I’m visiting Chris Redding and talking about writing plus my upcoming release Cat Burglar in Training.

Hubby went fishing last weekend, and he rang to tell me about the shark he caught. He was fishing in the Hauraki Gulf and totally inspired this post.

Thirteen Types of Sharks

1. Blacktip Reef shark – they hang around reefs and grow up to six feet long.

2. Bull shark – this shark does well in both salt and fresh water. It’s the third most dangerous shark to people.

3. Great White shark – anyone remember Jaws? We have a lot of this variety of shark. They attack more people than any other type of shark.

4. Hammerhead shark – this is the one that hubby caught. See above photo. They removed the hook and released it after taking a photo.

5. Mako shark – a very fast swimmer. It’s a jumper and sometimes jumps into boats.

6. Nurse shark – these are common in aquariums. They hunt at night and sleep by day.

7. Sandtiger shark – another shark that hunts at night. The female shark has two uterus. The strongest one eats the other before they are born.

8. Tiger shark – this one is also known for attacks on humans. They eat anything. Things such as boat cushions and alarm clocks have been found in their stomachs.

9. Whale shark – the largest of all sharks.

10. White Tip Reef shark – the most common shark encountered by divers and snorkelers on tropical reefs.

11. Wobbegong shark – this is an Australian/Pacific shark, and it lies on the bottom of the ocean waiting for fish to come near.

12. Zebra shark – this is a small and gentle shark, which is often kept in aquariums with other fish.

13. Thresher shark – this shark has a long tail, which it uses to help catch its food.

Okay, who watched Jaws, and how long did it take you to get back in the water? I watched the movie with my brother. For a long time after seeing it, whenever I went swimming I’d keep touching my legs to make sure they were still there!

Related posts:

1. Thirteen Types of Undergarments
2. Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays in Moorea
3. Thirteen Terms Relating to Hair

1. During the month of February, I’m host for CoffeeWrite at the Coffee Time forum. This is a round robin story where both readers and authors are welcome to add a paragraph or sentence, driving the story in any direction they like. My story is a paranormal one with the starting line – a shifter and a vamp walk into a bar…

I’d love it you stopped by to help me out with the story. You need to be a member of the forum before you can post, but it’s free to join.

2. I’m visiting Chris Redding and talking about writing plus my upcoming release Cat Burglar in Training.

The Seasons

Summer falls during Christmas in New Zealand. It’s the time when Kiwis traditionally go off on their family holidays, spend days at the beach and their days outdoors. In Auckland, particularly, summer is often humid and wet with very unsettled weather. Just like this year! Summer officially falls during December, January and February.

Autumn is a great time to visit New Zealand. The weather is more settled, the days are cooler and all the kids are back at school. The leaves change color, and the weather is perfect for walking. Autumn falls during March, April and May.

This is Cornwall Park, looking toward One Tree Hill in Auckland. This is an autumn photo. Notice the gorgeous day.

Winter brings snow in the southern regions. Since Auckland is sub-tropical we don’t get snow and seldom get down to 0 degrees Celsius. It’s cooler with lots of rain. Winter is officially during June, July and August.

Spring is lovely with lots of flowers and the grape harvest gets underway. The weather can be settled with sunny days or we might have rain. Spring falls during September, October and November.

My favorite seasons are Spring and Autumn. I always enjoy the cooler weather before it gets too cold, and I love spring flowers. Daffodils always make me smile with their bright, yellow nodding heads. I like summer with the long daylight hours, but dislike the humidity. I prefer the cold, and I’m happy to dress in extra layers. One can only strip down to skin when it comes to the summer heat!

What is your favorite season and why?

Related posts:

1. Computer Technician and More
2. Looks Like Summer

During the last few days I’ve been pondering my post for the Love is in the Air blog hop, hosted by Under the Covers Book blog. My name is Shelley Munro, and I’m an author. The obvious thing would be to tell you about my upcoming February releases Eye on the Ball and Cat Burglar in Training. See the pretty covers on the side—no!

I don’t want to bore you with promo. Back to pondering…

Then along came Bella, our rambunctious puppy, in an entirely rambunctious mood. She barked at me as she does whenever she wants to play. She’s a stubborn wee puppy and the word “no” doesn’t seem to work with her. If she wants a cuddle, she’ll wriggle her way past my laptop. I can be typing away, lost in my latest story when suddenly a puppy plops on top of the laptop.

