Shelley Munro Blog

It’s the first of the month here in New Zealand, and I’m a writer on a mission. My goal for this month is to write the first draft of a new book and leave it sitting while I head off on holiday in September. The final word count needs to be around 50,000 - 55,000 words so I need to write about 2000 words a day. Entirely possible. I can do that easily.

In between I’m going to work on edits for my next Middlemarch story. I have Rhian nipping at my heels. No pressure or anything! I have an idea for a Quickie Middlemarch story and then I need to work on the twins story. The twins are currently living in Dunedin and getting up to all sorts of mischief. In fact they’ve been so difficult I’ve needed a lot of thinking time to sort them out. Double trouble and all that.

Fancy Free edits are completed and I’m waiting for a release date. I need to complete the cover art sheet this morning before I start writing.

So, that’s me for the next month. What are your plans for August?

Our wee dog hates getting wet. Today she was outside eating her bone and it started raining. There was thunder and lightning along with the driving rain. The next minute I hear a loud thunk. I looked at the door and the bone is inside on the mat with the dog still standing outside but peering in at me with a hopeful expression on her little furry face. She wanted me to change my rule about bones inside. I didn’t. I’m such a meanie!

I’ve just realized it’s only a month until Mr. Munro and I head off on holiday again. It’s our wedding anniversary at the beginning of September and we’re flying to Hawaii for two weeks to take a cruise around the different islands. Should be lots of fun and it will be nice to see some sunshine for a change. I mentioned over at Dynamic Trio a few posts ago about buying a bikini. Well, mission accomplished. I ended up buying one from my favorite mail order company, and Mr. Munro whistled when I modeled my new purchase. He’s such a sweetie!

Writing wise, I’ve just finished the first draft of my next Middlemarch story. I’m going to let Assassin sit for a week or so before I go back to it. Meantime, my agent suggested I try to write for one of the Harlequin lines. That’s my next task after I complete edits on Fancy Free. Fancy Free was known as “Snap” in a previous life and will be coming out with Ellora’s Cave, probably early next year. Update: edits almost done!

This weekend we’re doing lots of family stuff. Last night it was dinner at a local pub for my nephew’s birthday and tomorrow our family is getting together for a mid-year Christmas dinner. Remember it’s winter down here so a hot dinner makes sense for those who live downunder.

And finally, I’ll be at the Romance Galleria for a chat on 1 August at 9.00 pm EST. If you haven’t visited the Romance Galleria before go and check it out. I downloaded the software this afternoon and had lots of fun trying to hustle my body around the rooms. I think we’re in the cafe for the chat.

What are you doing this weekend? How’s your job going? Are you heading off on holiday soon? Have you purchased a new binkini recently? Come on - speak to me

Have you visited the Romance Galleria yet? I’ve just spent half an hour exploring this new venue and it’s a lot of fun.

I’m chatting there on Wednesday, August 1 at 9PM (Eastern US) along with TJ Michaels as part of the weekly Wild Wednesday chat. If you’re free please come along.

Oh, and a hint - visit the Romance Galleria now to check it out and download the software required to attend the chat. I hope to see you there!

I’m researching tea and tea-leaf reading for another work in progress, so here you go -
Thirteen Things about Tea

1. The art of reading tea-leaves, or tasseomancy, goes back thousands of years to ancient China, when tea was first drunk. The practice developed as a consequence of tea-drinkers interpreting the shapes of the tea-leaves that were left in the bottom of their cups and divining the future from them.

2. Tea-leaf reading has been popular in Europe and America ever since and is one of the easiest forms of divination to practise. All you need is a teapot, a cup and saucer, and some leaf tea, so there is no need to buy any special equipment at vast expense.

3. The tea industry has undergone a renaissance in the past few years, with many more teas now on sale. Green tea, which was once only available from specialist importers is now widely available and celebrated for its health-giving properties.

4. The right cup is important in tea-leaf reading. The bowl of the cup should be nicely rounded, so the tea and the leaves can move freely within it. Straight-sided cups are not suitable, and a large cup can be unwieldy, which might cause you to spill some tea or even drop the cup. The outside of the cup can be as highly decorated or as plain as you prefer but the interior of the cup must be completely plain. Any pattern will confuse your eye and interfere with the shapes made by the tea-leaves. And lastly, make sure the handle of the cup is firmly attached and not too flimsy or delicate. Note: I’m thinking my character might have a wee accident and drop her cup or the handle could fall off.

