1. Yeah, we just featured you at Coffee Time Romance, we’re doing it again *g*  If you were Lois Lane, who would be your superman?

Hey—I’m always happy to be at Coffee Time!  J  Now, hmmm, you’ve given me a hard question—cause there are so many good choices out there.  But if we’re talking my own personal Superman, I’d pick Gerard Butler for that role in a heartbeat!

1. You whisper when you write, did you ever notice that guitar players make unusual faces when they crank out solos?  Watch them!  How did the trait come about and does it help you or are you unconscious of it? (I will try to link back to original CTR article)

Well, I was completely unaware that I was doing my faces and whispers routine—but, ah, now that my husband (ah, whoops—should have said him for my superman answer earlier!) has pointed it out to me, the acts do really help me.  The facial gestures I make when I write help me to figure out what expressions characters would have—what parts would lift, shift, etc., and as for the whispers—talking helps me to write faster!

1. Tell us about writing for Brava, how are the people you work with? 

I absolutely love writing for Brava.  The editors there are fabulous—and so are the other authors. Everyone has been supportive and encouraging, and, honestly, writing for Brava is just a dream come true for me.  I read my first Shannon McKenna novel years ago—and since then, well, I’ve been truly Brava hooked.

1. Can you give us a hint about your Demon Bar owner from Hotter After Midnight?

Ah, Niol!  I’ve received some wonderful emails about Niol, the bad-guy demon from Hotter After Midnight  Niol will definitely be getting his own story; it will be called Midnight’s Master, and it is scheduled for release in July of 09.  Niol’s heroine will actually appear in my second “Midnight” book, Midnight Sins (due out in December 08). So if you’re curious about the woman who catches his attention, well, you’ll see her then!

1. Favorite sex toy and why!

Not necessarily a toy but…whipped cream. As the why—I think you can guess!

Share an excerpt!  The readers demand smut!

LOL. Okay, here’s an excerpt from my current release, When He Was Bad (an anthology released by Kensington Brava).  My novella in this anthology is “Wicked Ways” and here’s a snippet…

“You don’t have to thank me.”  A deep rumble of sound, almost like a growl.

The man had the deepest, roughest voice she’d ever heard.  One that made her toes curl and her thighs quiver. 

Down, girl.

Her hormones were going crazy and her mind was turning into mush. Had to be the excitement of the night.

“I did what any man would have done.”

She shook her head at that. “Uh, no.” Miranda could still see the men locked in brutal combat.  “I don’t know many guys who would have kicked down a door to save me.”

He caught her hand.  Brought her fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss to the knuckles.  “Then you don’t know the right kind of men.”

Oh, damn.  Now her knees were shaking.  And was he staring at her with hunger in those golden eyes? 

He kissed her hand again, and for a second, she felt the warm brush of his tongue against her fingers.  Miranda tensed.  “I-I should be going to bed.”  Alone. Because while her hormones might be jumping on the adrenaline party, she wasn’t about to go falling into bed with her neighbor.  Even if he had quite probably saved her life.

And even if he was sexy as all hell.

And even if just the sight of him did have her whole body tightening with arousal. 

She pulled her hand away from Cain’s warm grasp.  Stepped toward the guest bedroom he’d shown her earlier. 

“If that’s what you want…”  The words were soft.

For an instant, she imagined him.  Following her into that dark room and stripping. 

Miranda swallowed, felt the faint sting along her throat.  “Thank you, Cain.  Really.”  Her fingers wrapped around the door frame. 

He gave a faint nod.

Miranda turned away from him, stepped over the threshold. 

“Just got one quick question for you, baby,” he murmured, and the floor squeaked beneath his feet.

Glancing back over her shoulder, she waited. 

His dark brows pulled down low over his eyes. “Why the hell were you out with a vampire?”

Anyway, Q/A followed by an excerpt of “Twin Flames of Imbolc”  Enjoy!

