Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Summer Lovin' - Guest post by Lila DiPasqua & giveaway


Fairy tales are one thing…but Fiery Tales are quite another! by Lila DiPasqua

Thanks so much for having me!

For those of you who don’t know me, I write wicked & witty a historical romance for Penguin/Berkley.

And I’m the odd one on the block.

Yes, it’s true! When other new authors have landed on the scene with historical romances set in England or Scotland—I picked 17th century France.

“Why, Lila?” you ask? Well, it’s because my Fiery Tales series is about…well, fairy tales. Retellings of three classic fairy tales in each book, to be exact. Yes, you get three sinfully seductive rakes inside each novel—–both AWAKENED BY A KISS (out now) and my newest release, THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED!

I know what you’re thinking; that doesn’t explain the setting. Seventeenth century France? Really?

Yes, really. Here’s why. I love history. I love Regency England, and I love fairy tales. How do these connect? Allow me to explain.

Long before the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, 17th century French lawyer/writer Charles Perrault did something no one had done before. He was the first to write down folklore and add morals to his stories—stories like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood and Bluebeard, to name a few. He was the creator of THE TALES OF MOTHER GOOSE!

At first, his stories were frowned upon. Especially by those who attended those renowned 17th c. salons of Paris—places of enlightenment, hosted by the women of the upper class, where the aristocracy and the literati (poets, dramatists, grammarians) gathered to discuss and debate history, religion, politics and literature. After all, these tales had been popular with the illiterate. The intellectually and socially elite felt it was beneath them to acknowledge Perrault’s fairy tales.

But fairy tales have an appeal and magic of their very own. They’re wonderful, timeless and rather irresistible (sort of like the rakes in AWAKENED BY A KISS and THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED *winks*).

In short order, the genre of fairy tales took off and soon became a highly fashionable subject of conversation at every salon in the city.

But just what was Perrault’s world like? Well now, it was just as refined as Regency England. I kid you not! Full of decadence, you had distinguished lords and lovely ladies who lived in city mansions and sprawling palatial country estates. There were spectacular ballrooms and elaborate masquerade balls. Theater—and plenty of scandalous behavior. All those elements you love about the Regency period are found in the time and place when the genre of fairy tales was born!

“But, Lila, will I really be able to connect with this different time period?” Of course! THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, has “strong- minded heroines you can relate to” and “breathtaking carnally gifted male leads”. (Fresh Fiction)

I’ve written something that will feel familiar to historical romance readers, yet at the same time offer them something different and fresh! Dare to step into the world of fairy tales? Be prepared to be scandalized!

Once upon a wicked time. . . I hope you enjoy these fun, sensual stories.

Oh, and watch for my first full-length Fiery Tale—A MIDNIGHT DANCE—out August, 2011!! A sexy retelling of Cinderella, as it’s never been done before!

A MIDNIGHT DANCE
Berkley (Sensation)
ISBN: 978-0425241981
Historical Romance/Aug. 2011

Inspired by the tale of Cinderella, Lila DiPasqua weaves a steamy historical romance that offers a glass slipper, a dangerous deception, and an impoverished beauty determined to find her handsome prince...and make him pay.

Matching wits and wiles with a man of Jules de Moutier's seductive skill is not as easy as Sabine Laurent supposed. Soon, she must decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than her desire for her one and only prince...


Read an excerpt of THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED –


Read an excerpt of AWAKENED BY A KISS—


About the Author:

Lila DiPasqua writes wicked & witty historical romance for Penguin/Berkley. She lives with her real-life hero husband and three children and is a firm believer in the happily-ever-after. She loves history and enjoys traveling. She has been to four continents so far. Her novels, AWAKENED BY A KISS, and THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED are featured in Doubleday as well as Rhapsody Book Clubs. To learn more about Lila and her books, visit www.LilaDiPasqua.com

You can also find Lila on:


QUESTION: Name me something you recently read in a romance novel you felt was different.

