Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

Last week over at the Smut Writers’ Soap Box Amie Louellen wrote a fun post about romance writers. She asked everyone to finish this sentence – You know you’re a romance writer when…

Here’s the link. Go ahead. Click over and read it. I’ll wait until you come back.

While I was wondering how to entertain you all during the Black Friday blog hop, I suddenly thought, “Hmm. What if I stole Amie’s idea and tweaked it a little?”

So that’s when I came up with THE idea—the perfect idea to entertain my blog visitors today.

We’re all fans of reading, and a lot of us read romance. Romance readers are different because we like to read a lot. We always have our noses in a book and when we’re not reading, we are talking about books.

But how do you know you’re a romance reader?

That’s what I want you to tell me today. I’ll give you a couple of ideas to start you off.

You know you’re a romance reader when the piles of books at the side of your bed are mini-mountain size.

You know you’re a romance reader when you finish reading your book and immediately need to jump your husband. (that’s an erotic romance, of course)

Now it’s your turn. Finish this statement: You know you’re a romance reader when…

CONTEST: Leave your suggestion in the comments section. Everyone who completes the statement about romance readers goes into a draw to win a download of their choice from my backlist.

Don’t forget to check out the other authors participating in the MFRW Authors’ blog hop. There are some great prizes up for grabs. The links are below.

Chris Redding
W.Lynn Chantale
Christine Ashworth
Chelle Cordero
Tammy Dennings Maggy
Shelley Munro
Debra Holland
Jane Wakely
Smoky Ziedel
Ann Siracusa

One of my favorite things about taking a holiday, apart from stepping away from my normal routine, is that I get the chance to catch up on my reading. During my visit to China, I managed to get through twenty-eight books in lengths ranging from shorts to long novels. Since I love to talk books, I thought I’d mention some of my favorite holiday reads instead of doing a Tuesday Teaser.

I started off with The Waiting Booth (Whispering Woods) by Brinda Berry. This is a young adult story and was a great start to my reading binge. The Waiting Booth features a missing boy, government agents and an interdimensional portal. The plot moved along and I kept zipping through the pages until I reached the end.

The Devil to Pay by Maria Zannini was an interesting read with great world building. Heaven or hell? Our heroine is in a bad place in her life and wants out. Unluckily, that’s just the start of her problems. This is a self-published book and well worth a read. I’ll be snapping up the second story in Maria’s series when it comes out.

Rock Hard by Olivia Cunning is the second book in her Sinners on Tour series. It took me a while to warm to the hero, but this book was an excellent way to pass a long bus ride. It’s a hot, sexy read, and I’m counting the days until book three hits the shelves.

I’m a sucker for a friends-to-lovers story, and Hot Head by Damon Suede grabbed my attention straight away. Sexy firemen, best friends, lots of emotion and confusion along the way. This is a gay romance, and I really enjoyed it.

Then came my Carina Press binge. Yes, I’m a Carina author, but I have to say if you haven’t tried some of the stories available from Carina you’re missing out. I read Golden by Joely Sue Burkhart. Just excellent. I loved this story, which is a historical set in China. Caddy Girls by VK Sykes and Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley are both stories I’d recommend to any contemporary fan. I enjoyed reading both stories.

And my final recommendation is Chasin’ Eight by Lorelei James. The hero and heroine really grabbed me in this one, and it was fun watching them both grow during the course of the book. This is book eleven in the Rough Riders series and one of my favorites in the series to date.

Have you read any extra good books this month? What are you reading at present? If you have time give me a two sentence teaser in the comments, because I need to load up my iPad again.

I’ve been a fan of ebooks for a long time, embracing them even before I sold to an epublisher. This is why I like reading ebooks:

1. It’s a “green” way of reading and saves trees.

2. They take up less room.

3. Hubby doesn’t know exactly how many books I have :)

4. The books don’t turn yellow and smell musty with age.

5. I don’t have to dust them.

6. If I want a book, I can purchase one 24 hours a day. Instant gratification!

7. They tend to be cheaper than print books. By the time freight and taxes are added to books in New Zealand, they’re very expensive.