Hi Cynnie

1.      Tell us about your current  release

Twin Flames of Imbolc is a story co-written with my best friend and soul twin, Sharyn Tregarth. The story is about twin sisters, Synthia and Sharyn who are known collectively as the Twins and separately as Phoenyx and Jeharra. Imbolc has come and due to an incident, both women have to tell a story from their pasts. To fail to do so would mean banishment from Ambrosia Tavern, something neither wants to have happen.

2.      Give us some background, why Imbolc?

Imbolc is a Celtic holiday. It’s celebrated February 2^nd and is celebrated in honour of Brigit, Goddess of Fire. It’s a time to celebrate as spring approached and the baby lambs are often born at this time. For the story, it’s a time of renewal for Synthia and Sharyn. Though they’re unaware of what will happen come the future, this night- Imbolc, begins a series of events which will eventually bring them to their own separate books.

3.      Care to share an excerpt?

Buying Info: http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=145&products_id=186

Blurb: The Twins, Synthia and Sharyn Tremayne are forced to tell a story from each of their past lives before an audience at Ambrosia Tavern. For each of them, they tell a story of love and passion that ended.

However, what they speak offends many, and gets many thinking about what could be if given the chance.

For Synthia, it means one night with a heartmate that she thought was gone. For Sharyn, it means a night with two men who attract her thoughts and attentions.

Excerpt:

Sharyn stared at the gilt-edged invitation Hermes had delivered moments earlier in disbelief.

Rena Kai respectfully requests your presence at Ambrosia Tavern tonight to celebrate the blessed Sabbat of Imbolc. Special entertainment has been arranged. I look forward to seeing you…bear in mind severe consequences await those who refuse my gracious invitation.

::Did you receive an invitation for Rena’s Imbolc celebration as well, sismine?:: she asked her twin Synthia via mindlink.

::I did.:: Her twin’s voice sounded slightly muted as if she was trying to control her emotions between them.

It was a waste of time, she knew what Synthia was feeling, and she was not going to let it just slide by. ::You are so dead!::

Synthia huffed on the link. ::This is your fault. You’re the one who got us into this mess!::

::I am not!:: Sharyn retorted. ::Are so! You picked the fight with Set. Ergo this is your fault.:: She could sense Synthia’s smirk and somehow, Sharyn knew her sister was somehow right, yet wrong.

::Alright so maybe being forced to entertain at Ambrosia is my fault…yet you are the one who threatened to tell Rena’s story to the tavern. And look where that got us! We have to tell a story from one of our many lives, wear an outfit from said life , not to mention we have to use glamour so we looked just like we did in that life!:: Sharyn stomped her foot as she stripped off her clothes. She was not happy about this, but there was no way out of what was demanded of them. They had tried, and had been threatened with more punishment if they continued. Punishment Rena-style was so not acceptable. The last time they had been punished by that woman they had made a pact to never get that out of line. Ever.

::Stop your whining and get ready. Rena wants us there a bit early.: Synthia ordered before severing the communication between them.

Sharyn growled at the invitation in her hand and tossed it on her bed as she strode to her closet. A rainbow of colors greeted her as she flung the doors open. Satins, silks, leathers, and linens…all perfect replicas of clothes she’d worn in her past lives. Trailing a hand over the garments, reveling in the feel of the different textures, she realized there was only one story worth telling. A red and gold linen choli and a matching skirt joined the dreaded invitation on the bed. A red Yelek of lightweight brocade, embroidered in gold was laid with reverence beside the other items. She stood silently staring at the items, remembering. The faint footsteps of an approaching nymph broke her reverie. “Nyara, draw a bath. Use the cinnamon and jasmine oils. When you have done that, would you mind finding some jasmine blossoms to weave into my hair?”

With a final glance at the clothes on the bed, she prepared herself for a long night. I don’t think there’s anything that can make this night better. Not when we’re going to be telling the stories of our lives. The darkened streets were practically deserted, a rare occurrence on Imbolc Night. The westerly winds and stormy weather kept most of the city’s inhabitants indoors. Only the brave, or desperate, braved the inclement weather. A drunken man stumbled down the street, searching for another bar to visit. The stillness was broken when two women appeared as if from thin air at the end of the street. “You’re not going to tell the story of the Djinn are you?” Synthia asked in a tone bordering on pity.

