Guest Author & Giveaway: Lila DiPasqua featuring A Midnight Dance
Thursday, April 28
When I think of fairy tales, I think of two things Cinderella and Lila DiPasqua. So when I was planning my Royal Romances event I knew that Lila's upcoming Fiery Tales romance, A Midnight Dance, would be a perfect fit for what I had envisioned because her upcoming full length historical romance is based on the fairy tale Cinderella...with Lila's own unique twist to the story of course :)
Author Lila DiPasqua is my guest today to share a bit about A Midnight Dance, and is going to giveaway four royally romantic prizes, as well as an excerpt that begins with, "Once Upon a Time..." How perfect is that! Read and enjoy!
...and don't forget to vote on your favorite slipper fit for a Princess at the end of the post!
There are Fairy Tales . . . and Fiery Tales!
Tomorrow there will be a royal wedding! Commoner, Kate Middleton will marry her Prince, His Majesty, William of Wales, the man she loves. And she’ll become a princess.
Approximately 1900 invited guests—and who knows how many countless others around the world via the media— will watch the nuptial. Why? Because we all love a fairy tale. And Kate’s marriage to William is definitely the stuff of fairy tales!
My upcoming release, A MIDNIGHT DANCE (Berkley Sensation) is the third installment in the Fiery Tales series (steamy, yet romantic, retellings of classic fairy tales!). The Fiery Tales series is all about retelling those beloved well-known fairy tales and delivering a passionate love story with a happily ever after between a sexy, carnally-gifted rake and a smart strong heroine who will make him lose his heart. Oh, with a healthy dose of scandalous behavior in each! *winks*
For those who have read AWAKENED BY A KISS and THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, you know they’re each collections with three fairy tale retellings in each book.
But my upcoming August release A MIDNIGHT DANCE isn’t a collection at all! It’s A Fiery Tale! My first full-length novel is based on the most famous fairy tale of them all . . . Cinderella!
Like Kate, my heroine Sabine is a commoner. She fell in love with her prince, gorgeous Jules de Moutier, a man born into high nobility, when she first laid eyes on him at fifteen. But, as the story begins, things have soured….
What’s in the wine, you ask? Well, she plans on drugging our hero and making away with a fortune. It’s a desperate plan. She knows it. But desperate people must resort to desperate measures. She’s in dire straits and her family is in danger. The only appeal about this mad scheme…. she’ll be stealing from a Moutier—whom she blames for her predicament in the first place.
Approximately 1900 invited guests—and who knows how many countless others around the world via the media— will watch the nuptial. Why? Because we all love a fairy tale. And Kate’s marriage to William is definitely the stuff of fairy tales!
My upcoming release, A MIDNIGHT DANCE (Berkley Sensation) is the third installment in the Fiery Tales series (steamy, yet romantic, retellings of classic fairy tales!). The Fiery Tales series is all about retelling those beloved well-known fairy tales and delivering a passionate love story with a happily ever after between a sexy, carnally-gifted rake and a smart strong heroine who will make him lose his heart. Oh, with a healthy dose of scandalous behavior in each! *winks*
For those who have read AWAKENED BY A KISS and THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, you know they’re each collections with three fairy tale retellings in each book.
But my upcoming August release A MIDNIGHT DANCE isn’t a collection at all! It’s A Fiery Tale! My first full-length novel is based on the most famous fairy tale of them all . . . Cinderella!
Like Kate, my heroine Sabine is a commoner. She fell in love with her prince, gorgeous Jules de Moutier, a man born into high nobility, when she first laid eyes on him at fifteen. But, as the story begins, things have soured….
Once upon a time there was a woman whose life was in cinders. Her story has been retold many ways, many times, throughout the realm. Throughout time. Her family’s wealth was gone, as were their elegant home, and their prestigious theater. They were as lost to her as her girlhood dream of marrying a man she’d loved from afar. A man who was well beyond her reach.
A man she’d dubbed her Dark Prince, for he was tall, dark, and oh so handsome. But her opinion of him had soured. No longer did she believe in a happily ever after.
Yet one night, at the stroke of midnight, the stars aligned.
Destiny stepped in.
And she came face-to-face with her Dark Prince.
But she didn’t arrive before him as she’d dreamed all those years ago. She was not in a golden-colored gown, but in humble attire, not in a gilded carriage, but in a rickety cart, as worthless as a pumpkin, driven by two men, as meek as mice . . . carrying wine mixed with a special potion . . .
What’s in the wine, you ask? Well, she plans on drugging our hero and making away with a fortune. It’s a desperate plan. She knows it. But desperate people must resort to desperate measures. She’s in dire straits and her family is in danger. The only appeal about this mad scheme…. she’ll be stealing from a Moutier—whom she blames for her predicament in the first place.
