Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

Lone Wolf is out today at Samhain Publishing.

Here’s the blurb:

When you fall out of step, that’s when everything falls into place.

R.J. Blake begins a new session tutoring young werewolves in the old ways—before the introduction of the shift-suppressing drugs that allow their kind to live secretly among humans. He expects nothing out of the ordinary. Until sexy, smart, aggravating-as-hell Corey Wilson arrives. Older than the others, son of a powerful Los Angeles pack leader, Corey is an instant temptation he cannot afford.

The last thing Corey wants is three months stuck in the Yellowstone wilderness, followed by the stifling life his father has all mapped out for him. One glimpse of R.J., though, sparks a determination to seduce the older man before he leaves. Yet as R.J. guides him through the sometimes terrifying process of rediscovering his heritage, a deepening respect calls to his artistic soul and fuels a burst of creativity.

When their time comes to an end, Corey senses hesitation behind R.J.’s insistence that theirs was simply a summer fling. Inspiring him to take a leap of faith with consequences neither of them saw coming. A dangerous plot that reaches from the heart of their love to the highest office in the land…

Product Warnings
This book contains a young werewolf intent on seduction, an older werewolf determined to resist said seduction, werewolf politics and brutality, a little spilled blood, and hot, naked manlove in the great outdoors.

So, about the nail polish – this was one of the many questions I thought about while developing my world in Lone Wolf. Today I’m visiting Naughty Boys in the Backseat where I’m discussing nail polish and other things relating to my new release, Lone Wolf.

And continuing the nail polish discussion, I’ve just made an appointment to have my very first manicure. I don’t know why I’ve never had one before, but I thought it was about time I had the experience. I’m also having a pedicure. My second because I enjoyed the first one so much. At present I’m pondering what color polish I should choose to sport on my nails. A siren red maybe?

Do you have regular mani/pedis? What is your favorite color of nail polish?

I’ve been a fan of ebooks for a long time, embracing them even before I sold to an epublisher. This is why I like reading ebooks:

1. It’s a “green” way of reading and saves trees.

2. They take up less room.

3. Hubby doesn’t know exactly how many books I have :)

4. The books don’t turn yellow and smell musty with age.

5. I don’t have to dust them.

6. If I want a book, I can purchase one 24 hours a day. Instant gratification!

7. They tend to be cheaper than print books. By the time freight and taxes are added to books in New Zealand, they’re very expensive.

8. I don’t have to wait months to get my hands on new releases. Books (print) take ages to hit the shelves down here. That instant gratification again!

9. I can adjust the font size to suit my needs at the time.

10. I never lose my place because my bookmark has dropped out.

11. My library is portable. I can tote my entire ebook collection with me without breaking my back.

12. I can read a book, no matter what the subject, at any time without worrying e.g. I can read erotic romance in a public place.

Are you an ebook fan? If you prefer print, tell me why. (Don’t fear – I’m truly curious!)

“If I’d observed all the rules, I’d never have got anywhere.” ~ Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), American actress and singer

Auckland library does an awesome monthly newsletter for romance readers. It’s one of many genre newsletters they send out each month to those who sign up for them. In the recent August one, they featured Rule Breakers i.e. a list of books that feature “rules” in the title. Thank you Auckland Libraries. Your newsletter totally rocks and you did all the ground work on this one.

Thirteen Rule Breaker Romances

1. Bending the Rules by Susan Andersen (contemporary)

2. Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockman (romantic suspense)

3. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake – by Sarah MacLean (historical)

4. Aussie Rules by Jill Shalvis (contemporary)

5. When pleasure rules by J.K. Beck (urban fantasy)

6. The rules of gentility by Janet Mullany (historical)

7. Rules of an engagement by Suzanne Enoch (historical)

8. Rule’s bride by Kat Martin (historical)

9. Breaking the governess’s rules by Michelle Styles (historical)

10. Rules for being a mistress by Tamara Lejeune (historical)

11. Breaking the rules by Tawny Weber (contemporary)

12. Rules of attraction by Christina Dodd (historical)

13. When passion rules by Johanna Lindsey (historical)

When it comes to rules, I’m mostly a good person, but there are a few where I just have to break out and disobey. I’m not telling what they are…

Do you follow rules or do you like to flout convention and break them?

