An Ordinary Day In: The Life of King Louis XIV

Lila DiPasqua

It isn't easy being the most powerful monarch in all of Europe. Ruling the largest European realm in the seventeenth century--with a population of over 20 million--kept a man busy.

But never too busy to womanize. (ahem)

Or dance.

King Louis XIV did a lot in his lifetime. He opened the first school of ballet. He purchased what's known today as the Hope Diamond. (Now in the Smithsonian. Uncut it was originally the size of a fist!) And let us not forget that he was the one who commissioned the construction of the magnificent Palace of Versailles.

Let's face it; Louis was one flashy, colorful character--who loved abundance and did everything on a grand scale.

So what was a typical day like in the life of this mighty monarch?

King Louis's day would begin at 8 am when the official Valet of the Bedchambers would awaken him. First to enter his room thereafter were his doctors and those closest to the King (his son/heir, the King's brother and other male family members). And, of course, the Royal Wigmaker. You see, Louis started balding at an early age, and ordered every man of quality to wear a periwig at court. These were costly. In today's dollars, one periwig would set a man back about $5000.00. Oh, and those itchy wigs needed upkeep, too!

When you're the most powerful King in all of Christendom, something as mundane as getting out of bed, washing, shaving and getting dressed was a public event. Everything Louis did was a ceremony. Once the King had been rubbed down with spirits by his doctors, and had his slippers, wig, and dressing gown on, the next part of the ceremony began.

Within fifteen minutes, a crowd crammed into the Royal Chambers. This group of nobles was made up of courtiers favored by the King. Before the adoring mass, Louis had a light breakfast. Either a cup of broth or his favorite, bread dipped in wine. It was a great honor to be permitted to watch him don his undergarments, breeches, stockings etc. It was an even greater honor to be the noble selected to hand the King his shirt--only after he was presented to the King by the Valet of the Bedchambers.

There were so many crazy rules of etiquette during the morning ceremony, I don't know how they kept it straight. For example, when it came to helping the King with his coat (justacorps), the Valet of the Bedchambers could help only with the right sleeve. Whereas the Master of the Wardrobe could only assist with the left. Oh, it gets better! Only the Master of the Wardrobe was permitted to place the King's cravat on him, but he wasn't allowed to tie it. That was the job of the Royal Cravatier. The King's hat, gloves, and cane had to be handed to him in a certain order and by certain people. A rather involved ordeal, wouldn't you say?

Now, with the morning ceremony completed and the King fully dressed, His Majesty left his private apartments, followed by the crowd from his bedchambers, and made his way down the Hall of Mirrors. This grand sparkling hallway was hardly empty. It was lined with spectators, more courtiers who waited anxiously for a glimpse of their King.

Louis spent part of the day immersed in affairs of state with his many ministers and four secretaries. And part of the day outdoors. He believed it was unhealthy to remain indoors and spent as much time as he could walking about his massive gardens. Or hunting. Since hunting with the King was by invitation only, if you wanted an invite, you did your best to stand out among the other hundreds of courtiers who followed him around the gardens trying to gain favor.

The King attended mass daily--with the entire court in attendance. He had his meals at exactly the same time each day. His dinner (what we call lunch) was at 1:00pm. Courtiers would quickly down their food at noon, so that they could be present to watch the King have his midday meal--a favorite form of entertainment!

Three times a week, the King opened his state rooms to the court. From 7:00pm to 10:00pm, courtiers were free to wander and mingle with other great nobles, as well as the King. There were concerts, billiards, card games and iced liqueurs to enjoy. The environment was less formal and the King jested and chatted with those in attendance.

Supper was usually at 11:30pm. Louis had a hardy appetite. It was discovered after his death, during his autopsy that his stomach was quite a lot larger than the average man. All his life, people marveled at the amount of food he consumed at one sitting.

Once supper was finished, it was time for the King to retire to his bedchamber for bed. Yes, you guessed it--another ceremony! Yet again a crowd filled his bedchamber. One lucky courtier was selected to--are you ready for this?--hold the candlestick as the King disrobed and handed each article of clothing to the appropriate person. This was a huge deal! Then the King would get into bed and the ceremony would be over. Only to start again the next day.

