When blogger The Book Chick talks, people listen. Therefore, I was thrilled to learn my paranormal romance Predator's Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5, made her Top 20 Books of 2014! What an honour. I am thrilled to be part of this list with some very accomplished authors, and just so tickled Book Chick would recognize my work in this way.
Here's what she had to say about Predator's Fire: "Rosanna Leo hits yet another book out the park with Predator’s Fire. This book had it all. A hot alpha male. A sassy, can protect her own dang self, female. Smoking hot passion. Intrigue. And action. Lots and lots of action."
Thank you so much, Book Chick, for all your support and enthusiasm for my books. This is a fantastic way for me to end out my year.
Check out the entire list here and give it a like. Make sure you subscribe to Book Chick's blog while you're there. It's a terrific resource for finding new books and fair reviews. http://bookchickwithkick.com/2014/12/31/the-best-of-2014/
You can find Predator's Fire at Amazon, ARE, B&N, Kobo and at Liquid Silver Books: http://www.lsbooks.com/predator-s-fire-p946.php
Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Wednesday, 24 December 2014
Merry Christmas!
I'd like to wish all my readers a very merry Christmas and a new year full of love, health and happiness.
Thank you for all the wonderful support this year and for sharing your appreciation of my books. I will be sure to bring you some sexy new reads in the new year and more amazing guest bloggers.
May Santa slip something sexy into your stocking.
Love and hugs,
Rosanna
Thank you for all the wonderful support this year and for sharing your appreciation of my books. I will be sure to bring you some sexy new reads in the new year and more amazing guest bloggers.
May Santa slip something sexy into your stocking.
Love and hugs,
Rosanna
Friday, 19 December 2014
Winter Warm-Up Blog Hop!
Hello hoppers!
Are we cold yet? Well, this blog hop will warm you up.
As we scurry around on these last few days before the holiday, it's hard to take a moment to relax, read a book, or just breathe. The holidays can be fun but also stressful for so many. My family and I try hard to get out to at least one Xmas event to get in the spirit. Whether it's checking out the Xmas windows at a department store downtown, going to Toronto's historic Distillery District Xmas market, or just watching a holiday favorite movie, we do it together.
Consider this hop your little break from the craziness this holiday season. A break with awesome prizes!
The Grand Prize is a $75 Amazon gift card so make sure you enter the Rafflecopter. Here's the link:
To check out all the stops, follow the linky or this link: www.hopswithheart.blogspot.com
Or follow the hashtag #HopswithHeart
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Are we cold yet? Well, this blog hop will warm you up.
As we scurry around on these last few days before the holiday, it's hard to take a moment to relax, read a book, or just breathe. The holidays can be fun but also stressful for so many. My family and I try hard to get out to at least one Xmas event to get in the spirit. Whether it's checking out the Xmas windows at a department store downtown, going to Toronto's historic Distillery District Xmas market, or just watching a holiday favorite movie, we do it together.
Consider this hop your little break from the craziness this holiday season. A break with awesome prizes!
The Grand Prize is a $75 Amazon gift card so make sure you enter the Rafflecopter. Here's the link:
Or follow the hashtag #HopswithHeart
I'm doing my own giveaway as well. One reader will receive a copy of my paranormal romance Predator's Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5. A recent recipient of The Romance Reviews Top Pick, this sizzling romance will definitely make you hot this Christmas.
How can you win Predator's Fire?
Simply comment here and tell me how you relax during the busy holiday season.
Blurb:
When Nina Suzuki discovers the body of
her best friend Janine, her world turns upside down. Things go from bad to
worse when Janine’s corpse seems to transform into that of a large, brown wolf.
For the first time, Nina is faced to confront all the clues indicating her BFF
was not what she seemed. A letter from the dead woman opens Nina’s eyes to a
strange, new world. The same letter warns of a sinister group called the Alpha
Brethren, and urges her to find Killian Moon of the Ursa Fishing Lodge and
Resort on Gemini Island .
Killian Moon is a jaguar shifter and teen
mentor at the Ursa Lodge in Northern Ontario .
He may be a comfort and inspiration to confused teen shifters, but he also has
a fiery past. His past comes back to haunt him when human Nina arrives at the
resort, demanding to speak with him. Demanding answers. Can he trust her with
knowledge that will not only change her life, but possibly endanger those
around him?
As Killian begrudgingly tutors Nina on
all things shifter, their mutual curiosity flares into passionate need. Once
they touch, once they succumb to desire, there is no going back. Killian
realizes Nina is his mate and they both begin to comprehend the terror
threatening those on their shifter-friendly island. He is forced to confront
the tragedy in his family and determines to protect Nina at all costs.
But can they protect everyone they love
from a cult of dangerous shifters, intent on horror and destruction?
Excerpt:
“How much longer do I have to wait? I
want to see Killian Moon. Now.”
The feminine voice, strangely soft
despite its insistence, echoed deep in his being, awakening his jaguar. The
great cat roared to life, turned toward the office and inhaled deeply. Its eyes
flashed in interest.
In...recognition?
Killian breathed in at the same time,
catching the scent of cherry blossoms through the door. The sweet perfume,
mixed with human outrage, proved a heady distraction, making him forget why he
was there. Shaking his head, he tried to dismiss the odd sensation as Ryland
opened the door.
