Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

Tori St. Claire, the author of Stripped is visiting today. Tori grew up writing. Hobby quickly turned into passion, and when she discovered the world of romance as a teen, poems and short stories gave way to full length novels with sexy heroes and heroines waiting to be swept off their feet. She wrote her first romance novel at seventeen.

www.toristclaire.com
www.claireashgrove.com
Twitter: @claireashgrove

1. Give us an elevator pitch for your book, Stripped.

Eeegads! That’s what I have an agent for. (Laughing). So now that I’ve fallen over in shock over condensing my book into a handful of words… let’s give this a whirl: (Be careful what you ask for, you have no idea how truly bad I am at this.)

A dark, edgy, romantic thriller with a splash of 007 action, a healthy helping of twisting intrigue, and a hotbed of erotic encounters. STRIPPED takes risks, breeches accepted boundaries, and blends sin, danger, and pleasure.

Thirty-five words – short enough? Did I pass?

2. Where did the idea for your book come from, and did you originally envisage more than one book in a loosely connected series? Do you intend to write more Black Opal stories?

At the core of what it is, Stripped came from my deep love of on-the-edge characters, men and women you aren’t sure whether or not you should root for. I find it fascinating when I can fall in love with a character whose moral compass is so drastically different than mine, and yet, I want them to succeed. The other fascination I have is with characters who are portrayed as operatives. People like Diva on NCIS. Or Sayid from LOST. They are fulfilling a “good” role, but their backgrounds are dark. They’ve done things that would make us normal folks have nightmares. Blend those loves together and Natalya, my heroine in STRIPPED, took form. The rest of the story fell to simple plotting.

Did I envision more than one book? Yes and no. I always write with an option for “what could I do with this.” But where it began, and where it ended – with the Black Opals – are two different things. Natalya was just a covert agent, in the initial design. It wasn’t until I signed the contract with Berkley that the Black Opals popped up and her specialization took shape. And that just was one of those things that hit me out of the blue, I put into an editing pass, and it stuck with my editor as well.

More Black Opal stories – you betcha! In fact, the second in the series, LIE TO ME, is slated to come out in July of 2012.

3. Some of the action in Stripped takes place in the famed club Fantasia. Describe the club and tell us some of the sights, sounds and scents we might experience if we were to step into the club.

Mm. Fantasia. You’d find opulence – crystal chandeliers, red velvet, dark supple leather, and polished brass. Your nose is teased with the scent of cigars, expensive colognes, and money. It’s a show house, a little more burlesque than come in, take off your clothes, and prance around the stage. The dancers are the elite of the elite, their acts even more so. And it is truly an act, not a dance, though dance is obviously part of the routine. Each act tells a story of seduction. Each seduction plays to the fantasies of the wealthy clientele.

4. How do you go about developing your characters? Do you normally start with a character or the plot?

I plot heavily, but where I begin varies book to book. Sometimes a character jumps out at me and the plot has to be crafted around him/her. Sometimes the plot is there and I just need the players. But whichever the case, nine times out of ten the character presents intact. Personality, appearance, what he/she’s hiding, his/her goal – it comes as a package deal in my head. Which also means sometimes I have to set the character aside and wait for his or her story to strike.

5. Is there any part of the writing process that you find particularly challenging and why?

I despise synopsis writing. I think that’s somewhat of a given with a lot of authors, but I truly detest the process. I hate condensing, I hate picking out “the important stuff”, and sticking it all into a boring, monotonous read. And I can’t stand revealing plot secrets when I’m crafting intricacies like are what involved with STRIPPED and the Black Opal series. I simply don’t want to spoil the reaction, not even for my editor.

6. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

My favorite author is Steve Berry. I love the level of complicity that he puts into his writing. Just when you think you understand – eh, not so much. There’s always a surprise, always a twist, and the way he merges historical fact with fiction makes me weak at the knees.

Now Tori has a question for you – What do you expect from an erotic romantic suspense?

CONTEST: Everyone who comments on this post will go into a draw to win a $25 Amazon GC. To increase your chances of winning follow Tori St. Claire’s blog tour!

