Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

I’m thrilled to take part in the Colors of the Rainbow Blog Hop, which is sponsored by Marketing For Romance Writers.

Quite a few years ago, I started to hear about a particular book doing well and getting rave review. The buzz raised my curiosity. The book in question was A Bit of Rough by Laura Baumbach, the story about two men who have their first meeting (and sex) in a pub alley. The m/m genre wasn’t one I’d ever thought about reading, but since I kept bumping into raves about A Bit of Rough, I purchased it and started reading. Laura hooked me right in and I became a fan of the genre, eagerly searching out more books and authors.

Here are some of my other all-time favorites:

Fatal Shadows by Josh Lanyon – Actually, I love the entire Adrien English series, but this is the first one.

Cut and Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux – another great series with awesome characters.

The Englor Affair by JL Langley – I’ve enjoyed most of JL’s books, but this one is a particular favorite.

Faith & Fidelity by Tere Michaels

Out of Bounds by TA Chase – book one in another series

Grey’s Awakening by Cameron Dane

Of course, these are older books, and I have a stack of current releases on my e-reader, just waiting for me to read them.

My love of the genre led me to writing a few of my own:

 

Fallen Idol, Eye on the Ball, Wanna Do Bad Things to You, Stray Cat Strut, Catnap, Best Man, Last Wish, Lone Wolf and Seeking Kokopelli. You should check them out.

CONTEST: Go into a draw to win a m/m download from my backlist (3 winners). Complete the rafflecopter below and answer this question. What are some of your favorite GLBT reads? Or, what GLBT books have you read lately?

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Download your favorite version of the exclusive Marketing for Romance Writers Rainbow Excerpts Book, with 60 pages of excerpts and samples from our authors. This version features gay romance.

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Lone Wolf is now available from Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble and of course from Samhain Publishing.

When you fall out of step, that’s when everything falls into place.

R.J. Blake begins a new session tutoring young werewolves in the old ways—before the introduction of the shift-suppressing drugs that allow their kind to live secretly among humans. He expects nothing out of the ordinary. Until sexy, smart, aggravating-as-hell Corey Wilson arrives. Older than the others, son of a powerful Los Angeles pack leader, Corey is an instant temptation he cannot afford.

The last thing Corey wants is three months stuck in the Yellowstone wilderness, followed by the stifling life his father has all mapped out for him. One glimpse of R.J., though, sparks a determination to seduce the older man before he leaves. Yet as R.J. guides him through the sometimes terrifying process of rediscovering his heritage, a deepening respect calls to his artistic soul and fuels a burst of creativity.

When their time comes to an end, Corey senses hesitation behind R.J.’s insistence that theirs was simply a summer fling. Inspiring him to take a leap of faith with consequences neither of them saw coming. A dangerous plot that reaches from the heart of their love to the highest office in the land…

Product Warnings
This book contains a young werewolf intent on seduction, an older werewolf determined to resist said seduction, werewolf politics and brutality, a little spilled blood, and hot, naked manlove in the great outdoors.

Purchase from Amazon or Book Depository

During the weekend hubby and I went to a party. The star attraction of the day was a lamb cooked on a spit. Hubby picked up the lamb from the meat place and it rode home, strapped in his passenger seat. He said it was the worst company and had no conversational skills. Ha-ha, right?

Anyway, they started cooking at seven in the morning, after stuffing it with rosemary and thyme, and dinner was served just after two. I think everyone enjoyed eating the lamb. I stuck to the salads since I’m a vegetarian.

This made me start thinking about my favorite picnic or barbeque foods. I don’t think you can go wrong with sandwiches for a picnic. I’m a fan of all types of sandwiches or a savory pie. When it comes to barbeques I like vegetable kebabs, maybe marinated in a little something first.

If you were packing for a picnic or organizing a barbecue what would be your first addition to the menu?

Find Your Perfect Stranger Day Seventeen!

