Realms of the Raven

Late again, but here it is! I refuse to actually miss a week and haven’t so far. Just been late a bunch lately.

This is the start of my 2nd story in the Hot Comforts Anthology, to be published by ManLove Romance Press in Fall 2008. The other story I’ll have in that anthology is Giving Thanks.

(Archives are on the website, if you want to read the offerings of past weeks)

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Bittersweet
(c) 2008 by Maura Anderson

Brand tucked the last dark chocolate box into the cardboard delivery box. He tapped the lids of the four delivery boxes down and set them carefully on the long table behind the retail counters. Done at last.

Shirley lifted one pierced eyebrow and crossed her arms. The strict schoolmarm chastising look might have been a bit more effective on someone older and less…colorful. Instead he had to fight the urge to break out into laughter as he walked back to get the clipboard with all the order information for her.

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Late again, but here it is!

Blame Laura Baumbach (again) - she gave me this idea too. But this is part of the first story in a series for ManLove Romance Press. Meet Simon and Mika :)

(Archives are on the website, if you want to read the offerings of past weeks)

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Hidden Depths: Secret Graves
(c) 2008 by Maura Anderson

Damn, he was too keyed up to sleep. Again.

Simon twisted his stiff body, the kinks from three hours of holding position making him feel every day of his thirty-four years. It was a good day, though—the hostages were safe. Mission accomplished.

A small part of him wished the suspect hadn’t committed suicide. That cowardly final act cheated his victims out of the kind of closure that might help heal them but it also meant Simon hadn’t been called on to dispense justice with a single bullet. Justice it was too late to mete out on his own behalf.

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Kitty is all better, thank you for asking everyone. The EDJ was having crises so I’m late (again) but here’s this week’s offering.

Blame Laura Baumbach.

(Archives are on the website, if you want to read the offerings of past weeks)

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Small Town Vet
(c) 2008 by Maura Anderson

“A llama?” Sam slowed his truck then turned off the payment onto the private road. He shook his head at the idea of a llama in Bondsville, Wyoming.

Phil Marting had bought the old Miller place last winter, including the few remaining sheep, but no one heard much from him. He kept to himself and was rarely seen in town. Sam was one of the few that seemed to interact with the retired entrepreneur regularly, being called in to treat one or the other of the man’s menagerie of rescued animals.

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Sorry for the delay - it’s been a heck of a week. Keep your fingers crossed for my kitty to recover.

(Archives are on the website, if you want to read the offerings of past weeks)

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Leather, Lace and Leaves
(c) 2008 by Maura Anderson

There had to be one hell of a joke playing out and Sabine not only didn’t get it, she seemed to be the butt of it.

It was almost too much to take in. The shop’s windows were swathed in what appeared to be a cross between a late Victorian bordello, a funeral parlor and a BDSM club. Heavy burgundy swags, complete with pom-poms dangling every inch, were offset by black lace sheers with studded leather tie-backs. The entire backdrop seemed to come from another universe than the delicate tea cups and saucers arranged on the leather-lined window display shelf.

Leather, Lace and Leaves.

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Or maybe that’s really a Saturday Snippet.

I’ve been sick all week and I have a sick cat I need to take back to the vet in a few minutes. So I’m late - but I’ve never missed a week and refuse to now.

Back in a bit.

Jennifer at CK2S Kwips and Kritiques gave Tort & Retort 4.5/5 Klovers and says:

TORT & RETORT is the second book I have read by new author Maura Anderson, and once again she impresses me with a fun and sexy romance that still contains a level of sweetness sure to satisfy the romantic in most readers.

With the character of Gayle Osborne, Ms. Anderson delivers a heroine that many women will identify with – a woman trying to balance her professional identity with her private persona, keeping the two worlds separate lest her personal interests somehow detract from her professional credibility. In this modern world, professional women are somehow thought less of if we have feminine interests, but it is those ‘frivolous’ interests that keep us in touch with our femininity as we trudge through the corporate world day after day. Gayle’s own inner struggle with these two sides of herself is something that is bound to resonate with many of the female readers.

Tyler is a very likable hero, doing and saying all the right things without once seeming ‘to good to be true’. He just comes across as a great guy who is totally in love with Gayle. Would that we could all find our own Tyler!

There are some twists to the story that are very interesting, and although I figured them out pretty early in the story, I found them no less enjoyable when they were finally revealed in the end.

TORT & RETORT definitely gives Maura Anderson a place on my authors to take note of list, and I eagerly anticipate future stories from her.

You can read the entire review here.

WitchyGiggles from Alternative Reads has reviewed Tort & Retort and says (in part):

This was a delightful comedy of deception begetting an unusual brand of justice. The lengths to which these two go to hide a true portion of themselves is all too realistic, while the sex was stimulating. Miss Maura, ma’am, what’s not to love in being an erotic romance reviewer? (Delicate snort here) We are, after all, absolute “puddy tats”. More, please.

You can read the entire review here.

I guess I should admit that I’m planning to write the stories of the other reviewers :)

(Archives are on the website, if you want to read the offerings of past weeks)

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Giving Thanks
(c) 2008 by Maura Anderson, all rights reserved

Troy was sprawled face down across Derek’s side of the bed. The chocolate brown sheets were wrapped around his hips, just high enough to ruin Derek’s view of his gorgeous, tight ass. As Derek stood there, Troy mumbled something then turned onto his side. A long arm reached out and drug Derek’s pillow to his chest, only to wrap his arms around it with a muttered “Love you”.

A huge lump filled his throat. He loved Troy so much. Hell, he’d fallen for the black-haired, blue-eyed devil on their second date. Head-over-heels irrevocably in love. How had he let his family’s feelings take precedence over Troy’s for so long?

Deep-rooted anger flared in his chest again. How dare his father demean Troy? Even if he’d thought Troy was just his long-term roommate. Then to just write him off because he didn’t approve of his sexual orientation? What the hell part of “love” did his father not understand? Could his father have just walked away from his mother?

Being “out” to his family was something he’d have to get used to. A small sense of relief was replacing what had been an ever-present fear of discovery. But now he was afraid that he’d lost the rest his family. He had no control over their reactions and whether they could accept the fact he was gay or not. No control over whether his father’s reaction would be echoed by his siblings and mother.

At least he no longer had to pretend. No more hiding. No more trying to remember to not touch Troy with his family around. That was a little piece of freedom he would savor. And no more hurting Troy with his cowardice. Troy had always respected his wishes and hidden their relationship but Derek knew it had seemed like he’d chosen his family over his lover. That would no longer be an issue.

Whether he had a job anymore was another matter entirely. Derek pushed that thought away. Plenty of time to worry about that later.

He focused his attention back on the sexy man taking up most of their king-size bed. The man he wanted to touch, to taste, to savor.

Just imagining the smell of Troy’s skin, the taste of his cum, the sounds he made gave Derek a raging hard-on. With a quiet groan, he stripped off his work clothes and freed his aching cock from his suddenly far-too-restrictive boxer-briefs. By sheer force of will he didn’t touch himself. He didn’t want a self-administered hand job, he wanted Troy.

A quick shower got the lingering smells of onion and garlic off his skin. Soaping up his body only made him ache all the more.

Drying himself was worse; it felt like his skin was twice as sensitive as normal. The scrape of his razor across his late-night stubble sent chills down his spine and straight to his cock.

Finally ready, he eased into bed behind Troy and nudged him back over to his own side of the bed. With a moan and mumble he couldn’t understand, his lover released the pillow and rolled onto his back.

Ah, how convenient.