Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

BLURB:

Violet Jordan Rule #2 of being a superhero: Find reliable sidekicks

Dear Diary,

Once I took down Haverty, the Primo of the city, I thought life was going to get better. After four assassination attempts, I’m thinking not so much. Haverty’s pack needs a new leader and I’ve just about run out of reasons why I’m not right for the job. Besides, having loyal followers would definitely help me fight off whoever’s out for my blood. Especially since my boyfriend is always busy playing White Hat to every Wanderer except me.

So now I just need to figure out how to mentor new shifters, run a pack, keep my “real” job, and have some sort of personal life. I guess it’s all in a day’s work for this writer-by-day / panther-by-night.

REVIEW:

Claws and Effect is the second book in the Diaries of an Urban Panther series, featuring Violet Jordan. It’s written in first person, from Violet’s point of view. At the start of the story Violet is still struggling to come to terms with the power she received from Harvety. She constantly fights the magic that swirls in her and resists entreaties from other shapeshifters who want her to run the pack.

Sometimes it’s possible to read series out of order, but with this one you definitely need to read book one before you read this one. I think you’d struggle if you started with book two.

It’s the characters that really make this series for me. Violet shows definite growth as she learns to wield her power, starts to interact with some of the dog shapeshifters and struggles to stay ahead of the baddies. Violet has a boyfriend, but he is absent for a lot of the time, and she worries that he’s not interested in her any longer. Violet is like the girl next door, and sometimes a bit of a screw up, but as she starts to embrace her powers she becomes more kick-ass.

The secondary characters of Jessa, a fairy princess and the keyholder, add to the book, but it’s the dog shifters that I had a real soft spot for. They were interesting characters that also show distinctive character arcs throughout the story.

There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about this book—the plot, the characters, the pace and the setting work together beautifully to create a seamless read and an excellent addition to what is fast becoming one of my favorite series.

Note: this book was provided for review by the author.

Purchase Claws and Effect: A Diaries of an Urban Panther Novel

Book Blurb:

And on the One-Thousand-and-Second night, Scheherazade told this story…

By day, Taqla uses her forbidden sorcery to move freely about the city of Damascus in the guise of an old sage. Her true identity known only by her faithful servant woman, Taqla is content with the comfortable, if restrictive, life that keeps her safe from the control of any man. Until she lays eyes on a handsome merchant-traveler. Suddenly her magical disguise doesn’t rest so easily on her shoulders.

When long-time widower, Rafiq, hears that the Amir’s beautiful daughter has been kidnapped by a scheming djinni—and that she will be given in marriage to her rescuer—he seeks the help of “Umar the Wise” to ensure he will be that man. Yet as he and the disguised Taqla set off, he senses that his prickly male companion is hiding something.

In a moment of dire peril, all of Taqla’s secrets are stripped bare—her fears, her sorcery and, worst of all, her love for Rafiq. Yet the princess’s life hangs in the balance, and there is no running away or turning back. Even though passion may yet betray them all…

Warning: Scary monsters and creepy ruins in the desert—check. Pagan gods that demand blood-sacrifices—double check. A handsome hero who looks good in a robe and even better out of it—oh yeah. Check, check and check. That’s worth a heroine dropping a veil or two.

Purchase Heart of Flame

Heart of Flame is a fantasy with romantic elements. Set in the mystical world of 9th Century Arabia, this story is a fast-paced quest that held me spellbound and kept me turning the pages.

Taqla bint-Yusef is a sorceress who lives in seclusion, hiding her true nature from everyone except her trusted servants. Sometimes, she leaves her home in the guise of a man called Zahir, weaving a spell to make her appear as a plain young male. At other times, she weaves spells to appear as Umar, an elderly wise man, all to keep her identity secret and keep herself safe from persecution.

During an outing, Taqla hears of Rafiq the Traveller’s return to the city. She is interested in meeting him to learn of his travels. After their first eventful meeting, Rafiq visits the court of the Amir where he witnesses the disappearance of Ahleme, the daughter of the Amir of Dimashq when she vanishes without warning while gazing at a magical painting. The Amir is distraught and offers riches and marriage to the man who returns his daughter. Rafiq is determined to find her and seeks counsel with Umar, the wise man who is in reality Taqla.

Thus begins the quest to find Ahleme and win her hand in marriage. Rafiq sets out with Taqla in her Zahir disguise on an eventful journey.

Ms. Ashbless has done an awesome job with the setting. I’ve visited this part of the world, and I really felt as if I was dropped in the middle of Arabia. Her descriptions are excellent, painting wonderful word pictures that help make the characters shine.

Rafiq is well-travelled and confident. He intends to marry Ahleme once he finds her and become the next ruler of Dimashq. Taqla is more innocent to the ways of the world, but she holds the power of magic. A well-matched pair, one’s strength offsets the other’s weaknesses and vica versa. Taqla has a crush on Rafiq. She knows there is no future for them, yet she can’t help trying to aid Rafiq in his quest.

