Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

This is the skeleton of the champion racehorse, Phar Lap. Phar Lap, which is Thai for lightning in the sky, was a chestnut. He was born near Timaru, New Zealand in 1926 and died in Menlo Park, California in 1932 after eating poisoned grass. He was poisoned on purpose, and rumor states the mob was responsible, carrying out the poisoning to protect their financial interests. Shortly before his death, he won the world’s richest race, the Agua Caliente Handicap in California. He did most of his racing in Australia and loved to run at the front of the field. Nicknamed Big Red, he won 36 of his last 41 races.

Phar Lap’s skeleton is in the Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New Zealand.
His heart is in a bottle in Canberra, Australia.
His hide is in the Museum of Victoria, Australia.

Currently, his skeleton is in Melbourne, Australia (on loan) to celebrate the running of the 150th Melbourne cup, a race that Phar Lap won in 1930.

To visit more animal photos go to Camera Critters.

The theme this week is friendship. Quite a few of my stories deal with friends and friendship, but today I’ve chosen an excerpt from Fallen Idol. This is a m/m story about a man who has fallen in love with his best friend. There was no future for a relationship and they drifted in different directions. This excerpt shows their first meeting in a long time.

Fallen Idol by Shelley Munro

His palms were sweaty so he wiped them on his black trews. Rafi laughed at himself, his nervousness at seeing Roberto again. They’d been friends since they were kids growing up in Melbourne and had met at the education center. Roberto hadn’t cared about the color of his skin or about his mother’s racy reputation.

They’d liked one another immediately, having a lot in common. One of them more so than the other, Rafi thought with a wry twist of his lips. He’d fallen in love with Roberto while his friend had fallen in love with Fifi Da Groux and gone out on the Sex Idol circuit with her. Roberto had broken Rafi’s heart and hadn’t even known it. They hadn’t seen each other for two years, but Rafi had thought of Roberto every day since they’d said goodbye. Sap.

“Nah,” he muttered, shaking his head to negate the thought. “Just goes to show you I have good taste.” And was weird for talking to himself.

Rafi entered the apartment foyer, wrinkling his nose at the scent of overcooked vege rations and scorched soy meat. The interior wasn’t much better than the outside. Rundown and only suitable for those on the lower income scale. Rafi couldn’t understand why the great Roberto Azam was living here when he could afford so much better.

Roberto. Rafi pictured the man he loved. Tall and golden-skinned. Broad shoulders. A slim waist that tapered down to a tight butt. Rafi imagined stroking his hands across Roberto’s golden skin and shivered. His cock chose that moment to react to his lusty thoughts. Ah, but Roberto was worth it. His muscles rippled when he moved and Rafi knew his friend didn’t go in for body sculpting salons and artificial stuff. Those hard muscles were a combination of good genes and honest exercise in his father’s warehouse when he was a teenager.

Rafi thumped on the button to call the lift but nothing happened. Shrugging, he searched for a stairwell to reach Roberto’s flat on the fourth floor. As he climbed the stairs, Rafi thought about the amount of fuel he’d need to fill his spaceship for the trip to the outer territories. Anything to help his erection subside and save embarrassment. Roberto didn’t know how Rafi felt about him, and Rafi intended to keep the status quo. All he needed to do was get through this visit. Masochist that he was. Roberto was his friend. He was happy with Fifi. Rafi needed to accept that and move on with his life.

After climbing the dark stairwell, he exited on the fourth floor. There were six apartments on each floor. Rafi stalked down the wide passage toward number four, anticipation and apprehension skipping around inside him. Hell, seeing Roberto again was going to put him back at square one, ripping the scars from his wounded heart. But the idea of not seeing him—that was even worse.

