Jennifer Redlarczyk visits More Agreeably Engaged for the final stop of her blog tour for her Christmas novella, A Holiday to Remember. Welcome, Jennifer. I'm so happy to have you visit again. I've been reading great things about your novella and that is so exciting. Congratulations!
You have quite an ending for your blog tour and we are the lucky recipients here at More Agreeably Engaged. With all these great photos from your Pinterest page and two excerpts, my readers and I will get spoiled. I'm quite intrigued.
Thank you for letting me be a part of your blog tour and share in this holiday novella! At that, I will turn the floor over to you, Jennifer.
*****
Greetings!
Thank you, Janet, for hosting me today. I’m delighted to be back visiting your
blog with A Holiday to Remember. In
this modern P&P variation, Elizabeth Bennet is a dedicated choral director and teacher at Meryton Academy for the Performing Arts and William Darcy is the aloof CEO of Darcy Enterprises. The two of them met when unfortunate circumstances brought them together during a summer music festival in Chicago where tempers flared and unpleasant words were exchanged. Find out what happens when their paths cross again in December. Will their animosity continue, or will their reunion turn out to be A Holiday to Remember?
From Chapter One
Meryton Academy for
the Performing Arts
Monday, 4 December
Present day
“Liz
Bennet! Please tell me I didn’t hear what I just thought I heard!” Charlotte
Lucas burst through the doors of the choir room and marched straight to the
keyboard where Elizabeth was working out the final arrangements for A Holiday to Remember—part of the music
academy’s final showcase before the winter break.
“Char,
I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I’m kind of on a deadline here.
Uh … you do remember I have a major rehearsal at six o’clock tonight?” She
arched a questioning eyebrow in her friend’s direction before entering the
final chords on the master lead sheet in her computer.
“Right,
but for your information, Mr. Billy
Collins just told everyone in the teacher’s lounge he has a big date with you on New Year’s Eve. He says he’s escorting you to the Pemberley
Foundation’s charity gala at Forest Ridge. What gives? Don’t those tickets
start at five hundred a pop? Not to mention any woman who would dare to go out
with that nutter would have to be a marble short.”
Elizabeth
stopped what she was doing and burst into laughter. “Char, do you honestly
think BC would actually shell out that
kind of money just to have a date with me?
The man is so tight he probably wouldn’t spend five dollars on his own mother.
Don’t worry. The Vocalteens were asked to perform at the gala and will be doing
the opening act right after dessert. Since Reeves will be out of town, I’m
making do with Billy-boy to run
sound. You’re welcome to join us if you don’t have a date. I can always use an
extra chaperone. Plus, after the kids leave, the adults are invited to stay and enjoy the rest of the party. There’s
going to be a live band, dancing, loads of food and some kind of a silent
auction. It could be fun, even without
dates.”
“Sorry,
Liz. As a matter of fact, I do have a
date.” Charlotte straightened up and fluttered her eyelashes in jest. “And … as
much as I’d like to hobnob with the rich
and famous, Brexton Denny is taking me
to the Signature Room to celebrate the New Year. Who knows, this might turn out
to be my Holiday to Remember, if you
don’t mind me borrowing the title from your medley.”
“Go
right ahead. The Signature Room is pretty impressive. Is there any chance your
Mr. Denny might finally be getting serious?”
“Not
to my knowledge. Still, there’s no way I’m going to pass up a date with a buff
trainer from the fitness club, fireworks over Lake Michigan, and a kiss at midnight.”
“A kiss at midnight,”
Elizabeth
sighed, kind of dreamy-eyed. “Aunt Maddy says being kissed at midnight by
someone special is magical, and
although I’ve yet to meet that perfect someone, I believe her.”
“Girl,
you’ve been watching way too many holiday romance movies on your favorite
channel, if you ask me. I could never be like you. At any rate, if you need an
escort, you can always ask my brother. I know Johnny isn’t ideal, but he’s okay
in a pinch. On second thought, what about that cute drummer from the music
store? Didn’t you go out with him a couple of times? Maybe you can take him.”
