Realms of the Raven - Erotic Romance Author Maura Anderson

This week I’ve posted my Flash Fiction offering on the Fiction With Friction blog as part of our Hellaween free reads.

You can read the offering Bonds of Steel here and you may recognize the characters - it’s Noah and Jim!

Literary Nymphs will be hosting a post-Halloween chat for male/male authors on their chat loop on Saturday, November 1 to Sunday November 2.

Please join in all the fun!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LiteraryNymphsChat/?yguid=218136568

Title: Undercover
Author: Lauren Dane
Publisher: Berkeley Heat
ISBN: 9780425224643
Release Date: December 2, 2008

Blurb:
On the battleground or in the bedroom, one woman and two men fight for dominance in a bold, new, and excitingly different direction in erotica…

As a lieutenant of the Federation military, Sera Ayers is accustomed to giving orders, not taking them. Now she must obey the one man she can’t stand—and can’t stop thinking about.

With the enemy Imperialists gaining ground, a covert team is assembled by Ash Walker. Ten years before, Sera had lovingly submitted to Ash’s dominance in the bedroom. But when he was forced into a political marriage, she refused to play mistress. His marriage now over, Ash wants Sera on his team—and back in his bed.

The third team member, Brandt Pela, has an elegance to match Ash’s savage sexuality. And when their undercover plan requires Sera to pose as Brandt’s lover, it ignites a passion among the three of them more dangerous than their mission.

Review:
Sera Ayers had channeled her anguish and heartbreak at Ash Walker’s announcement that he was marrying another and would keep Sera as his mistress into a new focus - she gave up her job in the Federation Diplomatic Corps and joined the Military Corps instead. She’d succeeded so well that, even as an unranked female, she’d risen to lieutenant and commanded her own team. But she didn’t expect Ash to turn up in her life again, let alone to pull rank on her and order she join his team for a covert operation.

Ten years ago Ash had given up his perfect life with Sera to enter the miserable political marriage demanded of him as a member of one of the Families, the rulers of the Federation. Thankfully he’d escaped that situation when his wife demanded a divorce and married another. When the opportunity presented itself to bring in a new team member to carry out his mission, Ash wanted Sera on the team and in his bed.

Brandt Pela, son of another Family and ex-brother-in-law to Ash, always knew Ash’s heart was with someone other than Brandt’s sister. He was already impressed with Sera’s record and skills but when he meets her and sees Ash’s reaction, he knows this will be an interesting assignment. Ash wants Sera back and Sera must go undercover with Brandt and Ash as a pampered and spoiled concubine - as Brandt’s concubine.

I’ve been a fan of Lauren Dane’s books for a long time and have been dying to read this story ever since I heard she was writing a futuristic/scifi erotic romance. Honestly, it’s a sub-genre that I’m leary of because I grew up on science fiction and fantasy and I’m difficult to please because of it. Undercover was amazing! I fell immediately into the world Ms. Dane created and it came completely alive to me.

Most of all, though, I loved the characters. Sera worked to hold her anger and betrayal before her as a shield to keep Ash away, even though she still really wants him. The anguish her memories evoke tear her apart at the same time she has to play a sexual and outwardly submissive role on their undercover team. I hate wimpy heroines and Ms. Dane didn’t let me down with in this story - Sera is strong, capable, smart and more than willing to give as good as she gets without ever becoming unlikeable or unbelievable.

Ash is torn between his lifelong duty to his Family, his rank and the Federation but he’s never forgotten Sera or stopped loving her. Brandt has been Ash’s friend for years but this mission uncovers a side of his friend he didn’t really know. The two men have a fascinating interplay between them and their years of friendship show in other ways as well. And sexy, oh man are they sexy.

Undercover is a rich, compelling story full of tons of emotion, intrigue, a thrilling sensuality, amazing sex and a happily ever after that made me sigh and smile for the characters. I will complain that it was so good, it made me late for work one day when I lost track of time and couldn’t put it down. It was fast paced but just right for the story. I never felt bored or wanted to skip ahead to the “good parts” - they were ALL good parts.

Lauren has been an auto-buy for me for years but I really recommend Undercover as a book you shouldn’t miss.

Click on the bookcover above to go to Lauren Dane’s site and read an excerpt of Undercover.

Order from Amazon
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As some of you may know, Giving Thanks is due to be released as a stand-alone ebook from Aspen Mountain Press next month. I just got the cover mock-up and permission to show it to you all.

Isn’t it lovely??

I think a celebration is in order and we need a nice excerpt of this story, my first male/male story, to enjoy until the book comes out!