For those aspiring writers who want to learn about escalating tension, definitely check out this book. With each passing chapter, the situation seems to become more dire for our hero and heroine. Will they succeed or will they give up, accepting failure?

Heart of Flame is a story of bravery, of djinni, gods, ghosts and magic and the search for love. I enjoyed this book, and if you’re a fan of fantasy with a good dose of romance then I think you’ll like it too.

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 comes from This Doesn’t Happen in the Movies, a mystery by Renee Pawlish. Also see below for my review of this book.

“I want you to find my dead husband.”
“Excuse me?” That was my first reaction

page 1, This Doesn’t Happen in the Movies

Blurb:

A wannabe private eye with a love of film noir and detective fiction.
A rich, attractive femme fatale.
A missing husband.
A rollicking ride to a dark and daring ending.

Review:

The story starts off with a classic meeting – a beautiful woman enters Reed’s brand new detective agency, wanting him to find her missing husband. Reed’s instincts go on alert. Something is not quite right, but he succumbs to her feminine wiles and takes the case anyway. The deeper he digs the more complicated the case becomes. What follows is a fast paced plot with many twists and turns before reaching the surprising climax.

Reed, the main character is a fan of classic old detective films and wants to emulate his detective heroes. He’s likeable, if a little naive at times, and intuitive when it comes to his case. Despite suspecting/guessing who the culprit was, the twists in this story and the “why” kept me reading right to the end. The writing-style is smooth and readable, hooking me from the first page. My only quibble was that although the reader is thrust into the “noir” setting straightaway, I was a little confused about the era. It took me a while to realize the story is a contemporary set one. This is the first in the series, and I’ll be checking out the followup stories. Highly recommended, especially if you’re a fan of the noir movies of the past.

Book provided for review by the author.

Purchase This Doesn’t Happen in the Movies
Print
Kindle

I read Juliana Stone’s His Darkest Salvation last week and enjoyed it very much, (Check out my review here.) so I’m delighted to welcome Juliana today. I asked Juliana about her Jaguar Warriors and this is what she said…

Definition: Jaguar Warriors or Jaguar Knights (Nahuatl: ocēlōmeh) were members of the Aztec military.[1] They were an elite military unit similar to the Eagle warriors. The jaguar motif was used due to the belief that the jaguar represented Tezcatlipoca, god of the night sky. Aztecs also wore these dresses at war because they believed the animal’s strengths would be given to them during battles.[citation needed] Jaguar Warriors were used at the battlefront in military campaigns.[1] Many statues and images (in pre-Columbian and post-Columbian codices) of these warriors have survived.[2] They fought with a wooded sword studded with obsidian volcanic glass blades, called a Maquahuitl. They also used spears and atlatls.

To become a Jaguar warrior, a member of the Aztec Army had to capture at least four enemies during battles. This was said to honour their gods in a way far greater than killing enemy soldiers in the battlefield.

For my paranormal romance series, The Jaguar Warriors I decided to make these fierce fighters shapeshifters.

I thought wouldn’t it be fun to have two opposing families, add in a whole host of otherworld creatures and then, maybe toss in an end of the world scenerio. Out of these threads my Castille brothers were born and their mortal enemies, the DaCosta Jaguars.

So, what exactly is a Jaguar Warrior in my world? Well, they’re elite soldiers who are shapeshifters and once they start to mature, their warrior tattoos will show. These are elaborate clan tattoos that wrap around their abs and up along an arm to the neck. Not every jaguar is a warriror though. In His Darkest Salvation, Julian never developed the warrior tats. He’s still a shapeshifter, just not with the enhanced magick that the warriors have.

Here is a run down of the rest of the cast of characters who populate my books!

Castille Clan: The heros in my books are a trio of brothers, Jaxon Castille the oldest. He is featured in His Darkest Hunger. Jagger Castille’s story was told in His Darkest Embrace and lastly, Julian Castille is up in, His Darkest Salvation.

DaCosta Clan: Evil jaguar warriors who’ve always been on the fringe. They dabble in a lot of illegal activities. The head of the family, Jacobi is a terrifying person but unbeknownst to him, his daughter Jaden is doing whatever she can to foil his plots.

Declan O’Hara: My sexy sorcerer. His father is the evil Cormac O’Hara and he’s in love with a woman who feels nothing for him.

Ana: Said woman. Vampire.

Cracker: A member of Jaxon’s PATU unit and his origins are unknown.
PATU Paranormal Anti-Terrorist unit. A government sanctioned unit run my Jaxon Castille. Their job, to work under the grid keeping the human populace safe from the creatures they have no idea that exist.

