Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

After my holiday I was having trouble settling down to write again. It’s so easy to waste time on the Internet, and that’s exactly what I was doing. I decided to take radical action, and for the last week, I’ve been turning off my laptop and writing on my alpha smart. It’s working! I’ve written 10,000 words since Wednesday (with the weekend off).

I’m expecting edits from my editors on two separate manuscripts this week, so my progress will slow, but I’m definitely going to continue using this strategy. I check my email in the morning and don’t turn my laptop on again until the evening. With three different manuscripts underway, if I run into a wall on one, I swap to another to make my word count. I figure one way or the other, I’ll end up with three complete manuscripts ready to sub.

Samhain Publishing have a brand new newsletter. The monthly newsletter will feature upcoming and new releases – both in eBook and Print – as well as free downloads and contests. Follow this link to subcribe to Samhain’s newsletter and keep up with all the news.

Do you limit the amount of time you spend on the Internet? How do you do it? How long do you spend on the Internet each day?

I’m so excited. My Georgian-set historical, The Second Seduction has found a new home at Carina Press. It has a new title – The Spurned Viscountess– but that might change. I’ll keep you posted. The tentative release date is September.

I’m thrilled to be part of this new digital company. I mean have you seen my fellow authors? And the books coming soon? In a word – amazing!

Carina Press opens for business on 7 June. Oh, and they’re currently asking for erotic romances. Their submission guidelines are here. Check them out.

It’s hard to get back to writing after five weeks when I didn’t do a thing. This week has been a bit like pushing through sand. I thought Lorie O’Clare’s writer tip about keeping a journal of words written each day, promo undertaken and that sort of thing was a great idea. Seeing my progress written down in black and white seems to make me more efficient. On the days where I goof around and don’t get much done, it’s all there for me to see. I don’t like seeing the lack of progress, and it works like a swift kick in the ass.

Normally I try to write 2000 words per day. That’s a good pace for me, but I haven’t done anywhere near that this week. Next week will be better.

What methods do you use to cope with procrastination and wasted time? How do you keep on track with the things you have to do?

Contest – How Many Books?

For all those who entered my contest, I read 30 books while I was on holiday. The two closest people guessed 29. I put the two names in a hat, and Mr. Munro picked one name for me.

And the winner is: Carol L

Congratulations. I’ve emailed you about your book voucher prize.

I read the following books:
1. Cougar by Beverley Rae – paranormal
2. Heart & Soul by Evangeline Anderson – m/m
3. Shifter’s Captive by Bonnie Dee – paranormal
4. Songbird by Maya Banks – contemporary
5. Duty & Devotion by Tere Michaels – m/m
6. An Improper Holiday by KA Mitchell – m/m
7. Scandal by Carolyn Jewel – historical
8. The Elegant Corpse by AM Riley – m/m
9. Driven To The Limit by Alice Gaines – paranormal
10. Out of the Blue by Josh Lanyon – m/m
11. Biker Babe in Black by Debra Kayn – contemporary
12. No Souvenirs by KA Mitchell – m/m
13. Redemption by Remmy Duchene – m/m
14. Hunter by SL Partington – sci-fi
15. Immortality is the Suck by AM Riley – m/m
16. Cat’s Cradle by Bianca D’Arc – paranormal
17. In Hot Pursuit by Kate McMurray – m/m
18. Rogue’s Diamond by Sahara Kelly – historical
19. Wither by Yolanda Sfetsos – sci-fi
20. High Country by Michael Barnette – m/m
21. Nate by Beth Williamson – historical
22. Dead, Undead or Somewhere In Between by JA Saare – paranormal
23. Mountain’s Captive by Michelle Pillow – contemporary
24. Law of Averages by Wylie Kinson – contemporary
25. Lifting the Veil by RG Alexander – paranormal
26. Threat of Darkness by Lauren Dane – paranormal
27. Written in the Ruby by Raven Wilde – paranormal
28. Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James – contemporary
29. Hard & Fast by Erin McCarthy – contemporary
30. Trial By Fire by Jo Davis – contemporary

When I was in Honolulu, I visited Barnes & Noble and spent the $50 of book vouchers I’ve had for a while. I also spent $50 of my own. I think hubby was pleased when I consented to leave the store. My daypack weighed a ton on the journey home. I held my breath when we checked in, but luckily none of the airline staff picked on me and wanted to weigh my cabin baggage. I have some great reading in my future. Once I get back into the writing groove, I’ll use my new purchases as rewards for a good day’s work.

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.

On 1 January 2004, I received my very first writing contract. It was for Aislyn, a paranormal romance that is currently available from New Concepts Publishing. I remember the excitement, the pounding heart and trembling fingers, the shriek that rippled from my mouth and caused both my husband and Scotty to come running. Finally, I managed to babble coherently enough for hubby to understand I’d sold a book. I love writing, and each successive sale still holds the same excitement and thrill for me.

It took me six years to sell my first book. Most of my friends were targeting Harlequin, and I did too. At the time e-publishing was fairly new and unknown to most people. In hindsight, I wish I’d tried e-publishing a lot sooner, because I love the artistic freedom and the way everything happens so quickly in the e-world. The last year before I received my first contract was full of rejections. I had some requests for full manuscripts and did well in competitions, but ultimately received a rejection.

2004 started my journey as a published writer. Since then, I’ve received some great reviews, some not so great and enjoyed every moment. I’ve learned about promo and the fact a writer is only as good as their last book.

