Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

Nestled in the heart of the commercial center of Wellington, not far from New Zealand’s parliament buildings, is an old church with a lot of history.

Old St Paul’s is plain from the outside, a white building and dark spire, set in a large section and surrounded by giant pohutukawa trees. I wasn’t expecting much but the interior stole my breath. During my first visit, I stood inside the entrance, breathed in the rich, fragrant scent of the old wood from which the church is constructed, and fell in love with the place. It’s both peaceful and beautiful with the glowing colors of the aged timber. The ceiling curves above, looking like a timber rib cage and the light coming through the stained glass windows throws jewel-like patterns on the interior. Everyone speaks in hushed tones and the place feels plain special.

Frederick Thatcher designed the church. He was also the first vicar and remained from 1861 – 1864. The style is gothic, and according to experts, it’s one of the finest examples of timber Gothic architecture in the world. The timbers used in the construction include rimu, totara, matai and kauri, some of New Zealand’s finest. The pews are also made from timber and perfect to take a seat and soak in the atmosphere.

Wander around on your own or listen to one of the guides who will point out all the highlights. The stained glass windows are famous and were added as memorials to several prominent members of the Wellington community. Originally most of the windows were plain frosted glass. The current bells and organ are also new additions, but the baptismal font is an original, made in England from white stone with a carved oak canopy.

Funerals of former Prime Ministers were held here. The Maori land wars, which took place during the 1860s are remembered in memorials, as is the First World war. The relationship between American marines and the locals during the Second World war is also recognized.

A new church, also named St. Pauls, was built in 1964 to cater to larger numbers. Thankfully, locals fought to keep the old church, because it truly is beautiful and unique now that public buildings are no longer made from timber.

Old St Paul’s may not be a parish church now, but it’s still consecrated and a venue for weddings, funerals, christenings and other cultural events such as concerts. The building is maintained by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

The Facts

Opening hours:
Daily 9.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Closed Christmas Day, Good Friday, and for short periods during private functions.

Admission fee:
Entry is free. Hourly guided tours of Old St Paul’s: $5 per person.
Private group bookings (8 or more) $3 per person.
School groups: tours $3 per student.
Experience Old St Paul’s education programme: $8 per student.

Location:
34 Mulgrave Street
Wellington 6011
tel: + 64 4 473 6722
email: oldstpauls@historic.org.nz

One of my recent library reads has been If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home by Lucy Worsley. An excellent read BTW, and full of interesting social details about beds, underwear, child birth, marriage etc. If you’re writing historical romance or you’re interested in all things historical this is the book for you.

Thirteen Factoids about Baths & Bathing Through the Ages

1. Medieval people mostly washed their hands and faces rather than taking baths.

2. That said, Medieval people weren’t afraid of baths. Knights used to indulge in something called a Knightly bath, which involved decorative sheets, flowers and herbs placed around the bath. A servant would take a basin of hot herbal potion and use a sponge to scrub the knight’s body. The knight was then rinsed with rose water and rubbed dry with a clean cloth. He was then dressed in socks, slippers and a nightgown and sent to bed. Doesn’t that sound luxurious?

3. Baths were made of wood and lined with a linen sheet to prevent splinters in the bottom!

4. The English embraced the idea of the Turkish hammans after reports from returning Crusaders. Records show the presence of 18 bathhouses in London in 1162. They were known as stews and were communal with men and women sharing them. Most were in Southwark. Wow, imagine the potential for an erotic romance…

5. The communal aspect did cause problems and some became houses of ill-repute. Henry VIII closed the bath houses down in 1546.

6. From around 1550 to 1750 baths were considered dangerous and weird. Bathing became medicinal rather than cleansing. People feared that bathing spread disease such as syphilis. Hot water opened the pores, allowing illness into the body.

7. During the 17th century medical understanding improved. People started to understand perspiration and a bath in cold water was considered beneficial. A full bathing, despite recommendation by doctors, was slow to catch on. The ballrooms at this time were pretty stinky.