Giving Thanks (excerpt)
(c) 2008 by Maura Anderson

“You’re going to make me eat that, aren’t you?” Troy did his best to pout. “You know I only like the cranberry sauce that comes out of a can in a solid blob.”

“Heathen.”

Before he could react, he found his cup of coffee replaced with the measuring cup. Derek turned him around, pointed him at the refrigerator and patted his ass. “Put that in the fridge. There’s a good boy. It needs to thicken and cool before we eat.”

He wiggled his ass at Derek, laughing at his lover’s bossiness. There was no doubt that the kitchen was Derek’s domain, even at home. “Yes, sir!”

Once he’d closed the refrigerator, Troy reclaimed his coffee cup from the counter and topped it off again while Derek pulled the turkey partially out of the oven to baste it. Damn, it smelled so good. Troy’s stomach growled loudly.

The scent of the cooking bird might make him hungry but he could feel his mouth water just watching Derek. Too bad the turkey was in the upper oven—even in his baggy chef pants, Derek’s ass was irresistible when he bent over and presented it. Instead Troy had to content himself with his imagination.

Watching the smaller man shift from foot to foot in an unconscious, graceful dance made Troy’s cock harden. Maybe he could sneak in some dessert before dinner, especially since they weren’t expecting anyone for once. Setting his cup back down, he stalked up behind Derek, careful not to startle the other man. He firmly grasped Derek’s hips and pulled his lover’s ass back against his hard cock, teasingly rubbing against him.

Derek fumbled to get the heavy roasting pan back into the oven and the oven door shut. Groaning, he bent over and pushed back against Troy’s swollen cock.

Hungry for more, Troy reached a hand up to tug Derek’s T-shirt from under the apron tied low around his hips. Gathering it up, an inch at a time, his lips and tongue traced up the line of delicate vertebrae, pausing to nibble and nip occasionally but taking his time.

Breathing deeper and moaning, Derek ground against him—a sultry, writhing rhythm of lust and want. Troy released the shirt and gave a lush lick of the tender skin at the nape of Derek’s neck, delighted by the shudder than ran through his lover’s body. “Can I have dessert first? I promise I’ll be a very good boy and eat my dinner.”

A sharp nip to a prominent tendon and Derek whimpered, struggling to turn and face Troy. Derek chuckled weakly. “Like I can resist you. Just let me take the turkey out so it doesn’t overcook.”

Finally facing each other, Derek glanced up and batted his eyes. “After all, you tend to like your meat…rare and juicy.”

I’ve been saying all along that I was considering putting my year of Friday Flash posts into a single downloadable PDF file so people could download the lot of them and read them offline. Today I’m happy to announce that one of my wonderful publishers, Aspen Mountain Press, has agreed to help me package them in different formats and will host it for FREE download on their website. This means you can add it to your cart on AMP’s cart, with or without other books, and will not be charged for the download.

I expect it will take us a bit of time to accomplish this so I’d expect it maybe end of November but I’m honored and thrilled by Aspen’s generousity and support of my work and going this extra mile for me to insure you all can have this free offering.

And no, I won’t take down the web page in the meantime but I’ll rearrange a little to start a new archive on 11/1.

I’ve been sick and it’s been that lovely time of the month so I really didn’t expect much when I heaved myself up onto the scale this morning. I’d have been happy to have held steady. So imagine my surprise when I hit a new low!

Hoping that this week goes well, I’m really busy writing and my EDJ reorganized so I have a new boss and will have a bit of adjustment there.

252 - Start Weight
237.5 - Today
(14.5) - Net
97.5 - To Go

Aspen Mountain Press just let me know that they are planning to re-release Gift of the Holly King, my contribution to the Babes in Toyland II anthology as a single-title story this winter!

I’ll put up a cover when I get it but I want excited to hear the news!

Instead of a separate Friday Flash this week, I’d like to direct you to the Witchy Chicks blog and our Round Robin Horror Story.

My post can be read here but you should really start at the first installment of the story here.

Let us know what you think! It’s wacky and fun, but so are we.

‘Tis the season! My fellow Witchy Chicks and I are writing a Round Robin Horror story for your enjoyment this Samhain season!

You can read part 1 here from the lovely Witchy Chick, Terese Ramin.

The Zombies!!!!!

Another paranormal offering this week.

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

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Through the Veil
(c) 2008 by Maura Anderson

The full moon crested the tops of the tall trees bordering the clearing and cast a crescent of light onto the ground. Despite the fire burning before her, the deep chill of fall lay on her bare skin like a blanket, heavy and thick with the threat of winter’s approach. The large flat stone that served as her altar sat next to the fire, her ritual tools neatly arranged upon it.

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