Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

About two weeks ago, my sister told me about this new program she’d started watching on the Living Channel about organizing wardrobes and cleaning. My first thought was “Huh! There’s no way I’m getting excited about housework and cleaning!”

While our house is reasonably tidy, it’s not spotless. My opinion is that life is too short to obsess about a clean house. I tend to let things slide when I can, preferring to do fun stuff instead.

Fast forward a few days, and I was channel surfing. I came across the program called Lush House and settled in to watch it. Each week features a different family, along with their cleaning and organizational problems. They might have carpet stains, severe clutter, disorganized rooms, poor ventilation, problems in the garden and other cleaning nightmares within the house. Along comes Shannon Lush to solve all their problems. She uses natural methods of cleaning and dispenses lots of cleaning tips. By the end of the show the family and their pets are organized with their houses all spick and span.

I was fascinated with her basic cleaning supplies—all natural products and inexpensive. I thought about all the expensive cleaning materials underneath my kitchen sink and decided I’d try some of Ms. Lush’s methods. It wasn’t as if I was wasting a lot of money if they didn’t work.

During my next shopping trip, I purchased a packet of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and a bottle of white vinegar. What you do is sprinkle baking soda on the area to be cleaned then spray it with white vinegar. It makes a very satisfying hissing sound when the two items react, lifting dirt and grime at the same time. I was pleasantly surprised at the way it cleaned my sink and stovetop. I’ve also used the baking soda/vinegar to clean my oven with some success. The grime is a bit baked on in my oven so it will take two or three cleaning sessions, but it does work. The baking soda/vinegar can also be used to clean dishwashers, toilets, baths, and showers. I tell you it’s miracle stuff, and the child in me really enjoys the hiss and sizzle the baking soda and vinegar make when they react.

Here’s a link to the fact sheets and the various cleaning problems Ms. Lush has tackled to date.
Ms. Lush has also published several books on cleaning the natural way. I tell you—I’m a believer. I really like using the more natural products. It’s got to be better for the environment and it’s sure easier on the pocket!

Do you like housework? What is your favorite cleaning product?

I’m blogging at My Foolish Wisdom today with Soldier of Fortune. I’m talking about Occupations in Romance, and I’m doing a giveaway. Here’s the link to My Foolish Wisdom.

Last week I watched a reality-type show on the Living Channel called Shopping is My Life. Each show features a shopping addict and two experts give them advice so they can get their habit under control. They mentioned some interesting statistics about shopping.

The average person used to purchase 19 items of clothing per year.
The average person now purchases 34 items of clothing per year.
The featured shopping addict purchased 400 plus items of clothing per year.

My sister really enjoys the Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic series and has suggested I read them. I haven’t seen the movie either. Maybe one day soon. It’s on my list, but from what I hear the heroine should probably submit themselves to the Shopping is My Life experts.

I’ve had a rough count, and I think I’ve purchased 15 items of clothing and footwear this year. It’s been a busy year shopping for me this year. Last year it would have been well under 10 items. I can’t imagine 400 items. That’s a lot of shopping!

How many items of clothing have you purchased this year? Have you read any of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series? Have you seen the movie? If so, what did you think?

This photo was taken at Bear Country in South Dakota, USA. Mr. Munro and I loved watching the bears because some of them were real characters. This one wasn’t letting any traffic past.

To see more photos visit Camera Critters.

The theme for today is arrivals. The following is an excerpt from my latest release Soldier of Fortune that shows the arrival of Joanna “Mac” McGregor for her new job.

Soldier of Fortune by Shelley Munro

The charter flight from Jordan to Iraq was a short hop but plenty long enough for Joanna “Mac” McGregor to second-guess her decision to take up a contract in the security sector with Chesterton UK. The wheels of the plane hit the runway, a solid thump before the pilot applied the brakes. Tension seeped into hands holding a fantasy paperback, turning her knuckles white. It wasn’t just her. Even the guys at the back of the plane—the ones who had bantered their way through the entire journey and tried to tempt her into joining the Mile High Club—fell silent. Mac stared out the window. She’d seen the stark reality of Baghdad firsthand when the plane circled the runway to land—the endless sand giving way to the greener city.

