Friday, June 8, 2012

Rock*it Reads: Guest Post with Lila DiPasqua + Giveaway

Lila DiPasqua takes a fairy tale and gives is an erotic twist that will have you blushing and falling in love with the story, the heroine and the hero. This is not your child's fairy tale, it's a Fiery Tale. Lila's first book under the RiR logo is UNDONE, a new retelling of Rapunzel. What happens when she leaves the tower? You don't want to miss this! Lila is a repeat offender (here and here) when it comes to hanging out at the blog but we're always glad she has time to stop by.

WELCOME BACK TO THE BLOG LILA!!!

Meet Lila:
Multi-published author of Wicked & Witty Historical Romance for Penguin/Berkley and self-published works. Best known for her critically acclaimed Fiery Tales series. Her books have been featured on Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs.

Connect with Lila: Author Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog

I’m a proud member of Rock*it Reads! It’s exciting to be a part of this dynamic group, to be part of something that’s so different and new. The landscape of publishing is changing. Evolving. And for me, it’s important to evolve and change with it.

UNDONE is my first RiR/self-published book. And I’m thrilled by the results. Many more readers have discovered the Fiery Tales series, simply because of this steamy, romantic, heart-wrenching retelling of Rapunzel –UNDONE!

I’ve enjoyed my experience in self-publishing immensely. Though I love having books published with a wonderful house like Penguin, it’s been equally gratifying to do something completely on my own. Every aspect of UNDONE has been in my control. Every small detail has been my decision.

And the reviews from readers have been overwhelmingly wonderful. This is my most emotional historical romance to date. Expect a tale that’s deeply moving . . . with my signature scorching hot love scenes, of course. ;)

Dare to step into my Fiery Tales world?

Simon approached her slowly, his brow slightly furrowed.

Unable to stop herself, Angelica took in his male beauty. He, not the books, now dominated the room. How was it possible that he looked even better than before?

A few wayward strands of his dark hair played against his lashes, but it was his mouth that captured her attention.

Such an appealing mouth…

She looked away, horrified by the workings of her mind. It had to be her headache that was distorting her thinking.

He stopped before her, towering over her.

The bookshelves against her back kept her fixed in place. She was keenly aware of the limited space between their bodies, his proximity causing her body to warm.

“I asked you a question.” His voice was quiet but firm.

Gazing up at him, she tried to clear her head by taking in a deep breath, but it only served to draw in his wonderful scent. She
couldn’t quite describe it, but it was tantalizing in the extreme.

What was the matter with her? She shouldn’t be reacting to him this way. She’d chosen a cloistered existence, or rather, it had chosen her. Nonetheless, she’d accepted her future long ago.

“You should not be wandering about alone.” He spoke softly, his voice deep and rich in her ears. It reverberated through her belly with wicked appeal. Lightly, he stroked his knuckles along her bruised cheek. “You should be in bed. You are still injured.”

She closed her eyes briefly. Get hold of yourself. This was the second time he’d touched her. Instead of drawing back, as she would have expected, she found herself wanting to draw near. It was a stunning reaction. As stunning as the tiny tingles that sped up her spine at his caress.

Excerpt from Undone ©2012 by Lila DiPasqua. 
###

PRAISE FOR THE FIERY TALES!

"Lushly erotic, and deeply romantic. If you love historical romance, this is an author to

watch!" - Elizabeth Hoyt, New York Times bestselling author

"Evocative, erotic and wickedly passionate . . . [A] sensual treat." -- Sylvia Day, New York
Times and USA Today bestselling author

"Sure to delight!" -- Jennifer Ashley, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

"Hot enough to warm the coldest winter night." -- Publishers Weekly

UNDONE:
Inspired by the tale of Rapunzel, Lila DiPasqua offers a new steamy, emotionally charged historical romance in the acclaimed Fiery Tales Series . . . Rescuing this beauty from the 'tower' is only the beginning . . .