Odd practices aside, France had the most sophisticated, sparkling court around in the 17th century. It was the very time and place when the genre of fairy tales was born! I couldn't help but set my "Fiery Tales" series in this elegant and opulent time period. With all its richness and decadent behavior, it made for great fairy tale retelling! My latest release, THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, is inspired by "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Princess and the Pea." It has three notorious rakes, passionate trysts and three strong, smart heroines who make them lose their hearts.

The book video has just been completed. I hope you enjoy it!

Weekly Announcements - 4 Feb 2011

Blythe Gifford will be quoted in the upcoming April issue of RT Book Reviews. The magazine is taking "Jane and John Doe" time traveling, and Blythe served as the expert on medieval sex, words, and undergarments. Expect some shocking tidbits!

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Don't forget, you have until Sunday to enter for your chance to win a free download of Michelle Styles's Harlequin Historicals Undone, "THE PERFECT CONCUBINE." In addition, Michelle is sponsoring a Goodreads giveaway for BREAKING THE GOVERNESS'S RULES.

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Great news from Lila DiPasqua! The Romance Dish named AWAKENED BY A KISS and THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED Top Picks of 2010!

She also received the cover for her August release, A MIDNIGHT DANCE, the next in her "Fiery Tales" series from Berkley Sensation. Inspired by the tale of Cinderella, Lila 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. Pre-order it now! Here's the blurb:

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...

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If anyone with e-readers missed Margaret Mallory's first book, KNIGHT OF DESIRE, her publisher is running a $1.99 special on the e-book version. Here are B&N & Amazon links. Enjoy!

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Reader and author E. D. Walker let me know that the Hearts Through History RWA chapter needs more entries for their historical-themed contest, which is open to published and unpublished authors. They've just extended the deadline to Feb. 11. For more information or to enter, visit their website.

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Join us Sunday when Beth Elliott will be here to chat about APRIL AND MAY, a Regency romance set in Constantinople. She'll also be giving away two copies! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of Laura Navarre's latest steamy medieval romance, THE DEVIL'S TEMPTRESS. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.


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Stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! E. D. Walker, Kristina McMorris, Denise Agnew and Michelle Styles will be coming up. Join us!

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Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...

Weekly Announcements - 8 Jan 2011

Welcome to 2011, dear readers! Now that the holidays have been consigned to history, I am happy to report that our weekly announcements posts will resume.

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Long-time contributor Karen Mercury is happy to announce that her latest is now available. WORKING THE LODE is an erotic romance set during the California gold rush and can be purchased in ebook formats from Siren Bookstrand. We'll be featuring Karen as a guest author later this winter. Congratulations! Here's the blurb:

Going to California. It's three thousand miles nearer to hell.

Mountain man Cormack Bowmaker meets up with Zelnora Sparks on the eve of California's great rush--the discovery of gold. Zelnora is fleeing from her mentor, the mighty businessman Brannagh. They are being shadowed by the most scandalous Spanish bandit in the frontier. Joaquin Valenzuela wants to rob them of their gold, but soon discovers a desire for much more. Californians call for the pickled head of Valenzuela in a jar, but his passion for the two Americans overpowers his zeal for mayhem.

They band together in their quest for riches, love, and the good life. Bowmaker is a sharpshooter, his aim true. Valenzuela will slit the throat of anyone who wanders by. Zelnora knows where to find the gold. And Brannagh will do everything it takes to stop them.

They are about to discover the frontier--within themselves.

Karen was also featured this week in an interview on Babbling About Books.

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The final chapter of Michelle Styles's serialized romance, HIS STAND-IN BRIDE, is available now, which means you can read the entire free book in its entirety!

In addition, she received the cover and blurb for "THE PERFECT CONCUBINE," a Harlequin Historicals Undone set in ancient Rome. This short story will be available in February. Here's the information:

Rome, 68 B.C.

Valeria's life is in the hands of Piso the Greek--the very man who had risen from a common sailor to wealthy ship owner following their doomed romance. He is the only man brave enough to sail the dangerous seas to Alexandria to reunite Valeria with her missing brother and restore her family's fortune. But Piso demands a high price for his help: Valeria must become his concubine and share his bed once more...

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It's been gratifying to see so many Unusual Historicals authors and past guests make year-end "best of" lists for 2010. If any of your books made such a list, please let us know!