The door swung open and the first person
he glimpsed was one of the clerks from reception, trying his hardest to placate
the unexpected guest. “I’m sure Mr. Snow and Mr. Moon will be right back.”
And then his gaze landed on the petite
human. Tapered Asian eyes, so dark and mysterious, but rimmed with circles of
exhaustion. Smooth, cinnamon skin hinted at a mixed background. Wearing no
makeup, she appeared younger than she must be, but her presence and keen eyes
pegged her at around thirty years old. She had a riot of curly, black hair and
feminine curves that ought to come with a warning. He could see it now. Beware: this
woman’s body will cause insanity in men. Even as she gesticulated at
the clerk, her boobs jiggled in such a way his throat went dry.
He pictured her in a corset, her breasts
spilling over delicate lace edging, and almost forgot his name.
This Nina Suzuki was damn hot and his
jaguar seemed to agree. The animal licked its lips, its golden gaze assessing
and appreciating every detail, from her rounded hips to her come-hither rack.
Yes, the creature uttered on a
frenzied breath.
Buy link: Predator’s
Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5, is available at: http://www.lsbooks.com/predator-s-fire-p946.php
Thursday, 18 December 2014
Geena Tillman...Blue Moon!
Woot! I'm so pleased to introduce you all to a talented debut author, Geena Tillman. Geena and I recently connected on Goodreads and I cannot wait to check out her book Blue Moon. Be sure to add it to your TBR list. This looks like the start of a very sexy series.
Welcome, Geena!
Growing up with a hippy mother had some advantages in life, a respect for all life on earth, a healthy dose of social justice, and the permissiveness that comes from a parent who really wants their children to grow up to follow their dreams rather than follow the traditional societal lines that define "success."
Which is how I ended up here, nearing my 30's with a degree in the fine arts and having just published a paranormal erotic novel.
I've always had a deep love for the romance genre, loving to read romantic tales from a young age. (I blame fairy tales and disney princesses for setting me on the path of romance obsession!) It evolved in my college years to a love of the erotic, usually with the elements of the supernatural or science fiction. I especially love shapeshifter stories, which is probably why my first novel is an erotic novel about werewolves!
I wrote "Blue Moon" at the urgings of my editor, Ada Murphy (an aspiring author in her own right, though not of erotica) who had never read an erotic novel before diving into editing mine. I'm happy to say she is now a fan of the genre, and is going through my personal library as I write! She thought that I had a flare for the dramatic (I used to write screenplays for short films that never went anywhere, for my degree) and I should just sit down and finish one.
And so I did.
I hope to build off of the story of Blue Moon, as there are 4 more books planned in the series, the second one of which (Retribution) I am embroiled in writing at this moment, which I hope will be bigger and better than the first novel.
I write at home, a massive cup of tea next to me, in my tiny little closet of an office. There is a certain satisfaction to having finished an novel, as though the world has opened up and I can write more, do more, be a little bit better at my life than I was before I finished a novel. For anyone out there who is currently working on something, keep at it! I wish everyone could have the same sort of satisfaction I feel at finishing a project! There's almost nothing like it.
If you want to read my novel, I hope that you'll enjoy it, and review it (even if you didn't!), or e-mail or tweet me to let me know what you thought! I love hearing from people, and would love to hear from any of you!
Now for brass tacks, the synopses of my novel!
Dealing with the murder of his father, Packmaster Jason Bortelais doesn't have time for anything in his life except his pack. Elise Leigh is on the run from an abusive ex with a vendetta, and can't get mixed up with anyone who might get hurt. But when they meet in the woods, sparks fly and a heated romance cannot be denied. When threats to the pack increase, Jason and Elise need to hang on against all the outside forces looking to destroy them.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Moon-Pack-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00OZCLOFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417021962&sr=8-1&keywords=geena+tillman&pebp=1417021956408
After discovering romance novels in her early teens, Geena enjoyed the fun and love attributed to the genre. However, she also loved magic, science fiction, and action movies to death, so tries to marry the two sides of her fiction passions in one.
She lives in Canada with her husband and their three pets, despite being adverse to all things winter (a big problem for someone living in Canada!) This, however, gives her lots of time indoors to pursue writing during the long winter months. She doesn't like to take life too seriously, and is known as a bit of a joker.
https://twitter.com/GeenaTillman
Welcome, Geena!
Growing up with a hippy mother had some advantages in life, a respect for all life on earth, a healthy dose of social justice, and the permissiveness that comes from a parent who really wants their children to grow up to follow their dreams rather than follow the traditional societal lines that define "success."
Which is how I ended up here, nearing my 30's with a degree in the fine arts and having just published a paranormal erotic novel.
I've always had a deep love for the romance genre, loving to read romantic tales from a young age. (I blame fairy tales and disney princesses for setting me on the path of romance obsession!) It evolved in my college years to a love of the erotic, usually with the elements of the supernatural or science fiction. I especially love shapeshifter stories, which is probably why my first novel is an erotic novel about werewolves!
I wrote "Blue Moon" at the urgings of my editor, Ada Murphy (an aspiring author in her own right, though not of erotica) who had never read an erotic novel before diving into editing mine. I'm happy to say she is now a fan of the genre, and is going through my personal library as I write! She thought that I had a flare for the dramatic (I used to write screenplays for short films that never went anywhere, for my degree) and I should just sit down and finish one.