8. I don’t have to wait months to get my hands on new releases. Books (print) take ages to hit the shelves down here. That instant gratification again!

9. I can adjust the font size to suit my needs at the time.

10. I never lose my place because my bookmark has dropped out.

11. My library is portable. I can tote my entire ebook collection with me without breaking my back.

12. I can read a book, no matter what the subject, at any time without worrying e.g. I can read erotic romance in a public place.

Are you an ebook fan? If you prefer print, tell me why. (Don’t fear – I’m truly curious!)

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?

I read an interesting blog post in the weekend at Falling in Love With Romance, the blog of author Suzie Quint. The post was titled Don’t Think You’re Writing Historical Novels? Think Again. Suzie mentioned how technology is changing so rapidly, it makes some novels seem like historical novels even before their time.

Some of the examples she cited include:
tapes/compact discs/downloads/
dial-up Internet
telephones/cell phones/home lines/party lines
VCR/tapes/

I know from experience when I received the rights back for Playing To Win, I had to update due to changes in technology in DNA tests and the computerization of birth records. It was tricky to incorporate the advances and still make the plot work.

(I interrupt this post with a sales message–Playing to Win is currently available on sale at a deep discount at Amazon and All Romance ebooks. Go. Buy!)

My mother died at a young age, and I often think of the changes in technology since her death. In the almost thirty years since there have been changes in the way we use credit and debit cards instead of cash, computers, phone, television, the Internet and home entertainment. Heck, some of the changes such as fax are rarely used now, already supplanted by email.

It’s true. We might think we’re writing contemporary novels but, in a handful of years, many of the items we give our characters to use in a book or some of the research methods will be out of date because of the rapid changes in our technology.

I don’t use product specific brand names in my books because I think they help date a book. Technology isn’t as easy to avoid because our characters need to communicate, even if it’s only to ring for take out. They need to entertain themselves, so maybe it’s easier to write historicals after all!

While our novels might go out of date rapidly, changes in technology have made the actual writing of our books much easier. The thought of handwriting or typing a novel using a manual typewriter makes me shudder. I much prefer my computer with its spellcheck and ease of use. Research is also a breeze with many resources available online or just an email away.

As for reading, changes in technology are giving us more options. We can read physical books or ebooks. We can listen to books and interactive stories have also arrived. It’s an exciting time in the world of books.

I adore new technology and have a love of gadgets. I have an iPod, an e-reader, computer etc and enjoy learning how to work new technology. I’m always interested in the new inventions that hit the market. The only thing I don’t enjoy is toting around all the different chargers, and if the power goes out…well, suffice to say you’ll probably hear me from your place. Technology has certainly made us more dependant on electricity.

Do you enjoy the rapid changes in technology?

I was a bit short of inspiration for a post today, but I do have some great books in my to-read pile.

Thirteen Books in My To-Read Pile

1. Scandal of the Year by Olivia Drake, a historical romance with a duke impersonating a footman.

2. Pleasure Me by Monica Burns, a historical romance with a virgin hero.

3. The Missing Ink by Karen E. Olson. This is a mystery, and I chose it because of the tattoo artist heroine.

4. Play Dirty by Lorie O’Clare, a reunion romance featuring a bounty hunter hero.

5. Tyler by C.H. Admirand, a cowboy romance.

6. English Country House by Gervase Jackson-Stops & James Pipkin. This is research for my current work in progress, another gothic historical.

7. Hot Head by Damon Suede, a gay romance featuring firefighters.

8. Love’s Fortress by Samantha Kane, book seven of The Brothers in Arms series.

9. The Great New Zealand Baking Book by Allyson Gofton. I enjoy checking out new recipes.

10. Three to Tango an anthology by Emma Holly, Lauren Dane, Megan Hart and Bethany Kane. Four hot novellas featuring threesomes.