Among the best of the year are Margaret Mallory's KNIGHT OF DESIRE and Lila DiPasqua's THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, which both made the list of Rita's Best Reads of 2010. In addition, Carrie Lofty's SONG OF SEDUCTION and SCOUNDREL'S KISS made Wendy the Super Librarian's Best of 2010. And finally, Lorelie Brown received a special mention on Babbling About Books for her debut, JAZZ BABY.













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Join us tomorrow when Lorelie Brown will be here to chat about her Roaring 20s debut, JAZZ BABY, which is now available in paperback from Samhain. She'll also be giving away a copy to one lucky commenter! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of Alex Rickloff's Irish paranormal-tinged historical romance, EARL OF DARKNESS. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.


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Stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Gillian Bagwell, Stephanie Dray, Laura Navarre, and Beth Elliott will be coming up. Join us!

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Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...

Anniversary Bash: Day One!

Welcome to a huge week here at Unusual Historicals. It's our fourth anniversary! Amazing, right? It's been wonderful to gather such a vibrant community of authors and readers who love not only historical romance, but who love the places and settings that sparkle with extra verve.

So what better way to celebrate an anniversary than with a party? And what better way to party than to give away free books? We've cleared the decks here at UH and all this week we're giving away freaking stacks of books. Huge shindig time, people. Tell all your friends. (No, seriously. Tell everyone. Just like a real world party, it'll only make the place rock harder.)

The thing about Unusual Historicals is that we've gathered such a wide crew, it makes theming out the days just a wee bit tough sometimes. (I'm not even sure I can describe how much I love that. No pigeonholing our authors.) But I tried. I promise that much.

On that note, today's awesome-sauce covered giveaway:

Medieval day! With some cool castles and wonderfully steamy, sexy fairy tales as a bonus!

Castles and princesses and knights, oh my! They've all long been prevalent in the romance genre. And why not? Who doesn't love a good princess--or even better, a slightly naughty one? So we've got nine books to give out today. That's right, I said NINE. It only gets better: they're all signed. I told you our Unusual Historicals authors are awesome, didn't I?

If you're super-duper lucky enough today, you'll get:

Lila DiPasqua:
Awakened by a Kiss and The Princess in His Bed

Carrie Lofty:
What a Scoundrel Wants and Scoundrel's Kiss

Lindsay Townsend:
A Knight's Vow, A Knight's Captive, and A Knight's Enchantment

Margaret Mallory:
Knight of Pleasure (This one is a RITA finalist, y'all. How cool is that?)

Blythe Gifford:
Innocence Unveiled




I gotta say, I'm a little jealous of that stack. I kind of want to keep them for my own. So help me save my toppling TBR pile: every entry absolutely MUST have a valid email address. If there is not an email, I'll pick another at random.

Ok, I promise I'm done spiking this post with exclamation points. And done with my over-abuse of parenthesis too, at least for today.

Here's what you've been waiting for all along -- how to win the fantabulous books! It's easy. (Coz I like easy... Or am easy, some of my best friends would say) (Dang, there went another parenthesis.)

To enter, all you have to do is tell me what kind of princess you'd have been in medieval times! A feisty foot-stomper, or calm and benevolent Disney-style? Or something else I haven't even thought of?

See? So easy. And there's great books just begging you to crack 'em open and read 'em. So comment away!

Oh, and void where prohibited, of course. Due to all those annoying considerations, we can only ship to the US.

Lorelie Brown's first book, JAZZ BABY, is currently available from Samhain Publishing and will be released 4 January in paperback. Her second romance, an 1880s-set western, will be published by Carina Press in Summer 2011.

Weekly Announcements - 6 Nov 2010

Margaret Mallory has a new cover and information about her upcoming new series from Grand Central. THE GUARDIAN, set for an April 26th release, is book one in the "Return of the Highlanders" series set in 1513. In the series, four fearless warriors return to the Highlands to claim their lands and legacies. But all their trials on the battlefield can't prepare them for their greatest challenge yet: winning the hearts of four willful Scottish beauties. Here's the blurb for THE GUARDIAN:

After years of fighting abroad, Ian MacDonald comes home to find his clan in peril. To save his kin, he must right the wrongs from his past...and claim the bride he's long resisted.