Checkpoints. Security forces. Burned-out vehicles, buildings damaged by both allies’ and insurgents’ bombs.

Too late to change her mind and return to New Zealand now.

She’d gone through the lengthy interview process, answered all the questions about why a woman would want to undertake such a dangerous assignment and finally signed on the dotted line. After all, not much call for her skill set in an office and she couldn’t earn this sort of money doing anything else. Icy determination to succeed curled through her gut, squared her shoulders.

Mac disembarked with the rest of the security force, a few intrepid reporters and a camera crew, the initial blast of heat when she walked down the stairs sucking her lungs dry. Sweat broke out over her body and her shirt soon clung to her clammy skin. Something she’d become used to quickly. After formalities, she waited with the other recruits—the new ones and the others who had signed on for a second or third tour.

Like her, they were in it for the money, some for the adrenaline rush. Some of them would return home to family and friends. Some would die. Time would tell which camp she fell into.

The only route into the city, dubbed Route Irish by the Americans, was the most dangerous stretch of road in the world. Despite the fences on both sides of the road, there were dangerous overpasses and numerous car bombs planted to snare the unwary. From the briefing, Mac knew they’d attempt to drive straight through any situation, be it bullets or bombs. Stopping wasn’t an option.

Five minutes later, they pulled out in convoy, protected by security forces from New Zealand and the United Kingdom, their driver pausing to wait while a United States military convoy crossed the road ahead of them. Overhead Mac watched two Black Hawk helicopters drawing fire, diverting it from the road. The entire time their car remained in radio contact with others from the convoy. The drivers and guards constantly assessed risk, on the lookout for threats.

Mac stared out the window, gut jumping because she knew danger lurked around every corner. Signs at the checkpoint authorizing lethal force brought home the reality of her situation. If she found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, she would die. No one left to look after her father then. She scowled at the thought and shoved it away.

Their convoy drove past the International zone, patrolled by the US military, the only part of the city considered relatively safe. They didn’t stop, their destination the less-secure area where many security forces and their clients lived.

The Red zone—her home for the next six months.

Mac climbed from the rear of the armored vehicle, grabbed her gear and followed the other recruits into the main barrack-like building. All the domestic comforts, Mac thought, taking in the mismatched furniture, the clean but scuffed linoleum floor and the poster of a busty blonde hanging drunkenly on the far wall. She dumped her bags at her feet.

A tall, dark-haired man prowled through a doorway on her right and headed to the front of the room, his piercing blue eyes taking in the new arrivals. Mac’s breath caught the instant she glimpsed his face, hurled back to the past.

Louie?

Shock drop-kicked her square in the gut. Why wasn’t he at home in New Zealand? Only her military training kept her face impassive, the astonished gasp trapped inside her throat. Her training did nothing to halt the images flooding her mind, the memories of hard muscles beneath her questing fingers and the way it had felt each time his cock plunged between her legs. Damn, Louie had lied to her.

Purchase your copy from Ellora’s Cave

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the links below:

Eliza Gayle
Jody Wallace
Moira Rogers
Kelly Maher
Victoria Janssen
Ashley Ladd
Shelli Stevens
Leah Braemel
McKenna Jeffries
Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Lauren Dane
Juliana Stone
TJ Michaels

My Soldier of Fortune tour begins today. The first stop on the tour is Tracy Cooper-Posey’s blog where I have an interview. I’m also doing a giveaway so pop over to Tracy’s News & Gossip to say hello.