Let’s hear from Hunter Blair:

Hey. I’m Hunter Blair. Coach said I should show you around. This is the Auckland Cavaliers’ home stadium. We train here three days a week. On alternative days we hit the pool, or have individual sessions with the trainers.

Check out the rest of the interview with Hunter Blair in the All Romance ebooks newsletter.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a rugby fan. Growing up I played netball, which is a little like basketball, except you can’t bounce the ball. Netball is played in most Commonwealth countries, and is a popular winter sport for girls and women of all ages.

At school I tried most sports. I did gymnastics, an area in which I have no talent! I played hockey. Those sticks are weapons of body destruction. I did running and athletics, which I enjoyed. I played cricket and softball, volleyball and attempted tennis.

These days I don’t play any sports, but I enjoy walking and sometimes I run. Sometimes! I also cycle about five times a week. I’m an excellent armchair referee in rugby and netball. I also have a passing knowledge of rugby league and hope to improve my armchair ref skills this season.

I was thrilled to receive an invitation to submit a story to All Romance ebooks Perfect Stranger series again this year. Eye on the Ball, which is set in the world of rugby, is out today.

Here’s the blurb:

Sometimes the best games are the ones played for keeps.

For two years, Melbourne assistant rugby coach Leon Fleming has mourned the passing of his long-term partner, convinced he could’ve done something to prevent his lover’s unexpected death.

Professional rugby player Hunter Blair is having a terrible season with his Auckland team, struggling with his form and a spate of injuries. A closet gay, Hunter visits the Maxwell’s BDSM club intending to satisfy his curiosity and maybe score an anonymous one-night stand. What he finds is something quite different—a taciturn man who intrigues him. A man who fires both his imagination and his libido.

Hunter’s blatant offer shoves Leon into turmoil. It’s only sex, yet it feels as if he’s stepping into the unknown. This is a game with no rules or referee. Not a final whistle in sight, so why is his heart telling him he should play hard and win?

Order at All Romance ebooks

What sports did you play at school? What sports do you play now?

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!
Congratulations to Amanda Seymour (Momma Seymour) who wins the $15 Amazon GC and Jennifer Leeland who wins a download from my backlist.

Read the rest of this entry ?

I’m thrilled to contribute another story to All Romance ebooks Perfect Strangers series. Eye on the Ball, my story this year is a contemporary mm one with a rugby theme.

Here’s the blurb:

Sometimes the best games are the ones played for keeps.

For two years, Melbourne assistant rugby coach Leon Fleming has mourned the passing of his long-term partner, convinced he could’ve done something to prevent his lover’s unexpected death.

Professional rugby player Hunter Blair is having a terrible season with his Auckland team, struggling with his form and a spate of injuries. A closet gay, Hunter visits the Maxwell’s BDSM club intending to satisfy his curiosity and maybe score an anonymous one-night stand. What he finds is something quite different—a taciturn man who intrigues him. A man who fires both his imagination and his libido.

Hunter’s blatant offer shoves Leon into turmoil. It’s only sex, yet it feels as if he’s stepping into the unknown. This is a game with no rules or referee. Not a final whistle in sight, so why is his heart telling him he should play hard and win?

Preorder your copy today at All Romance ebooks

The first book in the Perfect Strangers series comes out on the 1 Feb with new books releasing daily. Find details of all the Perfect Strangers books here.

Yellowstone was the very first National Park. Established in 1872, the park hosts millions of visitors per year. The park is located in the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho and has a wide range of habitat ranging from grasslands and forest to lake, rivers and mountains. Note: I think the people who set the land aside had great vision, and I’m proud to say that the second park in the world was a New Zealand one.

Animals that live in Yellowstone include bison, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mule deer, grizzly and black bears, moose and a few years ago, wolves were reintroduced after being previously wiped out in the area. There are also lots of different birds.

