December Joyathon: Interview + Giveaway with Lila DiPasqua

click to read an excerpt

Meet Lila:
At age fourteen, Lila’s best friend sneaked a romance novel out of her grandmother’s house. After devouring it, Lila was hooked on romance novels for life. Today 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. Weaving in interesting historical facts she discovers during her travels, Lila writes stories about historical alpha-heroes and the heroines who make them lose their hearts.

Where To Find Lila: Author Site | Twitter | Facebook | Blog

Kati: Who is Lila during the holidays? (author, gift giver, last minute shopper, baker)
Lila: Definitely author (I always seem to have deadlines during the holiday season) and gift giver. I love Christmas shopping! I used to have my Christmas shopping done in October. (Yeah, you read that correctly. LOL). Plus, I have a wild obsession with Christmas ornaments. And it’s my birthday during the holiday season. I just love this time of year. (Happy Birthday!)

Funky red tree purchased by Mr. D

As for baker, forget it! I’m horrible. Seriously, I’m so challenged in this department. I have baker-envy of anyone who does it well---because I can’t. :) My gift to those around me is to *not* bake for them. LOL

K: What is your favorite thing about the holidays?
L: Getting together with people I love—and the decorations! (Did I mention my obsession with Christmas ornaments? *winks*). It’s the reason why we have multiple trees in our home.

K: Do you write more or less during the holidays?
L: That depends on the deadline. I have a lot of writing to do this Christmas. And last Christmas I was doing edits on A MIDNIGHT DANCE. Being an author has been my dream. So I’m not complaining! :)

click to read an excerpt

K: If you’ve written a holiday themed/titled book, what is it about? If you have not, would you write a holiday themed/titled book in the future?
L: Actually, I had planned to write a short Fiery Tale with a Christmas theme this Christmas. But I’ve had to put it aside for now. I do intend to return to it. I’d love to give my readers something with a holiday theme to enjoy.

K: Which of your heroes would you go on a sleigh ride with? (with permission from the heroine of course)
L: Can I pick them all? I adore them equally. LOL. (taking the easy way out, I see.)

K: What is your favorite Christmas story, book or movie? (Mine is White Christmas)
L: My favorite movie has to be Charles Dickens’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL. There have been so many movie remakes, and I never tire of watching them. But I think my favorite is the old black and white 1951 version starring Alastair Sim. He made such a great Scrooge.

As for favorite Christmas story, I’m going to pick THE CHRISTMAS DOLL by Elvira Woodruff. It’s a children’s novel I’ve read to my girls. Sadly, this book is out of print, though you might be able to find it in your local library. It’s 151 pages long and one of the most touching,
beautifully written stories about two little orphaned sisters with no one to count on but each other—and an ordinary doll they find discarded near the river—set in Victorian, England. If you find a copy of this book, get it and read it! It’s sure to bring a tear to your eye and put a smile on your face. Your children will love it. And so will you.

Lila's tree. Purty isn't it?

K: Real tree or fake tree?
L: We have five Christmas trees every year. The largest one is ten feet tall with a foot tall angel on top. They’re all artificial, and we love them all.

K: Specific gifts or gift cards?
L: Specific gifts, definitely.

K: Fruit cake or gingerbread?
L: Definitely gingerbread. We make a gingerbread house every year.

K: Home for the holidays or visiting relatives?
L: Home for the holidays. We always host Christmas dinner—Mr. DiPasqua is a fabulous cook!

K: What is on your New Year’s resolution list?
L: To write more steamy, romantic—and of course scandalous—historical romances to delight my readers. (YES PLEASE!)

K: Do you celebrate the holidays differently since you live in a different country?
L: Our Christmas celebration is no different than you’d find in the US. I live in Toronto. Believe it or not, we don’t always have a snowy winter. We’ve had many Christmases where we haven’t had any snow at all. We have a big turkey dinner. Desserts. With Christmas carols playing softly in the background. And a warm fire burning in the fireplace.

K: Author’s choice.
L: Tell me –what’s your favorite holiday movie or Christmas carol?