. Trust me, Cinderella has NEVER been retold like this! *smiles*
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.
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 long-time mistress and her two wastrel daughters. But with the help of Sabine’s eccentric friends—the balance of her father’s acting troupe—she plans to get very close to her old infatuation, seduce the rake—and make away with a fortune.
Resisting Jules’s skillful mouth and tantalizing touch is not as easy as Sabine supposed. And soon she must decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than her desire for her one and only prince…
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.
, 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.To celebrate the Royal Wedding and Lila's upcoming Cinderella story, A MIDNIGHT DANCE
, she would like to giveaway the following amazing prized to Four lucky Musings followers. Here's what you could win:
FIRST PRIZE: A beautiful glass heart-shaped necklace, a signed copy of A MIDNIGHT DANCE (as soon as I get my author copies), AND a signed set of my collectible Fiery Tales series Romance Trading Cards.
THIRD & FOURTH PRIZE: A signed copy of A MIDNIGHT DANCE (as soon as I get my author copies), AND a signed set of my collectible Fiery Tales series Romance Trading Cards AND winner’s choice of either AWAKENED BY A KISS or THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED (signed by author)
Ways to earn entries:
- Mandatory: Tell me in your comment, what does Jules tell his servant, Raymond, in private to do about the wine (burgundy) Sabine is offering? Hint: you can find the answer in the excerpt :) (good for 1 entry)
- Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
- If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
- Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)
How to enter:
- You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment
Rules and disclaimers:
- This contest is open to US & International addresses
- You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
- The contest will end on May 1st at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
- Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
- The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
- The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
- Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
- Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
- All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice
Of course, any respectable Cinderella needs to have a pair of fabulous shoes on her most special of days. That's why today I hope to have your help in voting for a pair of shoes fit for a Princess on her Wedding Day. Here are your choices:
Option 1: The Glass Slipper. Come on...you know this had to be at least one of the choices :) It's THE fairy tale shoe! I don't know how comfortable they would be though...unless of course they were the perfect fit :)
Option 2: The Cole Haan Flower Slipper. Supposedly Cole Haan heels feel like wearing a tennis shoe instead of a 4 inch heel...I find that hard to believe, but I think Kate might need a pair of shoes like this during her long day of festivities :)
Option 3: The Christian Louboutin Jeweled Slipper. We are talking a seriously blingy, and very high heeled shoe. This way Kate can be a bejeweled Princess from her head to her toes...literally :) For me this is definitely a fairy tale shoe, because I could never wear it....I mean did you get a look at that heel? but I have faith that Kate could.
Option 4: The Manolo Blahnik Something Blue Slipper. According to most, Kate is going to be very traditional in her dress and flowers, no strapless dress (like almost any other wedding dress) a somewhat large bouquet of flowers, and a borrowed tiara from the Queen herself. Which leaves her needing something blue....Manolo blue?
Tomorrow I'll have the results from all of the polls this week, so if you haven't already voted for the bouquet, or the dress you still have a little bit of time.
Good Luck!
*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links, and don't forget that the referral fees from your purchases will sponsor the "Reader Rewards" giveaways :)
will be FREE...funded entirely by my internet searches done on 
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52 Comments:
Jules tells Raymond that none of his men are to drink the wine. That if they do, they will forfeit their share of the bounty. Also, he doesn't trust that they are being so insistent with offering the wine. He only trust a handful of people.
I can't wait to read this book. I just love Cinderella stories and I can't wait to see Lila's take on it. I loved the excerpt.
iqb99@yahoo.com
And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture.
Can't wait for this book to be released i always did love Cinderella's story :)
elizabeth_14@hotmail.co.uk
I admit, with much pleasure and pride, that I am a Lila DiPasqua devotee! "Fiery Tales" are fabulous fantasies which are a wonderful blend of heart, heat, history and naughty and nice amorous adventures ; ) I loved "Awakened by a Kiss" and "The Princess in His Bed", and they are on my keeper shelf to be read again and again. I adore sparkling wine, and I have anticipated "A Midnight Dance" just I look forward to seeing the bubbles in the wine and enjoying each tingling sip. The excerpt left me thirsty for more!
No one was to drink the burgundy that night: “And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture. Besides, their insistence about the burgundy being part of the bargain gives me pause.”
US Resident, GFC Follower, Subscriber
gcwhiskas at aol dot com
Jules tell Raymond: “And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture.
I am a GFC follower! This Cinderella story sounds fantastic!
He refuses the wine since it causes him suspicion. I have entered this giveaway on my "blog" (as if!) I will tweet it.
