Thomas Lawrence

Raindrops on Roses on Aug. 22, 2017

This is erotica as it should be. It's hot (oh boy is it ever!) but it's not crude. It's imaginative and thought provoking. It's real and it's fun! Perhaps the best part is the "Truth" section where the author gives you insight into what went into, or inspired the story as well as providing glimpses of her life and struggles with HSDS.

A Dozen Roses on Aug. 22, 2017

Another excellent selection from Ms. Maru. Eleven tales of her exploring what might have been/could be as she continues to work through the difficulties of her life. The stories are very well written and while her journey to "normal" is serious, the writing is often humorous and just fun to read. By the way, in case you think that the title is misleading... count stories (fiction and 'not-really-nonfiction') then add the author.

Rose by Any Other Name on Aug. 22, 2017

This collection of Ms. Maru's stories is, as always, delightful and entertaining. Some (almost half) of them are written from the point of view of her photographer/husband, which was an interesting experiment that was a little awkward at first but then flowed smoothly after you got used to it. There is also a fascinating treatise on why women shouldn't wear bras and an exploration of what might be the results of nude modeling for a group of blind artists. (What could possibly go wrong?).

Coming Up Roses on Aug. 23, 2017

This is the next chapter in Ms. Maru's ongoing journey to reclaim her lost sexuality. These ten tales deal with her feelings regarding bodily fluids as they relate to sex. Some stories are sweet and almost whimsical and others are very graphic. But all of them carry her flair for fun and honesty. Real people enjoying real sex. This review is going to be somewhat short because the previous review from zboe66 really said all that there is to say about Rose Maru's writing, and says much better than I ever could.

Rose Wood At Home on Aug. 23, 2017

A collection of stories 'inspired' by a trip home to the small town where the author grew up. These give a fascinating insight to the life she lived, the places where she grew up and her "interesting" family members (names omitted to protect the guilty). As always the "Truth" section of each story provides additional and enjoyable details about the story, how it came about and the truth behind the fiction. Plus there's also a Q&A section where she answer's some of the more frequent, interesting and very real questions that her readers have asked. And her answers are done in her own inimitable style; witty, real and honest (sometimes brutally honest. This woman does not suffer fools lightly!)

Rose Garden: Life with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Syndrome (HSDS) on Aug. 24, 2017

This collection of "stories" is a bit of a departure for the author. It's mostly non-fiction and it takes the reader on a journey of discovery to show you what it's like to live with HSDS. It's not always a fun ride. Most of the time it's not. Yes there are some wildly exciting highs but then there are the heart rendering crashes. Yes, it's "real'. Sometimes painfully real. But it's also an honest and sober look at the difficulties in dealing with HSDS. Of course, anyone who has read any of Rose Maru's other books you probably know that she is not the type of person who will let Mother Nature bitch-slap her without fighting back. And fight back she does! In her own inimitable style, with honesty, humor and hope. This is an important book and needs to read by anyone who wants to understand HSDS and how it can impact your life.

Wars of Roses on Aug. 24, 2017

In this, the seventh book by Rose Maru, she delves deeper into the struggles she and her husband have faced while trying to fight back against HSDS and recover her sexuality. Complicating matters are the communications difficulties that only serve to make things more difficult. It truly feels like a series of little wars being waged. But it's not all grim reality. The fiction stories are very entertaining and, as always, written with wit, style and a lot of heat. The Truth sections of each story are just as enlightening as they always are. It all comes together to serve a purpose. Bit by bit Rose takes her readers by the hand and leads them as she finds her own way through the sometimes grim and gloomy battlefields. Along the way she finds humanity, honesty and ultimately... Hope.

Real Randy Rose on Aug. 25, 2017

What we have here is a marvelously clever conceptual point of view brought to fruition in a highly entertaining collection of stories written with style, imagination and wit. The stories are all based on actual events in the life of the author's husband, Randy, and his interactions with some of the women in his life. The fun twist is that Rose writes the stories from the point of view of those women. So each story is being narrated by a different woman. That would be a challenge for any writer but Rose pulls it off in grand fashion. While most of the stories don't have the same level of highly charged eroticism (OK, let's be honest, raunchiness) as some of her other works, they are every bit as enjoyable, if not more so. After reading this book you'll have a better understanding of the character of the man who has stood by Rose for most of her adult life, shared the tough times, celebrated the victories with her and gently guided (pushed?) her to be and do more than she thought she could. As much as she may hate to admit it, without Randy, Rose Maru would not be who she is today.

