Welcome, Romance Lovers! Author Shelley Munro is here today!

    Available now at Jasmine-Jade

Welcome, Romance Lovers!

This morning I have Hot Romance author Shelley Munro with me.  Shelley writes for Ellora's Cave Publishing, and Samhain.  Welcome, Shelley!

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Emily Mitchell, and I live in the small country town of Middlemarch in New Zealand. I’m married to Saber—a feline shapeshifter. He’s actually a black leopard and—what?

Okay, you’re right. Emily and Saber are characters from my Middlemarch Mates series. My real name is Shelley Munro, and I live in New Zealand with my husband and a geriatric dog. I write hot and spicy romance for Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing.

When I’m not writing, I like to travel, walk and cycle, play with the Wii Fit and of course, I love to read.

What drew you to Romance?

I love a predictable and happy ending. In these days when there is so much horrid stuff on the news I find the happy endings in romances relaxing, and of course, I like reading about the characters and their journey to find their happy ending.

How difficult is it for you to get into “writer’s mode”?

Mostly, it’s not very difficult because I really enjoy being a writer and the entire process. It’s the perfect job for me and I like being my own boss. I treat writing like an office job and try to work my day with breaks in between. Actually, I work harder now than I used to when I worked in an office.

How do you find ideas for your books? Real happenings? Dreams? A great imagination?

I find ideas everywhere. In fact ideas aren’t the problem. I have a very fat ideas file. Finding time to write and shape the ideas into stories is much harder.

I find inspiration on television, at the movies, in newspapers and in magazines. Some of my best ideas come from watching the Documentary channel and the Country channel on TV. I love to people watch and occasionally, I’ll take a person’s characteristics and use them for one of my characters.

And of course, I do have a good imagination. I think a good imagination glues all the ideas together to form my stories.

Tell me a little about your new book.

Lynx to the Pharaoh is my most recent release. It’s a feline shapeshifter romance set in 1835 Egypt. My hero Sethmet comes from a line of feline shapeshifters who are charged with protecting the pharaoh’s tomb and his treasure. Should they fail a terrible curse will be unleashed on him and his family.

Charlotte Webster has traveled to Egypt with her stepbrother and his friend. She’s very taken with Sethmet and they start a passionate affair, but then it becomes obvious to Sethmet that Charlotte’s brother is after the pharaoh’s treasure. Sethmet is not sure if Charlotte is involved and he’s torn between love and his duty to his family.

Did you bring us a blurb?

Of course!

Blurb:

Lynx to the Pharaoh
Shelley Munro

Sethmet Khalil comes from a line of shapeshifters who protect the pharaoh from tomb robbers. It’s a sacred duty handed down from father to son—a duty he’s determined to carry out successfully so his family retain the shapeshifter powers they cherish. Failure means death at the hands of a deadly curse.

Desperate to escape the strictures of mourning, Charlotte Webster travels to Egypt with her stepbrother. The freedom of Patria Oasis is heady after the stuffy rules of the London season. It’s full of temptation. Sethmet, their guide, is handsome and sparks forbidden desire in Charlotte. Risking censure, she embarks on a passionate affair, secret rendezvous full of lingering caresses and explosive pleasure.

Charlotte pleases both man and feline, but she’s with the men Sethmet suspects are hunting for the pharaoh’s treasure. If Charlotte is involved, he can’t protect her from the pharaoh’s curse and she’ll die with the others. Love, danger and betrayal battle beneath the blood-red desert moon as the lovers steal moments together and fate works its wiles.

Publisher’s Note: Previously published elsewhere, novel has been revised for Ellora’s Cave
Lynx to the Pharaoh is available in e-format from Ellora’s Cave.

I also have a new print book out next month from Samhain Publishing, and it’s already for pre-order.

Tea For Two is a contemporary romance set in London. Hayley Williams is saving up to buy a house and to earn money, she’s moonlighting as a tea leaf reader. She meets Sam Norville at a party and has a one-night stand with him. Ashamed of herself, she gives Sam a false name. Unfortunately for Hayley her fibs come back to bite her in the butt!

What does your writing schedule look like? What's your best time of day to write? Are you a morning writer or a night owl?

I’m always fairly busy with one or two works in progress. I’m a real morning person, and that’s when I do my best work. I usually write for a few hours in the morning and keep writing until I reach my word count. Once my word count is complete, I’ll do some editing and maybe promo, update my website and that sort of thing.

Today, writers need not only write great books, but be great promoters of their books, too. What kinds of things do you do?

Since I live in New Zealand, I do most of my promotion online. I enjoy blogging and readers can find me at my blog most days. I do quite a few guest blog spots and interviews and run a few contests. I also have a monthly newsletter with all my news and of course, member only contests.

What is your next project?

I’m currently working on book nine of my Middlemarch Mates series. This is a feline shapeshifter series set in the small New Zealand town of Middlemarch. Cat Nap, which is book eight, is due out in September and introduces a brother and sister to the series. Cat Nap is the brother’s story and I’m currently working on the sister’s story. Working on a Middlemarch story is like returning home and visiting friends and family. It’s always fun.

What else would you like to tell us?

I have a website where you can read excerpts, find free stories, contests and background information on some of my stories.

http://www.shelleymunro.com

I also have a blog where I post most days.

http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog

Here are a few more of Sheley's books...