Interview With Shelley Munro, Author of Past Regrets

I’m delighted to have Shelley Munro here as my guest today.

Hi, Shelley. Tell us a little about Past Regrets:

Past Regrets is about an estranged married couple. Julia Maxwell wants to kick her husband’s cheating ass to the curb and move on, but Ryan isn’t done with their marriage. He loves Julia, and he’s determined to bulldoze past their problems to create a happy future.

Blurb:

Never look back…unless that’s where your heart belongs.

Love and Friendship, Book 2

Julia Maxwell was a seize-the-moment party girl until the night she spent with up-and-coming rocker Ryan Callander. From that moment, she was a one-man woman. Pity he hasn’t kept with the program.

Tired of the secrets that have kept her out of the press and Ryan’s fans happy, angry with mounting evidence of infidelity, Julia is older, wiser, and determined to divorce his cheatin’ ass.

Ryan’s long European tour had more than its share of hard knocks—one of which landed on his head when he was mugged. Divorce papers waiting for him at home are a shock that fills in some of the holes in his sketchy memory. But it could be too late to salvage his marriage.

If Ryan thinks flirtatious smiles, seductive touches, and hot-and-heavy kisses are going to smooth things over, Julia’s got a hammer with his name on it. To her surprise, he picks it up, determined to rebuild a bright future for both of them. But the past is lurking with some missing pieces that could bring their hearts crashing down.

Product Warnings: Contains a pissed ex-stripper turned burlesque dancer, a bunch of nosy friends and a smooth-talking rocker with one thing on his mind. Stripper poles and skimpy costumes may be involved.

What inspired Past Regrets?

 Past Regrets is the second story in my Love and Friendship series. I started the series with the idea of writing about a group of friends who live and work in my home city of Auckland, New Zealand. Although Past Regrets features the reunited lovers trope, the thread of friendship is as strong as love, and this element will continue through the rest of the series.

What are you working on now? Do you have any releases scheduled for this year?

I’m currently working on the third book in my Love and Friendship series. This story features Susan, the third woman in the group of five friends. The working title is Farmer Seeks a Wife, and Susan takes part in a reality show with the object of finding a farmer husband. Of course things don’t go quite that smoothly. Nothing is smooth in the path of true love!

I have a gay historical romance called Stoned, which is due out this week on 20 September. It’s about two Roman charioteers who are cursed to remain inside a statue until they figure out a way to break the curse. My visit to Rome last year and a previous one to Las Vegas inspired this plotline, and I’m looking forward to hearing what readers think of this story.

What are your writing goals for this year?

Currently I have four completed manuscripts, which are all at first draft level. I hope to complete self-editing on these and fire them off to my chosen publishers. I have to work my polishing around expected edits for a historical called Mistress of Merrivale, which is due out from Samhain Publishing in March 2014 and a three week cruise from Singapore to Sydney. There don’t seem to be enough hours in my days at present!

Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, character, or…?

For me every story is different. Sometimes a character pops into my head or sometimes I read or see something that inspires the kernel of a plot. I percolate this inside my head—for months at times—twisting, turning, refining before everything falls together in a workable story.

What is the best thing about being an author?

I love being my own boss and working at my pace. I enjoy setting targets and meeting them. I like the ability to take my office with me wherever I go, and I definitely like the excuse that I can be thinking and still working. My husband is still trying to wrap his head around that one. While writing can be full of heart-soaring highs and stomach-sinking lows, I’m following my dream. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

Do you have a favorite time of day for writing?

Morning is the time I’m more productive, but I look at writing as my job. If I don’t get my word count down during a morning session, I write in the afternoon or evening. Whatever it takes to get the job done.

Where is your favorite place in the world?

Travel is something that both my husband and I adore, and we try to squeeze in as much travel as time and money allow. We’ve traveled extensively, but I have to say that our home of New Zealand is a clear favorite. The scenery is gorgeous and varied. The shows like Lord of the Rings and Top Gear haven’t exaggerated our beauty. No matter where you live, it’s never far to get to the beach. Our weather is good. Auckland, where we live is subtropical, but farther south there are clear, more defined seasons. New Zealanders have a pretty good standard of living, and it’s home. What’s not to like?

