Julie Elizabeth Leto is a best-selling American author of over forty

romance novels A romance or romantic novel is a genre fiction novel that primarily focuses on the relationship and romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Authors who have contributed to the developme ...

. Leto's action-adventure novels are sold under the name Julie Leto, as will all future books by the author, who officially dropped her middle name in September 2007.

Biography

Julie Leto was born and raised in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

to a family of Italian and Cuban descent. After picking up her first romance when she was only sixteen, Leto knew that she wanted to write one of her own. She earned degrees in Creative Writing and Speech Communications from the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...

. She began writing in 1988, while she was in graduate school. After graduation she became an English teacher at

Tampa Catholic High School Tampa Catholic High School is a diocesan, Catholic, coeducational high school located in Tampa, Florida, United States, founded in 1962. It is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg. Its motto is "Veritas et Caritas," which means "T ...

and continued to write on weekends and at night. In 1996, in order to give herself more time to write, Leto quit her teaching job and joined her family's manufacturing business. The following year she sold her fourth completed novel, ''Seducing Sullivan'' to

Harlequin Harlequin (, , ; , ) is the best-known of the comic servant characters (Zanni) from the Italian commedia dell'arte, associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by the Italian actor-manager Zan ...

Temptation. Shortly thereafter, she gave birth to a daughter and chose to be a full-time writer and mother. Leto was a launch author for the new Harlequin Blaze line, and is the longest continuous member of the Tampa Area Romance Authors organization. Leto has written for Harlequin, Simon & Schuster and Penguin Books. Leto lives in

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

Bibliography

Action-Adventure

*''Dirty Little Secrets'' (2005) *''Dirty Little Lies'' (2006) *''Dare Me'' (2011, originally published as "Dare to Desire" in Dare Me anthology by NAL/Signet 2005) *''Dirty Little Christmas'' (2012) *''Dirty Dare'' (2013)

Paranormal Romance

*''Stripped'' (2007) *''Phantom Pleasures'' (2008) *''Phantom's Touch'' (2008) *''Something Wicked'' (2009) *''Kiss of the Phantom'' (2009) *''Phantom Promise'' (2014)

Romance Novels

*''Seducing Sullivan'' (1998) *''Private Lessons'' (1999) *''Good Girls Do!'' (2000) *''Pure Chance'' (2001) *''Insatiable'' (2001) *''Exposed'' (2001) *''What's Your Pleasure?'' (2002) *''Just Watch Me. . .'' (2002) *''Double the Pleasure'' (2002) *''Brazen and Burning'' (2003) *''Looking for Trouble'' (2003) *''Up to No Good'' (2003) *''Line of Fire'' (2004) *''Undeniable'' (2004) *''Making Waves'' (2005) *''The Domino Effect'' (2006) *''3 Seductions and a Wedding'' (2010) *''Hard to Hold'' (2010) *''Too Hot to Touch'' (2011) *''Too Wild to Hold'' (2011) *''Too Wicked to Keep'' (2011)

Omnibus

*''Impetuous'' (1996) (with Lori Foster) *''Lip Service'' (2004) (with Lori Foster) *''Essence of Midnight'' (2004) (with

Susan Kearney Susan is a feminine given name, the usual English version of Susanna or Susannah. All are versions of the Hebrew name Shoshana, which is derived from the Hebrew ''shoshan'', meaning ''lotus flower'' in Egyptian, original derivation, and several ...

, Julie Kenner) *''Dare Me'' (2005) (with

Cherry Adair Cherry Adair (born 2 April 1951) is a South African–American romantic fiction writer. She lives near Seattle, Washington with her husband. Biography Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Adair moved to the United States in her early 20s and settle ...

and

Jill Shalvis Jill Shalvis is an American author of contemporary romance novels, including the Lucky Harbor series. Biography Shalvis, who has also written under the pseudonym Jill Sheldon, published her first novel in 1999. Her books have made the New Y ...