I am a sucker for Cinderella stories, however told (In China, in Africa,too.) I hope I win. Thank you.
annfesATyahooDOTcom
Jules said to Raymond “And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture. Besides, their insistence about the burgundy being part of the bargain gives me pause.” Aside from a handful of people, Jules trusted no one.
I love it when authors retell the fairy tales in their own way. Cinderella and beauty and the Beast are my favorites.
LadyVampire2u AT gmail DOT com
Jules tells Raymond that no one is to drink the wine or they will forfeit the bounty.
Thanks for the great giveaway.
I follow on GFC
lizzi0915 at aol dot com
Answer: That "anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture."
I LOVE Cinderella stories!!! Can't wait to read this one! Thanks for the opportunity! :)
Terry
Jules said that anyone who drank the wine would forfeit their share of the bounty.
I am a GFC Follower/US Resident
Hi Lila,
As always your posts manage to just like your books transport me to a whole new magical world. I adored the pictures of the shoes they are all so gorgeous it was hard to decide!
The answer to your question is
"anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture."
I have reposted the contest on my facebook for all my friends (I hope they remember to say I referred them).
I am a follower already,this book of yours sounds just as amazing as the others.Thank you for the chance to win and thank you so very much for allowing international entries.
All of the best to the nicest angel and a very brlliant writer !
Desere
I liked this excerpt from the beginning of the story a lot. “Do be careful.” Then he leaned in. The world shifted beneath her feet. Her breath lodged in her throat. “You have beautiful hair,” he whispered in her ear, and with a wink he walked away, enveloped back into the throng that had been waiting for him.
I also liked this comment because it dre me in to all what would likely happen later on in the book.
I have reposted this on my Facebook page and and I now a follower.
Thank you for this great opportunity to win this book. Hope that I'm lucky.
Answer: "And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture."
Thank you for the giveaway!
-The answer to your question is...."anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture."
-I'm a GFC follower as Joder.
-Re-tweeted your post here... http://twitter.com/#!/jone402/status/63661296998031360
joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
Thank you so much for this wonderful giveaway! 4 Winners!!! :D
Is it bad that I would rather be a 3rd or 4th place (would rather have 2 books than a book and either a necklace or ornament)!LOL
The answer to the question: "And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture."
GFC follower: June M.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Hi Lila,
I'm so excited about Midnight Dance.
I have read the other books and love your steamy fairy tales. :)
Jule's doesn't want his men drinking the Burgundy and anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty.
Good luck to everyone. Thanks for the opportunity to win such a great prize.
Carol L
Lucky4750@aol.com
I love the Cinderella story, and I have been waiting for this one.
Jules tells Raymond that anyone who drinks a drop will foreit his share of the bounty.
cindersmaria@yahoo.com
Old GFC Follower
Jules says that anyone who drinks a drop of of the burgundy forfeits his share of the bounty, so no one will drink the wine.
GFC follower
Congrats on the upcoming release, Lila. Jules tells Raymond that anyone who drinks a drop of the burgundy forfeits his share of the bounty.
GFC follower
OMG! I can hardly wait for this book! I LOVE Cinderella... we visit her castle (at Disney) at least a few times a month. I have all your other books AND your bookmarks (THANK YOU!) AND your magnets (THANK YOU!).
The answer to your question:
Jules tells Raymond: "And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture."
Thank you so much for this chance to win A Midnight Dance! Ooh la la!
Linda T., USA
lindalou(at)cfl(dot)rr(dot)com
GFC Follower
First a great big thank you to Carrie for inviting me here today!
I'm sorry I'm dropping in late, everyone! I had a deadline today. I read everyone's comments. You're all soooo WONDERFUL. Seriously, sweet! I read each one with a big smile on my face.
Thank you for your interest in A MIDNIGHT DANCE and the Fiery Tales series! I'm so excited about this first full-length novel. It's really rather ground breaking as there's no other historical romance out there like it. :)
Why blend when you can be different, right? LOL
I can't wait to share it with you!
I'll be right back after I give the kiddies their dinner to chat with each of you!
Keep the comments coming. :)
Hugs,
Lila
He tells Raymond that anyone who drinks a drop of the wine forfeits his share of the bounty.
This sounds like a very fiery take on the Cinderella story, and I'm looking forward to reading it.
Barbed1951 at aol cot com
GFC follower
Jules tells Raymond that none of his men are to drink the wine. That if they do, they will forfeit their share of the bounty. Also, he doesn't trust that they are being so insistent with offering the wine. He only trust a handful of people.
I am A GGC I shared this on Fbook.
I adore Lila books I have both fairy tales TPIHB & ABK So looking Forward to Reading Cinders Story...
Have a good one Ann/alba
Hi Danielle! --*waves* Thanks so much for stopping by! Yay for another Cinderella lover! :) Hugs!