Buns 'n Roses on Aug. 25, 2017

Another fun and sexy romp from the talented and highly creative mind of Ms. Maru. Twelve wonderful, highly charged erotic stories, some fiction, some true and some that could go either way. Most of them, in keeping with the theme of the book, with a view to the rear. Add to this delightful mix another Q&A session with the author, the always entertaining (and often thought provoking) Truth sections for each story and a well thought out and passionately presented treatise on the usefulness, or even need for, certain medical procedures. All in all an eclectic mix of subjects and perspectives that you will enjoy. In the end.

Climbing Rose on Jan. 11, 2018

Welcome to another delightful stroll through the imagination and memories of Ms. Maru. Climbing Rose is a collection of tales that are, at turns, erotic, amusing, educational and thought provoking. Some of the stories are true, some are totally fabricated and some are…. well, somewhere in-between. But above all they are delightfully entertaining. As usual, Roses writing overflows with warmth and humor, a sometimes startling frankness, down-to-earth wisdom and (quite often) “wetness” inducing eroticism. I highly recommend this book.

Chains on Jan. 30, 2018

Brace yourselves boys and girls. This new release from the mind and pen of Rose Maru is...different. If you're expecting another light hearted, witty, sexy romp like many of her earlier books, you're in for a surprise. This one is dark. Very dark. Some parts are even painful. But you still need to read it. Yes, you NEED to read it! Even though some passages may make you want to turn your head and not look at it, keep going. See it through. You'll be rewarded. This book is well worth the effort. Like every good book should, it took me on a journey. A journey that ran the gamut of human emotions, from sadness to despair to rage to bemusement and, finally, to hope. What moved me the most about the story of Slave Rose, was that she was never conquered by the horrors she was put through. Her chain was her anchor to reality. It was all she had left that was hers and by claiming it and owning it, she was able to keep her sanity. Of all the feelings and emotions that I felt while reading, the sadness at her suffering, the rage at her tormentors, the amazement that she could actually find some humor in some of the situations she was in, the anger at the callousness and cruelty that human beings are capable of. In the end, the overriding emotion I was left with was hope. Ms. Maru may have started out writing Chains as an exploration of possible traumas that may have led to her HSDS/HSDD, but what she ended up giving us was a story of the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. Thank you, Ms. Maru! However, I must warn you, there are technical problems with the book. It appears that something went horribly awry when Smashwords put the book up on the site. Many of the links embedded in the story don't work. (I have it on good authority that the problem is being looked at and may be corrected in a future release.) If you're familiar with Rose's works, you know that she always includes a link to a "Truth" section at the end of each chapter. Here is where she will give forth additional information about the chapter and what inspired it. Most of the time these sections are at least as entertaining as the chapters themselves. However, with Chains the links to the "Truth" section don't work. But, in my opinion, that's a good thing. My advice is to not even think about the "Truth" sections. Just read the book through in the order that it appears. Then read the "Truth" sections at the end of the book (which, as usual, are very entertaining). That way it really maintains the flow of the story and keeps the feelings and emotions grounded in the story instead of being interrupted by "the real world". If you're one of those folks who isn't concerned about story continuity, or if you really need a break from the intensity of the story, I will tell you that the links in PDF version of the book do appear to work properly. But you need to download the PDF version and then just open it up and read it using Adobe Reader.

Dare to Bare: Exposing Female Fantasy on May 08, 2018

This is an amazing book! Somehow Rose was able to recruit an amazing group of women who were willing to bare their bodies, their dreams, their fantasies, their passions and even some of their souls and then share them with us. I don't know how she did it, but I'm very glad she did. Each of the women whose stories appear here has their own voice, but Rose's touch is felt throughout the book. It is an amazing collection of stories from an amazing group of women and each one has something unique to say. I applaud these women who had the courage to "Dare to Bare" and share their stories with us. And I applaud Ms Maru for finding them and helping them to find their voices so they could share. As a side note - There are pictures of some of the collaborators (Wow! Now that takes real courage!) that appear at the end of the book. Of course none of them are identified and there is no indication of which story is theirs. But it's kind of fun to try to imagine which picture goes with which story. However, be warned. One of the pictures is just a random photo of an "ordinary" person (probably taken from the internet) and has nothing to do with the book or any of the stories. Kind of a "ringer" I guess you'd say. All in all, I highly recommend this book! If you're already a fan of Rose's work, you'll love the change of pace that this book affords. If you're not a fan yet, you will be after you read this book.

