Taste of Kiwi

The theme this week is risky business. Immediately I thought of Soldier of Fortune since both the hero and heroine work in the private security sector–a risky business indeed!

Soldier of Fortune by Shelley Munro

Outside, two of their specially armored cars waited for them along with local drivers who spoke the language. His men donned protective vests and hats and readied weapons, both rifles and pistols, before climbing into the vehicles. The new recruits waited for instruction.

“You two in the back vehicle. Follow Simon’s instructions. He’ll explain about the things to look for. Mac, Tai, you’re with me in the lead vehicle.”

Mac entered the rear of the vehicle with Tai and Garrett while Louie took the passenger seat. He checked the link between the cars. “Come in, Simon.”

“Louie, we’re good to go.” Simon’s voice crackled through the radio.

“Basically we’re checking the route we’d like to use to take the CBS reporters tomorrow afternoon. If it’s a no-go, we’ll try the longer alternative route. Anything that raises your suspicion let me know, particularly if you see anyone watching us and talking on their mobile or using it to take photos.” Louie rattled through the rest of his spiel automatically. The hair at the back of his neck prickled insistently, a sensation he knew not to ignore. Louie scanned their surroundings as the driver pulled out of the compound. Nothing out of the ordinary. Locals going about their business, mostly males, with a few women dressed in head-to-foot black, their faces covered while they scurried down the edges of the road, carrying shopping baskets. Two battered vehicles drove slowly past, a radio blaring in one.

The palm trees they passed provided little respite from the hot afternoon sun. Sweat trickled down Louie’s back, making his shirt cling, his skin itch. He ignored it, concentrating on their surroundings.

“Man at three o’clock,” Mac said in a calm voice.

Louie’s gaze swiveled to the location she indicated. He spotted the man seconds before the ruins of a bombed building hid him from view.

“He’s moving off,” Mac said.

“Checkpoint,” the driver muttered, slowing the vehicle.

Louie cursed and slipped his gun out of sight but retained it in his hand. Local soldiers ran the roving checkpoints. They shot first and asked questions later. Cooperation and patience were key to remaining alive. If all else failed the driver would barrel straight through and hope for the best.

“Tell him we’re going east,” Louie instructed the driver.

The driver spoke rapidly in the local dialect, answering questions fired at him by the young soldier.
Louie relaxed fractionally when the soldier waved them through. “Good man,” he said to the driver.

They made good progress despite the slow-moving traffic and the wait for a British army convoy to pass through an intersection. Overhead, a Black Hawk helicopter buzzed like a whining mosquito, drawing sporadic fire from a patch of undergrowth.

“Don’t like this,” Simon said via the radio. “More gunfire than usual. Not many locals either. What’s your gut say?”

“Something’s going on.” Louie agreed, the back of his neck tingling in warning. Danger lurked in the shadows. Somewhere. “Guess our quiet period is over. Can you see anything?”

Up ahead, two vehicles jammed on their brakes, coming to an abrupt stop. Behind the second recon car, another stopped, blocking their retreat. Magically, the few remaining locals faded into the background, leaving a deserted street.

“Ambush,” Simon shouted.

Gunfire cracked directly behind them. A signal. Bullets rained down. From the front. From the rear. The rat-a-tat-tat of guns filled Louie’s ears, made them ring.

“Fire!” Simon hollered through the radio.

Louie concentrated on the two vehicles in front. “Shoot to kill.” Simon would watch their six, but he gave orders anyway. “Mac, check our rear.”

Like a freak hail storm, the bullets pelted their vehicle. Cautiously, Louie opened his door. Crouched behind. Fired.

Mac, Tai and Garrett fired with rapid precision from behind lowered windows. The jackhammer of AK-47 assault rifles echoed between the buildings, replaying in his head. All the time he was aware of Mac behind him. Part of him wanted to throw her back in the vehicle, keep her safe. He started to move and froze when a bullet whizzed past his cheek.

“Fuck.” He ducked behind the door, forced himself to concentrate. Just him and his weapon in hand. Shoot to kill. Fire. Fire. Fire! Bullets hit the door, kicked up dust until his eyes smarted. Men shouted. Somewhere in front of him, a man shrieked for help, his French accent casting him as one of the insurgent volunteers from abroad. Fanatics, they came from all over the world to fight for the cause.