Sharyn Tremayne turned to glare at her twin sister. “Like yours is any better? The Oracle of Delphi?”

“At least, I’m not trying to get back into my father’s good graces.” Synthia rolled her eyes as she spoke.

“No, you’re kissing Apollo’s ass. And that’s just wrong on so many levels.” She shuddered.

Synthia sighed then responded, “Basically, we’re both kissing ass and hoping to come away with a bit of pride intact.”

Sharyn arched an auburn eyebrow. “What pride? If it didn’t mean being on Rena’s shit list, I wouldn’t be here.” “True. Might as well get it over with.”

Synthia pushed open the ornate doors and stopped short. “By the goddess!”

“What?” Sharyn peered over her sister’s shoulder. “Thor’s Hammer!”

“How many pantheons are here?” Synthia whispered in a horror-filled tone.

Sharyn scanned the room. “I see Norse, Celtic, Greek, Egyptian, Hindu. Thor’s Hammer! Darius and some of the other Djinn are here.”

“Come on!” Synthia grabbed her sister’s arm and pushed through the guests to the bar. “Rena! What the hell is going on? Why is everyone here?”

“It’s Imbolc,” Rena replied, setting two mugs in front of the girls. “Your costumes are wonderful.”

“Forget our costumes!” Sharyn said. “Why is everyone here?”

“I sent invitations, and like yours, they all carried the reminder that not to appear wouldn’t be wise.” The bartender nodded to them before turning away to take care of other orders. Ambrosia tavern was special, and Rena even more so. To argue with Rena was to argue with a power that even the gods feared. The sisters groaned and sank onto the barstools behind them.

This was much worse than they thought it would be. Had they known Rena planned on inviting all pantheons and all the major players in their various incarnations, they’d have done anything to get out of it.

“Tell me…would you have chosen this particular story if you’d known everyone would be here?” Synthia asked, passing her sister a mug filled with mead.

“Not a chance. As it is, I know there’s going to be hell to pay.” “Cheers.” They clinked the mugs together before drinking the contents. Sharyn drained her mug and held it out for a refill. Rena returned, took the mug, her gaze compassionate but at the same time stern. Then handed the refill back to Sharyn’s waiting hand. “Sharyn.” Her sister nudged her shoulder and tilted her head toward the door.

She turned, watching the new visitors as they stood by the door looking for a table to accommodate their large group. A self-satisfied grin crossed her face as recognition dawned. “I’ll meet you on the dais.”

4.      Give us a powerful reason as to why you write romance

I write romance because everything is connected to love. You either have love or want it. Or deny the need for it, perhaps indulging in hate, a complement of love. For me, I write romance because I enjoy exploring how falling in love not only changes people, but in many cases makes them better. Romance allows you to fall in love again emotionally and sometimes feel what you read in a physical manner. Everyone needs romance—every person, regardless of beliefs, desires and needs.

5.      Lastly, (before an excerpt) leave us with something most readers (myself included) do NOT know

Most people know that I’ve been writing since I was a child. In fact, I learned to read because my parents skipped pages of books they read to me. *sniffles* But what most people don’t know is that I used to love telling scary stories, especially dealing with ghosts, goblins and more. I first read Tolkien at age 8 and he’s a yearly read for me. One day, I want to write a story that truly impacts people on such a level that I’ll always be remembered for changing the thinking of many people.

Share an excerpt (500 words) and give us something fun and quirky about the background of the story:  Like for example, Covenant of Wolves 1: Stalker (Dub Mix) is titled after a song by the Darkwave band, Covenant!

This is something I’m working on currently. It’s entitled “Beg” and it’s a BDSM oriented story. Though I normally do not write contemporaries, this story just wants to be written—depending if I can get my butt in gear. What’s funny about this story is that not only did my male in my life inspire part of the scene, but that the book mapped itself out in 2 nights of talking on the phone to my two best friends—who contributed to the storyline. Of course, they’re thinking it should be made into an erotic film for women who want plot with porn. *grins*

Excerpt:

“Beg.”

