Mr. D here! Ciao!

Mr. D here! I'm in Italy with my lovely wife, enjoying the sights and having a blast! I'm even putting my limited knowledge of Italian to use---these poor people. LOL

DON'T FORGET: I'll be back in October for my next RH (Romance Husband) interview, and you don't want to miss this one!  He's married to a fabulous New York Times bestselling author---and he's a great guy!  I know I usually do my RH interviews the first of every month, but due to our Italian vacation, I'll be here with my RH guest on Tuesday October 4th!

See you then!  Arrivederci!----Not bad, right?  ;)


Mr. D

Winners! Winners!

WINNERS of AWAKENED BY A KISS

kissablesweet 1

Gayle C

Ren

WINNERS of THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED

Spav

Eli Yanti

Claudia GC

Congrats, everyone! :)

To claim your prize, please email me HERE and provide your forwarding address.  

Giveaway! Giveaway!

Dearest Readers,

After reading A MIDNIGHT DANCE, readers have flooded my inbox with the questions, "What comes next? Luc? Simon?" (And I couldn't be more delighted that you asked!)

The answer is YES TO BOTH!

Coming, the summer and fall 2012:

THREE RECKLESS WISHES (Summer 2012):  We met Luc de Moutier in A MIDNIGHT DANCE, brother of Jules de Moutier, (hero of my steamy Cinderella retelling) and he's just as sexy, and carnally talented as his older brother. ;)

He's in possession of a journal he can't stop reading.  Or forget.  Any more than he can forget its author.  A beautiful woman he's never met.  On the pages of her journal, she has made him the subject of her romantic ramblings. And object of her desire.  The problem is....she's dead.  Or is she?  Based on Charles Perrault's fairy tale, Three Wishes----Some say the saying, "Be careful what you wish for," may have come for this fairy tale. 

THREE RECKLESS WISHES, two people who were meant for each other. Three wishes that might very well destroy them both.  Be prepared for intrigue, a heart-stirring love story and of course, scorching hot love scenes that will set the pages ablaze!  ;)

UNDONE  (Fall of 2012) -- Based on the fairy tale, Rapunzel! Devilishly handsome Simon Boulenger deserves his own story.  (Jules's and Luc's friend in A MIDNIGHT DANCE).  This is the most emotional story I've ever written.  Seriously.  The heroine I've paired Simon up with is one you'll never forget!  This truly is a story about the healing power of love.  Be prepared for plenty of sizzling passion, and a tale about two people who have every odd stacked against them.  When the obstacles are this high, can they be overcome? What will it take?

Now I know what you're thinking:  Lila, the blog post is titled Giveaway, Giveaway!  Is there a giveaway today?

Absolutely!  I've been cleaning and organizing my office, (I work better and more efficiently when there's less clutter around me).  I realized I have copies of my books, just sitting here, that no one is  enjoying.  So I've decided to give away:

3 copies of AWAKENED BY A KISS 

And

3 copies of THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED.  

SIGNED, OF COURSE!  Giveaway open WORLDWIDE.

Below are the book blurbs and video trailers for both books.  All you have to do is tell me in your comment which book you prefer.  Now, I can't promise your first choice, as I'll choose randomly, but I'll do my best to make you happy!  :)  You WILL EARN 2 EXTRA POINTS IF YOU MENTION THIS GIVEAWAY ON TWITTER AND/OR FACEBOOK AND INDICATE THE LINK IN YOUR COMMENT!   

CONTEST END SEPTEMBER 18TH AT 11:59pm EST. WINNERS ANNOUNCED SEPTEMBER 19TH.

YOU MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.


YOU MUST FOLLOW THIS BLOG THROUGH GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT.

AWAKENED BY A KISS

Three classic fairytales—“Sleeping Beauty,” “Puss in Boots,” and “Little Red Riding Hood”—cleverly retold with enough sensual twists to prove wickedly ever after does exist…

Sleeping Beau: Five years ago, the notorious rake, Adrien d’Aspe, Marquis de Beaulain, was awakened by a sensuous kiss—and experienced a night of raw ecstasy that was branded into his memory. Years later, he spots his mysterious seductress—and this time, he has no intention of letting her go…

Little Red Writing: Nicolas de Savignac, Comte de Lambelle, has been assigned by the King to uncover the secret identity of the author writing scandalous stories about powerful courtiers. He never expected his investigation would lead to his grandmother's house, or to a ravishing woman who would stir his deepest hunger…

Bewitching in Boots: Elisabeth de Roussel, daughter of the King, is accustomed to getting what she wants—and she wants Tristan de Tiersonnier, Comte de Saint-Marcel, an ex-commander of the King’s private Guard. A recent injury has forced Tristan to leave his distinguished position, but Elisabeth is determined to make him see he's every bit the man he once was—and more than man enough for her..