Time slowed, the insurgents returning a barrage of fire. Sweat dripped down Louie’s face. He swiped it away, fear clutching at his chest. They couldn’t keep this up for much longer. Should they make a run for it? He fired another round of shots, assessing the situation, making decisions.

“Rear car is retreating,” Simon reported in a terse voice.

Thank you, God. Something was going right.

The driver moved the second car up, giving them better cover. Another of the insurgents fell to the ground, didn’t move. Grimly, Louie fired until all return fire ceased. The guns of his men fell silent, but they remained watchful. Louie cautiously peered around the door to scan the vicinity. When no one moved, he ordered everyone back into the vehicles.

They’d been bloody lucky this time. He swiped a weary hand over his face. Mac… Damn! Thoughts of her had distracted him. Time to get a grip. He’d get them all killed if he didn’t start thinking with his head instead of his dick.

Purchase Soldier of Fortune at Ellora’s Cave or Amazon Kindle

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the trail below:

Mari Carr
HelenKay Dimon
Eliza Gayle
Shelley Munro
Lauren Dane
Vivian Arend
Shelli Stevens
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries

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I’m going out on tour again!

This time it’s with one of my earlier titles, and the very first book in my famous Middlemarch Mates series….Scarlet Woman.

The tour starts at Book Junkie where I’m talking about the big cats that inspired my series—the black leopard.

As usual, I’m doing a giveaway, and this time, the winner can choose any one of the ebooks from my Middlemarch series. Come along and join in the party!

And meantime, here’s the blurb for Scarlet Woman:

Emily Scarlet’s husband left her for his secretary and died in a car accident—all on the same day. Now, six months later, Emily has emerged from her chrysalis of painful memories. And to prove she has what it takes to attract a man, she’s determined to experience one perfect night of passion.

Feline shape shifter, Saber Mitchell has a problem with his four boisterous younger brothers. They’re out of control. It’s too late for him, but he hopes to get his brothers mated and settled, and the ball is the place to introduce them to marriageable women.

Unbridled sex is the last thing he plans on, but one glimpse of Emily Scarlet changes his mind. Sex with her is a necessity. They dance. They make love.

One thing is clear—a single night isn’t enough. Saber must have her for his mate, but Emily isn’t so easy to convince…or trust.

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This week’s theme is the black moment. My excerpt is from Tea For Two, the moment where the hero suspects the heroine of selling him out to the tabloids to make some quick money.

TEA FOR TWO by Shelley Munro

“Cripes,” Suzie said in vast understatement.

Hayley opened her mouth and shut it again, her teeth meeting in an audible clack. Her face peered up at her from the newspaper—the front page, no less.

“That’s not a recent photo,” Suzie said.

“I know.” Hayley started to read the article, horror growing with each word she scanned. “I didn’t do this. Sam’s going to think I talked to the reporter.”

Suzie placed a comforting arm around her shoulders, hugging her in silent commiseration. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Someone had talked to a reporter, but Hayley didn’t think for a moment it was Suzie.

“No, I mean I’m sorry it’s happened.”

“Sam isn’t going to be happy. Are there other photos?”

“There are photos of the two of you together, but the accompanying story is speculation.” Suzie read some of the article and frowned. “This one is worse.” She hesitated. “Do you think your sister would do something like this?”

Hayley thought about the desperation on Abbey’s face, the determination, and slowly nodded. “She wasn’t very happy with me at our last meeting. She knows I read tea leaves. Abbey attended the fair at Greensbarrow and she and her friends wanted their tea leaves read.”

“Oh.”

“Oh, indeed. She demanded money again, and when I refused, she stomped off, saying I’d be sorry. I don’t understand why she hates me so much.”

“She’s jealous,” Suzie said.

“But why? Our parents were always so strict with me. I was the one who disappointed them and sneaked about with my boyfriend all the time. I was the one who managed to get pregnant.”

“Abbey needs to be the center of attention.”

Hayley snorted, her anger starting to grow. “So she does that by putting me in the papers? Yeah, that will really work well for her.”