8. Beau Brummell and other gentlemen of his ilk popularized bathing, making it classy, and soon everyone was doing it. Victorian etiquette books started to state bathing was good manners.

9. Water was usually carried from the basement up to the bedroom, then once used, it was carried down again by servants. Hard work!

10. Around 1860 some houses started to receive piped water to first-floor bathrooms, which made bathing much easier for all concerned.

11. The en suite bathroom was first seen in the New World. American heiresses sent to secure an English nobleman as a husband were horrified by the primitive bathing conditions.

12. The Methodist minister John Wesley would not preach in a place without a toilet and thus came the idea of cleanliness becoming next to godliness.

13. By the end of the 20th century thinking in the bath/reading in the bath becomes a way of relaxing and relieving stress.

Personally, I’m a shower girl and seldom have a bath. The bath doesn’t get much use in our house. I’d love to own one of those sleek wetrooms with tiles and lots of shower heads. Maybe one day…

Bath or shower? What does your dream bathroom look like?

Blurb: Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. “The days are long, but the years are short,” she realized. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.

Review: I first discovered this book via the web, or more correctly, I came across Ms. Rubin’s website The Happiness Project

I thought – what a great idea. A person can never have enough happiness. It’s taken me longer to read the book.

In the book Ms. Rubin starts by explaining how her happiness project came about and the research she did before she started. After her research she came up with twelve commandments:

1. Be Gretchen
2. Let it go.
3. Act the way I want to feel.
4. Do it now.
5. Be polite and be fair.
6. Enjoy the process.
7. Spend out.
8. Identify the problem.
9. Lighten up.
10. Do what ought to be done.
11. No calculation.
12. There is only love.

These commandments were used to help her keep to her new resolutions.

On 1 January, she started her happiness project, tackling different sections of her life. For example January was all about vitality and energy. Her goals were to a) sleep earlier, b) exercise better, c) toss, restore and organize, d) tackle a nagging task and e) act more energetic. Each month she tackled something different, always referring back to her twelve commandments.

This book is very readable, and I found myself nodding along with some of the things the author said or did during her months of seeking happiness. It’s a self-help book, and like all self-help books the reader takes what works for them and ignores the rest.

When I read some of the reviews, they said the author came across as self-indulgent. I didn’t find that. For me the personal experience added to the reading experience. If you’re searching for happiness, definitely spend a little time flicking through The Happiness Project. I think you’ll find it worthwhile.

Purchase The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

The beginning of a new year is traditionally the time to start afresh. Some people make New Year resolutions such as wanting to get fit, lose weight or give up smoking. They’re common ones. I’ve never been one for making resolutions, since I’m of the opinion that if I want to make a life change, I can do it at any time. I don’t need a new year to kick me into gear.

This year was a little different. I decided to pursue happiness. So what prompted this change?

Two family friends died during 2011. One was slightly younger than me (author Sandra Hyatt) and one was a little older. Both passed away before their time, and this brought home to me how precious each day is. Life is way too short to waste in anything but happiness.

What is happiness?

To me happiness is finding joy in the little things. It’s taking care of everything that I can control and letting everything else take care of itself. Happiness is letting go of the things that cause stress and enjoying friends, family and puppies. It’s trying new experiences and keeping my days clutter free. Happiness is experiencing life and embracing change instead of just drifting aimlessly along. Happiness is love.

How do you define happiness?

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’ve just started reading The Homecoming by JoAnn Ross, part of the Shelter Bay series.

“Your eyes–which, by the way, are fabulous now that they’re not covered up with those Coke-bottle glasses you wore back in the day, are more amber than brown,” he corrected. “Though they do have an intriguing little rim of mahogany around the iris. And being sidetracked by those way-sexy gold flecks in them, I hadn’t gotten to thinking about tattoos yet.”

page 14, The Homecoming

Blurb:

Your first love never really fades away.