I’ve also received my very first review for Soldier of Fortune. I Do Not Want to Wait, I Want the Book Now said, “This story has the perfect balance of what I look for in a book. It shows the heartbreak of watching someone you love disappear into the illness of Alzheimer, the danger and fear of being in a war zone, and the camaraderie of friends, while still keeping the romance the central point. Did I mention the scorching hot sex? Can’t forget that. Seriously hot!”

You can read the entire review here. Thanks so much! I’m thrilled with my review.

Pantyhose are a fairly recent invention. Allen Gant invented the modern form of pantyhose in 1959, and a seamless version was manufactured by Glen Raven Mills in 1965. I wear them on occasion, but I’m not a fan. I find them uncomfortable, and because I’m tall it used to be difficult to get a pair to fit. These days they are made to fit different heights so it’s not such a nightmare. I still dislike wearing them though.

Thirteen Alternative Uses For Pantyhose

1. Use to clean taps.

2. Protect delicate items (such as lingerie and sequined clothes) in the wash.

3. Thread pantyhose through the arms of woolen jumpers when drying on the clothesline.

4. Use to clean ceiling fan blades – wipe the blades with damp pantyhose on a broom.

5. Grow alfalfa in a section of pantyhose about the size of a tennis ball. Mix equal parts of sawdust and alfalfa seeds and put them inside the pantyhose and tie off tightly. Sit it on a saucer on a windowsill, water regularly and trim the sprouts.

6. Clean pet bowls by wiping over them with damp pantyhose.

7. Use them to wash the car. Place pantyhose over the head of a broom and sweep over car.

8. Use them as hanging pots. Pack the bottom of leg with soil, add seeds and hang. This works best with lighter plants.

9. Polish chrome furniture to keep rusty spots at bay.

10. Remove soap scum with damp pantyhose.

11. Use to polish saucepans.

12. Use them to clean the fridge.

13. Use as a scourer for cleaning Teflon frying pans.

Source: A nifty book called Save – Your Money, Your Time, Your Planet by Shannon Lush & Jennifer Fleming

Do you like wearing pantyhose? How often do you wear them? Are pantyhose sexy?

Today Soldier of Fortune is out at Ellora’s Cave. It’s an erotic contemporary romance that’s set in both Iraq and New Zealand. Two years ago, I watched a documentary about private security companies operating in the war zone and the New Zealanders who take up contracts with them to make big money. It’s a dangerous job, yet some of the men go back for more than one contract. They’re in it for both the money and the adrenaline rush.

I’ve been wanting to write stories about some of the secondary characters in Summer in the City of Sails, and this documentary provided me with a possible plot line. I did lots of research, watched heaps of documentaries on British and American soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan in order to make my story realistic. I didn’t want to overwhelm the reader with war so hopefully I’ve managed to strike the balance between realism and romance.

In my story, there’s a female correspondent who works for CBS. One of the jobs of the private security force is to keep her and the other CBS employees safe when they go about doing their job, reporting on the progress of the war. It takes a clear head to calmly report a story while dodging bullets, and I know I couldn’t do it. Female correspondents are often able to interview local women about their experiences and get answers to quite intimate questions. Male correspondents would not have the same access, and many women refuse to talk with them.

I’m taking Soldier of Fortune out on tour. Yes, it’s true—you’ll get to hear more about me and my Ninja Turtle soldiers. Here’s a link to my blog tour schedule.

Would you like to be a reporter? Would you like to be a reporter in a war zone?

Authors, a heads up. SingleTitles.com just relaunched, sporting a full site makeover and a contest to celebrate the new look. They’re offering up $450 worth of advertising as prizes. If you write romance, mystery or thrillers you should head over and check out. http://www.singletitles.com

Today I’m guest blogging at The Romance Studio about body language, nonverbal cues and Soldier of Fortune, my erotic contemporary romance due out at Ellora’s Cave on 18th November. To visit my post go to The Romance Studio Blue.

I’m guest blogging with Debra Parmley today and talking about writing, books and Middlemarch. Here’s the link to my Make-Believe Monday post.