Selena Robins, Author

Please join me in welcoming, author Rosanna Leo to the blog as she stops by on her blog tour for her new contemporary romance THE STAND-IN. Rosanna shares an excerpt of her new book, plus a  behind the scenes look at creating the sister characters.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading THE STAND-IN and recommend the book for its relatable characters, snappy dialog, the right amount of heat, sprinkled with family dynamics, romance, and a page-turning love story. 

 

 

Sister. Sisters by Rosanna Leo

I’d like to offer Selena a big thank you for being a wonderful hostess. I’m pleased to be here once again.

I’m here as part of the blog tour for my new contemporary romance THE STAND-IN. Being a romance, and a sexy one at that, of course, the main focus is the couple, Winn and Patrick. However, I’m a believer that a good romance thrives on having layers, whether it comes to plot or characterization. These layers can often derive from the relationships between other characters.

In THE STAND-IN, I tried very hard to create a believable, fun relationship between heroine Winn and her sister Enid. These two young women have shared so much in life. They’ve had to deal with feuding parents, infidelity, aging grandparents and men troubles. Like any sisters, they know how to support one another and they also disagree on some fundamentals.

If I had a sister, I’d want very much to have someone like Enid. This sassy, enigmatic woman is the first to stand up for her sister when things go wrong. She tells it like it is and has no trouble counseling Winn on her problems. When the plot thickens, she is vocal in her defense of her sister. Indeed, when Winn’s theater career fizzles, Enid volunteers to “take a hit” out on the producer.

One of Enid’s charms is her penchant for creating succinct nicknames for Winn’s ex-boyfriends. In the book, the reader is introduced to characters such as Pervy Phil and Suddenly Gay Dennis. It just shows how much Enid loves Winn. She’ll battle dragons for her sister…even if it means taking on hero Patrick.

I hope you fall in love with this sister act and that you enjoy reading THE STAND-IN.

Do you have a great sister story?

Please share it with us here.

 

 

 She’s the best bridesmaid money can buy.

 

Blurb:

Failed actress Winn Busby is at the end of her rope. With no money and no prospects, she accepts the one job she never thought she’d see on her résumé. Professional bridesmaid. It should be easy. If only the idea of weddings and vows didn’t give Winn a case of the hives. Her role becomes more challenging when she’s told a reporter will shadow her work for a men’s magazine article.

Working for Player Magazine is Patrick Lincoln’s worst nightmare. A former political journalist, he used to write thoughtful columns for one of Toronto’s most respected papers. That is, until he was blackballed for allegedly sleeping with the boss’s wife. Overnight, Patrick becomes the city’s most reviled bad boy. And now he’s forced to write a seedy expose on, of all things, a bridesmaid.

Patrick begrudgingly accompanies Winn to a series of strange weddings. As they are forced to work together, he learns there is more to the stand-in bridesmaid than puffy dresses and pretty speeches. She, in turn, begins to question whether or not Patrick actually deserves the derision of his peers. As much as they fight their attraction, it begins to threaten their work and their sanity.

For so long, Winn has felt second-best. A stand-in. She finally meets a man who believes in her value. But can she let go of the past and accept him?

 

Excerpt:

She glanced at her computer screen again. “Let’s see. Ah, yes. We’ll have you meet with Winn. And by the way, she’s lovely. She has the perfect look for this job. Accessible and fresh, but not intimidating. You’re in luck. She’s in the building right now.” She texted a command into her phone. “I’ll have my assistant send her right in.”

In the time it took Margie Kent to flash her very pearly whites, a knock sounded on the door. These stand-ins were prompt. He supposed that was good in any business.

“Come in, please,” Margie called.

Patrick lifted his gaze toward the door and watched as a pear-shaped blonde entered. Christ. Margie had called this woman un-intimidating. He knew a few dozen men who’d be intimidated into next year by her girl-next-door sex appeal. Chin-length golden hair framed her pleasantly round face. Amazing cheekbones. Bright blue eyes and a body that looked made for squeezing. Just the thought of pressing that luscious flesh made him hard. If she was a high-class call girl, and if he had to pay for love, he might be tempted to pull out his wallet. He cleared his throat and thought of the day Jason Dietrich fired him, just to make his boner disappear.

Margie did the introductions in her singsong voice. “Winn Busby, this is Patrick Lincoln.”

She stuck her hand out. “A pleasure to meet you.”

As he shook her soft hand, Patrick waited for the old “that Patrick Lincoln?” but it never came. Thank God. Someone who didn’t know of his ruin.

 

THE STAND-IN is available at:

Liquid Silver Books 

Amazon 

All Romance eBooks

Kobo 

Barnes and Noble 

iTunes 

About Rosanna Leo

Romance author with Samhain Publishing and Liquid Silver Books. My favorite things are my family, dusty libraries, and Nutella. I love it when the geeky, awkward girl gets the hot guy, and have made it my mission to see this happen in my books as much as possible. My books include For the Love of a God, Predator’s Kiss, The Selkie and the upcoming Vice.