Monday, May 23, 2011

Victoria Day, Fairy Tales, Lila DiPasqua, and AWAKENED BY A KISS


Today is Victoria Day in Canada, bringing our northern neighbors a three day weekend:

Victoria Day, also known as May Two-Four, May Long and May Long Weekend, is a Canadian holiday on the Monday preceding May 25.

This holiday honors Queen Victoria's birthday.  From Victorian Station,

Victoria was was born in Kensington Palace in London on May 24th, 1819.    In 1837 Queen Victoria took the throne after the death of her uncle William IV.   Popular respect for the Crown was at a low point at her coronation, but the modest and straightforward young Queen won the hearts of her subjects.

On Feb 10th, 1840, only three years after taking the throne, Victoria took her first vow and married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Their relationship was one of great love and admiration. Together they bore nine children - four sons and five daughters: Victoria, Bertie, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, and Beatrice.


It's time to play Six Royal Degrees of Fairy Tale Separation.

1.  Queen Victoria lived a Fairy Tale - she was born a princess, married a German Prince, and built her own castle (Balmoral). 

2.  Today's fairy tales animated by Disney were written by European authors - Denmark's Hans Christian Andersen, Germany's The Brothers' Grimm, and France's Charles Perrault.


3.  Charles Perrault wrote fairy tales based on folk stories for the French Court, including Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, and Little Red Riding Hood.

4.  Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, and Little Red Riding Hood inspired AWAKENED BY A KISS.

5.  AWAKENED BY A KISS was written by Lila DiPasqua.

6.  Lila PiPasqua lives in Canada ... and Canada celebrates Victoria Day!


From Lila's website,

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.

Queen Victoria's Fairy Tale Castle -
Balmoral

I met Lila and the RT Booklovers' Convention.   She gave me three copies of AWAKENED BY A KISS.  I mailed two copies to deployed personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq.  I am giving away the third copy today.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about your favorite Fairy Tale - real (Queen Victoria) or fictional (Little Mermaid).

2.  This giveaway is open to all.  I welcome your comments even if you already have this book!

3.  Comments are open through  Saturday, May 28, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii


Queen Victoria engaged in an transoceanic friendship with Queen Consort Emma Kalanikaumakaamano Kaleleonālani Naʻea Rooke of Hawaiʻi.   Queen Emma sailed to Britain where she was welcomed by Queen Victoria:

The two widow queens sympathize with each other and Queen Victoria recorded in her journal on the afternoon of September 9, 1865:

"After luncheon I received Queen Emma, the widowed Queen of the Sandwich Islands or Hawaii. Met her in the Corridor & nothing could be nicer or more dignified than her manner. She is dark, but not more so than an Indian, with fine feathers & splendid soft eyes. She was dressed in just the same widow's weeds as I wear. I took her into the White Drawing room, where I asked to sit down next to me on the sofa. She was moved when I spoke to her of her great misfortune in losing her only child. She was very discreet & would only remain a few minutes. She presented her lady, Mrs. Hoopile whose husband is her Chaplain, both being Hawaiians...."

Queen Emma's summer palace, Hānaiakamālama, displays many of Queen Victoria's gifts to Queen Emma.   Hānaiakamālama - Southern Cross - is located outside Honolulu along the Pali Highway.  It gives glimpses of Queen Emma's own fairy tale.



32 comments:

  1. Happy Victoria Day!

    My favorite is the Frog Prince. Of course, I'd be wary of anyone who claims to be a prince after being a frog, but I like frogs and would prefer to have a frog than a prince on my hands.

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  2. My favorite fairy tale, Beauty and The Beast. love the cartoon and love the movie :)

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  3. Happy Victoria Day. I love Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. I have a new appreciation for Rapunzel ever since I saw Tangled.

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  4. My favorite fairy tale is Little Red Riding Hood, followed by Rapunzel. I have been wanting to reed a Lila DiPasqua story for a while to see if I would like her writing style. Everything that I have seen about it books makes me think that I would enjoy them. Thank you for the giveaway.

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  5. Good morning everyone,

    I have to favorite fairy tales, The Little Mermaid, but the Disney version because there is a Happy End and the other one is Beauty and Beast

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  6. SUCH an interesting post, Kim! My favorite fairy tale is Sleeping Beauty. Loved the music, the idea of the princess falling in love with her betrothed, and, yes, the little fairy godmothers made it all the more fun and exciting. :)

    Thanks for the giveaway! Have a great day!

