Kate can't deny her son's similarity to the sexy man at her door but no way will she hand him over without a fight. Kate doesn't possess money but she can shower her son with love. With public speculation rife, Kate reluctantly works with Lane to discover the truth. They grow closer as distrust slowly turns to mutual fascination, but the tabloid articles bring out a stalker. Mild pranks escalate into danger, and suddenly Lane realizes Kate is a woman he could love. With Kate and her son, he could have a family. Now, with his heart on the line, this is one game he's playing to win...
Playing to Win was previously released with another publisher under the title Lane's Love Child.
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Read an excerpt from Playing to Win
About Shelley Munro
Shelley lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband and a small, bossy dog called Scotty.
Typical New Zealanders, Shelley and her husband left home for their big OE soon after they married (translation of New Zealand speak--big overseas experience). A year long adventure lengthened to six years of roaming the world. Enduring memories include being almost sat on by a mountain gorilla in Rwanda, lazing on white sandy beaches in India, whale watching in Alaska, searching for leprechauns in Ireland, and dealing with ghosts in an English pub.
While travel is still a big attraction, these days Shelley is most likely found in front of her computer following another love--that of writing stories of romance and adventure. Other interests include watching rugby and rugby league (strictly for research purposes), being walked by the dog, and curling up with a good book.
Contact Shelley at shelleymunro@gmail.com
Back list
Ellora's Cave:
Talking Dogs, Aliens and Purple People Eaters
Never Send a Dog to do a Woman's Job
Summer in the City of Sails
Men To Die For
Scarlet Woman
Sex Idol
Curse of Brandon Lupinus
Romantic Interlude
Peeping Tom
Stray Cat Strut
Fallen Idol
Dreams of the Oasis 3: Summer Lovin'
Best Man
Sex, Spies & Sapphires
Unforgettable
Issy's Infatuation
Last Wish
Medallion Press, Inc.
The Second Seduction
The Shadow
New Concepts Publishing
Aislyn
Live the Moment
Ghost Cats anthology
From The Deep anthology
Tripping Through the Universe anthology
No Holes Barred: Stranded
No Holes Barred anthology
Wild Child
An Interview with Shelley Munro
By Holly Hewson, Marketing Director for The Romance StudioHH: Shelley, welcome back to TRS! Please tell us about your featured book, Playing to Win. SM: Thanks, Holly! Playing to Win is a romantic suspense featuring a rugby player hero and an aromatherapist heroine. It's set in Auckland, New Zealand and starts when the hero discovers, via a tabloid newspaper story, that he has a son. He doesn't believe it for a moment since he's never met the child's mother, but when he sees the child for the first time he's shocked. The child is the splitting image of him as a child. Lane is determined to learn the truth, and although he and Kate, the heroine, have a rocky start, they come to like each other. That liking slowly turns to love, but of course, there are hiccups along the way, including a stalker who seems intent on making Kate's life miserable.
HH: So your hero is a sexy rugby player who doesn't believe the boy is his. Your heroine isn't rich but she loves her son. Where did you get the idea for this sexy collision? SM: Playing to Win is actually the first book I ever wrote, although of course it has gone through several rewrites since I wrote the first draft. At the time I wrote the sort of story I liked reading-a rich hero with a suspense element-and I set it in a place familiar to me. That meant Auckland, New Zealand. I love rugby and I used my fascination with aromatherapy in my story. It was a case of taking everything I liked and chucking it into the writer's pot. I didn't know much about writing then and didn't plan. I just sat in front of the computer and wrote my heart out. As I say, the final version is very different from my first draft. I was lucky enough to have a wonderful critique partner work with me on this story.
HH: What do you like best about Lane? SM: He's an alpha hero, and although he's rich with more money and power than the heroine, after his initial confrontation he's willing to listen. He's not afraid of responsibility. And he's a hunk. That's always a plus. =)
HH: Are you a rugby fan? SM: I'm a huge rugby fan, and like many other New Zealanders, totally disappointed with our team, the All Blacks and their dismal performance at the recent World cup. The next Rugby world cup is being held in New Zealand so I have high hopes of an improvement in the future. Meanwhile, the new rugby season starts in February, and I can't wait.
HH: What are you working on now? SM: I'm working on another story in my Middlemarch series. I've just sold the fourth story in this series and I've started on the fifth. I love writing feline shifters.
HH: What do you have in store for readers in 2008? SM: I have quite a few releases scheduled already and I'm busy with a writing spurt. I have another romantic suspense coming from Cerridwen Press in April. It's called Wanderlust and it's set in India. Lots of personal experience is packed into this story. I also have two stories in Ellora's Cave Jewel of the Nile series plus the fourth Middlemarch story, which is called Assassin. (Aug 2008)
HH: You've got a very well-established career at this point. How do you keep the stories and writing exciting for yourself? SM: I dabble in lots of genres-mainly because I can't pick a favorite-and this helps keep me entertained. I've also started to blend genres a bit, and with each story I try out new things. Sometimes I write in first person or I'll write longer stories with subplots interspersed with the odd short story. Luckily the ideas keep flowing and I'm blessed with a vivid imagination.
HH: What types of scenes do you enjoy writing most? SM: Actually, it depends on the book. Some books flow and all the scenes are easy while others are just plain hard work. I tend to like writing action scenes while love scenes are sometimes tricky and I'll leave blanks with an "insert love scene here" line. As I said, each book is different in the way it comes together.
HH: Do you start out with characters and scenarios? Or do you start with an entire plot? SM: Once again, this is different with every book, and it depends on how an idea comes to me. Sometimes I'll start with just a title or a line of dialogue. Other times I'll think up a character and start the "what if" process. I might think about a character or a plot for a long time without writing a word. Every time I walk the dog, the plot will come out and I'll percolate a few more facets of it. I never used to be a plotter. With Playing to Win, I just sat down and wrote my book, not knowing much about the writing process. Once a writer is published, the process has to change. Many publishers buy a book before it's finished. They want to have a good idea of what they're buying, which means the writer has to do more plotting upfront. I consider myself a hybrid now. I do a little plotting and a little jumping into the unknown.
HH: What do you enjoy reading? SM: I read widely, across the romance spectrum. My favorite is paranormal romance, although I'm going through a historical phase at the moment. I'm also a big fan of urban fantasies, and if I need a break from romance, I'll pick up a mystery or thriller. And finally, I read a lot of non-fiction books while doing research for my own writing.
Thanks for having me at The Romance Studio, Holly. It's been fun!
HH: Thank you!
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