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Mary Leo looks at the world with a touch of irony and humor, which comes across in her writing. She grew up on the mean streets of South Chicago in the tangle of a big Italian family trying to make their way out of poverty and corruption. Because of this colorful beginning, she brings a touch of edginess to her characters that makes them come alive. Whenever you pick up a book written by Mary Leo, not only will you laugh and sometimes cry, you’ll experience the love of strong family ties.
Mary gives workshops on the craft of writing, and on the writer’s life. She has worked as an intern at Paramount Studios, and as a script reader at Sony Pictures. She currently lives in San Diego with her husband, author Terry Watkins, and their cat, Sophie, who thinks she’s a dog and loves to fetch.
Visit her website
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Irish Kiss
A phone call from an estranged cousin turns Ronan Kelly's life upside down, especially when that cousin is pronounced dead from what appears to be a leprechaun's curse, something Ronan most definitely does not believe in. Being a Chicago Police Officer, Ronan deals in facts, not lore. But when his ex-girlfriend, Cathy O'Toole, the lover he's never been able to shake, tries to prove there's truth behind all the magic, he reconsiders his skepticism. Soon they're on a hunt for a missing coin, which eventually leads them back to their Irish village of Talamh an Óir, home to not only a vengeful leprechaun, but a Faerie King with a wicked sense of humor. Through it all, Ronan's one and only desire is to regain Cathy's love...which is proving to be as magical as Irish Lore itself.
For More Love, Lore and a Wee Bit of Larceny click the covers
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Trusting Evil
In the summer of 1966, Richard Franklin Speck, a twenty-two year old Ordinary Seaman, waiting for a berth aboard a merchant ship, murdered eight student nurses inside a townhouse in South Chicago, shocking the surrounding hardworking, religious community to its very core.
Twenty years later, Carly Rocket and her business partner, Mike, find themselves inside Stateville Correctional Facility hired to cast extras for a Hollywood movie. Unbeknownst to her, Speck is one of Stateville’s inmates. His infamous murders took place only blocks from her childhood home leaving her with deep emotional wounds. Discovering that Speck is enjoying his life behind bars, Carly is outraged and conspires with a guard to make a video tape of Speck’s uninhibited life in an attempt to change prison regulations. But it backfires, and suddenly Carly finds herself in danger of becoming Speck’s ninth victim.
"A most remarkable, well-written book. Mary Leo has constructed a unique example of one-of-its-kind historical fiction based on actual horrendous murders of extraordinary evil, coupled with a woman's own unknowing proximity to the crime two decades earlier. The flashbacks of story lines, including re-creations of the agony of the victims, certainly are not pleasant, actually shocking, and perhaps not for the weak, as it is freighting to realize how close one comes to trusting someone who truly has evil intentions. This story demolishes any theory, as is frequently heard today, that all fellow humans are inherently good. Because most people never enter the world of evil, never get near a crime scene, or step into prisons - and learn why inmates are there - this story should make any reader realize that indeed there is evil and, moreover, that trusting, or ignoring evil is a serious mistake for the unrealistic thinker and proponent of the politics that good intentions are enough. It is a unique tale, based on terrifying facts. It achieves a new level of historical fiction and is an exploration of a terrible crime from a bystander's point of view after being confronted by inexplicable evil." ~ 5 Stars, H. Nardi, Amazon Reader and Verified Purchase
"Leo does a great job of creating a drama filled fictional story with a chilling historical backdrop. Trusting Evil is a page turner. I was repulsed by Richard Speck and could genuinely feel Carly's pain and guilt. This book is passionate, it is scary and it is romantic, I highly recommend it." ~ 5 Stars, Veronica M. Banghart, Amazon Reader and Verified Purchase
"I found it chilling and fascinating, and the characters are ones you won't soon forget. I totally identified with the "young" version of the heroine. . .anyone will who remembers when the Speck murders took place. This is a well written, haunting story and Mary Leo has handled this horrific tale in an amazing way--I think she's the only one who could have written this story, this way. Warning: you won't want to stop reading once you start!" ~ 5 Stars, Janet Wellington, Amazon Reader and Verified Purchase
"Trusting Evil by Mary Leo is well worth the 2.99 cent price. It grabbed me within the first few pages and I found it really hard to put the book down. This book invoked different emotions in me, from fear, tears anger and great sadness for the girls and their families. It's a well thought out, extremely well written book." ~ 5 Stars, Barbara Sears, Amazon Reader and Verified Purchase
"Trusting Evil is a very different kind of suspense novel, a true original, revolving around the heinous crimes of one Richard Speck who tortured, raped and murdered 8 student nurses on July 14, 1966, in Chicago. Speck had Born to Raise Hell tattoed on his arm. All of that is true. Every word. And what is fictional in the novel rings true as well. This is a heartfelt, inspired novel written by Mary Leo, who lived in that time, very near to where it all happened.