5. Choose tea without added ingredients, such as tiny strips of orange peel or dried rose petals since they will interfere with the reading. Oh, and size matters when it comes to tea leaves. They mustn’t be too small and they can’t be too big. Just like Baby Bear’s porridge, they must be just right.

6. Tradition states that you should only read the leaves from the first cup of tea that is poured out, which means only one person can have their leaves read from each pot. The main reason for this is that tea-leaves usually flow out of the pot more easily when pouring out the first cup of tea.

7. The process: As you drink your tea, you should try to relax. Think about the question you are going to ask the tea-leaves, if you have one, or simply concentrate on the week ahead or your life in general. Do not let your mind be distracted by current worries or mundane trains of thought. If this happens you must gently bring your focus back to what you are doing.

8. The ritual: Drink virtually all the tea so only a teaspoonful remains in the bottom of the cup. Take the cup in your left hand if you are right-handed and vica versa. Close your eyes and breathe deeply, then silently ask your question or ask for guidance about your future. Turn the cup three times in an anticlockwise direction then turn it upside down in the saucer and drain for thirty seconds. Your cup is now ready for interpretation.

9. Some tea superstitions - To stir the pot counter clockwise will stir up trouble.

10. To made tea stronger than usual indicates a new friendship. To spill a little tea while making it is a lucky omen. And I thought it just made a mess on the counter!

11. If the lid is accidentally left off the teapot, you may expect a stranger bringing bad news. Bubbles on tea denote kisses.

12. Two teaspoons, accidentally placed together on the same saucer, points to a wedding or a pregnancy. If two women should pour from the same teapot, one of them will have a baby within the year.

13. Tea spilling from the spout of the teapot while being carried indicates a secret will be revealed. Undissolved sugar in the bottom of your teacup means that there is someone sweet on you.

SOURCES:
The art of tea-leaf reading by Jane Struthers
Chai newsletter (a NZ company that sells tea)

And just as an interesting aside: When Mr. Munro and I visited Cameroun in Africa a group of us visited a local wiseman or sorcerer. He read our fortunes using a crab in a flower pot. We had to ask a question and the movements of the crab when the sorcerer tipped it out of the pot gave us the answer to our question. The sorcerer didn’t speak English but we had a guide with us who interpreted. The process was very similar to that of tea-leaf reading in that we had to think about one question before the crab and sorcerer did their thing.

Are you a coffee or a tea drinker?

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I thought I’d mention two books for you to check out. If you enjoy sci-fi/futuristic stories check out Christine d’Abo’s The Bond That Ties Us. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet but it’s sitting on my hard drive ready for my next spare moment.

Here’s the blurb:

The Bond That Ties Us By Christine d’Abo

Haylie knows her life is about to change the moment she sets foot on the Eurus colony. What she didn’t count on was her instant, overwhelming sexual desire for the seven-foot-tall, sexy as hell alien ambassador. He’s in her every thought and dream, teasing and taunting her body into a sexual frenzy.

Kamran has waited his whole life to find his bonded mate. When she arrives in the form of a slender human with brilliant eyes, he can’t stop his all-consuming need to possess her. If their bond is discovered, they will be forced by Briel law to leave the colony, giving up the lives they’ve worked so hard to build.

While Haylie and Kamran fight their growing desire, their colony is threatened by an unseen enemy. When the colony comes under attack by a brutal alien force, can Haylie and Kamran keep their bond a secret and stop the invasion in time to save everyone?

*~*

Lauren Dane also has a new release coming out this week on July 25. It’s called Threat of Darkness and you can read an excerpt here. I read Lauren’s Ascension not long ago and loved her new werewolf series. Lauren writes great characters - strong heroines who know their own minds and don’t take crap from anyone and heroes that you just want to steal for your own. There are usually intriguing family dynamics at play and by the time I close one of her books I’m ready to apply for adoption into said family. Check out Lauren’s Ellora’s Cave books right here

*~*

I’m finding my writing frustrating at the moment. My word count isn’t as good as it could be, but at least I’m writing a little every day. Too many other distractions in my life at the moment. It hasn’t been a good year. Assassin is almost at 40,000 words. If I keep at it I should manage to finish my first draft this month.

I’m also working on a new idea and started doing character sheets tonight. I don’t normally do character sheets but I’m making a conscious effort to dig deeper into my characters and thought this might help. Charlotte Dillon has an awesome page of links just for writers who want to build their characters. There are loads of articles here that will keep you busy for a while. She also has a link for a character sheet. There are many variations of the character sheet. The one I’m using comes from the Harlequin site.

