Today we have the pleasure to welcome Lila DiPasqua on Book Lovers Inc. Lila was here in July to promote her first book, Awakened by A kiss and we are now very happy to welcome her again for the release of her second book The Princess in His Bed. Her sexy twists on fairy tales won’t leave you cold, I promise you. *wink* Stay tuned and you could win one of her books. Bienvenue Lila
What kind of woman can charm a charming rake? . . .by Lila DiPasqua
I’ve written a historical romance anthology for Berkley. It’s rather scandalous. My new release, (second in my Fiery Tales series), THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, is a Fiery Tales collection – steamy retellings of three classic fairy tales in the one book. I love it when historical heroes are sinfully seductive bad boys.
In THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, I’ve created three of them.
There is something about seeing an unrepentant rake fall hopelessly in love with the heroine that I find downright delicious. And in THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED they do fall for them – hard.
Yet, what kind of woman can totally turn a seasoned roué and steal his heart? I paired off very different women with each of the men in these three Fiery Tales. Three women with different backgrounds and personalities, yet their impact on these rakes is the same. Poor heroes. They didn’t stand a chance. These lovely ladies are unlike anyone these gorgeous men have ever met – and much to their surprise, they’ve found their perfect match.
In the first Fiery Tale in THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, The Marquis’ New Clothes, the hero Adam de Vey, Marquis de Nattes is very sexy—tall, dark and oh so wickedly handsome—and he loves the finer things in life; he has a penchant for expensive clothes and beautiful women. And an abundance of both! He’s been in love with his late friend’s wife, Aimee—for years.
Widow Aimee de Miran wants nothing to do with Adam. She believes he’s as big a womanizer as her late husband had been. Her husband had broken Aimee’s heart with his infidelities. Another libertine is the last man she’d ever want. Throw in a newly arrived wardrobe for Adam, a ring her cousin accidentally drop into one of his pockets—a ring that Aimee must retrieve—and Aimee’s staid life is about to get a whole lot more interesting. Confident she’s immune to his charms, she’s going to seduce this master of seduction in order to get close enough to search his pockets and locate the ring . . .Adam has his own seduction in mind. Yet, he never anticipated that just one luscious kiss from Aimee could level him! Let the fire and fun begin! *winks*
The second Fiery Tale, The Lovely Duckling, has a very unique heroine. Emilie is a burn victim. The fire that claimed the lives of her parents left her with scars and burns to her body. She is strong. Life has forced her to be. She’s endured the worst teasing and name-calling all her life. Her introduction to society was the last straw. That night, she was publicly humiliated, the hero, Joseph regrettably a part of the fiasco. For ten years, Emilie has withdrawn from society. Now she’s back and she’s determined to grab a bit of bliss—albeit strictly physical. Believing love and marriage are unattainable, she’s convinced that at least a physical encounter is doable. How? Well, she’s going to use the anonymity of a masquerade—orgiastic—ball in order to find a willing lover, and indulge. She never expected that the very man she gives herself to is none other than Joseph.
Forced to pretend to be his twin brother, Vincent, Joseph hates the deception. But he can’t tell Emilie that it’s him and not his brother who’s been corresponding with her for a year—the man she trusts and has revealed her sexual longings to. He knows she hates Joseph because of what happened at her coming out party. Joseph regrets his past actions and wants to make amends. She’s a woman who doesn’t dress provocatively, has scars to her body and yet he’s totally undone by her. Through their correspondence, they’ve become close. He wants her. He wants to strip away her inhibitions and show her just what a beautiful swan she truly is.
