Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

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.

In the red corner we have…

…the original Sex Idol cover. Lickable abs with no head.

And in the blue corner we have…

…the sexy new print cover for Sex Idol. We still have lickable abs, but now our hero has a head.

Now I like the first cover, but I love the new updated one. Call me shallow, but I let out a shriek of joy when I saw the print cover last week. I think the cover model really looks like a sex idol. I’d vote for him for sure. Yeah, yeah. I know. Shallow. I did warn you.

Which cover do you prefer and why? What would your ideal cover look like?

The print version of Sex Idol is out today at Ellora’s Cave. If you prefer an e-copy follow this link.

If you’re on Facebook or Twitter I’d really appreciate a shout out to help spread the news of Sex Idol’s release. Here are some tweet-sized snippets to save you time.

Are you Sex Idol material? SEX IDOL by @shelleymunro @ellorascave http://bit.ly/r0idVp

SEX IDOL by @shelleymunro @ellorascave This is a very naughty book http://bit.ly/r0idVp

Lord have mercy on me. SEX IDOL by @shelleymunro @ellorascave is the hottest novel on the planet ~ JERR reviewer http://bit.ly/r0idVp

SEX IDOL by @shelleymunro @ellorascave a futuristic romance about reality shows, dreams & pressure to perform http://bit.ly/r0idVp

Thanks!

Surprise! Assassin is out in print from Ellora’s Cave today. I have a soft spot for this book, and I’m thrilled that Leo and Isabella are finally out in print.

Here’s the blurb:

Feline shifter Leo Mitchell is the pretty brother who attracts women with ease, but he’s turned picky. He suspects the mystery blonde hanging around Middlemarch is the one for him. If only he could grab the elusive female and seduce her. Oh yeah. He craves some hot, sinful lovin’ with the lady in black leather.

Assassin Isabella Black has harbored a huge crush on hunky Leo for ages. Because the timing sucked she’s watched him from afar, praying another woman won’t snatch the hottie away before she’s free to stake a claim.

Finally the pair meet. Isabella offers her naked body but Leo counteracts with a cup of tea. Seems Leo likes to call the shots when it comes to sex. A day later they’re finally dancing horizontally. It’s smokin’ hot, steamy, delicious—everything she’s ever wanted. Isabella is ecstatic until another assassin threatens to ruin her happiness. It’s life or death now. One wrong move and her secrets will destroy the Mitchells along with everything that has become dear to her…including Leo.

Purchase from:

Ellora’s Cave
Amazon
The Book Depository

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.

Yesterday I blog-hopped over to Rosalie Lario’s blog and read J. R. Barrett’s post about her new release, Incorporeal. Her post was titled Why I Wrote a Ghost Story.

Publishers told her ghost stories didn’t sell. Click over to Rosalie’s blog and read what Julia said. Don’t worry. I’ll hang around until you return.

Frankly, I disagree because I enjoy reading stories featuring the combination of ghosts and romance. I remember being enthralled by the old television series The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. In fact, reruns would be welcomed. I also enjoyed a detective show called Randall and Hopkirk. One of them was a ghost–I can’t quite remember which one it was, but he wore a white suit to denote his ghostly presence.

The thought that love is timeless and goes on past death attracts me, and it’s always interesting to learn how an author deals with a ghost plus a human lover. How will they finally end up together? Will they end up together? A ghost makes for an interesting conflict. Ghosts also make excellent secondary characters and can add depth and humor to a story.

There don’t seem to be many ghost romances around, but a few years ago I wrote a werewolf-ghost story called Curse of Brandon Lupinus. In fact, it’s selling at the reduced price of $1.49 at Amazon and All Romance ebooks. And of course, you can check out JR Barrett’s Incorporeal.

What do you think about ghost romances? Do you like or dislike them and why?

Check out my contest to win a shapeshifter ebook bundle or a Talking Dog ebook bundle. The details are here. Basically all you need to do to enter the contest is comment on my blog. Go forth and comment!

Looking for a good book to read? A bargain? Look no further.

Thirteen Ellora’s Cave Books At A Bargain Price- $1.50 or less–at Amazon

1. Talking Dogs, Aliens & Purple People Eaters – A female alien crash lands in New Zealand. She and her aunt meet a human cop and hook up with a talking dog. Chaos ensues.

2. Sex Idol – Reality shows in the future. Oy, the mind boggles!

3. Summer in the City of Sails – a country girl travels to the big, bad city looking for adventure. She meets a soldier who feels he must babysit her. She leads him a merry chase.

4. Soldier of Fortune – a companion book to Summer in the City of Sails. Vacation lovers have a surprise meeting in a war zone.

5. Playing to Win – A professional rugby player discovers he has a son, but the boy’s aunt and guardian wants nothing to do with him. A romantic suspense with a creepy stalker.

6. Fancy Free – a woman inherits a condom company and is shoved way out of her comfort zone.

7. Make That Man Mine – a secretary decides it’s time to make her move and claim a sexy detective as her own. The detective has other ideas….and a big secret!

8. Issy’s Infatuation – a sports romance featuring rugby. It’s World Cup year for rugby. Get in the mood and follow Issy’s rugby progress.

9. Never Send a Dog to do a Woman’s Job – The talking dog is back again, trying to keep an alien from seducing the heroine. Just quietly…she’s not very good at her job.

10. Wanderlust – Mystery and murder. Become a tourist and go on tour in India. Experience the sights while watching for the murderer.

11. Lynx to the Pharaoh – jump back to the past and visit Egypt…

12. Fallen Idol – more reality shows from the future. This one is a gay romance.

13. Last Wish – a man wants a silver teapot for his mother’s collection and ends up with much more–a testy genie who wants to end his contract. This one is a gay romance.