Interestlingly, while researching the Jaguar Warriors and the Aztec culture I came across Eagle Knights which were another fierce fighting faction. This is what led me to make Skye Knightly—Jagger’s lover—into an Eagle shifter.

My books have an over reaching story arc, one that is concluded at the end of His Darkest Salvation but of course, new questions arise and will continue with my new series, League of Guardians. The first book, Wicked Road to Hell comes out next year and Declan O’Hara is the hero!

Is there anything I’ve not covered that you’d like to know? Ask away and I’ll try my best to answer!

CONTEST: Juliana is giving away a $25 Gift card from Amazon to one lucky commenter during her blog tour. The more you comment the better your chances of winning. Follow the rest of Juliana’s tour at this link. The contest winner will be drawn at the conclusion of the tour.

After six months in hell, Julian Castille has returned to the world a changed man. No longer the longer the calm, powerful CEO, but a shifter fully embraced by the blood of his clan. Julian has one goal: find the key to the portal that stands between the human realm and unprecedented darkness-and win back the pieces of his soul. The last thing he needs is a distraction like the beautiful, enigmatic Jaden DaCosta.

Three years ago, a forbidden night of passion left Jaden forever altered: mated to Julian Castille–bound to a man who despises her. But the temptation to trust this darker, more savage-and more captivating-Julian is overwhelming. And as they fight for their immortal souls, their insatiable desire for each other may prove their fatal undoing…

Purchase His Darkest Salvation

To learn more about Juliana Stone and her books visit her website – Juliana Stone

Review: Second Chance at the Sugar Shack
By Candis Terry
Avon Impulse
Contemporary Romance
On sale 19 July 2011

Review ARC supplied by the publisher

I enjoy reading contemporary romances, and I’m always on the lookout for new-to-me authors. I especially adore contemporary stories set in small towns, so I snapped up Second Chance at the Sugar Shack when I had the opportunity to review the story.

Here’s the official blurb:

Kate Silver’s back in town, and her dead mother just won’t leave her alone.

Kate usually spends her days dressing Hollywood A-listers, but after her estranged mother dies she finds herself elbow-deep in flour in her parents’ bakery in Deer Lick, Montana. She thought she’d left small town life far, far behind, but it seems there are a few loose ends.

The boy she once loved, Deputy Matt Ryan, is single and sexy and still has a thing for her – and handcuffs.

Her mother, who won’t follow the white light, is determined to give maternal advice from beyond the grave.

And somehow Kate’s three-day stay has, well – extended. She never planned to fill her mother’s pie-baking shoes – she prefers her Choos, thank you very much. But with the help of a certain man in uniform, Kate quickly learns that sometimes second chances are all the more sweet.

Kate couldn’t wait to leave Deer Lick. She wanted to follow her dream of working as a fashion stylist. Her mother is outspoken in her disapproval of Kate’s plans, and when Kate leaves town, this leads to a rift between mother and daughter that is never mended. As the story starts, Kate learns her mother has died and she has to return home for the first time since her hurried departure many years ago. We also learn that she’s at the top of her game as a stylist, working for the Hollywood elite, yet she’s very aware how fickle her success is and how younger, newer stylists are snapping at her heels.

This is a story full of quirky characters and small-town living. There’s her mother’s ghost who starts popping into her life for regular visits. There’s her mother’s best friend who seems to hate Kate and is constantly uncomplimentary about her past behavior toward her mother. There’s her father who is mourning the loss of his soul mate, and then there’s Deputy Matt Ryan. The sparks fly between the two of them, yet Matt has changed. He’s older, more confident, and he doesn’t intend to repeat his relationship mistakes with Kate, despite their attraction.

This is a story that kept me turning the pages and has stayed with me since I read it a few weeks ago. I enjoyed the way the characters both grew and came to realize that what they initially wanted from life wasn’t necessarily the thing that would make them happy. As the title suggests this is a story of second chances and it’s full of humor. I finished the story with a smile on my face. It’s the sort of romance that made me go “ahhhh”, and I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author. Highly recommended.

Purchase link Second Chance at the Sugar Shack

Author website: Candis Terry

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 is from Second Chance at the Sugar Shack

“He‘s devastated.” Kelly flipped on the fan. Her abrupt action seemed less about recirculating the air and more about releasing a little distress. “How would you be if the love of your life died in your arms while you were tying on her apron?”

CONTEST! Candis Terry is visiting my blog today. Please take a moment to welcome her and check out her post above. Everyone who comments on her Cherry Pits & Toilet seats post above will go into a draw to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Check out the rest of her tour here to score additional chances to win.

Hubby and I have been trying to eat healthy during the last few months. We’re counting calories and have increased our daily exercise.

About two weeks ago I discovered an iTouch app called Fitness Pal. It’s free, and we’ve found it very good for counting calories and recording our exercise. For those who don’t have an iTouch or phone, you can use the web based Fitness Pal. There are also mobile applications.