And so I did.
I hope to build off of the story of Blue Moon, as there are 4 more books planned in the series, the second one of which (Retribution) I am embroiled in writing at this moment, which I hope will be bigger and better than the first novel.
I write at home, a massive cup of tea next to me, in my tiny little closet of an office. There is a certain satisfaction to having finished an novel, as though the world has opened up and I can write more, do more, be a little bit better at my life than I was before I finished a novel. For anyone out there who is currently working on something, keep at it! I wish everyone could have the same sort of satisfaction I feel at finishing a project! There's almost nothing like it.
If you want to read my novel, I hope that you'll enjoy it, and review it (even if you didn't!), or e-mail or tweet me to let me know what you thought! I love hearing from people, and would love to hear from any of you!
Now for brass tacks, the synopses of my novel!
Dealing with the murder of his father, Packmaster Jason Bortelais doesn't have time for anything in his life except his pack. Elise Leigh is on the run from an abusive ex with a vendetta, and can't get mixed up with anyone who might get hurt. But when they meet in the woods, sparks fly and a heated romance cannot be denied. When threats to the pack increase, Jason and Elise need to hang on against all the outside forces looking to destroy them.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Moon-Pack-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00OZCLOFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417021962&sr=8-1&keywords=geena+tillman&pebp=1417021956408
After discovering romance novels in her early teens, Geena enjoyed the fun and love attributed to the genre. However, she also loved magic, science fiction, and action movies to death, so tries to marry the two sides of her fiction passions in one.
She lives in Canada with her husband and their three pets, despite being adverse to all things winter (a big problem for someone living in Canada!) This, however, gives her lots of time indoors to pursue writing during the long winter months. She doesn't like to take life too seriously, and is known as a bit of a joker.
https://twitter.com/GeenaTillman
Monday, 15 December 2014
Tami Lund...Dawning of Light!
What a pleasure to host Tami Lund on her release day! Her newest, Dawning of Light, looks wonderful. After reading the following interview with hero Finn, you will want to put this on your TBR list.
Thank you, Rosanna, for allowing Finn and I to take over your blog
today. As it’s the release day for his book, I’m hopeful he will give us a sneak
peek, so we know what to expect from the second book in the Lightbearer series,
Dawning of Light.
Last month, I had the privilege of interviewing Tanner, the hero
from Into the Light, the first book
in the series. It was an awkward interview, as he wasn’t inclined to talk very
much at all, let alone give me any inside information about his book. I’m hopeful
Finn from Dawning of Light will be at
least slightly more forthcoming.
Whereas Tanner and I met at a local brewpub, Finn has requested we
meet at a small distillery. It is a vodka distillery, and he insists we do a
shot together before we start the interview.
“To help us both relax,” he says.
Three shots later, I’m certainly relaxed, and faintly concerned that
I will not be able to conduct this interview, let alone make it home afterward.
“You sure can belt them back,” I comment, as I signal to the waitress
and request a glass of water. She is beautiful, her rather large assets
displayed in a low cut shirt, her legs accentuated by a skirt that is short
enough to barely qualify as such.
Finn doesn’t even notice.
“I have Irish blood,” he states, his gaze watching me steadily, his
tone indicating that his words should explain everything.
Right.
“So … How’s life in the coterie treating you?”
He scowls. Apparently I have a knack for starting interviews on the
wrong foot. The same thing happened when I interviewed Tanner.
“It’s … different,” he said, slowly, choosing his words with care.
“I knew where I stood when I was part of Quentin Lyons’ pack. I’m still trying
to figure it out in this Lightbearers’ pack.”
“Coterie. They call their secret, warded village a coterie. But I
suppose it’s the same concept as a pack,” I add lamely, feeling guilty under
his intense stare.
“It’s nothing at all like pack life,” he replies. “Hardly anyone
knows how to fight, even though it seems like half the magical community is out
to get them. You would think they would have planned better for their future.
But they all relied way too heavily on their king and their magical wards.
Well, their king’s a pansy and their wards can be broken.”
“Not by shifters,” I point out. “Your only magic is the ability to
shift forms at will. Lightbearers can use their magic for all sorts of things.”
I can tell instantly that I’ve said the wrong thing. He looks as if he is
contemplating leaping across the small table and ripping out my throat. I grab
my water, chug it.
“Tanner has magic,” he says, so softly I almost miss it. “He shares
his mate’s magic.” He sounds wistful.
“Do you … Do you wish you were mated? To a lightbearer?”
“I may be open to mating with someone … someday. But not a
lightbearer. No damn way.”
“Not even Cecilia?”
His job is to protect Cecilia, who has a propensity for slipping out
of the coterie unnoticed, therefore putting her own life into danger on a
regular basis. But I can tell by the look on his face, by the glow in his eyes,
that there is more to it than simply keeping her safe.
“Cecilia isn’t interested in mating.”
“But if she were?”
“She isn’t. With anyone. It doesn’t matter who it is.”
“Are you…” My vodka-soaked brain struggles to find the right words.
It is obvious he feels … something for the feisty lightbearer.
“She’s frustrating as hell,” he mutters before downing the shot
perched on the table in front of him, and then signaling for another.