He turned the corner and came to a halt. A pyramid of empty vroom flasks littered the passage outside number four. Rafi frowned and strode to the door. Vroom was a rough liquor produced on the planet Marchant. People became addicted to it if they weren’t careful. Eyesight was affected. In extreme cases blindness occurred along with lack of coordination and muscle wastage. The muscle melted away, replaced by excess fat. Rafi checked the pile of bottles again and shook his head. Surely this pile didn’t belong to Roberto. He knocked on the door.

“What the hell do you want?” a masculine voice demanded. “Go away.”

Rafi pounded a little harder, a tiny grin playing across his lips. Roberto’s voice. Familiar, it brought back memories. The husky growl still made his cock jump with anticipation. Rafi’s grin died. Friend’s box, remember? Roberto wasn’t interested in him in that way and all the wishing in the world wouldn’t change the facts.

“Go the fuck away!” Roberto’s rough voice rumbled through the door, slightly slurred but definitely recognizable.

Rafi shuddered at the abrasive texture of his friend’s sexy reply. He’d never met a male who turned him on so quickly with just a word. After taking a deep breath, Rafi knocked again.

The door flew open.

“I told you before, man. I have nothing left. You’ve taken everything.”

Rafi gaped at his friend. He was still tall and dark, but the bronzed god from his memory had vanished. Roberto was pale as a ghost. An overweight ghost. His muscles had disappeared, sinking into inches of blubbery fat. The sight of Roberto’s bare chest and protruding gut made Rafi faintly nauseous so he glanced at his friend’s face instead. His dark hair was long, scruffy and lank as though it hadn’t been washed for weeks. And his face—hell, his beautiful face was bloated and puffy. One bloodshot blue eye scowled at him while the other was black and almost swollen shut. Roberto’s jaw was swollen too, and when Rafi studied his body again, he noticed bruises. Someone had bashed his friend and done a pretty good job of it.

“Roberto,” Rafi said. He stood in the open doorway, uncertain for once in his life. He still didn’t know where to look. Didn’t Roberto have some clothes? That belly…it… Hell! It needed camouflage. Really badly. Rafi stared with fascinated horror as Roberto’s belly jiggled when he inhaled.

His crew would have gaped with open mouths if they’d seen their captain appearing so indecisive. In the past, the two men would have exchanged a quick hug and clapped each other over the back. Rafi would have savored the moment as he usually did. He’d imagined the feel of Roberto’s arms around him from the moment he’d decided to look his friend up between trips to the outer territories. Instead, there was awkwardness. Rafi didn’t know what the hell to do. It was difficult looking at that blubber, but touching it?

He shuddered inwardly and continued to hover outside the apartment. Part of him wanted to leave, to run away, but no, he couldn’t do that. He refused to run away. His legs remained firmly planted outside the apartment while his mind told him to deal with it. No matter what, or how he looked, Roberto was still his friend.

“Rafi?”

Rafi tensed and steeled himself, forcing his real feelings deep so nothing showed from the outside. “Yeah, man. I stopped by the Gratham Apartments. One of the security men said you’d moved here.” Not bad. His voice had sounded calm. Even.

“I don’t suppose you’d leave if I asked you?” A tinge of shame colored Roberto’s cheeks and his gaze slid away to stare at the floor.

Rafi forced himself to look his friend in the face. He was so…so… Hell, he reminded Rafi of a bloated whale. His gaze flitted across Roberto’s face before darting over his friend’s shoulder to study what he could of the apartment. Another heap of opaque vroom flasks lay beside a wooden chair. The apartment was filthy and offended Rafi’s nose. Soy dog wrappers littered the cheap plastic table. An open suitcase lay on the floor and the contents were strewn across the grubby gray floor in haphazard heaps. Rafi gave a cautious sniff before frowning. The smell could be coming from Roberto. He wasn’t certain, but whatever the source, it was disgusting.

Rafi straightened and forced himself to look Roberto in the face again. “Why would I leave? Roberto, I came to see you.” Roberto was his friend, and he was a friend in need.