Bella is our second dog. Our first dog, Scotty passed away a few years ago, but she also had an endearing manner. Scotty was complaining at me one day while I was writing. She wanted to go for a walk, and I wanted to finish my scene.

“Right,” I said. “If you’re not going to behave, I’ll write you into my book.” And so I did. I added a talking dog to my scene, fully intending to take it out later. But Killer, the talking dog (Scotty) made herself at home, taking over the story. I ended up keeping the scene and my Talking Dogs series was born.

This is Bella. Her brown ear normally stands up and her white ear flops, giving her a comical appearance. She digs holes in the garden and chews up all her toys. Her favorite toys are cardboard boxes and strips of fabric. She rips them into little pieces and makes a mess, but she makes me laugh. Despite her naughtiness, she’s very cute, and we can never stay angry with her for long. There is nothing better than a puppy greeting after a crappy day at work.

CONTEST: Tell me about your pet or pets. If you don’t have a pet invent an imaginary one. Would you like a purple dragon with green spots? A werewolf? A pixie or a fairy? A turtle? A spider? A cat or a dog? Or something else?

All you need to do to enter the draw is answer my question about pets in the comments section. Winners will be chosen and notified by email after 11.59 pm on 14 February. International entries are welcome.

Related posts:

1. Perfect Strangers: A Fated Love
2. Kathy Ivan Says Write What You Love
3. Perfect Stranger: Half Way to Love

This was the first big trip we did, and despite me catching malaria, we fell in love with many of the places we visited. I used this trip as the inspiration for one of my books, Wanderlust.

Instead of just posting a selection of the photos today, I thought I’d give you small snippets from my book, Wanderlust and some matching photos. BTW – Wanderlust is part of the Value in the Vaults program at Ellora’s Cave. You’ll pick it up at the bargain price of $0.99 there or $1.49 at Amazon Kindle.

I thought back to that day in Aleppo, Syria. My eyes narrowed while I remembered. The entire group had wandered through the crowded marketplace. Donkeys laden with huge loads of vegetables or bolts of cloth plodded down the narrow streets. Both locals and tourists jostled for space, the local people trying to carry out their business while tourists dallied, gawking at everything. It was noisy. Dusty.

The scent of petrol and oil was heavy on the air. We walked on, pushing our way through with all the panache of the locals. We learned quickly and we’d already visited the bazaars in Turkey. They were no place for correct and proper British manners and queues. The bazaars and marketplaces were every man or woman for himself. You pushed without being too pushy or else the locals walked all over you. And bargaining. We’d all learned to do that as well.

Without another word, we ambled down the dusty street, heading for Pushkar Lake. Other tourists wandered the streets, checking out shops and restaurants. Some wore red string bracelets on their wrists, reminding me we’d need to do the same—donate some money and receive a bracelet passport in return. Giving in and donating money stopped further harassment. Some of the priests were very persistent.

Top left: At a Pushkar cafe
Top right: The annual Pushkar camel fair
Bottom left: The crowded streets.
Bottom right: The beautiful lake

The sun lay low on the horizon when we drove in the old city of Jaisalmer, painting all the ochre-colored buildings a soft pink. I slowed the truck and waited for a cow to amble across the road in front of us.

A chill breeze blew over the flat rooftop but the knee-high wall plus the air-conditioning unit protected me from the worst. The sky glittered with a canopy of stars. I stared up at them, idly picking out fantastical shapes until my eyelids grew too weighty to hold open. A dog barked, the mournful howl picked up and repeated by another animal. Gooseflesh rippled over my arms. Talk about creepy. I heard others come up to the roof and settle down for the night, their chatter a low, background noise.

The mosquitoes came out about ten minutes later, the whine irritating and loud. Very loud. They flew in kamikaze circles around my head. I slapped my hand around my head a few times and snatched at the source of the sound. Missed. Muttering, I sat up and pulled out my mosquito net. I hadn’t put it up because there was nothing to hang it on. But desperation called for ingenuity. I covered my head and upper body with the netting, tucking it under my sleeping bag. It didn’t halt their whine but at least it stopped them landing and taking a bite.

“Don’t forget your water bottles and hats,” I said. There was always one who forgot if I didn’t remind them.

One of the camels grunted and made a loud whistling sound.

“Oh god. I think that camel farted,” Rosa said, waving her hand in front of her face.

“That will be your camel,” I said, attempting to keep a straight face.

Everyone laughed except Rosa, who pulled a face. “I expect farting is the least of our problems,” she said. “I hope I can walk by the end of the day.”