One lucky commenter will win a great, sexy holiday anthology –THE NAUGHTY LIST BY Donna Kauffman, Cynthia Eden and Susan Fox and a signed set of Romance Trading cards from my Fiery Tales series!

Thanks Lila for participating in the Joyathon!

THE NAUGHTY LIST:

Naughty But Nice- DONNA KAUFFMAN
Businessman Griffin’s never believed in luck…until sassy-sweet small-town baker Melody turns his world around. Except there’s a catch: There’s no way he’ll be able to build his empire and hold on to her. His new “lucky charm” could destroy all his dreams…or make this Christmas better than he ever imagined possible…
All I Want for Christmas- CYNTHIA EDEN
Good girl toy inventor Christie takes a walk on the naughty side when she sparks a no-strings fling with Santa—actually, sexy cop Jonas in a Santa suit. She loves her new “bad girl” persona, except as the holidays approach, she starts falling, and hard, for this known’ “love ’em and leave ’em” ladies man…
Tattoos and Mistletoe- SUSAN FOX
Charlie returns to her hometown to fix up her aunt’s B&B, but she doesn’t count on LJ handling the renovations. Nerdy LJ pined for her in school, but now he’s grown into the town’s hottest bachelor. Charlie’s been burned before and won’t let him get close. But LJ’s determined to break down her walls and make her dearest Christmas wish come true.

Where To Buy: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook | Book Depository
Book Extras: Read an Excerpt from Cynthia Eden and Susan Fox

You heard the lady! Lila is giving away a copy of THE NAUGHTY LIST anthology as well as a set of her Fiery Fairy Tales trading cards to one(1) lucky reader. Here's how to enter:

• Leave a comment answering Lila's question along with your email addy, ninja style: yourname at gmail dot com.
• Fill out the rafflecopter form below. You must answer Lila's question. All other entries are optional but I would recommend on following Lila's blog. She's got an awesome feature at the beginning of the month where Mr. D interviews a Romance Husband(RH)--the man behind the author.

Easy peasy right? Don't forget to enter for the awesome super secret prize here.

A huge thank you to Lila for participating in the Joyathon, providing the fun pictures and for giving away a copy of THE NAUGHTY LIST and a set of her trading cards.

Happy Birthday Delilah & Lila!

I heart her like nobody's business.

Today is a double whammy. Hot men (Man Candy Monday) AND Delilah Marvelle and Lila DiPasqua's BIRTHDAYS!!!!! It's totally cosmic since Lila's name is in Delilah's *giggle*. Anyway, they're both such fabulous, fun and dirty sexy writers. I love them both.

Ms. Lila DiPasqua

Totally unfortunate that I couldn't get a picture with Lila since she wasn't able to go to RomCon11. Someday I'll be able to post the pictures side by side. Heck! A Lila/Delilah sandwich would be all sorts of fantastic.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DELILAH AND LILA!!!

Today is party like a rockstar in your birthday suit day ♥

Review: A Midnight Dance by Lila DiPasqua

A MIDNIGHT DANCE by Lila DiPasqua
FORMAT: Paperback
GENRE: Historical Romance
TRADE PAPERBACK: 355 pages
PUBLISHER: Berkley Sensation (August 2,2011)

Born into wealth, Sabine Laurent and her twin sister lived a life of luxury, their father's prestigious theater frequented by royalty and aristocracy alike. And Sabine dreamed of her own Prince Charming--the devastatingly handsome Jules de Moutier.

That was before the loss of her sister and her family's fall from grace--a disaster Sabine blames on the Moutier family. Now, with her father's death, she's inherited his sizable debt and the responsibility of caring for his spoiled longtime mistress and her two wastrel daughters. But with the help of Sabine's eccentric friends--the balance of her father's acting troupe--she plants to get very close to her old infatuation, seduce the rake--an make off with a fortune.