Sometimes I look at my to-read pile and not a single book grabs my attention. Yes, a reading funk! While other readers turn to their keeper shelf and pull out a copy of their favorite book, I’m not a big rereader. I pass my print books on to my sister and don’t keep a single one.

I do have comfort authors I turn to such as JR Ward, Ilona Andrews, Lorelei James and Deanna Raybourn. These are authors I know will produce a book to keep me enthralled and fulfil my reader expectations. If the stars are in alignment, I can download a book written by a comfort author. Instant gratification. You’ve got to love it.

I’m currently reading Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews, one of my comfort authors. This made me think. I wondered what other people do when they get in a reading funk.

So here are my questions for you. I look forward to your replies.

1. What do you do when you hit a reading funk?
2. Do you have comfort reads that you pull off your keeper shelf and periodically reread?
3. What are they?
4. How many books do you have on your keeper shelf?
5. Do you have comfort authors?
6. Are you like me in that you don’t reread books?

Don’t forget about my current contest. Full details are on my contest page.

His Darkest Salvation
By Juliana Stone
Dark paranormal romance
Avon, an imprint Harper Collins Publishers
Release Date: 26 July 2011

ARC provided by the publisher

Official blurb:

In a world on the brink of chaos, passion and vengeance collide …

After six months in hell, Julian Castille has returned to the world a changed man. No longer the calm, powerful CEO, but a shifter fully embraced by the blood of his clan. Julian has one goal: find the key to the portal that stands between the human realm and unprecedented darkness—and win back the pieces of his soul. The last thing he needs is a distraction like the beautiful, enigmatic Jaden DaCosta.

Three years ago, a forbidden night of passion left Jaden forever altered: mated to Julian Castille–bound to a man who despises her. But the temptation to trust this darker, more savage—and more captivating—Julian is overwhelming. And as they fight for their immortal souls, their insatiable desire for each other may prove their fatal undoing…

His Darkest Salvation is a dark paranormal romance and is the third in a series featuring jaguar warriors. Juliana Stone has written a wonderful book, full of emotion that leaps off the page. Her hero and heroine come from enemy families, yet during a meeting, years earlier, Jaden took Julian as her mate. He discovered her identity and rejected her, and when they come together again, their hatred and distrust of each other is clear. The constant push-pull between the characters is very well done. The reader experiences their hopes and the sheer hopelessness of the situation they find themselves in. At times the tortured Julian is plain horrible to the heroine, yet by the end of the story it’s clear why he behaves this way, and their relationship evolves to a deeper understanding.

Jaden is the perfect foil for Julian. She’s a warrior in her own right, is strong and capable and very sensual. The love scenes between the two are explosive and full of passion.

The story comes to an exciting climax with lots of drama and an ending that makes me hope there will be more books to come. I hadn’t read the earlier books in the series, and although I managed to follow most of the back story, there were a couple of places where I think I missed something that was imparted in previous stories i.e. the relationship between the characters. If you’re new to Ms. Stone’s series, I’d suggest you grab all three and have a dark paranormal blitz to get maximum satisfaction from the jaguar warrior world the author has created.

I recommend His Darkest Salvation to any reader who enjoys a dark paranormal story with lots of emotional intensity and drama. You won’t be disappointed.

Author website Juliana Stone

Purchase link His Darkest Salvation

Series:
Book one – His Darkest Hunger
Book two – His Darkest Embrace
Book three – His Darkest Salvation

My special guest today is author, Maria Zannini who recently self-published a paranormal romance called The Devil to Pay. Maria has been out on the virtual road with the Indie Roadshow where she tells writers about her self-publishing journey and the things she’s learned along the way. Today Maria is talking about promotion, which I know is something many writers struggle with and don’t enjoy. Over to Maria…

Psst. Do you want to know the secret to good promotion? You might be surprised when I tell you because it’s been in front of you the whole time.

Ready for it?

You have to find the reader, rather than wait for him to find you. And when you do find him you have to talk to your reader and keep him engaged.

Book promotion is time consuming, expensive, and there are no guarantees that your efforts will bear fruit. But a lot of your labor can be cut in half if you focus on the reader and what S/HE needs.

