Sunday 29 June 2014

Date Announcement for Predator's Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5

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 Hi everyone.
Just a quick post to let you know I have received a publication date for Predator's Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5, from Liquid Silver Books. Look for this hot romance on Sept. 8, 2014.

This book will set the stage for a monumental battle for Gemini Island, and you may wish to catch up on the previous books in order to follow along. I always try to write my books to stand alone, but now that we reach the culmination of the series, you'll want to have all the details and characters straight.

I can't wait to bring it to you and hope you enjoy it.
With love,
Rosanna

Monday 23 June 2014

What inspired the setting for Gemini Island Shifters?

As the release date for Predator's Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5, looms in the distance, I thought it might be nice to share the inspiration for the setting of this series. After all, Gemini Island has almost become a character in itself for me, and I know several readers have told me it reminds them of places they once visited. I love this. To me, setting is always an important facet of storytelling. I want to feel as if I can visualize the place, almost smell the campfires and touch the evergreen trees. I hope this is a feeling I give to my readers as well.

As it happens, much of what you see on Gemini Island was inspired by a conservation area near my home, Crawford Lake. This beautiful park is near the town of Burlington, Ontario, and boasts parkland, a lake, an Iroquois village and numerous trails. Every time I visit the park, I see something that would make an interesting feature on the fictional Gemini Island.

I would love to share some of my photos of Crawford Lake and hope they bring you back to my shifter-friendly island.

Of course, the focal point is the magnificent lake. Much like Gemini Island, Crawford Lake's body of water is surrounded by mature trees and woodland. The only difference is the lake in the books opens into a bigger waterway. There is a dock where one of Lex Dawson's boats await, ready to ferry the visitor back to the mainland.


In the books, I've mentioned the wooden boardwalk surrounding the lake and leading into the woods. Ryland and Lia and their friends have walked these boards numerous times. In book 5, Predator's Fire, Killian Moon and Nina Suzuki will have a scene on this boardwalk.


There are numerous trails on Gemini Island, as well as Crawford Lake, and it isn't unusual to catch glimpses of shimmering water through the trees. 

In book 5, I share more about Killian's brothers, twin jaguars Percy and Byron Moon. Their function on the island is very important, as they are landscapers for the Ursa Lodge. However, both men are also artists. While Percy works in oils, Byron loves nothing more than transforming old logs into wood sculptures of animals, much like the ones below. His sculptures dot the landscape on the fictional island.




I hope you've enjoyed this trip to Crawford Lake, the inspiration for my setting in the Gemini Island Shifters series. If you are ever in southern Ontario, I urge you to visit this extraordinary park. http://www.conservationhalton.ca/crawford-lake

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Predator's Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5, is on its way!

Hi everyone.
As I write this post, I am reading the email from Liquid Silver Books, informing me they wish to publish the next book in my Gemini Island Shifters series. Yay! This means Predator's Fire will soon be a reality and coming to an e-shelf near you.

I don't have a date or cover yet, but will share as soon as I do. I wouldn't keep my peeps in the dark, would I? So please hang tight and I promise to share as soon as possible.
In the mean time, here is the unedited blurb I wrote as part of my submission for the romance, just to whet your whistle:

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?


And don't forget, if you haven't already picked up the other books in the series, you'll want to read them before this one. As we move on in the series, it is growing more important to stay abreast of all the little details and characters. 

You can find all my books at www.lsbooks.com, as well as Amazon, Kobo, B&N, ARE and other e-outlets.

Thank you for your support!
Rosanna

Wednesday 4 June 2014

The Romance Reviews Sizzling Summer Reads Party!

Welcome to fans of The Romance Reviews!
I'm thrilled to once again be part of a TRR event, this time the Sizzling Summer Reads Party. Don't forget you need to be logged in to TRR in order to play the game. TRR can be found at http://www.theromancereviews.com/event.php

My giveaway this event will be an ecopy of Predator's Claim, Gemini Island Shifters 4.

Book 4 of my acclaimed series brings just as much excitement as passion to the pages as the 3 books before it and I hope you get a chance to experience the hot romance.



Blurb:

For years, wolf shifter Bart Cairo has harbored secret feelings for his co-worker, Charlotte Moffatt. Even though he thinks he’s been discreet with his affections, everyone at Gemini Island’s Ursa Fishing Lodge knows he and Charlotte, a fellow wolf shifter, are meant to be mates. Everyone but Charlotte. 

Charlotte couldn’t be less interested in mating. A free spirit, she wants nothing more than to succeed at her new career in the big city and leave small-town Gemini Island behind. However, she can’t deny Bart stirs up unwanted emotions inside her. Emotions she swore she’d never feel again. 

The occasion of Bart’s family reunion compels him to assume new responsibilities, and to consider a role he never envisioned for himself. Family tensions rise to the surface as a new Alpha is proclaimed in his pack. And when old grudges escalate, Bart must stake his claim. 

Charlotte resists as he stakes a claim on her as well. But when he begins to employ sexual tactics of temptation, she wonders if the only solution is submission to the enticing wolf man. Can she trust her heart again? And can they find their happy ending before an enemy cuts their story short? 

