Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

E-books have lots of advantages. They don’t take up much space. They’re light and easily portable.

Feeling tired? No problem. Make that font bigger and easier to read.

Interrupted mid-chapter? The e-reader reopens to exactly where you stopped reading.

Notes? A dictionary? Yes, that’s covered too with the touch of a button.

An autograph from your favorite author? Autographing an e-book for a reader at a book signing? Um…

Earlier this year the answer would have been no, but now Kindlegraph has arrived on the scene.

With Kindlegraph you can request autographs from your favorite authors (provided they have registered their books at Kindlegraph) and an autograph will be sent to you in a PDF document. The developer is constantly working to improve his product, and says Kindlegraph’s motto is to make e-books a little more personal.

If you have a kindle reader do check out the registered authors and try out the service. Authors, it’s simple and painless to register and load up your books. Signing an autograph for a reader is also easy. I love that warm, tingly feeling of doing a signing for a reader.

Check out my Kindlegraph page here. I’m also part of the Not Your Usual Suspects Kindle group (romantic suspense and mystery authors)

You can also follow Kindlegraph at @Kindlegraph

Do you collect autographed books? Have you tried the Kindlegraph service?

Shelley’s Shoutout Corner

I’ve joined a Carina Press group blog comprising of romantic suspense and mystery authors. Not Your Usual Suspects is celebrating Christmas with recipes, jokes and Christmas traditions as well as giveaways for the entire month of December.

Jenny Schwartz has a new release. Wanted: One Scoundrel is available at Carina Press and most other online bookstores.

Win a copy of Reclaiming His Pregnant Widow by Tessa Radley. Details of how to enter are on my contest page.

Win a copy of Sex Idol at Goodreads.

Christmas is Coming is out at Ellora’s Cave on 9 December. Two days to go!

And finally Maria Zannini is hosting a Do It Yourself Christmas at her blog from 7 – 22 Dec. For entertainment, giveaways and more visit Maria today!

I have a new release coming out with Carina Press in February 2012. It’s a rerelease of my contemporary mystery/romance The Shadow, although I’ve done extensive revisions and rewrites with the help of my wonderful editor. There’s no official title or blurb as yet, but the release date is definitely February.

This week I’ve finally managed to catch up on my blog feeds. Since I write historical romance, among other genres, I subcribe to several blogs that feature info from the past. My favorites are the posts that feature social history and little tidbits about everyday normal things. I thought I’d share some of the posts I enjoyed.

At Word Wenches, I came across the following:Keeping it Clean: Georgian and Regency Bathing Habits by Joanna Bourne. Ms. Bourne explores exactly how clean our forebears were. “…And water. They had ‘running water’ of a sort. They sent a footman to run and get it.”

A Tale of Buttons by Anne Gracie. This article brought back fond memories of playing with all the buttons in my mother’s button tin. Anne talks about buttons through the ages and there are some cool pictures of button hooks.

Over at Historical Hussies Leigh Michaels talked about The Regency Season The season was actually when parliament was in session. The men brought their wives with them to London. The women required entertainment while their men were busy, thus the season was born with its balls and other outings.

A post by Donna Hatch about Regency Fragrances caught my attention. It was exactly what I needed to work out my Gothic hero’s scent.

Now traveling to more modern times…

Author Allison Brennan wrote a wonderful post called Money Can’t Buy Love at Murder She Writes. It’s all about Self-Promotion and Word of Mouth.

CJ Redwine addresses this question – How do I raise the stakes and make the conflict matter to the reader? in her post Write a HolyCowAwesome story

And last but not least – I’m doing a giveaway over at Goodreads. Enter the draw to win one of two copies of The Bottom Line.

Do you have any favorite blog feeds that you subscribe to?

Technology and things on the web are constantly changing. Evolving. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the pace of the changes. For writers, the changes mean trying new ways to get the word out about their books and different means of connecting with readers.

