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Archive for May, 2011Sunday, May 29th, 2011
I’m blogging at Samhain Publishing today. My topic is occupations and childhood aspirations. I won’t be around as much for the next ten days. I’m taking time out to recharge. See you on my return! Friday, May 27th, 2011
Today, I’d like to welcome author, Rosalie Lario. She’s celebrating the release of a new paranormal romance called For Love of An Angel. Today Rosalie is talking about story arcs, and I’m really looking forward to your comments. Over to Rosalie… First off, I’d like to say thanks, Shelley, for having me here today!
My series features angels, but not in the biblical sense. Rather than servants of Heaven, the angels on my world are a race of beings from an alternate dimension. They are forced into our world when the walls between the dimensions collapse. Once the angels realize they are forever stuck here, they convince humans to allow them to rule over Earth in exchange for peace and security…the ultimate utopia. But in reality, their designs on Earth are far more sinister. The heroes of my series are a group of angels who seek to protect humankind. Because of this they have been cast out of their society and condemned to die. They are Fallen. The Fallen are determined to stop the other angels from eradicating humankind, and this is the series arc that pulls each story forward. I knew I wouldn’t be able to resolve this huge plot point in one, or even three, novellas, so the entire series revolves around the Fallens’ attempts to protect humans. Ultimately , it will culminate in war against the angels. Each of my novellas is a complete story featuring a Fallen finding and wooing his mate in the midst of the group’s preparation for battle. Read on for more about For Love of an Angel, Book 1 of The Fallen Warriors Series: Blurb: In a world where angels rule over humans, twelve outcasts dare to defy expectation, warring with their angel brethren to prevent the extinction of humankind. They are The Fallen… Michael is one of twelve angels who have been outcast due to their determination to protect humankind. In order to preserve his immortality and strength, he must find a mate with angel blood. Eva Smyth has never believed the propaganda spouted by the Consortium—the elite system of guards put into place once angels took over reign of Earth—but she never expected to learn the angels plan to eradicate all of humankind, or that she herself is part angel. Joining Michael means living a life on the run, at war against the angels and hunted by the Consortium. Eva must decide whether to risk it all…for love of an angel. You can read the first chapter of For Love of an Angel here Please Visit me at: Buy Links: Barnes and Noble So I’d love to know, do you enjoy stories with continuing series arcs? Rosalie Lario practiced real estate law for several years before finally admitting to herself that negotiating contracts wasn’t nearly as fun as dreaming up stories. As an avid reader of romances and supernatural stories, she knew she wanted to write paranormal romance. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son in their home state of Florida, as well as searching out things that go bump in the night. She still hasn’t found any proof of the supernatural, but she’s keeping her fingers crossed. Friday, May 27th, 2011
My story about rugby and sexy rugby players is out later today at Ellora’s Cave! Here’s the blurb: Tyson Hamlin lives and breathes rugby. With loads of natural talent, he’s destined for the big time. But Tyson has a secret—his perfect life, complete with doting girlfriend—is a lie. While he loves the game, he’s not quite as driven as he used to be, and his girlfriend is a beard he hides behind because the truth is—he prefers men. Darcy Nichols transfers from Dunedin to pursue his dream to make the national team. He’s giving his all this one last season and intends to focus on his goal. Openly gay, he arrives in Auckland to suspicion and hostility. One look and Ty is smitten. He wants the sexy Darcy to do all sorts of bad things with him. Game on. The sparks fly in private as they burn up the sheets, but they can’t live in seclusion forever. They’re under public scrutiny, and one wrong step could derail their rugby careers and end their dreams forever. Contains sexy rugby players with their eye on the ball. Purchase Wanna Do Bad Things With You Thursday, May 26th, 2011
