Guest Author Day with Rosanna Leo/Contest

Give a warm welcome to author Rosanna Leo who is our guest today.


Today, Rosanna is giving away two e-books, Up in Flames & For the Love God. Please leave a comment with your email address (no email address no entry) and you will be entered to win this cool prize. Contest closes on June 8th and is open to international readers.

How long did it take to write thestory? From the day you came up with the idea to the very lastday of writing.

My latest release Up In Flames actually took about 2 years tofinish, but I started it some time ago and then returned to it. Most of my other works took about a few months,but this is one I began when I was working full-time in a very hectic job. I would write a page here and a page there,but never seemed to have the time to sit and finish it. Once I began working part-time at my currentjob, writing became a lot easier!

Tell us about your latestrelease/Upcoming release.

Up In Flames is a story of learning to trust again. Both my heroine Jules and my hero Shane havetrust issues. Jules was the victim of acheater, one who devastated her and has made her ready to give up on men. Shane had issues with his former wife. Neither is ready for love again. However, when they first see each other, theproverbial sparks fly. They spend a lotof time trying to deny the power of their feelings for each other. Luckily, it doesn’t work!

What made you want to write?

I have always enjoyed writing, and I believe the catalyst wasbeing such a good reader as a kid. Iread everything, but especially lots of ghost stories and history books. I suppose if I had to blame my creativity onanyone, we should blame Charlotte Bronte. As soon as I read Jane Eyre for the first time at the age of 12, I wasspoiled for anything but romance lit. Ibegan to imagine romance in all its forms. Pretty soon, I had so many characters floating around in my head. They needed out!!

What authors do enjoy reading inyour downtime?

So many! Recently, I’vebeen enjoying books by good folks such as Pauline Allan, Savannah Chase andD.X. Luc! I love following the works ofmy fellow Liquid Silver Books authors too. Old faves include Diana Gabaldon, Maya Banks, Suzanne Brockman, MegCabot and Syrie James.

How important is the beginningchapter - the opening - the first few lines?

Crucial! I’m a big believerin starting with a piece of dialogue. Asa reader, that always captures my imagination right away. It forces you to start thinking andenvisioning the scene. I’m not reallypart of the “It was a dark and stormy night” school of writing. I prefer dialogue that catapults me into thescene, especially if it’s punchy and humorous.

In what order do you write? Forexample starting beginning to end, combining parts, in randomorder or in development cycle?

I have to write from beginning to end. I do try to outline somewhat and I alwaysknow basically how the tale will end, but I can’t write out of order. I am a bit of a pantster, so for me, skippingscenes is deadly.

You are called upon, at a school, totell those interested in becoming an author, all the ins and outs of goodwriting skills and getting published. What are the three importantelements in writing, publishing and promoting that you would give them?

Firstly, embrace technology! I don’t think my aptitude for the techie world was ever as good as it isnow that I’m a writer, and there are so many wonderful online venues thatsupport and embrace authors and readers. Secondly, write what you love. Yes, we’ve all heard this before, but it makes sense. I write romance because that is what plays inmy mind at all times. I’m alwaysenvisioning new love scenes and new lovers and can’t wait to bring them tolife. Thirdly, be open tocriticism. I have learned so much in theediting process with my publisher. I’veheard of authors who fight back in the editing process, but not me. I am eager to learn and if someone wants toshare their knowledge with me, I’ll soak it up. They do say feedback is a gift, after all!

Do you plot out each chapter? Or are you a seat of the pantswriter?

A bit of both. I like toknow where I’m headed, but also leave room for change and growth. I like it when my characters surprise me! J

Do you listen to music while you write?If so what are your favorites Artists and or albums?

Actually, even though music has been a huge part of my life (Iused to be a classical singer), I don’t listen to music while I write. I prefer absolute quiet. I do listen to music at other times, and drawa lot of inspiration from it. Somefavorites are Evanescence, when I’m working on a paranormal. I also like old Elton John, and one of myfave Canadian musicians, Suzie McNeill. Suzie’s music is so empowering and I love how she describes love in hersongs.

Out of all your characters which one doyou identify the most with and why?

The one who struck a real chord with me was Maia Douglas, myheroine from For the Love of a God. She’s a geeky, know-it-all scholar with her head in a book. That was me in school. The girl who never got the guy, but who wassecretly lusting after him. I love thatshe’s loyal and smart, but also awkward.

Out of all your books, do you have afavorite book/character(s)? What is it about that particular book/characterthat you enjoy so much?

I love all my books but I am so excited about Up In Flames. For me, it was a bit of a departure. I am so comfortable writing about theparanormal world, that writing in the contemporary world was a bit awkward atfirst. However, I really felt my voicecoming through in Up In Flames. I lovemy quirky heroine Jules and my dashing hero Shane and the way they work witheach other. Their relationship reallystruck a chord with me.

Do you have a book that you justcringe? If so, which one is it, and why?

When I began writing, I embarked on a humungous, sprawlingromance/historical/ghost story/Regency/journal. It was too much for one book! Istill love the story and plan to revisit it, but I don’t have the energy totackle it yet!! J

What are your writing goals for thefuture?

To just keep writing and get many more romances under mybelt. I would love to get to the pointwhere writing is a full-time occupation for me.

Now a few funquestions:

How would you describe yourself using only fivewords?

Nutellalover has big mouth!

If you could write a warning label for yourself as aperson or an author, what would it say?

“Bewarethe narrowed eyes. They burn.”

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Doeswriting love scenes count?? LOL! Noreally, I would kill a man for a bag of potato chips. Now, should anyone ever die in that strangecircumstance, I have totally incriminated myself! Chips have such a hold on me!

Name one thing readers would be surprised to knowabout you.

Ihave had epilepsy since I was ten years old. It has been a challenging disorder to live with, but has contributed tomy personal growth. I have actuallywritten a heroine with a bad case of epilepsy and hope to share her storysoon. I’ve paired her with a very dishyvampire who longs to protect her from the evils of the world!

If you could go any place in the worldand to any time period, what place or time period would you choose to visit?

The historian in me is saying Regency England so I could find Mr.Darcy. However, the randy woman in me islonging to be thrown back into the highlands of Scotland! Set me up with a hunky highlander, baby! I don’t care what color his kilt is!

What is your favorite super power andwhy do you want it?

Ooh, decisions, decisions! Actually, in my book For the Love of a God, my hero Eryx is the Greekgod of love. As such, he has aparticular power…he can make love so that his partner reaches dizzying heightsof pleasure she’s never known. I thinkthat power would be pretty cool if we could harness it in real life!! J

Blurb for Up In Flames:

Juliet Baker is not lookingforward to coming home after six months. Yes, the fiery brunette wants to makea go of turning her parents' farmhouse into a B&B. She’s just not lookingforward to seeing the place where they died. To make things worse, she knowsshe'll finally have to face her cheating, firefighter ex-boyfriend.

Luckily, her sister hasfound Jules a boarder. Easy money, right? Not when she realizes the boarder isCaptain Shane Gaskill. Not only is Shane a firefighter, he’s the town's hot newfire captain.

Jules is determined to hateall firefighters. After all, the men of that precious brotherhood protected hercheating ex. Shane, however, proves he’s different from the start. He'sprotective and kind, and she can't stop looking at his smoking, Viking-hotbody. She learns, though, that Shane isn't so willing to love again either.He's been hurt, too. They both fight the sexual chemistry, and resultingtenderness, between them. But when a stalker begins to target Jules, theyrealize they can't fight their desire forever.

As the threats escalate,Shane and Jules are thrown together. The resulting passion overwhelms them. Butare they willing to trust each other and surrender to the flames of love?

Buy link:

www.liquidsilverbooks.com