“George Wickham?! I think not! And no, we never dated. Char, your memory fails you. I only agreed to sing
backups for that smooth talker’s band at the Lollapalooza Music Festival last
summer because he was desperate. Believe me; dating was not part of
the chord chart. Besides, I’m hardly interested in a fly-by-night drummer or
any freelance musician for that matter. And
I’m definitely considering adding your brother to my no-go list of men. If Johnny stands me up for one more transmission
or any other mechanical failure, the man is toast. As it turns out, I’ll
probably hand him his marching orders once he escorts me to Charles Bingley’s
holiday party on Friday. Who knows, I may end up following Jane’s lead and using
her professional dating service after all. I mean, who could complain about Mr. Bingley?”
“Are
you serious?”
“Absolutely!
Charles is exceptional. He’s considerate and has a great sense of humor. Plus, he
brings Jane flowers, sends her cards, and takes her out to dinner, concerts,
company functions, yada, yada…. And to top it all off, it was Charles Bingley
who recommended the Vocalteens for the Pemberley gig. As one of the corporate
lawyers who work for the foundation, he was happy to submit my PR materials to
the marketing director. Mr. Reynolds thinks our Holiday to Remember medley will be perfect for the charity gala.”
“I
agree; it’s bound to be a hit. The kids are already looking pretty good, and
you still have until next Thursday to pull it all together for the showcase.
Speaking of the gala, I hear the CEO of Darcy Enterprises is pretty hot.” Charlotte wiggled her eyebrows as
if in the know. “William Darcy has
been in all of the tabloids lately.
They say he’s some kind of aloof, mystery
man—tall, dark, and handsome. I wonder if he’ll be there.”
“William Darcy?” Elizabeth frowned. “His
sister, Georgiana, was studying piano with Aunt Maddy at the music store
until….” Her voice trailed off. “Are you sure he’s connected to the foundation?
Mr. Reynolds never mentioned him.”
“Small
world! According to Google, the foundation is run by Darcy Enterprises.”
Glancing at the wall clock, Charlotte changed the subject. “It looks like the
bell is about to ring, so I’d better head over to my advanced ballet class. Do
you still need help tonight with choreography for the opening number?”
“I’d
really appreciate it, since I’m going to have my hands full with the pit
orchestra. If you can take over while we run through my new arrangements, it
would mean one less thing for me to juggle at practice.”
“No
problem. I’ll be there. Catch you later.”
“Thanks.”
After
Charlotte left, Elizabeth minimized her music program and quickly googled
William Darcy, CEO of Darcy Enterprises. “I can’t believe it. It is him! So, Mr. Darcy,” she continued to
babble while glaring at the computer screen. “Your Mr. Reynolds booked us for the gala. How was
he to know you never wanted to see me
again?” She shrugged her shoulders. “Oh well, I guess we’ll just have to make
the most of it, won’t we?”
♫
Well, it looks like our favorite couple had a run in at Lollapalooza which is an annual music festival in Chicago featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, and more. In this next scene, we find Elizabeth at Bingley's party where she and William will definitely meet up.
From Chapter Two
Bingley’s holiday
party
Friday night, later
that week
“Lizzy,
this dress is spectacular! Pretty sophisticated for a music teacher, if you ask
me. It’s not at all your usual style. I can’t believe you rented it!” Jane
stepped back giving her sister the once over.
“Shush!
Do you want the whole room to know? And for your information, this is not the dress I rented. Take a look.”
She began scrolling through her phone. “This
is the confirmation and picture of what I should have gotten in the mail.”
“Star in your own show in this classic dress,”
Jane read aloud. “The fold-over neckline
comes to life in an off-shoulder effect. The bodice and mini-skirt are lined
for a flattering fit and perfect for a hot date or night out with friends. Lizzy,
the dress they sent you is anything but a mini dress; although I will say the
plunging neckline down the back of it is definitely way off the shoulder. So,
what happened?”
“Elizabeth Benton who lives in Meryton, Ohio is what happened. She got my dress. Rent the Modern Closet has promised to give me a full refund. With
this dress being delivered while I was at school, I wasn’t able to send it back
in time to get a replacement for tonight. Nevertheless, here I am in the flesh,
so to speak.” She struck a classy pose before playfully breaking into laughter.
Elizabeth’s dress was a sleek fiery red, cowl backless V-neck, floor length
formal gown with a thigh-high side slit.
