Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

I’d like to welcome fellow Carina Press author Jenny Schwartz to my blog today. I’m very excited since I’ve wanted to read the A Clockwork Christmas anthology ever since I heard about it, and it’s out today! Over to Jenny who is talking about mixing Australia with steam punk. I’m off to start reading…

Shelley, thanks for inviting me to guest post at your blog. I thought I’d bring some history with me across the Tasman.

“Wanted: One Scoundrel”, my steampunk novella in the anthology “A Clockwork Christmas”, is set in the Swan River Colony, the precursor of the state of Western Australia. It was an obvious setting for me to use. I grew up in Perth and studied Australian social history there. All those hours in the State Library scribbling notes in pencil from colonists’ letter had to prove useful, sometime.

The fun part of writing Steampunk is you get to mix real history with fictional touches. Perhaps my most radical change to real history is the addition of Bombaytown to the Swan River Colony of 1895.

My Bombaytown is modelled on San Francisco’s Chinatown, but with an Indian character. Actually, Swan River has a bit in common with San Francisco. Both boomed on the back of gold rushes. Both were Wild West. Both lured people intent on following their dreams.

My inspiration for Bombaytown was my long-held sense that it should have existed. Geographically, Western Australia and India are relatively close. In the earliest days of the colony, colonists exported horses and sandalwood to India. Even today, sandalwood remains a valuable export.

Somehow, history stuffed up and Bombaytown never existed. But in “Wanted: One Scoundrel” it is loud, colourful, full of exuberant hope and exotic spices.

For me, that’s one of the joys of Steampunk: It’s history as it ought to have been.

So, how about you. What bit of history would you rewrite?

We Wish You a Steampunk Christmas

Changed forever after tragedy, a woman must draw strength from her husband’s love. A man learns that love isn’t always what you expect. A thief steals the heart of a vengeful professor. And an American inventor finds love Down Under. Enjoy Victorian Christmas with a clockwork twist in these four steampunk novellas.

Anthology includes:
Crime Wave in a Corset by Stacy Gail
This Winter Heart by PG Forte
Wanted: One Scoundrel by Jenny Schwartz
Far From Broken by JK Coi

Stories also available for purchase separately.

117,000 words

Buy link: http://bit.ly/ClockworkX

Wanted: One Scoundrel http://bit.ly/WantedScoundrel

If you’d like to learn more about Jenny and her books visit her website.

Christmas. It’s almost here, whether we want it to arrive or not. Already advertising on the TV, radio and in shops is assaulting my eyes and ears. I don’t care what anyone says. November is too early for Christmas carols about snow and dashing places. Bah humbug! I’m not feeling the Christmas spirit in the slightest.

On the home front, hubby and I are talking holidays. Yes, I know we’ve just returned from jaunts to China and Australia, but if we’ve got to buckle down and work we need something to look forward to—an incentive. After much discussion and Internet research, we came across a cruise that we rather liked the sound of. It starts in Barcelona and goes around the Mediterranean visiting stops such as Rome, Venice, Mykonos, Istanbul, Casablanca and the Azores before finishing at Fort Lauderdale. Hubby and I took about two seconds to think before we both said, “Sign me up!” So, we’re booked, and we only have to wait about 11 months.

While hubby was at the travel agents, she showed him the specials that had arrived that day. Suddenly we were taking a short break at the beginning of December. This time we’re staying at home in New Zealand, but we’re flying to Wellington and catching a cruise ship back up to Auckland. It’s amazing how quickly one can get organized given the motivation.

On the writing front, I’m waiting for my first glimpse of the cover for Cat Burglar in Training. Cat Burglar is the revised version of The Shadow and is due out at Carina Press on Feb 20 2012.

I completed a super secret writing project and turned that in last week. My story will be out in February, and I’ll give you more details as soon as I’m given the go ahead.

This week, I’ve completed edits for my Ellora’s Cave release, Christmas is Coming. It will be out in December (exact date to be confirmed). This story takes place in the same small town where my Talking Dog series and Fancy Free take place. I bet you didn’t know the country town of Sloan was such a hot-bed of activity. If you’d like to get a head start and in the mood for Christmas is Coming you might like to check out the aforementioned books.