Think about yourself as a reader. You just finished a fantastic book from a new-to-you author and you decide to Google the author to learn more about her. When you reach her blog, all you find are advertisements for more books. It feels like a bit of letdown, doesn’t it?

To attract the reader your best bet is to go to his haunts. And when it comes to indie publishing most of those avid readers will be found at book blogs, reading forums, book clubs, and book outlets (like Amazon).

Most of these outlets are free to you, though some might require asking for an invitation to appear. Others, like Goodreads and Shelfari welcome you as long as you keep the pimping low-key.

And there’s still room for legitimate advertising. LASR (Long and Short Reviews) and The Romance Studio are two I’ve used. Both offer low-priced packages and get a ton of traffic.

Here are a list of options for you to consider that are either low cost or no cost.

Buy advertising packages at a book-centric web sites. (Make sure they get a lot of traffic.)
• LASR (Long and Short Reviews)
• The Romance Studio
• Coffee Time Romance
• All Romance ebooks

Share yourself
• Guest blogging. Double your mileage and blog at places where you’re lesser known.
• Forums, such as Kindleboards, Absolute Write Water Cooler, and genre-specific forums

Talk to book bloggers about:
• Reviews
• Interviews
• Guest posts

Give your book away
Liz Fichera had a marvelous idea when she gave away her arc for Craving Perfect to ten people who would agree to review it. With an indie book, there are no limitations on how many books you can give away. Be generous. Word of mouth is priceless.

Go where the readers are like:
Goodreads
Shelfari
Facebook

Finally, don’t leave out television and radio. It might be difficult to nab a guest spot, but if you have a small station locally, you’ll reach an audience you might not otherwise find.

It’s scary to put yourself out there because you don’t always know how you’ll be received, but if you’ve written the best book you can, all that’s left is to be the kind of author people want to know.

And I’ll tell you my personal secret for promoting myself. I comment on many different blogs. Not a ‘hi, I like your site’ comment, but something personal and thoughtful. If you leave short and intriguing comments, I promise you, people will follow you back.

***

I hope you’ll follow along with the rest of the Indie Roadshow as I share the things I learned on my road to self-publishing.

The Devil To Pay is available at Amazon and Smashwords for only $2.99. It is the first book of the series, Second Chances.

Synopsis: The road to Hell is paved with good intentions and bad tequila. Shannon McKee finds herself at the end of her rope, and she bargains her soul in a fit of despair.

Shannon’s plea is answered immediately by two men who couldn’t be more different from one another. Yet they share a bond and an affection for the stubborn Miss McKee that even they don’t understand.

When Heaven and Hell demand their payment, Shannon has no choice but to submit. No matter who gets her soul, she’s not getting out of this alive.

Bio: Maria Zannini used to save the world from bad advertising, but now she spends her time wrangling chickens, and fighting for a piece of the bed against dogs of epic proportions. Occasionally, she writes novels.

Follow me on Facebook or my blog.

I have author, Miranda Neville visiting me today. She’s celebrating the release of her historical romance, The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton, which is out at Avon on July 26. Her heroine, Celia is taming a dandy, among other things. Please welcome Miranda and read on to learn about Celia…

The 13 Step Guide to The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton

1. The hero starts out needing a good kick in the behind. Tarquin Compton is London’s social leader, famous for his fine figure, perfect dress, and poisonously witty tongue. Someone needs to take him down a peg, or three.

2. Celia Seaton is the woman to do it. He ruined her marriage prospects and she’s angry.

3. When she finds him the wilderness, having lost his memory and most of his clothes, she tells him his name is Terence Fish and they are betrothed.

4. Tarquin isn’t pleased, but “Terence” turns out to be a different guy than she expected: kind, brave, amusing – and really hot.

5. In fact he’s just the man to help her escape across the moors, pursued by the villains who kidnapped her.

6. Tarquin happens to have a naughty novel with him, which Celia finds highly educational. And you know what happens when a man and a woman spend several days alone together. There’s a reason they used to have chaperones.

7. They fall in love.

8. Tarquin gets his memory back and the real trouble starts. He goes back to being the rude dandy she hates so much. Or does he? Perhaps he’s changed.

9. A house party in a ducal mansion provides opportunities for late night corridor prowling.

10. We find out why Tarquin became the way he is – and how he discovers the socially unacceptable Celia is the woman he wants and needs.

