in Mexico and support them to free their literary voices.

Contact Info: Facebook  / Instagram  / Twitter / Blog, Nerd Girls, Romantics, and Time Travelers

Buy Links

Kiss Me Good Night, Major Darcy is available to buy now in Paperback, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. 

• Universal Amazon Buy Link • Amazon US • Amazon UK • Add to Goodreads shelf

Giveaway Time!

Meryton Press is kindly giving away 6 ebooks of Kiss Me Good Night, Major Darcy by Georgina Young-Ellis to accompany the blog tour. To enter, please use the rafflecopter linked below.

Link to Giveaway Rafflecopter

Note about comments:  If you have any problems adding your comment please contact me and I will add your comment for you :)

Blog Tour Schedule

Check out the other stops on the blog tour to learn more about the book and have more chances to win!

June 27 From Pemberley to Milton

June 28 My Jane Austen Book Club

June 29 So little time…

June 30 Interests of a Jane Austen Girl

July 1 Babblings of a Bookworm

July 2 My Vices and Weaknesses

 

 

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