Yellowstone is also famous for its volcanic activity. Huge volcanic eruptions occurred here, the last around 640,000 years ago. The central portion of the park is actually a large caldera (basin) and the area is still very active with many geysers, mudpots, and hot springs. The most famous of these is Old Faithful geyser, which erupts to a schedule and thrills many a tourist.

Yellowstone is vast, yet parts of it are very accessible to the daytripper tourist. I’ve been fortunate to visit twice, and during my last visit, a story idea popped into my mind. My husband and I stayed at Tower-Roosevelt in a small cabin and spent two days exploring as much of the park as we could manage. We went animal spotting and saw loads of wildlife including a grizzly bear eating its kill. I really wanted to see a wolf. I didn’t see one in the end—they’re actually very hard to spot during the summer months—but early in the morning, not long after we woke, we heard the wolves calling. It was an eerie, magical sound and provided the final inspiration for my story. Lone Wolf is the result of my visit to Yellowstone.

Have you visited Yellowstone National Park? What is your favorite outdoor spot to visit? (any part of the world)

Experience wolves and the wildlife in Lone Wolf, an m/m romance coming from Samhain Publishing on 23 August. Available now for pre-order at a discounted price.

My special guest today is Loose Id author, Lori Toland. She’s here celebrating the release of her book Trust in Me. Over to Lori…

I love Beta Heroes. You know, he’s the guy who is totally geeky. He probably wears glasses and typically can fix your computer or entertainment center. Or he may be the guy who has his nose in a book and has a deadly sharp sense of humor. He might also be the science or math go-to guy who spends his days slaving over equations.

But once you get him into bed, he blows your mind. In between books and equations, he has been thinking about the many ways to sex you up and make you beg for more. He’s what a like to call a Beta to the world but an Alpha between the sheets and he is the sexiest hero alive.

Some famous Beta heroes are Sherlock Holmes, Gregory House and Indiana Jones. All of these guys are sexy and they use their brains to get where they need to be. They may be snarky or polite but they are incredibly smart and they always get laid.

Tristan is a computer nerd, with the glasses to go with it. He never thought Jamie Hunter, the high school quarterback and hot man on campus would be gay, let alone be interested in him. One hot August night changes all of that and Tristan for the rest of his life. Ten years later, he meets the man he fell in love with. Can he let go of the past and risk his heart again?

Thank you Shelley, for having me by to talk about Trust In Me. I hope you all enjoy it!

Lori

Do you enjoy beta heroes? Do you have any favorites?

CONTEST: Lori is currently doing a blog tour for Trust in Me. She’s giving away a $25 gift card from Amazon, B&N or Loose Id and a copy of her book to one lucky person. The more blog stops you visit, the better chance you have of winning. Follow this link to learn more details for the rest of Lori Toland’s Trust in Me Virtual tour

When Tristan takes over for a sick employee, he runs into an old high school crush. Ten years after a summer fling with Jamie, left him with a broken heart, Tristan’s got a different view of it; will he push away the only man he’s ever loved?

Purchase Trust in Me

CEO by day, erotic romance writer by night, Lori Toland lives in Orlando where the summers are hot but the romance between her characters is even hotter. Writing since the tender age of 13, Lori somehow finds time to play video games and watch movies while taking care of her beloved cats and a husband who will forever be her hero.

To learn more about Lori and her book visit her website or blog. You can also find Lori on Twitter.

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

Check out Brenda Novak’s On-line auction for the cure of diabetes 2011. There are lots of things to bid on including books, critiques for authors, conference fees, jewelry and other fun stuff.

Several of the Carina Press authors, including me, clubbed together to offer two ereaders loaded with Carina Press books. You can bid on a color Nook or a Kindle.

Here’s the link to the Brenda Novak Online auction.

In book news my m/m romance Seeking Kokopelli is now available in print and is shipping. Purchase your copy directly from Samhain Publishing, Amazon or from your favorite online or high street book store.