What is your favorite food to cook or eat?

I eat a mainly vegetarian diet, so my favorite meals always include fresh vegetables from our garden and also lots of fruit. I enjoy cooking and make bread and yoghurt every week. My husband also makes great pasta and that has to rate high on my favorites list. You can add almost anything to pasta and it becomes a quick and tasty meal.

What do you like to read?

I’m an equal opportunity reader and pick up romances, mysteries, Young adult and non-fiction books to mention a few genres. Anything that grabs my attention with a great blurb really. I’m also a new convert to audio books. They give an entirely new reading experience, and I tend to explore lots of different genres and authors in this format.

These are few of my favorite things:

1. Chocolate

2. Exploring the world

3. Trying new recipes

4. Walking/playing with our puppy

5. My husband J

And now, Shelley has a question for you all:

Julia (the heroine) in Past Regrets loves apricot pastries, and Ryan (the hero) arrives at her apartment with both coffee and apricot pastries during the early stages of the book. She can’t turn away this man, even though she wants to, because he comes bearing a beloved treat. If a man (husband/lover/friend) came visiting you early in the morning what treat should he bring and why?

A Giveaway! I’ll give away a download of the first book in my Love and Friendship series – The Bottom Line

Excerpt:

A new tension slithered through Julia’s veins now. Ten at night, and she and Ryan had arrived back at her apartment a few minutes ago. They’d stopped at the flat Ryan and Caleb shared in order for Ryan to pick up some of his gear. Now that the door closed behind them, her apartment seemed too intimate. Ryan’s scent ghosted around her, enticing and seductive. He took up space, the air in her kitchen.

“I’m knackered,” he said, holding his hands in the small of his back and leaning back. “I swear the painting prep was more exhausting than anything I’ve done this year.”

“You’ve used different muscles. Go and have a hot bath while I clear the spare room for you. The bathroom is down the passage on the right.”

“No, I’ll help.”

“Go and have a bath.” Sharp and terse. She bit her lip at the appearance of Bitch Julia. Consciously lowering her voice, she tried again. “If you use the bathroom first then I can jump into the shower straight away.”

He nodded, his sexy lips perking up into the beginnings of a smile. “You’ve seen me naked before.”

“Bathroom.” The sudden need to laugh tugged at her, and she pointed. “Go.” To her relief, he went and she waited until his footsteps faded before she sagged against the kitchen counter. She didn’t know how he did it. Yesterday morning she’d been so certain she wanted a divorce. Ryan was muddying her thoughts, confusing her. Now she didn’t know what she wanted, what to do for the best. He’d sounded sincere about the photos—she didn’t think he was lying.

With a sigh, she strode down the passage, paused to grab clean linen, and continued to her spare bedroom. He was splashing around in the water already, his husky voice singing a classic Jackson song. She smiled before she could stop herself. Heck, why didn’t she just admit the truth? In two days he’d managed to charm her all over again. She didn’t stand a chance.

Bio:

Shelley Munro is tall and curvaceous with blue eyes and a smile that turns masculine heads everywhere she goes. She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her vacations. Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a producer about a television series based on her world adventures.

Shelley is also a writer blessed with a VERY vivid imagination and lives with her very own hero in New Zealand. She writes mainly erotic romance in the contemporary, paranormal and historical genres for publishers Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. You can learn more about Shelley and her books at her website.

You can find Shelley at:

Website: http://www.shelleymunro.com.

Blog: http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Munro/e/B001JOWGNK

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShelleyMunroAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ShelleyMunro

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ShelleyMunro

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ShelleyMunro

You can find Past Regrets at:

Samhain Publishing:  http://store.samhainpublishing.com/past-regrets-p-72998.html

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CZ8MCII

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/past-regrets-shelley-munro/1115456463?ean=9781619218093

All Romance ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-pastregrets-1294083-149.html