Shelley Munro Blog

I’m off for a long weekend. Hubby and I are hitting Wellington, the capital of New Zealand and also Martinborough. Some of you might recall Lily and Alex from Never Send a Dog to do a Woman’s Job visited both places…

…which, leads in nicely to the fact that I’m the Spotlight Author at Author Island today. I’m giving away a print copy of Romancing the Alien.

How are you spending your weekend?

Thirteen Things about CHOCOLATE

It’s true. I adore eating chocolate. So, to celebrate one of the world’s greatest culinary inventions…

1. In a recent survey 52% of Americans stated chocolate was their favorite flavor. The second favorite flavors were berry and vanilla with 12% of the vote each.

2. Half of Americans (51%) choose what chocolate they eat by the shape of the piece.

3. The melting point of cocoa butter is just below the human body temperature — which is why it literally melts in your mouth.

4. Theobroma Cacao is the official scientific name given to cacao by Swedish Botanist Carolus Linnaeus in the 18 th century. The word Theobroma comes from the Greek language literally meaning, ‘food of the gods.’ While the exact origin of cocoa is still debated, it said to have been introduced by the ancient Maya to Central America from the South American highlands of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. The word for cacao (cocoa in Spanishi) is thought to have been created by the Olmec Indians whom historical linguistical investigations indicate may have been using the term around 1000 BC Mayan Indians were the first to create a beverage from cocoa.

5. Recent studies have shown that eating chocolate may actually be good for you. Researchers have found that raw and / or minimally processed cocoa - as is found in Yachana Jungle Chocolate - contains flavonoids similar to those found in green tea. According to preliminary studies, these antioxidants have been linked to help accomplish the following:

Decrease blood pressure
Improve circulation
Lower death rate from heart disease
Improve function of endothelial cells that line the blood vessels
Defend against destructive molecules called free radicals, which trigger cancer, heart disease and stroke
Improve Digestion and stimulate kidneys
Has been used to help treat patients with anemia, kidney stones and poor appetite

6. Placebo-controlled trials suggest chocolate consumption may subtly enhance cognitive performance. As reported by Dr Bryan Raudenbush (2006), scores for verbal and visual memory are raised by eating chocolate. Impulse-control and reaction-time are also improved. This study needs replicating.

7. Today, chocolates of every description are legal, unscheduled and readily available over the counter. Some 50% of women reportedly claim to prefer chocolate to sex, though this response may depend on the attributes of the interviewer.

8. Acne - There is no established link between developing acne and eating chocolate.

9. Cavities - Studies have not placed chocolate high on the list of cavity-causing products. The cocoa butter in chocolate may provide protection against tooth decay.

10. Addiction - As a food substance, chocolate has no addictive ingredients.

11. Store chocolate in a cool (60-70° F), dark, dry place away from strong-smelling items such as peppermint or dirty socks. Chocolate has a tendency to absorb other odors. Do not store chocolate in the refrigerator.

12. White chocolate is not technically one of the types of chocolate because it does not contain any chocolate liquor. It must contain at least 20% cocoa butter and 14% milk, plus sugar in varying amounts.

13. For all things chocolate in a blog go here.

And final words of wisdom…
Put “eat chocolate” at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you’ll get one thing done.

Are you a chocolate fan like me, and if so, what is your favorite chocolate treat? If…gasp!…you don’t enjoy chocolate, what is your favorite flavor?

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My special guest today is New Zealander N. D. Hansen-Hill who also writes romances under the name Melody Knight. N.D. is the author of thirty-one novels and three novellas. I remember her giving us a workshop about writing a book in a month at a Romance Writers of New Zealand meeting and being amazed at her productivity. I went home and thought, “I can’t do that!” but her sheer enthusiasm won me over and after applying some of what she said, I learned I could write quickly if I set my mind to it.

Today N.D. is talking about writing and perceptions and there’s mention of raisins.

ErRatic is N. D. Hansen-Hill’s next release from Five Star, in fact it’s out on the 20th of this month. One lucky person will have a chance to win a download of ErRatic. All you need to do is email N.D. with the word ErRatic in the subject line and she’ll pick a winner on 16th February. Her email is LiteraryPromotions @gmail.com (no spaces)

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It’s no secret to my family that I love color and whenever I return from a day in central Auckland I mutter about the parade of suits in black. Honestly, between twelve and one the entire length of Queen street seems to turn black when office workers come out to lunch. What’s with that?

My favorite color is blue in all its various shades: azure, royal, lapis lazuli, indigo, sapphire, turquoise, cornflowe, neon, sky, navy… Well, you get the picture. There’s something about color that makes me feel happy. When I look at the ducks on the nearby pond, I see their shades of brown and the purple/blue feathers at their wings. I love the sunshine yellow of spring flowers and the scarlet and browns of autumn leaves.