The male voice was firm, even a bit demanding, which was unusual during their sexual play. Aislynn Gallante lifted one chestnut brow in question. No one, but no one ever told her what to do sexually- especially not a submissive. In this dungeon, in this specialized club, she was the Dominant, and she was never to be commanded.

Pushing her current submissive male lover, Bryden Petrov away, she growled, “Fuck that. I beg for no one.” Before he responded to her, she moved behind him, grabbing a handful of his hair. Pulling backwards, she bit him hard where his neck and shoulder met on the right side, his neck exposed in one of the submissive poses. His sudden shiver and relaxation to her touch encouraged her to punish her sexual partner who had delusions of becoming a sexual dominant. 

Swiftly taking advantage of Bryden’s minute relaxation, Aislynn continued the assault, kicking the back of his left knee, forcing him downwards towards the floor. A rush of control filled her, reminding her just how much being in control sexually meant to her.  She’d never abuse her submissives, but this power rush was nothing like anything she could explain. Knowing that this man trusted in her to bring him pleasure, bring him emotional happiness and it all centered upon her needs and her knowing him better than he knew himself.

“Kneel, slave.” Without a word of protest, her slave slid down on both knees before her. She loved this—the give and take of sexual power. Somehow, it always amazed her that some of the most alpha-looking men enjoyed allowing women take control sexually and set the tone. In fact, it had been a fluke that had brought this particular man into her life and into her bed. Bryden had been her sexual partner now for over four months and still she found him amazing in how his muscles flexed under his smooth skin as he tried to obey her every command. Yet, for all that they were lovers; there were times when she felt things were spiraling out of control.

Bending over him, she bit him from the shoulder, down the center of his wide back, until she reached the top of his ass. It was time for her to press the issue of ownership and who truly was the submissive in this relationship or whatever it was.  He needed to realize what was there was nothing more than a fantastic sex game they shared.

“Who are you?” she whispered against his slick, muscular body. Tell me who you are, what you want, what I can do to make you want me as much as I want you. What can I do to make you feel about me as deeply as I’m beginning to feel about you?

“I’m a slave,” Bryden responded hoarsely. “Only the strongest of mistresses can tame me. Nothing I do is without the permission of she who owns me.”

1. Who are you and what do you do? *g* I write contemporary, historical and paranormal erotic romance

1. Tell us about your current release: Goin’ Down Anthology Book Two from Aspen Mountain Press. The theme of all the stories is love in an elevator.

1. Somehow a copy of Seduced by the Darkness ended up on my laptop, tell us about that and what plans you have for it? That’s a work in progress but I can tell I have some New York publishers targeted for it.
2. Don’t you have a tele-seminar coming up?  Who is hosting that and what will you be talking about? The tele-seminar is with the wonderful, amazing Sascha Illyvich. I’ll probably talk about characterization and plotting.
3. Favorite cartoon Scooby-Doo, Bugs Bunny and friends
4. Tell us something you’ve learned recently that will leave an impact on readers and authors! Write faster and longer.

 Now for a sexy excerpt from The Erotic Touch

THE EROTIC TOUCH

Texas, present day    

“Ahhhhh!”  Kimber Layne yelled and tossed the closest item at hand—a real-feel, Big Dude Dildo at her closed office door. She was pissed. To make matters worse, she was horny and all she could think about was her best friend and partner, Christopher “Chris” Hart. His shoulder length dark blonde hair made her want to run her fingers through it, feel the softness of the strands as they brushed against her belly as he moved lower… Kimber sighed. The torturous thoughts needed to stop. Action was needed, but what to do?

She reached for the closest object at hand to toss.

The door opened as Big Dude flew through the air. She watched as the large, life-like dildo smacked into Chris’ oh, so lickable, muscled chest. She couldn’t help but laugh.  How like the object of her sexual frustration to appear at this particular weak moment.    

“Sounds like you need a break. How about an early lunch?” Chris grinned, nudging the toy out of the way with the toe of his boot. “I’m lucky you didn’t throw the battery operated model. I’d have to spank you then.”

