RSS
Home
Erotic romance author, Shelley Munro tells all
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
I had the great pleasure of getting to know Shelley Munro when we were selected to be in Pocket Books' EC anthology, Midnight Treat. Shelley agreed to talk with me about her books and her life in New Zealand.Sally: “Welcome Shelley, it's great to have you visiting Romance Examiner. When did you first start writing romance?”
Shelley: “I’ve always liked reading and romance in particular because of the happy endings. I started to think about writing when I was in my early twenties but didn’t get far. Men and one in particular, interrupted. Marriage and then travel got in the way. While I still read a lot, I didn’t think about writing until many years later. I woke up one day. My very first thought that day was if I didn’t start chasing my dream of writing I’d run out of time. I started that very day. I stumbled across a course on writing romance at my local university, and coincidently, there was an article about romance and a writing organization called Romance Writers of New Zealand. I joined and didn’t look back. I started writing every day, gaining confidence and finally getting my first contract offer six years later. I’ve been writing ever since and can’t imagine my life without writing and romance.”
Sally: “I love synchronicity. So what was it about this genre that captured you?”
Shelley: “I know a lot of people say romance is only a fantasy and gives women unrealistic expectations, but I like reading and writing romance because of the happy endings. There’s so much awful stuff that happens in the world these days. I find a good romance allows me to balance it all out. I like the predictability of the happy ending. Some people might be surprised at that, but the journey in each romance is different. I like the armchair traveling aspect of reading romance. One day it might be a contemporary setting while the next I could be jetting through outer-space or matching quips with a werewolf or vampire. I like the way the romance genre is so varied with something for everyone, no matter what their tastes. I like the sweet stuff and if the bedroom door is wide open, then that’s okay too!
And finally, romance readers and writers are generous and really nice people. I’ve made so many friends both online and in person. I never have to be alone.”
Sally: “I agree. Some of my best friends are romance authors. <g> It’s great to have friends who share the same passion. Speaking of passion, who would you say had the greatest influence on your writing?
Shelley: “I read widely and always have, so a lot of writers have influenced my tastes and given me encouragement with their books. If I had to name one particular person or author, I’d say Nora Roberts. She’s a prolific writer who writes great books. I’ll never forget her advice about not being able to fix a blank page. I think about that every time I’m struggling with a particular book. A writer must write, so I write and let my inner muse fly free. I can always rein the muse in later during the polishing stage. At least I’ll have something to polish.
My family has also had an indirect influence on my writing. They taught me to dream and to chase those dreams, to strive to do whatever I want in this world. I put their training to good use and set up a relentless chase. They also taught me never to give up. All good training to have behind a writer, I think.”
Sally: “Absolutely. Many writer do give up and had they just stayed with a little longer would have finally made their breakthrough. Can you tell me something unique about your books that sets them apart from others?”
Shelley: “I live in New Zealand and set most of my books in my home country. I’m also a bit of a traveler, and any books I write that are set outside of New Zealand are generally places I’ve visited in person.
When you read one of my books, you’ll get an adventure set in an exotic location, so why not armchair travel today!”
Sally: And how! Whew! Fanning myself. So how did you start your successful Middlemarch Mates series? Were the brothers your inspiration or an event?”
Shelley: “Several years before I wrote the Middlemarch series, I watched a special interest item on our local news. It was about a small South Island town called Middlemarch that had a problem. They had a severe shortage of marriageable women in their town. To combat the problem they arranged a special dance to attract women to the area. A train traveled from the nearest city of Dunedin. Dubbed the love train, it carried young women to the dance. The dance was such a success it’s now a yearly occurrence.
I also came across a story in the New Zealand Herald about a black panther sighting in Canterbury, near Christchurch in the South Island. New Zealand doesn’t have leopards or large mammals and this story about alien cats grabbed my attention. I kept the idea at the back of my mind and one day had a brainwave. What if I moved the black leopard to Middlemarch and combined the two ideas? Scarlet Woman was the result of that marriage, and soon I had readers emailing me about the other Mitchell brothers. They wanted to know their stories and I was certainly curious. As I mentioned only the twins—the two youngest Mitchells—are single now. I love my visits to Middlemarch. It’s like visiting friends and family.”
Sally: “That is such that is such a great behind the scenes story and just shows how real life can trigger a story idea. Can you tell us about your next release?
My next release is Cat Burglar, which is book six in my Middlemarch Mates series. It’s about policewoman, Laura Adams. Unknowingly, she hooks up with a married man and in the resulting fallout, she is transferred to the small New Zealand town of Middlemarch. It’s a step backward and initially, she resents the move, determined to do a good job and gain a promotion that will take her back to the city.
When she and her fellow cop investigate a jewel robbery at a local home, they think they’ve caught the burglar. They arrest Jonno Campbell but there’s an instant attraction between Laura and Jonno. Jonno convinces Laura he’s innocent and gradually, she becomes closer to Jonno and several of the Middlemarch residents. There are secrets in Middlemarch and Laura becomes immersed in them. Suddenly leaving Middlemarch to return to the city doesn’t seem like such a good idea, and besides, there’s a jewel robber to catch.
I had a lot of fun writing Cat Burglar since it was a chance to both revisit old, familiar characters and to introduce some new ones to the Middlemarch mix.
Sally: "Thank you, Shelley for talking with me and sharing your story with examiner readers."
Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand with her husband and a bossy dog. In her spare time she likes to read, cycle, run, and watch TV. Shelley and her husband love to travel and have visited many different parts of the world including Africa, Asia, Europe and North and Central America.
Website: http://www.shelleymunro.com
More About:
Interview with Romance Authors
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
Statistics reveal that stress levels elevate during the holiday season. Make sure you take time to schedule a bit of romance to help relieve some of …
Make it a special or spooky Halloween with your lover. All dates don't have to be roses and wine, although you can still have that and celebrate …
- Cook that special meal or dish your lover adores.
- Previous daily romance tips
- No. She's a national examiner but your screen shows your location.
- American Screenwriters Association
- American Society of Journalists and Authors
- EPIC Authors
- Horror Writers Association
- International Women's Writing Guild
- Mystery Writers
- National Writers Association
- National Writers Union
- Poetry Society of America
- Romance Writers of Amerca
- Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc.
- Writers Guild Of Amercia
- Here are some of my favorite columns you might also enjoy!
- Melissa Alvarez, Paranormal Examiner
- Jamie Van Eaton, Low Carb Examiner
- Lori Soard, Louisville Parenting Examiner
- Jordan and Samantha. Sex Scandal Examiners
- Sarah Estrella, Sex & Relationships Examiner
- Leah Klein, Gender Examiner
- Elizabeth Oakes, Wedding Examiner
- Kristen Houghton, Relationship Examiner
- Linda Franklin, Real Couger Lifestyle Examiner
- Billy Thieme, Relationship Examiner
- Colin Bane, Denver Fatherhood Examiner
- Stephanie Giancola, Romance Novel Examiner
- Fran Lee, Romance Lovers, Book Reviews