Check it out. It’s working for us.

Twin Trouble received a wonderful review from Whipped Cream and is up for book of the week. You can vote for Twin Trouble or one of the other nominated books here.

I’ve received the first review for Stranger Things Happen and it’s a good one!

Here’s a quote from the review:

“If you’re looking for a Friday night that’s guaranteed to set your body on fire from the explosive sex that these three cowboys embrace in with Anna, warm your heart and soul from the love that two perfect strangers eventually find when they give fate a chance, and put a smile on your face right before Valentine’s Day, then Stranger Things Happen by Shelley Munro is definitely the perfect book to read.”

To read the full review go to Blackraven’s Reviews

BTW – I received 5 Ravens and a Recommended Read. Happy dancing all around.

Several years ago I started a tradition. On the first day of the year I always do some writing. This year was no different and I worked on the final story in my Middlemarch Mates series. It’s coming along nicely.

I have quite a bit of writing news to start off the New Year.

1. A Discreet Affair is due for release from Liquid Silver books on 17 January 2011.

2. I’ve contracted a Naughty Nooner story with Ellora’s Cave. I don’t have a release date as yet, but Lightning Strikes Twice is a Middlemarch Mates story. The action takes place at the same time as Scarlet Woman. This makes a total of twelve books in the series. A nice round number to end the series, I think.

3. I’ve also sold a story called Christmas is Coming to Ellora’s Cave. This story is set in the same world as Fancy Free and it is due for release around Nov/Dec 2011.

4. Resisting Tamaki was nominated for a CAPA in the Fantasy/Sci-fi erotic romance category at The Romance Studio. The winners will be announced in Feb 2011.

5. I received a ripper of a review for The Spurned Viscountess from Reviews from the Heart. The reviewer said, “This was such a great book and one that left me with the feel good feeling I love so much.” I scored a Totally Smitten rating. Yay!

How did you start your New Year?

I was delighted with this review I received from Night Owl Romances. It’s actually my very first review for The Spurned Viscountess. I’m glad it’s a good one.

“Shelley Munro’s revised story is a beautiful, adventurous tale of the strength of love and forgiveness. Set in 1720 England, the landscape is so well defined that the reader is immediately drawn back to the past. With hints of a gothic story, the tale moves along at a quick pace with hints of mystery and a very satisfying romance. The characters are evocative with the reader quickly sympathizing with Rosalind and Lucien, though troubled by the past, is definitely a hero of the first order.” TOP PICK.

Here’s the link to the entire review at NOR

The Scarlet Woman tour continues at Amberkatze’s Book Blog today. I’m talking about both Scarlet Woman and leopards and giving away a download from the Middlemarch Mates series.

Here’s the blurb for Scarlet Woman:

Emily Scarlet’s husband left her for his secretary and died in a car accident—all on the same day. Now, six months later, Emily has emerged from her chrysalis of painful memories. And to prove she has what it takes to attract a man, she’s determined to experience one perfect night of passion.

Feline shape shifter, Saber Mitchell has a problem with his four boisterous younger brothers. They’re out of control. It’s too late for him, but he hopes to get his brothers mated and settled, and the ball is the place to introduce them to marriageable women.

Unbridled sex is the last thing he plans on, but one glimpse of Emily Scarlet changes his mind. Sex with her is a necessity. They dance. They make love.

One thing is clear—a single night isn’t enough. Saber must have her for his mate, but Emily isn’t so easy to convince…or trust.

In Scarlet Woman news, I’ve received a wonderful review from I Do Not Want To Wait, I Want The Book Now. Here are the highlights: “I can’t recommend this book enough! Plenty of hot sex, many LOL moments, and a heroine that you can’t help but relate to. It was flat-out fun and just what I needed at that moment.”

In Cat Burglar news, I’ve received a Five Star review from Manic Readers. This review made my head swell

“Okay, I must confess that I had never read Ms. Munro’s Middlemarch Mates series, but as I finished Cat Burglar, which is the sixth book in the series, I’m kicking myself. Where have I been? This book was absolutely amazing. Ms. Munro did a fantastic job of providing the reader with just enough humor, suspense, and erotic romance to keep you begging for more.”

In Leticia’s Lovers news, I received another Recommended read review from Blackraven’s Reviews

“Bravo, Ms. Munro for providing us with another story that touches heart, soothes the soul, and renews our faith in miracles. If you’re looking for a heart-warming, at times tear jerking, sensual story that will bring a smile to your face, then Leticia’s Lovers is the book to read. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and can’t wait for the next book in the Middlemarch Mate series. Hint! Hint!”

So, what do all these great reviews tell you? They say if you haven’t read any of the books in the Middlemarch Mates series you’re missing out! Check out the entire Middlemarch Mates series here.