Hello, my friends! I'm very excited to have Victoria Kincaid visiting here today! If you haven't heard, Victoria has a new book out! Darcy in Hollywood - A modern Pride and Prejudice variation!
Victoria is also giving away one e-copy of Darcy in Hollywood to one of my lucky readers! Details are at the bottom of the page!
Hi Candy. Thank you for having me as a guest!
Darcy in Hollywood took me longer to write than any book since my first (and most authors take a while writing their first book). I ended up with sixty (!) pages of deleted material because it took so many revisions to get the story right—and make the characters and story of P&P compatible with the world of Hollywood.
Wickham’s character was one that had to undergo a lot of changes. Originally I had him appearing roughly where he does in the original P&P storyline, but the plot required that Elizabeth make his acquaintance a lot earlier. So I made him one of the EMTs who treats Elizabeth after Darcy nearly hits her with his car (which is the first thing that happens in the book). I could totally see him as the wannabe actor who flirts with his patients and relishes his proximity to Hollywood. I hope you enjoy the excerpt below!
Darcy in Hollywood
by Victoria Kincaid
A modern Pride and Prejudice variation.
Rich and arrogant movie star, William Darcy, was a Hollywood heartthrob until a scandalous incident derailed his career. Now he can only hope that Tom Bennet’s prestigious but low budget indie film will restore his reputation. However, on the first day of filming, he nearly hits Bennet’s daughter, Elizabeth, with his Ferrari, and life will never be the same. Okay, she’s a little sarcastic, but he’s certain she’s concealing a massive crush on him—and it’s growing harder to fight his own attraction….
Elizabeth Bennet has a lot on her plate. She’s applying to medical school and running the studio’s charity project—while hoping her family won’t embarrass her too much. Being Darcy’s on-set personal assistant is infuriating; he’s rude, proud, and difficult. If there’s one thing she dislikes, it’s people who only think about themselves. But then Elizabeth discovers Darcy has been doing a lot of thinking about her.
She might be willing to concede a mutual attraction, but events are conspiring against them and Darcy subject to constant public scrutiny. Do Darcy and Elizabeth have any hope of achieving Hollywood’s elusive happy ending?
Excerpt:
The minute the ambulance pulled up at the curb, two EMTs jumped out. A short Hispanic woman immediately hooked Elizabeth up to a blood pressure monitor. The other EMT, a tall man with wavy brown hair who could have been a model, gave her a smile straight out of a toothpaste ad. “Can you tell me what happened?”
As she recounted the incident, not mentioning Darcy’s name, he took her pulse, shined a light into her eyes, and examined the bump on the back of her head.
“That’s a nasty bump you’ve got back there,” he commented. “I think we’ll need to take you to the hospital for a workup.”
Elizabeth nodded and then winced at the pain. “I don’t think I lost consciousness and I’m not disoriented, so if it’s a concussion it’s a mild one. But I should probably have a head CT to be sure.”
He blinked. “Are you a doctor?”
“No, but I was pre-med in college. I’m applying to med schools now.”
“Ah.” He grinned at her as he and his partner pulled the gurney out of the back of the ambulance. “I considered med school myself but decided I liked acting more.”
“Please don’t tell me you only play an EMT on TV,” she teased.
He laughed with big hearty guffaws. Wow, a real, down-to-earth human being despite his acting ambitions. Well, they didn’t usually turn into Darcy-sized bastards until they made the big time. “I am a real EMT. This is my day job until I get my big break. What better place for an aspiring actor than on a movie studio?” He helped her onto the gurney and strapped her down before offering his hand. “George Wickham, EMT to the stars.”
She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, George. I’m Elizabeth.”
George and his partner wheeled her toward the ambulance. “Don’t worry, Elizabeth, we’ll take great care of you.”
William Darcy had cared more about his Ferrari and his career than Elizabeth—and her own family had cared more about Darcy. It was nice that someone cared about her—even if it was his job.
The EMTs slid the gurney into the ambulance and locked it into place. George’s partner jumped out and closed the doors; presumably she would drive. After hooking her up to a heart monitor, George strapped himself into an adjacent seat with a clipboard in his lap. “So I’m going to need to fill out a detailed report. What was the name of the person driving that fancy ride back there?”
The ambulance lurched into motion. “I’d rather not say.”
George frowned.
“He didn’t actually hit me. I fell down and struck my head. And, um, I’d like to keep his name out of the papers.”
George tapped his pen against the clipboard. “Was it William Darcy?”
She gaped at him.
He gave her a knowing grin. “I knew he was starting to film a new movie at the studio this week. Who else would drive such an ostentatious red Ferrari?”
Had she already put the film in danger? “Please don’t tell anyone. I don’t care about Darcy, but my dad is producing the movie. They don’t need bad publicity.”
He made a locking motion at his mouth. “My lips are sealed. This wouldn’t be the first time the studio had a car accident with ‘John Smith’ driving.” Elizabeth exhaled her relief. “But between you and me, Darcy’s a bit of a dick, isn’t he?”
Finally, someone who understood! “Hell to the yeah! I guess he expected me to fall at his feet, but honestly it’s hard to be starstruck when your body gets a shot of adrenaline that will last until Christmas.”
George leaned closer. “How did he hit you?”