“She does seem like a bit of a free thinker,” I say.
“A bit?” He snorts. The sexy waitress returns and he leans around
her to give me a disbelieving look. “Did you know her parents locked her in the
basement for three days, when she was fifteen years old, because she snuck out
of the coterie to meet a human boy?”
My eyes widen. “Lightbearers need sunlight,” I state the obvious.
“If they go too long without sunlight, they’ll … they’ll die.”
“She almost did.” He sounds far too protective for someone who is
just keeping an eye on the woman. Not to mention his eyes. They haven’t stopped
glowing since we started on this subject. Shifters’ eyes only glow when their
emotions are running high. I consider pressing for more information, and try to
figure out how to ask.
“She must have some redeeming qualities,” I say.
He shrugs, leans back in his chair, rests one foot on the knee of
his other leg.
“She’s beautiful, I suppose. Although she’s too damn skinny. And
she’s loyal, especially to her cousin, Olivia, who is the Lightbearer princess.
And I guess her free spirit or whatever the hell you want to call it isn’t
really such a bad trait.” He sounds grudgingly appreciative of a trait of which
her parents clearly disapprove.
“What about you? Your loyalties lie with your pack master,
obviously, as you’re a shifter and that’s how shifters operate. But are you
loyal to anyone else?”
He watches me with those glowing eyes. I try not to flinch under the
scrutiny. I do not think I’ve asked such an inappropriate question, have I?
“To Cecilia,” he finally says. “If anyone hurts her, in any way,
they will feel my wrath. I’ve killed before,” he adds before I can comment.
“And I won’t hesitate to do it again.”
He abruptly stands and pulls the thin leather jacket off the back of
the chair. “Be careful what you write about me,” he says, and then he strides
away, through the clusters of humans who are tasting the various types of vodka
the distillery has to offer. He does not exactly melt into the crowd – it would
be impossible for him to melt into any crowd – but he does have an uncanny ability
to simply … disappear.
I shift my gaze to the notes I’ve taken, and I cannot help but
wonder, Do his feelings for Cecilia run
deeper than even he is willing to admit?
###
Thank you for taking the time to read Finn’s interview. And thank
you again, Rosanna, for letting us take over your blog today. It was truly a
pleasure to be here. Finn and Cecilia’s story released on December 15th,
if your readers want to learn more of what Finn hinted at in his interview.
Dawning of Light
on Amazon:
Into the Light on
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Into-Light-Lightbearer-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00LS899XC/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1418562793&sr=1-3&keywords=tami+lund&pebp=1418564570690
And Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22573246-into-the-light
Tami Lund website:
http://tamilund.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TamiLundAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTamiLund
###
Saturday, 13 December 2014
Don't kill the fantasy in romance.
Recently, I've read several posts from folks who feel romance literature has become too much a thing of fantasy. That's there isn't enough realism in the genre. Here are a few of the complaints I've heard:
-Even when clearly flawed in some way, the heroes are too perfect. They don't resemble real men.
-Those heroes give their women too many orgasms. (Yeah, someone complained about that!)
-The scenarios are too implausible. No one falls in love under those circumstances.
-The relationships are too intense.
Whew. This gave me pause. After all, I've always read romance for the sense of fantasy. Even when reading "realistic" contemporary romance, I want something more than a slice of life. I want better than real life.
It's not to say real life can't be grand, but don't we enjoy those "implausible" scenarios because they take us away from our problems for a while?
As for those too-perfect heroes, bring them on. I am married to a wonderful real man. I wouldn't trade him in for the world. I'd never expect my husband to bear the traits of my heroes, and I don't need someone who looks like a GQ model. But when it comes to fantasy, yes, I want to be able to dream about the hunky dude with six-pack abs and rumbly voice. I'd be willing to bet when most men fantasize, they are dreaming about women who look like a young Sophia Loren. So I don't feel so guilty about dreaming about my Greek gods.
Multiple orgasms? Yes, please. Again, real life does not always provide this luxury for many women. We're tired. We're busy. We have work and families and commitments. So yes, in my romances, women will always get multiple orgasms. ;) They deserve every last spine-tingling one.
Are the relationships intense in romance novels? Yes, they can feel that way. However, in 200 pages, an author can only provide a glimpse of that relationship. Within those pages, we have to make the reader fall in love, right along with the couple. We have to deliver the emotion and a satisfying journey. I'm not going to tell you a story about a couple who meet under boring circumstances. I want to tell the story of the couple who meet and bam! Their worlds collide.
I can understand readers grow tired of reading certain elements in their books. However, does this mean I will ever stop delivering these crucial elements? No way.
The multiple orgasms stay,
-Even when clearly flawed in some way, the heroes are too perfect. They don't resemble real men.
-Those heroes give their women too many orgasms. (Yeah, someone complained about that!)
-The scenarios are too implausible. No one falls in love under those circumstances.
-The relationships are too intense.
Whew. This gave me pause. After all, I've always read romance for the sense of fantasy. Even when reading "realistic" contemporary romance, I want something more than a slice of life. I want better than real life.
It's not to say real life can't be grand, but don't we enjoy those "implausible" scenarios because they take us away from our problems for a while?
