Julie Elizabeth Leto is a

best-selling A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...

American author of over forty

romance novels A romance novel or romantic novel generally refers to a type of genre fiction novel which places its primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and usually has an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Pr ...

. 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 state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

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 research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF i ...

. 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 "Tru ...

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 (; it, Arlecchino ; lmo, Arlechin, Bergamasque pronunciation ) is the best-known of the '' zanni'' or comic servant characters from the Italian '' commedia dell'arte'', associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditional ...

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. The city'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 ...

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 Lori Foster is a best-selling American writer of over seventy romance novels. She also writes Urban Fantasy novels using her first and middle initials, L.L. Foster. Since first publishing in January 1996, Foster has become a ''USA Today'', ''Pu ...

) *''Lip Service'' (2004) (with

) *''Essence of Midnight'' (2004) (with Susan Kearney, Julie Kenner) *''Dare Me'' (2005) (with Cherry Adair and Jill Shalvis) *''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 a best-selling 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 Vic ...

) *''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 ...

Catherine Mulvany Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

and Roxanne St. Claire) *''Witchy Business'' (2007) (with

Rhonda Nelson Rhonda is a given name derived from Rhondda, which is a Welsh name. Notable people with the name include: * Rhonda Adams (born 1971), American model and actress *Rhonda Bates (born 1949), American actress * Rhonda Belle Martin (1907–1957), Am ...

and

Mia Zachary Mia Zachary is an American author of contemporary romance novels. Biography Zachary first began writing as a child, creating picture books with simple dialogue for her younger brother. In the late 1980s, she began her first novel, a medieval his ...

) *''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 has written over thirty contemporary romance novels and created the ...

Jasmine Cresswell Jasmine Rosemary Cresswell (born 1941 in Wales) is a best-selling author of over 50 romance novels as Jasmine Cresswell and Jasmine Craig. Biography Jasmine Rosemary Cresswell was born in Wales and educated in London. After graduating early ...

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 Cedar Cove (TV series), t ...

and

Sharon Sala Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname. In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...

)

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'' (coming 2017)

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 Women romantic fiction writers American women novelists Year of birth missing (living people)