I'm happy to be part of Ann Galvia's blog tour for What's Past Is Prologue. On the first stop of the tour at Savvy Verse & Wit, Ann talked about her Elizabeth. For my stop, she discusses Darcy. Ann delves into the characters and looks deeply at what makes each of them act as they do. That is evident in what she tells us on this stop and on the first one. Ann is building a healthy, stable relationship for her characters, one where they want the same future and are allowed to grow toward it. I think that is evident after reading both posts. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Ann. They gave me a new perspective and also gave me food for thought.
The back cover copy or blurb, gives some foreknowledge about the book. I found it intriguing and have posted it following Ann's discussion on Darcy. I hope you enjoy both. Ann, I give the floor to you.
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I want to thank Janet for hosting this stop on the “What’s Past Is Prologue” blog tour.
Before this past June, I would have said that while I knew of Janet, I didn’t really know her.
Working on the cover and marketing of WPIP has brought us together.
Very quickly, she became a sounding board for all my book related questions and comments.
She also assured me early in the process that she’d definitely be signing up for a slot
on the blog tour and as luck would have it, she landed on the second guest post.
AKA the one where I talk about your favorite guy and mine, Fitzwilliam Darcy.
(This one isn’t a quiz.)
(And if I am being entirely honest, I kinda like Mr. Tilney more…)
(But anyway.)
“What’s Past Is Prologue” is a book about Elizabeth growing up and growing together
with Darcy as they face adversity. It’s a trial by fire. Could they have grown so far so fast
had a flood at Rosings Park not derailed their plans to spend the early weeks of their marriage
playing in London? There’s really no way to know, but I tend to think a challenge is more likely
to bring out your best self than a dance.
And speaking of challenges, I want to talk about a very specific kind of challenge today.
Darcy is a privileged person. The 1% of the 1%. When you have his kind of resources, most
problems in life can be solved by the liberal application of money. But there are some
other problems that are a bit trickier, ones where Darcy doesn’t necessarily have an ace
in his pocket.
And that is interpersonal conflict. Today we are going to examine the patented Fitzwilliam
Darcy approach to when people say things you just don’t agree with, or worse, find offensive.
Responding to a General Statement
Sometimes in life, you find yourself in a group where someone is saying ridiculous things.
What is one to do? Well, one way to approach this issue is to be quietly uncomfortable.
Mr. Darcy looked a little ashamed of his aunt's ill breeding, and made no answer.
Responding to a Specific Statement
What about a time when someone in your group directs their insupportable comments to you
in particular? You may find that the best tool in your box is some passive-aggression. Done well,
you can sound like you agree with someone even as they understand you are calling them out.
``Eliza Bennet,'' said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed on her, ``is one of those young
ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own, and
with many men, I dare say, it succeeds. But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art.''
``Undoubtedly,'' replied Darcy, to whom this remark was chiefly addressed, ``there is
meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation.
Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable.''
Miss Bingley was not so entirely satisfied with this reply as to continue the subject.
Responding to People Who Do Not Treat You with Respect
There is no reason in the world to put up with that. Just walk away.
Mr. Darcy was eyeing him with unrestrained wonder, and when at last Mr. Collins
allowed him time to speak, replied with an air of distant civility. Mr. Collins, however,
was not discouraged from speaking again, and Mr. Darcy's contempt seemed abundantly
increasing with the length of his second speech, and at the end of it he only made him
a slight bow, and moved another way.
Responding to Personal Attacks
A strongly worded letter should do the trick. Never engage in person, defending yourself
in the heat of the moment is hard and should not be attempted.
She paused, and saw with no slight indignation that he was listening with an air which
proved him wholly unmoved by any feeling of remorse. He even looked at her with a smile
of affected incredulity.
``Can you deny that you have done it?'' she repeated.
With assumed tranquillity he then replied, ``I have no wish of denying that I did every thing
in my power to separate my friend from your sister, or that I rejoice in my success.
Towards him I have been kinder than towards myself.''
You are digging that hole deeper, Darce. Stop while you still can!
``Who that knows what his misfortunes have been, can help feeling an interest in him?''
``His misfortunes!'' repeated Darcy contemptuously; ``yes, his misfortunes have been great
indeed.''
``And of your infliction,'' cried Elizabeth with energy. ``You have reduced him to his present
state of poverty, comparative poverty. You have withheld the advantages, which you must
know to have been designed for him. You have deprived the best years of his life, of that
independence which was no less his due than his desert. You have done all this! and yet
you can treat the mention of his misfortunes with contempt and ridicule.''
``And this,'' cried Darcy, as he walked with quick steps across the room, ``is your opinion
of me! This is the estimation in which you hold me! I thank you for explaining it so fully.
My faults, according to this calculation, are heavy indeed! But perhaps,'' added he, stopping
in his walk, and turning towards her, ``these offences might have been overlooked, had not
your pride been hurt by my honest confession of the scruples that had long prevented my
forming any serious design. These bitter accusations might have been suppressed, had I
with greater policy concealed my struggles, and flattered you into the belief of my being
impelled by unqualified, unalloyed inclination -- by reason, by reflection, by every thing.