Kimber tapped her finger on her chin. “You know, I’ve probably done something today to deserve a spanking.” She tried to hide her smile but couldn’t. Kimber stuck out her ass and wiggled. Chris rarely flirted like this with her and she wanted to make it last.  His words stirred her desire like oxygen on a flame; the heat slowly spun a trail straight to her core.  It was all she could do not to beg for him to bend her over his lap right now. Her butt cheeks clenched at the thought of the pleasure-pain from a perfectly regulated swat, the blush of heat blossoming from his large palm against her tender flesh.

 Chris hadn’t been this upfront about sex with her in a long time. “Let’s continue this discussion over lunch. I’m starving. Let me grab my purse and jacket.” She prayed Chris wanted to continue the conversation. If they did, it would mean she had a better chance of not making a complete fool of herself when she finally admitted her feelings for him. The inevitable day was coming fast. For now, she’d have as much fun with Chris as she could.

The air conditioner rattled as it turned on.  Kimber sighed. Good thing they had a meeting later today with Ewan Frasier, owner of the Magnolia Center.  If she could win this deal with Mr. Frasier, it would take her business to her long term goal. Frasier’s mixture of high end businesses and spacious lofts made an ideal community within the heart of the city. Moving The Erotic Touch into the Center would be a tremendous business coup for her. Her lingerie appealed to all women of all sizes and shape, offering everything from sedate to sexy siren. Toys and other items were located in another part of the store, discreetly and tastefully arranged.

     This current location wasn’t working anymore. She wanted to expand the business by offering more services and reaching other levels of clientele.

Chris lifted her jacket from the coat rack and held it while she pulled her large purse from the desk drawer. “We’re just getting started on our conversation.”

Stunned, Kimber took the dark cropped jacket from his work roughened hand. Their fingers brushed and a jolt of electricity shot straight to her pussy. “Chris…” Night after night, she dreamed of his hands gliding over her body doing delectable, naughty things while she was handcuffed.  Helpless as he did whatever he chose. She wanted him, no question about it.  I’m desperate. Should I take the chance?

Reviewing a book, regardless of the genre is actually harder work than one may think.  Reviewers in this business are not paid, so we’re not bribed.  That being said, I believe that we have an ability (unlike music and movie critics) to give an actual honest review.  But through an author’s eyes, we have a slightly different, sometimes clearer, sometimes cloudier perspective.  Let’s examine that.

As an author, we know what sells by what our publishers tell us and by what our author friends tell us from their houses.  We see what readers are buying based on chat loops and message boards such as the Coffee Time Forums.  We know our craft better than readers do since we practice it every single day!  We know what good form is, when the rules of writing should be followed and when they should be broken.  We know about plot bunnies and how a hero can go from point A to point C by route of a third unseen route!  We sometimes know what to expect when reading the work of others, because hey, we’re all authors and speak a similar language! 

But then the flip side of that is that well…we’re authors.  We have the potential to be critics due to stylistic differences of opinion.  We have the capability of being biased against a publishing house for one reason or another.  Sometimes, we don’t know when to NOT interfere! 

Hopefully as author/reviewers, we tend to exhibit more of the positive attributes I mentioned, rather than the bad ones.  But if you’d like to make our job easier and probably get a better review, here are some pointers.

1. Make the story compelling.  If I’ve read the description to a non author friend and they say “oh, it sounds like this movie I just saw,” the next question had better be “what’s different about it?”
2. QUIT HEAD HOPPING!  This one should be obvious.  It’s not. What detracted the cup from a book I recently read was the amount of character Point of View switches.  The author was clearly talented enough to craft a well written story, I believe she was probably talented enough to get her point across without all the head hopping. 
3. Make sure you do your research!  If your story is about something I as an author know very well, then your story must show either my viewpoint, or a different viewpoint with obvious reasoning.  If you have a story with material I am not familiar with, you’d better have either wrote a convincing enough story for me not to fact check, or given me a reason why it’s not important enough to bother with. 
4. I had BETTER NOT be eating popcorn while reading your orgy scene.  If you have alternative sex in your stories, it better be HOT!  You as an author do not have to be swinging from the chandelier when you get your groove on, but know that your readers will NAIL YOU if you write bad sex scenes in erotic romance. 
5. Proper labeling of the book – this one is not so easy to define since marketing can be tricky for an author.  Make sure the widest possible label can apply to your book so that you’ll get a wide audience, obviously but don’t label your book a gay ménage swinger book when gay doesn’t really enter into the equation.
6. On that note, make sure when you’re writing m/m romances, that men actually fall in LOVE!  Queers love too damnit!  And in our stories, we want to SEE that love!

