But I digress.

Thankfully, other than stirring up dust that tweaked my sinuses, it was virtually painless. My room is mostly decluttered (have more work to do today), my bed is facing south, and my desk is facing my bedroom door. No one will be sneaking up on me now. The added bonus is that now I’m right next to the storyboard which was previously behind me and to the left. I need to see my storyboard from the computer in order to work on revisions.

So now the big question is, have I worked on revisions? *shuffles to change the subject* Did anyone watch football this weekend? How ’bout those Giants!

Seriously, this is all part of the process. The process of getting the process going again. In order to proceed. (Am I talking in circles?)

What I want to know today is what is everyone reading? We’ve talked about Goals and resolutions that come with the new year, but there are also books! Our own 2^nd Chance will have the third in her Kraken’s Caribbean Series, The Pirate Circus, out in the next month or so. I know Assassin is also working on getting another book on the virtual shelves. Something different but you all are going to love it!

Who else? I see so many book release celebrations on Twitter I’m starting to wonder if they don’t come out hourly now. Tell us what you’re dying to get your hands on. It’s book pushing day on The Revenge.

And Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!!!

I say, good show, young man!

You are the winner of a digital copy of Jo Robertson’s THE TRAITOR. Send me (at DJTLO at YAHOO dot COM) the email address to which you’d like to receive your prize and I’ll forward it along to Jo.

Thanks again to our lovely and generous guest, Jo Robertson! And congrats again to Quantum!

SIN!!

Yes, Sin is the lucky winner of Jenn LeBlanc’s THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE. Now she has a good book and some purty pictures to keep her entertained up there in the Crow’s Nest.

Congrats, Sin!!!

PS: No idea who this hottie is to the right but I found him lingering in my computer and he so exemplifies Sin’s (and our) favorite area, I thought I’d throw him in as a prize as well.

ENJOY!

We may be a bit rowdy, we may drink and eat a bit of chocolate, we might even get a bit sassy now and again.  But we never miss a reason to celebrate.

Huzzah, Captain!  Happy 29^th Birthday!  Again.

So, in honor of the Captain, what would you bring to a party in honor of our Hellion? Anything you’d like, be creative.  (It’s virtual, so you don’t even have to worry about how heavy it is.)

And if you could get one birthday gift, what would it be? And let’s not pull that “health for all my loved ones” stuff.  I know we all want world peace and would use a real wish in some altruistic and selfless manner.  But today, let’s just pretend.  Physical gifts only please!

JACK: *gesturing with his bottle of rum* Good evenin’, pirates and FOPs to another Fabulous Interview with the Fabulous Captain Jack Sparrow. Tonight’s guest, the incomparable Ms. Lila DiPasqua, is going to read us a story….

LILA: I will not read you Love You Forever again. I’ve read it to you ten times already. You quoted the last page—

JACK: *scowling and waving a ‘shushing’ hand* I meant one of your fairy tales, Lila. *settles back into the pillows, pats a place beside him, grins roguishly* I wanted you to tell me one of them. Something out of The Princess in His Bed. I always like a fair princess, provided she doesn’t need to be rescued or anything.

LILA: Which one?

JACK: I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me more about each one and I’ll pick one.

LILA:  Okay.  But I’m not sitting on that bed with you.  I’m fine right here on this chair. *smoothes blue taffeta skirts and yanks up slipping bodice* Where in the world did you find those pajamas, anyway? *shakes head* Never mind.  I’d rather not know.  Now, what was the question?  Oh, yes, about my Fiery Tales in THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED.  I’ve taken three classic fairy tales, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Ugly Ducking and The Princess and the Pea and scandalously retold and renamed them, The Marquis’ New Clothes, The Lovely Duckling and The Princess and the Diamonds.  Yup, that means you get three hot historical heroes in one book!

The Marquis’ New Clothes—Tall dark and sexy, Adam de Vey, Marquis de Nattes has a penchant for fine clothes and beautiful women.  And an abundance of both!  Unknown to him, he also has a stolen ring in his pocket.  Aimee de Miran must get it back.  In order to search his pockets, Aimee must get very close to Adam and intends to seduce the libertine.  She doesn’t know Adam has wanted her for years.  And that he has a seduction of his own planned!

In The Lovely Duckling, I didn’t take a heroine who just needed some dressing up.  The fire that claimed the lives of Emilie de Sarron’s parents, left scars on her body. Emilie has put up with horrible taunts and cruel names all her life.  Worse, at her introduction into society, she was horribly teased and publicly humiliated—the hero, Joseph, regrettably a part of this fiasco.  It was the final straw.   For ten years, Emilie withdrew 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.