READ AN EXCERPT OF AWAKENED BY A KISS:  HERE 

THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED

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….

READ AN EXCERPT OF THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED:  HERE 

I was close enough to kiss Gerard Butler!

Yes, you read that correctly!  Last evening Mr. D and I attended the Toronto International Film Festival. It's a prestigious event in the world of film and held here every September.

We Torontonians love it!

Hollywood royalty, like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, and Gerard Butler descend on our fair city.  And we go celebrity crazy.  :)

This is my first time at TIFF and Mr. D and I saw Machine Gun Preacher, starring Gerard Butler.  We were at the premier showing and had VIP access to the red carpet.  SQUEEEEE!!!

So, yes, I got to see Gerard Butler in person!  In fact, how do you like this for up close and personal!!

 

I held in my crazy fan girl scream.  Barely.  However, I will admit, with him standing so close to me, I wanted to whisper in his ear, "You want to play Jules de Moutier, my hero in A MIDNIGHT DANCE, right?"  LOL

This pic below is one of Gerard Butler on the Red Carpet before he approached. See him there above the blond woman's head? He's wearing a blue shirt. And he was coming closer and closer. At this point, I'm so excited, my heart is pounding. Mr. D is standing behind me laughing, thinking this is all too amusing.  

 

Mr. D and I were both armed with cameras.  Mr. D calls this pic below, "Lila and Gerard" because those are my hands up ready to snap the shot of Gerard you see above.  I allow Mr. D his humor.  

 

In MACHINE GUN PREACHER, Gerard plays the role of Sam Childers, a man who was a criminal and a drug addict and who turns his life around and helps save the lives of children in Sudan.  Below is the REAL Sam Childers. He's an inspiration.  The movie, MACHINE GUN PREACHER, is a powerful film and, given that it shows the reality Sudanese children face, this isn't for the faint of heart.

Below is actor, Michael Shannon.  He plays the role of Sam's friend.

Below is actress, Michelle Monaghan who plays Sam's wife (Gerard).

Before the feature began, the cast came on stage.  From left to right, Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Shannon,  Souleymane Sy Savane, and Madeline Carroll.

Trailer for Machine Gun Preacher -- coming to theaters soon! I overheard the real Sam Childers say, "Children are still dying in Sudan." This is the kind of film that stays with you.

ANOTHER FABULOUS REVIEW OF A MIDNIGHT DANCE -- AND GIVEAWAY!

In other news:  Book Binge has reviewed A MIDNIGHT DANCE is giving away THREE copies of the book! (Giveaway open until Sept. 16th). 

"This was not like any other tale of Cinderella that I had read before – it was so much better." - Book Binge.

Leave a comment HERE for a chance to win your copy of my Cinderella retelling!

We have a winner!

Folks, we have a winner!

Dr. MacLean's WINNER:

A signed copy of ANY book from Julianne’s backlist - READER'S CHOICE. The only one NOT AVAILABLE as part of the giveaway is Seduced by the Highlander.

 lisagk

Please send your mailing address to my dear wife, Lila HERE.

ANNNOUNCEMENT:

People have been asking if there will be more Fiery Tales. If you read A MIDNIGHT DANCE and were left gasping in surprise at the end, (there are tons of twists and turns in this exciting read!) I KNOW you want more. :)
Lila wants you to know that in 2012 both Luc's and Simon's stories will be released!

WANT TO WIN ONE OF LILA'S BOOKS? 

 Lila will be at Books n Kisses on Monday.  Want to win one of the three books in the Fiery tales series?  Stop by and visit her Monday Sept. 5th HERE!  The Fiery Tales series has been chosen as this weekend's SINsational Saturday Series!!

Folks, I'll see you Oct.1st with another RH interview!  :)

Mr. D 

My Guest, Dr. MacLean!