Carly Rockett was a young girl, in love with Ringo Star and living the normal life of a teenager when the crimes occurred, and changed her life forever. She is haunted by the brutal murders throughout the rest of her childhood and into adulthood. She is traumatized by what she perceives as her own part in what happened. Only whiskey can fog the horrid memories, and not even then. She is obsessed by Richard Speck. Her life is spiralling downword fast. Carly works in the movie business, and one day finds herself filming a movie inside the very prison where Richard Franklin Speck, in all his ugliness, lives quite happily. Leo portrays with a chilling vividness scenes that make you want to look away, though you cannot.
The prose is fast moving, and as spare as Hemingway’s. The dialogue brilliant, the descriptions and sensory details, always just enough to pull the reader into the story and hold them fast until the last word. It’s more than that, though. It’s also a love story. I promise you, you won’t be able to put Trusting Evil down, and, like Carly, you’ll be haunted by this gripping story long after you’ve read the last word.
Highly recommended."
Joan Hall Hovey
Author of The Abduction of Mary Rose, Night Corridor, Chill Waters, Nowhere to Hide and Listen to the Shadows - Published by Books We Love Ltd.
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Also by Mary Leo
From the sexy, martini-inspired “Love, Served with a Twist” Valentine’s Day series by Amazon bestselling authors Calista Fox, Erin Quinn and Mary Leo:
Stirring It Up by Mary Leo
When sexy world traveler, Max Rosso, walks into With a Twist, the San Diego based martini bar and bistro Rose Cupido owns with her two best friends, she immediately knows she's in trouble. Not only did the mysterious gypsy prophesize that Rose would find true love by Valentine's Day, but the gypsy also warned that this new love must be returned. If it is not returned, all will be lost, including With a Twist.
As Valentine's Day fast approaches, can Max and Rose stir it up enough to find true love, or will his need for freedom get in the way of them having it all?
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Romancing Rudy Raindear
North Pole, Maine has lost its Christmas spirit, and Rudy Raindear and his friends Nick and Kris are doing their best to bring it back... |
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A Shadow at Twilight
When is love enough?
Hilly Thomson must once again give up her much-anticipated vacation in favor of her overbearing boss’s needs. Granted, her boss, Dillon Spencer, is now in a deep coma from a nasty car accident, but still…
To make matters worse, his spirit keeps appearing, mostly while she’s in the shower, asking questions and teasing her with his charm and sexy good looks. Before long this kinder, gentler Dillon has won her heart. But Dillon wasn’t alone in his car on that snowy road, and when he learns of the tragedy surrounding the accident his desire to return to his life is in question. Now Hilly, with the help of a few spunky, notoriously famous hotel ghosts, must convince Dillon that his life is worth fighting for, and nothing in this world or any other world can stop her from loving him, not even the threat of his returning to his old overbearing self.
Dear Readers:
Hotel Colorado happens to be my favorite hotel in the entire world, with its wide hallways, lavishly decorated rooms, and an abundance of antique furniture you feel as if you've stepped back in time. What makes it even more extraordinary is the fact that it's haunted. Each time my husband and I spend the night there, something happens to confirm this anomaly. The most recent visit didn't disappoint. The strong scent of gardenias permeated the bedroom of the Molly Brown suite for several hours, and the bedroom door swung open moments after I had closed it. In A Shadow at Twilight, I drop you into this historic hotel where you'll get a glimpse into its mystique while I explore choices. As a ghostly Teddy Roosevelt says, "...a choice should never be squandered out of fear." If you would like to know more about this hotel and my future books, please visit me at www.maryleo.net, or email me at maryleo@cox.net. I love hearing from readers.
Best, Mary Leo
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