Former Navy SEAL Sax Douchett has returned home to the small coastal town of Shelter Bay, Oregon, determined to put war behind him and get on with his life—which is easier said than done when everyone is hailing the former bad boy as a local hero. Adjusting to a new beginning becomes even more difficult when he unearths a long-buried secret that, in turn, reunites him with a cherished part of his past that he’s never forgotten.

Drawn back into his life is Sheriff Kara Conway, his best friend’s girl for a long as he can remember—a girl who always held a special place in Sax’s heart. But as he cautiously reconnects with Kara and bonds with her young son, another long-held secret in Shelter Bay threatens their second chance at a forever-after love.

Purchase The Homecoming

What are you reading this week? Leave a link to your teaser or post your teaser in the comment section.

This year I’ve decided to get a little more structured with my blogging. Yes, half of January has gone, but it’s not entirely my fault. This post is a little delayed after the dreaded hacking episode.

Here’s my plan:

Monday – a travel related post, which will feature photos and other travel snippets from my past and present. Hubby and I have a couple of exciting holidays planned for this year, and I’m looking forward to sharing.

Tuesday – Teaser Tuesday where I share what I’m reading. My love of reading is what led me on the path to writing. Join in and leave a link to a teaser from your current read or share it in my comment section.

Wednesday – Early this month I started reading The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin. Inspired by Ms. Rubin, I’m doing my own happiness project for 2012 and will do a happiness related post each Wednesday. Here’s the link to Ms. Rubin’s website, The Happiness Project.

Thursday – I’ve always enjoyed writing lists and Thursday Thirteen is perfect for this. Look for my lists about random topics of interest.

Friday – Each Friday I’ll have a guest blogger. A large portion of these visitors will do a giveaway, so you’ll have a chance to win a book or gift certificate. This coming Friday I’m taking part in a blog hop and doing a giveaway of some of my books.

Weekends – I’m going to take a casual approach to the weekends. You might get a recipe or a review or you might not…

For bloggers out there – do you have a blogging plan? For non bloggers – do you like knowing what to expect or do you like a surprise?

BLURB:

Violet Jordan Rule #2 of being a superhero: Find reliable sidekicks

Dear Diary,

Once I took down Haverty, the Primo of the city, I thought life was going to get better. After four assassination attempts, I’m thinking not so much. Haverty’s pack needs a new leader and I’ve just about run out of reasons why I’m not right for the job. Besides, having loyal followers would definitely help me fight off whoever’s out for my blood. Especially since my boyfriend is always busy playing White Hat to every Wanderer except me.

So now I just need to figure out how to mentor new shifters, run a pack, keep my “real” job, and have some sort of personal life. I guess it’s all in a day’s work for this writer-by-day / panther-by-night.

REVIEW:

Claws and Effect is the second book in the Diaries of an Urban Panther series, featuring Violet Jordan. It’s written in first person, from Violet’s point of view. At the start of the story Violet is still struggling to come to terms with the power she received from Harvety. She constantly fights the magic that swirls in her and resists entreaties from other shapeshifters who want her to run the pack.

Sometimes it’s possible to read series out of order, but with this one you definitely need to read book one before you read this one. I think you’d struggle if you started with book two.

It’s the characters that really make this series for me. Violet shows definite growth as she learns to wield her power, starts to interact with some of the dog shapeshifters and struggles to stay ahead of the baddies. Violet has a boyfriend, but he is absent for a lot of the time, and she worries that he’s not interested in her any longer. Violet is like the girl next door, and sometimes a bit of a screw up, but as she starts to embrace her powers she becomes more kick-ass.

The secondary characters of Jessa, a fairy princess and the keyholder, add to the book, but it’s the dog shifters that I had a real soft spot for. They were interesting characters that also show distinctive character arcs throughout the story.

There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about this book—the plot, the characters, the pace and the setting work together beautifully to create a seamless read and an excellent addition to what is fast becoming one of my favorite series.