Elizabeth started to shake her head before realizing that made it hurt. “He didn’t hit me. He almost hit me. I was on the sidewalk, and his car was heading toward me. When I tried to run away, I fell and hit my head. His car hit the streetlamp instead of me.”
George chuckled. “The man really is a menace behind the wheel of a car.”
Elizabeth’s thoughts were more than a little muddled. But it occurred to her that George’s reaction was rather…gleeful.
“Do you know Darcy?”
George’s mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “You could say that. Our families were friendly when I was a kid. We went on vacation together. I played with both Darcy and his sister, although I was closer to his sister’s age.”
Now Elizabeth’s curiosity was piqued. “But you’re not friends anymore?”
“Apparently there were limits to the friendship. You know the Darcys are real blue bloods. Hollywood royalty descended from a branch of the Vanderbilt family.”
Elizabeth nodded. Everyone knew that Darcy’s mother was a famous movie star and that his father had been an award-winning director before he retired.
“I made the fatal mistake of dating Darcy’s sister, Georgiana. We went out for two months in high school, no problem. But then her family found out. They cut off all ties with my parents and threatened legal action if I ever went near Georgiana again. Darcy even punched me.” George rubbed his jaw as if remembering the pain.
“That’s terrible! Just because you loved his sister?”
George shrugged. “I guess I wasn’t what his parents had in mind for her.”
“How did she take it?”
His mouth twisted. “I don’t really know. I never saw her again. I called her, emailed, texted, but she never responded. I realized later that her parents probably made her change all her accounts. And they took her out of the country; they really wanted to get her away from me. All of this was years ago, though. She’s an adult now. I figure she can get in touch with me, but they must have convinced her that I’m the scum of the earth.”
“That’s terrible!”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “Although, it made me a stronger person. And who knows? If they hadn’t done that, I might not have become an EMT, and then I wouldn’t have met you.” He gave her a coy smile.
She raised an eyebrow. “Are medical personnel supposed to flirt with their patients?”
“Not usually, but it’s acceptable if they’re exceptionally pretty.” His smile could have coaxed anyone into mischief.
Elizabeth laughed. “You’re incorrigible!”
After he checked her vital signs on the monitor, his face grew serious. “I would advise you to stay away from Darcy; he’s not a good person.”
Elizabeth made a sour face. “I noticed that. Unfortunately, I’ll be a PA on his new movie, so I can’t avoid him altogether.”
“In the Shadows?”
“I didn’t realize there was already buzz about it.”
“Are you kidding? Anything with Darcy. Even after the scandal, his fans are true fanatics. They think he’s a nice guy.” He gave her a knowing look. “Just wait until word gets out that filming has started. Teenage girls will cluster around the studio gates just hoping to get a glimpse of him driving in or out.”
Elizabeth couldn’t imagine being that attached to someone she didn’t know personally. “Where do people find the time to be obsessive fans? I mean, don’t they have jobs and families? Seriously, I’d need to squeeze in my obsessing between 7:00 and 7:15 a.m.”
George’s hearty laugh was very gratifying. He wasn’t a Hollywood actor expecting special treatment. She would take a genuine person over a movie fake any day.
He glanced out the window as the ambulance slowed down. “We’re pulling into the hospital.”
Elizabeth wriggled around until she could reach the cell phone in her back pocket. “Why don’t you give me your number? I can’t promise anything, but if the casting director is looking for an actor and you fit the part, I’ll put in a good word for you.”
George’s eyes lit up. “You would do that for me? That’s…wow, I’m so…touched.”
It was a little thing, but Elizabeth got a warm feeling when she was able to help someone out. “It’s the least I can do. You’re taking pretty good care of me.”
“I do that. Especially with the pretty ones.” George winked at her just as the ambulance rumbled to a stop.
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About the Author
Victoria Kincaid is the author of several popular Jane Austen variations, including The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth, Pride & Proposals, Mr. Darcy to the Rescue, When Mary Met the Colonel, and Darcy vs. Bennet. All of her books have been listed in Amazon’s Top 20 Bestselling Regency Romances. The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth was nominated for a Rone award, and Pride and Proposals was recognized as a top Austenesque novel for 2015 by Austenesque Reviews.
Victoria has a Ph.D. in English literature and has taught composition to unwilling college students. Today she teaches business writing to willing office professionals and tries to give voice to the demanding cast of characters in her head.
She lives in Virginia with an overly affectionate cat, an excessively energetic dog, two children who love to read, and a husband who fortunately is not jealous of Mr. Darcy. A lifelong Austen fan, Victoria has read more Jane Austen variations and sequels than she can count – and confesses to an extreme partiality for the Colin Firth miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice.
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* * * GIVEAWAY * * *
It's giveaway time! Victoria is giving away one e-copy of Darcy in Hollywood to one of my lucky readers! To enter, please leave a comment below!
- One person will win an e-copy of Darcy in Hollywood.
- To enter, leave a comment below.
- The winner will be randomly selected.
- Open Internationally!
- Last day to enter the giveaway is July 12th, 2019, by the end of the day.
Good luck!
Many thanks to Victoria Kincaid for inviting me on the tour, and for generously giving away an e-copy of her book to one of my readers!
Be sure to check back for the winner announcement!
So, what did you think of this Wickham?? Always the sly one isn't he?!