Maintaining her ruse as a commoner, and trusting no one has kept Angelica safe. But a chance encounter with a handsome stranger lands her right where danger lies. Now, this sinfully handsome man with arresting blue eyes and a polished manner thinks he's saved her life, when in fact he's placed her in great peril. She's intent on keeping him and everyone else at arm's length. Yet, the smoldering attraction between them is difficult to deny. And impossible to ignore . . .

As commander of a number of privateer ships, Simon Boulenger dresses and speaks like an aristocrat, and has obtained wealth. But he is still not a noble. Or an officer in the King's Navy. His lifelong dream to elevate himself from his station of birth and attain a respectable place in society is dead. Worse, he's ensnared in a deadly scheme, and must get out. But how is he to stay focused on his dangerous mission when the mysterious beauty has him utterly intrigued? He can't afford the distraction any more than he can resist the carnal hunger she stirs. Simon soon discovers that she's not only a passionate soul mate, but a woman born into privilege. A woman he can never have. But they're in too deep. Their hearts are at risk . . . as well as their lives.
Get Your Own Copy: Kindle | Smashwords | ARe
Book Extras: Kati's Review
Other Books in Series:




Lila is giving away two(2) copies of UNDONE to two(2) lucky readers. Either ebook or paperback. Winner's choice. The best part? It's international. Yay! Here's how to get your hands on this sexy book:
  • Leave a comment for Lila answering this question: Name the last book or movie that moved you deeply.
  • Fill out the rafflecopter form below. You must leave a comment. All other entries are optional.  

Keep up with the fun posts by the ladies of Rock*It Reads here.

A huge thank you to Lila for sharing her latest release as well as the giveaway copies of Undone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


82 comments:

  1. The last movie that got me misty-eyed is Love and Other Drugs starring Anne Hathaway as a 26 years old woman affected by Parkinson. Beside the explicit sex scenes, it's a moving love story. It's so challenging to build a relationship where one of the partners has a debilitating disease. Can love survive that?
    minadecaro(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Hi Mina--I love Jake Gyllenhaal but I haven't been able to watch that movie. It hits too close to home as my mom has Parkinson's Disease. It looks great, though! And definitely moving. Thank you for stopping in to share. :)

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  2. The last movie that moved me deeply was something I rewatched and is one of my faves. What Dreams May Come with Robin Williams. Basically the story of a man searching for his wife in the afterlife. Heartwrenching, I swear I cry all the way through. The lengths that he went through to find the love of his life.. I swear I get choked up just thinking about the movie. If you're up for a good cry I totally recommend this movie.

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    1. I've never seen it, but I'm going to go and try to, now! Sounds wonderful! Thank you for stopping by to share. :)

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  3. I'm not much of a movie buff. But the last book that made me cry a bit (I swear it was only a bit ;p) was Potent Pleasures by Eloisa James. I know it's an old book, but only got the chance to read it this year. It was really good that I stayed up all night to finish it.

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    1. I love Eloisa's books. I've read every one of them. If you get a chance to read the others please do so. You will find that they are great.

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    2. Eloisa James is awesome!! Thank you for stopping by to chat with me. :)

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  4. I just seen One Day. I hate that movie. It made me so sad! I cried..a lot. It was nice to see the couples love, it was so deep! But i hated it when he lost her and he couldnt go on. So sad.

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    1. That definitely sounds sad, Shadow. In UNDONE, I've made some readers cry, but there's definitely a well deserved happily ever after. :)

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  5. Homefront by Kristin Hannah definitely had me in tears at points.

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    1. Oh, thank you for the book suggestion! *quickly writes it down*. Glad you stopped by, Maureen. :)

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  6. The Notebook... The undying love gets to me everytime!

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    1. A definite tearjerker, LM! Thanks for sharing!

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  7. Last movie that moved me deeply: Never Let Me Go

    Last book that moved me deeply: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (that was quite awhile ago)

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    1. Don't think I'm familiar with these. I'll have to go check them out. Thank you! :)

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  8. The book, Empty Arms, by Erika Liodice. It is about the love of a birth mother who was forced to give up her baby daughter. Very real and raw emotion.

