Monday, September 10, 2012

Guest Post: Rosanna Leo and the Selkie


Please give a warm welcome to Rosanna Leo to the blog!
*****
I am so happy to be visiting with the lovely Melissa Blue today, and to be able to share the news of my newest book The Selkie. It is an erotic paranormal romance set in Orkney, Scotland. In that part of the world, there are legends about the mythical selkie folk, shape shifters who shift from seal to human form. They merely need to shed their seal pelt and they can live on land for a time. Selkies are legendary lovers. In fact, the myths say that if a human woman is unsatisfied with her love life, she need only cry 7 tears into the sea to call an immortal selkie man. He will love her as no human man can.  Tantalizing, don’tcha think?

In preparing this post, I was trying to recall why I wanted to write about a selkie in the first place. Certainly mythological creatures of all sorts have always attracted me…the males in particular. It could be the allure of the beach. Perhaps it’s the Scottish thing, but selkie men don’t tend to wear kilts. In fact they don’t wear much of anything.

That could be the reason right there.

No, I think one of the main reasons is my fascination with sea creatures. I’m not talking Nessie here. I’m talking about those fantastical beings who dwell beneath the depths, the ones whose very existence cannot be disproved. Ethereal mermaids who lure sailors to a watery demise. Sirens who call to hapless men from their craggy rocks. Selkie men, who are reputed to be unbelievable lovers whose good looks can devastate. What’s not to love?

Actually, now that I think about it, you can blame Aquaman. Was I the only little girl in the 70’s who lusted after this buff cartoon character? That shiny blond hair. Those hardened abs. His insane swimming ability. Think of the things we could do underwater!

Well, so there you have it. I suppose The Selkie is my homage to Aquaman, although not a direct reference in any way. Indeed, all my books have an origin in the interests of my childhood. Greek myths, vampires, firefighters. They all show up in my stories.

Should I be concerned that I also had a crush on Snap, Crackle and Pop? Menage literature…here I come!

*****
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.
 *****
Buy Links:

 

10 comments:

Dahlia DeWinters said...

This is an awesome excerpt, Rosanna. I got all starry-eyed!

Dahlia

Brenda said...

I second Dahlia--awesome excerpt.
I had a huge crush on He-man. I'd race home from school, eat two pop-tarts and watch He-man. He was HOT.
I also had a crush on an anime character named Wildstar from a anime/cartoon called Star Blazers--the best cartoon EVER!

Rosanna Leo said...

Thanks Dahlia and Brenda, and thanks Melissa for having me! Aquaman was definitely the best, Brenda...hands down...did you see his chest??
:)

Melissa Blue said...

It is a great excerpt, Dahalia.

Melissa Blue said...

Brenda, thanks for stopping by and showing Rosanna some lurve.

And lol about your anime crushes. lol

Melissa Blue said...

Rosanna, it was great having you on the blog!

Sheri Fredricks said...

I liked how Aquaman could call the sea creatures to him by using his telepathy. I used to try that on my cat...never worked. I really enjoy your writing - best wishes on a successful career!

Rosanna Leo said...

Thanks Melissa- so much fun being here! And thanks for the support, Sheri! Nothing works on my cat either...meh! Best wishes to you too!

Melissa Limoges said...

Ha, great post! Not too sure about Snap, Crackle and Pop though. Lol. Love the cover, blurb and excerpt. This is another book to add to my "TBR shortly" list. :)

Rosanna Leo said...

Thanks for visiting Melissa! Really glad you could come today!