Purchase Fallen Idol from Ellora’s Cave or Amazon Kindle.

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the links below:

Mari Carr
Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Ashley Ladd
Emma Petersen
TJ Michaels
Lauren Dane
Eliza Gayle

(This is a sticky post…please scroll down for today’s post…)

Psst!! Look who’s coming to visit…

25 Aug – Mandy Roth and Michelle Pillow.
27 Aug – Taige Crenshaw, Ellora’s Cave
30 Aug – Eve Cassidy, Ellora’s Cave
3 Sep – Kim Knox, Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave.
6 Sep – Christine Price, Carina Press

I’m doing a blog tour during September with The Spurned Viscountess.

Fellow Ellora’s Cave author Tracy Cooper-Posey tagged me with this meme a few days ago. I’m meant to tell you seven things about me, all of them true, except for one.

Tracy and Nina Pierce (the person who picked on Tracy before Tracy picked on me *grin*) both made this meme into a contest and gave away a download of one of their books. Sounds like a great idea to me.

Here are my seven things…

1. A mountain gorilla almost sat on me in Rwanda.

2. A tiger growled and scared me half to death in India.

3. A stingray played with me during a helmet dive in Bora Bora.

4. Our hot air balloon crash landed and my glasses broke in Australia.

5. A baby camel tried to lick me in Egypt.

6. Elephants milled around my tent during the middle of the night in Kenya.

7. Some pygmies took me hunting for dik-dik in Zaire.

Guess which one of the things on the above list is a lie and go into a draw to win a download of one of my Ellora’s Cave or Cerridwen Press books. I’ll draw the winner on Tuesday.

I’m off to The Food Show tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it very much because food is one of my favorite things.

Thirteen Things About The Food Show

1. See, Taste, Buy: The Food Show is a bit like Christmas, a birthday and a giant dinner party rolled into one.

2. I get to watch some of the superstar chefs doing cooking demonstrations, including Josh Emett who runs Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants worldwide, Ray McVinnie who is a MasterChef judge down this end of the world, and others.

3. I have a chance to enter a contest to win an Electrolux fridge full of goodies to eat.

4. I’ll check out the Manuka Eggs, which are cold-smoked eggs unfused with a subtle, smoky flavor.

5. I’ll probably have a coffee, maybe one with the Heilala Vanilla syrup.

6. I’ll haunt the stall with artisan bread. They have new spicy carrot cake. Yum!

7. I might have a glass of wine. Heck, who am I kidding? I’ll have a glass of wine. Red, I think, so I can test the claim about the new wine aerator making red wine taste better.

8. I won’t be able to resist the fudge stall. Plain chocolate or flavored? Decisions. Decisions.

9. The Spice n Easy stall sounds interesting – packs of spices packed ready to use for specific dishes.

10. I won’t sample the mussels at the Omega Sea Food Stall, (Yuck!) but I might be tempted by a clam.

11. I’ll check out the Pomegranate juice stall. This is supposedly a wonderfruit used to lower blood pressure, fight stomach bugs and for its anti-ageing properties.

12. The Tasty Pot stall sounds enticing – ready made meals packed full of vegetables, whole grains, fresh herbs and spices and served in a tasty sauce. Hmmmm, healthy fast food…

13. I’ll go early to avoid the crowds and the people who use their kid’s pushchairs like dodgem cars. They run over your toes and don’t even say sorry. I don’t really like crowds.

Do any of these sound good to you? How do you like crowds?

I’m thrilled to welcome author, Lisabet Sarai as my special guest today. She’s discussing two of my favorite topics–travel and paranormal romance. I’m always ready to travel, be it virtual or the real thing. Add a little of the woo-woo factor and I’m hooked. So sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of exotic Jamaica with Lisabet.

I want to thank Shelley for having me as her guest today. When I asked her what sort of topics she preferred for her blog, she suggested I browse through previous entries. One thing became immediately clear―she’s as much of a travel fanatic as I am! So I thought that I’d talk a bit about Jamaica, which just happens to be the setting of my upcoming release Fire in the Blood.