In the next few weeks I’ll be taking part in a couple of blog hops. Watch for details because there are some good prizes up for grabs. I’ll be giving away books—both e-format and print. I don’t know about you, but I can never have enough books on my to-read pile.

While I think about it, author Alice Audrey hosts Win a Book at her blog. It’s a chance to win a book, perhaps by a new-to-you author. If you’re an author hosting a book giveaway complete the form on Alice’s Win a Book page, and she’ll add your giveaway details.

And finally, if you’d like to win a copy of Peeping Tom, book two of my Middlemarch Mates series, today is the last day of my Goodreads give away. Don’t delay or you’ll miss out on the chance to enter.

I’ll leave you with a question: If you had 24 hours alone how would you spend it?

My answer: Right at this moment, I’d spend a good portion of that time sleeping. Life has been a bit of a whirlwind for the last few weeks. I’d also go for a long walk with Bella, catch up on some reading for pleasure and get stuck into some writing. It’s so good to work on something new for a change. There would also be a nice meal and a glass of wine in those hours somewhere. Probably a cup of coffee or two as well. What about you?

The Melbourne Cup is the biggest race on the southern hemisphere racing calendar. Traditionally it’s held on the first Tuesday in November and the race is a long one, run over 3200 meters. To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Although I’ve attended the races in New Zealand this is a much bigger occasion. We had the cheap “seats”, which actually meant no seats at all–standing room only. We arrived early, before the first race started, and claimed our spot on the lawn. As the day progressed more people arrived until we were elbow to elbow and crammed into a small area.

Some of the crowd near us

Most people made an effort to dress up. I watched the Fashion on the Fields contest on the big screens, simply because it was such a hassle to push through the crowds. Planning a visit to the loo was a major event and thinking ahead preferable!

There were men in hats…

Ladies in high heels contrasted with workers replacing the divots on the track between races.

Then there were the oddities. We had a bit of a chuckle on seeing these two men escorting their wives across the track…

The bookies were handy for racegoers to make bets. We don’t have bookies in New Zealand, so we found them interesting to watch.

As I mentioned, the course was packed. We had to put belongings on the ground to mark our spot. It was a bit like peeing to mark our territory!

The horses thundered up the track toward us. We got all the sound effects: the roar of the crowd, the thunder of hooves, the blow of the horses, the chatter of the jockeys when they passed us after the race.

The cup race was the big draw card for the day. Here is the field racing up the track toward us. The finish was the closest in race history – half a nose. It wasn’t that long ago (ten years) when they would have called the finish a dead heat.

Here’s the winner Dunoden, a French horse that was ridden by a French jockey, riding back to scale, after his historic win.

We had an excellent day, which I enjoyed very much. We came away slightly sunburned and lighter in the pocket but happy. I’m not sure that I would go again, but it’s an experience I’ll always remember.

The puppy is booked into the kennel.

And on Friday I’m off to Sydney, then on to Melbourne.

This has been a rough year for New Zealanders with a mining disaster, big earthquakes, an oil spill and on a personal level two friends died, both unexpectedly. If this year has taught me one thing, it is to grab opportunities as they arise and not to put off things until a later date. Hubby has always wanted to attend the Melbourne Cup, a huge horse race down this end of the world, and this year we’re going.

We’ll see race horses

And beautiful fashion.

We’ll even have a flutter or two on the horses. The problem is picking the winner. The main Melbourne Cup race has a huge field. My problem – I have zero knowledge of these horses.

Do I choose my favorite number?
Check out the horse’s form?
The horse’s color?
The color of the jockey’s eyes?
The color of the jockey’s silks?
Pick whatever name appeals to me?
Do a special dance?
Chant a children’s rhyme and eliminate horses one by one?

It’s certainly a dilemma, and I’ve been giving the matter much thought. Here’s what I think I’ll do: take a look at the horses before the race. Any horses that seem stressed will be crossed off my list. I’ll pay attention to my favorite number, and if neither of these methods help, I’ll pick a name that appeals to me. One of the horses is called Two for Tea, and since I have a book called Tea for Two this could be a sign!

What do you think? How would you pick a winner for the Melbourne cup?