Gabrielle is a princess – a princess on a mission in The Princess and the Diamonds. She loves her half-brother and is determined to win back everything he’s lost at an illegal gaming den. She dons a disguise and gambles with “borrowed” royal diamonds at a high-stakes illegal card game. Raised at court, Gabrielle has learned to keep her emotions hidden. She’s got an icy exterior, one that Mathias, Marquis de Montfort is determined to melt. He’s just as determined to learn all of this fascinating woman’s secrets—including her true identity. Unfortunately, he’s got to keep secrets of his own. He’s on a mission for the Crown. His mission is to enforce the ban the King has placed on the card game Basset and see to the arrest of those who dare to play it. But can he turn in the woman who stirs his heart as strongly as she affects his body? And what will he do when he realizes the woman he has thoroughly and deliciously debauched is the King’s own daughter?
QUESTION: What’s your favorite fairy tale heroine?
One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of AWAKENED BY A KISS or THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED—winner’s choice! GIVEAWAY OPEN WORLDWIDE.
About the book:
Inspired by “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Ugly Duckling, and “The Princess and the Pea,” Lila DiPasqua spins three sexy tales that give new meaning to the term bedtime story…
The Marquis’ New Clothes: To save her cousin, Aimee de Miran must retrieve a jeweled ring from the most sinfully seductive man at court, the Marquis de Nattes. But to search his considerable wardrobe she’ll have to get very close to the notorious rake…and soon she finds herself very close to him indeed, with his clothes—and hers—utterly forgotten…
The Lovely Duckling: Reputed for his carnal skills, Joseph d’Alumbert prefers amorous encounters without emotional entanglement—until a quick-witted lady stirs tender feelings and hot desire. Emilie de Sarron suffered burns to her body as an infant, and keeps her scars—and her heart—well hidden. But Joseph is determined to peel away her inhibitions, one slow steamy kiss at a time, to reveal the beautiful swan inside…
The Princess and the Diamonds: Princess Gabrielle can’t sleep at night. There is something hard in her bed. No, not just the stolen diamonds tucked under her mattress, but the handsome Marquis on it….whose carnal talents she can’t resist. But he threatens her secret mission, and worse, she stands to lose far more than the diamonds—her heart is at stake….
“…Strong-minded heroines you can relate to, breathtaking carnally gifted male leads…DiPasqua writes with a comfortable elegance and grace, and in turn, crafts a sexy collection that readers will love.” – Fresh Fiction.
“Ripe with steamy affairs, these lusty stories are hot enough to warm the coldest winter night.” – Publishers Weekly
Allow me to introduce you to my sexy rake, Adam de Vey, Marquis de Nattes. Read an excerpt from The Marquis’ New Clothes in THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED – http://www.liladipasqua.com/princessbook.html
Read a juicy excerpt of AWAKNED BY A KISS—
http://www.liladipasqua.com/awakenbook.html
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~*Giveaway*~*~
Lila is offering a signed copy of Awakened By A Kiss or The Princess in His Bed to 1 lucky commenter
All you have to do is answer Lila’s question
or leave a meaningful comment about the interview.
Please leave us a way to contact you
(email in blogger profile or twitter name-
no way to contact you – no entry).
This giveaway is International
Giveaway ends on Saturday, November 27th and we will announce the winner on Sunday.
Good luck!
About Caro The HEA Lover
Caroline is a HEA loving, yarn addicted French who's desperately hoping to get a HEA of her own. If she's not reading then she can be found knitting while listening to Audiobooks or watching Tv shows. Her secret addiction is reading websites that make fun at other people's expense (DYAC, Failbook)! Caroline also blogs at the Secret HEA Society with Susi.
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My favorite fairy tale heroine has always been Cinderella, although it's probably partially because it's the first Disney movie I can remember my parents taking me to see.
I always liked that no matter how nasty her family was to her, she stayed kind and even when she had the chance to get revenge on them, she chose not to. Plus, she had that awesome blonde hair and blue dress. When I was a little girl, I coveted that stuff (until Sleeping Beauty came out and then I wanted to be Aurora).
My favorite fairy tale heroine is Snow White. As a child, I wanted to be her and make friends with the the dwarves.