As I’ve shared in other blog posts, my husband seduced me in a Burmese restaurant with tales of his own international adventures. Jamaica was the first foreign destination we visited together. This was almost thirty years ago and I haven’t had the chance to go back, so readers should recognize that my impressions are a bit dated. Nevertheless, I suspect (from my research and reading) that the country has not changed that much, especially not physically.

We got a cheap deal on a package―round-trip airfare and a week’s hotel in Montego Bay. Actually, the resort where we were booked was a good ten miles outside the city. It had a lovely beach but was quite isolated from Jamaican culture. Fortunately, the tour was cheap enough that we felt comfortable using the hotel as a base of operations and making overnight excursions to locations elsewhere on the island. We also took in some tourist activities around Montego Bay. I recall a trail ride into the mountains above Montego Bay (brilliant blue sky, blazing sun, the smells of horse and growing things). I vividly remember a night-time swamp cruise that concluded with a party on an island―reggae music, dancing and lots of Red Stripe beer!

We took a bus eastward to Ocho Rios, famous for its waterfall. That side trip also included a tour of an old plantation, buried in the forest. I remember the sense of the past hovering over those quiet ruins. The country has a bloody history. Britain, Spain and occasionally France all had commercial interests in the island, with its rich soil and strategic location. Slaves labored to produce sugar, coffee and other valuable commodities. Frequent revolts led to draconian responses from the Jamaicans’ colonial masters. Fugitive slaves called Maroons waged guerrilla warfare from the inaccessible, jungle-clad heights.

Later in the week, we traveled to Negril, the westernmost point on the island, where sheer cliffs of lava rock plunge into the turquoise sea. These days Negril has been developed into a major tourist destination, with five star resorts and so on. At that time, it was quite remote, with a couple of thatched roof bars looking out over the ocean and a few simple cottages. After more than thirty years of travel, to every continent except Australia, I still recall the scenery and atmosphere at Negril as extraordinary.

In addition to our sightseeing, we also met some local people: an American woman (whom I’ll call Jill) who was making her living as a performer (dancing with a live boa constrictor!), her Jamaican boyfriend and their social circle. We had the chance to hang out with Jill and her guy in their simple two room house made of concrete blocks, near the railroad tracks in Montego Bay. They didn’t have much, but their whole attitude was laid back. There was always music playing. There was always the scent of ganja in the air. No one seemed to worry about the future. “No problem, man,” was the response to every concern.

I started writing Fire in the Blood in response to a call for Halloween vampire stories. I wanted to create something really different. Almost all my stories are set in specific locales―atmosphere plays a big role in setting the scene for me. I thought back to our long ago trip, the sparkling sun of Jamaica and its dark history, and decided that a Jamaican vampire might be just the thing. When the publisher read the resulting tale, they asked me to expand it into a stand-alone book, which will be released on August 16th. The book is all fiction, of course, but it incorporates snippets of my own experience: a trail ride into the mountains, a ruined plantation, a naked midnight swim in the volcanic grottoes of Negril. I like to believe these contributions make the book more vivid. I hope that my readers will agree.

Here’s the blurb for Fire in the Blood
M/M/F vampire erotic romance from Total-E-Bound.

Maddy and Troy hope that a carefree vacation in tropical Jamaica will re-ignite the passion in their five year relationship. On a scenic mountain trail ride, Maddy’s horse bolts and carries her deep into the jungle. Injured and lost, she is saved by a seductive giant of a man whose mere presence kindles unbearable lust. By the time she understands his dark nature, it is far too late for her to escape.

Bitter and alone, Etienne de Rémorcy haunts the forest around the ruined plantation of Fin d’Espoir. He has sworn to never again taste taste human blood, but when slender, raven-haired Madeleine begs him to take her, he cannot resist.

