It
is with great pleasure that I welcome back fellow Canadian author, Rosanna Leo
to the blog. Today we’re discussing her very popular and award-winning GEMINI
ISLAND SHIFTERS Series.
Here’s
the list of the titles in the series…
1. Predator’s
Kiss
2. Predator’s
Serenade
3. Predator’s
Refuge
4. Predator’s
Claim
5. Predator’s
Fire
6. Predator’s
Trinity
7. Predator’s
Rescue
Good
morning, Rosanna. So wonderful to have you here.
Thank you,
Kacey. I’m excited to visit you.
Kacey:
What was the inspiration for the Gemini Island Shifter series?
Rosanna:
To be honest, Kacey, Canada was my inspiration. My husband and I often go for
long hikes in an Ontario park called Crawford Lake. It was on one of these
hikes that I was struck by the rugged beauty of the scenery. The idea of
setting a shape shifter romance series in Canada’s woodland was one I couldn’t
ignore. My series really is a homage to my country and province and I hope
readers will want to visit after reading it.
Kacey:
What can you tell us about Gemini Island as a whole? Give us a visionary of it
if you will.
Rosanna:
One of the taglines I use for the series is: “Come to Gemini Island, where the
men are rough, gruff and a little wild.” The setting is very much the same. The
community is set in Northern Ontario’s woodland on an island that has become a
shape shifter sanctuary and resort. Bear shifter Ryland Snow (the hero of
Predator’s Kiss) runs a resort called the Ursa Fishing Lodge and Resort. It’s
also a place where teenage shifters come when they are need of mentoring.
Shifters in my world live alongside humans, but the humans are unaware of their
special powers. The shifters on Gemini Island keep their true identities a
secret and the Ursa Resort is a perfect getaway. On the island, we have wooded
trails, a pristine lake, caves and hills and meadows full of flowers. It’s like
a provincial park on steroids.
Kacey:
Some writers pen stories in real locales, is Gemini Island only a fictional
place?
Rosanna:
Alas, Gemini Island is very much fictional although many readers have told me
they wish they could book a cabin at the Ursa Resort.
Kacey: As the matriarch of GI, so to speak, what
liberties have you taken with the island?
Rosanna: I
suppose the only real liberty I’ve taken is in making the island the ideal
hideaway. It has all of nature’s lushness and no imperfections. The people
there may be flawed and may encounter some nasty villains, but the location is
just as God intended it.
Kacey:
With the vast array of shifters in your stories, Rosanna – lynx, tigers, bears,
wolf, jaguar – which was the easiest to control? Or was it hopeless? LOL
Rosanna:
Great question! LOL. They all have their issues, believe me. I insist on doing
a lot of research on each animal before writing the various books and try to
infuse each shifter with traits that are native to the animal. Ryland, being a
bear, can be ornery and moody. My wolves, like Bart and Charlotte, understand a
sense of hierarchy and order. My jaguars, like Percy and Byron, enjoy their
solitude and so they live on the far side of the island, away from the other
inhabitants. As for my tigers, like Anton and Jani … well, they may be the
wildest. However, each shifter, when roused, can be deadly and terrifying.
Kacey:
Which character surprised you the most from any of the stories?
Rosanna: I
think that would be my latest hero, Jani Fodor, from Predator’s Rescue. Jani’s
book ends unlike any of the other books. I don’t want to give away too much.
However, it’s safe to say all my heroes are peaceful until someone threatens their
mates. Jani is a bit of a brawler. He’s not opposed to looking for trouble.
Kacey:
Which female character are you most jealous of? Which woman got the ultimate
hero?
Rosanna:
Well, all of them, of course! LOL It’s so hard to choose who I would trade places
with. I love all my men. Nevertheless, if I had to pick which heroine did the
best, I’m sure most readers might agree Marci did well with Anton in Predator’s
Refuge. After all, not only is he a hunky tiger shifter, he’s a prince in his
native Hungary. Nice gig if you can get it!
Kacey:
If you could choose any shifter man/animal all for yourself (though they do all
belong to you really *g*), who would it be?
Rosanna:
Such a hard choice, but I think my favorite has to be Soren Snow, Ryland’s bear
brother in Predator’s Serenade. Soren is a hot, blond musician, as well as a
shifter, so he really speaks to me. And I love his transformation from lovable
bad boy into a wonderful man who adores his mate.
Kacey:
It might be an unfair question, but do you have a favourite couple in the
series?