I think this about sums it up for me.  Hopefully it’s given authors something to think about when they write the next book that ends up on my desk for review.

Excerpt 2

Gayle had been to Tyler’s house once before, but only on business. She’d been very careful to respect his privacy and not stray out of his living room, where the décor tended toward “contemporary bachelor” and consisted mainly of tan leather, glass and large electronic components.

He shut the front door quickly, dropped his keys into a wooden bowl on the small entry table and turned to yank Gayle into his arms.

“That drive seemed a whole lot longer than the twenty five minutes my watch said it took.”

She shivered at his impatience. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled his lips down to her own. A soft sigh escaped her at the first touch, and she relaxed into his kiss, parting her lips in welcome. She could taste the intoxicating mixture of chocolate, caramel, wine, and pure Tyler.

His tongue flicked against hers and then began an invasion, rhythmic thrusts interspersed with lush, long strokes. The kiss deepened, devouring and intense.

Pressing herself as close to him as she could get, Gayle rubbed her aching breasts against his chest and threaded her hands into his short hair, relishing the silkiness of the short thick strands against her fingers.

He pulled his lips from hers, tilted his head back and took several unsteady breaths. Detaching her arms from around his neck, he grasped one hand and led her down the short hallway. “Let’s get more comfortable.”

She didn’t have a chance to take in Tyler’s bedroom.  As soon as he pulled her through the doorway, he wrapped his hands around her waist and tossed her onto his bed. She landed on her back, bounced a little and was momentarily grateful to have not fallen off onto the floor. Tyler stalked toward her and all concern vanished.

He moved to stand between her splayed legs, eyes fixed on her face as he tore at the buttons on his dress shirt.

She caught the tip of her tongue between her teeth and managed to sit up so she could reach him. Pulling eagerly at his belt buckle, she seemed to have lost all coordination. She growled in frustration and abandoned the belt, distracted by the now naked chest above it.

Oh. My. Tyler had a gorgeous chest, not too muscular, but not at all flabby. His love for early morning gym visits obviously paid off in spades, or at least in a six pack. She slowly ran her hands up his chest then swept them out toward his shoulders, grazing his small dark nipples along the way.

He let out a long groan but stood still, allowing her to explore.

She smiled slyly at his reaction and stroked back down his chest, this time completely avoiding his nipples. She stroked upward again, savoring the light dusting of dark hair.

He leaned forward and then lifted a single eyebrow when she again avoided touching the now hard disks. He stepped back from between her legs then quickly flipped her over onto her belly on the bed. Ignoring her small squeal of surprise, he drug her back toward him until only her upper body remained supported by the bed and he was again standing between her legs.

He pressed one hand into the small of her back to hold her down, though she no desire to escape, anyway.

Wait until he discovered just what was under her conservative business suit. She felt him fumble with the button on her skirt, heard the sound of the zipper then felt him start to pull the skirt off. When it reached about halfway down her ass, she heard him moan and grinned to herself.

My recently completed WIP is called Covenant of Wolves 1: Stalker (Dub Mix) and tops out at about 92k in length (that’s 370 pages, give or take a few!)

Hired by the Unseelie government to court an ally, Millie makes her way to Mortal Earth to strike alliance between the Unseelie court and The Protectors, before the Seelie court finally ends the battle between the two kingdoms. 

As royalty of his pack, Prince Faolan is responsible for bringing into the world an heir to train and teach the new breed of wolves how to protect mankind.  After being dragged out one night by his assistant, he spots Millie, the ever so sexy faery and decides one night with her is a must until she reveals a desire for a different type of fun.