It’s probably no secret to those who know me that I have a soft spot for feline shapeshifters. In fact, I’ve written quite a few over the years. Thirteen Feline Shapeshifter Stories by Shelley Munro 1. Lynx to the Pharaoh – a historical romance featuring a caracal hero. That’s a cat with tufty ears. 2. House of the Cat – a sci-fi romance featuring black leopard shifters and weird hell-horses. Alien horse races. Fun and games! 3. Scarlet Woman – book one in the Middlemarch Mates series. Features Emily (human) and Saber, the oldest Mitchell brother. He’s a black leopard shifter. 4. Peeping Tom – features black leopard shifters. Felix, the second Mitchell brother is the hero. Book two in the Middlemarch Mates series. 5. Stray Cat Strut – book three in the Middlemarch Mates series. This story features Saul, one the the Mitchell brothers’ friends and a lion shifter from South Africa. 6. Assassin – book four in the Middlemarch Mates series. This book features Leo Mitchell, the third Mitchell brother. He’s a black leopard shifter. 7. Cat & Mouse – book five in the Middlemarch Mates series. This one features Duncan and Lana who are friends of the Mitchell family. They’re both black leopard shifters. 8. Cat Burglar – book six in the Middlemarch Mates series. Features Laura, a human cop, and Jonno, a leopard shifter who is a friend of the youngest Mitchell brothers. 9. Leticia’s Lovers – The main character of this story is Leticia, and she was introduced in Stray Cat Strut as a secondary character/sister of Lucas, one of the heroes in Stray Cat Strut. Book seven in the Middlemarch Mates series. 10. Catnap – Book eight in the Middlemarch Mates series introduces tiger shifters, brother Rohan and sister Ambar. This book is Rohan’s story. 11. Tiger By The Tail – book nine in the Middlemarch Mates series. This is Ambar’s story. See above for more info. 12. Blue Lady – book ten in the Middlemarch Mates series. This is a followup story to Scarlet Woman and features Emily and Saber Mitchell. 13. Twin Trouble – book eleven in the Middlemarch Mates series and the final story. This story features Joe and Sly Mitchell, the two youngest Mitchell brothers. And an added extra – Lightning Strikes Twice, a free read featuring two black leopard shifters. Part of the Middlemarch Mates series, featuring Sam Mitchell, cousin to Saber, the hero in Scarlet Woman. Note: the Middlemarch Mates stories are all stand alone stories, but it’s more fun to read them from book one. Do you like paranormal shapeshifter stories? Which ones have you read recently? And if you’re not a fan, tell me about your latest read. I’m always ready to add to my to-read list. Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
My special guest today is author, Casey Sheridan who is celebrating the release of her new book Ruby Red Metallic. Over to Casey. After spending eight hours at the daytime dungeon the other day, I was mentally pooped, but I knew I needed to sit down and write this post, or at the very least come up with a theme.
This procrastination only lasted twenty minutes as I had a neon sign inside my mind flashing “BLOG POST, BLOG POST, BLOG POST” in a most annoying way. I put my stuff away, cleaned up my mess and went inside to write, you guessed it, my blog post. I don’t mean to give the impression that I didn’t want to write this post because that certainly isn’t the case. I was just tired. I spend fifty hours a week at a day job, then there’s house cleaning, yard work now that spring is here, laundry, shopping, helping out my mother and trying to figure out when I can do some actual writing. It all gets a bit much sometimes. Anyway, I sat in my comfy chair and looked out the window at the apple tree in the backyard. It’s filled with large glorious blossoms and its soft fragrance wafted through my open window. It felt good to just sit there and admire the beautiful tree, to watch the rich orange and black colored Oriole hop along the branches sucking nectar from the delicate blossoms. I held my breath when a jewel colored humming bird hovered at some of those blossoms right in front of my window. Those birds are so small and so beautiful. Those few moments made me realize how many things I miss. There are times I’m so focused on getting things done I forget to stop and take a breath. Does that ever happen to you? Even Alaina in Ruby Red Metallic took some time to appreciate the park like setting that Scott took her to. Alaina got out and strolled around the car, making sure to examine the well-shaded rest area. Many trees surrounded it, flowers bloomed in pots placed around the little building that housed the bathrooms, and a light breeze passed by. The air smelled fresh and sweet. – from Ruby Red Metallic From now on, I’m going to try and take some time every day to “stop and smell the roses” (as the saying goes). How about you? Do you take time out from your busy schedule to “smell the roses”? Read an excerpt from Ruby Red Metallic Purchase Ruby Red Metallic You can find her on the Web at: Tuesday, May 24th, 2011
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 My teaser this week comes from Scoundrel, book two in Zoe Archer’s Blade of the Rose series. I’m a fan of this series. If you enjoy historical romances set in unusual settings plus a little paranormal, this is the series for you.