As for those too-perfect heroes, bring them on. I am married to a wonderful real man. I wouldn't trade him in for the world. I'd never expect my husband to bear the traits of my heroes, and I don't need someone who looks like a GQ model. But when it comes to fantasy, yes, I want to be able to dream about the hunky dude with six-pack abs and rumbly voice. I'd be willing to bet when most men fantasize, they are dreaming about women who look like a young Sophia Loren. So I don't feel so guilty about dreaming about my Greek gods.
Multiple orgasms? Yes, please. Again, real life does not always provide this luxury for many women. We're tired. We're busy. We have work and families and commitments. So yes, in my romances, women will always get multiple orgasms. ;) They deserve every last spine-tingling one.
Are the relationships intense in romance novels? Yes, they can feel that way. However, in 200 pages, an author can only provide a glimpse of that relationship. Within those pages, we have to make the reader fall in love, right along with the couple. We have to deliver the emotion and a satisfying journey. I'm not going to tell you a story about a couple who meet under boring circumstances. I want to tell the story of the couple who meet and bam! Their worlds collide.
I can understand readers grow tired of reading certain elements in their books. However, does this mean I will ever stop delivering these crucial elements? No way.
The multiple orgasms stay,
Wednesday, 10 December 2014
Vicki-Ann Bush...The Garden of Two Giveaway/Interview!
I'm thrilled to welcome Vicki-Ann Bush today and happy to announce she is kindly doing a giveaway! Here to share all the news on her historical romance The Garden of Two, she is doing a giveaway of 2 copies in PDF and signed posters. In order to participate, head on over to her Facebook page, give it a like and leave a comment letting her know you saw her here. http://www.facebook.com/VickiAnn.Bush.Author
Read on as I do an interview with our guest author today as well, and learn more about how this book came to life.
Blurb:
Read on as I do an interview with our guest author today as well, and learn more about how this book came to life.
Blurb:
Charlie Murphy and Lillie Whitman are
surrounded by the innocence of young love, and the guileless early twentieth
century. They fall deeper into each other, intertwining their very different
worlds to create a bond that no one can break.
Or so they thought.
When
the dawn of World War I comes to their Long Island town, and personal tragedies
begin to spiral the lovers into an abyss of darkness, they must fight to hold
on to their love. Knowing their bond will be the only ties that will get them
through. From the horrors of Germany's front lines to the emotional battle
fields fought at home, Charlie and Lillie must find a way to stay strong, and
navigate a path, back into each others arms. And how
a garden, a very special garden, can withstand the coldest of winters and give
the ultimate symbol of hope.
***
Ms.
Bush other works include, The Dusk Chronicles trilogy, featuring these five
star reviews—
1) Tell us how you got started in writing.
When I was thirteen there was a school contest. We had to write a story and then construct the book. I loved the whole process and was hooked.
2) What drew you to historical romance and WWI in particular?
It was a sunny warm morning and I was sitting on my patio over looking my back yard. My husband had just planted two fire-thorns on the back wall. The story grew from there. As for World War I, I've always had a kinship with the early 1900's up until the 1920's.
3) If you could have any actors portray your characters, who would you choose?
It's funny but I've thought of this often. There is an actor that fits Charlie, the way I see him, to perfection. His name is Matt Dallas. As for Lillie, Shailene Woodley.
4) What occurs first to you, plot or characters?
Plot, the characters unfold as I go.
5) What is most attractive about your hero? Your heroine?
His sense of loyalty and commitment to those around him.
6) Every author has mixed feelings about reviews. Do you read yours? Have you ever been tempted to alter your writing based on what might have been said in a review?
I do read mine, and thank goodness, they've all been favorable. No, I wouldn't alter based on a bad review or any review. I write for who I am.
7) What sort of research did you do to prepare your book?
I watched several documentaries on World war I, read articles, researched the neighborhoods of Long Island in 1916, and listened to soldier testimonies who were in the war.
8) If you could model your writing career on that of another author, who would you choose and why?
Dean Koontz.
9) What's next for you? Any upcoming projects you'd like to tell us about?
I just completed a YA Sci-Fi, The Room from 629. I've sent to some beta readers and then a bit more editing before submission. But I've just started a whole new road for my writing with a new book. It's more of a human interest story. We'll see how this one goes.
Author Bio:
I reside in Las Vegas, Nevada. My love for
writing started when I was thirteen. I took part in a city wide writing contest
in my hometown of Floral Park, New York. I was hooked. For many years I wrote
but never submitted. In 2008, I started sending in to various publishers on the
suggestions of my two daughters. The first positive response was from Salt of
the Earth Publishing. My earlier work started with children books—Winslow Willow
the Woodland Fairy and The Queen of It. I have since settled into writing young
adult fiction. My first release was the novelette/novella series, The Dusk
Chronicles. It is a supernatural romance set in Las Vegas.
Newly
released from Solstice Publishing, my historical romance novel, The Garden of
Two and the paranormal romance novella, The Fulfillment. In addition, I am
currently working on a young adult science fiction novel, The View from Room
629
Author
Website http://www.vickiannbush.com
Silent Pen Blog http://vickiannbush.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Jessica Cale...Tyburn!
It is a pleasure to welcome Liquid Silver Books pub sister Jessica Cale as she introduces her new book Tyburn...which has to have the most beautiful cover of all time.