CONTEST: I thought I’d do a contest today and give away a download of HOUSE OF THE CAT, which features a horse race of the alien kind. I’ll pick my favorite answer late tomorrow night my time (New Zealand) and post the name of the winner in the comments section.

This is a photo of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House, taken from the Botanical gardens. Hubby and I spent a day in Sydney at the end of our cruise in December last year. It’s an interesting city to walk around, and we had a beautiful sunny day for our sightseeing.

I took this photo at the Sydney Botanical Gardens in December of last year. He was strutting around and posing for all the tourists.

To see more animal photos visit Camera Critters

My husband pulled off a wonderful surprise for my recent birthday. I knew we were going away but I thought hubby had organized a quick trip to the South Island of New Zealand. On the day we were meant to leave, he woke me up at a very early hour with a cup of tea. When I went to check my email there was a note attached to the computer along with a flashdrive.

The note said, “Good morning, Shelley. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to insert this flashdrive. It will not self destruct in five seconds, but you may!!”

Curious, I inserted the flashdrive and a movie started. Hubby had booked us a cruise on the Volendam and the movie showed all the ports of call. Honestly, I had no idea. He really pulled a swifty on me
Luckily I had a few hours to pack and organize/reschedule the few things I needed to sort out before we traveled up to Auckland to board the cruise ship.

The cruise started in Auckland and stopped in Mt Maunganui, Napier, Wellington, Picton, Akaroa, Dunedin (Port Chalmers), cruised the Milford Sound before crossing the Tasman Sea to Hobart in Tasmainia, Eden on mainland Australia and ending in Sydney. The surprises kept coming with some fun tours booked and a new bracelet for my birthday. We went dolphin watching to see the rare Hector dolphins, wine tasting, hiking, swimming and sightseeing. We even visited the real Middlemarch where I took loads of photos. I half expected one of the Mitchells to round the corner and say hello. In fact, the Mitchells are so real to me, I was a bit disappointed when they didn’t!

We both had a fun time and arrived home rested and ready for Christmas. It was the best birthday ever.

The theme for this week is holidays. Since I love travel quite a few of my characters take holidays. This week I’ve chosen an excerpt from my story in the Ellora’s Cave Cavemen anthology, Summer Lovin’. My heroine, who lives in New Zealand, goes over to Australia for a holiday and finds much more than she expected.

Dreams of the Oasis III: Summer Lovin’ by Shelley Munro

“Sophie Walker? Is that you?”

The dark haired hunk grinned before grabbing me in a bear hug, right in the middle of the Burleigh Bowls Club.

Who was this Cutey Pie? My mind screamed questions even as I cozied up and savored the experience. I mean, what was not to enjoy? He possessed lots of muscles and was downright hunky with his tanned face and sexy grin. Pity we were in the middle of the Bowls Club. My heart kick-started into a racy beat, while I inhaled deeply to counteract the effect. He smelled wonderful—of ginger and exotic spices, all wrapped up with the tang of the sea.

Tall, dark and cute grasped my upper arms and pulled away before dropping a chaste kiss on my cheek.

Aw, call that a kiss, my inner siren taunted. Rev it up and lay one on me. For once I didn’t care if I ended up being the floorshow. Like a kid in a candy store, I wanted to touch and taste. I wanted it all.

“Sophie, what are you doing here on the Gold Coast?”

I stared and still came up blank. The petite redhead who stood at his side didn’t look too happy. If I was in her shoes I’d have felt exactly the same way. Possessive. Heck, in her place I would have bared my teeth and warned me off.

“I used to go out with Sophie’s daughter,” Cutey Pie said.

Redhead’s frown smoothed out like magic.

I groaned inwardly. Well, that sure put me in my place. Cutey’s name popped into my mind. Isaac Shepherd. I’d liked him back when Susan was going out with him. Since my daughter was notorious for being late, I’d spent a lot of time chatting with Isaac. We had a lot in common. It had taken me a long time to forgive Susan for letting him get away.

“Susan is married now,” I said.

Isaac’s brown eyes glowed, making me intensely aware of my body and the way my clothes fit. The word desperate came to mind. I hadn’t kissed a man for a long time let alone got down and dirty. My hormones were protesting the lack of action. For a moment there, they’d thought they’d got lucky. Disappointment was a bitch.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his husky voice strumming across my senses in a very delicious way.