One random commenter will win a copy of AWAKENED BY A KISS or THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED. Winner’s choice.
Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

18 comments:

  1. debbieJanuary 12, 2011 at 10:16 PM

    I read one that was talking about current events. That is unusual to me.
    twoofakind12@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Crystal @ RBtWBCJanuary 13, 2011 at 12:10 AM

    In Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall (PR)the immortals, a kind of sister race I guess you could say to vampires, could only eat organic or they would become ill. I thought that was new and different.

    readingbetweenthewines10@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. LSUReaderJanuary 13, 2011 at 3:22 AM

    In Still the One (Robin Wells) the secret/long-lost baby plot is twisted. The mother is the one who hasn't seen the adopted child since birth; the father reintroduces them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jolene and FamilyJanuary 13, 2011 at 6:30 AM

    I am currently reading Cattitude by Edie Ramer. The heroine in this story is a cat who switched bodies with a human. The cat is in the human body and having strange feelings toward her human owner Max. It's different and new and kind of interesting because she still thinks like a cat and is experiencing all these new sensations
    june111@att.net

    ReplyDelete
  5. Elena GrayJanuary 13, 2011 at 6:54 AM

    I recently read a story in which the hero dies. Aren't they supposed to have happy endings? I don't don't usually cry when I read a book, but this one definitely got me. I didn't see it coming.

    cbandy10(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lila DiPasquaJanuary 13, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    @ Debbie--Thanks for stopping in to share! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lila DiPasquaJanuary 13, 2011 at 10:56 AM

    @ Crystal --That does sound different! Thank you for stopping in to chat with me. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lila DiPasquaJanuary 13, 2011 at 10:57 AM

    @ LSUReader --I've never read Robin Wells but that does sound interesting. Thanks for sharing! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lila DiPasquaJanuary 13, 2011 at 11:00 AM

    @ Jolene--Oh wow. That definitely sounds different. Thank you for stopping in! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lila DiPasquaJanuary 13, 2011 at 11:01 AM

    @ Cindy L --Oh, that would definitely knock anyone back. I think I prefer a HEA. Thanks for sharing with me! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. ♫♥✿Chas @ LovLivLife Reviews✿♥♫January 14, 2011 at 4:59 PM

    Aloha Lila!=)

    LOL. I can just imagine the stuffy atmosphere in the 17th c. Salon the someone like Charles Perrault livening up the place a bit with grand tales. My interest would definitely pique.


    As for the question. I have been fortunate to read a few great books that have tipped the normal plot line. Meljean Brook's anthology in Burned is FANTASTIC! The entire story is 'balls of the walls' crazy fun to read! The ending is WOW. I never expected it to end the way it. A must read in the Steampunk Romance genre- my first ever. Why am i so bonkers over it? It's different. The female love interest shoots the man she loves in front of everyone in a bar. Holding back the spoilers, sorry!

    I enjoy books that change up the plot but there are few rules that my read must not break- one being mentioned above by Cindy L. Kill the Hero, especially, if he is the love interest. Ack! Mayday, mayday. I;m with you Lila, HEA all the way. But it doesn't have to be smooth sailing. Clay Dancers in Kelley Armstrong series has a permanently injured arm. Big up the hero/heroine. Take them through hell and back but don;t kill them off. Who am I suppose to root for if the hero is dead?



    *sigh* Great post Lila!! Great event Strange Candy!!!=)

    ReplyDelete
  12. ♫♥✿Chas @ LovLivLife Reviews✿♥♫January 14, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    Damn, proof reading and trigger finger is my down fall. Hope you can make out my novel comment!!=)

    ReplyDelete
  13. ♫♥✿Chas @ LovLivLife Reviews✿♥♫January 14, 2011 at 5:03 PM

    Oh. I recently read a YA PNR book that really took me for a loop. The love interest I thought was going to happen- didn't. Although I think there is a love triangle coming up in the next installment.
    Actually, the love interest turned out to be someone very unexpected but so right for the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  14. MeredithJanuary 16, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    I recently read a romance where the heroine was confused for her sister who was a professional mistress.

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Book Chatter CathJanuary 16, 2011 at 12:09 PM

    I started reading a YA series about reapers and bean sídhe (banshee's) and I havent come across those before:)
    cbcowley@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. ♫♥✿Chas @ LovLivLife Reviews✿♥♫January 16, 2011 at 7:05 PM

    @ Cath's Chatter- I've heard of banshees but never a bean sidhe. Interesting!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Mary KirklandJanuary 17, 2011 at 10:23 PM

    I just read Beast Behaving Badly By Shelly Laurenston and in the book the Hero was a Polar Bear- Lion Shifter who had Tusks or what his Heroince called fangs...to me that was different. I've read about many different shifters but a Polar bear-Lion was a new one for me.

    miztik_rose@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. ♫♥✿Chas @ LovLivLife Reviews✿♥♫January 29, 2011 at 3:56 AM

    @ Mary- Polar Bear- Lion Shifter sounds really interesting!!!=)

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)