Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

I know many of you live in the Northern hemisphere and are shivering with the cold, but it’s summer here in New Zealand. I like summer, so my list today is about things that typify summer for me.

Thirteen Things That Indicate Summer

1. Hunting out suntan lotion or buying a new bottle.
2. The pohutukawa trees start flowering. (Pohutukawas are a native New Zealand tree. In December they flower. Our street is lined with trees bearing scarlet pom-pom sized flowers)
3. The Christmas lilies bloom (large white flowers – I’m not sure of their correct name but I’ve always thought of them as Christmas lilies)
4. Shorts and T-shirts
5. Bare feet
6. Long walks after dinner
7. Eating alfresco
8. Barbeques
9. Daylight saving (Our clocks go forward an hour at the beginning of October and back an hour at the beginning of April)
10. Picking fresh strawberries in the garden
11. Passionfruit start forming on the vines
12. Salads – all the ingredients picked straight from the garden
13. Christmas, which brings me straight to my freebie story Turning Point. It’s a Christmas themed story and is a prequel of sorts to my upcoming Samhain Publishing release, The Bottom Line. Download your free copy today.

What things characterize summer for you? Or winter, if you prefer?

This shot was taken at our local Botanic Gardens. Mr. Munro and I don’t get there as often these days, now that the little dog is gone, but it’s a lovely outing for a Sunday morning.

In New Zealand news, an Invercargill woman was fined $275 for disorderly behavior after she flashed her boobs at motorists and caused an accident.

Mr. Munro has just learned he might have to go to work in Wellington for two weeks early next year, and I’ll get to go with him. Wellington is at the bottom of the North Island, and it will be a nice break from Auckland. I might even get some writing done. I’m finding it hard going this month with all the other Christmas distractions. I definitely want to visit the Day in Pompeii exhibition at Te Papa museum and we’re thinking we might do a quick trip to the South Island if time permits.

In book news, I have three more Ellora’s Cave titles available in the Kindle format: Fringe Benefits, Fallen Idol and Fancy Free are now on sale. Whisk out your credit cards and grab your copies today!

If you’re a writer, how is your writing coming along with all the Christmas razzmatazz? And readers, are you managing to relax a little with some of your favourite books?

This is a shot of Albert Park (named after Prince Albert) in Central Auckland. It’s not far from the university and on a fine day, it’s the perfect place for students to eat their lunch.

Mystery writer JA Konrath has a very interesting post about e-books and what he predicts will happen during 2010 in the e-book/e-reader world.

I’m actually feeling very positive about e-books at the moment. I love the freedom of writing for e-publishers, although the pirate issue does worry me. It’s truly disheartening when pirates put up books for free download on release day. It’s not only the e-authors who have a pirate problem though. The pirates have no compunction in making e-copies of paperback books and giving those away free too.

I think the increased competition in the e-reader market can only mean good things, driving the price down. Like Mr. Konrath, I’d like to see a standard industry format. What do you think will happen in the e-book world during the next year?

I’m guest blogging at the Samhellion blog today and talking about diaries and my upcoming release, The Bottom Line. While you’re there don’t forget to check out the special Christmas scavenger hunts to win either a Kindle reader or a Sony reader.

It’s the time of the year where everywhere looks back and thinks of their favorite and sometimes least favorite things for the year. I thought I’d list my top romance reads for both print and e-books. NOTE: Most of the above books came out in 2009, but a few of these are 2008 releases. I read them this year and therefore they’ve made my list.

Favorite Romance reads in no particular order.

1. Wicked Burn by Beth Kery (erotic contemporary)
2. Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1) by Larissa Ione (paranormal)
3. Able-Bodied (Harlequin Blaze) by Karen Foley (Blaze)
4. Amorous Liaisons (Harlequin Blaze) by Sarah Mayberry (Blaze)
5. Bound to Shadows (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 8) by Keri Arthur (paranormal)
6. On the Prowl (Tales of an Urban Werewolf, Book 2) by Karen MacInerney (paranormal)
7. She’s Got It Bad (Harlequin Blaze) by Sarah Mayberry (Blaze)
8. The Education of Madeline by Beth Williamson (historical)
9. Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, Book 3) by Ilona Andrews (urban fantasy)
10. Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas (contemporary)
11. Bound to Please by Lilli Feisty (erotic contemporary)
12. Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carrigan (historical paranormal)

Favorite Romance e-books in no particular order.