Mathias de Tesson, Marquis de Montfort (The Princess and the Diamonds)—is a former gambler. A man who’d always enjoyed vice. Now a spy for the Crown, he is working on enforcing the ban the King has placed on Basset—a card game that has brought about the ruin of many noble families.  The problem is, he can’t seem to unravel the mystery surrounding the lady who keeps showing up at the gaming den, gambles with pea-sized diamonds and dresses as a man.  He sees through her disguise.  He knows how to melt her icy façade.  Too bad he doesn’t know the woman, whom he has deliciously debauched, is none other than the King’s own daughter.

JACK: This is difficult. *takes a drink of rum* It will require some thinking on my part. The Marquis’ New Clothes is compelling—I always admire the fine fit of a velvet jacket; and I can’t resist a shy maiden, since every woman has her charms. *another roguish glance* But The Princess and the Diamonds, a girl who enjoys something hard in her bed and comes with her own wealth? That’s the clear winner. Which of these stories is your favorite?

LILA: *noticing the roguish leer, yanks up her bodice a little higher and crosses her arms over her chest*.  I don’t have a favorite.  I love them all, for different reasons.  I couldn’t choose a favorite among them.

JACK: I see the problem. It would be like asking me to pick my favorite bottle of rum. 1794 cask of stolen rum from The Falcon. You know. If you pressed a gun against my head or anything. But seriously how did you get into this fairy tale twisting?

LILA: I was raised reading fairy tales.  I fell in love with historical romance at age fourteen. And I took my love of fairy tales, history and passionate love stories, and blended them into steamy yet romantic anthologies in AWAKENED BY A KISS and THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED (books one and two in my Fiery Tales series).  Though the characters and settings might differ in my stories, you can always expect to find a sinfully seductive rake, a strong smart heroine who will make him lose his heart and scorching-hot love scenes that will leave you breathless. Prepare to be swept up and scandalized!  Ahem…*smoothes hands over her skirts again, unnerved by the rakish gleam in Jack’s eyes*

JACK: What stories will you be trying your hand at twisting next? Any pirates for your bedchamber perhaps?

LILA: No pirates this time.  Sorry, Jack.  My next hero, Jules de Moutier is devilishly handsome, drop-dead sexy and a former officer of the King’s Navy in my first full-length Fiery Tale—A MIDNIGHT DANCE—out August 2011!!  A steamy retelling of Cinderella—as it’s never been done before!  It will be just as romantic and steamy as AWAKENED BY A KISS and THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED with one sinfully seductive rake and a strong smart heroine who will make her prince lose his heart.  Or his silver.  Whichever comes first.  Here is a small blurb:

A MIDNIGHT DANCE

Berkley (Sensation)

Historical Romance

Aug. 2011

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

JACK: What is your Call Story? And what advice would you give any struggling writers?

LILA: I actually never got “the call”.  My agent sent me “the email”.  We’d been emailing back and forth that day about various projects.  Then about mid-afternoon my agent sent me another email.  I opened it, read it and screamed.  It was summer vacation and my kids where home.  Startled, they came running into my office.  After assuring them that I hadn’t fallen, seen a spider or lost my mind – I reread the email three more times before I was sure I’d read it correctly.  Berkley was interested in my historical romance AWAKENED BY A KISS!  It took a few more days until the deal was finalized.  I officially sold to Berkley the day before I was to attend the Romance Writers of America conference.  I packed, jumped on a plane, and arrived in Washington still reeling.  I had an amazing time at the conference.  It was such a thrill getting to meet my wonderful editor and agent in person!

My advice to writers is: Write what you love. Also, keep working on your craft and believe in your gut instincts when it comes to your story.  Don’t second guess yourself.  Lastly, never, ever give up.  You can never get published, otherwise.  

JACK: And final question before I turn you over to the crew: it’s a rainy Saturday and you’re curled up on the couch in your pjs, reading a book and sipping on something warm. What’s the book, what are you drinking, and what kind of pjs are you wearing?

LILA:  Ah…what do you mean, “turn me over to the crew”?  They’re all Johnny Depp/Orlando Bloom look-alikes, right? *lifts a brow as she contemplates walking the plank if the answer is, “No”*.  To answer your questions, I’d be reading a history book—geeky of me, I know, but I love history!  I’d be drinking coffee and I’m wearing my pink pjs.  Just plain pink.  Sans the duckies.

QUESTION: What would *your* answer be to Jack’s question: it’s a rainy Saturday and you’re curled up on the couch in your pjs, reading a book and sipping on something warm. What’s the book, what are you drinking, and what kind of pjs are you wearing?