In fashion, colors come and go. In the past black was generally a color related to death. These days it’s a fashion statement. I’ll admit I often dress my characters in black and I do have a couple of black items in my wardrobe but generally I’m all about the color. Wearing color makes me smile. Even our little dog has a blue collar. Her new basket is black but it’s adorned with a picture of Snoopy in his kennel and it says “Sleeping is an art.” She looks so dang cute sleeping in it I can forgive her the black.

Here’s a color quiz for you to take. Interestingly I came out with green.

you are aquamarine #7FFFD4

Your dominant hues are cyan and green. Although you definately strive to be logical you care about people and know there’s a time and place for thinking emotionally. Your head rules most things but your heart rules others, and getting them to meet in the middle takes a lot of your energy some days. Your saturation level is medium - You’re not the most decisive go-getter, but you can get a job done when it’s required of you. You probably don’t think the world can change for you and don’t want to spend too much effort trying to force it. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Along with blue, I like all colors pastel since they suit my coloring, and I quite like brown since it goes with denim. My favorite jeans are a darkwash blue.

Tell me what your favorite colors are and which colors you tend to wear most. You’re allowed to say black - really, you are. Did you score your favorite color on the quiz? What color are your favorite jeans or trousers?

The well-known game Monopoly is going global with the World Edition launching soon. Currently there’s a worldwide online voting campaign to select which cities will fill the 20 available spots on the monopoly board. Queenstown, located in the South Island of New Zealand, is the only New Zealand city on the leaderboard and is competing with 68 other finalists for a spot.

I love Queenstown. It’s not far from where the fictional Mitchell family lives (my Middlemarch series) and my next release in this series, ASSASSIN is partially set in Queenstown. It’s a tourist mecca in both summer and winter, the town dominated by the beautiful lake Wakatipu and the majestic Remarkables mountain range. This photo was taken from the gondola on the way up to our dinner at the hilltop restaurant.

Queenstown is currently sitting in 18th place.

Vote for your favorites here.

Which cities do you think should be on the World Edition of monopoly?

I’m guest blogging over at JL Wilson’s Crimespace blog today.

Here’s the link.

Hubby and I have a new obsession. It’s an animated show called Shaun the Sheep. Shaun the Sheep is a character taken from Wallace and Gromitt, who now has his own series. Each program is five minutes. I sit there in front of the TV, absolutely enthralled. I tell you, I’m a big kid at heart. I tape it and hubby and I watch it again later at night, chuckling all the way through. Last night’s involved a baby lamb, a red teddy bear, a farmer, a pesky cat and some Y-front underwear used as a bungee, and of course, Shaun. Fun stuff! Shaun the Sheep has a website here. If you have kids definitely check this out. There are all sorts of fun things for them to do. Hubby and I had fun watching all the clips. I’m going to check for the DVDs next time I go to the mall.

CAN YOU HELP ME?

And finally, I have a new release coming from Ellora’s Cave on March 7 called Fancy Free. It’s a story about a girl who inherits a condom company. I’ve been trying a few different things with promo this year and for Fancy Free I’m going to ask both writers and readers who have blogs or newsletters to help me spread the word.

I have several short posts (supposedly taken from the diary of Fancy Free’s founder) which I’m going to ask people to post on their blogs, at MySpace, in newsletters or wherever else they can. As an incentive, I’m offering a prize to one participant - a NZ beanie, some NZ soaps, an autographed copy of either The Second Seduction or The Shadow, one of my special good luck charms and a couple of other things. The winner will also receive a download of Fancy Free.

All you need to do is email me for the diary entries and the press release and you can choose which you’d like to post and how many you’d like to post. Each time you post one from 25 Feb - 6 Mar you get an entry into the contest. Just email me to let me know where you’ve posted the diary entry and you’re in the draw. I’ll pick a winner on 7 March.

Meantime, if you have any questions or you’d be willing to help me out email me here. Please pass the word around. If any of your friends are interested, just get them to email me as well.

Thirteen Things about Chinese New Year

In honor of Chinese New Year, which starts today.

1. On February 7, 2008, be sure to wear red, feast on delicious food, tuck money into your wallet and be loving and kind all day because you’ll be invoking the positive power of the Chinese New Year, filling your life with love and luck.

2. 2008 is the Year of the Rat. Rats are said to be imaginative, charming and very generous to those they love - although they do have a tendency to be quick-tempered and over-critical. They are supposed to make good writers, critics and publicists. I am a rat!

3. Famous Rats include William Shakespeare, Prince Charles and Lauren Bacall.

4. The Rat keeps less attractive characteristics hidden, such as cunning opportunism and a drive to get to the top.

5. A Rat is versatile, accomplished in planning and capable of complex abstract notions.

6. Today is a good day to clear away clutter and junk, which can block good fortune. It’s also the perfect time to wash your hair, as this ensures all last year’s unhappy moments will be washed away forever. And I washed my hair today without even knowing! Note - I’ve just read somewhere that washing hair today is bad luck because you wash away all the coming year’s good luck. I’m sticking with the first one!

