Hi, and thanks for having me to visit today. Short story—I live in New Zealand with my husband and a rambunctious puppy called Bella. When I’m not working at writing—my dream job—I love to walk, ride my bicycle and bake anything from bread to biscuits and cakes and vegetarian dishes. It’s fun experimenting with different recipes. My other passion is travel, which luckily my husband shares. We try to fit in as much travel as work and money allow and have traveled in Africa, Asia, America, Australia, Central America, China, Europe, several Pacific Islands and of course, our home country of New Zealand. There are so many wonderful places to explore!
I’ve been published since 2004 and write mainly for Ellora’s Cave, Carina Press and Samhain Publishing, although I have self-published a couple of titles too.
How great to have done so much travelling! What would your readers be surprised to know about you?
A few things that I wouldn’t want them to know LOL
Let’s see…I have large feet. My story is that my large feet give me a good grip on the ground. On the down side, during my younger days it was very difficult to buy shoes. These days, the problem is more common and my favorite shoe store is just for people with large feet. They have a great online store too, and I can now indulge my love of boots. I have three pairs. Believe me that’s a miracle in itself given the fact that one irritated shoe store attendant came from out the back with a final pair of shoes and said, “If these shoes don’t fit, you’ll have to wear the boxes.”
My mother thought it was hysterical. Me—not so much.
LOL. So glad shoe shopping can be fun for you now. Tell us about your recent release.
Today I’d like to tell you about The Bottom Line, book one in my Love and Friendship series. At heart, it’s a book about friendship. The hero and heroine are friends at the start of the story and their relationship evolves from friends-with-benefits to love.
Here’s the blurb:
Spicing up her sex life sounds exciting…until the fantasy hits the fan.
When Maggie Drummond buys an erotic romance novel by mistake, she gets more than an unexpected eyeful. She gets an introduction to a world that arouses her to a fever pitch. Spanking.
Her boyfriend isn’t interested in pushing his vanilla-flavored sexual boundaries. Then there’s Connor Grey, who haunts her fantasies like a magical genie. As a source of masculine advice for her and her female friends, he’s off limits. The only safe place to explore her fetish is her anonymous blog.
The recent changes in Maggie don’t escape Connor’s notice. Now that her boyfriend has dropped her, he can finally—carefully—make his move. Given his family history, laying a hand on any woman, even in fun, is a line he’s reluctant to cross. But for Maggie? Anything the lady wants.
As Maggie gives in to the temptation to let Connor add some sin to her life, she finds herself juggling lies, half-truths, friendship and sensual delights. Her job is in jeopardy—and she’s falling in love. Exploring her fantasy is one thing, but she’s beginning to question if indulging her own pleasure is worth the cost to everyone around her. Especially Connor…
Product Warnings
Contains explicit sex, spanking, and the good, the bad and the ugly about friendship.
It sounds like a great story! What element of story creation is your favorite? (Character? Setting? Plot? Etc.) Why?
My favorite part is writing the first draft. This is where I start with a basic knowledge of my characters and conflict and spin out a story without trying to over think things too much. I just let rip and write. That kind of freedom is heady. The editing/polishing stage is the one that isn’t as much fun for me. That’s plain hard work, but the initial writing is pure magic. I never know where I’m going, but it all works out in the end.
Yeah, I can identify with that hard editing work. If you could be one of your characters for a day, who would it be, and why?
I have a feline shapeshifter series called Middlemarch Mates, which is set in New Zealand. I think I’d like to be part of the shifter community for the day and join in with one of their famous football games that they play while in feline form. The enhanced senses and the fun of a free-for-all football game, followed by a picnic lunch sounds like fun to me.
That does sound like fun. Do you celebrate every new release? How?
Now that I have over fifty releases, my celebrations aren’t as exuberant as they used to be, but I think it’s good to celebrate success. I do a crazy happy dance and start our puppy barking, get a celebratory hug from hubby and usually have a glass of wine.
Over fifty releases? That’s awesome. So are hugs and puppies and wine. Most people think a writer’s life is really glamorous. What’s the least glamorous thing you’ve done in the past week?
LOL – it’s definitely not glamorous. Writing is plain hard work. The least glamorous thing I’ve done this week is pick up puppy poop—a daily requirement during our walks.
Gotta love those puppies. What can we look forward from you in the future?
Past Regrets, book two in my Love and Friendship series is due out from Samhain Publishing on 10 September. Past Regrets features Julia Maxwell, a secondary character from The Bottom Line. I have the third book in the series finished and ready to polish before sending it off to my editor.
I also have a mm story called Stoned due out from Ellora’s Cave on 20 September. This story is about two Roman charioteers who are cursed to spend hundreds of years within a statue.
They both sound great! Where can we find out more about you?
To learn more about my books, please visit my website http://www.shelleymunro.com or my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ShelleyMunroAuthor. I also tweet now and then at http://www.twitter.com/ShelleyMunro
Is there a question you’d like to ask our readers?
What characteristics do you like and dislike in a heroine?
Readers, what do you think?? We'd love to hear your comments!
Thanks again, Shelley for joining us today. I'm looking forward to reading The Bottom Line!
Natasha
www.natashamoore.com
10 comments:
Thanks so much for having me to visit today!
Thanks for being our guest today! :)
The one thing I don't like in a heroine is when she has lots of imperfections, but she will only settle for a perfect hero. It's a common situation in romance novels and I understand they are fantasies, but I just lose interest when the "match" is too unbelievable. Why can't he have some imperfections? (I think I'm in the minority on this one.)
Thanks for visiting our blog today, Shelley! I enjoyed reading your interview. I have big feet too, so I can relate to the hard to find shoes. :) About heroines, I like for them to be strong and smart. Congratulations on your new book! Sounds like fun!
Loved your answers:)
I also enjoy writing the draft, but it can be hard when you just kick off a new story.
That was a fun interview. I have big feet too, I inherited them from my grandma.
Carly,
I agree. I think both characters should have imperfections or flaws. What happens though is that usually one character takes the lead and is the main focus, which is where the imbalance creeps in.
Thanks for stopping by!
Vonda - yay for big feet! I've come to like mine :)
I have to second smart. Most people want to shake a heroine who goes down to the basement when she shouldn't!
Thanks, Tania. Sometimes with a book the draft is easy, but some books are problem childs from the start.
Yay, Mary. Another one for our Big Foot team.
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