Mr. DiPasqua:  Hi everyone!  I'm so happy to join you again after my run at the A MIDNIGHT DANCE Blog Party.  I had a great time interviewing RHs, and I'm so flattered you demanded more!  I'll be here every first of the month, so I can continue the party.  ;)  Before I start, I want to say thank you to all of you who took the time to email Lila.  She always responds to fan mail and she's been getting so many wonderful emails telling her that A MIDNIGHT DANCE is now on your keeper shelf.  Just seeing her joy, makes me joyful as well.  I KNOW it's a great book! I'm thrilled others are enjoying it too. Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Dr. MacLean.   He was the very first RH I ever met. We were both poolside at an RWA conference.   Dr. MacLean, since we last met, I'm now official an RH.  I know that your DW has been extremely busy.  Can you tell us who you're married to and what she writes?

Dr. MacLean: Hi! I’m married to Julianne MacLean, and she generally writes historical fiction for St. Martin’s Press (with three Highlander romances out this year) and also recently published a contemporary mainstream book under the pseudonym E.V. Mitchell called The Color of Heaven, and also a time travel romance back to the Wild West called Taken by the Cowboy. It’s been a busy year for her!

Mr. DiPasqua: Your wife’s fans would like to know the RH (Romance Husband) behind the author better. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Scholar? Athlete? Businessman? Artist?

Dr. MacLean: Yes to all the above. My day job is as an MD. I work with the Federal government in Canada as a staff physician, and also do some OR assisting evenings and weekends. I’ve always been athletic, and competed in various sports including triathlon, volleyball, mountainbiking and running. These days I still run the occasional half-marathon, bike through the woods in Nova Scotia, and am working on grading for a brown belt in karate next month if all goes well.

My wife’s creativity has rubbed off on me. I’ve also been a freelance writer for the past ten years, and have numerous writing and photography credits in a handful of different magazines/newspapers. I’ve written a documentary for the CBC on Titanic’s so-called “Unknown Child”, and am currently co-writing a feature screenplay for which we have development funding from Telefilm Canada.

I also co-own a production company, and we have finished some short films (including both of Julianne’s book trailers which are viewable on her website), the above documentary and currently working on and busy pitching various feature film projects in development. I hope to adapt one of Julianne’s books for the big screen one of these days.

Mr. DiPasqua: Julianne must be very excited at the prospect of seeing one of her books on the big screen.  I wouldn't be surprised to see you in a starring role :) Where did you and your wife meet? What convinced you that she was THE ONE?

Dr. MacLean: I met her at Frosh week at our university; I was part of a group of upperclassmen who decided to throw young women into the icy cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. We threw Julianne in, I felt bad for her, especially since she looked like she was hyperventilating and about to drown, so I stayed to make sure she was OK. She appreciated that…

We were friendly after that, but didn’t see each other much after university, until we met eight years later at a video store on a Friday night. We hit it off, she recommended a movie to watch (Jacob’s Ladder), and we decided to meet with friends a few days later at a bar, and hit it off even more… and the rest, as they say, is history.

Mr. DiPasqua: Where were you when she got THE CALL from her agent/editor? What was your reaction when she told you she’d sold her first book?

Dr. MacLean: I was home and she called me from the RWA conference in 1999 to tell me that Harlequin was buying her book. She was an unpublished author at the time, so it was amazing for her and created a lot of buzz. The fact she heard for the first time at such a great conference was definitely a bonus. It took her six years to sell that first book (called Prairie Bride), so we were both REALLY happy. She’s done well since then, too.

Mr. DiPasqua: Is the hero in your wife’s last book:

a) Just like you;

b) The opposite of you;

c) You wish it were you;

d) More like Mr. May in the NYC Firefighter calendar.

Dr. MacLean: I want to say (a), but really, since I don’t carry a massive sword, don’t have massive pecs and rippling biceps, nor do I spend my time lopping off people’s heads off, probably more a combination of b and d (hehe).

Mr. DiPasqua: LOL!  On your first date with your wife, were you most like:

a) Prince Charming;

b) Prince (bad boy) Harry;

c) The Artist formally known as Prince;

d) Prince, the family pet.

Dr. MacLean: I tend to be more charming in a family pet sort of way, so I’ll have to say d…

Mr. DiPasqua: Nowadays when you hear the word “ball” do you immediately think:

a) Baseball

b) Basketball

c) An uncontrollable weeping reaction of fans upon meeting your wife in person?

d) A gathering of lords and ladies.

Dr. MacLean: definitely b… though a close second is d, Julianne has written a lot about lavish British balls in her Regency and Victorian period romance novels, and we’ve watched a number of period movies involving the aristocracy, most of which I do enjoy.