An unknown enemy stalks them both, turning one night into a dangerous hell as truths are revealed, tables are turned and nothing is safe anymore. 

The story came about when I wanted to write a fae/wolf shifter story with a lot more BDSM elements in it that didn’t bore me but centered on an unusual romance and would be brutal.  The attempt at making romance more like the metal I listen to, with hotter sex scenes and a storyline that captures the readers attention was just another idea I had floating in the back of my head after having deat with publisher troubles and spending a lot of time talking to Cyn and Nik.  I can’t post much here since this blog is PG, but perhaps I’ll have an excerpt later for the blog

Oh, the title is based on the song “Stalker (club mix) by an ebm/darkwave (think Depeche Mode like) group called Covenant.  I’d like to aim this novel at Aphrodisia but the heavy BDSM elements may keep me from it…

Who is Maura and what does she write?

I’m a mom, wife, software engineer, author, editor, crafter, crazy cat lady, motorcycle rider and reader who currently lives in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve got a hugely varied background and a large number of interests.

I’m actually a published non-fiction author who then turned to fiction. I write various flavors of romance – mostly erotic romance though that varies in sub-genre. My favorites are paranormal and contemporary and I’ve recently written some male/male erotic romance that will be out in September. But the unifying theme between all my stories is ‘love’.

1. Tell us a little about your newest release

My current release is called Tort & Retort and is out from Aspen Mountain Press. It’s a short story that I wrote while I was reviewing and is based on a woman who is a lawyer by day and an erotic romance reviewer by night. She feels she has to hide this from her boss and love because of the way romance and erotic romance is often perceived. Little does she know that he has some secrets of his own.

In September I’ll have two stories in the Hot Comforts anthology from ManLove Romance Press. These are both contemporary male/male stories themed around food. Giving Thanks features a chef who comes out to his family at Thanksgiving, only to have his father punch and disown him. Bittersweet is the story of a gay erotic chocolatier afraid to love again after being rejected by a lover who couldn’t see below the surface.

1. How does Mr. Maura feel about you writing?

He’s all for it as long as I try to get housework done too. He’s actually quite supportive even though the male/male stories give him the willies and he won’t read them. He pimps my stories to his co-workers and practically stops strangers on the street. I’m really lucky – I’ve heard so many stories of family and spouses that aren’t supportive at all.

His goal in life is for me to make enough writing that he can become a kept man.

1. The idea of Friday Flash Fiction, (I’m so behind!) how did this come up and why?

I have SO many ideas and story concepts and I kept getting distracted by them. I’d be trying (really) to focus on my current project but my muse kept trying to go after other ideas because they were newer and shinier. Sorta like a magpie.

But I didn’t want to forget the good ideas. And I wanted to try out some ways to achieve certain emotions in a reader but didn’t happen to have a chance in the real WIP I had going. So I decided to challenge myself and let the muse play in a controlled environment by putting up a Friday free read flash. This lets the muse play, lets my readers or potential editors see the range I’m capable of, and lets me be accountable to update my blog at least once a week. It’s a win-win and I’ve not missed in 40 weeks, though I’m a day or two late sometimes….

1. If you could tell your boss one thing, what would it be and why? 

My Evil Day Job boss? Actually we get along pretty well. Maybe that if he wears shorts with black socks to work again, I’m going to stage a fashion intervention

And now for an excerpt from Tort & Retort:

Tort & Retort

by Maura Anderson

Excerpt 1

Tyler Monroe’s considerable presence seemed to fill the room just as his well-built body filled the doorway. She quickly looked back down at her laptop but couldn’t resist a peek at her mentor’s tight ass as he walked over to shut the door leading into the rest of their small office suite.

Damn. It really is too bad that he’s off limits. An ass that fine just begs for some exploratory nibbles.

She managed not to drool and forced her eyes away just in time to avoid being caught ogling him. At least the agenda for their meeting provided a convenient distraction from her lustful thoughts.

