About Me

I have lived in New Zealand’s beautiful farming country all my life. After growing up in rural South Auckland I married Martin, and together we’ve farmed sheep, cattle, dairy cows and run a kiwifruit orchard. This rural lifestyle provides a rich source of settings and inspiration for my stories.

For many years we’ve been based in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty region - an area famed for productive land, generous rainfall, beautiful beaches, abundant seafood and lush verdant growth.

The Bay, stretching from East Cape to the tip of the Coromandel Peninsular, was named by Captain James Cook in the 1700’s when local Maori tribes provided his crew with food and hospitality, a trait that persists among its inhabitants to this day.

 

 

Tauranga Harbour from Bowentown Heads looking towards the Kaimai Ranges

An ardent fan of romance, I love exploring human hopes and frailties, aspirations, love and laughter. Why Romance? To me, first and last, family matters. And Romance is all about reaffirming and celebrating family values.

I enjoy reading and writing about people who overcome adversity and commit to a relationship. I firmly believe there are romance heroes because I have one at home.

As a mother of five, sister to six siblings, and aunt to twenty (and that’s only on my side of the family) I know that the best things in life never come easy. Intimate experience of grief and anguish of life’s trials and the joy of overcoming tragedy shine through in my emotionally gripping novels.

Writing has always been a major part of my life. For years I wrote a Country Comment column for The New Zealand Herald and freelanced on local and regional newspapers in the Bay. Years living in small towns with all their joys, trials and tribulations add an extra dimension to stories.

Favourite quotation:

“How can you expect to write if you can’t cry”. Ling.

Affiliations:

Romance Writers of New Zealand Central Branch RWNZ

 

Hobbies and Interests

Shirley has the normal quota of family and work commitments to balance with writing and other hobbies.

Major interests are reading, writing and gardening.

She takes much pleasure in learning the craft of writing. Romance Writers of New Zealand workshops and monthly chapter meetings are very beneficial in honing writing skills.

 

Animal Friends

Angie, who is anything but an angel, a tortoiseshell cat whose mission in life is to keep neighbourhood dogs and cats out of her territory.

And humans who annoy her.

She’s one bossy cat

 

 

 

Privacy Policy:

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If you live under a overzealous government (such as the EU) that thinks emails and IPs (you know, stuff less identifying than what is in a phonebook) are personally identifiable information, or you are unhappy about receiving any of the above from me - you should probably just leave by clicking the unsubscribe button clearly shown on every email.  

If you choose to remain - Welcome - rest assured I will not share your information with any other party or persons.

I use legitimate business practices to handle my newsletters & promotions - so its as safe as I can make it, but you ARE on the Internet - and nothing is one hundred percent safe. - Shirley Wine