As a young lass, Sìleas depended on Ian to play her knight in shining armor. But when his rescue attempt compromised her virtue, Ian was forced to marry against his wishes. Five years later, Sìleas has grown from an awkward girl into an independent beauty who knows she deserves better than the reluctant husband who preferred war to his wife. Now this devilishly handsome Highlander is finally falling in love. He wants a second chance with Sìleas--and he wont take no for an answer.

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Both Margaret Mallory and Stephanie Dray were nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards for 2010. Margaret's KNIGHT OF PASSION was nominated in the "British Isles" category, while Stephanie, writing as Stephanie Draven, received a nomination in the "First Series Romance" category for her mythic paranormal POISONED KISSES. RT Book Reviews reviewed more than 3000 titles this year, and this list of nominees was compiled by their editors and reviewers Winners will be announced in Los Angeles at the next RT Booklovers' Convention. Congratulations, ladies!

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Lila DiPasqua's latest "Fiery Tales" collection of 17th century French-set novellas, THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED is out now! Here's the blurb:

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!

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Zoe Archer's latest is also available now. REBEL, the third of the "Blades of the Rose" series, is set in wilderness of British Columbia. Here's the blurb:

A LONE WOLF

Nathan Lesperance is used to being different. He's the first Native attorney in Vancouver, and welcome neither with white society nor his sometime tribe. Not to mention the powerful wildness he's always felt inside him, too dangerous to set free. Then he met Astrid Bramfield and saw his like within her piercing eyes. Now, unless she helps him through the harsh terrain and the harsher unknowns of his true abilities, it could very well get him killed...

AND THE WOMAN WHO LEFT THE PACK

Astrid has traveled this path before. Once she was a Blade of the Rose, protecting the world's magic from unscrupulous men, with her husband by her side. But she's loved and lost, and as a world-class frontierswoman, she knows all about survival. Nathan's searing gaze and long, lean muscles mean nothing but trouble. Yet something has ignited a forgotten flame inside her: a burning need for adventure, for life--and perhaps even for love...

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Michelle Styles' December release, A QUESTION OF IMPROPRIETY has its cover and blurb, and is available for purchase on eHarlequin. Here ya go:

Diana Clare has had enough of London--the balls, the rakes you can never trust... Now, having returned home in disgrace, she is trying to forget what drove her from the ton.

Rake and gambler Brett Farnham, Earl of Coltonby, seems intent on making Diana remember exactly what it was like to be whirled around the ballroom and seduced by the glint in her partner's eye.

But Brett has "mistress" rather than "marriage" in mind, and Diana is not sure her reputation can stand up to another scandal....

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Join us Sunday when Jane Goodger will be here to chat about her latest "Christmas" romance, A CHRISTMAS WALTZ, set in 1894 Texas and England. She'll also be giving away a copy to one lucky commenter! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of Delia DeLeest's latest 1920s-set romance, NOT LOOKING FOR TROUBLE, from her guest appearance on Sunday. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.

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Stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Kristi Astor, Kate Allan, Zoe Archer, and Michelle Styles will be our guests. Join us!

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Have a good weekend! Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...

Weekly Announcements - 1 Oct 2010

This week's guest author, ZOE ARCHER received a great review for the first of her "Blades of the Rose" romances, WARRIOR. Buried by Books gave it an A and wrote, "I love that this book is hard to pin down to a single subgenre. There's suspense. There's paranormal. There's history. Even some steampunkish elements. But all of it is woven with such subtle skill that no one element dominates any other. It's entirely new, yet borrows from an extensive film and literature lore—which only adds to the richness of the storytelling."

In addition, Zoe's second "Blades of the Rose," SCOUNDREL, is up for best cover over at Bitten By Books. Take a look and cast a vote if it strikes your fancy!

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MICHELLE STYLES is happy to announce that "HIS STAND-IN BRIDE" will be a Weekly Online Serial for e-Harlequin starting November 15 and running through January 3. It will be a free read! More details to come.

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Congratulations to LILA DiPASQUA, whose collection of fairy tale retellings set in 17th century France, THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, received a great review from Publishers Weekly. They described it as "ripe with steamy affairs...hot enough to warm the coldest winter night." Follow Lila on her new blog for the latest updates and to participate in her October 4th party to celebrate the release of THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED.