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    1. Oh wow. That description alone gets to me. Thank you for sharing, Phoenix!

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  9. A Family to Share by Arlene James. It is an Inspirational romance that I just read that I picked up at library. Very touching.

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    1. Thank you for the suggestion! Glad you stopped by. :)

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  10. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. She captured the poverty, struggle, and disfunction of growing up poor in rural WV. As I was reading it I would have to put the book down because of how close it was to some of the experiences I had being raised in a similar manner in WV.

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    1. Sounds like a powerful story. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with me.

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  11. I have not watched any movies for a long time but the last book that moved me emotionally was J.R. Wards Lover Reborn. Thanks for sharing with us today!

    evjochum[AT]aol[DOT]com

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    1. Oh, it's my pleasure! Thank you for stopping by and chatting with me, Johanna.

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  12. The last book I read (and the movie almost as much) was "The Help". It made me so angry I wanted to jump in the pages and throttle some of the characters. Well, it was one book I was affected by strongly.

    annfesATyahooDOTcom

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    1. I agree! I didn't read the book, but I saw the movie. It's just so unjust how they were treated!

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  13. I have had many books and movies get to me. But I think the one I remember most is "Love Story" by Eric Segal. I was reading it on a bus to go pick up my son at my in-laws. I was crying at the end of it (the trip was over 10 hours). This really nice gentleman in the aisle across from me handed me his handkerchief to wipe my tears (he was young and handsome too) and asked if he could do anything for me. I looked up smiled at him and said thank you for the hanky. He drew his breath in and said asked me for a date. LOL!! I explained that I was reading this book and it made me cry. THEN I thanked him for his offer but, I was married and going to get my son. He apologized for trying to pick me up and we went back to being passengers on a bus. I just love random acts of kindness and a very handsome stranger thinking I was nice looking. Love your books Lila.

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    1. Oh, what a great story! Thanks so much for sharing it with me. :) And thank you so much for the lovely comment about my books. I'm delighted you enjoy them. :)

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  14. I think I was most moved by The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. It was so different and so moving that I still think about it and it's been about 6 months since I listened to the book on CD.

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    1. Those are the best books! --- The ones that stay with you long after you read the final word. Glad you stopped by. :)

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  15. i try not to read books that will make me cry... but reading New York to Dallas by jd robb had me sobbing...

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    1. Sometimes books make you cry happy tears. UNDONE is an emotional book about a heroine who I hope will move you. I hope you'll still give UNDONE a try. :)

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  16. I have to say Katheryne Kennedy's Elvin series - she took me to a fantastic world. I'm now reading her backlists and loving them too! I really enjoyed your excerpt.

    catslady5(at)aol.com

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    1. Thank you for the lovely compliment on the excerpt. I'm so happy you stopped in to chat with me. :)

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  17. I can't remember the last book that made me cry other than Gone With The Wind. The last movie that I saw that made me cry was Ever After with Drew Barrymore.

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    1. OOOO! I LOVE EVER AFTER!!! It was such a great Cinderella retelling. I think the heroine on the cover of my Cinderella retelling--A MIDNIGHT DANCE,(Penguin/Berkley) looks soooo much like Drew Barrymore did in that movie. :)

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  18. PS: My email is kscathy@yahoo.com

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  19. It's more the music in movies that move me - especially patriotic music - wouldn't it be great if books had background music?
    sallans d at yahoo dot com

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    1. Oh, definitely! I write to music and often put on music to match the mood of the scenes I'm writing. That would be such a cool thing! :)

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  20. Thanks for a great giveaway!

    I'd have to say that the last movie that I watched that moved me deeply was Saving Private Ryan (just rewatched that yesterday) and for book, 5 Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbairn (just reread that one last week!)