All along, at the back of my mind, I’ve wanted to sell to a New York publisher. Like many others I’d like to walk into a book store and see my book on the shelf, and the wider distribution wouldn’t hurt at all. During 2009, I worked hard with this goal in mind. Unfortunately, the rejections have poured in, and I have to admit I’m discouraged. My joy of writing left me during 2009 and for a lot of the time, it was just a hard slog. During the last week, I’ve come to a decision. I’m giving up submitting manuscripts to agents and New York publishers for the next year at least. I want to rediscover the pure joy of writing and creating characters without worrying about them being outside-the-box. I want to sit down and translate my ideas into writing, whatever genre they might be, without worrying if they’re marketable for New York publishers.

I don’t think either way of publishing is right or wrong. They’re different, that’s all. I’m giving my muse permission to fly free, and I’ll see what happens. I think as more and more people purchase e-readers, those who are e-published will find an audience, and I know from experience that a New York contract doesn’t necessarily equal big bucks. There are many authors who don’t earn out their advances. My Medallion titles certainly didn’t. Despite the problems with piracy, I’m probably still earning more than many authors who are traditionally published.

I’m actually happy with my decision. I’m bursting with ideas, plus I have three series underway with Ellora’s Cave and another starting with Samhain Publishing. I certainly have plenty to work on in the upcoming months. Each writer’s journey is different, and though I’m stepping outside the accepted normal path, I really am excited about what the upcoming year will bring.

Do you have writing goals for 2010? For my reader visitors – in the upcoming year, do you think you will buy more e-books or will you continue to purchase from a traditional bookshop? Do you purchase most of your books online or get them at your favorite bookstore?

I signed a contract today for a new sale to Samhain publishing. This one is a contemporary and features a group of five friends. The Bottom Line deals with two of the friends, and I hope to write new books about the other three friends. It’s my version of the TV show Friends. The Bottom Line is due out in March 2010.

One of my interests is travel. I bet you’ve guessed that already, right?

This is Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, England. We visited this moated castle a few years ago during a jaunt to Britain.

Recently I’ve been thinking about other interests. I’ve decided I need to extend my horizons, so my question for you today is: Apart from reading and writing what other interests and hobbies do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Do you still manage to pursue some of your interests with children around?

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I’m terrible at procrastinating and my usual “Just Do It” attitude hides at the bottom of the garden. It can be writing procrastination or housework related or perhaps the ironing pile. When I find things are out of control, and I’m not getting anything done, I turn to my trusty egg-timer. (Actually, it’s the oven timer but either works)

So here’s my hint for people who are having trouble fitting writing into a busy day or aren’t getting certain hated household chores done. Set your timer for half an hour and write this entire time or iron or whatever chore you’ve put off. It might be difficult at first, but do keep it up because gradually you’ll get past the procrastination. Half an hour passes quickly, and you’ll be surpised how much you’ll get done if you’re focused and concentrating. You can also apply this to children – perhaps they can tidy their rooms for half an hour while you’re writing. No? Okay, I’m good but not a miracle worker!

What strategies do you use to counteract procrastination?

Firstly, my news before I reach the meat of my post. I’ve sold a new manuscript to Ellora’s Cave. It’s called House of the Cat, and I posted an outtake for this story a couple of weeks ago for Snippet Saturday. House of the Cat is a paranormal sci-fi with a feline shifter hero. I don’t have a release date as yet. Watch this space!

Our local airline, Air New Zealand has a brilliant new ad campaign at present. They’ve used their own staff to star in a commerical, and all they’re wearing is body paint. The ad has a catchy tune, and it’s awesome. I stop to watch every time it comes on the telly. And I have to agree with the ladies in the ad – I love a man in uniform.

They’ve taken this a step further and made a safety video as well – one that will guarantee every passenger watches to check out the staff in body paint.

And just to finish off – here’s the making of the ad. The guy with the gray hair in the yellow workman’s uniform is the company CEO Rob Fyfe. I’ve always admired him for the way he involves himself in the everyday running of the company. He actually spends time doing all the jobs in the company such as cleaning, moving luggage etc to understand each job and look for ways to improve.

Do you love a man in uniform?

I’ve immersed myself in historical romances and non-fiction titles relating to Regency England during the past week, mainly because I’ve decided to write a historical for a change of pace. The Regency people were very naughty and I have a great idea for a story. I’m almost done with my planning and have a loosely-knitted plot. I’ll probably start writing this week.

I used to read a lot of historical romances, but I started to feel as if all the books were the same. I didn’t read any historicals for about three years and started reading them at the end of last year. Recently I’ve read books by Samantha Kane, Sherry Thomas, Jenna Petersen and Diane Gaston. I have books by Sharon Page, Jo Beverley, Anna Campbell and Joanna Bourne on my to-read pile.

Do you have any other recommendations for me?

As promised I’ve also worked on a family tree for my Middlemarch Mates series. It took me a while to decide how to present it, but I’m almost finished. Tomorrow I’ll load it on my website for readers to download. I’m quite pleased with myself. My next project is a cookbook of some of Emily Mitchell’s recipes – the things she serves in her Middlemarch cafe.

I mentioned last week that my husband had purchased me a surprise present–a Pandora bracelet. This week he brought me home an All Black jacket (rugby team) and a T-shirt with a tui on the front (NZ bird). Oh, and a chocolate fish. All were unexpected surprises, although much appreciated.

I said thank you and then said to him, “Okay, who are you, and what have you done with my husband?” Then I said, “Do you have a guilty conscience?”

He assured me that the presents were because he likes me. LOL – I’m still not convinced, and I’m watching him closely, although I have to say, I’m enjoying all the presents.

I received a contract for book eight in my Middlemarch series this morning. CatNap introduces a pair of tigers to Middlemarch, a brother and sister. CatNap is the brother’s story, and the next story I write will be the sisters. I’m also closer to dealing with Sly and Joe Mitchell, the twins. Watch this space.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter holiday. Keep safe.