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Join us Sunday when ZOE ARCHER will be here to chat about the first two of her "Blades of the Rose" Victorian adventure romances. She'll also be giving away a copy of WARRIOR and SCOUNDREL to one lucky commenter! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of SARAH PARR's HIS FOR THE TAKING guest appearance on Sunday. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.

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Stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! JEANNIE LIN, RENEE RYAN, BETH TRISSEL, and DELIA DeLEEST will be our guests. Join us!

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Have a good weekend! Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...

AWAKENED BY A KISS Winner!

We have a winner for Lila DiPasqua's AWAKENED BY A KISS guest blog. A free copy of goes to:

SARAH RAPLEE!

Contact Carrie to provide your mailing address. The book must be claimed by next Sunday or another winner will be drawn. Please stop back later to let us know what you thought! Congratulations!

Weekly Announcements - 17 Sept 2010

The fourth of the new additions to our roll of contributors is Ashley Radcliff. Welcome! Ashley recently made her first sale. "THE SAMURAI'S FORBIDDEN TOUCH," set in Heian Japan (794-1185AD), will be available this October from Harlequin Historicals Undone. Here's the blurb, with the cover coming soon:

Miku, a beautiful young poetess, lives a cloistered life at her uncle's opulent feudal estate in windswept northern Japan. But when her uncle, a devious warlord, commands a powerful and darkly handsome samurai to tame her headstrong independence, will Miku choose to run from all that the intriguing soldier has to offer--or will she finally find the uncompromising love she has only dreamed of in her poetry?

And here's a little more about our newest contributor:

For Ashley, inspiration finds its best outlet when she picks up a pen. A lifelong student of literature and history, perhaps it was inevitable that she'd find her way to historical fiction. Nursed on Shakespeare and weaned on Twain, she learned early that the most important part of any story is the characters themselves. Her stories deliver breathtakingly exotic--and deeply erotic!--romantic adventures, whether in the windswept mountains of medieval Japan, the steamy jungles of Central America, or the elegant courts of Regency England.

Ashley enjoys being outside as much as possible--hiking, kayaking, and exploring. On a rainy day, she enjoys needlework or reading a good book. And she absolutely love cooking for my family and friends!

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Occasionally we get news from authors who aren't regular contributors, but who write unusual times and places. We love to pass it along to our readers! This week I heard from Noble Romance Publishing author E.D. Walker, whose THE BEAUTY'S BEAST was released on September 6. Congratulations! THE BEAUTY'S BEAST is a paranormal historical romance from Noble Romance's Sweetheart Line. The story draws on elements of the "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale, as well as Marie de France's medieval lais, "Bisclavret." Here's the blurb:

Lady Kathryn's father has sent her to court to find a husband, but being penniless and disinterested doesn't bode well for her success. Bored by the petty intrigues of court, she finds her loneliness is eased when the king charges her with the care of his newest acquisition: an uncanny black wolf. What the king doesn't realize is his remarkable pet was once Gabriel, his favorite knight, cursed into wolf form by an unfaithful wife.

The beast's too-knowing eyes and the way he seems to understand her every utterance convinces Kathryn the wolf is more than what he seems. Resolving to restore him, she doesn't count on the greatest obstacle being Gabriel himself. The longer he stays in wolf form as a captive of the court, the harder it becomes for him to remember his humanity. And to fight his wolfish urges to maim and kill.

Only Kathryn's affection and determination stand between Gabriel the wolf and Gabriel the man. But when the wife who betrayed him returns to court, will Kathryn's love be enough to keep Gabriel from exacting a brutish revenge that will condemn the wolf to death?

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Booklist Online did a feature earlier this week titled "Core Collection: The New Stars of Historical Romance." The list featured past Unusual Historicals guests Meredith Duran, for her Indian-set DUKE OF SHADOWS, and Sherry Thomas, and also our dear contributors Margaret Mallory and Anthea Lawson! Margaret's KNIGHT OF DESIRE and Anthea's PASSIONATE were singled out in this fantastic collection of today's best historical romance authors. Great job!