“Sam’s gonna be angry.”

Hayley sucked in a deep breath, acknowledging the truth of Suzie’s words. Oh, yeah. And given his personal history with the tabloids, he’d put the blame squarely on her shoulders. “I’d better ring him.” Her hand trembled when she reached for the phone.

The intercom rang before she had a chance to dial.

“I’ll get it,” Suzie said.

Hayley dialed while listening to a reporter’s voice crackle through the intercom. Suzie told the man to piss off just as someone picked up the phone.

“Yes!” The impatient tone made her hesitate. “Is anyone there?”

“Sam, it’s me. Hayley.”

“You have a nerve,” he said in a low growl. “Did they pay you well?”

It hit Hayley then. Abbey had done it for both the money and to punish her for not handing over her precious savings. “I didn’t sell the story to the press and have nothing to do with the story.”

“Yeah, well, you would say that. Facts look pretty clear to me. Don’t bother coming for the next conference.”

“But I—”

“Trust means everything to me, Hayley. You lied to me about your name. You sold me out to the press. How the hell do you expect me to trust you again?”

“But—”

The soft click of the phone told Hayley he’d hung up without allowing her to explain. Not that she would have told him about Abbey’s gambling problems. She hung up, her shoulders slumping in despair. “He doesn’t believe me.” Her thick voice was loaded with tears.

“I’ll tell him the truth,” Suzie said, her chin jerking up in combative mode.

“No. I have to fix this myself. And if he won’t listen to me, he’s not worth fighting for.”

Check out my website to read a blurb or another excerpt. Available in ebook or print formats.

To read more excerpts in the Snippet Saturday trail follow the links below:

Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Jaci Burton
Juliana Stone
TJ Michaels
Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw
Eliza Gayle
McKenna Jeffries
Savannah Foley
Elisabeth Naughton
Moira Rogers

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When we visited Zanzibar, one of the things I remember was the spice tour. Up until that stage my main acquaintance with spices was the ones purchased at the supermarket. It was a bit of an eye-opener learning where some of the spices came from.

Thirteen Types of Spices

1. All Spice – the dried berries of an evergreen tree that’s native to the West Indies. It’s used in baking and the whole berries can be used in stews or casseroles.

2. Cardamom – these pods can be used whole or ground and is used to flavor spiced vegetable dishes and pilafs. It’s used in Indian ice cream and the Middle Eastern Halva.

3. Cloves – are dried flower buds. They’re delicious with stewed apple /apple pie.

4. Cinnamon – made from dried bark. It’s mainly used in cakes and biscuits. Cinnamon toast is yummy.

5. Ginger – the root of a flowering plant that’s native to China. The root is used fresh and grated or it can be dried to a powder. I use the fresh ginger in savory dishes and the powder in sweet dishes.

6. Nutmeg – dried kernel of an apricot-like fruit. It’s often used in sweet dishes, but it goes great with vegetables and rice.

7. Tamarind – the dried fruit of the tamarind tree. It’s used in curries and Indian dishes. I love tamarind sauce with samosa.

8. Vanilla – snake-like pods of a climbing orchid. They’re very expensive to purchase. Vanilla goes great with fruit dishes, custards and milk desserts.

9. Turmeric – it’s also a root or rhizome like ginger and it’s a bright gold color. It’s used in Indian cooking and the British add it to their piccalilli (piquant pickle).

10. Poppy seeds – widely used in Indian and Jewish cooking. It’s often sprinkled on top of bread. Don’t ever drop these because they take ages to clean up!!

11. Peppercorns – They come in different colors but black are the most common. I have a pepper grinder and use it liberally on savory dishes.

12. Cumin seeds – come from a plant related to the parsley family. The seeds are best roasted before use. It’s used in curries and savory vegetable dishes.

13. Soldier of Fortune—it’s a spicy contemporary tale written by Shelley Munro and it’s coming out next week on Nov 18 at Ellora’s Cave. Read the blurb and an excerpt here. You might have met the hero Louie in Summer in the City of Sails.

What is your cooking favorite spice?

