Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I’ve just picked up Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. I like this series, and I was very disappointed when they cancelled the TV series.

I frowned. “What, like . . . purgatory?”
Jack shrugged. “if that works for you, call it that. But you aren’t here because you need to cleanse yourself. You’re here because there was an irregularity with your death.”

page 10, Ghost Story

Blurb:

Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago’s first (and only) Wizard PI. Turns out the ‘everyday’ world is full of strange and magical things – and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in.

But he’s forgotten his own golden rule: magic – it can get a guy killed. Which didn’t help when he clashed with unknown assailants intent on his murder. And though Harry’s continued existence is now in some doubt, this doesn’t mean that Chicago’s resident professional wizard can rest in peace. Trapped in a realm that’s not quite here, yet not quite anywhere else, Harry learns that three of his loved ones are in mortal danger. Only by discovering his assailant’s identity can he save his friends, bring criminal elements to justice, and move on before he becomes trapped in his own unending nightmare.

It would just be easier if he knew which three friends were at risk. And had a (working) crystal ball. And had access to his magic. Instead, he must accomplish his mission unable to interact with the physical world – invisible and inaudible to all but the most specialised of magical talents. He’s far from the only silent presence roaming Chicago’s alleys. Hell, he put some there himself. And now, they’re looking for payback.

Purchase Ghost Story

Goodreads Giveaway – I’m currently doing a giveaway for my latest print release Sex Idol. Enter today to go into the draw to win. Here’s the Goodread’s link.

What are you reading this week? Leave a teaser or a link in the comments because I love to add to my wishlist.

My special guest today is author, Marie Astor who is celebrating the release of her new contemporary romance Lucky Charm. Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre. Marie is the author of a contemporary romance novel, Lucky Charm, and a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories. In addition to being a writer, Marie is an avid hiker, an excellent swimmer, a good skier, and a capable badminton player. Currently, Marie is working on her next novel – stay tuned for details!

Writing Contemporary Romance by Marie Astor

Before I started writing contemporary romance novels, I was (and still am) an avid reader of romance. One of my favorite things about this genre is that it allows the reader a diversion from everyday life, but that does not mean that contemporary romance cannot undertake serious matters and approach them from a lighter angle.

Let’s face it, romance makes for a big part of women’s lives – whether looking for one’s soul mate or searching for ways to maintain sparks in an existing relationship, women spend a lot of time worrying about this part of their lives. Hence, comes the dilemma for a contemporary romance author to create an entertaining, uplifting work of fiction that readers can enjoy.

In my contemporary romance novel, Lucky Charm, the main character, Annabel is getting over a broken engagement. At first, she is so absorbed by heartache that she refuses to even contemplate the thought of dating again. But when her best friend invites her to Paris, Annabel begins to come to terms with her break-up, and as she changes her outlook, romantic opportunities begin to present themselves (yes, she does meet a love interest!).

Now, before you start screaming at me that things like that do not happen in real life, I will be the first to admit that, yes – usually, they do not (although, sometimes they do). But I am a contemporary romance author, and I write fiction that is uplifting and at times a little bit fantastic, in a good way.

The other day I was having drinks with one of my friends whom I have not seen for a long time. I was sad to find out that she had just broken up with her boyfriend of five years – the boyfriend she thought was the one and expected to get engaged to. Needless to say, my friend was in broken spirits, carrying on about how impossible it is to meet ‘the right guy’; meanwhile, she was completely oblivious to the cute guy on the other side of the bar who was casting glances in her direction. When I pointed out this fact, my friend dismissed me at first, but when I insisted, she did smile back at the guy. Long story short, he came over and asked to buy her a drink. Now, they did not go on to live happily ever after – she never even gave him her number, but after this encounter, my friend’s confidence was considerably higher, and a few weeks later she did go on her first date, albeit with a different guy.

I was very glad to hear that my best friend was finding her bearings in the wobbly world of dating and could not help by note a similarity between her story and Annabel’s – both women had to learn to step out of their comfort zones and take a chance on love again – a task that is just as difficult to accomplish in Paris as it is right in your own home.