11. We learn what Celia’s kidnappers want – and how it relates to the shameful secrets of her past.

12. We meet the villains, some more desperate – and more villainous – than others and learn how our intrepid hero and heroine foil them (of course) as true love overcomes all obstacles (of course)

13. The thirteenth point I leave up to you. What would you like to know?

Blurb:

Being kidnapped teaches Miss Celia Seaton a few things about life

LESSON ONE
Never disrobe in front of a gentleman … unless his request comes at gunpoint.

LESSON TWO
If, when lost on the moors, you encounter Tarquin Compton, the leader of London society who ruined your marriage prospects, deny any previous acquaintance.

LESSON THREE
If offered an opportunity to get back at Mr. Compton, the bigger the lie, the better. A faux engagement should do nicely.

LESSON FOUR
Not all knowledge is found between the covers of a book. But an improper book may further your education in ways you never guessed.

And while an erotic novel may be entertaining, the real thing is even better.

Purchase The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton

To learn more about Miranda and her books visit her website.

CONTEST: Miranda is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift card to one commenter during her blog tour. The winner will be drawn at the conclusion of Miranda’s tour. For full details and more chances to win follow the VBT for The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton

Review: Second Chance at the Sugar Shack
By Candis Terry
Avon Impulse
Contemporary Romance
On sale 19 July 2011

Review ARC supplied by the publisher

I enjoy reading contemporary romances, and I’m always on the lookout for new-to-me authors. I especially adore contemporary stories set in small towns, so I snapped up Second Chance at the Sugar Shack when I had the opportunity to review the story.

Here’s the official blurb:

Kate Silver’s back in town, and her dead mother just won’t leave her alone.

Kate usually spends her days dressing Hollywood A-listers, but after her estranged mother dies she finds herself elbow-deep in flour in her parents’ bakery in Deer Lick, Montana. She thought she’d left small town life far, far behind, but it seems there are a few loose ends.

The boy she once loved, Deputy Matt Ryan, is single and sexy and still has a thing for her – and handcuffs.

Her mother, who won’t follow the white light, is determined to give maternal advice from beyond the grave.

And somehow Kate’s three-day stay has, well – extended. She never planned to fill her mother’s pie-baking shoes – she prefers her Choos, thank you very much. But with the help of a certain man in uniform, Kate quickly learns that sometimes second chances are all the more sweet.

Kate couldn’t wait to leave Deer Lick. She wanted to follow her dream of working as a fashion stylist. Her mother is outspoken in her disapproval of Kate’s plans, and when Kate leaves town, this leads to a rift between mother and daughter that is never mended. As the story starts, Kate learns her mother has died and she has to return home for the first time since her hurried departure many years ago. We also learn that she’s at the top of her game as a stylist, working for the Hollywood elite, yet she’s very aware how fickle her success is and how younger, newer stylists are snapping at her heels.

This is a story full of quirky characters and small-town living. There’s her mother’s ghost who starts popping into her life for regular visits. There’s her mother’s best friend who seems to hate Kate and is constantly uncomplimentary about her past behavior toward her mother. There’s her father who is mourning the loss of his soul mate, and then there’s Deputy Matt Ryan. The sparks fly between the two of them, yet Matt has changed. He’s older, more confident, and he doesn’t intend to repeat his relationship mistakes with Kate, despite their attraction.

This is a story that kept me turning the pages and has stayed with me since I read it a few weeks ago. I enjoyed the way the characters both grew and came to realize that what they initially wanted from life wasn’t necessarily the thing that would make them happy. As the title suggests this is a story of second chances and it’s full of humor. I finished the story with a smile on my face. It’s the sort of romance that made me go “ahhhh”, and I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author. Highly recommended.

Purchase link Second Chance at the Sugar Shack

Author website: Candis Terry

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!

My teaser is from Second Chance at the Sugar Shack

“He‘s devastated.” Kelly flipped on the fan. Her abrupt action seemed less about recirculating the air and more about releasing a little distress. “How would you be if the love of your life died in your arms while you were tying on her apron?”

