From the moment she woke that morning, Dr. Maisie Daniels'
day had been a series of comedic blunders bent on destroying
her sanity. It started the instant her alarm went off.
Scratch that.
The alarm failed to go off because its batteries died during
the night. Waking late, Maisie was forced to cancel her morning
appointments, informing her secretary, Pam, she'd be in after
lunch.
Maisie always tried to look at the bright side of things and
decided a stroll through town would be just the thing to clear
her head.
That theory held true until she closed the door behind her.
It wasn't as if the weather was bad. The day dawned with the
typical mist rolling in from the Pacific, but it had burned
off once the sun came over the Santa Lucia Mountains. By the
time she left her little Comstock cottage on Torres Street,
one of Carmel's gingerbread cottages, it was so warm she'd left
her sweater at home, wearing little more than a white t-shirt
and denim cut-off shorts.
What irked her was that her sweater sat on the sofa beside
her purse. She distinctly remembered the location of her purse
because it contained her house keys. The same keys she'd left
the house without. The same keys she'd need to get back in again!
"Well," Maisie sighed aloud, "a stroll through
town doesn't require keys. I'll go to the office, get the spare
set then come back to get ready for work." Headed toward
town, she set off down Sixth Street, crossed Junipero Avenue,
and then cut through Devondorf Park.
The park encompassed one square block. Surrounded by trees,
the center of the park was lush green grass. Flowerbeds in bloom
dotted the park with vibrant color.
At one side, poles flew the flags of the town, state and nation.
On the three remaining sides were signs that simply read: No
dogs, playing ball, skateboarding, kite flying, climbing trees,
picking flowers, eating, drinking, littering. Keep off the grass.
And Maisie's favorite: No loitering.
The town designed an attractive, fragrant and peaceful park,
then made it an offense to loiter. Maisie wondered about the
logic of the town council sometimes.
With the threat of prosecution, Maisie hurried through the
park lest she be cited for dallying.
Midway across the park, her mind on getting to the office,
she stepped in something that shouldn't have been on the path,
let alone in the park. When she looked down, two things crossed
her mind. The first of which was how thoughtful the dog had
been to stay off the forbidden grass.
But that thought was pushed aside when her gaze slipped down
her bare legs and saw what else was on her feet. Her slippers.
Not just any slippers, but her pink bunny slippers!
She shot a quick glance around, suddenly panicked. Had anyone
seen the town's therapist traipsing through the park in bunny
slippers?
The answer was a resounding yes. One of Carmel's finest stood
on the sidewalk staring at her with his mouth open. She might
have been attracted to his handsome dark features if she wasn't
so damned embarrassed! The quicker she got to the office the
better.
Without thinking, she rubbed her foot in the grass to remove
as much of the mess as possible, then raced for Ocean Avenue.
She paid little attention to the stares she received and prayed
she didn't meet up with anyone she knew.
REVIEWS
I picked up No Law Against Love becuase of a writer local to
my home town of Carmel by-the-Sea, California. Kemberlee Shortland's
story, "Tutti-Frutti Blues", brought back memories of the small
town I grew up in. Shortland's style of writing is both fun
and creative; I look forward to reading more of this authors
work in the future!
~ T.Zwagerman, reader
(No Law Against Love) A stellar anthology that had me laughing,
sighing in pleasure, believing in magic, and left me begging
for more! Will there be a second anthology someday? I sure hope
so! This is one novel that I will go directly to my "Keeper"
shelf, to be read over and over again. Very highly recommended!
~ Detra Fitch at Huntress
Reviews
Tutti-Frutti is a special love story filled with romance between
two people that is so unique in its own way. A little ice cream
with no spoons could turn out delightfully wicked with that
one special person. Ms. Shortland crafts an adorable little
romance! It had a certain flare to it with the slippers and
such a zany day, quite uplifting!
~ Linda at Romance
at Heart Magazine
NO LAW AGAINST LOVE is like an assorted box of deluxe chocolate
bonbons. There is something there worthy of every palate. Every
devilishly naughty story is based upon a “silly law” still on
the law books. Yet, because of these existing laws the heroes
and heroines are brought together in undeniable love. I couldn’t
read just one. Like chocolate melting in my mouth I had to open
the box again and chose another delectable morsel. And you will
too. You won’t be able to stop yourself.
~ JoEllen Conger, author
REMARKABLY MARVELOUS COLLECTION! ENJOY EACH AND EVERY STORY
- LOVELY AND WELL-DONE!
~ Viviane Crystal at Crystal
Reviews
Here are twenty-four stories for your reading pleasure. Truly,
they are all well-written and entertaining. Several are hilarious.
I give NO LAW AGAINST LOVE Top Pick for fun-factor and Top Pick
for HOT-factor. My only complaint is that the stories weren't
longer. They are all great reads but Bad Cat, Single Girls Can't
Jump, and Dude Looks Like a
Lady were my favorites. But, you read it, and pick your
own favorite. They're all fabulous.
~ Cynthia Whitten at Romance
Reader at Heart
I didn't read one story that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. There
was an excellent mix among stories and authors...I laughed,
I cried and I wanted more...I can't tell when I enjoyed an anthology
more. I only had one complaint and that was I wished some of
the stories were longer which can't be a bad thing...I look
forward to more anthologies from these talented authors and
from Highland Press.
~ Kathy Boswell at The
Best Reviews
...you are in for an unbelievably rollicking good time!...one
unforgettable, funny and sensual delight. This book comes highly
recommended!
~ Marilyn Rondeau at Amazon.com
A marvelous collection of romantic tales about how love conquers
all, despite or because of a silly law.
~ Diane Davis White, author
Authors from around the world have taken silly laws and created
wonderfully romantic, fun, and entertaining romance stories.
Be well entertained while supporting a worthy cause. Trust me
there are no other anthologies on the market today that cover
such a wide range of genres and taste.
~ Kristi Ahlers at Romantic
Times