Resisting Jules's skillful mouth and tantalizing touch is not as easy as Sabine supposed, though. And soon she must decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than her desire for her one and only prince... (source: back cover)

WHERE TO FIND LILA: Author Site | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Blog
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook | Book Depository
BOOK EXTRAS: Read an Excerpt

Go and buy it NOW!

OTHER BOOKS BY LILA (click on covers to find out more):




REVIEW and Book Trailer:

Dear Lila DiPasqua,
Please package this book with a cold water bottle so that I can pour it down my shirt while reading.
Love,
Kati R

OMG y'all. This book is HOT, HOT, HOT. I can hear Charles Perrault turning in his grave. Good heavens! Like Sabine trying to describe the hotness of Jules while he was bathing, there are no adequate words to describe this book. Like Jules reading the first sentence of Sabine's journal, I was ensnared. Like the chemistry between Jules and Sabine, this book was bliss.

This is Cinderella like you've never had it re-told before. Yes, there's still a glass slipper. Yes, there is still a Prince Charming. Yes, there are still stepsisters and a stepmother figure. Yes, there is still a Cinderella. Yes, there is still a dead father who leaves his daughter in the hands of the stepmother. Yes, there is still a fairy godmother figure of sorts. Yes, there is still a ball. But that is where the similarities end. I'm sure Cinderella *whispers* did it with Prince Charming after they were wed. But boy oh boy, there's smexing not even 50 pages in and can I just say I was gripping my book so tightly, my knuckles cracked a few times. Oy!

Sabine Laurent has been in love with Jules de Moutier since she was 15 years old. Eight years later, that has changed. Her family is in dire straights (which she blames on the Moutier family) and the only way for her to pay off her father's debt and find her twin sister is to steal silver from a band of men camping in the woods. Mistake #1. The leader of that group of men is none other than Jules. He has grown into a super sexy masculine sex god overlord.

Jules de Moutier's family has been stripped of their home, their land and their title. He has resorted to privateering for the Crown since the fall from grace no longer qualified him to be a part of the Navy. Trying to make his way back into the aristocracy, he is going to use the money from privateering to rebuild his family fortunes and name. Jules gets sidetracked by a forest fairy aka Sabine. Mistake #2. He's been celibate too long and can't resist "Elise".

The chests of silver that Sabine was trying to steal is transferred the next morning, after she gives herself to Jules. She decides to become Jules's lover for the next three days so as to keep an eye on the chests. The chemistry between so hot, they can't keep their hands off of each other. My toes curled, my breath hitched as I read the physical scenes between Jules and Sabine.

Of course their physical bliss is short lived. Jules says something stupid, which reminds Sabine what she was supposed to doing; stealing the chests of silver. Mistake #3. Sabine's eccentric family helps in poisoning (with a sleeping draught of course--don't need a dead hero) Jules and his men so they can steal the remaining chests of silver.

Well, at this point, Sabine and family go back to their home, bury the silver and go on with their daily life. Dun dun dun... Jules finds her and calls her out on her lies. His ribs are broken and need time to heal so he takes over Sabine's room. He discovers her diary, detailing her love for a "Dark Prince." He doesn't want to be jealous, he doesn't want to be attracted to her, but there's just something about her that draws him in.

This is a re-telling of CINDERELLA that you don't want to miss. Seriously. There's so much I want to say but don't want to give any spoilers.

FAVORITE QUOTE: "There we so many things he liked about her. He liked her company. He liked how she'd brought sexual pleasure back into his life. Hell, he'd enjoyed every moment of his time with her. She was adorably bold, beautiful, and bright. Thought he knew he'd never see her again after they parted, the notion left him with an uncommon sense of regret."

OVERALL: Lushly erotic? ABSOLUTELY! Heartbreaking? YES! Romantic? OH MY STARS, yes! Not like that Disney version with the singing and dancing and weird woodland creatures? Thank goodness it's not. This book is a thigh clenching, heart pounding, adrenaline rushing, "did I just moan out loud?" inducing, toe curling, hand gripping book and almost breaking the spine, unputdownable, stay up all night read. Didja get all that? Yes, A MIDNIGHT DANCE was all those things. Pure magic. Well done, Ms. DiPasqua.