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    1. That was definitely a moving movie! I loved Saving Private Ryan. Thank you for sharing with me. :)

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  21. The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley. The story has a hero who is supposedly mad. I love the scenes between Ian and Beth...they're heartbreaking sometimes. It is a beautiful story that has become one of my favorites.

    Karin
    AquarianDancer at gmail dot com

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    1. I adore Jennifer Ashley! Great suggestion, Karin! Glad you stopped by to share. :)

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  22. I haven't been moved by a book or movie in a long time. But there was one movie that just stuck with me. I actually had to stop watching it for a while, then come back to it a little later. It really affected me. The movie is Trainspotting by director Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor.
    Mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

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    1. I haven't seen that movie but now my curiosity is piqued. :) Thanks for chatting with me.

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  23. Julie Anne Long's what I did for a duke. It made me cry that the hero was willing to make sarcrifices to make the heroine happy.

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    1. I'm a big fan of Julie Anne Long! Thanks so much for dropping in to share!

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  24. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon was a book that moved me.

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    1. Awesome, Chey! Glad you stopped by. :)

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  25. It's not a book or a movie, but the TV series Once Upon a Time, it is phenomenal !!! I can't stop thinking about it wondering what is going to happen next. The reruns and season 2 can't start soon enough. I've always loved a different take on a classic fariytale and my favorite part of Rocky & Bullwinkle (I'm not dating myself here am I ??) was always the fractured fairytales.

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  26. The last book that moved me deeply was What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long. The book was a great love story, with lots of humor.

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    1. Yay! Another fan of Julie Anne Long. Thanks, Charlotte! :)

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  27. The last book I read that moved me was Borne Vampires III: Wulf's Redemption by Wend Petzler. The hero didn't believe he was worthy of a woman who was goodness and love. His father was cruel to him as a child, and the result of that was the making of bad decisions in his life. The book was very emotional and thought provoking. I loved it.
    luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com

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    1. Those are the best kind of books, aren't they? Thank you for the book suggestion! :)

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  28. The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simons, this book make me cried so much, and has been my favorite since I read it! It's really good!

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    1. Sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing. :)

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  29. I am actually reading Inamorata by Margaret Ethridge right now and the first 2 chapters have been really gripping. Love books that get me going right from the start.
    I would love to read this book. Badly.

    Michelle Kelly
    another_look_book_reviews at hotmail dot ca

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    1. Thank you for the lovely comment. I'm delighted by your interest in UNDONE. :)

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  30. The book that really moved me was It's Always Been You by Debbie D. Ellis... such a complex relationship based storyline. I think I went through all stages of emotion and didn't expect it when I first saw the story.

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    1. Oh, that sounds great!! Thank you for the book suggestion. :)

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  31. The Blind Side movie

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  32. "The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie" by Jennifer Ashley I was very moved by Ian's character. He suffers from what today is Autism but back then was a unknown disorder. This was the first romance book I've read where the main character had an major and some what debilitating disorder. To read how Ian evolved with the help of his brothers and the love of Beth was amazing. I also like how Jennifer brings all of the series characters into each book so you can see the growth of them all. I highly recommend the series.
    lorimeehan1@aol.com

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    1. Another fan of Jennifer Ashley! She's awesome and so are her books. :) You can expect to find series characters both UNDONE and A MIDNIGHT DANCE, too. :)

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  33. The last book that moved me deeply was The Rogue's Return by Jo Beverley, I loved and cried.....

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    1. *quickly writes down the title* I'm off to check it out. Thank you for the book suggestion! :)

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  34. I re-watched SCHINDLER'S LIST a while back. It broke my heart. I sobbed the entire way through it.

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    1. Oh yes, definitely. That movie made me cry and cry, too. Thank you, Marybelle!