1. Hard Fall by James Buchanan (m/m)
2. Branded as Trouble by Lorelei James (erotic contemporary)
3. High Line by TA Chase (m/m)
4. The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks by Josh Lanyon (m/m)
5. Rough Stock by Cat Johnson (erotic contemporary)
6. Happy Ending by LB Gregg (m/m)
7. Hara’s Legacy by Bianca D’Arc (futuristic)
8. Gray’s Awakening by Cameron Dane (m/m)

The interesting thing is that while I’ve read plenty of e-books this year, many of them have been by NY published authors. I’ve purchased far more books in e-format than print this year. There are some books in my to-read pile that I suspect would have made this list, if I’d had time to read them such as Tere Michaels’ Love & Loyalty and NJ Walters’ Alexandra’s Legacy. I’ve been drowning in edits for the last two months, which cuts into my reading time!

Which books made your “best of list” for 2009?

It’s my birthday today–well, in New Zealand. It will be my birthday tomorrow in the Northern hemisphere – December 8. Definitely an auspicious day!

I received a wonderful review for House of the Cat from JERR (Just Erotic Romance Reviews)

Karen said, “House of the Cat is a great adventure saga and love story, fresh with new beings, new worlds, and definitely new animals. Ry did as much to help Camryn as she did for him. She also became the sole focus of his uncontrollable, constant, blinding need for sex that plagued him in spite of medication to stop the desire. The interaction between the crew members, all different species, and their reactions to Ry and Camryn’s very heated and constantly everywhere sexual relationship kept me entertained as much as the mystery and adventure. Lots of surprises to keep those pages flipping as quickly as the reader can scan them. House of the Cat is thoroughly entertaining as well as very physically stimulating. Of course, it does have Shelley Munro’s name on it, which usually means you can count on a great reading experience. House of the Cat is certainly no exception!”

I’m taking part in one of the four Scavenger hunts sponsored by Samhain Publishing authors. Win a Kindle or a Sony ereader plus lots of books. To learn details of how to win an ereader visit the Samhellion.

During the month of December there will also be free short stories for readers to download at the Samhellion. I have a short story called Turning Point that will be available for download on 17 December. Turning Point is a sort of a prequel to my upcoming Samhain Publishing release called The Bottom Line.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do on my birthday. I know I have edits I need to do, but I’m thinking I’ll have some down time as well.

How do you like to spend your birthday?

This is the cover for Wild Child, which is coming out in Feb 2010 as part of the 28 Days of Heart series from All Romance ebooks.

Here’s the blurb:

Zoë Underwood loves Matt Cantrell. Over the years her feelings for him have grown stronger, bigger. More. No one presses buttons on her sexual libido like the tall, dark and gorgeous Matt. He’s definitely the one for her.

When they first met the age difference was a problem. Now geographical distance keeps them apart. And then there’s Matt’s insistence that they should have a platonic relationship—that they should be friends only. A stupid idea. Surely Matt can feel the sensual sizzle between them whenever they’re in the same room, feel the heat when their eyes meet.

Zoë is determined to snare her man. She wants one thing—Matt’s love. It’s time for her to make a move, stir things up a little and take a chance on love.

I’m giving away a print copy of Romancing the Alien at Access Romance today. (4th December)

If you’d like a copy of Romancing the Alien and you’re not the lucky winner in the Access Romance contest mentioned above, surf on over to the Ellora’s Cave site. They’re having a huge sale on print books.

Romancing the Alien, Dreams of Oasis III and Risque Ruby are all on sale at rock bottom prices!

Random question for the day: Do you prefer a beach holiday (as portrayed in Wild Child above) or a mountain holiday with skiing, hiking and the like?

Today is the last day of my Soldier of Fortune tour. I’m visiting Kaye Manro and talking about communication, the war zone and letter writing.

I’m also visiting Romance Roll Call where I have an interview.