Body of secrets…

As a member of the CIA’s elite, Black Opals, Natalya Trubachev must live a lie, working undercover as the lover of Dmitri, a Russian mob boss. His business is trafficking vulnerable Las Vegas strippers overseas for twisted sex games. Natalya’s business is to blow the ring wide open and bring down Dmitri and his American contacts. But the stakes are raised when she learns that the next target is her own sister Kate, a dancer in the famed club Fantasia. Only now does Natalya realize how personal her mission has become, and how far she’s willing to go to complete it.

Body of lies…

The manager of Fantasia is Brandon Moretti, an undercover detective who keeps a close eye on his girls, and an even closer one on his sinfully sensual hire. For Natalya, working the club could be the break she’s been waiting for. But for Moretti, Natalya is a possible link to a killer. Only he never counted on her being so lethally seductive or so dangerous to get close to. As every forbidden pleasure between them is stripped away, his own secrets threaten their security, but it’s Natalya’s that could destroy them both.

Purchase Stripped

During my latest library jaunt I picked up a copy of The Mammoth Book of Useless Information by Noel Botham. Some of the useless information relates to Romans, and since hubby and I are off to Europe later this year, I thought this would make a good TT topic.

Thirteen Useless Facts about Romans

1. Romans used to believe that walnuts could cure head ailments, since their shape was similar to that of a brain.

2. In Ancient Rome, the law stated that prostitutes were to either dye their hair blonde or wear a blonde wig to separate themselves from the respectable brunette female citizens of Rome.

3. Wealth Romans, both men and women, would have all their body hair plucked, including pubic hair.

4. Slaves generally came from conquered peoples, but even a free man unable to pay back his debts could be sold into slavery.

5. One Roman ‘cure’ for stomach ache was to wash your feet and then drink the water.

6. The Romans were the first to create sculptures that actually resembled the people they were supposed to portray.

7. In ancient Rome, it was considered a sign of leadership to be born with a crooked nose.

8. The ancient city of Rome was on the site of the present city of Rome.

9. They invented numerals that are still used today.

10. Capital punishment was often carried out in the amphitheatre as part of the morning entertainment. Condemned criminals faced wild animals without the benefit of weapons and armor, or had to fight other prisoners to death with swords (also without armor)

11. Rome’s Circus Maximus was the biggest stadium, with seating for 250,000, and was used mainly for chariot racing.

12. Some Roman dishes were very exotic and included teats from a sow’s udder, or lamb’s womb stuffed with sausage meet.

13. Asparagus was a prized delicacy in ancient Rome and was rushed by chariot to the Alps, where it was deep frozen for six months to last until the Feast of Epicurius – God of Edible Delicacies.

Do you think you’d like to live in Ancient Rome?

I’m taking part in Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Challenge for 2012, and we’re tackling pigeons of discontent.

So, what is a pigeon of discontent you ask?

This is Gretchen’s definition, paraphrased a little by me: A Pigeon of Discontent is an ordinary problem that has settled into roost. For example: you never make it to the gym; you bicker with your kids each morning; your closet is a mess; you haven’t had time to read a book in months.

She goes on to say that the Happiness Challenge for 2012 is the identification of these Pigeons. Once identified, we then find a way to shoo them away.

I have a couple of very easy, fixable pigeons of discontent, yet it’s almost all the way through January, and they’ve settled in to roost. In my defense, I’m doing Editpalooza with Savvy Authors this month and working hard on polishing/adding 30K words to a historical romance. I’ve also been trying to get away another sub to Ellora’s Cave. Yay! Mission accomplished today. Now all I have to do is wait to hear from my editor.

My pigeons of discontent:

1. Spiders have taken residence in my clothes line and their webs are encroaching on my clean washing, sticking everywhere and making a mess. Yes, this is totally easy to fix, yet I keep thinking oh, yeah. I need to do something about that, and every time I hang out my washing the webs are still there getting in the way! I hung out washing today, and yes, the webs remain.

