Shelley Munro and A Discreet Affair

Congratulations on your book! Why don’t you tell us a little about it?

Thank you, Rhonda and thanks for having me to visit. My latest release is A Discreet Affair. It’s a World War II romance, set in Biggin Hill, which is near London.

I find this era fascinating, especially the daily lives of the men and women who stayed at home and kept the home front ticking over. They faced many hardships such as rationing and losing family members who were fighting overseas and, during the summer of 1940, the enemy commenced nightly bombings. Sleep was in very short supply and the people faced danger each night but they kept going. A Discreet Affair also deals with the fighter pilots who attempted to keep the enemy at bay, facing great danger and stress on a daily basis.

Here’s the blurb:

Summer, 1940. Britain is at war, and her brave fighter pilots attempt to keep the enemy at bay.

The last thing Pamela Allison wants is another man, especially one like her brutal, now deceased husband. Her managing mother wants her to live with her in London, but Pamela accepts a job from her aunt, working in the family store in the village near Biggin Hill.

Enter Michael Stedman, a Spitfire pilot based at the Biggin Hill airbase. Depressed and a little drunk after the death of his friend, he doesn’t expect to meet a beautiful woman during a night out at the local pub. He’s not looking for anything permanent since a pilot’s life is fraught with danger. All he wants is a little feminine company to take his mind off the war.

London is under siege by the enemy. Bombs drop every night and the danger increases for everyone. Michael and Pamela’s relationship changes and they become lovers. They are happy with their secret liaison until gossip and the past intrude and threaten to destroy everything, including her good reputation.

A Discreet Affair is due out on 17 January from Liquid Silver Books. http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com

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Do you work on one project at a time or multiples?

I tend to have more than one project on the go but usually focus on one. For example at present I’m working on a paranormal shifter story. I’m completing my word count each day on this story and, if I finish early or feel like working longer, I might swap to another work in progress. If I get stuck I’ll typically swap to another project while I mull over my problems with the first story.

Is there one particular thing that you find challenging about writing?

LOL – yes! Actually sitting at my computer and writing is hard. There are some days when even the housework seems more interesting than writing. I have to be strict with myself and make sure I write a minimum number of words each day. In my case that’s 2000 words each day. This is a good pace for me—one that I can sustain without burning out.

What is your favorite thing about writing?

My favorite thing about writing is being my own boss. After years of working at an office job I enjoy setting my own pace and goals. I like knowing if I make mistakes, it’s my problem. I also like getting paid for making things up and using my imagination. When I say I’m away with the fairies, I’m most likely telling the truth!

Who controls the storyline, you or your characters?

Definitely the characters. I’m not much of a plotter. I start a story knowing my characters and their inner conflicts. My characters take it from there. I might have a vague idea where I want to go or how I want to end the story, but generally my characters end up directing. They’re a bossy lot, too!

Where can your readers reach you?

I have a website at http://www.shelleymunro.com and I blog most days at http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog
I also have a Twitter account http://www.twitter.com/shelleymunro and a Facebook account http://www.facebook.com/shelleymunro