P.S. The cover is GORGEOUS! I want to lick it. I may have stroked it a few times. The title is shiny. One of my favorite book covers this year. The only thing that irks me is the way Jules's left hand is spread out. It looks a little awkward. Who does that in real life?

***I won this book from Operation Auction.***

W...W...W...(16)

W...W...W...Wednesdays is a weekly meme MizB of Should Be Reading. 

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So, here's my answers:

*Click on the covers to read excerpts/learn more.*

• What are you currently reading?

Serendipity by Carly Phillips. Yeah, I know it seems like I've been reading this book forever. But I've had to get a few review books under my belt. This one was a leisure book. I'm 2/3 of the way done.

A Touch of Crimson by Sylvia Day. Yes, this one I've been reading forever too. The galley makes me go cross eyed, the way it's formatted. I'm almost done with it though. This book releases 10/4 so be on the lookout!

• What did you recently finish reading?

Every Scandalous Secret by Gayle Callen. Review pending on this one. The heroine was a total spitfire. She held her own against the hero. This is the third book of the Scandalous Lady series and we finally find out who the real nude model is. We also find out who wins the wager among the 2 sisters and their cousin, and the 3 gentlemen friends who find them sneaking in trying to steal the nude painting off the wall at a gentleman's club.


Mistress by Mistake by Maggie Robinson. A second read through of this book. I read it earlier this year. It's still hot. The heroine is still a sassy spinster. The hero still has super magical appendages. Read my review here.

A Midnight Dance by Lila DiPasqua. Oh my stars! By far, my favorite twist in the re-telling of the CINDERELLA story. Jules de Moutier is my new favorite hero. This book is a scorcher. Like short circuit your e-reader hot.

The Making of a Duchess by Shana Galen. Okay, so I sort of read the series backwards. This is the first book in Ms. Galen's Sons of the Revolution series. There's a character in this book that ties in Galen's latest, Lord and Lady Spy. Review pending on this one also.

• What do you think you’ll read next?
Bound in Lingerie by Gina Gordon. Yup. I've had this on the list of to read next for a few weeks. I'm finally going to get around it since Ms. Gordon will be guest posting next month. The cover is sexy. 


*stares at giant TBR pile and shudders* So many books, so little time. Choices, choices.


PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Look What the Mailman Brought Me Yesterday

These books, bookmarks and romance trading cards came from Ms. Lila DiPasqua. And A Midnight Dance will also be heading my way when it gets closer to the release date. (As you can tell from the widget on the sidebar, there's still quite a few more days left before the release date.) I won these for Operation Auction.

What is Operation Auction?

Fatin has been an integral part of the romance community for years – she owns and runs the RR@H Novel Thoughts and Book Talk blog, is an administrator of the WriteMinded loop, an author assistant and a tireless advocate for romance novels. She is also a friend to many in this community.On Tuesday, March 8th, she lost her husband in a senseless act of violence, leaving her alone with four children. You can read more about the tragedy here: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9233067/The romance community would like to rally around her. Therefore, we will be holding auctions on ebay the last week of March. More information on exact days and donations will follow. (source)

There were SO many items to bid on. Not only were authors giving away signed books or book bundles but also, bloggers were giving away baskets of goodies. Critiques from editors, authors and agents. ARC bundles. The much coveted romance trading cards. eBook readers with complete author backlists. (Holy wow!) Your name in an authors next book. Lunch with authors and agents. SWAG!

The one item much talked about was Tessa Dare's customized book video. All props courtesy of the Darelings. (Her book video is posted at end of post. It is EPIC!) She also made 2 other videos to drum up interest for her auction. As for the winner of that auction, we await the final product. Apparently it's going on a blog tour of sorts. I think some 20+ blogs agreed to post it on their page. Can't wait to see it.

The romance community really did come together. What an awesome community!

Did you bid on anything for Operation Auction? If so, did you win? And if you did, what were the item(s)?