Blogging:

I’ve always blogged. It’s fun writing a post and it allows me to write something different from my current work in progress. Some bloggers use their blog post as a way to start the day and ease into writing. Mostly, I don’t post about the business of writing since there are others who do a great job of this already. I’m more likely to mention something random about an interest or hobby, an interesting fact I’ve seen or read in the media, or something relating to the background of one of my books. I also host a lot of other writers and visitors.

MySpace/Facebook/Twitter:

I used to MySpace. It was fun, but some of the pages were unwieldy and graphic heavy. My computer didn’t like the graphics. Hated them, actually! After many screen jams, I decided to move on to Facebook. I like Facebook too, although a few things bug me. The constant changes on the part of Facebook are frustrating. The need to check on security and check/uncheck various settings because of updates and improvements is something that irks many users.

When it came to Twitter, I took baby steps, fiercely resisting the lure for some time. Once I embraced Twitter, it didn’t take me long to release the short messages make for easy interaction with people who live in far flung parts of the world.

Google+:

Now there’s the new kid on the block, Google+. A friend sent an invitation to join, and I signed up last week, curious about what Google+ offers that’s so different from Facebook and Twitter. In Google+ you connect with other people and assign each person to a circle (a little like Twitter’s lists). Each circle is particular to the user so no one knows what circle you’ve assigned them.

There’s a video feature where you can hook up with friends and another section called Sparks where you can follow your interests e.g. sports, crafts, recipes etc. I like this feature a lot.

Here’s the link to Google+ where you will find basic info and can watch videos showing how things work.

Here’s a link to an interesting article about the new Google+

I’m interested in what types of social media you use. These are mine:

Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Do you blog? Facebook? Twitter? MySpace? Google+? Let me know what you enjoy and make sure you leave your links so I can connect with you. Which ones are your favorites? Also, if you’d like an invite to Google+ let me know in the comments.

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

During our recent cruise I took the opportunity to get some nice portrait shots to use as author photos. I was really pleased with the final result. To see all four portraits go to my About Shelley page and scroll down. Feel free to let me know what you think and which is your favorite.

Photo credit: Princess Cruises.

Do you like to see an author photo at the back of a book?

I’ve just sold book number nine in my Middlemarch Mates series. That’s right. Another story about the black leopards who live in Middlemarch, but as the title suggests, this particular book is about tigers. Tiger By The Tail is Ambar’s story and it’s a menage a trois with two men and one woman.

Here’s an unofficial blurb:

One plus one equals three.

Tiger shifter Hari Daya takes one look at Ambar Patel’s photo and is smitten. Further research heightens his fascination. An arranged marriage would work, except the lady isn’t buying and tells him to take a hike.

Ambar is already involved with human Jake Quinn. Casual pleasure and lovin’ works best for her since she dreams of traveling the world and delving into new experiences. The frisson of heat and desire she feels for Hari is unacceptable. There will be no tiger mate for her.

Jake Quinn has no idea either his lover or his new friend are shifters, but there sure as hell is something weird going on in his head. As much as he enjoys sex with Ambar, he’s thinking about Hari too. Suddenly there’s kissing and togetherness way past his comfort zone. The slide into sinful pleasure with both Hari and Ambar is easy—it’s the relationship dynamics that give them headaches and make them wonder if they’re making a huge mistake.

I don’t have a release date as yet, but it should be out in the next few months.

Wild Child has hit the top ten seller list at All Romance Ebooks! I’m so excited and glad that my contribution to the 28 Days of Heart series has sold so well. Wild Child is currently at number 8 (I hope I don’t jinx this and wake to find my book has slid out of the top ten!!)

Purchase Wild Child today – it’s not too late to grab my book or one of the others in the 28 Days of Heart series. Remember all proceeds from sales go to the American Heart Association.

I’m blogging at Access Romance today about my introduction to the romance genre and the first romance I read. Here’s the link to Access Romance.

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