Just Wow: On Shanna Germain's "Shattered"

Every now and then, I read a story that moves me, turns me on, and sets me free as a writer by reminding me what a broad range of human life we have to explore. Shanna Germain's "Shattered," which appeared in Kristina Wright's Duty and Desire: Military Erotic Romance, is all that and more. It's written in a literary style, the sex scenes are brutal and uncomfortable but also hot, and the whole thing builds up to a devastating conclusion that's also a powerful exploration of love.

Here's a tiny snippet, from the beginning, when the narrator is explaining why she didn't cheat on her husband while he was deployed:

The truth of it is that men asked me and I was afraid. The truth is that other men tried to touch me and still I loved him. And as time went on, I became afraid that the only reason I loved my husband so much was because he had not yet come back to me.

I'm going to stop talking now and exhort you to pick up Duty and Desire, which is excellent overall, and turn immediately to Shanna Germain's story so you can read it in its entirety. It's a rare and special story that floors me the way this one did.