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Archive for 'CatNap'Friday, December 11th, 2009
Some of my titles are now available on Kindle. Ellora’s Cave have a huge backlist of titles, and it’s taking a while, but all titles from A – C are now available at Amazon in Kindle format. Several of my Middlemarch Mates series are now available on Kindle. Here’s the link to my available Kindle titles – go forth and shop for Christmas! Friday, November 13th, 2009
A couple of weeks ago I purchased an item manufactured by Durex. It proved faulty, and I couldn’t find a consumer address on the packaging. My next move was to go to the Durex website where I found a contact address. On Sunday I emailed their customer contact address with all the relevant details. And no, I’m not telling you what the product was—suffice to say I write erotic romance and like to do my own research! On Monday morning at 9.00 am, I received a response. They apologized and offered to replace the faulty product. On Thursday, I received my replacement item plus a few freebies. This is excellent customer service, and I’m impressed. I will happily continue to research Durex products (the inspiration for my contemporary romance, Fancy Free, which is about a woman who inherits a condom factory.) Throughout my working life, I’ve held jobs that dealt with the public: a bank, a pub, an accountant and administration. In my last job as administration for the local McDonald’s franchisee, it was my job to field telephone complaints and write letters to customers who had problems with their McDonald’s experience. I know what it is like on the other side, and quite frankly, there were some horrid, rude customers who were completely unreasonable. Because of my experience, I’m very sensitive to customer service. While I expect good service, I try not to take out my frustration or a bad mood on hapless shop assistants. I smile and say thank you to the guys who pack my groceries. I know what it is like to be on the receiving end of an unreasonable rant. I actually think that customer service has declined in a lot of businesses here in New Zealand. I don’t know why this is, but there are times where I lose patience and will walk away to spend my hard-earned money elsewhere. In CatNap, book eight of my Middlemarch Mates series, brother and sister Rohan and Ambar Patel run the family grocery store. (They consequently sell it and move to a new grocery story in Middlemarch) The cornerstone of their business is customer service. Their strict parents have taught them that the customer is king and this is the way they run their business, going the extra mile to please their customers. Good customer service works for them. What do you think about customer service? Is it better than it used to be or worse? Do you have any experiences to share? Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Get your copy of CatNap, the latest instalment in my Middlemarch Mates series, today and find out. Don’t forget to enter my contest to guess how many books I will read during my holiday. Go here for details. Thursday, August 27th, 2009
In honor of my upcoming release, CatNap…
Thirteen Things About Tigers 1. Tigers are the largest of all the big cats. 2. Tigers are an endangered species with the number in the wild dwindling rapidly each year. 3. Tigers are solitary animals and range over huge territories. 4. A tiger will kill another if it invades its territory. 5. Tigers taste the air by using their Jacobson’s organ. This is a special scent center on the roof of the mouth. They wrinkle their nose and curl their lips upward, baring teeth to scent who or what is in their territory. 6. Tigers, like other felines, twitch their tails from side to side when they concentrate. 7. An angry tiger lashes his or her tail to and fro. 8. The tiger has a bright pink tongue with a very rough surface. The tongue is covered with spikes called papillae, which are used by all cats to strip meat off bones. 9. Tigers are one of the few big cats who enjoy swimming. They’re excellent swimmers. 10. Courting tigers make a lot of noise. 11. Female tigers mate every other year. The males remains close for a few days until he is sure she is pregnant before leaving the female on her own again. 12. Tiger cubs are capable of killing prey by the time they are a year old, but they stay with their mothers until they are two or three. 13. CatNap is out at Ellora’s Cave on 2 September. To read an excerpt go here.
Source: Big Cats by Rhonda Klevansky What is your favorite big cat? Don’t forget to enter my contest to guess how many books I will read during my holiday. Go here for details. Saturday, August 15th, 2009
The theme for this week is characters. I thought I’d introduce you to Rohan Patel, one of the heroes in my upcoming release CatNap. Rohan is a tiger shifter. He’s a caring person with an innate strength. Level-headed and mature, he has a sense of fun. He loves his sister enough to start up a new business with her. They tease each other, keep each other in line and are friends as well as siblings. I think both of the following short excerpts help give a sense of Rohan and his character. CatNap is due out from Ellora’s Cave on 2 September 2009.
EXCERPT ONE: At six they closed the shop. It was earlier than usual, but since they had two days before the new owners took over, he and Ambar had decided to close early to organize the last of their packing before the move to Middlemarch. Ambar started doing the cash up while Rohan went to check on their guest. He found him sound asleep, his clothes tossed over the end of the bed. He lay on his back, the covers draped low on his waist, his easily discernable ribs highlighting his need of a few good meals. At least they could fix that. The man stirred, rolling to his side, and Rohan saw several old scars on his back. Rohan frowned, not liking where his mind went on seeing those scars. Had someone beat him? The man shifted onto his back again. His breathing sounded normal and even, so Rohan ripped his gaze off the enticing sight and forced himself to leave the room and their guest sleeping. Back downstairs, he restocked the laundry powder and cleaning material aisles, his mind on their guest and Middlemarch. What the hell were they going to do? Ambar grabbed the money to take to the safe, pausing at his side. “What are we going to do, Rohan?” “I’ve been thinking about that. The obvious solution would be to take him with us to Middlemarch.” “But what if someone follows us? Or we take him to Middlemarch and he turns into a problem. We don’t know him, but we’d be responsible.” Rohan pictured the male asleep in his bed and knew Ambar was right to preach caution despite his gut instinct and his yearning to keep the man with them. There was something about him that called to Rohan. He wanted to know him better. He wanted to care for him. A snort escaped. If that didn’t beat all. A big strong tiger shifter like him turning soft. Nah, wouldn’t happen. It was frustration, that’s all. EXCERPT TWO: Since their parents’ death they’d started a new tradition—a drink before dinner where they discussed anything and everything. Their parents hadn’t approved of alcohol either, and the ritual made them feel like rebellious teens. Rohan joined Ambar in the small lounge. The room appeared stark and plain with only a single three-seater couch left. A stack of boxes piled against one wall, ready for collection by the removal company. “He’s still asleep. I’ve been thinking about Saber Mitchell. Maybe we shouldn’t do anything and just take him with us.” “Because you have the hots for him.” Ambar took a sip of her wine. “Are you gay?” Rohan almost choked on his beer. Ambar didn’t believe in tiptoeing around anything. He bit back a smile, knowing he was lucky she didn’t sound judgmental. Her voice held curiosity but none of the distaste he’d feared. “Why would you think that?” “You didn’t run away in horror when the stranger said he wanted to f**k you. And I’m not blind. I know an erection when I see one.” “Ambar! Hell.” There were limits to their closeness. They’d never talked about sex in such detail before. Fiery heat seeped into his cheeks, and he couldn’t look his sister in the eye. “I know you dated women but I never saw you kiss any of your dates,” Ambar said. “Were you spying on me?” He didn’t have to pretend exasperation. A man should have some privacy. “At least you were allowed to date,” his sister reminded him, and just like that his irritation dispersed. He’d had way more freedom than Ambar and he knew it. To read other excerpts on the Snippet Saturday trail follow the links below: Michelle Pillow
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What do tigers and amnesia have in common with Middlemarch?