Excerpt:

He pushed aside one of the suitcases in his way and backed her up against the sitting room wall. He put his hands on either side of her head, closing her in, and leaned toward her. Soaking up the scent of her talc-scented skin and her womanly heat, he inhaled deeply, knowing she was hot for him. “Did our kiss mean nothing to you?”
She blinked. As she stared at him, tears threatened, pooling at the corners of her eyes, but she banished them with another punishing series of blinks. “Nothing.”
Oh, she was good, but he was better. No kidding a kidder, after all. He wet his lips and pinned his gaze on hers, which were now trembling ever so slightly. “You’re fooling yourself.”
“I’m not,” she said on a gulp. “I’m not…”
“Oh yes, you are,” he warned, his voice low and deep. “But that’s gonna stop here and now, Charles.” He moved his face closer to hers, bent his head, and dragged his tongue up the length of her neck. When she gasped, he felt her hold her breath and moved his tongue as slowly as possible. He ground his hips against her, and his cock thumped violently against her belly.
She slammed her hands against the wall behind her, clearly trying to get purchase on anything but him. Even still, her hips rolled against his in obvious invitation. “I want you to stop,” she cried. Her chest jerked as the plaint escaped her, and her tears finally tumbled down her cheeks.
He moved away, just millimeters so she could breathe. Cupping her face, he stared her right in the eyes. “Say it again, and maybe I’ll believe you this time.”
“I want you to…” she squeaked.
“What was that? I can’t quite hear you, princess.”
Her lips wobbled and her eyes crinkled in what could only be agony of the worst kind. “I want…Oh God! I want you.”
He let out the breath he’d been holding and shots of heat radiated through him.
Yes!
He took her mouth in a savage kiss, meant to illustrate his dominance over her. He nipped at her lips, none too gently, and felt them swell under his touch. Good. That’s how he wanted her. Plump and overcome and ready for him. Always.
As he drove his tongue into her mouth, tangling it with hers, he heard her groan. Ecstasy made his cock riot in his pants, and he would have done anything in that moment to strip her of her clothes and plunge into her sweet moisture. His Charlotte. His woman. He’d make her his in every sense of the word, and soon.

Predator's Claim is available at http://www.lsbooks.com/predators-claim-p889.php, ARE, Amazon, Kobo and other e-outlets.



Author Bio:

Rosanna Leo is a multi-published, erotic romance author with Liquid Silver Books who lives and breathes paranormal romance. Several of her books about Greek gods, selkies and shape shifters have been named Night Owl Romance and Two Lips Recommended Reads. When not writing, she can be found haunting dusty library stacks or planning her next star-crossed love affair.  www.rosannaleo.blogspot.com







Sunday 1 June 2014

Writers, feed your souls

If you're a writer, of any sort of literature, you understand what I'm about to say.
Writing is lonely work. In fact, it can be downright hard most days. Delving into our hearts, unearthing painful memories in the pursuit of scribbling honest words can be exhausting and draining. We craft a book, edit it for just as long as it took to write it, and cross fingers it means something to someone other than us. Oh, and of course there's the hope we sell a few copies. Who's kidding who? It's important for us to sell books. It's our validation, our proof this isn't just a  fun hobby.

If we're lucky, and I count myself as one of those lucky authors, we develop a following of wonderful readers and we continue writing.

However, even the lucky ones have bad days. We experience moments when we believe we'll never sell as much as the next guy. We endure harsh reviews or no reviews at all. We can go weeks wondering if anyone has been impacted by our work. We stare at the manuscript and wonder what the hell we were thinking. "Surely I didn't write that crap?"

A writer's world can become a dark place, full of brooding nooks and crannies. Even the best authors suffer from cases of This-is-shit-itis.

So what do we do?

Well, firstly make sure you have a sense of perspective. I've always adhered to the old adage, "This, too, shall pass." Feelings of inadequacy are bound to dissipate. Yes, we might feel as profound as Donald Duck, but chances are we have valuable messages and stories to impart. Remember the kind comments you've received. Reread them, if necessary.

Step away from the laptop or notebook for a while. If you're in a rut, glaring at a blank page won't help. Do some chores. Talk to someone. Send emails. Catch up with an old friend. Try a new restaurant. Do something you've never done before. Take a class. Teach a class. You'll return refreshed and might even be able to use your experiences. 

I adore beautiful gardens. When I can, I visit large parks and wander, breathing in the scents of roses and lilacs and lilies-of-the valley. This feeds my soul. And when I fire up the laptop afterward, chances are my manuscript will benefit from the time away.

Writing is isolated work, despite the social media barrage in our world. When we work in these circumstances, it's easy to lose sight of the little things in life that make us happy...those things aside from stringing words together and making pretty sentences. We forget our hearts need nourishment, just as we sometimes forget to eat while editing chapters. 

Don't wait for the someone else to feed your soul. Go out and do it yourself. Inspiration is right there, waiting for you around the bend.