2. Finger marks all over the kitchen cupboards and fridge. Again, totally easy to fix, but whenever I think about kitchen cleaning I’m in a hurry.

3. I have books I need to read and judge for a competition, yet reading time is in short supply. I also have two books to review and a looming deadline. Due to my writing commitments I haven’t been reading. I like reading, dammit. Got to fit it in somehow.

Action Plan
These are easy pigeons, practically poised for flight if I give them a nudge. This is what I propose to do.

a) Add all three items to my list. This means that they’re constantly brought to mind.

b) This coming weekend – just do it! Both jobs won’t take me long, leaving me time to do the things that really make me happy.

c) Reading – exchange some of the time I waste on the web for reading. Also go to bed a little earlier and read a few chapters before bed. Read 1 – 2 chapters during my lunch break each day.

Do you have a small, ordinary issue that influences or has a negative impact on your happiness? What is your Pigeon of Discontent?

I’m thrilled to announce Cat and Mouse, Middlemarch Mates 5 is now out in print.

Here’s the blurb:

Middlemarch Mates, Book Five

Every woman has sexual needs. Lana Sinclair, feline shapeshifter and widow, is more than ready for a fun night with a likeminded male. Hot lovin’ is compulsory because she’s determined to scratch the itch that’s driving her crazy. This time, career-girl Lana is picking a malleable male who won’t try to corral her into the housewife role.

Fellow shifter Duncan Ross is the perfect candidate. The cowboy follows the rodeo circuit and is only in Middlemarch for the bull riding. One night of mutual seduction, slick, naked bodies and pleasure, then he’ll be on his way.

Duncan is astonished when Lana propositions him, but no one could ever call him stupid. He’s always desired Lana and now that she’s ready for sex, he’s all action. It’s time to lasso the woman of his dreams with some sweet lovin’ and charm, a sexy massage and ropes spliced together with addictive pleasure. He’ll seduce her to his way of thinking—a permanent arrangement. This is one go-round Duncan is determined to win.

Purchase from Ellora’s Cave | Amazon |

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser today comes from Stripped, an erotic romantic suspense by Tori St. Claire.

A slow, lazy smile settled into the corners of Brandon’s eyes. Whether it touched his mouth, she couldn’t decipher—she stood too close. But if it had, she was certain it would be amused, definitely cocky.

page 20, Stripped

Blurb:

Body of secrets…

As a member of the CIA’s elite, Black Opals, Natalya Trubachev must live a lie, working undercover as the lover of Dmitri, a Russian mob boss. His business is trafficking vulnerable Las Vegas strippers overseas for twisted sex games. Natalya’s business is to blow the ring wide open and bring down Dmitri and his American contacts. But the stakes are raised when she learns that the next target is her own sister Kate, a dancer in the famed club Fantasia. Only now does Natalya realize how personal her mission has become, and how far she’s willing to go to complete it.

Body of lies…

The manager of Fantasia is Brandon Moretti, an undercover detective who keeps a close eye on his girls, and an even closer one on his sinfully sensual hire. For Natalya, working the club could be the break she’s been waiting for. But for Moretti, Natalya is a possible link to a killer. Only he never counted on her being so lethally seductive or so dangerous to get close to. As every forbidden pleasure between them is stripped away, his own secrets threaten their security, but it’s Natalya’s that could destroy them both.

Purchase Stripped

Nestled in the heart of the commercial center of Wellington, not far from New Zealand’s parliament buildings, is an old church with a lot of history.

Old St Paul’s is plain from the outside, a white building and dark spire, set in a large section and surrounded by giant pohutukawa trees. I wasn’t expecting much but the interior stole my breath. During my first visit, I stood inside the entrance, breathed in the rich, fragrant scent of the old wood from which the church is constructed, and fell in love with the place. It’s both peaceful and beautiful with the glowing colors of the aged timber. The ceiling curves above, looking like a timber rib cage and the light coming through the stained glass windows throws jewel-like patterns on the interior. Everyone speaks in hushed tones and the place feels plain special.

