Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

And the Deliciously Decadent December fun continues with:

Crimson Pleasures Book Two

Loved the characters, the heat and the thought of an enthralling hero sinking his teeth into your neck in Crimson Thrall? Then get set for more passion, more intensity and a bigger bite!

Six centuries have passed since a treacherous enemy wrested Antonio’s love from his bed. He was outmatched and overpowered before, but nothing will keep him from claiming Serafina now—not even Serafina herself. Wild with hunger and a soul-deep longing, he declares a Bride Hunt, an ancient ritual most vampires abandoned centuries before.

Serafina endured a loveless marriage for the sake of her sisters. Now her husband’s death has freed her to think of her own happiness. Before she can decide how to flex her independence, she’s being hunted by a domineering, if utterly desirable, vampire bent on binding her soul to his. Antonio awakens sensations and ignites responses she never experienced with her husband, but is physical pleasure reason enough to spend eternity at his side?

Read an Excerpt / Buy the Book

Want your very own copy of Aubrey’s Crimson Prey? Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win an ebook copy of this sizzling new story.

Rules:
1. Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win.
2. Winner will be chosen at random via Random.org
3. You can enter a total of 9 times by leaving a comment on each Triple D author’s blog but you will only allowed to win once.
4. You must be 18 and older to enter and/or win.
5. You must collect your prize within 10 days of prize announcement or prize is null void.

Don’t know what to comment on? Here’s an idea!
I believe that cat people are drawn to vampire stories and dog people prefer werewolf stories. Do you agree or disagree and tell me why.

Deliciously Decadent December authors:

Amy Ruttan
Angelia Sparrow
Aubrey Ross
Cheryl Dragon
Emma Peterson
Kathy Kulig
LA Day
Samantha Kane
Shelley Munro

My special guest today is Barbara Martin who lives in Canada. I met Barbara online and love visiting her blog because it’s always interesting. On each visit I learn something about wildlife, history or beauty spots in Canada. She writes dark fantasy, short stories and flash fiction. Today Barbara gives us an opportunity to visit a beautiful spot in Canada, Banff National Park. Once again, I think you’ll need your warm clothes for this visit, although the pool looks inviting.

Thank you, Shelley, for this opportunity to provide a post during your birthday month.

This post is on my favourite vacation location in Canada, Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. Every summer during my young formative years my family would come here to enjoy the sights and excursions, as my mother had done during her childhood.
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1. Flirting – according to Wikipedia flirting is a form of human interaction between two people, expressing a romantic and/or sexual interest. It can consist of conversation, body language, or brief physical contact. It may be one-sided or reciprocated.

2. Flirting is used as a means of expressing interest or gauging the other person’s interest in courtship or even casual sex.
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Deliciously Decadent December Begins!

Oops! I almost forgot to put up my Deliciously Decadent December post. I have two posts today so don’t forget to scroll down and check out the post below written by the wonderful Monica Burns.

Come Celebrate a Deliciously Decadent December with Ellora’s Cave Authors Cheryl Dragon and Amy Ruttan. Wanna find out where the Deliciously Decadent December authors will be next? Join our yahoo! group for updates and chances to win copies of our latest releases. Click here to join.

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My special guest today is author, Monica Burns. If you enjoy historicals and haven’t had a chance to read either Mirage or Dangerous, I suggest you grab a copy from Samhain Publishing today. I enjoyed both books very much and can’t wait for Monica’s next release. BTW, both Mirage and Dangerous are EPPIE finalists, which doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. Over to Monica now who is talking about research and a little about Egypt.

I love everything Egypt. It’s drawn me to it since I was a kid. One of these days. I hope to gather up the courage to visit this fascinating country. You see, I have a great fear of snakes, which is the main reason why I’ve not made a serious effort to tour this wonderfully sensual and exotic land. But just because I can’t go there in person, doesn’t mean I have to stay at home in my head. I have written two books now with Egyptian themes. Dangerous and Mirage. In both of these books are Egyptian cults, mysticism, and ancient artifacts are used in the plot. In Dangerous, my book is set in Victorian England at a time when spiritualism and all things Egyptian were at their height.
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Author Kaye Manro had a good post at her blog last week about opening lines in novels. As authors we’re told first lines are important, and we should work at making them perfect.

While I go along with this advice and try to make my first line intriguing, it made me wonder. I used to finish reading every book I started. I’ll admit there might have been times when I skimmed toward the end of the book, but I finished reading it.

These days my personal reading time is valuable. Heck, if I’m truthful, I don’t have personal reading time because I’m always analyzing how other writers do things. When I pick up a new book to read, I tend to give the author one to three chapters to grab my attention. If I’m not interested by then, the book goes and I move onto the next. I’m not that faithful reader any more. LOL – I guess I tend toward the slutty kind. If I’m not hooked I move on to the next and the next until I find one that satisfies my needs.

I’d also like to say that we’re all different. There’s one author everyone seems to like. I find her here. I find her there. I find her everywhere. On blogs, that is. Yet her books just don’t grab me. What works for one reader doesn’t necessarily work for another.

What about you? How long do you give an author to make an impression on you, the reader? Do you give them the first line? The first paragraph? The first chapter? How forgiving are you as a reader if the first line doesn’t hook you in?

My special guest today is Paz Edwards. I met Paz online a few years ago and was immediately captured by her photos of New York and her yummy recipes and the fact she’s plain nice! Get your comfortable shoes and warm clothes ready. We’re off to New York!

Celebrating Shelley’s Birthday in New York City
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Yellow Cupcakes
The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham

Yields about 10 cupcakes

Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick or about 1/3 cup) butter, melted
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners’ sugar or Chocolate Butter Frosting

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the muffin pans for 10 cupcakes, line them with fluted paper baking cups, or spray with no-stick coating.

Combine the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat well.

Put the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a sifter or strainer and sift them over the butter-and-egg mixture. Beat until the batter is perfectly smooth and thoroughly combined. Spoon into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup about two-thirds full.

Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick or broom straw inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar or frost with Chocolate Butter Frosting.

Stained Glass Cookies
Simply Recipes

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
30-40 hard candies (such as Life Savers), preferably in several flavors/colors

1- Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

2- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add molasses and vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated. Add egg and mix until light and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed.

3- Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture. Use electric mixer to blend just until flour is incorporated. Divide dough in half and flatten into two disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour and up to 2 days.

4- Remove any wrappers on candies and separate them by color into plastic bags. Using a mallet to crush candies.

5- Place one disk between two large sheets of waxed paper and roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.

6- Use a spoon to sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers. Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.

7- If cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.

8- Bake 9 to 10 minutes. The candy should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow cookies to cool on pans at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from the dough. When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container. String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.

Makes 2 to 4 dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them.