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Congratulations to Lila DiPasqua, who has a title for her third "Fiery Tales" romance, this time a full-length romance that promises Cinderella as we've never read it before. A MIDNIGHT DANCE will hit the shelves from Berkley Sensation in August 2011. Can't wait to see the cover!

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Join us Sunday when Berkley Heat author Christina Phillips will be here to chat about her sexy romance FORBIDDEN, set in Wales during the Roman Empire. She'll also be giving away a copy to one lucky commenter! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of Lila DiPasqua's AWAKENED BY A KISS guest appearance on Sunday. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.

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Stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Sarah Parr, Zoe Archer, Jeannie Lin, and Renee Ryan will be our guests. Join us!

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Have a good weekend! Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...

Guest Author: Lila DiPasqua

This week here at Unusual Historicals we're welcoming contributor Lila DiPasqua as she celebrates the release of her debut, AWAKENED BY A KISS, available now from Berkley Sensation. This collection of re-imagined romantic, erotic fairy tales is set in 17th century France!

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...

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"Lila DiPasqua brilliantly pens three unique stories filled with mirth, passion and sinfully charming heroes." ~ Romance Junkies

"AWAKENED BY A KISS is a magnificent debut! Not only was I enchanted by each of the three classic tales which Ms DiPasqua has turned into delectable fiery tales, but it was so refreshing to have the setting of each of these stories in France." ~ The Romance Dish

"Lila DiPasqua puts a steamy erotic twist on classic fairy tales that will make you rethink the purpose of a bedtime story. I most certainly look forward to more from this author." ~ Fiction Vixen

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Can you tell us a little bit about your debut historical romance novel, AWAKENED BY A KISS?

AWAKENED BY A KISS is the first in my "Fiery Tales" series. It's a collection of three classic fairy tales, wickedly retold. I've taken "Sleeping Beauty," "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Puss in Boots" and have given them my own romantic and sexy twists. This steamy historical romance anthology was inspired by Charles Perrault's fairy tales. He was the first to write down folklore that had been retold verbally for generations and add morals to his stories--long before the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. Perrault was the creator of The Tales of Mother Goose, and I set this book in his lifetime--when the genre of fairy tales was born--the majestic kingdom of 17TH century France.

Where did the term "Fiery Tales" come from?

It was actually my husband who came up with "fiery tales." I was trying to think of a title that would best describe my fairy tale re-tellings, and I thought my husband's suggestion was brilliant. It put a big grin on his face when he learned Berkley was keeping it.

Can you give some interesting tidbits you discovered while researching the time period AWAKENED BY A KISS is set in?

There was so much that's fascinating about this time period! It was deliciously decadent, full of elegance and excesses. The king, after all, was Louis XIV, the Sun King. He did everything on a grand scale and was full of interesting habits and quirks.

He spent his days strolling about the vast gardens at Versailles--his throng of courtiers and violinists following him around--because he felt it was unhealthy to be indoors. He adored women and LOVED sex. It's been said that he had sex up to twice a day into his seventies! He felt as king, he had the right to have any woman he wanted, married or not. He hated convents because he felt that a woman shouldn't be shut away like that. After all, women were placed on earth for a man's pleasure, right? With a number of mistresses, he had a brood of illegitimate children, most of whom he legitimized.

It was his second wife, Madame de Maintenon, who managed to curb his vice-ridden ways. She convinced the aging King to stop his womanizing and live a more pious life. The problem was, this pious woman's plan to make the King Louis a better man backfired on her. He may have given up his womanizing, but he still had a libido that wouldn't quit. As his wife, she was now the sole focus of his carnal attention. She was to take care of all his sexual needs.

Whenever the urge would hit him, King Louis would have his wife (who was two years older than him) summoned outdoors. Image how thrilled she must have been, in her sixties, being summoned out of prayer, once or twice a day, out to the gardens--only to be asked to step around the bushes for His Majesty's pleasure.

While courtiers stood nearby.

A red-faced Madame de Maintenon would have to walk back to the palace past a mass of softly snickering courtiers.

There are actual letters that have survived where Madame de Maintenon wrote to her confessor, asking for the Church's permission to deny King Louis sex. She felt that since the Church considered sex to be for the purpose of procreation, and she was well past the age to provide the king with any children, she and Louis shouldn't be having sex any longer. Unfortunately for her, she didn't get the Church's blessing to refuse him. Rather, the letter in response encouraged her to attend to her husband's needs as it kept the king from indulging in extra-marital affairs, keeping him from sin.