Frederick Thatcher designed the church. He was also the first vicar and remained from 1861 – 1864. The style is gothic, and according to experts, it’s one of the finest examples of timber Gothic architecture in the world. The timbers used in the construction include rimu, totara, matai and kauri, some of New Zealand’s finest. The pews are also made from timber and perfect to take a seat and soak in the atmosphere.

Wander around on your own or listen to one of the guides who will point out all the highlights. The stained glass windows are famous and were added as memorials to several prominent members of the Wellington community. Originally most of the windows were plain frosted glass. The current bells and organ are also new additions, but the baptismal font is an original, made in England from white stone with a carved oak canopy.

Funerals of former Prime Ministers were held here. The Maori land wars, which took place during the 1860s are remembered in memorials, as is the First World war. The relationship between American marines and the locals during the Second World war is also recognized.

A new church, also named St. Pauls, was built in 1964 to cater to larger numbers. Thankfully, locals fought to keep the old church, because it truly is beautiful and unique now that public buildings are no longer made from timber.

Old St Paul’s may not be a parish church now, but it’s still consecrated and a venue for weddings, funerals, christenings and other cultural events such as concerts. The building is maintained by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

The Facts

Opening hours:
Daily 9.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Closed Christmas Day, Good Friday, and for short periods during private functions.

Admission fee:
Entry is free. Hourly guided tours of Old St Paul’s: $5 per person.
Private group bookings (8 or more) $3 per person.
School groups: tours $3 per student.
Experience Old St Paul’s education programme: $8 per student.

Location:
34 Mulgrave Street
Wellington 6011
tel: + 64 4 473 6722
email: oldstpauls@historic.org.nz

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For the next week (20-27 January) I’m taking part in the Shameless Giveaway Hop, hosted by Jen at Red Hot Books, Brie at Romance Around the Corner & Michelle at Michelle’s Book Blog. Join in the fun!

Read the rest of this entry ?

One of my recent library reads has been If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home by Lucy Worsley. An excellent read BTW, and full of interesting social details about beds, underwear, child birth, marriage etc. If you’re writing historical romance or you’re interested in all things historical this is the book for you.

Thirteen Factoids about Baths & Bathing Through the Ages

1. Medieval people mostly washed their hands and faces rather than taking baths.

2. That said, Medieval people weren’t afraid of baths. Knights used to indulge in something called a Knightly bath, which involved decorative sheets, flowers and herbs placed around the bath. A servant would take a basin of hot herbal potion and use a sponge to scrub the knight’s body. The knight was then rinsed with rose water and rubbed dry with a clean cloth. He was then dressed in socks, slippers and a nightgown and sent to bed. Doesn’t that sound luxurious?

3. Baths were made of wood and lined with a linen sheet to prevent splinters in the bottom!

4. The English embraced the idea of the Turkish hammans after reports from returning Crusaders. Records show the presence of 18 bathhouses in London in 1162. They were known as stews and were communal with men and women sharing them. Most were in Southwark. Wow, imagine the potential for an erotic romance…

5. The communal aspect did cause problems and some became houses of ill-repute. Henry VIII closed the bath houses down in 1546.

6. From around 1550 to 1750 baths were considered dangerous and weird. Bathing became medicinal rather than cleansing. People feared that bathing spread disease such as syphilis. Hot water opened the pores, allowing illness into the body.

7. During the 17th century medical understanding improved. People started to understand perspiration and a bath in cold water was considered beneficial. A full bathing, despite recommendation by doctors, was slow to catch on. The ballrooms at this time were pretty stinky.

8. Beau Brummell and other gentlemen of his ilk popularized bathing, making it classy, and soon everyone was doing it. Victorian etiquette books started to state bathing was good manners.

9. Water was usually carried from the basement up to the bedroom, then once used, it was carried down again by servants. Hard work!

10. Around 1860 some houses started to receive piped water to first-floor bathrooms, which made bathing much easier for all concerned.

11. The en suite bathroom was first seen in the New World. American heiresses sent to secure an English nobleman as a husband were horrified by the primitive bathing conditions.

