Today and tomorrow, Shelley Munro will be my guest. I had the pleasure of meeting Shelley in San Francisco at the RWA Conference and am delighted to welcome her here.
Shelley’s latest release, Tea For Two, is available tomorrow at Samhain Publishing!
Welcome. Please tell us about Tea for Two
Tea For Two is a contemporary romance and also my debut title for Samhain Publishing. The heroine reads tea-leaves and gets herself into all sorts of trouble when a few white lies take on a life of their own. Oh, and there’s also a very sexy hero, a one-night stand and some spicy loving along with a little humor.
It’s set in London. I had a wonderful time while writing this book because I dragged all my photos and memories of our six-year working holiday in London out of the cupboard. My husband and I enjoyed our years in London and I’d love to return in the future. Learning about tasseomancy or tea-leaf reading was also very interesting. It’s such an old art but it’s making a real come back with the growing interest in loose-leaf tea.
Describe your hero with 3 words.
Charismatic. Accomplished. Fun-loving.
The heroine?
Guilty. Impetuous. Intuitive.
What is your favorite part of being a writer? Least favorite?
I love being my own boss and getting paid for making stuff up. My least favorite part is the precarious nature of the publishing business.
You write a variety of genres. Do you have a favorite to write?
My favorite is paranormal romance, although contemporary is not far behind. I enjoy making up my own rules for the world I create. When I write a paranormal romance the only limit is my imagination and I love this freedom.
Does your writing process change at all when switching between genres?
Not really. When I first started writing I used to just sit down and write with no planning whatsoever. These days I have a vague idea of where I’m going and I know quite a bit about my hero and heroine before I start writing. I’ve never been much of a planner when it comes to my writing. On the odd occasion when I’ve tried to plan my story in detail I’ve grown bored during the writing stage because I already know what’s going to happen. I like to be surprised as much as the reader!
Is there something you’d like to write, but you haven’t?
Genre-wise I’ve tried most things, but I’ve often thought I’d like to collaborate with another writer on a book or series. Recently I’ve also pondered about writing a serial—an ongoing story with the same characters and cliffhangers at the end of each story. I’ve actually got quite a bit on my writing to-do list at the moment, but maybe in the future.
Who has inspired you as a writer?
Nora Roberts is one of my inspirations. She’s an amazing writer with a very distinct voice. I love her quote about not being able to fix a blank page. That’s so true and helps me through the times when I think I’m writing rubbish.
What would you like to tell aspiring writers?
I have two main pieces of advice for aspiring writers. One—read. Read widely across the genres and don’t stop reading. It’s a form of market research and a way of learning. It’s amazing how much an aspiring writer can absorb in the way of pacing, plotting and characters from other writers. Analyze everything you read, even if you don’t like it and use reading as a learning tool.
My second piece of advice would be to sit down and write. No one ever becomes a writer by just talking about it. Writers learn by doing.
What do you like to read?
I like romances of all genres and I’ll also pick up mysteries, science fiction and fantasy and the odd thriller. I love to read and still read lots of books every year.
What is next for you?
I’m working on a feline shifter story at present and have a contemporary story I need to finish. I also have several releases coming out in the next couple of months. Tea For Two is out this week. I have a contemporary ménage a trois called Fringe Benefits out in November and Cat Burglar, book six in my Middlemarch Mates series is out in December. As I mentioned earlier, my to-do list is long and my recent holiday is responsible for several new ideas I’ve added to my ideas file recently.
Is there anything you’d like to ask readers?
Actually there is—do you enjoy New Zealand settings?
Shelley was kind enough to offer a prize for one lucky reader.
One lucky winner will win their choice of ONE of the following books in print:
The Shadow OR The Second Seduction OR Midnight Treat
We are going to do things a little differently this time and have a mini-scavenger hunt (don’t worry, the questions are easy).
Here are the scavenger hunt questions:
1. What are the 5 different genres that Shelley has been published in?
2. What is the name of her release that will be out November 14, 2008?
3. What are the names of the two series that Shelley writes?
The answers can be found on Shelley’s site: http://www.shelleymunro.com
E-mail your answers to me at jennifersrandommusings @ gmail.com (without the spaces) with “Shelley Munro Scavenger Hunt” in the subject line!
One winner will be randomly selected from all correct entries and announced here on the blog Oct. 18. You have until 11:59 p.m. EST on October 17 to get your entries in.
Remember to read the contest rules as well before entering and PLEASE DO NOT POST THE ANSWERS HERE!
In the meantime, how about answering Shelley’s question…
And don’t forget to check back tomorrow for more with Shelley!
Posted by Jennifer Y 
Awarded to me by 
Awarded to me by 
Awarded to me by 
Jennifer's Random Musings 