Twenty-eight-year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with her college love, an aspiring author Jeremy Blake, but her plans for an ideal wedding are rudely interrupted when she catches Jeremy kissing his gorgeous book agent.

Shell-shocked by Jeremy’s betrayal, Annabel retreats into the quiet routine of TV dinners and solitary evenings. It is then that Annabel’s best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, sets herself on a mission to draw Annabel out of her shell. In an attempt to persuade Annabel to keep an open mind on dating, Lilly takes Annabel for a stunning makeover, but after Annabel passes on a date with a dashing entrepreneur, Lilly decides that more drastic measures are needed. Lilly invites Annabel to see a palm reader who gives Annabel a lucky charm that is supposed to help her find true love.

A few weeks later, during her trip to Paris, Annabel meets a handsome Parisian, and as the two embark on a whirlwind romance, she starts to believe in the power of the talisman the palm reader has given her. But what Annabel doesn’t know is that Lilly is hiding a secret that could unravel her faith in her newly found luck in love.

Purchase from Amazon Kindle

To learn more about Marie and her books visit her website, her Facebook page or her Amazon author page.

CONTEST Marie is giving away a canvas tote to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour (US and Canada only please). The more tour posts you comment on, the better your chance of winning The tour dates can be found here.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser today is from Heartbreak Creek by Kaki Warner. I won this book by a new-to-me author in a blog contest a couple of months ago. I’m so glad I did, because I wouldn’t have chosen this book if left to my own devices. It’s a western romance with a marriage of convenience/fish-out-of-water plot. The setting sparkles, and the characters dragged me into the story from page one. I’m up to chapter three, and already I know I’ll be chasing down Kaki Warner’s earlier stories. Lucky for me she has a trilogy!

As with any well-bred, well-trained southern lady of quality, drama was her weapon, just as pride was her strength. Like the whalebone corsets and hoops under her dress, they shaped her and supported her, hiding beneath the bows and ruffles and hospitable smile the core of determination that gave her the strength to endure what she must.

page 2, Heartbreak Creek

Blurb:

Edwina Ladoux hoped becoming a mail-order bride would be her way out of the war- torn South and into a better life, but as soon as she arrives in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado, and meets her hulking, taciturn groom, she realizes she’s made a terrible mistake.

Declan Brodie already had one flighty wife who ran off with a gambler before being killed by Indians. He’s hoping this new one will be a practical, sturdy farm woman who can help with chores and corral his four rambunctious children. Instead, he gets a skinny Southern princess who doesn’t even know how to cook.

Luckily, Edwina and Declan agreed on a three-month courtship period, which should give them time to get the proxy marriage annulled. Except that as the weeks pass, thoughts of annulment turn into hopes for a real marriage- until Declan’s first wife returns after being held captive for the last four years. Now an honorable man must choose between duty and desire, and a woman who’s never had to fight for anything must do battle for the family she’s grown to love…

CONTESTS: I’m visiting Beth Kery’s blog today to help celebrate her new release, Silken Rapture. I’m talking about fish-out-of-water plots and giving away a download of my book Fancy Free.

I’m also doing a giveaway of Peeping Tom at Goodreads. This contest closes on Nov 18 and is open to all.

Win a print copy of Peeping Tom on Goodreads. Thirteen days left to enter!

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.

Wolves have loomed large on my mind recently with the release of my latest book Lone Wolf, so this week I thought the differences between wolves and dogs would make an excellent TT topic.

Thirteen Differences Between Wolves and Dogs

1. The skeletons of wolf and dog are quite different. There are diagrams on In the Company of Wolves which show the difference between the two.

2. Dogs behave like adolescent wolves throughout their lives while wolves mature in their behavior.

3. Wolves don’t shed like dogs. They lose their winter coats in spring and grow a summer coat. Our puppy seems to shed constantly!