Note: this book was provided for review by the author.

Purchase Claws and Effect: A Diaries of an Urban Panther Novel

This interview with Amanda was scheduled for posting last week, but was delayed due to my website problems.

Today I’d like to welcome Amanda Arista. Amanda is the author of Diaries of an Urban Panther, which I loved, and I’m thrilled to have her visit and talk about the followup story Claws and Effect.

She spends her weekends writing at coffee shops, practicing for the day that caffeine intake becomes an Olympic sport, and plotting character demises with fellow writers Wolvarez, Killer Cupcake and Keith (names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent).

1. Give us an elevator pitch for your book Claws and Effect.

After taking down the Primo of the city, Violet thought life was going to get better. After four assassination attempts, she’s thinking not so much. The old Pride wants her dead. Her boyfriend wants a traditional relationship. A pack of lost mongrels want a leader. And a new panther comes prowling into town new to the shift needs a teacher. So how does a girl manage a real job, a relationship with a non-shifter and a Legacy that burns like hellfire within her?

2. Where did the idea for your book come from, and did you originally envisage more than one book in a series? Do you intend to write more Violet Jordan stories?

The original Idea for the first book came from a simple question: what would you do if you (a normal person) were trapped in the back alley with a monster? Violet’s initial reaction was what I would have done: thrown my shoe and run like hell. I knew that Violet’s story wasn’t over after the first book. She’d come into her power, but she’d done some damage in the process, to herself, to the city, to her new boyfriend. Hence the second book. What happen in the aftermath of her triumph? Even after this book, I don’t think all of Violet’s questions are answered, so yes, I can see even more Diaries in the future.

3. Describe the sights, sounds and scents we might experience if we were to visit Violet when she’s with other shifters during a normal day.

Violet practically lives at her coffee shop, so there is always the ambient smell of coffee around. She tends to sit in a front window, curled up in the sunlight with her magical borders at half mast, half way down to show off and halfway up just in case she needs to hide. When another shifter comes around, it’s like a brush of fur or feathers up her neck. Her awareness rises and she’s got them on her radar. If one of her pack members joins her, they greet her with a brush of energy which to Violet smells different, feels different for each person. Her best friend Jessa feels like cool raindrops and smells like roses. Her mentor Iris feels like cashmere and smells like dust. Her pack members smell like new born puppies and chewed rawhide.

4. How do you go about developing your characters? Do you normally start with a character or the plot?

I always start with character. For me, the character drives the plot. Without a well-formed character, how are you are the writer supposed to know what obstacles to put in their way? How are you going to know what they can survive or what would test them the most? The plot just can’t be hard to survive, it has to be hard for the character to survive.

Violet Jordan was pretty welled formed when I met her. I knew her family background, her schooling, what her vice was and what her soft spot was. She was damaged and hilarious, but it wasn’t until I really started to test her that her fierceness came out and I knew who she was. That’s when I knew what she could handle, how she would handle it, and what would be her ultimate betrayal.

5. Is there any part of the writing process that you find particularly challenging and why?

Editing is always challenging. I tend to write the novel really fast and then go back and word-smith it all. However, I change and change and change and get taken in all different directions and sometimes I get a little confused as to which version of the story I’m actually going with. I had to reread the first book before I went into the second book because I’d changed so much from the original story, but in the end, I’m always glad that I worked hard to get her in the best shape that I could.

6. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Neil Gaiman is my favorite author. I love his world building. American Gods blew me away. He just takes one normal thing and then takes it a million steps in a direction and goes for it. His characters are empathetic even though sometimes its Lucifer himself. I LOVE HIM and if I ever get the chance to meet him I will be so tongue tied that I won’t be able to say it.

Now here’s a question for you from Amanda – What would you do in a dark alley if you were faced with a monster?

Thanks for having me at Adventure into Romance. Feel free to comment or leave a question.