Misha
mishamary@gmail.com
I think my favorite fairy tale was always puss in boots. He was so smart and very clever.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
Hi, Lila! So nice to see you here at Book Lovers, Inc. This is my first visit to the site–very nice : ) Lila, your "Fiery Tales" are redesigned for grownups, but you still capture our fantasies in a most fanciful way! "Awakened by a Kiss" is absolutely audaciously amorous, and I so look forward to reading "The Princess in His Bed". Next year, after a long wait…the reward will be great! You will treat us with "A Midnight Dance"!
My favorite fairy tale heroine is Cinderella. She remained true to herself through all her trials and tribulations. She overcame her difficulties and triumphed over adversity. Her true love recognized her for the person she really was, and deservedly, Cinderella found her "HEA".
gcwhiskas at aol dot com
My favourite fairy tale heroine is Belle from Beauty and the Beast because she was so smart and could actually think for herself. Apart from that, she was also beautiful and kind!
Thank you for the contest!:D
k_anon[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk
I think Beauty from Beauty and the Beast would have to be my favourite. Strong minded, heart of gold. Great heroine.
I love fairy tales and would totally love to read your book. My favorite fairy tale heroine is Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She was strong, brave, smart, and courageous. She didn’t lust after the handsome man everyone else lusted after, but instead she fell in love with a beast. More than that, after the beast let her go, she came back to him and saved him. As much as I love fairy tales, the damsel in distress and the prince to the rescue cliché has gotten a bit overdone, in Beauty and the Best, Belle saved the beast rather than the other way around.
Okay, I have to go with a new fairy tale (more recent, I mean), and choose Giselle from Enchanted. I *loved* that movie sooooo much. It truly is a story for the modern woman. We grow up thinking about happily ever after and then life happens and we lose part of that. Some of us get lucky, but others don't. Enchanted included both these elements, where the everything is wonderful all the time heroine is introduced to real life and the trials/tribulations that are within it. She's able to grow and adapt and still find her happily ever after. *sigh*
I know it's not the same as Cinderella or Snow White or the others that have been around for 400 years, but it came to mind first.
Cinderella i loved how she had a such a hard time living with her step family but she was still so nice and pure regardless of what happend to her and then she got her happy ending 🙂
Cinderella i loved how she had a such a hard time living with her step family but she was still so nice and pure regardless of what happend to her and then she got her happy ending 🙂
Hi Lila and much much congratulations on the success of your novels. So being a big bad wolf myself I vote for "Little Red Riding Hood" as the ultimate of female heroines – not only is she brave, resourceful … she is very astute and capable, self sufficient… and I must add discriminating enough to not allow just "any" big bad ol' wolf to eat her …
My favorite has always been Cinderella. She was horribly abused and ill used by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, yet she never lost her spark or zest for life. Of course, this is ignoring the Brothers Grimm version in which toes were cut off to fit in the shoes.
Tracey
author (at) charter (dot) net
My favorite fairy tale heroine is Belle from Beauty & The Beast. She was a woman who knew that love from the inside-out. A great metaphor for children. Never judge a book by it's cover and always see the heart of a person first.
jenma76 at hotmail dot com
Cinderella is a favorite heroine! Well, she is every woman. All the house work and then her man thinks she is gorgeous at the end of the day! Right!?
@ B. — I LOVED your answer! Thanks so much for sharing it with me. 🙂
@Misha1989 — Snow White was definitely a popular and beloved gal (except by that scary wicked queen!). Thanks for stopping by to chat! 🙂
@debbie –Yay! A vote for Puss in Boots! I loved that clever cat. I wrote my own version — Bewitching in Boots — in AWAKENED BY A KISS. It's the first book in my Fiery Tales series. 🙂
@Virginia C —What an absolutely lovely compliment!! Thank you for your kind words about my books. I'm ever so delighted you enjoyed AWAKENED BY A KISS. 🙂 And I enjoyed reading your answer to my question. Very well put–re: Cinderella. 🙂
@Kulsuma — Very nice choice! Belle definitely had those wonderful qualities! 🙂
@ Kathy — Well said! She's a popular fairy tale heroine–for those very reasons. Thanks for sharing!