4. Wolves tend to do what they want to do whenever the mood strikes them, while dogs happily wait for their owners.

5. Wolves seldom bark while barking is the main method of communication for a dog.

6. Wolves typically ingest fur, bones and other things while these things would make a domestic dog ill.

7. The muzzle of a wolf is typically much longer than a dogs.

8. Every wolf in the pack helps to raise the pups. They regurgitate food for the pups. Dogs don’t do this.

9. Wolves rarely kill anything for fun. When they make a kill it’s for food. Dogs can kill as a type of game i.e. to show their masters how clever they are.

10. Wolves come into heat only once a year while dogs come into heat several times.

11. Wolves have much smaller litters 2 – 4 pups. A dog can have up to 12 puppies.

12. Wolves have longer legs, bigger feet and broader skulls than dogs.

13. Wolves live in packs, which have a distinct hierarchy of alpha wolves and submissive wolves. This is apparent even with the pups in the pack.

Source: In the Company of Wolves

Note: that’s our puppy in the photo on the right. She knows she’s not meant to be up on the chair!

I’m visiting Words of Wisdom…From the Scarf Princess today. The Scarf Princess interviewed me about writing, travel and Lone Wolf, my new release from Samhain Publishing.

If you’re a regular visitor to my blog you already know how much I love to travel. Seeing different parts of the world broadens the mind and exposes us to new ideas, experiences and cultures. Personally I think it’s a great way of learning, and my experiences definitely bleed into my books.

Check out my interview, and don’t forget one commenter during my Lone Wolf blog tour will win a $20 gift card from Amazon.

The LONE WOLF VBT continues! Today I’m visiting BVS Reader’s Blog where I talk a little about reading and writing gay romances, plus of course a little about my latest release, Lone Wolf.

Here’s the link – BVS Reader’s Blog

The recent snow in Auckland hit the news for several days in a row. I’ve lived in Auckland all my life, and have never seen snow here before. I took photos – please don’t laugh. That really is a misting of snow, although it didn’t last long.

Hubby and I took Bella for a walk to the bird reserve, not far from where we live. These proud parents were busy parading their young about for all to see. This pair normally only has one or two, but this year they’ve outdone themselves with seven offspring.

It’s not long until we head off to China. I intend to start packing this week. For once I’m not going to be packing at the last minute.

This coming week sees the release of Lone Wolf and my Virtual Book Tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. I hope you’ll be able to visit some of my stops. Everyone who visits the guest spots and comments on the posts will go into a draw to win a $20 Gift Certificate from Amazon.

My stops are below:

August 22: Book Junkie
August 23: Naughty Boys in the Backseat
August 24: Black Velvet Seductions Readers Blog
August 25: Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess
August 26: Sara York the Author of Sexy Books for Smart Women and Men

What did you get up to during the weekend?

My special guest today is fellow Ellora’s Cave author and Romance Diva, Emily Ryan-Davis. She’s talking about one of her favorite things. I hope you’ll also take the time to check out her new, hot contemporary release, Hot For Pepper. Over to Emily…

Maryland’s Peach Season

July and August in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic can be a miserable experience. Heat and high humidity are the major offenders and they have little ripple effects beyond physical comfort. In my house, we usually stop using the oven sometime near the end of May, with the occasional very early morning oven run on cooler days in June. Home-cooked meals? A distant memory by the 4th of July weekend. Grocery stores are overrun at the deli counter as the entire region settles in to eat cold sandwiches and take-out until the heat breaks.

Miserable experience – but the experience is saved, at least in my area, by a bounty of produce. Especially peaches. I live about 15 miles from a peach orchard and I spend all year living for that first miserable, humid, sticky July day when I can get my hands on a locally-grown, ripe-off-the-tree peach. For me, that moment makes a Mid-Atlantic summer worthwhile.

This year, I discovered the inspiration for using peaches in food porn. Tip: Don’t take a fresh Maryland peach to work unless you intend to slice it and eat it in delicate little nibbles, because once you bite into a whole Maryland peach, G-rated goes right out the window. I had to mop peach juice out of my cleavage one afternoon while young children paraded by, all the while in my head hoping nobody’s parent glanced over to find me engaging in X-rated behavior with a piece of fruit.

Food. Porn.