Hi Elizabeth!!--We need to form some kind of club for all of us who love Cinderella. And what's not to love about that wonderful fairy tale, right? Glad you're here!
Hi Virginia!---Awww *blushes*, thank you! I LOVE how you describe my books! I'm so glad you liked the excerpt of AMD. :) I'm delighted you're here!
Hi Maria(pronounced Mariah--Thanks so much for the lovely compliment on AMD!! Thank you for joining in the contest. Hugs! :)
Hi Soft Fuzzy Sweater---Yay! Another fan of Cinderella tales. I'm with you! I don't care where one is set, I just love Cinderella retellings. I picked the very time and place Cinderella was first written (by Charles Perrault). Such a glamorous, decadent time. Yum! :)
Hi LadyVampire2u -- Oh, I adore both those fairy tales. They're so wonderful, aren't they? I had so much fun with my Cinderella retelling. It's got romance, humor and intrigue...with a health dose of steamy. ;)
Hi Bethie--You're very welcome! Thanks for going in the fun! :)
Hi cemeterygal --Thanks for your enthusiasm for A MIDNIGHT DANCE! And thanks for stopping by. :)
Hi Maria--Glad you stopped by to join in the fun. That Jules is something, isn't he? LOL The encounter between them is...Oh, I can't say. It's way too much fun! ;)
Hi Desere---You are ever so sweet!! Thank you for the lovely comment! You put a smile on my face every time. :)
Hi Diane D - Florida---Oh I love that part, too. That tender first meeting is special. These two were really destined to be together. :)
Hi ClaudiaGC --You're very welcome! Glad you stopped by and joined in! :)
Hi joder! --Thanks for stopping by and joining in the fun. :)
Hi June M.---LOL...That's not bad at all! Good luck! Hope you win your prize! :)
Hi Carol L---Thank you! It's always a joy to see you! I'm so happy you're enjoying the Fiery Tales series. :)
Hi Artemis---Thanks so much for your interest in AMD! So delighted you stopped by. :)
Hi jeanette---Thanks for joining in!! :)
Hi Jane--Thanks for the good wishes! I'm glad you stopped by. :)
Hi Linda T!---I adore your enthusiasm for my books and goodies! Thank you so very much!! And thanks for stopping in to join in the fun. :)
Hi Barbara E. ---A MIDNIGHT DANCE definitely belongs in the Fiery Tales series. ;) But the romance is just as important to me as the physical chemistry. I tried to do justice to the legendary love story of Cinderella. Glad you're here! :)
Hi Ann (alba)--*waves* I'm so delighted you stopped by to join in the fun! Thanks so much for your interest in the next Fiery Tale! Hugs! :)
Great giveaway!
He tells him: “And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture. Besides, their insistence about the burgundy being part of the bargain gives me pause.”
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/marieimy/status/63801238004834304
GFC follower (Mariee)
marieimy (at) gmail (dot) com
Answer: Jules tells Raymond to tell his men not to drink any of the burgundy or they will forfeit their share of the bounty.
Great twist to the fairy tale!
tamsyn5@yahoo.com
GFC follower/international
Thank you Lila I am honored to know that I can make you smile ! And I am very honored to have discovered your work your books are magical !
All the best
Desere
not to let any of his men drink it. speck135les at yahoo
could have sworn I posted a comment yesterday but must have dreamt it ;)
question answer "“And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture. Besides, their insistence about the burgundy being part of the bargain gives me pause.” "
lovely shoe options :) And the prize is too wonderful -- Lila you're just too sweet :) the excerpt is just a such a tease.
gamistress66 (at) aol (dot) com
(follower)
No one was to drink the burgundy that night: “And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture. Besides, their insistence about the burgundy being part of the bargain gives me pause.”
US Resident, GFC Follower, Subscriber
twitter and FB
April
aprilfunshowers@gmail.com
I know that I messed up with my reply yesterday so, I'm going to try again today. The answer to your question is:
“And about the burgundy they offer, anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty. I’ll not have any of the men drunk while we possess our capture. Besides, their insistence about the burgundy being part of the bargain gives me pause.”
I still love the original lines that I chose from the beginning of the book. Things like this are very important when you want to draw the reader in and keep them enthralled right from the start. I would love to win this book and see how it plays out right to the end.
I did share this on Facebook, I'm also a follower and a follower of your blog too.
dpd333@aol.com
None of his men can drink it or they will forfeit the bounty. He doesn't want any of them drunk and doesn't trust many people.
This was a good excerpt that puts a whole new spin on the story.
GFC follower
"anyone who drinks a drop forfeits his share of the bounty"
Kate's the first commoner to marry into the royal family in 350 years, but since England is an island, she and William still have ancestors in common.
GFC follower
ironss [at] gmail [dot] com
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