11. Invitation to Ruin by New Zealander Bronwen Evans. A historical where the heroine is discovered in a compromising position.

12. Second Chance at the Sugar Shack by Candis Terry, a contemporary romance. I’m reviewing this one before Candis visits my blog on 19 July. This book is due out on 9 August.

13. River Marked by Patricia Briggs. Mercy and Adam finally tie the knot, but as usual, trouble follows Mercy wherever she goes.

What is the next book on your to-read pile?

Since I discovered romance when I was about twelve, I’ve been a voracious reader. There’s something about the romantic journey and the growing intimacy between a couple that hooks me, and I’m a real sucker for a happy ending. Some people call romances trite and predictable, but I find the predictability comforting. I like knowing the couple will end up together, and I live for the moment when they admit their love for each other.

I like romances where the couple openly state their love and say the three little words—“I love you.” I’m not as keen on romances where the main couple end up happy-for-now and there’s a hint the relationship might not last. For me, it’s important the couple commit to each other. In all of the books I write, the featured couple admit their love and say, “I love you” because that’s the way I like it.

What about you? Do you need the main couple to state their love or are you fine with merely a happy ending and the implication that they love each other? Are the words important?

I’m jetting off on holiday for fourteen days to Singapore and Phuket in Thailand. During my holiday I intend to spend at least some of my time catching up on my reading.

I have my e-reader loaded up with dozens and dozens of books. Definitely more than I can read in this time. I thought I could make a fun contest out of this. Guess how many books I read during my holiday and go into a draw to win one of my print books. I also have a few other things I’ll slip into the package such as pens and post-it notes.

Clues:
I’m a fast reader.
I’ve read 158 books during the year to date.
The books vary in length and genre.
I intend to read short stories, novellas and long novels.
I intend to spend time swimming, shopping and sightseeing so deduct reading time from this.

Put your best guess in the comments section of this post. Both readers and authors are eligible to enter. Only one guess per person. In the event of more than one person guessing the correct number I’ll do a random drawing. The winner will be notified shortly after my return home.

How many books will I read during my fourteen-day holiday?

Ah, that made you look. Sorry if I’ve disappointed you, but I’m actually talking about reading – do you read romances in public?

I used to do a lot of reading while I traveled via bus or train to work. I’ll admit that although I’d read a romance, I’d pick one off my to-read pile that didn’t have a lurid cover. These days when I go out, I take my PDA and anything goes in the reading department. If someone asks what I’m reading they get erotic romance with all the naughty words when they ask for a closer look. I’m also more likely to just grab a book and read it, no matter what the cover.

I’m off on holiday in just over a month and considering which reading material to take with me. Along with my ebooks, I’ll probably grab two or three books from my to-read pile since it’s my mission to make the pile of books beside my bed disappear this year. Most of them are erotic romance, so I guess the folks at the holiday resort will have some interesting discussions ahead. Have you seen what that woman is reading over there? I’m not too worried. I’ll be relaxing by the pool with my book and a fruity little cocktail…

Do you do it in public? Why or why not? Do lurid covers stop you from reading in a public place?

I’m busy with edits at the moment and have worked all weekend on writing. It’s keeping me out of trouble, that’s for sure! I have edits on two manuscripts. One down, and I’m thirty pages into the second.

Tomorrow I have a special guest. JK Coi is visiting and talking about her latest release. I hope you’ll pop by to visit.

Despite being busy I still have a book on the go. I’ve just finished Only Pleasure by Lora Leigh. This one wasn’t one of my favorites of hers, and I actually found myself skimming. Next off the pile is Body Language by Suzanne Brockmann.

If you’re in the Northern hemisphere, enjoy the rest of your weekend. Southern hemisphere – welcome to Monday!

What are you reading at the moment?