Troy is hugely relieved when Maddy makes her way back to their hotel after her ordeal in the mountains. But he finds her greatly changed―fiercely passionate in bed, restless and disturbed at other times. The tall, elegant stranger he meets on the beach holds the key to her transformation―and soon has seduced Troy as well. Even Etienne’s most potent magic can’t extinguish the fire in Troy’s and Madeleine’s blood.

You can read an excerpt here.

Fire in the Blood goes on sale Aug 16 at Total-E-Bound

Bio

LISABET SARAI has published six novels, two short story collections and dozens of individual tales. She also edits the single-author charity series “Coming Together Presents” and reviews erotica for Erotica Readers and Writers Association and Erotica Revealed. Visit Lisabet online at Lisabet’s Fantasy
Factory and Beyond Romance.

Do you have any questions for Lisabet? Have you visited Jamaica before? Do you like vampires?

Romance Divas’ free conference is excellent for all aspiring and published writers. Definitely check it out!

Not forking out the dough for the RWA Conference this year, with evening wear, suits, high heels and whatever “business casual” means?

Not to worry! Romance Divas is hosting the

Not Going to Conference Conference…

The Conference You Don’t Have to Get Out of Bed For!

From July 28-31, come hang out with some terrific, savvy authors — and you don’t even have to brush your teeth (although, seriously, good dental hygiene gets you extra points.)

We’ll be hosting panels on:

The Power of Three: A crit group tell-all (Paranormal)

Crystal Jordan

Patti O’Shea

Dayna Hart/Rowan Larke

The Lolitas of STEAMED! Present Writing the Steampunk Romance -more than leather corsets and brass goggles!

Marie-Claude Bourque

Theresa Meyers

Whips, Chains, Slings, Oh My: It Really Isn’t About the Toys (BDSM Erotica)