Love All, Rose on Feb. 06, 2019

Ahh! Another delightful jewel from the mind, and (mostly) imagination of Ms. Maru! While there is plenty of healthy, sweaty, fun-time erotica (some more explicit than others), there's not as much of the really down and dirty, sweaty, work-it-til-you-scream scenes that there was in some of her earlier books. But that's okay. Her humor, warmth and honesty shine brightly throughout the book. While there is a loose tennis theme running through many of the stories, mostly it's just reminisces (and sometimes explanations) of some of the strange and wonderful things in her life that have acted as a trigger for an entertaining story. And the stories are VERY entertaining. From adventures with the parish priest, to coaching the tennis team, to answering doorbells only half dressed, it's all here and it's all delightful. There's even an enlightening review of her favorite toys! Plus the always popular Truth Section for each story, wherein she finally spills about what really (probably) happened in the story you just read. All in all another delightful read! I highly recommend it!

Covering Rose with Modesty on Feb. 06, 2019

This is the 2nd ("sanitized") version of the Rose Maru classic "Covering Rose". The narrative is the same as the original but most of the artwork has been removed at the insistence of the morality police. (Because we all know that even the slightest glimpse of a dark spot that might, possibly be a (gasp!) nipple would probably cause all our innocent brain cells to melt into a pornographic puddle of goo. Thank you morality police for saving us.) Even though the artwork is gone, Rose's delightful stories and descriptions and especially all of the Truth Sections are still there and they still sparkle with warmth and humor. If you already have the original 1st version of Covering Rose, I can't honestly recommend getting this version. If you don't have the original, then definitely get this one so you can enjoy her voice, if not her pictures.

Rose Artless on Feb. 06, 2019

This is the 2nd ("sanitized") version of the Rose Maru classic "Rose Art". Much of the narrative is the same as the original but most of the artwork has been removed at the insistence of the morality police. (Because we all know that even the slightest glimpse of a dark spot that might, possibly be a (gasp!) nipple would probably cause all our innocent brain cells to melt into a pornographic puddle of goo. Thank you morality police for saving us.) Although the artwork is gone, Rose's delightful stories and descriptions and especially all of the Truth Sections are still there and they still sparkle with warmth and humor. And the back and forth comments/banter between Rose and her loyal and long-suffering photographer/husband (whom she affectionately refers to as "The Asshole") is still as fresh and delightful as ever. In fact, the one good thing that has come about as a result this moral sanitizing is the fact that, since you can't see the missing pictures, Randy (the aforementioned photographer/husband) spends quite a bit of time describing what the image was. This is really interesting because it allows us to get some real insight into his thought process as he was creating the images. It's a fascinating look into the mind and heart of the artist as he describes what he was trying to capture. Even if you already have the original 1st version of Rose Art I would recommend getting this version for that reason alone. If you don't have the original, then definitely get this one so you can enjoy their voices, even if you can't enjoy Rose's images. (

Bed of Rose's: HSDD, Infidelity, Menopause, and Me on Feb. 06, 2019

I loved it! I laughed, I giggled, I nodded knowingly to myself, I nearly cried, I cheered, it made me angry and it made me sad but it left me with a glimmer of hope for better things ahead. In short, it made me feel all of my emotions, as a reflection of Rose's emotions. It was everything a good book should be. I can't say enough good things about this book, except to say "Thank you Rose for sharing this with us."

Planet Janet Rose in Cosmic Chaos on Aug. 04, 2019

At Last!!! The mysteries of Janet have now been explored! (Or at least revealed.) After numerous titillating glimpses of this elusive but strangely compelling creature throughout many of her earlier books, Rose has finally allowed us to explore with her all of the mystery and wonder (as in "I wonder why she did THAT!") of Janet and the world she inhabits. It is a wonderful, arousing and sometimes confusing journey, but you'll be glad you took it. Thank You Rose!

Cocktails with Rose on Oct. 04, 2019

Cocktails With Rose is AWESOME!!! It is, in my humble opinion, some of the best stuff Ms Maru has ever done! Of course Rose will say that she didn't write it. The guys who were her contributors did. Bull! Yes, we (That's right. I was one of the contributors.) supplied the basic ideas and some of the ambiance, but she created the real story. She gave it life, feeling and heart. We gave her the block of marble but she sculpted a masterpiece. It is everything that makes her writing so wonderful. It's fun, it's funny, it's thoughtful and thought provoking. It's hot and sexy. It's achingly sad. In short, it is everything that life is about all wrapped up and disguised as the dreams and fantasies of a bunch of "wonderfully devolved upper brains" (her words, not mine). Thank you Rose for making my small part of it a reality! BONUS! As I mentioned, I was one of the contributors for this marvelous collection. If anyone can guess which story was mine, get in touch with me and there'll be reward for you!