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  7. I'm a BIG fan of fairytales. They have adventure & romance.. all the good stuff and usually a happy ending :D What's not to like about that. (I already have a copy of this book.)

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  8. That was an interesting post but most of your posts are. I love Beauty and the beast and I also loved the Little Mermaid.

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  9. Aloha, Kim! Happy Victoria Day to all my fellow Canucks.
    My favorite fairy tales are Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. So romantic...

    Kaylea Cross
    www.kayleacross.com
    info@kayleacross.com

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  10. Snow White and Cinderella, a little girls big dream to be saved and live happily ever after
    would be my favourites.
    Queen Victoria and Queen Emma is quite a lovely story. I really enjoyed the pictures today.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

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  11. I've always been partial to Cinderella since it was the first fairytale book I ever read.

    I'm always a sucker for a twist in the tale. A new spin on an old tale. I am very much looking forward to Ms. DiPasqua's take on the Cinderella story.

    (Please don't enter me in the drawing. I already have the book thanks to Operation Auction.)

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  12. I've always been partial to Beauty and the Beast - I totally loved that beast!! But I enjoy many fairy tales because of the HEA - not so many in true life and always enjoyable to hear about one.

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  13. My favorite fairy tale is Sleeping Beauty. I'm still waiting for my prince to come and wake me with a kiss in the morning, but all he ever does is say, "Honey, it's time to get up and go to work." Sigh....someday (my prince will come)

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  14. I have a few favs Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Snow White and Rose Red. I have this book! Love Lila DiPasqua!

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  15. My favorite fairy tale...hmm that's a tough one. I think Beauty and the Beast with The Frog Prince and Red Riding Hood close be behind. I haven't read Lila's books yet, but I really can't wait!!

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  16. My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast.

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  17. I always liked Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I love your blog. You always have great posts.

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  18. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale. Thanks for a fun post.

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  19. Queen Victoria is my favorite of the English queens. Maybe that's why I love reading my historicals set in the early 1800s. :)

    My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast. Both the original version and Disney's. I still weep every time I see it and the Beast is "killed" by Gaston.

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  20. Somehow I loved all of the Disney versions of fairy tales and was a bit disturbed when I read the original versions of several of them. I have to agree that Beauty and the Beast is a favorite.

    ELF

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  21. I'm a bit late for Victoria Day, but great post, Kim! I love how you made all the connections between the things mentioned in the title of your post! I wouldn't have been able to guess all the connections because I didn't know that Awakened by a Kiss was inspired by Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots and Little Red Riding Hood - interesting!

    As for my favourite fairy tale, it has always been Cinderella :)

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  22. I didn't see this until today, so happy belated Victoria Day! I just saw Young Victoria and I gained a new appreciation for the powerful young woman.

    My favorite fairy tale has always been Beauty and the Beast, though of the Disney movies, I am obsessed with Tangled (Rapunzel).

    Oh, and that was a fantastic six degrees of separation!

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  23. My favorites are Beauty & the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and many more. :)

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  24. My favorite fairytale would be Cinderella.

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  25. My favorite fairytale is Cinderella. It is interesting to see the different versions of the story as the times change.

    smccar1 at hotmail dot com

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  26. I suppose I have two favorites. Beauty and the Beast hands down is one of the very best and my top fave. The second is Enchanted, also a Disney movie, but intertwines reality and make believe. I think of it as a modern day fairy tale.

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  27. Thanks so much for the lovely post, Kim! I loved the six degrees of separation connections and the info on Queen Victoria. It was wonderful meeting you in person. Looking forward to seeing you this summer!
    Hugs,
    Lila

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  28. Good luck with the giveaway, everyone! And thank you for your sweet comments on my Fiery Tales series books. :)

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  29. My favorite has to be Beauty and the Beast. Who doesn't love a flawed hero? Nobody has to be perfect to be loved. I've always felt that somebody with flaws, deserves to be loved just as much.

    Thanks to you both for the giveaway.

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  30. I adore Lila Fiery Tales .
    All time fav Snow white Cinderella Beauty & the Beast.

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  31. Sleeping Beauty!

    robindpdx (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  32. My favorite is Sleeping Beauty. :) But all of Disney's are favorites.

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