GIVEAWAY: Today I’m adding some extra, totally fun stuff to my giveaway!! YAY!

One lucky commenter will…

1. Not only win a copy of THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED…

2.  You also get a copy of STUD MUFFINS (the tagline to this book reads: Luscious. Delectable. Yummy…and Good Muffin Recipes, too!) This book is a total treat!  *grins*

3.  Oh, and that’s not all….in celebration of the holiday season, I’m also adding a Christmas ornament—a pretty Cinderella slipper for your tree…Did I mention I’ll be signing the ornament?

Giveaway is open WORLDWIDE.

THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED

A Fiery Tales Collection

By Lila DiPasqua

Historical Romance

Berkley (Sensation) 

ISBN: 978-0425237007

OUT NOW! 

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

It’s summer and those of us with skin pigmentation (read: not me) have been working on their tans.  If you live somewhere that isn’t 1934848457 degrees (read: not here), you might be spending your summer months outside.  If not, maybe you’re one of the folks who spends some time at the tanning booth (again, read: not me).

One things for sure:  I don’t care how these fellows got their tan lines.  I’m just happy they went to the trouble.

What do you think?

Happy hot summer days!

Oh, and here’s one for Q.  Just in case he stops by.

*No hotties dripping in sweat, minus their clothes and a blatant look in their eye as they look upon you. Sorry. We’ll be back to that next Sunday.*

*blinking* Oooh. I dunno HOW that got here.

hehehehehe Hello hotties, I think all five of you will do for my new harem.

Santa: “Celebrity Dad: Hugh  Jackman. I think there’s a pic of him at the beach with his daughter. Adorable. Abs on him aren’t too bad either!”

“My Dad: My father was a bear of a man who was gruff on the outside but with a teddy bear soul. He’s gone almost fifteen years now but I still can feel the palm of his hand as he would cup my check and call me his ‘Sandarella’.  He considered himself a guide for the young guys just starting out who delivered product to us. He never turned down a kid starting out in the business who he thought should be given a shot. They don’t make him like that anymore.”

“My Darling Husband is a marvelous father to our kids. He had a marvelous model in his own father who was a kind, giving giant of a man. My kids’ father greets his daughters with a ‘Hello, beautiful.’ every morning and a resounding ‘What’s up, buddy?’ to our son. My eldest is at an age where hugs are not given as freely as they once were but I tell him to hold steady. It’ll be cool to be hugged and kissed by your dad….just in time for our youngest to scoot away.”

J Perry Stone: “Celeb:  Will Smith.  He shows his children the fabulous example of putting his marriage first.  This makes great up and coming husbands as well as up and coming wives who learn not to settle for anything less from their men.”

“My dad:  At nearly 70, my dad is still 16.  There isn’t anything he won’t try.  Today he tried to master one of those sand-skimmer boards that glides along shallow surf.  At 6’2″ the board doesn’t really skim when he jumps on it.  He came limping back to the chairs with sand in his beard and blood on his knee.   And laughing.  What’s more, my dad is a renaissance man.  He can conduct a full orchestra and choir (which he did for 30 years), build houses and cars, and laugh at fart jokes while wearing a full tux with tails.”

“My husband:  He listens, he never repeats mistakes, he puts the kids to bed every night (checking teeth and reading stories), he always keeps his promises, he makes elaborate breakfasts for the kids on the weekends, he keeps kids away from their mama when she’s about to go nutball with their bickering, and he puts Will Smith to shame.”

Hellion: “I love my Daddy because he’s smart, handsome, capable, and witty as hell. When I was little, he would take me for rides on his motorcycle and we’d go tearing up and down the pasture, having a grand old time; he also took me fishing and he taught me to swim. He could make anything he needed–and was able to make things I’d need for projects as well; and he could also cook and clean up after himself. I get my sarcastic wit from him–and one of my favorite witticisms was him explaining to my aunt what the bead necklaces hanging off my rearview mirror meant. He claimed they were my speedometer for my car. If they were trailing toward the backseat, I was driving too fast. If they were hitting the windshield, I was braking too fast. And if they were spinning in a circle, she better be seat belted because I clearly didn’t know where I was going. (This was a response off the fly, when he was 85 or 86…He’s only gotten more smart-alecky as time passes.)”

Sin:

“Dear daddy,

I get my ninja skills from you. We both know I could best you in a match of ultimate awesomeness. Even the flight attendant on the plane agreed. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He saw potential in my ninjaness. Well, among other things.