“You
have no idea what I went through trying to find a strapless, backless, push-up,
stick-on bra for this thing,” she whispered. Jane tried to hide her amusement
while listening to Elizabeth detailing her dilemma. “It was either go braless
or be forced to wear one of my kids’ show choir dresses. Not! Thankfully, Charlotte came to the rescue with a scandalous bra
she bought from Cleavage Designs. She
says this bra is all the rage on Instagram. Everyone is talking about it.”
“Cleavage Designs?” Jane mouthed—her eyes
wide open. “Um … I didn’t think you and Charlotte were anywhere close to the
same size. She’s so … willowy.”
“We’re
not the same size, but fortunately,
there was enough wiggle room to make due.” The two sisters giggled.
“Speaking
of your hot date, where’s Johnny
Lucas? Is he still parking the car?” Jane
scanned the room looking for Elizabeth’s absentee escort.
“Oh,
he’s parking the car alright—in Detroit!”
“You’re
kidding. You mean to tell me Lucas stood you up again?”
“That
he did!”
“What
was it this time—a transmission? Someone’s timing belt?”
“Jane,
have you no imagination? I’m being stood up for…. And I quote—a Classic 1966 Chevrolet Corvette—350 V8,
four-speed Manual, only 96,000 Miles—end of quote. And as red as my dress, I might add.”
“Wow!
I can imagine a Corvette must cost a pretty penny, no matter what year it was
built. What kind of price tag are we talking here?”
“It
was only fifty-one thousand big ones, says Mr. Lucas.”
“Fifty-one
thousand—as in dollars?” Jane nearly gasped. “Where does a mechanic get that
kind of money?”
“Johnny
and his buddy Scott got the loan approved yesterday and headed straight for
Detroit after they closed up shop this afternoon.”
“Oh,
Lizzy, I’m so sorry. We really have to get you signed up for the….”
“Don’t
even say it. I promise I’ll look into your dating service once the holidays are
over.”
“Good,
I’m holding you to it. In the meantime, take heart, dear sister. With the way
you look in this dress, there’s bound to be some attractive single, corporate-type
who will be glad to ogle you for an hour or two. Charles says he has a friend
from work who is recently divorced, Richard somebody or other. He’s not
bringing a date, from what I gather. You never know, this may very well turn
out to be your Holiday to Remember.”
“Very
funny, Jane. More like A Holiday to
Forget! Something tells me I should seriously consider changing the name of
that medley when I get back to school on Monday.”
“Lizzy!”
“Alright,
I’ll try to keep an open mind.”
♫
So
here we have Elizabeth, unescorted, in a scathing dress at Bingley’s party
ready to face William and Caroline. Believe me; the rest of this chapter is
anything but dull. How about that dress? I have a feeling our girl is going to
attract quite a bit of attention before the night is over.
Meanwhile,
I’m having a giveaway to celebrate the release of my new book. Please feel free to leave your comments below, as I will be giving away two eBooks of A Holiday to Remember (International) and would love to hear from you. If you have a chance, be sure to check out my Pinterest page where I've posted fun pictures for each chapter. Good luck and thank you all!
Jennifer Redlarczyk (Jen Red) ♫
My Pinterest page for A Holiday to Remember
A Holiday to Remember on Amazon
Well, you heard it, Dear Readers. Jennifer Redlarczyk is giving away two eBooks of A Holiday to Remember. Isn't that awesome. Be sure to leave a comment and contact info so I can reach you. We don't want you to miss out on this Christmas novella. Doesn't it sound like fun! The giveaway ends at 11:59 P.M. Central time on the 14th of December.
What did you think of Lizzy's dress? Wow! It is gorgeous! Can you just imagine Darcy's reaction when she walks in wearing that dress? Oh, and Caroline! I bet she was just a tiny bit jealous! Aren't you eager to read how this reunion goes? I certainly am.
Thanks for the entertaining excerpts, Jennifer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. This sounds like such a fun book. I can't wait to read it. Thanks again for visiting and sharing with us today. It is an honor to close out your blog tour.
I read Darcy and Elizabeth: A Promise Kept in 2018 and loved every minute of it. Have you read it? If yes, what did you think about it? What other books by Brenda J. Webb have you read? This is the only one that I have read to date, but it will not be my last. Which one do you recommend that I read next? 