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I was cruising Amazon and Barnes & Noble earlier and it seems that Tea For Two is already instore and ready to purchase, a couple of weeks earlier than I thought.

Here’s the blurb:

Lies and secrets have a way of returning to bite a girl in the butt…

Hayley Williams thought she was past the screwing-up stage of her life.
These days, she wears her good girl persona well—except when she moonlights as a gypsy tea leaf reader in order to earn money to buy her own home. There’s something about Sam Norville, though, that prods her inner imp back to life. A chance meeting, a margarita…okay, two…a stolen kiss, and suddenly she’s back in hot water.

Sam, a successful businessman, doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Not anymore. For him, involvement with any woman means risking a run-in with the tabloid press. But his mysterious gypsy lover keeps him coming back, keeps him prodding her for more…like the truth. Of course it’s not love. No, sir. Sam only does lust.

Hayley knows she shouldn’t want Sam, especially since she lied to him. The right thing to do? Shove that naughty imp off her shoulder and come clean. But that pesky imp just won’t budge…

Warning: There be lies and secrets ahead, wrapped in pretty bows with margaritas, a one-night stand, fortune telling and a gypsy. Oh, and tea. Lots and lots of pots of tea.

Find an excerpt here.

Go forth and shop! Have a great weekend.

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I received my cover for my upcoming release from Samhain Publishing. My debut book for Samhain actually! Tea For Two is a contemporary tale about a woman who reads tea leaves. She tells a small white lie and the secrets start to escalate. i.e. they come back to bite her in the butt! Tea For Two is set in London and I had fun returning to London even if it was only in my writing. Here’s the cover. What do you think?

Tea For Two releases on 14 October, and by the time this posts I should have an excerpt up on my blog.

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My special guest today is Samhain author, Lorelei James. She’s talking about family trees and books. Over to Lorelei and her Western men!

Shelley contacted me after she’d finished, TIED UP, TIED DOWN, the latest book in my Rough Riders series from Samhain Publishing, wondering if I’d ever considered creating a family tree for the characters as a reference point for readers.

I’ll admit I hadn’t thought of it. I’ll also admit I have lots of characters in my books — no one really is an island, even in the middle of nowhere Wyoming. The Rough Riders books are a Western saga, if you will, featuring a large ranching family. Each book can be read as a standalone, but each book builds on the entire arc of the series, both forward and backward, and each one features a different McKay or West family member.

***Complete disclosure; if I had it to do all over again, I would not have so many ‘C’ and ‘K’ names in this series – although it is something families do frequently out here in the Wild West, begin all offspring’s first names with the same letter. As sort of a wink wink nudge nudge to my readers and myself, in TIED UP, TIED DOWN, Skylar complains about the excessive use of the same consonant in the McKay family. And Kane asks his twin brother Kade why their mother gave them such similar names.***

I remember a series by a famous author in which the first couple in the series birthed one kid in the epilogue. Then in the next connected book that same couple were blessed with twins…but no mention of the first child. In the 3rd or 4th book, that same couple had triplets, not twins, still no mention of that poor little forgotten first kiddo. The inconsistency pulled me out of the story. Readers might think it is the copy editor’s job to double check facts and character lineage, but I wonder if the whole incident could’ve been avoided had the author created a family tree.

So I took Shelley’s suggestion to heart. Not only would an official roadmap be a bonus for readers, it’d be an easy way for me to keep track of my own characters. I checked a couple of author sites to see how they structured their family trees to get an idea of what I wanted. Then I posed the challenge to my readers loop, The James Gang, and two fabulous ladies volunteered to head up the project. Honestly, I think they’re afraid if I’m dinking around with working on a family tree I won’t actually be writing, and they’re sort of antsy for me to get the next book finished

These fans, Joy Roett and Carla Hartman created not one, not two, but three separate family trees. Immediately I sent the finished project to my website designer to post. Check out the results here.

Question of the day for readers: Do you look at family trees in the beginnings of books? Or skip over them entirely? Or would you go to the author’s website for more information?

Lorelei James writes erotic Westerns set in the modern day Wild West. For more information on books, contests and the James Gang readers yahoo group, visit Lorelei’s website: www.loreleijames.com

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