Morning Rose on Aug. 07, 2020

God!, It was _so_ good!! There were parts of it that were so sad I almost cried. The things that Rose and her hubby went through made my heart hurt for both of them. Then there were parts that were so very uplifting and hopeful that they really buoyed up my spirits and make me very hopeful for the future And, of course, there were also the parts that actually made me laugh out loud. The rapid exchange of dialogue in the Being Her/Being You section was dazzling in a chaotic kind of way. It really twisted my mind around for a bit. It was entertaining and more than a little educational. The sexy bits were, as usual, very sexy! (No clean up was necessary on my part. If you experience the need for a clean-up, don't send Rose a picture of it. She really hates that.) Oh, and one other thing. Randy's (Rose's husband) views on 'sharing' her with the rest of the world is super sweet and totally understandable.

Dare to Dream on April 28, 2021

Fantastic! For a number of reasons. First off, it has everything! It is sexy, sweet, funny, thought provoking, sometimes sad and sometimes a little scary. But what really stood out to me was how just everything in the book reflected the theme of empowering women to be who they are and not who they are 'supposed' to be. Just as it was with Dare to Bare, all of the stories (and the truths) were great! But several of them really stood out. CUTTER was kind of serious-cute and thought provoking but the truth behind it was chilling. WHEN IT MATTERS MOST was intensely sad but very raw and real. PREGNANCY PARADIGM was absolutely hilarious, as well as 'spot on' (as our English friends are wont to say). TIME FOR PRINTS was fascinating, educational and actually brilliant. (Full disclosure: It wasn't until I was more than two thirds of the way through the story that it suddenly dawned on me what the term "Time for Prints" means. Yeah, I'm slow, but I catch on eventually.) Another great collection of new sexy fantasy fiction (and non-fiction) from the talented Ms. Maru! Worth every penny.

Li'l Ol' Pissant Country Rose on March 07, 2022

Wow! Just.... Wow! I have sooo much to say about Li' O;' Pissant Country Rose but I truly can't find the words to adequately express the feelings I have during and after reading it. The subject line up there pretty much sums it up. Not good enough, huh? Okay. I'll give it a try. It was... funny, thoughtful, insightful, educational (Huh. I never would have guessed that "wink" could mean that.) sexy, really sexy(!), honest and a joy to read. I thought "Slush White" was freakin' hilarious! The entire Truck Shopping cycle was practically a book unto itself! In fact, to me, it was like a condensed version of Li'l Ol' Pissant Country Rose in that it had all of the elements that I talked about. Humor, sex, introspection, honesty, moments of self-doubt but all with an underlying theme of positivity. Besides that, it was fun! Bopping around the book, jumping from one part to another, exploring the fun little footnotes, taking the occasional side trip to explore a fun "Bonus' part. It truly felt like I was on a great treasure hunt with the worlds best, sexiest and most fun guide. 'The Night Before Xmas" was a brilliant and hilarious take off on Moore's poem! But I think that my favorite story (and it's associated Truth) is 'Rewriting the Future'. Why? Because, at least to me, it seems to be a really accurate description of where the Rose is today. She's been through a lot. She's been re-examining some of her past (at least what she can remember or be reminded of), some fun, some good, some not so much. But she's examining it honestly and moving forward. She's facing an uncertain and possibly scary future, but she is, if not embracing it, at least accepting it with positivity. It shows us how she really is. She is braver than she believes, stronger than she seema and smarter than she thinks. (With apologies to Christopher Robin.) I could go on and on with little snippets about each story but I think you get my drift - I loved Li'l Ol' Pissant Country Rose. A lot!

Dead Red Rose Redemption: A Messy Trip through Sexual Desire Disorder on Feb. 26, 2023

This book is, beyond a doubt, the crowning glory of Ms. Maru's already shining career! It has everything you could want in a work of erotic literature. Yes, it is true literature in every sense. From just a literary construct perspective, I thought it was brilliantly put together. The splitting of the time frame, from "before" and "after" the change, was done really well and kind of gives the reader a hint of what to expect. Although, really, I'd have to say that it was more a case of "before", "during" and "after". But the concepts, the atmosphere, the feelings and emotions all flowed together so smoothly from one part to the next that everything meshed and it all felt right. There was no jarring change from non-sexual Rose to sexy-beast Rose and back again. As she described how things progressed, and gave voice to her thought processes and emotions, it seemed as if everything was happening just the way they should have. Her skill with the language and gift for sharing the emotions of the ride made it all make sense. Besides all that technical literary stuff I just said (and meant every word of), this book is just fun to read, as are all of Ms. Maru's books. Her sense of humor is on full display, her ability to capture an emotional moment is unparalleled and her ability to describe (in graphic detail!) the antics of "sexy-beast Rose" is... well, let's just say that it could very well lead to the need of a clean up.

FOR FASTER ANSWERS, CHECK THESE LINKS BEFORE YOU EMAIL US:

Thomas Lawrence

Thomas Lawrence's favorite authors on Smashwords

Smashwords book reviews by Thomas Lawrence