James Buchanan

Joey Hill

The Great Big YA Panel

Rhonda Stapleton

Shannon Delany

Kiersten White

Carrie Ryan

Linda Gerber

Saundra Mitchell

Lara Zielin

Brenna Yovanoff

Register for free at Romance Divas, then come join us on the forums for the discussions, as well as some terrific prizes:
Eden Bradley/Eve Berlin:
1) erotic e-books, THE SEEKING KISS and TEMPT ME TWICE.
2) a synopsis critique in any sub-genre of erotica/erotic romance.
Jax Cassidy:
1) erotic e-books, DEVIL’S HEART and BRUSH STROKES.
2) book cover design or banner ad
Kristen Painter:
copy of her e-book, ALL FIRED UP
Rhonda Stapleton:
1) STUPID CUPID YA Book trilogy
2) a proposal critique (1st 3 chapters and synopsis) for any genre of book, romance or not
K.B. Alan:
1) The choice of one of her e-books: PERFECT FORMATION, ALPHA TURNED or BOUND BY SUNLIGHT.
2) A $25 Barnes and Noble gift card.
Robin L. Rotham: Signed copies of BIG TEMPTATION, ALIEN OVERNIGHT, and ENEMY OVERNIGHT
AJ Chase: copies of e-book CAT AND MOUSE
Inez Kelley:
1) e-book package of both MYLA BY MOONLIGHT and SALOME AT SUNRISE
2) The complete Dirty Laundry Series (3 e-novellas) co-written by Ginny Glass aka Wordsugar and Inez Kelley
Kate Pearce:
1) a three chapter ~and~ synopsis critique-any erotic romance, paranormal romance or historical romance.
2) Winners choice, in either print or e-book format (if available), of a set of the Simply series (there are 5) ~or~ a set of the Cowboys (there are 3) ~or~ a copy of KISS OF THE ROSE-readers choice.
R.G. Alexander:
Winners choice of any two e-books from her Samhain or Ellora’s Cave back list
Nadia Lee:
Critique of 1st chapter & synopsis-paranormal or contemporary romance
Shelley Munro: Winners choice of any one her backlist books from Ellora’s Cave or Cerridwen Press
Ciar Cullen: Winner’s choice of any one e-book on her website.
Voirey Linger: A copy of her e-book RISKING ETERNITY
RF Long:
1) a submission package critique (letter, synopsis and 3 chapters)
2) e-books! (details TBA)
Crystal Jordan:
1) 1st chapter and synopsis critique
2) One copy of any e-book off her Samhain backlist (http://samhainpublis…/crystal-jordan)
3) One copy of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (print or electronic, winner’s choice)
Jeannie Lin:
1) a first chapter critique, any genre
2) an official BUTTERFLY SWORDS souvenir charm
Elise Logan: Winner’s choice of any e-book from her backlist
Marguerite Labbe:
1) A critique of an m/m story
2) Signed copies of her m/m vampire trilogy MY HEART IS WITHIN YOU, HAUNTED BY YOUR SOUL and OUR SACRED BALANCE
Seeley DeBorn:
One jar of home made body or face scrub, customized to the winner’s preferences and skin type.
For example: Orange Spice Oatmeal, Coffee-Cocoa, Citrus Salt, Lavender Mint, Honey and Flax
Sela Carsen: a copy of her e-book CAROLINA WOLF
Hailey Edwards:
1) a copy of her sweet fantasy romance ebook, EVERLONG.
2) two five dollar MBaM gift cards
Charlotte McClain:
Copy of her two e-books, LOVE TO DECLARE and ROCK STAR’S RETREAT
Cynthia Justlin: (Golden Heart Finalist!) Proposal Critique (3 Chapters and synopsis)-any genre other than erotic
Lainey Bancroft:
1) signed copies of her contemporary romance, THE TROUBLE WITH TESSA and her chick lit romance COZUMEL KARMA
2) Proposal critique (3 chapters and a synopsis) any genre except Steampunk
Tina Burns-Publisher-Liquid Silver Books:
1) a critique of 1st 3 chapters & synopsis
2) 3 be-book prizes for 3 different winners! Winners choice of any one e-book download from LSB library.
Mima:
Winner’s choice of one e-book from her backlist-see her website for booklist.
Taneasha: handmade jewelry by our own Taneasha-details to come!
Barbara Sheridan:
1) Winners choice of one e-book from her backlist-see her website for booklist.
2) Critique of up to 20 pages of either M/M, or M/F romance or erotic romance in various subgenres (contemporary, historical, paranormal or suspense/mystery)
David Bridger:
A copy of his ebook BEAUTY AND THE BASTARD
Victoria Janssen:
3 print books TBA (whatever she finds at the RWA Conference)
Gemma Halliday:
Signed copy of SCANDAL SHEET
Jennifer Leeland/Jennifer McKenzie:
1) copy of her e-book MARKED FOR PLEASURE (Kindle version available upon request)
2) copy of her e-book MARKED FOR DESIRE (Releasing June 29th) (Kindle version available upon request)
3) copy of her e-books The Command Series (Trilogy)
4)copy of her BDSM e-book series (3 from TWRP and 1 from Samhain)
Emily Ryan-Davis:
1) Critique of novella-length (up to 30k) manuscript; any time period, m/f, menage, f/f (m/m not her area of expertise)
2) signed print copies of her anthology: MATING CALL, DRAGON DANCE and DRAGON BOUND
3) e-book copy of CHANGING THUMBELINA
Sabrina Darby:
1) Signed copy of her erotic historical novel, ON THESE SILKEN SHEETS
2) Critique of first thirty pages of any Regency (erotic or non erotic fine, but m/m outside my area of expertise)
Alina Morgan:
1) copy of her e-book The Twilight Deception
2) copy of her e-book The Shadow Unveiled
Debbie Mumford:
1) Critique of a synopsis
2) Winner’s choice of any e-book from her back list.
Kimberly Troutte:
1) copy of her e-book SOUL STEALER
2) copy of her e-book CATCH ME IN CASTILE
Sasha Devlin:
1 pair of hand made writing mitts or gloves-style and color TBD by the winner
Julia Knight
Winner’s choice of one copy of any of her books available in e-book format

My special guest today is debut author, David Bridger. I’m thrilled to introduce you to David and his first book, Beauty and the Bastard, which is available now from Liquid Silver Publishing. Today he’s talking about quiet experts, trees and romance.