I wish I was the owner of that gorgeous gown...and the hero ain't bad either!
Welcome Jessica!
I wish I was the owner of that gorgeous gown...and the hero ain't bad either!
Welcome Jessica!
********
Thank you for hosting me, Rosanna!
Today I’d like to tell you a little bit more about the
background of my new historical romance, Tyburn.
Tyburn takes place
in 1671 in Restoration London. The title comes from the Tyburn gallows, the
main place of execution for London and Middlesex from the twelfth century to
the late eighteenth when they were moved to Newgate Prison. The story begins
there with the execution of infamous highwayman Claude Duval in 1670, and
follows his childhood friend, Sally, as she tries to avoid the same fate.
Tyburn is the first book in my new series, The Southwark Saga. Southwark is part of
London now, but in the seventeenth century, it was a separate town south of the
Thames. It was a dangerous slum that attracted all manner of criminals and
debtors who could live there without fear of being captured.
Nick’s brother, Mark, is one of these criminals. He plays a
large part in Tyburn, and much of The Southwark Saga is tied to his house
on Love Lane. Mark is the Master Carpenter and lives above his shop with his
business partner, Will, and their apprentices, Jack and Harry. The Great Fire
of London hit the local carpenters very hard, as new regulations dictated that
the rebuilt houses be made of stone instead of the traditional wood. London was
still being rebuilt at this time, and reminders of the fire were everywhere.
Carpenters were out of work, and many were forced to leave London to look for
work elsewhere.
When we meet Mark Virtue, he is running an organized ring of
highway robbery with the shop as a front. Nick is reluctant participant.
Stealing anything worth more than about a shilling was punishable by death, and
highwaymen rarely survived long enough to be given trials when they were
caught. As Nick passes the Tyburn gallows on his way home from the estate where
we works, he is constantly reminded of the threat of capture.
The Southwark Saga
begins with Nick and continues to Mark’s story as the brothers fight for
survival in a London that may feel unfamiliar to the modern reader. Far removed
from the glittering ballrooms belonging to the wealthy in later years, the
first two books of The Southwark Saga
will tell the stories of common people struggling to live their lives in the
ashes of the city.
Blurb:
Sally Green is about to die.
She sees Death in the streets.
She can taste it in her gin. She can feel it in the very walls of the
ramshackle brothel where she is kept to satisfy the perversions of the wealthy.
She had come to London as a runaway in search of her Cavalier father. Instead,
she found Wrath, a sadistic nobleman determined to use her to fulfill a
sinister ambition. As the last of her friends are murdered one by one, survival
hinges on escape.
Nick
Virtue is a tutor with a secret. By night he operates as a highwayman,
relieving nobles of their riches to further his brother’s criminal enterprise.
It’s a difficult balance at the best of times, and any day that doesn’t end in
a noose is a good one. Saving Sally means risking his reputation, and may end
up costing him his life.
As a
brutal attack throws them together, Sally finds she has been given a second
chance. She is torn between the tutor and the highwayman, but she knows she can
have neither. Love is an unwanted complication while Wrath haunts the streets.
Nick holds the key to Wrath’s identity, and Sally will risk everything to bring
him to justice.
Unless
the gallows take her first.
Excerpt
Darkness had fully
settled over the forest and he was in no danger of being seen as they headed
for the city. There were no new street lamps so far out of town, and as often
as she glanced at his face, all she could see was the outline of his profile by
the light of the moon. He moved soundlessly through the night as criminals
must, the warmth of his hand in hers the only reassurance she had that he was
still beside her.
They reached the
edge of Hyde Park and Sally felt Tyburn looming near before she saw it, the
residual tragedy of the gallows rippling along the field in a mournful, near
perceptible howl. Because she could not look away, she turned toward the evil
and saw the fearful silhouette of the triple tree dark against the violet sky.
This is your future, they seemed to whisper.
In her heart, she
answered, I know.
She heard the brutal
crack of Claude’s strong, young neck reverberate through the darkest corners of
her memory, felt his cold lips against hers once more in a terrible promise,
and in her bones she felt the stillness of one who is certain they are about to
die. She was immediately aware of the unique texture of every breath she drew,
the sweet sigh of the breeze whispering through her hair, and the dirt, the
calluses, the very fingerprints of the hand in hers.
So little of Sally’s
life had been left up to her.
She might have days,
hours, mere moments left, but she would be damned if she wasted them.
Buy it here:
Liquid Silver: http://www.lsbooks.com
Bio:
Jessica Cale is a historical romance author and journalist
based in North Carolina. Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Wales for
several years where she earned a BA in History and an MFA in Creative Writing
while climbing castles and photographing mines for history magazines. She
kidnapped (“married”) her very own British prince (close enough) and is
enjoying her happily ever after with him in a place where no one understands
his accent. You can visit her at www.authorjessicacale.com.
Links:
Website: http://www.authorjessicacale.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaCale @JessicaCale
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JessicaCaleWrites
Tumblr: http://authorjessicacale.tumblr.com/
Pintrest: http://www.pinterest.com/rainbowcarnage
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Cale/e/B00PVDV9EW/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9819997.Jessica_Cale
Saturday, 6 December 2014
#HotfortheHolidays Blog Hop!
Welcome hoppers!
The ladies of Love, Lust and Laptops welcome you to our Hot for the Holidays blog hop!