The Blades of the Rose are sworn to protect the sources of magic in the world. But the work is dangerous—and they can’t always protect their own… READY FOR ACTION… London Harcourt’s father is bent on subjugating the world’s magic to British rule. But since London is a mere female, he hasn’t bothered to tell her so. He’s said only that he’s leading a voyage to the Greek isles. No matter, after a smothering marriage and three years of straitlaced widowhood, London jumps at the opportunity—unfortunately, right into the arms of Bennett Day. RISKING IT ALL… Bennett is a ladies’ man, when he’s not dodging lethal attacks to protect the powers of the ancients from men like London’s father. Sometimes, he’s a ladies’ man even when he is dodging them. But the minute he sees London he knows she will require his full attention. The woman is lovely, brilliant, and the only known speaker of a dialect of ancient Greek that holds the key to calling down the wrath of the gods. Bennett will be risking his life again—but around London, what really worries him is the danger to his heart… Purchase Scoundrel Monday, May 23rd, 2011
During the weekend my husband, his brother, and his nephew pulled out the lining in my mother-in-law’s garage ready for a man to come to put in some insulation. At the same time, they took the opportunity to clear away some of the items lurking in the cupboards down in the basement/garage area. Actually, my husband didn’t do much more than supervise since his finger is still in a splint, and he can’t use his right hand, but I’m sure you get the idea. After he arrived home, my hubby was telling me about the things they found. A broken axe handle plus a new axe. He was rolling his eyes when he was telling me. “Why wouldn’t you throw away the broken axe handle?” my husband asked. “Mum didn’t want to throw away the magazines, but they were wet, for goodness sake. We overruled her. The nails and screws, they’ll come in handy, but pitch forks? Really, what would a person do with one pitch fork, let alone two?” My husband went on to say his brother took one pitch fork home and added his brother was just as bad as his mother when it comes to keeping stuff. I have to admit, my father is the same. He collects old bottles and brings them home. He’s also big on scraps of iron and other sundry things. My sister despairs at times because he never cleans the old bottles. That’s her job! If any of you watch Antiques Roadshow, you’ve probably seen people who produce valuable things from the depths of their attic or cupboards, things passed down through the family. My relatives won’t find much in my cupboards, because I don’t tend to keep stuff. My husband is the same, which makes us very compatible. What about you? Do you keep stuff because it might be useful or valuable in the future? Do you hoard stuff? Saturday, May 21st, 2011
My husband took this photo of a sperm whale at Kaikoura in the South Island of New Zealand. Kaikoura is one of the few places in the world where the whales hang around for the entire year.
To view more animal photos visit Camera Critters Friday, May 20th, 2011
I went for an eye test today. Two hours later–the frame selection and price negotiation took a long time–I walked out of the store with an empty wallet. Who knew glasses were so expensive! What was your most expensive recent purchase? Thursday, May 19th, 2011
Here are thirteen qualities/characteristics/things required by a writer. 1. Imagination 2. Perseverance 3. Thick skin 4. Determination 5. Patience 6. Business head 7. Flexibility 8. Like reading 9. Networking skills 10. Internet skills 11. Stickibility 12. Critique partners 13. Understanding husband Can you think of any other qualities that contribute to a good writer?
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