Thank you for inviting me here today, Shelley. It’s an honour to be here with you.

I live with my wife and our daughters in a house on a quiet leafy avenue, halfway up one side of a wooded valley on the south Devon coast, in England’s West Country.

My Royal Navy career moved us around the world regularly, so we experienced life in a lot of places before deciding to settle here. The mild climate is just about perfect for us, although of course we moan about it if summer stays wet from spring to autumn, and it keeps our valley green and luscious.

It keeps the Plane trees that line our avenue growing vigorously, which is fine by me but not so popular with everyone else – including my wife and our next-door neighbour.

I love those trees. They were planted when the road was laid and the houses built, which happened to be the same year I was born, which makes it a damn good year in my book. But that’s only an incidental. The real reason I love them is that for several bedbound years, while I worked through pain to recover movement and mobility after an injury, those trees were all I saw of the world beyond my bedroom window.

In spring, I watched wood pigeons nesting in the crook of two thick branches only a few feet away from my pillow, and enjoyed their little families while they grew and flew as life budded and burst open all around them.

In summer, heavy foliage filled my vision and shaded the inside of my bedroom a lovely cool green, and middle-of-the-night rain storms turned into soothing percussion symphonies, and squirrels poked their cheeky faces out to chuckle at me while they chased one another round and round.

In autumn, spectacular golds and reds framed the ever-changing landscape that opened up to me as the valley became visible again, and the afternoon sound of my girls swishing home from school through mounds of fallen leaves rose to my ears.

In winter, I sketched the architecture of the trees and marvelled at their supple fortitude when gales thundered in from the ocean and battered them without mercy for weeks on end.

And round again into spring.

I built a relationship with the trees. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not a tree-hugger. Okay, so maybe I have hugged them once or twice. Don’t tell anyone, okay? They mean a lot to me.

But not everyone feels the same way. My wife and our neighbour get their knickers in a twist about the trees every two or three years, when their branches grow long enough to tap at our upstairs windows and rap on our roof tiles.

They’re protected, though, so no one except the local council is allowed to touch them. And the local council is always strapped for cash so the pollarding doesn’t happen as frequently as certain people would like it to.

Which is good news. I remember my distress the first time I watched a gang of men cutting the branches back hard and removing the top third or so of the trunk, two or three years after we moved in here. Can trees scream, or was it only the chain saws I heard? I didn’t know then, and I’m still not certain now.

Next time, five years later, I spoke to the man in charge of the council department. I was out of bed and in a wheelchair by then, re-emerging into the world and on my way to getting back on my feet. He was new in the job and I was impressed at his knowledge. He agreed with me that the previous pollarding had involved unnecessary savagery, and explained his methodology, which was all about encouraging healthy growth in the trees rather than simply hacking back an expensive nuisance.

When my wife and our neighbour telephoned yesterday to complain that the trees need cutting back again, I was happy to discover that he is still in his job. He told them politely but firmly that the trees are pollinating right now, so the pollarding will have to wait another four weeks or so. Good man!

You know, I really like meeting quiet experts.

I love meeting them in the world of romantic fiction.

This morning I walked in on a conversation between two of my publishing industry friends, who were talking about romance novels and sharing a condescending chuckle.

Now, these are good men. Pleasant, intelligent, well-adjusted men. I respect them and value their friendship. But right then? Well, you know.