But disguise of every sort is my abhorrence. Nor am I ashamed of the feelings I related.
They were natural and just. Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your
connections? To congratulate myself on the hope of relations, whose condition in life
is so decidedly beneath my own?''
Did you really blow right passed her concerns about your treatment of other people to justify
insulting her? Wow. Just...wow.
With respect to that other, more weighty accusation, of having injured Mr. Wickham,
I can only refute it by laying before you the whole of his connection with my family.
Of what he has particularly accused me, I am ignorant; but of the truth of what I shall
relate, I can summon more than one witness of undoubted veracity.
This is why we stick to letters! Staying on topic! Being polite! Making yourself sound good instead of a bigger jerk with every word!
Responding to Personal Attacks Made on Someone You Care About
Don’t speak to the person at all until your significant other makes you.
Lady Catherine was extremely indignant on the marriage of her nephew; and as she gave way to all the genuine frankness of her character in her reply to the letter which announced its arrangement, she sent him language so very abusive, especially of Elizabeth, that for some time all intercourse was at an end. But at length, by Elizabeth's persuasion, he was prevailed on to overlook the offence, and seek a reconciliation; and, after a little farther resistance on the part of his aunt, her resentment gave way, either to her affection for him, or her curiosity to see how his wife conducted herself; and she condescended to wait on them at Pemberley, in spite of that pollution which its woods had received, not merely from the presence of such a mistress, but the visits of her uncle and aunt from the city.
As you read “What’s Past Is Prologue,” it is my hope that you see Darcy’s patented response to interpersonal conflict as he deals with difficult people at Rosings Park. Methods such as silence. Passive-aggression. Some different flavors of silence. And most of all, not saying a word.
Every body was surprised; and Darcy, after looking at her for a moment, turned silently away.
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I really enjoyed reading the phrases from P&P that you used to illustrate Darcy's approach to people and interpersonal conflict. I must say, it definitely put things in a different light. As I mentioned above, you made me think, and you made both characters real. Thank you for such an insightful post.
When Ann first visited my blog, it was May, 2016, with her release, Side by Side, Apart. I can remember thinking her cover was one of the prettiest I had ever seen. I loved it and still do. You had great ideas for the cover of What's Past Is Prologue, Ann, and I had fun being a part of it. It's been a pleasure getting to work with you.
Thank you for stopping by More Agreeably Engaged. I'm glad to have you back for another visit, Ann. I wish you the best with What's Past Is Prologue. I noticed that it is holding steady in the Amazon sales ranks. Congratulations. Thanks also to Claudine Pepe for organizing the blog tour.
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Book Description
Elizabeth Darcy has her eye on the future.
Before her marriage, she saw herself making the best possible choice. Her husband
saved her family from ruin. All he asked in return was her hand. Secure in his good opinion,
Elizabeth married him. Only with hindsight and his cryptic warnings that passion
is not immutable does Elizabeth question her decision. Her solution? Give him a son
as soon as possible. Once his lust for her has been slaked, this service she has rendered him
will ensure her value.
The newlyweds are summoned to Rosings Park almost the moment they are married.
Though the estate can boast of beautiful grounds, Elizabeth and Darcy arrive to find
devastation. A flood has swept away Lady Catherine’s last hopes of hiding debt and years
of mismanagement. She expects Darcy to shoulder the recovery efforts.
The effort to save Rosings strains the already tense relationship between Elizabeth
and her husband. To make matters worse, her presence is met with disdain and disinterest
from the family. As the days in the besieged estate drag on, Elizabeth slowly untangles
the histories and secrets of her new relations.
Like Elizabeth’s marriage, the crisis at Rosings is the culmination of past events.
Disaster need not be the result of only bad choices; good principles have led them astray
as well. As for Elizabeth, she barely knows her husband, and loving him might be impossible.
Yet, she is determined to save all that she can—her marriage and the estate—and somehow,
create the future she longs for.
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Author Biography
Ann started writing sometime before she knew how letters functioned. Her first books
were drawings of circus poodles heavily annotated with scribbles meant to tell a story.
Upon learning how letters were combined to represent words, she started doing that instead.
This has proven to be much more successful.
Sometime after that, she decided she wanted to study Anthropology and sometime after that,
she decided she liked cats more than dogs. And sometime after that, she decided to become
an educator and teach a new generation of kids how to combine letters to represent words,
and use those words express ideas.
And sometime after that, she realized all she really wanted to do was write, which probably
should have been evident from the beginning.
Connect with Ann at the following places Ann: Twitter | Facebook | Blog
Blog Tour Schedule
August 13 / So Little Time… / Guest Post & Giveaway
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Giveaways
Meryton Press is offering eight eBooks of What’s Past is Prologue for your readers.
The giveaway runs until midnight, August 17, 2018.
Terms and Conditions:
Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once a day and daily commenting on a blog post
or a review that has a giveaway attached for the tour. Entrants must provide the name
of the blog where they commented. If an entrant does not do so, that entry will be disqualified.
One winner will be selected per contest. Each winner will be randomly selected
by Rafflecopter and the giveaway is
international.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