Mr. DiPasqua: How long have you been a RH? (Romance Husband). What advice would you give new RH’s about what you’ve learned being married to a romance author? What should a new RH do or not do when his wife is under deadline?

Dr. MacLean: Since 1994 or so when Julianne first started writing seriously. As far as general advice, get ready for a number of questions at parties that usually involve an added “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” at the end of it.

Example: “Where does your wife do her research (snicker, snicker)? Is it from you?” Make sure you have some quick-witted answers ready to go, or a simple “of course” usually works for me and gets a few laughs (hehe).

Otherwise, it’s a tough road and not easy to get published or to keep publishing and write stories that are fresh and that people want to read. It takes commitment and discipline to do what she does day after day, week after week. It is a job for her, one that she loves, and beats being an office zombie.

As far as deadline times, I strongly advise to offer as much support as possible: take over meals, replenish the coffee mug, walk the dog, do the dishes, do the cooking, wash the clothes and don’t complain about minor issues.

Mr. DiPasqua: Okay, you know I have to go there . . . What’s your response when asked, “So where does your wife get the inspiration for her love scenes?” (Usually by a guy smirking.)

Dr. MacLean: See my response above… as an aside, I wrote an article that was published several years ago that discussed my wife’s profession and some of the more unusual comments and questions that I have gotten… if I can find it, I can share with you. It was rather funny.

Mr. DiPasqua: I' d love to read it!  Which character in your wife’s books would she say most resembles you and/or your personality? 

Dr. MacLean: Probably the hero’s wimpy man-servant or the skinny, awkward gardener, or maybe even an aristocrat’s family dog (hehe).

Julianne piping in here: He is most like Kirk in The Color of Heaven.

Mr. DiPasqua: Tell me something about your wife that her fans would be surprised to learn.

Dr. MacLean: She used to be a DJ at one of Halifax’s trendiest bars during her university days. She was the only woman in a regional DJ competition, where she was beat-mixing with three turntables (yes it was a few years ago). She came in third.

Mr. DiPasqua: Hey, that's awesome! You’ve been a great sport, Dr. MacLean! One last question: What would you like us to know about your wife’s latest or upcoming release?

Dr. MacLean: Wow, with five books out this year, that should be a tough one… actually, I think the The Color of Heaven is her best book yet for my tastes. It is more mainstream, it’s very emotional, there are some parts that are inspired by true events in our lives, and it was a very inspiring read. It’s gotten lots of buzz, United Talent Agency (UTA) is a Hollywood agency that is shopping it around for film rights, it has sold at auction for foreign translation rights in Germany and Portugal and Indonesia so far. I’d love to adapt it into a feature film. She’s gotten fan mail for many of her books in the past, but the type of fan mail has been more passionate, with numerous people saying it was the best book they’ve ever read--that it struck them emotionally--and many connected to it on different levels. Some said they had lost loved ones and that the book helped them come to terms with their own loss. It’s a very different tone and writing style from her other books and is written in the first person. Bring a box of Kleenex when reading, but it also has a wonderful, uplifting message at the end.

As for her Highlander trilogy out this year, the first two books released in February and March have done very well (the second Claimed by the Highlander hit the USA today bestsellers list), the third one comes out next month and is a great and exciting conclusion. Definitely more action than some of her other books.

For those wanting to be whisked back the Wild West, her time travel romance is called Taken by the Cowboy. She originally wrote it in the 1990’s, though it came close, it never sold to a publisher. She polished it off, cleaned it up and updated the writing and self-published it a few months ago, and it’s a lighter and fun read.

GIVEAWAY: A signed copy of ANY book from Julianne’s backlist - READER'S CHOICE. The only one NOT AVAILABLE as part of the giveaway is Sedeuced by the Highlander. GIVEAWAY OPEN WORLDWIDE.

RULES:
To win you must:

1. Ask a question or leave a meaningful comment.

2. You MUST be a follower/subscriber of Lila DiPasqua's blog (through Google Friend Connect).

3. Must be at least 18 years of age.

4. Winner will be selected at random on SUNDAY Sept. 4th, 2011.

Mr. DiPasqua:  Thanks again, Dr. MacLean!  I wish you and your DW all the very best.  It was a lot of fun chatting with you again.  And it was great that Julianne was able to jump in!  Okay, folks, let's hear your comments!  :)