The romance world is full of experts, people who know exactly what they want and people who know exactly how to deliver it, and none of them deserve the condescension of people on the outside who don’t actually know what they’re talking about.

Romance readers are absolutely experts. Anyone would have to go a long way to find another group of readers more knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their chosen genre. Romance readers definitely know what they like.

Romance publishers are experts. At every stage of the publishing process, experts work hard to offer readers an astonishing variety of wonderful treasures.

In the romance world, readers and authors are respected, well-treated and happy, and who can ask for more than that?

I suggested to my friends that all these experts – readers, authors, editors in their various roles, and cover artists – seem to be doing it just right. Because romance is booming while most other segments of the publishing industry are only farting.

I love being a romance author. I’m proud of our industry and I love the people who make it what it is.

That’s you. Thank you!

You can buy David’s debut book now from Liquid Silver Books.

Saul the Bastard is a fallen angel who works as a bounty hunter for powerful urban demon families. Rebecca Drake, a modern day demon princess, is being hunted by dangerous desert demons. When Rebecca’s family hires Saul to protect her, they are both unhappy with the arrangement, but before long sparks fly as they try to resist their strong mutual attraction. For the first time in living memory, Saul has someone to love; someone he is scared of losing; someone the desert demons have marked to be their next sacrifice.

Read an excerpt.

CONTEST: I thought I’d give away a download of David’s debut book to one person who comments on this post or asks David a question about his book or writing. I’ll choose the winner tomorrow.

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’m continuing my historical binge this week and reading Lady Be Bad: The Merry Widows Series by Candice Hern.

His entrance turned heads. Most of the ladies, and the handful of gentlemen, who crowded Grace’s drawing room the next afternoon were clearly shocked at Lord Rochdale’s attendance at such a proper gathering.

Page 131, Lady Be Bad by Candice Hern.

BLURB:

John Grayston, seventh Viscount Rochdale, has never refused a wager, especially one that involves enticing a beautiful woman into his bed. He’s willing to stake his most prized possession that there’s not a single woman in all of England immune to his charms. But when the object of the wager is the prim and proper Grace Marlowe, he has to turn on the full force of his seductive charm to woo her.

Grace, the widow of a famous bishop, finds her stalwart virtue put to the test when the infamous rake shows an unexpected interest in her. Outraged, flattered, and reluctantly attracted, she soon finds herself falling under the spell of the man behind the scandalous reputation. Rochdale, in turn, is delighted to discover a fiery passion beneath the widow’s prudish façade. But when hearts and lives become tangled in the gamble, the truth of his seduction could ruin everything …

I’m visiting The Romance Reviews today and talking about Tiger By The Tail. (The post goes live at 3.00am).

While you’re over at The Romance Reviews please take a look at their contest. They have some wonderful prizes on offer.

I received an excellent review for The Bottom Line from Whipped Cream Erotic Romance.

“Shelley Munro does a wonderful job of catching the reader’s attention and keeping it all the way to the end. With characters that endear themselves to you, and those that make you hate them, this is a book that should not be missed.”

Here’s the link to the full review for The Bottom Line.

Recently I’ve immersed myself in 1940s England and writing a historical romance set during the war. I finished it today and sent it off to my editor at Carina Press. I love this era, so I hope I’ve managed to hit the right note in my story. Hitting send for submissions still makes me very nervous!

I thought the cold weather here had halted growth in my mushroom farm. I was thrilled to see five tiny mushroom buds pop out of the peat a couple of days ago. It’s fascinating watching them grow. I’m certainly looking forward to eating them!

Our foster puppy, Patch Adams is up for adoption on the SPCA page. I keep clicking over to the website to see if he’s found a home. Fingers crossed! I’ve just been over there and he’s gone. Someone has adopted him. I hope they’re nice to him…

And finally, tomorrow I have David Bridger visiting to tell us about his debut release, Beauty and the Bastard.