Sharing the Love…interview with Maura Anderson

WHen Karen asked me to blog for three days, she said, “Bring some friends!”  So here’s a new friend of mine, Maura Anderson who took time to answer a few questions. 

 

 

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?