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  35. Lila... :)

    the book or movie that really moved me deeply hem..i think a walk to remember (i know that this is the old movie and i had watched few years again) but i really love this movie and for book first grave to the right by darynda jones and bride by mistake by anne gracie :)

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  36. The Notebook for sure. So emotional. And Outlander, just broke my heart to pieces what Jamie Fraser endured. Lila, I'm so thrilled Undone is in PRINT. I love it. Because I think I'm the last person on the planet who doesn't have an e-reader. lol
    I love everyone of your Fiery tales. Now that this one is in print I can order it.
    Thank you and wishing you many sales.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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  37. SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN....why ? because i love chris hemsworth...looking him in that movie make me wanna dream to become snow white ( chris kiss her ):p

    i hope i win this giveaway because i can't find UNDONE in bookdepository...
    i really2 want to get those paperback copy :D
    thx 4 the giveaway...

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  38. oh.. this is easy.. if movie, it's the vow, the last movie i've watched, the story really teared me up, especially when he finally let his wife go. and if book, it'll be Julia Quinn's just like heaven. i really admire honoria.

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  39. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Very sweet, lovely, fun movie. Such a good story. And well told. Loved it. Only one little thing I wish they had done different. But it moved me no end.
    lisakhutson (at) [cox] {dot}

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  40. Hi,
    The movie that always makes me cry is PS I Love You.
    I read the book first and I sobbed and didn't think the film would effect me as I already knew the story line but I indeed end up sobbing.
    My other film is Ghost, I am ok until Sam says " you can feel the love and you take it with you " sob fest.

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  41. The movie had makes me cry was Hachiko.
    I know this story from magazine i read, write about culture Japan, but i just know a little. So when HBO had Hachiko movie, i'm and my sister watch it. This film make we both cry.
    Thanks for giveaway!!

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  42. Thanks for the guestpost! The last book that made a huge impression on me, was Jean Johnson - Theirs not to reason why 01 - A soldier's duty. Really great book.

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  43. oops forgot my email, auriansbooks at gmail dot com

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  44. Hi Lila ! I fill the rafflecopter as Aretha zhen . The last movie that Moved me deeply would be the soloist by Robert Downey junior . The message inside the movie is about the universality of hope . I'm crying so hard when I watch Jamie foxx play the music and never beaten by his sickness :)

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  45. Hi Lila -

    The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks published back in 2004 moved me because a few years earlier I was traveling back and forth from Rhode Island to Arizona to help make arrangements for my father who was having "problems" remembering things. After the death of my mother the previous year he had gone steadily downhill and my sister who lived nearby couldn't understand what was happening and couldn't cope with his "strange" behavior.

    After I read Nicholas's book I sent her a copy. I think that his book and the subsequent movie has made a profound difference in how people cope when confronted with the problems of not only their loved ones but especially a spouse or parent moves into "old" age (it's difficult saying that when one is in their 60's like I am and realize that also means myself and my husband).

    I think that one of the best things that book made us realize that the time is now for people as they age to talk to their children and loved ones to make plans now of what you want to happen in the future when that person is you. Fortunately for my husband and one of my daughter-in-laws is a registered nurse and works for Hospice. The problem of not only dementia but also life ending diseases affect every family and the time to address it is now and not ignore it. It's means confronting now what must be done and not leaving the choices to those who are struggling with their own problems to confront because often these concerns aren't faced by people before the problems exist.

    I think that Nicholas's book has made a profound change in how we all consider that moment in life when our lives change forever.

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  46. I cried buckets at the ending of Kristen Callihan's Firelight. I loved the connection between the H/H. The romance was awesome; it's amazing that it's a debut book.

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  47. The last book that moved me deeply was Hot Head by Damon Suede. It's an m/m erotic romance about closeted NYC firemen in love with his best friend and who is still haunted by 9/11. I didn't cry but there were a few times where I had to stop reading the book to take a deep breath.

    The last movie that moved me deeply was Shame with Michael Fassbender. It was the last big argument he had with his sister that really got to me and (SPOILER ALERT)







    her eventual suicide attempt. I had to go to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face because of all the blood they used.

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  48. The book to this day that moves me was Tuesdays with Morrie.

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