I’m pregnant this year (did I mention Shelley’s site is the first stop along my “It’s You Time” blog tour, wherein I invite all you readers to send the kids back to school and kick back with a book while I take the time to enjoy my last few months as a freedom-loving non-parent?) so my peach craving started early. I distinctly remember writing a scene in my recent Ellora’s Cave release, HOT FOR PEPPER, and needing a specific fruit to describe Pepper’s fragrance. Peaches popped into my head (and morphed into a bit of food porn in Mitch’s head) and it was all over for me. I spent two months dying for a fresh peach. Dying!

And this peach obsession? It’s not just me. Maryland’s peach season is anticipated far and wide (mostly by other Marylanders) because peach season brings with it Maryland peach cake, home-canned peach jam and spiced peaches. Little spoonfuls of bliss. Little spoonfuls of bliss that, sadly, come to an end by Sept 1. I suppose in a few years I’ll be eagerly saying goodbye to peach season and hello to the school year but for now…I already miss those peaches.

Back in July, while picking up my umpteenth box of peaches from a local produce stand, my husband said to the owner, “They’re my wife’s favorite fruit.” The owner’s wife replied, “I say that about every new summer fruit that comes along.” DH shook his head and said, “No, you don’t understand. They’re her FAVORITE fruit.” And he was right. As much as I look forward to autumn and the arrival of apple season, to pumpkin butter and roasted butternut squash and home-canned applesauce and hot chocolate and simmering pots of fragrant soup, nothing compares to peach season for me. Peach season is like a book I’ve been anticipating all year–too long in coming, and over too soon (for me, those books this year were by Carolyn Jewel and Nalini Singh). But at least I still have a few jars of spiced peaches and some favorite re-readable books to tide me over until next summer.

Because I’m curious: what is your favorite fruit? Your FAVORITE fruit, the in-season crop you anticipate for ten months until it comes around again? And what new book are you anxiously anticipating?

CONTEST: Answer Emily’s questions and go into a draw to win an ebook download of Hot For Pepper.

Bio: Emily Ryan-Davis is a lifelong East Coaster whose passion for the written word saw her through jobs writing obituaries, press releases and grants before she decided “I’m going to do this” and sat down to write a book. She made that decision in 2005 and has since published several short stories and novellas with digital publishers Ellora’s Cave, Liquid Silver Books and Freya’s Bower.

Emily is a five-year member of the Writer’s Digest-recognized writing community Romance Divas, where she volunteers as a moderator and participates in the annual mentor program. Her non-writing loves include shopping, handmade wool socks, farmer’s markets and German buttercream frosting.

She may have been a princess in a past life.

Visit Emily’s website www.emilyryandavis.com to learn more about her books and her new release, Hot For Pepper.

I suffered a bit of an oops with my post for Thursday Thirteen this week and decided to save it for next week.

In writing news, I’ve been busy working through edits for my second Carina Press book. It’s a contemporary mystery with a romance thread (of course!) and, as yet, remains untitled. This story is due for release in Feb 2012.

In puppy news, Bella is a constant amusement to us. She is patiently waiting for a walk, sunning herself on my husband’s comfy chair. She’s not meant to be up there, and she knows it. Last night before we went to bed, I suggested my husband should put a bottle on his chair the minute he stood. (We have two plastic bottles with stones in them. Bella hates the rattle sound they make and steers clear when she sees one). As you can guess, hubby didn’t follow my excellent advice.

We’re looking forward to our visit to China and have new passports and Chinese visas. Our packing is a work in progress. Today I intend to tackle the ironing pile because some of the clothes in there are off on an outing to China.

Last week, I purchased an iPad. I’ve long lusted after one, and I intend to put it through its paces this weekend. I’ve been too busy with edits to do much more than name him Rohan and stroke him now and then. Yes, my iPad is a him. Do you name your computer equipment?

Carina Press author, Cathy Pegau is visiting tomorrow, so I hope you’ll pop back and say hello. Don’t forget every time you comment on my blog you’re in with a chance to win an ebook bundle. I’m also doing a giveaway at Goodreads for The Bottom Line.

As I prepare for my visit to China, I’m thinking about ebooks to read,music to listen to, and iPad apps. Do you have any recommendations?