12. The Methodist minister John Wesley would not preach in a place without a toilet and thus came the idea of cleanliness becoming next to godliness.

13. By the end of the 20th century thinking in the bath/reading in the bath becomes a way of relaxing and relieving stress.

Personally, I’m a shower girl and seldom have a bath. The bath doesn’t get much use in our house. I’d love to own one of those sleek wetrooms with tiles and lots of shower heads. Maybe one day…

Bath or shower? What does your dream bathroom look like?

Blurb: Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. “The days are long, but the years are short,” she realized. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.

Review: I first discovered this book via the web, or more correctly, I came across Ms. Rubin’s website The Happiness Project

I thought – what a great idea. A person can never have enough happiness. It’s taken me longer to read the book.

In the book Ms. Rubin starts by explaining how her happiness project came about and the research she did before she started. After her research she came up with twelve commandments:

1. Be Gretchen
2. Let it go.
3. Act the way I want to feel.
4. Do it now.
5. Be polite and be fair.
6. Enjoy the process.
7. Spend out.
8. Identify the problem.
9. Lighten up.
10. Do what ought to be done.
11. No calculation.
12. There is only love.

These commandments were used to help her keep to her new resolutions.

On 1 January, she started her happiness project, tackling different sections of her life. For example January was all about vitality and energy. Her goals were to a) sleep earlier, b) exercise better, c) toss, restore and organize, d) tackle a nagging task and e) act more energetic. Each month she tackled something different, always referring back to her twelve commandments.

This book is very readable, and I found myself nodding along with some of the things the author said or did during her months of seeking happiness. It’s a self-help book, and like all self-help books the reader takes what works for them and ignores the rest.

When I read some of the reviews, they said the author came across as self-indulgent. I didn’t find that. For me the personal experience added to the reading experience. If you’re searching for happiness, definitely spend a little time flicking through The Happiness Project. I think you’ll find it worthwhile.

Purchase The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

The beginning of a new year is traditionally the time to start afresh. Some people make New Year resolutions such as wanting to get fit, lose weight or give up smoking. They’re common ones. I’ve never been one for making resolutions, since I’m of the opinion that if I want to make a life change, I can do it at any time. I don’t need a new year to kick me into gear.

This year was a little different. I decided to pursue happiness. So what prompted this change?

Two family friends died during 2011. One was slightly younger than me (author Sandra Hyatt) and one was a little older. Both passed away before their time, and this brought home to me how precious each day is. Life is way too short to waste in anything but happiness.

What is happiness?

To me happiness is finding joy in the little things. It’s taking care of everything that I can control and letting everything else take care of itself. Happiness is letting go of the things that cause stress and enjoying friends, family and puppies. It’s trying new experiences and keeping my days clutter free. Happiness is experiencing life and embracing change instead of just drifting aimlessly along. Happiness is love.

How do you define happiness?

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:
~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I’ve just started reading The Homecoming by JoAnn Ross, part of the Shelter Bay series.

“Your eyes–which, by the way, are fabulous now that they’re not covered up with those Coke-bottle glasses you wore back in the day, are more amber than brown,” he corrected. “Though they do have an intriguing little rim of mahogany around the iris. And being sidetracked by those way-sexy gold flecks in them, I hadn’t gotten to thinking about tattoos yet.”

page 14, The Homecoming

Blurb:

Your first love never really fades away.

Former Navy SEAL Sax Douchett has returned home to the small coastal town of Shelter Bay, Oregon, determined to put war behind him and get on with his life—which is easier said than done when everyone is hailing the former bad boy as a local hero. Adjusting to a new beginning becomes even more difficult when he unearths a long-buried secret that, in turn, reunites him with a cherished part of his past that he’s never forgotten.

Drawn back into his life is Sheriff Kara Conway, his best friend’s girl for a long as he can remember—a girl who always held a special place in Sax’s heart. But as he cautiously reconnects with Kara and bonds with her young son, another long-held secret in Shelter Bay threatens their second chance at a forever-after love.

Purchase The Homecoming

What are you reading this week? Leave a link to your teaser or post your teaser in the comment section.