Running until Dec. 10, this is an opportunity to chat with your favorite romance authors and win some amazing prizes.
Our grand prize?
A collection of books from our member authors: Prime Imperative by Monette Michaels, Bayou des Enfants by Lynn Lorenz, Predator's Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5, by Rosanna Leo, Straitlaced by Robin Danner, Seducing Kate by Emilia Mancini, Christmas in Cancun by KaLyn Cooper, Prymal Lust by Jianne Carlo, Come by Becca Jameson, Double Up by Vanessa North, and Cowboy Redeemed by Parker Kincade.
How to win it? Make sure you visit and comment on all the participating author blogs.
Where to find them? Just follow this link for the list: http://wp.me/p2Okri-14B or stay connected with the #HotfortheHolidays hashtag. You can also click on the various author links at the end of this post.
As for me, I'll be offering an ebook copy of my latest paranormal romance Predator's Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5. How can you win a copy? Comment here and tell me why a sexy shifter would brighten up your holiday season!
Blurb:
When Nina Suzuki discovers the body of
her best friend Janine, her world turns upside down. Things go from bad to
worse when Janine’s corpse seems to transform into that of a large, brown wolf.
For the first time, Nina is faced to confront all the clues indicating her BFF
was not what she seemed. A letter from the dead woman opens Nina’s eyes to a
strange, new world. The same letter warns of a sinister group called the Alpha
Brethren, and urges her to find Killian Moon of the Ursa Fishing Lodge and
Resort on Gemini Island .
Killian Moon is a jaguar shifter and teen
mentor at the Ursa Lodge in Northern Ontario .
He may be a comfort and inspiration to confused teen shifters, but he also has
a fiery past. His past comes back to haunt him when human Nina arrives at the
resort, demanding to speak with him. Demanding answers. Can he trust her with
knowledge that will not only change her life, but possibly endanger those
around him?
As Killian begrudgingly tutors Nina on
all things shifter, their mutual curiosity flares into passionate need. Once
they touch, once they succumb to desire, there is no going back. Killian
realizes Nina is his mate and they both begin to comprehend the terror
threatening those on their shifter-friendly island. He is forced to confront
the tragedy in his family and determines to protect Nina at all costs.
But can they protect everyone they love
from a cult of dangerous shifters, intent on horror and destruction?
Excerpt:
“How much longer do I have to wait? I
want to see Killian Moon. Now.”
The feminine voice, strangely soft
despite its insistence, echoed deep in his being, awakening his jaguar. The
great cat roared to life, turned toward the office and inhaled deeply. Its eyes
flashed in interest.
In...recognition?
Killian breathed in at the same time,
catching the scent of cherry blossoms through the door. The sweet perfume,
mixed with human outrage, proved a heady distraction, making him forget why he
was there. Shaking his head, he tried to dismiss the odd sensation as Ryland
opened the door.
The door swung open and the first person
he glimpsed was one of the clerks from reception, trying his hardest to placate
the unexpected guest. “I’m sure Mr. Snow and Mr. Moon will be right back.”
And then his gaze landed on the petite
human. Tapered Asian eyes, so dark and mysterious, but rimmed with circles of
exhaustion. Smooth, cinnamon skin hinted at a mixed background. Wearing no
makeup, she appeared younger than she must be, but her presence and keen eyes
pegged her at around thirty years old. She had a riot of curly, black hair and
feminine curves that ought to come with a warning. He could see it now. Beware: this
woman’s body will cause insanity in men. Even as she gesticulated at
the clerk, her boobs jiggled in such a way his throat went dry.
He pictured her in a corset, her breasts
spilling over delicate lace edging, and almost forgot his name.
This Nina Suzuki was damn hot and his
jaguar seemed to agree. The animal licked its lips, its golden gaze assessing
and appreciating every detail, from her rounded hips to her come-hither rack.
Yes, the creature uttered on a
frenzied breath.
Buy link: Predator’s
Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5, is available at http://www.lsbooks.com/predator-s-fire-p946.php
as well as Amazon, Kobo, ARE, B&N and other outlets.
Blog stops:
Vanessa North: http://vanessanorth.com/blog/
Becca Jameson: http://www.beccajameson.com/
Jianne Carlo: http://www.jiannecarlo.com/category/news-and-updates/
Robin Danner: http://robindanner.webs.com/apps/blog/
Monette Michaels: http://romanticimperative.wordpress.com/
KaLyn Cooper: http://kalyncooper.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
KaLyn Cooper...Christmas in Cancun Character Interview!
My pal KaLyn Cooper has a wonderful new release called Christmas in Cancun. I shared a sneak peek just a couple of weeks ago. Well, today we have a character interview with hot hero Jack Girard!
So, ladies, take a seat, settle in, and let Jack entertain you for a spell.
So, ladies, take a seat, settle in, and let Jack entertain you for a spell.
Jack Girard is a former SEAL and current owner of Bad
Ass Catamarans. He is the hero in KaLyn Cooper’s newest release Christmas in
Cancun.
Q - Today I’d like to welcome
Jack Girard to the virtual Hottie Seat.