How do you flesh out your characters? Do you do character sheets or use some other method to make your hero and heroine come alive? And if you’re a reader rather than a writer, what book are you reading at the moment?

I’ve been a little busy during the last couple of days, writing and reading. Unfortunately I haven’t been hiding with Harry Potter since I don’t have my copy yet. I’m busy staying away from any spoilers, or intended to, but Mr. Munro who has never read a Harry Potter book in his life came down to the bedroom.

“I know what happens in Harry Potter,” he said.

“How do you know?”

“I googled it,” he said. “I know who dies.”

Color me amazed. For a man who has never read one of the books and professes himself as indifferent, he was still curious enough to want to know what happens. That’s great marketing.

And then, disaster. My curiosity kicked in. “Who dies?”

The moment Mr. Munro had been waiting for. The wretched man told me!

In punishment, his mission today is to purchase me a copy. Honestly, what am I going to do with this man?

Mr. Munro was talking in his sleep the other night. I have a lot on my mind at the moment and was wide awake. Like a good wife I tried to get him into a conversation because you never know what you might learn that way.

“You’ve got dust all over,” he muttered.

“What?” I frowned because I had no idea what he was talking about.

“Dust. All over,” he repeated quite emphatically.

“What sort of dust?”

“Explosive dust. You’re gonna blow up.” He promptly went back to normal sleep, leaving me dangling in suspense. Was I safe? Was I not? And why was I covered in this dangerous dust?

He couldn’t remember a thing when I quizzed him the next morning. Just my luck. A curious writer left thinking all sorts of what ifs.

Thirteen Things about What Makes the Earth Move Not what you first thought, I bet! I’ve been researching earthquakes for a work in progress. There are some great myths that explain why the earth moves, and I thought I’d share.

1. India: The Earth is held up by four elephants that stand on the back of a turtle. The turtle is balanced on top of a cobra. When any of these animals move, the Earth trembles and shakes.

2. Mexico: El Diablo, the devil, makes giant rips in the Earth from the inside. He and his devilish friends use the cracks when they want to come and stir up trouble on Earth.

3. Mozambique: The Earth is a living creature, and it has the same kinds of problems people have. Sometimes, it gets sick with fever and chills and we can feel its shaking.

4. West Africa: The Earth is a flat disk, held up on one side by an enormous mountain and on the other by a giant. The giant’s wife holds up the sky. The Earth trembles when he stops to hug her.

5. New Zealand: Mother Earth has a child within her womb, the young god Ru. When he stretches and kicks as babies do, he causes earthquakes.

6. Columbia: When the Earth was first made, it rested firmly on three large beams of wood. But one day the god Chibchacum decided that it would be fun to see the plain of Bogota underwater. He flooded the land, and for his punishment he is forced to carry the world on his shoulders. Sometimes he’s angry and stomps, shaking the Earth.

7. East Africa: A giant fish carries a stone on his back. A cow stands on a stone, balancing the Earth on one of her horns. From time to time, her neck begins to ache, and she tosses the globe from one horn to another.

8. Romania: The world rests on the divine pillars of faith, hope and charity. When the deeds of human beings make one of the pillars weak, the Earth shakes.

9. Central America: The square Earth is held up at its four corners by four gods. When they decide the Earth is becoming overpopulated, they tip it to get rid of surplus people.

10. Assam (Between Banglasdesh and China): There is a race of people living inside the Earth. From time to time, they shake the ground to find out if anyone is still living on the surface. When children feel a quake, they should shout “Alive! Alive!” so the people inside the Earth will know they are there and stop shaking.

11. Siberia: The Earth rests on a sled driven by a god name Tuli. The dogs who pull the sled have fleas. When they stop to scratch, the Earth shakes.

12. Japan: A great catfish, or namazu, lies curled up under the sea, with the islands of Japan resting on his back. A demigod, or daimyojin, holds a heavy stone over his head to keep him from moving. Once in a while, though, the daimyojin is distracted, the namazu moves and the Earth trembles.

13. Latvia: A god named Drebkuhls carries the Earth in his arms as he walks through the heavens. When he’s having a bad day, he might handle his burden a little roughly. Then the Earth will feel the shaking.

Which myth is your favorite? Do you have your own myth to add?

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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I’ve spent all day in my writing cave today and will likely spend a lot more time there this week. Here’s a photo to entertain you while I’m busy. It’s taken in Epulu, Zaire, Africa. If you’d like to take a guess at the story post a comment!