Violet Jordan Rule #2 of being a superhero: Find reliable sidekicks

Dear Diary,

Once I took down Haverty, the Primo of the city, I thought life was going to get better. After four assassination attempts, I’m thinking not so much. Haverty’s pack needs a new leader and I’ve just about run out of reasons why I’m not right for the job. Besides, having loyal followers would definitely help me fight off whoever’s out for my blood. Especially since my boyfriend is always busy playing White Hat to every Wanderer except me.

So now I just need to figure out how to mentor new shifters, run a pack, keep my “real” job, and have some sort of personal life. I guess it’s all in a day’s work for this writer-by-day / panther-by-night.

Purchase Claws and Effect

Purchase Diaries of an Urban Panther

To learn more about Amanda and her books, visit her website at www.amandaarista.com. You can also follow Amanda on Twitter @pantherista

I’m back! I’m so relieved to have my website and blog back after the hacking. There are still a few things that require fixing, but at least I can blog again. To celebrate, I’m sharing my favorite shortbread recipe with you.

Scotland immediately comes to mind when I think of shortbread, and my next thought is always Christmas. It’s said that shortbread developed from a medieval recipe, with the modernized recipe attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots. Over time the ingredients changed, with butter replacing the yeast. Butter was an expensive ingredient, which meant shortbread was only baked on special occasions. Butter has become very expensive down here in New Zealand, so nothing has changed in that respect!

I tend to bake shortbread at Christmas. It’s one of my favorite biscuits to eat, a trait I fear I inherited from my father because it’s his firm favorite too.

The recipe I use comes from Jo Seagar’s Easy-Peasy Summer Entertaining recipe book.

Shortbread

250 grams softened butter (1.1 cup American)
3/4 cup icing sugar/confectioners sugar
1/2 cornflour/cornstarch
1 1/2 cups flour

Beat the butter and icing sugar until creamy. Mix in the cornflour and flour. Roll into teaspoon size balls with your hands. Place on a tray lined with baking paper. Flatten and press with damp shortbread mold. Bake at 150C for 25-30 minutes until the shortbread is pale but crisp. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Shelley’s notes:

1. The original recipe says to roll out the dough and cut out star shapes. I’ve always found the dough too soft to do this–maybe because I tend to make this recipe during the heat of a New Zealand summer–and after experimenting I’ve found teaspoon size balls work best for me.

2. If I feel in the mood for a variation with bite I add 1 tablespoon of cocoa and 1 teaspoon of chili powder just before I add the flour and cornflour. Sometimes I’ll also add chocolate chips-the small kind.

3. If you doin’t have a shortbread mold, press down with a fork. Dip the fork in a cup of cold water after flattening each biscuit to avoid sticking.

Here’s a photo of the Chili Chocolate Shortbread.

Are you a shortbread fan?

I’d like to welcome Janine Ashbless to my blog today. Janine is a multi-published author of erotic romance and erotica. Her first book was published in 2000 by Black Lace and she currently writes for Samhain and Ellora’s Cave among others. She’s always used elements of fantasy, mythology and folklore in her writing, with occasional forays into horror.

Janine lives in Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two rescued greyhounds, and is trying hard to overcome her addiction to semicolons.

1. Give us an elevator pitch for your book, Heart of Flame.

“The Adventures of Sinbad with hot romance. And extra djinnis.”

2. Where did the idea for your book come from? Did you need to do much research?

It’s a setting I’ve wanted to write about for years. When an editor asked me to come up with a romantic fantasy novel, the Arabian Nights was what jumped straight into my head. Heart of Flame ended up going to a different editor and a bigger publisher, in the end, but that’s how I started.

This is the first of my 5 published novels with anything like a real historical background, so I did a load of research, starting with the unexpurgated version of the One Thousand and One Nights. I borrowed a duffle-bag full of books on Middle Eastern history from a friend, and of course I used the internet. Honestly, how did writers ever manage before? Did you know you can Google Earth Iraq and look for the route to the ruined city of Ctesiphon? How awesome is that!