When Louis died at age 76, she wrote a letter to her cousin stating, "Oh what a martyrdom I have endured!"

What's next in the Fiery Tales series?

In November 2010, my next "Fiery Tales" collection, THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, will hit the shelves with three more sinfully seductive historical heroes who find their perfect match. Inspired by "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Princess and the Pea," I put my own sensual spin on these classic fairy tales written by Hans Christian Andersen. They are scandalously retold and renamed "The Marquis' New Clothes," "The Lovely Duckling" and "The Princess and the Diamonds."

In 2011 I'm excited to bring readers a full-length "Fiery Tales" novel based on one classic fairy tale! Which one, you ask? One of the most beloved fairy tales of all time, 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. This Cinderella tale has a sinfully delicious hero and a strong quick-witted heroine. And yes, there is a ball, a lovable yet highly opinionated fairy godmother and a cast of eccentric secondary characters to keep the hero and heroine on their toes.

In the meantime, be sure to check out a juicy excerpt of AWAKENED BY A KISS.

About 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. Her debut novel, AWAKENED BY A KISS is featured in Doubleday as well as Rhapsody Book Club.

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Would you like to win a copy of Lila's sexy, exciting debut? Just leave a comment or question for your chance to win. I'll draw the winner at random next Sunday. Void where prohibited. Best of luck, readers, and thanks to Lila for stopping by!

Weekly Announcements - 11 Sept 2010

As we continue to revamp our contributor line-up, we'd like to introduce another fine author joining our ranks. Please welcome Victorian author Anthea Lawson, the husband-and-wife writing team who penned ALL HE DESIRES and the RITA-nominated PASSIONATE! Here's more about this fantastic addition to our blog:

Anthea is one-half of the writing team Anthea Lawson--husband and wife authors who live in the Pacific Northwest. They love unusual locales and situations. Their first Victorian-set romance, PASSIONATE, was released from Kensington books in October 2008. It features a botanical expedition to Tunisia, and was a nominee for the prestigious RWA RITA award for Best First Book. Their second novel, ALL HE DESIRES, was released in November 2009. Set partially on the Isle of Crete, ALL HE DESIRES "deftly combines danger, desire, and a deliciously different Victorian setting into a sexy version of Victoria Holt's classic gothic romances." ~ Booklist Reviews.

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Congratulations to long-time contributor Karen Mercury, who sold a M/M/F story set in during the California gold rush to Siren/Bookstrand. Her new release will hit the shelves in January 2011, title TBD.

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Zoe Archer's WARRIOR has certainly made a splash for its debut last week. The first of the four-part "Blades of the Rose" series received great reviews over at Fresh Fiction (WARRIOR is one of the best books I have read in years.) and The Misadventures of Super Librarian (This is the stuff of old-fashioned Saturday matinees, Errol Flynn movies and Indiana Jones.). Congratulations!

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As part of the New Voices competition and the reopening of Haltwhistle Library celebrations, Michelle Styles will be giving a workshop on "Creating a Page-Turning Read" from 10:30-11:30 am on Saturday, September 18. The workshop is free but limited to 25 spots. Contact the library on 01434 321863 for more details.

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Carrie Lofty will also be giving a workshop on September 18, from 9:30-noon for Mad City Romance Writers in the Middleton Library in Middleton, WI. The topic will be Starting the (Academic) Year off Right. Hope to see you there!

And although this doesn't have anything to do with Unusual Historicals, Carrie is quite happy with the artwork for her June 2011 apocalyptic paranormal romance, NIGHTFALL, co-written with Ann Aguirre under the name Ellen Connor.

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Join us Sunday when Harlequin Historicals author Lila DiPasqua will be here to chat about her debut, a short-story collection based on classic fairy tales called AWAKENED BY A KISS, set in 17th century France. She'll also be giving away a copy to one lucky commenter! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of Jeannie Lin's "THE TAMING OF MEI LIN" guest appearance on Sunday. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.

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Stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Christina Phillips, Sarah Parr, and Zoe Archer will be our guests. Join us!

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Have a good weekend! Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...