Shelley’s notes: I have very vivid memories of the mosquitoes and the dogs in Jaisalmer.  Between the barking and the buzzing around my head, I didn’t sleep a wink. I actually caught cerebral malaria on this trip and spent time in a New Delhi hospital. It’s part of the reason I look so skinny in the photos.

We enjoyed our camel ride very much but most of us walked like ducks the next day! Talk about sore muscles.

Related posts:

1. Wanderlust
2. Exotic India
3. The Dreaded Sagging Middle with Rachel Leigh

I’ve discovered a new meme called Weekend Cooking. It’s hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Since I often post recipes, this is a happy find for me. Follow the link above to Beth’s blog for further info on the meme.

And now to my recipe…

Hunter Blair, one of the heroes from my upcoming release, Eye on the Ball is having trouble in the romance field. He wondered if a box of these truffles might help his cause – at least that’s what he said in my hearing, but this conversation didn’t make the final draft of the book. Here’s the recipe Hunter uses:

Hunter’s Decadent Truffles

Ingredients:

250 g/1 cup/9 oz cream cheese, softened
500 g/2 cups/18 oz icing sugar (powdered or confectioner’s sugar)
375 g/1.5 cups/13 oz dark chocolate
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Sift the icing sugar to remove any lumps and gradually add to the cream cheese until well blended. Melt the chocolate and add to the cream cheese mix until well combined. Refrigerate for about an hour. Once the mix has hardened shape into balls. Roll in nuts, coconut or sprinkles. Refrigerate until eating.

Shelley’s notes.

1. I always make these for Christmas, and since it’s summer down here in New Zealand, the refrigerate until eating instruction is important.

2. I’ve given measurements in grams, cups and ounces. Follow the relevant measurements for your country.

3. For the chocolate – my husband and I like hazelnuts so we use a bar of hazelnut chocolate as part of the chocolate measurement. You could add a few nuts or pieces of dried fruit to the cream cheese mix if desired.

4. I rolled my truffles in coconut, cocoa powder and cupcake sprinkles. Check out the cupcake bling section at your supermarket for different sprinkles. Use your imagination

5. Eat and enjoy with friends.

Related posts:

1. Mug Cake
2. Easy Chocolate Mousse: Little Pots of Yummy Goodness
3. The Big Cheese

Young adult (YA) fiction has become very popular with adult readers in the past few years.  I became interested in young adult romance when I read the Twilight series.  To be honest, I inhaled those books. They were fun to read and reminded me of high school, youth, and first love. I then moved on to discover an entire genre of exciting books I had never considered reading as an adult.

What makes the genre so appealing to the adult reader?  I’d like to focus on the aspect of first love as a theme I see in many YA books.  In my opinion, first love is different from the love one experiences later in life.  There is a hot brilliance to the emotions because it’s so new.

Let me share with you Exhibit A from my own first love. The stack of letters you see came from my first love when I was eighteen years old. For one year, I received these love letters. It was a long distance relationship before email and cell phones with unlimited  text messaging.

I dug the letters out of the closet where I could take a picture just for you. Then I began to read through some of them. Whew *fanning self*.  Were we that in much in love? It was a long time ago. I guess I had forgotten. The declarations of love and longing are stamped into each word.

The letters were written by a young man I later married. Twenty-six years later, we still are.  Things change a lot as you become an adult and collect lots of life experience.  It’s nice to look back at the letters and remember what it’s like to be eighteen and in love.  Reading in the YA genre is another way to experience it again through some great characters.  So, go on, have some fun. Fall in love again for the first time.

Do you read in the YA genre? Do you remember your first love?

The Waiting Booth Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/xIBrZWsJ3Ls

BUY LINKS: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo Books, All Romance eBooks, Borders online

MARK IT ON: Goodreads

FIND BRINDA:  WEB  FACEBOOK  TWITTER

BLURB:  The Waiting Booth

A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal…Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High—find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia’s drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it’s no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia’s secrets, she begins to wonder if there’s more going on than she thought…and if she was wrong to trust him…

BIO: Brinda lives in the southern US with her family and two spunky cairn terriers. She’s terribly fond of chocolate, coffee, and books that take her away from reality.

CONTEST: I won a copy of Brinda’s The Waiting Booth and enjoyed it very much. I’d like to pass on that opportunity to another reader, so I’m going to give away an ebook version of The Waiting Booth to one person who answers Brinda’s question above.

Note – I’ll be gifting The Waiting Booth from either Amazon or All Romance ebooks, and the winner will be announced 5 Feb, late Sunday night, here at my blog.