“I’ve come over on a RSA trip, with a group of golfers. Ostensibly to keep an eye on my father, but he doesn’t really need it.”

“What’s the RSA?” Redhead asked in her Aussie twang.

“Returned Services Association,” Isaac answered.

“Hey, Sophie!” It was my Uncle James, my father’s partner in crime. “There’s a dance on here tonight. Fred and I are gonna grab us a granny!”

I did a mental eye roll. “You can’t say that.” After all, I wasn’t exactly a spring chicken. My fortieth birthday was practically staring me in the eye, so I felt I should offer up a defense for the dozens of more mature women in the club. “It’s not P.C.”

“Aw, Sophie. Don’t start,” my father said. “Look at those women over there. If it walks like a duck…”

Scowling, I glanced in the direction Pop indicated. Three elderly women were giggling like young girls. I shrugged. I didn’t intend to act the stern chaperon. Pop and Uncle James could get up to all the shenanigans they wanted.

“We must meet for a drink,” Isaac said, sending a wave of flattered satisfaction through me. Bigheaded of me I know, but the redhead’s scowls made me want to cheer. Score one for the visiting team.

“Why don’t you come back for the dance?” Uncle James said.

One look at Redhead popped my bubble of optimism. Isaac wouldn’t be here tonight.

Isaac glanced at Redhead too. “Maybe.” His voice was noncommittal. “We have to go.” His brown eyes caught my gaze, and for a long moment, we stared at each other. “It’s been great seeing you, Sophie.”

And damned if he didn’t grab me and kiss me right on the lips. It was brief. Intense. And left my knees knocking. I stared after him in bemusement, my trembling fingers rising up to touch tingling lips.

A soft whistle from Pop jerked me from daydream land. “You’ve made a conquest there, Sophie.”

“I’m old enough to be his mother,” I protested, and inside, I railed at the fact. Sometimes, life plain sucked.

Uncle James looked me up and down. “You don’t look your age. You don’t look old enough to be that boy’s mother. You’re fit, you don’t look like one of those god-awful beanpole models, and you have your own teeth. Always check the teeth,” my uncle ended sagely.

“I’m not a damned horse!”

“No, you’re a woman, Sophie,” Pop said. “That’s all any of us simple men want. A luscious handful of woman to cuddle up to at night.”

He winked at Uncle James, and they both discreetly checked out the three giggling women over in the corner.

“Ooh, not while I’m looking,” I said in a firm tone, although secretly, I was flattered, my confidence boosted. A bit of life in the old broad yet, I thought. I licked my lips and imagined I could taste Isaac. Damn, I didn’t think I’d shower for a week.

Purchase Dreams of Oasis III from Ellora’s Cave in either print or e-format. Also available at Amazon in print or e-format.

To read more excerpts follow the Snippet Saturday trail below:

Mari Carr
Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Lauren Dane
Jody Wallace
TJ Michaels
Lacey Savage

This is the skeleton of the champion racehorse, Phar Lap. Phar Lap, which is Thai for lightning in the sky, was a chestnut. He was born near Timaru, New Zealand in 1926 and died in Menlo Park, California in 1932 after eating poisoned grass. He was poisoned on purpose, and rumor states the mob was responsible, carrying out the poisoning to protect their financial interests. Shortly before his death, he won the world’s richest race, the Agua Caliente Handicap in California. He did most of his racing in Australia and loved to run at the front of the field. Nicknamed Big Red, he won 36 of his last 41 races.

Phar Lap’s skeleton is in the Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New Zealand.
His heart is in a bottle in Canberra, Australia.
His hide is in the Museum of Victoria, Australia.

Currently, his skeleton is in Melbourne, Australia (on loan) to celebrate the running of the 150th Melbourne cup, a race that Phar Lap won in 1930.

To visit more animal photos go to Camera Critters.

There’s a lot of waiting around at a show. Waiting for the judges to come by…waiting for dinner…waiting…

This photo was taken at the 2010 Sydney Royal Easter Show. To visit more animal photos please go to Camera Critters.