Jack – Pleasure to be here
ma’am. ~~he casually lowers his powerful
body into the overstuffed red chair and props his ankle on a knee~~
Q - ~~turning complete, undivided attention to the modern day Adonis with
sun-streaked hair that’s just a little too long, bright white smile with a
slightly crooked eye tooth, and that cocky attitude of I-can-handle-anything in
his arctic blue eyes flecked with green.~~
Let’s start with an easy question, you
walk into a bar, what drink do you order?
Jack – Beer, draught.
Q - Tell me Jack, what do
you think surprises readers most about you?
Jack – People look at me and
see the former Navy SEAL. Yeah, I’ve done things in real life that most men
only do in a video game. I have a box full of medals for missions that I can
never talk about. But I’m just a man, albeit highly trained. I want the same
things in life as other men, a job that’s fun and interesting, and a good wife
and children to come home to. ~~The hard
planes of his face soften, and the green in his eyes intensifies.~~
Q – After all the women
you’ve had in your bed, why the demure anthropologist Jillian?
Jack - She’s beautiful. Inside
and out. She always puts Addison, her two-year-old daughter, first in her life.
Jillian is strong, but she doesn’t know it. ~~He
slides me a warning look~~ Before her, those other women, it was just sex. Jillian
taught me about love.
Q - And where is your
favorite place to…love…her?
Jack - ~~a grin tugs at the corners of his mouth~~ A flat surface.
Q – ~~forcing herself to the next question on the list~~ What’s with
the Mayan idols and a Virgin Mary that’s underwater? Really?
Jack – Yes. Really. On the
Island of Women, which is about seven miles off Cancun, golden idols to the
Maya goddesses stood for centuries in a temple. Everyone, except my
grandfather, thought they’d been stolen by the Conquistadores. There is a
Virgin Mary on the coral reef near the north end. It’s a popular snorkeling and
diving spot. We take tourists there all the time.
Q – So for four centuries no
one looked for them?
Jack – Oh, they looked, I’m
sure. Gold is a treasure hunters’ dream and not everyone wanted to find them
for their historical value. My grandmother was of Mayan ancestry. Gramps wanted
them for the museum.
Q – Heard you ran into a
little trouble during your search.
Jack - I don’t want to talk
about that.
Q - ~~nodding with understanding, she moved on~~ Do you consider
yourself your author’s muse or bane of her existence?
Jack – Muse. Definitely. KaLyn
Cooper grew up in a house filled with testosterone, an Alpha father and four
Alpha brothers. Then she married Macho Marine. She knows men. It’s women who
confound her most often. She only writes strong women because that’s all she
knows.
Q – Have we seen the last of
you, Jack?
Jack – Certainly not. KaLyn
Cooper has a novella coming out in January and a couple more books next year as
part of her “In Cancun” series.
Q – Thank you Jack for
joining us today. ~~Turning back to the
audience~~ It’s always interesting to put a hero in the Hottie Seat.
Unfortunately, Jack Girard has got
to run.
Book Title: Christmas in Cancun
Blurb:
Busy building a new career with his catamaran
company, former SEAL Jack Girard had all but forgotten about his grandfather’s quest
to find the golden Mayan goddess statues until his brother’s beautiful widow,
Jillian, and adorable daughter, Addison, arrive in Cancun with the research
materials. His need to complete the family mission is almost as strong as his
desire for Jillian.
Between raising
her daughter alone and finishing her doctorate in Mayan anthropology, Jillian
doesn’t have time for a man in her life. Although, after mourning her husband’s
murder for two years, she’s ready for a man her bed.
An underwater
Virgin Mary statue and centuries-old manuscripts lead the two of them through
the Mayan Riviera and directly into danger.
During steamy Caribbean
nights together, will they develop the ability to move on and discover the real
treasure isn't gold?
Buy Links:
o eBook
§ Barnes
& Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-in-cancun-kalyn-cooper/1120731116?ean=9781622101733
Author Bio:
KaLyn Cooper’s romances blend fact and fiction with
blazing heat and heart-pounding suspense. Twenty-two years as a military wife
has shown KaLyn the world, and thirty years in PR taught her that fact can be
stranger than fiction. She leaves it up to the reader to separate truth from
imagination. She, her husband, and bird dog live in Tennessee on a
micro-plantation filled with gardens, cattle, and quail. When she’s not
writing, she’s at the shooting range or on the river.
Website/Social
Media Links:
□
Email: KaLyn@KaLynCooper.com
□
Twitter:
@KaLynCooperbooks
□
Amazon
Author Page: amazon.com/author/kalyncooper
Tag Lines/ Teasers
□
“Jack,
it’s nice to finally meet you. Ji…Jimmy spoke of you often.” She hated when she
stuttered over his name, but she’d said it so seldom in the past two years. The
initial pain she’d felt every day, the loneliness every night, had quickly been
replaced with exhaustion and work. Every now and again, it would catch her off
guard. Like now.
□
Jack
Girard was all man, more man than she could stand to be around. He was walled
by a force field of male testosterone, and she wasn’t comfortable around men to
begin with, but this man…well, she gulped hard. He flat-out made her nervous.
□
His
brother.
Dead.
Nothing left but ashes and memories. He closed his eyes to hold in the
water that threatened to leak. He couldn’t cry. He had been a f***ing Navy
SEAL. Every part of his body had been tested from his muscles to his fortitude
to his brain. Every part except his heart.
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