@Lia Bal– "in Beauty and the Best, Belle saved the beast rather than the other way around."<<<That's my favorite aspect of this wonderful fairy tale! Glad you stopped by! Thank you for your interest in THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED. 🙂
@Noelle — You know, that's one of the few fairy tale movies I haven't seen. I've got to watch it now. You've stirred up my interest with your response. Thanks so much! 🙂
@Elizabeth — She really did earn her HEA, didn't she? Fantastic, totally timeless fairy tale! Thanks for stopping by to share your answer with me. 🙂
@Archer — LOL!!! Has anyone ever told you you should be a writer? *winks* Oh, and I hope you'll check out my version of Little Red Riding Hood– Little Red Writing found in AWAKENED BY A KISS–especially the desk scene. 😉
@Tracey/Annon.—Great fairy tale heroine and, yes…Some of the earlier versions were a tad too dark and disturbing. Glad you stopped by! 🙂
I loved Cinderella! Rags to riches story get me everytime! She was brave and did not complain! She made the best at what she had and got the prince in the end. Thanks for sharing!
evjochum@aol.com
@ Scorpio — "Never judge a book by it's cover and always see the heart of a person first." Love that! Well said!! 🙂
@krazymama_98 — LOL…Awesome answer! She *is* every woman. And yes, every woman wants a gorgeous man to tell her at the end of the day that she's beautiful. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
@ Johanna – Well put! She's an absolutely awesome fairy tale heroine! Glad you stopped by to share with me! 🙂
Hi again Lila,
it is certainly a lot of fun following you around on your blog tour.
I've answered a similar question wtih Sleeping Beauty cos I could really dig the sleep….hehe!!!!
But, I also like The Little Mermaid although the original story is sad and doesn't have a happy ending and I always wanted to kick the princes behind….Disney did a lovely version.
Valerie
in Germany
I have heard great things about these books and cannot wait to read them. I love books with humor!
robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com
I have always loved Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She is strongwilled, intelligent and she can handle herself. Aside from that she is beautiful and compassionate.
Thanks for the great giveaway 🙂
mrsjohnson1982 at yahoo dot com
I love Belle from Beauty and the Beast as well! She's strong and confident, and plus she loves to read, which is a bonus. She knew that appearances weren't what was important; it's what on the inside that matters.
Plus there was that annoying, arrogant other guy whose name I forget, who wanted to marry Belle, and I love that she just straight up walks away from him and makes it clear that she's not interested.
Res498(AT)aol.com
I guess Snow White would be my favorite fairy tale heroine. I mean, girlfriend was pretty brave to "barge" into someone's home and make herself comfortable! 😉
Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
Hummmmm Cindarella, Rupunzel, Snow White, o so many to think of. I have always liked fairy tales, but know that i have read your work, with such great twist on them, I do believe that I love fairy tales know.
Melody
himnhernow@yahoo.com
Most heroines in fairy tales are too passive for me. But the princess in "The Princess and the Pea" had the audacity to tell her hosts that her bed was uncomfortable. On one hand, I'm appalled by the lack of tact. On the other, why put up with discomfort if one doesn't have to?
ironss[at]gmail.com
I'd say Belle from Beauty and the Beast as my favorite. She was tough,strong willed always wanting to learn more,looked beyond appearance to find the good.
elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net
I enjoyed the interview and I'm looking forward to reading both Awakened by a Kiss and The Princess in His Bed.
I'd say my favorite fairy tale heroine is Cinderella. I've always loved the story.
Barbed1951(at)aol(dot)com
I have to go with Cinderella. I remember watching it as a kid but to me Cinderella is the fairy tale story. It what first comes to mind for me when people talk about fairy tales.