Throughout the meeting, it took an act of supreme willpower to keep her mind on business and off Tyler’s gorgeous toffee colored eyes, or what it might feel like to run her hands through his short dark brown hair.

After they exchanged updates on their various projects and covered the few other agenda items, she gathered her items up, already thinking of the preparations she needed to make before this afternoon’s round of client meetings.

“Umm, Gayle?” Tyler sounded uncharacteristically hesitant.

“Yes? Did I forget something?” She mentally reviewed the meeting agenda. “I’m sure I covered everything.”

“You covered everything on the agenda, but I have something else I want to talk to you about.” He glanced at his own laptop, then closed it and looked at Gayle instead. “Do you remember our agreement when you came to work for me?”

His unsmiling question made her immediately nervous. What had she done? Did she screw something up and not even realize it?

She erected the confident front she’d developed during law school and subsequently perfected during her daily interactions with overly egotistical geeks. She straightened the coat of her red linen suit and squared her shoulders. “I remember we agreed that you’d take a chance and hire me right out of school, unproven, if I’d take a chance and work for a lawyer that just started his own niche law firm.”

Try as she might, she simply could not come up with anything for Tyler to be unhappy about. There was the incident a few days ago where she’d told off yet another game developer who thought he could play Fantasy Fornication with her, instead of discussing the possibility of patenting his new algorithm. But Tyler had cheered her on for that when she’d told him what happened.

She realized she was fidgeting with her pen and set it carefully down on the conference table before she forced herself to sit back in her chair and relax. Or at least pretend to relax.

Tyler’s sharp eyes were sure to detect her tense hands and clenched jaw, and know she wasn’t really at ease. Remaining silent, she waited for him to finish his torment and just tell her what was on his mind.

Sometimes he took far too much delight in dangling people from hooks and watching them twitch.

“I’ve decided it’s time to make some changes.” Tyler looked down at the file folder he’d carried in with him but hadn’t opened during their meeting. “Past time actually.”

Gayle gulped. This had all the hallmarks of a pink slip. But why?

Bought it last summer at Folsom st. Fair in San Francisco and have to say, I enjoy wearing it daily.  It keeps me cool in this annoying summer heat (when we HAVE summer heat) and is a great conversation starter.   Ever had someone compliment you on your clothing, ladies?  It’s great isn’t it!

it’s my statement against standard fashion trends which I tend to HATE.  I can post pics but Bonnie told me i’m not allowed to. Something about making the ladies drool on the blog…

You ever see someone wearing something unique, something similiar to your outfit and think, boy that’s wierd?  LOL! 

Then, there’s the crackpot staff.  I am never bored with Karen/neLynne, Mary, Brenda or Regina.  And it is always fun to scare the new members/reviewers by telling them that I never ask permission when I lean over to bite them, but that Karen/neLynne told me I could nuzzle up to them sweetly as long as I behaved.

I did recently try to change policy about things in house.  When asked for suggestions (like the monthly CTRR award) I gave Karen the suggestion that we have Coffee Time Coke Parties. SOme of those boks are horrendous to read and an eightball would do the trick..and I won’t forget having Karen/neLynne look up a new word..*snicker*

Oh, and I forgot to mention that one of our reviewers is a figment of Karen’s imagination! 

For some reason they seem to like me.  At least that’s what I’m told *g* 

But the books, that’s why we’re here, right?  The wonderful huge amount of books we go through as reviewers in a month would astound some of the most fanatical readers!  These ladies (and this one man) work their sexy little butts off for something they love.  That is power.  As much crap as I give them, they’re certainly a great group to work with, even if I scare some of them by being one of the very few male romance writers, let alone reviewers!

What do “I” get out of all this?  Why, books, of course!  Free books help me as a writer, let me kill time as a reader and just enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor.  I am entertained by what I get to read and sometimes very turned on.  I’d like to spotlight some books but I’m on a tight schedule with my author self, so I’ll skip that for now. 

Being a male romance reviewer gives me a chance to see what the markets look like and how they change.  It gives me a chance to get to know (forcefully) other authors I’d never pick up because sadly, I do not read as much as I should for my craft.  All in all, it’s a fun thing J