Rosanna:
I’m actually very fond of my latest couple, Jani and Fleur from Predator’s
Rescue. The reason is they both surprised the heck out of me. Fleur was a
former bad girl. She was literally one of the villains in the previous books
but undergoes a huge transition. I loved seeing her path to true remorse and
the way she makes amends. She is now one of my favourites and I love that Jani
stood by her through thick and thin.
Kacey:
What character(s) have you found readers loved the most? Clamoured for their
story to be written?
Rosanna:
Actually, since Predator’s Rescue released on Feb. 29, readers have been in
touch with me to say they are excited for a book for Elaine and Connor. Elaine
has been widowed and is grieving her mate, Lloyd. Connor was Lloyd’s best
friend. By the time Predator’s Rescue ends, the pair are experiencing some
conflicting emotions. Readers are desperate to see Elaine happy again and so am
I.
Kacey: What surprised you about yourself when you
were writing the series? Did you learn anything, your writing change from other
stories you’ve written, that you hadn’t expected?
Rosanna: I
like to think my writing improves with each book. After all, writers learn new
things and try new techniques every day. What shocked me most, though, was
seeing the series take a darker turn around book 5, Predator’s Fire. The
previous books were all rather light and warm and the conflicts were resolved
at the ends of the books. However, once book 5 came along, we begin to see a
new villain emerge and that storyline takes a couple of books to resolve. The
ill effects will carry right to the end of the series. We encounter darker
characters and our heroes take longer to recover. Readers have told me they
love the direction the series took.
Kacey:
Gemini Island Shifters is a very popular and well-loved series amongst readers
– what has been the best response you’ve received so far?
Rosanna:
I’m so pleased my readers have enjoyed the series. I never intended a series
when I wrote book one, so it’s tickled me to see the reaction. I think the best
response is when readers tell me they are sad to see it end and that they wish
the books would continue. That, and when people message me to tell me they wish
they could take a holiday at the Ursa Resort!
Kacey:
Currently there are 7 titles in the series – any plans to write more? Maybe a
spin-off?
Rosanna:
There will be one final book – book 8 – entitled Predator’s Salvation. This
will be Elaine and Connor’s book and it will resolve the story of Gemini
Island. I’ve flirted with the idea of a “next generation” series, but I don’t
tend to like those so I think I will let the series come to its natural end.
Kacey:
What do you hope readers take away with them after reading the stories?
Rosanna:
Just a whole lot of good feelings. It’s very important for me to write “feel
good” romances. Even when the subject matter gets dark, I always like to
instill a sense of hope and leave the reader with a smile and a sigh.
Kacey:
What are you most proud of with the series, Rosanna?
Rosanna:
Probably the fact that so many people want to visit my shifters on Gemini
Island. There have been several offers to spend a night in one of those cozy
cabins with Ryland or Killian or Jani or Bart or…
Kacey:
What/when is your next book due to release?
Rosanna:
Actually, for the first time in a while, I don’t have a pending release date.
2015 was a very busy year for me. I had 4 releases and another just in
February. So right now I am writing a new contemporary series but am taking my
time with it and enjoying the ride.
Thank you
for being here, and sharing your series with us, Rosanna.
PREDATOR’S RESCUE BY ROSANNA LEO
BLURB AND EXCERPT
Blurb:
Tiger shifter Jani Fodor should
have washed his hands of Fleur Bissette long ago. However, when she disappears
from the shape shifter sanctuary on Gemini Island, he can’t forget her, and
launches a fraught two-week search to find her. He thinks she’ll be grateful
but the petulant she-wolf resents his intrusion in her life.
Jani recently liberated Fleur
from a vicious cult of shape shifters, where she was brainwashed by the
sadistic August Crane. The wolf shifter terrorized their friends at the Ursa
Fishing Lodge and Resort on Gemini Island. Labeled a “bad girl” all her life, Fleur
knows she’ll never fit in with the good guys at the Ursa, no matter how much
Jani tries to convince her of their regard. Besides, she can’t stay with Jani.
Although he’s the closest thing she’s ever had to a friend, their chemistry is
explosive in the worst way.
When a new menace arises, in the
form of a vicious drug dealer with a grudge, Jani is adamant Fleur accept his
help to rehabilitate her addict mother and remove her from the influence of her
dealer. Fleur accepts Jani’s assistance but as they work together, friendship
erupts into passion. Neither can deny their lust-struck spirit animals and
before long, they realize their connection runs deeper than they ever expected.
Despite the threats posed by the
drug dealer, the worst danger of all dwells inside Fleur. Haunted by the spirit
of August Crane, Fleur is inundated by visions that torment her. She is
consumed by guilt and plagued by old hostilities. Can this bad girl make good?
And is Jani’s love enough to save her from her demons?