) *''Getting Real'' (2005) (with Jennifer LaBrecque and Vicki Lewis Thompson) *''A Fare to Remember: Just Whistle / Driven to Distraction / Taken for a Ride'' (2006) (with

Kate Hoffmann Peggy Hoffmann is an American writer of over 70 romance novels since 1993 as Kate Hoffmann. She has written for both the Temptation and Blaze lines for Harlequin Books. In 1992 she won the Harlequin Temptation contest. She lives in southeastern ...

and

Vicki Lewis Thompson Vicki Lewis Thompson (born 11 October 1950 in United States) is an American writer of over seventy romance novels. She has also been published under the pseudonyms Cory Kenyon and Corey Keaton with Mary Tate Engels. Biography Vicki Lewis wa ...

) *''Boys of Summer: Fever Pitch / The Sweet Spot / Sliding Home'' (2006) (with Leslie Kelly and Kimberly Raye) *''I'll Be Home for Christmas'' (2006) (with

Linda Lael Miller Linda Lael Miller (born 1949 as Linda Lael), is a best-selling American author of more than 100 contemporary and historical romance novels. She has also written under the pen name Lael St. James. Personal life Linda Lael was born in 1949 in Wa ...

Catherine Mulvany Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Christian sa ...

and Roxanne St. Claire) *''Witchy Business'' (2007) (with Rhonda Nelson and Mia Zachary) *''More Blazing Bedtime Stories'' (2009) (with Leslie Kelly) *''The Guy Most Likely To...'' (2012) (with Leslie Kelly and

Janelle Denison Janelle may refer to: * Janelle (given names) * Janelle (surnames) * 20673 Janelle, asteroid Fictional characters: * Janelle, a.k.a. Janae Timmins * Janelle Duco, in episode " From a Whisper to a Scream" of television series ''Grey's Anatomy'' ...

) *''Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume VIII'' (2012) (with Kimberly Raye)

Online Reads

*''One Wicked Weekend'' eHarlequin.com weekly read *''Rock and Rolling'' eHarlequin.com weekly read *''Bound and Determined'' eHarlequin.com round robin *''Surprise Wedding'' eHarlequin daily read

Collections

*''More Than Words, Volume 2: What Amanda Wants / The Yellow Ribbon / The Way Home / Shelter from the Storm / Into the Groove'' (2005) (with

Beverly Barton Beverly Marie Beaver (née Inman; December 23, 1946 – April 21, 2011), better known as Beverly Barton, was an American author, known for her romantic suspense novels. She wrote over thirty contemporary romance novels and created the popular ...

, Jasmine Cresswell,

Debbie Macomber Debbie Macomber (born October 22, 1948) is an American author of romance novels and contemporary women's fiction. Six of her novels have become made-for-TV movies and her ''Cedar Cove'' series of novels was adapted into a television series of the ...

and Sharon Sala)

Reprints

*''Good Girls Do!'' (2004, originally published in 2000) *''New Orleans Nights: Pure Chance / Insatiable'' (2006, originally published in 2001) *''Seducing Sullivan'' (2006, originally published in 1998) *''Private Lessons'' (2007, originally published in 1999) *''Exposed'' (free with ''Too Hot to Touch'', 2011, originally published in 2001)

Digital-Only Re-releases

*''Dare Me'' (2011, originally published as "Dare to Desire" in Dare Me anthology by NAL/Signet 2005) *''Dirty Little Secrets'' (2011, originally published by Pocket/Downtown Press 2005) *''Dirty Little Lies'' (2011, originally published by Pocket 2006) *''Phantom Pleasures'' (2011, originally published by Penguin/Signet 2008) *''Phantom's Touch'' (2011, originally published by Penguin/Signet 2008) *''Kiss of the Phantom'' (2011, originally published by Penguin/Signet 2009) *''KICK ASS: Boxed Set'' (2012, reprint of Dirty Little Secrets, Kiss of the Phantom & Dare Me) *''PHANTOM SERIES: Boxed Set'' (2012, all three Phantom novels, packaged together)

Digital-Only Original Release

*''How You Remind Me'' ("A Girl Most Likely To", short story) *''Dirty Little Christmas'' (2012) *''Dirty Dare'' (2013) *''Phantom Promise'' (2014) *''Talk Dirty to Me'' (TBD)

References

External links

Julie Elizabeth Leto Official websiteInterview with A Romance Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leto, Julie Elizabeth American romantic fiction writers Living people 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers American women romantic fiction writers American women novelists Year of birth missing (living people)