Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

Happy New Year!

Here’s wishing you all a happy and safe 2012, filled with writing and good books.

Today I’m blogging over at Not Your Usual Suspects about the book I read as a child that sent me on the path of adventure, crime and suspense. Strictly fictional, of course!

I’m visiting Savvy Authors today and talking about heroines. Here’s the link to my post, which contains suggestions for writing a good heroine.

I intend to try and catch up on some writing this weekend, and I’ll be watching the quarter-finals of the rugby World Cup on both Saturday and Sunday. The All Blacks are playing Argentina.

What are you doing this weekend?

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

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?

I’m visiting The Romance Studio – the Rainbow blog – and talking about the setting for Seeking Kokopelli, which is out in print this week. I hope you’ll visit because I’ve included some of my holiday snaps.

Here’s the link to The Romance Studio

I’m guest blogging at Bookin’ It today where I’m talking about facts and imagination, and about how some people see writers. I’m also giving away a print copy of The Bottom Line.

Here’s the link to Bookin’ It

I’m blogging today at Access Romance about photography. I’m also running a contest and giving away both a print book and a download of one of my recent releases.

Come over and say hello – Here’s the link to Access Romance

I’m guest blogging over at Access Romance today about Small Changes and the Bucket List.
Here’s the link to the Access Romance blog.

I’m visiting Berengaria Brown today and talking about Christmas. Here’s the link to Berengaria’s Blog.

My husband sprang a surprise on me for my birthday and my holiday ended up a bit longer than I’d planned. Not that I’m complaining. I had a fantastic time. I’ll be back to tell you about it tomorrow. Meantime I have what seems like a million things to do before the family arrive for Christmas lunch.