Excerpt:
Once again, Jani’s temper flared
but he swallowed his simmering rage. He stood and raised his voice so he could
be heard over Loretta Lynn’s tinny warbling as it emanated from the jukebox.
“Now I’m going to ask everyone in this shithole one more time. I’m looking for
Fleur Bissette. Where is she?”
There was a crash and a feminine
cry from behind one of the closed doors. Jani didn’t hesitate. He launched
himself off his stool and toward the door, already on the verge of shifting.
His tiger hairs danced in anticipation under his skin, ready to burst through
his pores.
The two men who’d approached him
grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him back.
“Hey, asshole,” the grizzly man
shouted. “You’re not allowed back there. Private parties only.”
Jani glanced at the hand on his
shoulder and then at the man. “One warning. Take your hands off me.”
The idiot snorted and looked at
his pal. “Why waste your time lookin’ for Fleur anyway? That girl’s nothing but
trouble. Trouble loves her. In fact, she’s probably spreading her legs to
trouble right now.”
Jani reached for the man’s arms
and spun him around. “What did you say?”
“It’s all the bitch knows how to
do. That’s all women like her are good for anyway.”
Jani reared back and let his fist
fly, cracking it against the man’s face. The grizzly shifter flew across the
room, hitting the back wall, collapsing to the floor. The grim satisfaction of
seeing the man crumple overrode any pain in his knuckles. In fact, it felt so
good to hit the jackass he had to hold his hand behind his back so he wouldn’t
hit him again.
No one, no one, insulted Fleur. The man was lucky Jani didn’t kill him for
the slight. Fleur had been called too many names in her time, and he’d made it
his mission to see she was never belittled again.
Jani nodded toward the other men.
“Don’t even think of stopping me.”
He tried the closed door,
relieved to find it unlocked. He flung the door open and his tiger senses homed
in on her immediately.
Fleur had clearly been serving
drinks to the small group of shifter bikers inside, but one of them had gotten
a little too close to the new waitress. Her tray of drinks lay on the floor,
smashed, and one of the men had her over his lap. His large hand caressed her
ass as she squirmed in his grip.
As time seemed to freeze for
Jani, Fleur turned to glance at him. She mouthed his name.
The silent plea made his heart
twist in his chest. Had she actually spoken aloud? He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t
hear her voice. His ears were ringing too much as his tiger roared her name.
Her dark eyes seemed to grow
darker, black with emotion, but he didn’t take time to analyze the sentiment
flitting behind her irises.
With a noise that must have
sounded more animal than man, Jani raced toward her and pulled her off the
man’s lap. He moved her toward the door, so she wouldn’t be hurt in the melee.
He then turned to the shithead who’d grabbed her, a growl emanating from his
furious core.
The biker, startled and likely
drunk, didn’t react quickly enough to shift. Jani hauled him off his chair and
thrust him toward the wall.
“Jani,” Fleur called, her voice
loud and clear now. “Don’t. You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“His hand was on your ass. I know
enough.”
One of the other men was
foolhardy enough to try to stop him. He tried to yank Jani away but Jani
snapped his arm back, using his elbow to hammer the man in the face. Cradling
his bloody nose, the man retreated.
Jani turned his attention back to
the shifter who’d groped Fleur. “That was the last time you ever touch her.”
Bracing himself, he head-butted him. A sickening crack sounded in the room. The man moaned, his eyes rolled back,
and he dropped to the floor.
Ignoring the pain exploding
through his forehead, Jani marched toward Fleur, picked her up, and hauled her
over his shoulder.
“Hey. Put me down! You have no
right.”
No right. He
might have laughed if he wasn’t concerned about getting her out of there in one
piece.
Holding out his free arm to warn
off any others who might consider having a go at him, Jani carried the writhing
Fleur out of the room and out of the bar. His heart thumped against his chest
just from holding her. Granted, he hadn’t quite envisioned holding her like
this, her ass high in the air near his face, but it pleased him more than he
cared to admit out loud. Something about the scenario made his inner caveman
very happy.
Buy links:
Author Bio:
Rosanna Leo is a multi-published,
erotic romance author. Several of her books about Greek gods, selkies and shape
shifters have been named Top Picks at Night Owl Romance and The Romance
Reviews.
From Toronto, Canada, Rosanna
occupies a house in the suburbs with her long-suffering husband, their two
hungry sons and a tabby cat named Sweetie. When not writing, she can be found
haunting dusty library stacks or planning her next star-crossed love affair.
A library employee by day, she is
honored to be a member of the league of naughty librarians who also happen to
write romance. Rosanna blogs at www.rosannaleoauthor.wordpress.com
Author Links:
