Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Author Rosanna Leo on her novel "The Selkie"



One Commenter and One Commenter/Blog Follower will win an eBook copy of
"THE SEKLIE"

(be sure to leave your email - winners chosen by Random.org)

Release Date:  September 2, 2012


THE LURE OF THE SEA

     My newest paranormal romance is entitled The Selkie. For those of you who might not have heard about these mystical creatures, they are seal shape shifters who generally originate from the Scottish isle of Orkney. It is said that if a mortal woman is unhappy with her love life, she need only cry 7 tears into the sea to call an immortal selkie man. He will then love her as no mortal man can.

     Sounds good, non?

     As I was writing this story, I began to wonder about the lure of the sea. You see its influence everywhere in popular culture, and that influence has been felt for centuries. Take a glance at Pre-Raphaelite paintings, and you will see all sorts of water nymphs. Pick up a book of classic fairy tales, and mermaids abound. And every year or so, another Hollywood movie details the plight between a mortal lover and someone finny.

     Why is that?

     The sea has always been a romantic figure, almost a persona unto itself. It represents lovers who’ve been separated by water. It reminds us of sailors who’ve drowned, leaving their broken-hearted wives behind. And, of course, there are countless tales of water gods dragging their abducted princesses down to the watery depths.

     The sea is fantasy. It reminds us of that which we cannot have, that which we dare not wish for. I must admit, I’ve always wanted to find Atlantis. Preferably on the arm of a dishy merman!

     Selkie folks straddle the great divide which is the sea. They can appear as beautiful humans, living on land for a time. Despite that, they will always want to return to their beloved waves. For a woman who falls in love with a selkie man, this can be a daunting prospect to say the least. I hope you will get a chance to read The Selkie, and see what happens to my heroine, and how she deals with her immortal lover.  Will the lure of the sea ultimately claim him, too?

                                              - Rosanna Leo
   


Blurb
This was supposed to be her year. However, after losing her job and discovering her fiancĂ© cheating, Maggie Collins has her doubts. When her grandmother dies, she hits rock bottom. Maggie travels to her grandmother’s home in Orkney, Scotland to sort through her gran’s things, only to discover the old woman has left her a seal pelt as her inheritance. She also learns that others are after the pelt.
To add to her frustration, Maggie’s dreams are filled with luscious images of a long-haired man, images that draw her to the magical beaches in Orkney. Although she’s lost her trust in men, this dream man inspires her with a lust she’s never known before.
Calan Kirk has also been dreaming. Dreaming of Maggie, the mortal woman who arouses him as no other woman ever has. Meeting her in the flesh when she arrives in Orkney is nothing short of spontaneous sexual combustion. But she is a human, and not to be trusted. He needs the seal pelt, not a red-haired temptress.
As a thief ransacks Maggie’s grandmother’s house, Maggie and Calan are thrust together. They must search for the animal skin, a mythical relic which once found, will either bring them together or rip them apart forever.

Excerpt

She was attempting to stand on her wobbly legs, only to fall back down on her bottom, when she heard the sound of splashing water. Thinking it was her seal, Maggie turned to look.

Her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t the animal at all.

It was a man. He was rising out of the waves, walking toward her. She froze. He was nude, utterly nude, and was staring at her with overflowing intimacy. As if they’d had, God help her, relations.

And she realized, with sudden panic, they’d had! In her dreams. He was the seal-man from all her sex dreams.

No. Impossible.

Her first instinct was to call for help, but there was no one near. And then she realized with frightening awareness that she didn’t want any help anyway. Glued to her spot, she couldn’t help but drink him in.

He was beautiful, if unnervingly wet and naked. He had long, shiny, brown hair that hung down past his shoulders. His face could have belonged on an ad for expensive cologne, and he had a body to match. Sculpted shoulders gave way to arms corded in muscle. His defined chest was blanketed by a smattering of sparse, brown hair that led tantalizingly to his rock-hard abs.

Maggie held her breath as her gaze traveled lower on his body, taking in trim calves and thighs a quarterback would envy. And, she noted with simultaneous hunger and horror, his penis was the biggest she’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. It was thick and long and glistening with the droplets of water that yet cascaded over his body. And it seemed to be reaching for her. She gulped, and forced herself to look back up at his face.

There was a faint glow about his skin, a shimmery aura. Dismissing it as a trick of the moonlight, she shook her head.

He was almost upon her, and his full lips were taut in a teasing grin. Maybe he was a surfer who’d lost not only his board, but his shorts in the waves. She knew she should be frantic, but wasn’t. There was something in his brown eyes that was so familiar, so soothing, even as they swept over her own body with lustful appreciation.

He stopped in front of her, and stood boldly, unashamed of his glorious nakedness. She managed to spit out one hushed word. “You.”

“You,” was his equally awed reply.



Learn more about Rosanna Leo and her upcoming titles on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.


Rosanna's hanging out at Ravishing Romances today! 

Ask a question, get an answer and be entered to win her new novel, The Selkie, free from Amazon (via email...so leave yours)


29 comments:

  1. So happy to be here Sallie- thank you!

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    1. I'm so happy you're finally guest blogging on Ravishing Romances! You're such a pleasure to know.

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  2. This book sounds so good. I've never heard of these seal shape shifters and the immortal selkie, but I like what I'm hearing now. Gotta get me this book.
    Good job, Rosanna.

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    1. Thanks so much JP! So glad you came by, and that we introduced you to something new and fun! Enjoy!

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    2. Thanks for stopping by J.P.! Don't forget to leave your email to be entered into the giveaway!

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  3. Okay, I must have this! You had me at "Selkie". :)

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    1. Hello Norah! Thank you- that is just wonderful- so glad to have piqued your interest. LOL.

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    2. Norah!

      How very sweet of you to stop by. You are lovely and everyone should read your books. ;)

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  4. I've already been enchanted with your God books and love the story here :-) I've heard of this type of water people before and reminds me skin walkers in a sense. Can't wait to read this book you have a wonderful imagination xx

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    1. Oh, thank you Mrs. Stone! So kind of you to say so. I'm so thrilled my books have caught your eye and wish you the best in the contest! :)

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    2. Mrs Stone leave us your email so you can be entered to win a free book!

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  5. This is truly a fresh and new idea for romance. Especially for the paranormal genre. I'm hoping you'll have more books in your Selkie line and keep us sitting on the edge of our seats for more, more, more!

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    1. Thanks so much Sheri. The good news is Calan has 6 dishy brothers...so hang in there! We may see more selkies yet!

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  6. This books sounds so good. Definitely one I'll have to get my hands on shortly. Congrats on the release, Rosanna!

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    1. Thank you for coming Melissa! So glad you could be here! Hopefully we can help you get your hands on him too!

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  7. Sounds really good :) Love to see something that has been written about a lot in books, besides Selkies are just cool!!! Congrats on the release!

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    1. Hi Chrystina! Thanks so much for visiting and commenting. Selkies are totally cool and I hope you like mine! Cheers!

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  8. My interest perked up at "Scotland," and then "beautiful long-haired selkie man" snared me. I wonder why everybody knows mermaids and mermen, but not selkies--do you have a theory?

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Hi Anonymous! Well, good question! Selkie folk have been around for ages, but for so long they've been seen as folklore for kids. Think of the movie Roan Inish. I can't help thinking Selkie people are definitely for ADULTS! The entire myth is based on sex! At least that's how I see it it. Thanks for coming out!

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    2. Congratulations, Anonymous!

      You've won an Amazon eBook of The Selkie!

      I'll email you soon.

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  9. This sounds really good. I've heard of the Selkies. Please enter me in your contest.

    carolyn4books@aol.com

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    1. Hello Cara! Thanks very much- so glad we caught your interest. I appreciate you being here.

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  10. Thanks everyone for commenting! The contest will be drawn tomorrow morning and winners' names will be posted here and contacted via email.

    Thanks again!

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    1. Thanks so much for having me, Sallie- what a blast!

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  11. Hi, I've just finished reading two of your other books, For love of a god and Sweet Hell! This one sounds really good as well!
    suzi1811@fsmail.net

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    1. Hi Suzi!! Thank you!! I'm so pleased to hear it and thank you for your continued support. That is so lovely!

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    2. Suzi, you're our second winner!

      Thanks for stopping by.

      I'm emailing you now.

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  12. That is a fresh and exciting premise, Rosanna! Thanks for the peek at The Selkie! I've read one or two other selkie stories, and that relationship with the sea is such a lovely one!

    f dot chen at comcast dot net

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    1. Hi flchen1! Thanks so much for saying so. I really wanted to create something a little different here, and am glad you find it to be so! Cheers!

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