The above books are also available in other formats at All Romance ebooks. Most of them are selling for $0.74.

Have you purchased any bargain books recently?

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’m doing two teasers today. The first is from one of my favorite urban fantasy series, Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series–River Marked

“Most people,” said Adam thoughtfully–and loud enough that even the audience members without preternatural gifts could hear him–”have surprise birthday parties. You get a surprise wedding.”

page 35, River Marked

Blurb:

Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a coyote shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. And she’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

As Mercy takes in this new information, an evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River. Something deadly is coming, facts are thin on the ground and Mercy feels ill at ease. However, her father’s people may know more. To have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need all the resources the shifters can offer. Or death will be the least of their worries.

Purchase River Marked

My second teaser is from one of my own books, Fancy Free, a contemporary romance, which is currently available at the low price of $1.49 at Amazon Kindle.

“Huh.” Harriet Te Whare snorted, her knitting needles clicking furiously as she worked on her current project, a striped scarf for her granddaughter. “You weren’t the condom type when Alicia approached us to help her raise the money to float the company. You’re sure as hell in favor of condoms now.”

page 20, Fancy Free

It’s not every day a girl inherits a condom company, and to say accountant Alice Beasley is astonished and out of her depth is putting it mildly. For an almost virgin, she needs a quick education in all things condom because her inheritance is in danger. Someone is intent on sabotage and playing nasty, trying to destroy her new company.

Alice is suddenly getting down and dirty with charismatic James, the factory manager, all in the name of business, testing new condom designs. The sex is hot. Mind-blowing. It’s a dark thrill and an erotic journey. Yeah, it’s a hard job, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s gotta do.

The testing turns personal. Alice wants James. She craves his talented touch and sultry kisses, she desires passion and physical pleasure on a permanent basis but first she must convince bad-boy James to give up his fancy-free ways…

Purchase Fancy Free

I’d like to welcome fellow Ellora’s Cave author, Elaine Lowe to my blog today. She’s celebrating her recent paranormal release, Magic Eights. Do you know I had to drag her from her writing cave? She’ll explain…

Hello Shelley, thanks for having me visit here at your blog. It’s a chance for me to pick my head up out of my den of writing and look around for a minute and wave. I’m in one of those places right now where I’m writing non-stop, the muse waking me up at night to point out missed opportunities for irony, comedy or deeper emotional impact. I love it and it happens all too rarely, but I also sometimes forget the need to eat anything but convenient junk food and pay the bills.

I’m completely obsessed with my latest manuscript, which is shaping up to be a fun urban fantasy that is very loosely connected to my latest release, Magic Eights. The characters are fun, the situation is perfect for emotional tension, and I’m having so much fun worldbuilding I have to be very very careful to avoid that greatest of sins, the infodump. But even if it all ends up a riotous mess, I’m having so much fun. I’ll get out everything I can until writer’s block strikes again.

Writing for me is an ebb and flow of the need to push myself to force the words to come, and the need to dial myself back and edit so things make sense and run-on sentences don’t procreate and take over the world for the forces of evil. There are times when I don’t write anything for weeks and am letting stories and characters percolate in my brain, aging like good brandy. I try to find enjoyment in each facet of the writing process, as each is important to the creation of a good story. After seventeen books, I try to relax into the process and don’t fight what my instinct tells me to do.

Right now, my instinct is calling me back to finish my next chapter, and I’d better strike while the iron is hot.

Have fun and keep reading!

Bio:
Elaine Lowe is a work-at-home mom in Silicon Valley California. Of her many part-time jobs, her favorite one by far is writing. She has a background in biotech, but she has branched out into the demanding world of home management, child entertainment, transcription, envelope stuffing, and of course, writing romantic and erotic fiction.

A love of history, magic and romance combines to inspire a lot of her writing. That and her wonderful husband, who is a fantastic sounding board, support system, and research consultant. He really enjoys research. And so does she. You can visit Elaine at her website or find her on Twitter.

Magic Eights Blurb:
A casual wish by a frustratingly horny wife results in a most unexpected bit of magic…
Susanna walks into her kitchen to see two copies of her husband of eight years, William. When they both seduce her, she’s helpless to resist. Who would want to? When another copy walks in and makes love to her, and another, she ceases to ask why, only, how much can she take?

Seven copies, one original, and all of them want to push her to the very brink. Can she handle them all? Sinful satisfaction is the best anniversary present, and eight is Susanna’s lucky number.

Purchase Magic Eights

I thought I’d add a question for everyone: What do you think a writer’s cave looks like? If you’re a writer, what does your writer’s cave look like? Do you have any questions for Elaine?

My story about rugby and sexy rugby players is out later today at Ellora’s Cave!

Here’s the blurb:

Tyson Hamlin lives and breathes rugby. With loads of natural talent, he’s destined for the big time. But Tyson has a secret—his perfect life, complete with doting girlfriend—is a lie. While he loves the game, he’s not quite as driven as he used to be, and his girlfriend is a beard he hides behind because the truth is—he prefers men.

Darcy Nichols transfers from Dunedin to pursue his dream to make the national team. He’s giving his all this one last season and intends to focus on his goal. Openly gay, he arrives in Auckland to suspicion and hostility.

One look and Ty is smitten. He wants the sexy Darcy to do all sorts of bad things with him. Game on. The sparks fly in private as they burn up the sheets, but they can’t live in seclusion forever. They’re under public scrutiny, and one wrong step could derail their rugby careers and end their dreams forever.

Contains sexy rugby players with their eye on the ball.

Purchase Wanna Do Bad Things With You