Related posts:

1. King’s Love Letters
2. Love Letters
3. Stacia Kane: I Love to Blog

This week my husband and I, plus several of the other drivers on one of our local roads, had to stop for about twenty geese to cross the road. This started a conversation about what a group of geese is called. According to an online page of the Christchurch library, I discovered that geese come in gaggles, clutches, flocks, lines, skeins, nides or wedges.

The perfect topic for a TT, I thought.

Thirteen Animal Groups

1. Crocodiles – bask or a nest

2. Flamingoes – stand

3. Ferrets – business

4. Goldfish – troubling

5. Grasshoppers – cloud

6. Hedgehogs – nest or an array

7. Hippopotami – bloat, school, pod or herd

8. Leopards – leap

9. Lice – flock

10. Midges – bite

11. Cockroaches – intrusion

12. Owls – parliament or a stare

13. Tigers – ambush

I don’t know how they come up with the group names, but it struck me how appropriate some of them are – hippo/bloat. They match perfectly. I’m not sure how ravens ended up with unkindness though. That one doesn’t seem to fit. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

My question to you – if authors and readers came in groups the same way as animals, what do you think they’d be named?

Related posts:

1. Thirteen Muscles of the Body
2. Thirteen Fishy Tales
3. Thirteen Animal Photos

I’m thrilled to contribute another story to All Romance ebooks Perfect Strangers series. Eye on the Ball, my story this year is a contemporary mm one with a rugby theme.

Here’s the blurb:

Sometimes the best games are the ones played for keeps.

For two years, Melbourne assistant rugby coach Leon Fleming has mourned the passing of his long-term partner, convinced he could’ve done something to prevent his lover’s unexpected death.

Professional rugby player Hunter Blair is having a terrible season with his Auckland team, struggling with his form and a spate of injuries. A closet gay, Hunter visits the Maxwell’s BDSM club intending to satisfy his curiosity and maybe score an anonymous one-night stand. What he finds is something quite different—a taciturn man who intrigues him. A man who fires both his imagination and his libido.

Hunter’s blatant offer shoves Leon into turmoil. It’s only sex, yet it feels as if he’s stepping into the unknown. This is a game with no rules or referee. Not a final whistle in sight, so why is his heart telling him he should play hard and win?

Preorder your copy today at All Romance ebooks

The first book in the Perfect Strangers series comes out on the 1 Feb with new books releasing daily. Find details of all the Perfect Strangers books here.

Related posts:

1. Perfect Stranger
2. Perfect Strangers: One Perfect Night
3. Perfect Stranger: Dark Sidhe Claimed

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:
~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I picked up Angel’s Rest (Book 1 Eternity Springs series) by Emily March off my pile of books to read a few days ago. I don’t know whether I was super tired but I found the first two chapters a little slow. I persevered, and I’m glad I did because I’m enjoying it now.

Gabe respected her professional abilities, but no way he’d let a woman take point position. At the root cellar door he met her gaze and said, “Dr. Sullivan? Sit. Stay.”

She narrowed her eyes and said, “Careful, Callahan. I bite.”

Page 47, Angel’s Rest

Blurb:

Gabriel Callahan has lost everything that mattered. All he wants is solitude on an isolated mountain estate. Instead, he gets a neighbor. Vibrant, no-nonsense Nic Sullivan is Eternity Springs’ veterinarian, and she has an uncanny plan to lure this talented architect back to the world of the living. First with a dog, next with a renovation project, and, finally, with a night of passion that ends with a surprise.

Now a man still raw from tragedy must face the biggest struggle of his heart. Can he forgive himself and believe in the power of second chances? Dare he trust in the promise of a future and a brand-new family here in Eternity Springs?

Purchase Angel’s Rest

What are you reading this week? Share a teaser in the comments section or leave a link for me to visit.

Related posts:

1. Teaser Tuesday: The Homecoming by JoAnn Ross
2. Teaser Tuesday: No Place To Run
3. Teaser Tuesday: Holly Lane by Toni Blake

Choice of one of my print books (not anthology) – Sarah Bibi Setar

Choice of a download from my backlist – Diane Sallans

Thank you to everyone who visited me during the hop. Look for another hop commencing 7 February!

AMENDED: I’ve redrawn the winner of the ebook download…

The winner is Debra G. Congratulations, Debra. I’ve contacted you via email.

Related posts:

1. April Blog Participation Winners
2. Mistletoe Madness Winners
3. Fancy Free – contest winners