CONTEST! Candis Terry is visiting my blog today. Please take a moment to welcome her and check out her post above. Everyone who comments on her Cherry Pits & Toilet seats post above will go into a draw to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Check out the rest of her tour here to score additional chances to win.

Looking for a good book to read? A bargain? Look no further.

Thirteen Ellora’s Cave Books At A Bargain Price- $1.50 or less–at Amazon

1. Talking Dogs, Aliens & Purple People Eaters – A female alien crash lands in New Zealand. She and her aunt meet a human cop and hook up with a talking dog. Chaos ensues.

2. Sex Idol – Reality shows in the future. Oy, the mind boggles!

3. Summer in the City of Sails – a country girl travels to the big, bad city looking for adventure. She meets a soldier who feels he must babysit her. She leads him a merry chase.

4. Soldier of Fortune – a companion book to Summer in the City of Sails. Vacation lovers have a surprise meeting in a war zone.

5. Playing to Win – A professional rugby player discovers he has a son, but the boy’s aunt and guardian wants nothing to do with him. A romantic suspense with a creepy stalker.

6. Fancy Free – a woman inherits a condom company and is shoved way out of her comfort zone.

7. Make That Man Mine – a secretary decides it’s time to make her move and claim a sexy detective as her own. The detective has other ideas….and a big secret!

8. Issy’s Infatuation – a sports romance featuring rugby. It’s World Cup year for rugby. Get in the mood and follow Issy’s rugby progress.

9. Never Send a Dog to do a Woman’s Job – The talking dog is back again, trying to keep an alien from seducing the heroine. Just quietly…she’s not very good at her job.

10. Wanderlust – Mystery and murder. Become a tourist and go on tour in India. Experience the sights while watching for the murderer.

11. Lynx to the Pharaoh – jump back to the past and visit Egypt…

12. Fallen Idol – more reality shows from the future. This one is a gay romance.

13. Last Wish – a man wants a silver teapot for his mother’s collection and ends up with much more–a testy genie who wants to end his contract. This one is a gay romance.

The above books are also available in other formats at All Romance ebooks. Most of them are selling for $0.74.

Have you purchased any bargain books recently?

I read an interesting blog post in the weekend at Falling in Love With Romance, the blog of author Suzie Quint. The post was titled Don’t Think You’re Writing Historical Novels? Think Again. Suzie mentioned how technology is changing so rapidly, it makes some novels seem like historical novels even before their time.

Some of the examples she cited include:
tapes/compact discs/downloads/
dial-up Internet
telephones/cell phones/home lines/party lines
VCR/tapes/

I know from experience when I received the rights back for Playing To Win, I had to update due to changes in technology in DNA tests and the computerization of birth records. It was tricky to incorporate the advances and still make the plot work.

(I interrupt this post with a sales message–Playing to Win is currently available on sale at a deep discount at Amazon and All Romance ebooks. Go. Buy!)

My mother died at a young age, and I often think of the changes in technology since her death. In the almost thirty years since there have been changes in the way we use credit and debit cards instead of cash, computers, phone, television, the Internet and home entertainment. Heck, some of the changes such as fax are rarely used now, already supplanted by email.

It’s true. We might think we’re writing contemporary novels but, in a handful of years, many of the items we give our characters to use in a book or some of the research methods will be out of date because of the rapid changes in our technology.

I don’t use product specific brand names in my books because I think they help date a book. Technology isn’t as easy to avoid because our characters need to communicate, even if it’s only to ring for take out. They need to entertain themselves, so maybe it’s easier to write historicals after all!

While our novels might go out of date rapidly, changes in technology have made the actual writing of our books much easier. The thought of handwriting or typing a novel using a manual typewriter makes me shudder. I much prefer my computer with its spellcheck and ease of use. Research is also a breeze with many resources available online or just an email away.

As for reading, changes in technology are giving us more options. We can read physical books or ebooks. We can listen to books and interactive stories have also arrived. It’s an exciting time in the world of books.

I adore new technology and have a love of gadgets. I have an iPod, an e-reader, computer etc and enjoy learning how to work new technology. I’m always interested in the new inventions that hit the market. The only thing I don’t enjoy is toting around all the different chargers, and if the power goes out…well, suffice to say you’ll probably hear me from your place. Technology has certainly made us more dependant on electricity.

Do you enjoy the rapid changes in technology?