While you have lost the ninja debate, you’re a great man who I look up to and defer to your magic skills of remodel and fix-it abilities. While you spent most of my childhood working to make sure we had a roof over our head and food to eat, you took time out of relaxing in front of the TV to teach me how to pitch a softball. How to shoot the hook shot and the three and dribble like a guard in the pros. You encouraged my love of sports even though I was (and still am) clumsy, awkward and so far from graceful there should be a youtube channel of my antics. You drove me to challenge myself and continue working on my game, all the while you were teaching me the real lesson in life. You don’t have to be born with the talent to shine, hard work, determination and stubbornness can get you there too. You just have to fight for what you want and don’t get discouraged when you fall short. Pick yourself up and try again.

And I’ve fallen off ponies. And fallen off the roof in my attempt to fly. And fallen down as I tried to jump on the merry-go-round. Fallen out of trees. Been down, discouraged and ready to give up. Broken bones and skinned knees and burned the skin from my flesh (not to mention the misfortunate of sharp objects operating near me) and all the scars I have are to show that you taught me never give up. I’ll never give up.

So, in honor of all you’ve give me, I picked up something real nice for you daddy. A special, “That’s about enough of that.” for Father’s day. *grin* I knew you’d like it.

Happy Father’s day, daddy. I love you (I know you just grimaced- get over it.)

Your Monkey, Toots.

Chance: “Dad was a handsome man and sent several of my girlfriends into a bit of a swoon. He also was the master of the colloquialism. ”Stand on my head and spit nickels” was a favorite of his and he actually did it while teasing my niece one day. She never forgot it! Another was “Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick” … ”We’re off like a herd of turtles!” And of course, “I danced with a girl like that once.”

“He’s gone now, three years on the Fourth of July. One of the last things he said to my mom involved their meeting and how it changed his life. “Made all the difference.” Not a bad memory to leave my Mom. I sure miss him.”

Marnee: My dad – My dad passed away five years ago, a month after my wedding.  Lung cancer, an unapologetic smoker all his life.  My mom said when she cleaned out his truck, she found massive amounts of pain meds–Tylenol, ibuprofen, prescription stuff that she isn’t sure how he got his hands on it.  We’re pretty sure he knew what was coming and was trying his damnedest to stay out of the hospital as long as he could.

I remember the month before my wedding, asking him if he had a preference for a father/daughter dance song.  I fully expected him to let me choose as that was kind of his way.  But he said he’d get back to me and a week later, called me across the state to say he’d chosen “In My Daughter’s Eyes” by Martina McBride.  I thought it was sweet, but only later did I realize he might have been saying something to me.  I miss him.

“In my daughter’s eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she’ll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I’m gone I hope you see how happy
she made me
For I’ll be there
In my daughter’s eyes.”

My hubby – I haven’t got enough words to say how impressed I am with the kind of father my husband has become.  Just tonight he fetched water for a preschooler trying to drag out bedtime, helped burb an infant whose mom’s feet were tiring out, and watered plants with a boy who’s desperately trying to feel important in a house overrun with a new baby, even though it would have been much faster to water them alone.  He loves us all every day and he humbles me.

So tell us pirates of the RWR all about a special man in your life or you can just talk about what hottie you’d like to see next week. I’m all about some naked hottieness.

You know… blow stuff up.
A few years ago when Hells and I started working towards our writing goals together, I quickly realized she is a movie person. Hells can remember all these quotes and scenes and refer back to them when she’s writing or making a point. Mr. and Mrs. Smith came out and Hells said several things about this movie, to which I ignored because I’m not much of a movie person (much like I’m not much of a suspense/mystery/horror novel reader). Finally she brought it over for me to watch. “You have to see this movie. You have to.”
We watched the movie and I can see why she likes it. The quips between the heroine and hero are hilarious. The action is fantastical. It’s overall a great movie and sparks a lot of writing imagination. So today, we’re going to celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Smith and tell me who your favorite heroine and hero are in movie. (Doesn’t matter if it’s animated or regular.)

So, Friday, Hells in her infinite man wisdom (of looking at man candy, of course) gave us a little something to get us pirates through the day. And I will share, only because I think it’s SINFUL to keep something like this to myself. Well, I already had my way with him in my own little world, so now I’ll share.  (Plus, DRD is mad that we’re passing around pics of her boyfriend, so all the more reason to-) Enjoy!

Love those dreamy sex eyes… *ducking an empty rum bottle* That’s not nice, Donna. I did give him back when I was through!

Thank you. Thank you. *taking a curtsy* I’ll be here all month. Wait, I probably shouldn’t tell you that so you’ll come back.

From all of the pirates to you…  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  We’re thankful you’ve hung with us for another year.  Enjoy your feasting and have a safe and happy day!