7. Whatever you wish for, if you do it on February 7, it’ll be drawn to you all year long. I wrote all day.

8. The Year of the Rat is destined to be busy and productive, a year in which we begin to learn to save energy and resources on both a personal and planetary level.

9. Rats know in order to have a future, they must care for what they have in the present (they are excellent hoarders!). Yes, my hubby would agree with this. He made me clean out drawers in the weekend.

10. Rats are in for a productive and extremely busy year. Leadership qualities you possess are recognised, and people who previously didn’t value your skills suddenly begin to see their relevance and purpose, bringing opportunities to reveal your secret talents.

11. In china, ear plugs are handy at this time to dull the firecracker assaults, and prices of hotel rooms tend to go through the roof.

12. The Chinese calendar is different, more fluid, and its New Year begins on the first new moon of the Chinese solar year. So, while this year the year of the Rat begins on the 7th of February, last year’s year of the Pig began on February 18.

13. According to Chinese legend, the twelve animals quarreled one day as to who was to head the cycle of years. The gods were asked to decide and they held a contest: whoever was to reach the opposite bank of the river would be first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish.

All the twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox’s back, and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the ox second, and the pig last.

What sign are you? Check here to find out. Do you think this is an accurate character assessment?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

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! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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I’ve loved reading ever since I was a child. I was thinking about this the other day when I needed to write a bio to go on the Cerridwen Press website.

This is what I wrote:

From the time Shelley Munro was a little girl living in New Zealand, she wanted to be a detective. She read all the Famous Five mysteries by Enid Blyton before graduating to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Her favorite television viewing was Scooby Doo where she, in her invisible guise, helped Scooby solve the crime.

As happens with children, Shelley grew up and boys distracted her. She found one she really liked and married him, traveling the world at his side until returning to settle in New Zealand to write hot and spicy tales for Ellora’s Cave, some of which contain the odd body or two.

Writing this bio reminded me of how much books and reading have played in my life. I’m never without a book and often have two or three on the go. For me, it’s the armchair travel, the jump into another world where I can experience things I might never experience in real life. I can vary the journeys according to my mood - travel back in time without the sacrifice of comfort or enter a magical world with wizard, witches, feline shape-shifters and the like. Or, if I’m feeling like a jolt of reality, I can have a contemporary adventure. Ah, so much choice!

And one of the best things is I can jump into the hero or heroines shoes and be them, I can disappear from my normal world and be someone else. I can be very naughty, if that’s what I’d like at that moment in time. I can change occupations and fight wars or hunt down criminals. I can even wear clothes and shoes that I’d normally pass by. I can be anyone and do anything each time I pick up a book from my to-read pile. As you can see from my bio I spend a lot of time wearing detective shoes.

I’m assuming most of you who read this post are readers as well. Just what is it about reading that you enjoy so much? How did you come to be a reader? Have you always been a reader? Do you read one book at once or many? And, do you prefer your reading journeys to be in one area or are you, like me, a bit of a wanderer, going from genre to genre?

Today, as I stated a couple of days ago, was a lazy day. I’m reading my final RITA book and I also read Red Garnier’s Amatista. It’s a hot, little number that I enjoyed very much. Kavi and his people are searching for the lost city of Amatista but their search is hindered by Earthmen, wanting to find the city first. Kavi and Liana are a great couple. Did I mention hot? Anyway, Red’s Amethyst book, Amatista hits the Ellora’s Cave store tomorrow. Make sure you check it out and buy a copy because Red is a great writer. She also has a new release out with Liquid Silver Books called I Take Thee with a very eye catching cover. Actually, there are no eyes on the cover but when you see it you’ll understand what I mean.

If you’re agent hunting, check out the Q & A with Laura Bradford from the Bradford Literary Agency over at Lauren Dane’s blog.

My special guest today is New Zealand author, Jane Beckenham. Jane writes for Linden Bay Romance, Treble Heart Books, and she has recently sold books to Red Rose Publishing and Cerridwen Press. Jane loves the colour yellow, loves pavlova, and family and friends. Her family are avid vintage car enthusiasts. She spends her days writing novels and trying to ignore the housework.

As long as I have known Jane she’s had a fascination with time travel and that’s what she’s discussing today.

Jane is also giving away a download of He’s The One to one lucky person. All you need to do to go into the draw is answer the following question: What is the hero’s name in He’s the One? Email your answer with a subject line of “blog competition” to neiljane @ihug. co.nz (no spaces) and you’re in to win. The contest closes on Sunday 10th of February 2008 and the winner will be notified on the following day.

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