Also, I actually spent a few days in Damascus during the time I was writing Heart of Flame. That was a happy coincidence really, but it certainly didn’t hurt!

3. What does your writing space look like, and do you have a view?

I write sitting up in bed with my laptop. I have two large rescued greyhounds to keep me company with their strange doggy sleep-noises (and, um, smells). I have a big window, but from that angle all I can see is the sky and the top of a tree. Which suits me fine –the fewer distractions the better. I can’t work with TV or music on, for example.

4. What advice would you give an aspiring writer just starting on their writing journey?

Don’t do it for money – you aren’t going to be rich. Don’t do it for fame – you will never be a household name. Do it because you love to write. Do it because you want tell a story, and because you’re the only escape route this story will ever have out into the big wide world. And remember Calvin Coolidge’s advice:

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

5. Describe your hero. Tell us about one of his strengths and one of his vulnerabilities. From where did you draw the inspiration for your hero?

Rafiq is a real Sinbad type character: a merchant-master who accompanies his trade caravans all over the Middle East. He’s smart, restless and fair-minded. Looks-wise – well, I’ve no complaints about the model on the cover! That’s a pretty good likeness :-)

A strength? Well, in a culture where everyone is defined by their social position, Rafiq is unusually open-minded and non-judgmental. His wife died several years ago, and he learned a hard lesson then about how everyone has their own story and their own individual viewpoint on life. He doesn’t have a down on the heroine Taqla because she’s a woman, or because she’s a sorceress. (He has a down on her because she lied to him. But he gets over that.)

A weakness? He’s got a terminal case of itchy feet. When he was married he was an absent husband, never at home for more than a few weeks. He loves to travel, and cannot settle. This makes it very difficult for him to really love someone because, in his culture, where’s he going to find a woman who can share his travelling life? Heh.

6. And now a question from Janine for you all to answer:

What’s your favourite movie from your childhood, and what is it you remember about it? Mine was Jason and the Argonauts, even though (or maybe because) the bronze giant scared the pants off me!

Book Blurb:

And on the One-Thousand-and-Second night, Scheherazade told this story…

By day, Taqla uses her forbidden sorcery to move freely about the city of Damascus in the guise of an old sage. Her true identity known only by her faithful servant woman, Taqla is content with the comfortable, if restrictive, life that keeps her safe from the control of any man. Until she lays eyes on a handsome merchant-traveler. Suddenly her magical disguise doesn’t rest so easily on her shoulders.

When long-time widower, Rafiq, hears that the Amir’s beautiful daughter has been kidnapped by a scheming djinni—and that she will be given in marriage to her rescuer—he seeks the help of “Umar the Wise” to ensure he will be that man. Yet as he and the disguised Taqla set off, he senses that his prickly male companion is hiding something.

In a moment of dire peril, all of Taqla’s secrets are stripped bare—her fears, her sorcery and, worst of all, her love for Rafiq. Yet the princess’s life hangs in the balance, and there is no running away or turning back. Even though passion may yet betray them all…

Warning: Scary monsters and creepy ruins in the desert—check. Pagan gods that demand blood-sacrifices—double check. A handsome hero who looks good in a robe and even better out of it—oh yeah. Check, check and check. That’s worth a heroine dropping a veil or two.

Purchase Heart of Flame

To learn more about Janine visit her website or blog. You can also find her on Facebook.

CONTEST: Janine will be giving away a PDF copy of her previous fantasy/erotic romance novella, “The King’s Viper” to one randomly drawn commenter. All you need to do to go into the draw is to answer Janine’s movie question above or ask her a question about her book. It’s that easy.

Happy New Year!

Here’s wishing you all a happy and safe 2012, filled with writing and good books.

Today I’m blogging over at Not Your Usual Suspects about the book I read as a child that sent me on the path of adventure, crime and suspense. Strictly fictional, of course!