Last year my younger sister was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It’s a disease that affects the nerves and eventually sufferers end up in a wheel chair. At present there’s no cure. It was a shock to us all, and I really feel for her. We (the family) all suffer from a sense of helplessness because there is nothing we can do, except to offer help when it’s needed and to be available to listen when necessary.

She works in a bank, and since the world economy has declined, it has become a very stressful job. Not only do employers put pressure on staff to meet targets, but customers shout at the staff and expect them to work miracles. My sister has reduced her hours, but the week before last, a customer returned from overseas, went into the branch and shouted at her for twenty minutes nonstop. She’s good at her job, is efficient, and customers follow her whenever she moves to a new branch. She felt she hadn’t done anything wrong and was very upset when the branch manager and those higher up backed the customer. She was so upset it triggered her MS. Her shoulders ached, and when I rang her, she couldn’t get up to answer the phone. Her body didn’t work.

When we talked she said she was so disillusioned, she’d decided to hand in her notice. For her it was a matter of principle. I agreed. Last week she handed in her notice, and in the new year, she’ll start job hunting. She said it felt as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders, and after a couple of days off work plus a doctor’s visit, the pain faded. She’s getting around again and seems a little better, at least for now.

Last week the doctor told her about some new clinical trials for MS sufferers. Even though the trials won’t help her, she’s decided to participate in the hope the research and results will help others in the future.

I’ve discussed stress in the past. It’s is a terrible thing, and we all suffer from it at some point. I remember coming out in a full body rash because I was so worried about some upcoming exams. These days I’m fairly stress free. I’m a big believer in regular exercise. Go for a walk, take the kids to a nearby park and get some fresh air. It really does help reduce stress levels.

People who are under a great deal of stress feel as if their lives are out of control. If I ever get to this stage, I find that lists are a good idea. Write down all the things you need to do, prioritize and tick the items off one by one. A list really does help with a semblance of control.

For my sister, she needs to slow down a little. Hopefully, she will find an enjoyable job–one that won’t send her into meltdown. My fingers are crossed.

The run up to Christmas is usually busy and it can be stressful. What strategies do you use to cope with stress? And if anyone has experience with MS, do you have advice?

Today I’m doing a guest spot at Alternative-Read.com and talking about where I received the inspiration for Soldier of Fortune. I’m doing a giveaway, so do drop by to see me and say hello.

The other day when hubby and I visited his mother we ended up talking about gyms. Hubby and I said we were going to the gym.

My MIL immediately said, “You must go together. My neighbor went to the gym to get fit and lose weight. She met someone and now her marriage has broken up. You MUST go to the gym together.”

After a startled silence hubby and I both grinned at each other and burst out laughing. The gym we were talking about is in our spare bedroom. Heck, I could go naked to our gym and no one would notice! And about the comment – I’m still deciding whether to be insulted or not.

My MIL’s comment made me think about where people met their partners.

Emily Scarlet met Saber Mitchell at the Middlemarch Single’s Ball – Scarlet Woman.

Anna Tietjens met Sebastian Brady at the airport when their plane was delayed – Wanderlust.

Hayley Williams met Sam Norville at her girlfriend’s work function – Tea For Two

Joanna McGregor met Louie Lithgow during a holiday in Fiji – Soldier of Fortune.

Rafi Mura met Roberto Azam when they were kids in Melbourne, attending the same school – Fallen Idol.

I met my husband in a bank. I was a bank teller, and he was a customer. I’m not sure where I’d look for a partner if I was in need of one. Maybe the gym!

Where did you meet your partner? If you were looking for a partner, where would you search first?

In Soldier of Fortune tour news, I’m doing a guest spot at Love Romance Passion today and talking about contemporary romance. I’m also doing a giveaway.

Tracy at Bootstrap Marketing has been very busy organizing book tours for me. I’m trying something new with my promo and taking some of my backlist books on tour.

See my sidebar for full details of the upcoming tours for Tea For Two and Fancy Free.

The campaign continues at:

Smexy Books.

I did an oops with the dates yesterday, and I’m guest blogging at Smexy Books today about Judging a Book by its Cover, and how I love my Ninja Turtle cover.

I’m doing a giveaway here, so do come along and say hello.