Hello friends! I’m really excited to spotlight Zoe Burton and her Pride and Prejudice and Racecars series today!  I love when an author brings the characters of Pride and Prejudice to a new setting or environment – whether it be a concert hall, dance academy, courtroom, or in this case, a race track!  It is always fun to see how some dynamics can stay the same and how some change uniquely with these new environments!  There are two books in the Pride and Prejudice and Racecars series – Darcy’s Race to Love and Georgie’s Redemption.  Zoe Burton has kindly put together an interview with her Will and Liz for me to share with you all today!  

This interview takes place right after Book 2: Georgie’s Redemption.

Meredith:  Welcome, Liz and Will!  Thank you so much for joining me today! I believe my first order of business is to congratulate you on your recent marriage and ask how married life is treating you?

Liz: Thank you, Meredith. It’s treating us very well, I think. Would you agree, Will?

Will: Definitely. Liz is the best thing outside of racing that ever happened to me.

Meredith: That is lovely to hear. How are your families?

Liz: My sister Jane is doing very well. She and Bingley are planning their wedding. Mary is enjoying her college classes. She’s begun tutoring incoming freshmen for the math department. I haven’t heard from Kitty and Lydia, but Kitty should be graduating this year, if she passes everything.

Will: My sister and father are doing well. Dad doesn’t like the restrictions he’s still under, but he doesn’t fight them much. At 70 years of age, a heart attack seriously slows a guy down. He’s finally coming to realize it. Georgie’s keeping up with her school work and keeping her nose clean.

Meredith: I’m glad to hear that so many are doing well. Our first set of questions are some get-to-know-you ones. Are you ready?

Liz: Sure am!

Will: You bet.

Meredith: First, describe your perfect day.

Liz: Oh, that would be a day where Will and I have a leisurely morning at home, an afternoon of exploring nearby historical sites or attractions, and an evening cuddling together on the couch eating takeout.

Will: For me, every day is perfect, because I have the most beautiful woman in the world waking up beside me.

Meredith: That was so sweet! No wonder you fell for him, Liz! Next question: What is something you wish everyone knew about your spouse?

Liz: What do I wish everyone knew about Will? That he’s romantic. He buys me flowers all the time, and for Valentine’s Day, he scattered rose petals all over the house. There was a path of them up the stairs to the bedroom, and they were all over the bed. He had a bottle of champagne up there, and a box of chocolates, and a catered meal for just the two of us.

Meredith: Wow, that sounds lovely! Will, your turn.

Will: What I wish everyone knew about Liz is that she is the most organized person I know. She has calendars everywhere, she’s never late for an appointment, and she can tell you months ahead of time when I have to be somewhere for a sponsor.

Meredith: I love organization and order.  Sounds like we have that in common! The next few questions are specifically for Liz. How does it feel to be a driver’s wife? How nervous do you get when Will gets behind the wheel? I know you adore racing, but how can you stand it, knowing the risks he takes? He is your blood … your life???

Liz: *laughs* That’s a lot of questions! I hope I can keep them straight! *smiles* Being a driver’s wife is … it’s a lot of things: exciting at times, scary on occasion, and sometimes downright boring.

Will: Hey!

Liz: *laughs and jabs Will with her elbow* Hush. *Looks back at Meredith* I don’t really get nervous when Will is driving, unless he’s in a big wreck with other cars. There are so many safety devices protecting him that I feel like I don’t have to worry. The last driver to die in a race was something like 16 years ago. Too, Will’s an experienced driver. I can’t think of a single type of crash that he’s not already been involved in. What I feel more often is excitement, and adrenaline, especially when he’s trying to gain a position or keep ahead of the rest of the cars.

Meredith: I can imagine that the excitement can be intense at times during a race.  What is life like on the circuit?

Liz: Ah, that’s the boring part. *laughs* No, really, I do enjoy the traveling, and Will has a pilot’s license so if the track is reasonably close, we can fly in right before practice and qualifying. I enjoy exploring the areas around the tracks, so if we do stay at the track all weekend, there’s usually something to keep us busy. The boring part is qualifying and practice. There’s only so much of numbers that can keep my interest.

Meredith: How do you handle life on the road?

Liz: We’re blessed to have it pretty easy. Darcy Racing is big enough that we can afford a motorhome and someone to drive it, so all we really have to do is show up. I can do my job from anywhere, which makes it even easier. We’re together every night, well, all the time, unless he’s in the car or driver’s meeting. He’s my best friend; I love that we can be with each other all the time like that.

Meredith: It is so great that you can travel together, I hate when I have to spend the night away from my Mr. Bingley!  Would you ever want to drive a racecar, Liz?

Liz: I’d love to! In October, there’s a race for the wives and girlfriends called The Better Half Dash, where we drive Bandolero cars, which are small cars typically driven by kids. I’m hoping to do that, and have Will as my crew chief. As for the big cars, like Will’s … I’d love to drive one. There are rules, though, as far as who can drive on the track. But we bought a big piece of property and Will’s going to put a third-mile dirt track in the back, so I can race him back there.

Meredith:  I’m jealous!  That sounds like fun. Now Will, here are some questions for you. First, are there any plans to expand Darcy Racing?

Will: Well, the sanctioning body limits us to four teams, and right now we’re at capacity with me, Bingley, Collins, and Denny, so we can’t really expand at the Maniac Engineering Cup level. However, we’re considering expanding into the next lower level. That’s still in development, but if we move forward with it, we will have a training ground of sorts for future DRI drivers.

Meredith: That’s a smart business move, I think. Next question: You have a reputation in the press as a hard-nosed and arrogant kind of guy, yet here, with Liz at your side, you display a softer personality. You have yet to let go of her hand, unless it was to wrap your arm around her shoulders, and you’ve not stopped smiling since you sat down. What’s the difference?

Will: Liz is the difference. She gives me a reason to smile. My dad said once that she’s the only woman who has ever been able to make me smile when I’m down or upset, and he’s right. She’s the light of my life. I never realized before how miserable I was.

Meredith: Sounds like you are very lucky to have found her, Will!  Thank you both so much for answering my questions!  I wish you all the best with your future endeavors!

My thanks to Zoe for putting together this interview and for her visit to Austenesque Reviews.  I love reading modern-day adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and look forward to reading Darcy’s Race to Love and Georgie’s Redemption soon!

~~~

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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Today, Zoe generously brings with her 1 ebook set of Darcy’s Race to Love and Georgie’s Redemption  and 1 signed paperback set of Darcy’s Race to Love and Georgie’s Redemption for me to give away to 2 lucky winners!!!

 

 

To enter this giveaway, leave a question, a comment, or some love for Zoe below!

• This giveaway is open worldwide.  Thank you, Zoe!
• This giveaway ends December 27th!