Lisa B
modokker At yahoo dot com
@Valerie– Glad you're following! Yay! You made me LOL over your sleeping comment. Amen to that. 🙂
@robin K– Thanks so much for the lovely comment! I do like to put in humor in my books. Can't help myself. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
@ missreneer – Well said! I couldn't have described her any better. Thanks so much for stopping by to share. 🙂
@rachel445—I think you mean Lefou–the guy Belle rejected. I love it that in French that translates to "the crazy one"…LOL (Because Beauty and the Beast is originally a French Fairy tale and Belle –meaning beautiful etc.) It's such a wonderful fairy tale! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
@FredTownWard — I'm not familiar with those, but I am familiar with Rapunzel. Thanks for stopping by to share. 🙂
@Tracey D —LOL! Loved your answer!! 🙂
@Melody –Great choices in fairy tale heroines! 🙂
@Sheree — LOL….That's so true! Why indeed. I hope you'll like my version of The Princess and the Pea — The Princess and the Diamonds. There are a couple of things that are hard in her bed. *winks*
@elaing8 –She's clearly a favorite here! Nicely put! 🙂
@Barbara E. –Thanks so much for you interest in my books! I hope you enjoy them. Oh, and I love Cinderella, too. 🙂
@Lisa B –I'm with you on that! Cinderella is the first fairy tale I think of, too. Thanks for dropping in to share! 🙂
The Little Mermaid!
I love how she sacrifices herself in the end, it makes for such an emotional, strong story and was very displeased with the Happy Disney Ending.
Hi Lila,
I'll go with Belle from Beauty and The Beast. An independent, free thinking and intelligent woman. She knew true love was all about looking into the heart of the man and knew you can't judge a book by it's cover.
I love that she chose the Beast. 🙂
Looking forward to reading your newest Fairy Tale Lila. Love your versions. 🙂
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com
I think my favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast since it has the message that looks aren't everything.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
I love Belle from The Beauty and the Beast, because she's smart and didn't sit waiting for her prince to solve the problems in her life x_x'
sweet.sayumi@yahoo.com.br
My favorite heroine is Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She knows what she wants. She is smart and intelligent and will not settle for a guy who has the looks and gives her attention. She wants more than that. Despite the Beasts looks, she sees the real person inside and falls in love with him. She never judges him by his looks. She accepts who he is. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
HI LILA!!
Easy one for me, it's Belle- she's a book junkie who becomes a princess, what's not to admire? lol
midnite dot fantasy at gmail dot com
Favorite fairy tale heroine… Cinderella probably. I'm still waiting for my prince to come.
Carole
carole720@msn.com
My favorite fairy tale heroine is definitely Cinderella. She was kind and had an inner strength. This makes her a true beauty, someone who is beautiful from the inside.
angeldream3(at)gmail(dot)com
My favourite has always been Sleeping Beauty. I can't really say why. I think it's because Prince Charming has to find his princess without her doing anything (well, she is asleep after all:-)). I like the fact that he can just "find" her.
I would love to read one of your books!
claudigc at msn dot com
If it's straight fairytales, I'll go with Sleeping Beauty. My favorite Disney version is Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
My favorite fairy tale heroine is Belle from "Beauty and the Beast". She was able to look beyond the surface and find the true person beneath.
BornajhwakATaolDOTcom
My favorite fairy tale heroine is Cinderella .
raluk.93 at gmail (dot) com
My favortie fairy tale heroine is Cinderella. She was the one that always stood out to me because I figured I could relate to her the most. She had an evil step mother. I had an evil step father and step mother. LOL, they may have not been evil, but they made it clear what they thought of my sister and I. My parents divorced when I was young and I gew up thinking I was never good enough. My step mom would have loved if we weren't in the picture and my step dad picked on me especially being the mirror image of my father. Yes, he was also a slave driver. I did an insane amount of chores around the house. Growing up, Cinderella was the one who I related to and she was the one who had me praying for my prince charming
june111@att.net
I have always loved the UNGLY DUCKLING 🙂 I see that you have written THE LOVELY DUCKLING and would love to read that!
Chrizette
baychriz at gmail dot com