Erotic Romance

“I can still turn heads at 59…” #EroticRomance #LGBTQ #LaterInLife #MFRWAuthors

Picture this: The year is 2006. You’re a bisexual woman in your late fifties, and your only significant love relationship was with a woman who died of cancer four years ago. What does your future hold? What do you hope for?

I thought it was time to give Claire Johnson her moment to shine. She was interviewed last spring…

Interview

Name: Claire Johnson
Nickname: The one I sometimes hear whispered? The Ice Queen.
Age: 59
Gender: Female
Birthplace: Manhattan
Profession: Sex Educator? Marketing Expert? I co-direct a center whose goal is to help others of all ages, from all walks of life, safely discover and enjoy the many gifts of sexual pleasure in their lives. It was my first job after college, and I do whatever’s required to advance our purpose.

Please provide a physical description of yourself.

Thank you for asking – call me vain if you like, but I’m really proud of the fact that I can still turn heads at age 59. I’m a tall trim blonde, and yes, I do touch up my hair color a tad. I used to keep a severe short hairstyle, but I’ve let it grow out a bit. By now I can rely on my presence and my stature to intimidate when I need to. Did I mention trim? I work out and I watch what I eat.

What are your pronouns?

She/Her. That’s never wavered; I’m pleased there are more options now than when I was young, though.

What is your middle name?

I don’t have one.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

No. At least, it’s never happened to me. I’ve only ever had one love, and she left our Center eight years ago and cut off all contact. She died of cancer four years later, and I barely learned in time to get to her funeral. Our open relationship was complex but profound and deep, but I’d never say I fell in love with her at first sight. She was the one who pursued me.

What is your MBTI type?

Wow. It’s been a long time since I took that test, for some team building we were doing at the Center several years back. I remember getting pissed off at some of the questions – nothing in life is dichotomous, either/or, and I hated having to choose when neither was quite right. But I really can’t argue with the type that surfaced: ESTJ. I’m definitely an extrovert, which places me well to schmooze with potential donors and drum up funds for the Center. I’m extremely organized and analytical, quick to assess when something might be useful for Center goals and take advantage of it. No one would ever accuse me of being touchy-feely. It’s not that I don’t have emotions, but I learned long ago how to keep them under wraps so they wouldn’t interfere with my goals. And yes, quick to judge and make decisions…even if they’re wrong sometimes.

Do you enjoy dressing up or prefer to dress casually?

You truly want to know this? I’m most comfortable being fully nude, and I love the privacy of my Manhattan condo. Even so, I’ll often wear a silky coverup or lounge dress, especially during the winter. When I go out? Classic and stylish, however formal or casual. I can still rock a little black dress and love to circulate among our donors at fund raisers.

What color best describes you?

I’ve never thought about that. I wear a lot of blue, both pale and jewel toned. I think it sets off my blue eyes and blonde hair nicely, so yes, blue, but never a sad blue. Plus I suppose blue would go with Ice Queen. I might have left the impression I don’t like that nickname, but secretly, it’s something I’ve cultivated. Or perhaps not so secretly, by now.

Who is the one person who can convince you to do something you know you shouldn’t?

I used to think there wasn’t anyone. But ever since Melissa Hopkins (now Hopkins-Gage) joined our center, she qualifies. She’s a full three decades younger than I am, but what an effervescent bundle of energy! Very creative, and just as dedicated to our purpose as myself. I have to add that everything she talked me into turned out to be exactly what I needed, but every single time I was convinced otherwise. For example, she’s the one who convinced me to go back on camera for our videos on sex and aging. That changed my life—but I’m not allowed to give you spoilers!

If you could choose a theme song to play when you entered a scene, which one of the following would fit best:

LOL Been there, done that – in book one of this series, Smoldering Passion. The perfect song for me? I’m a child of the sixties: Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman.” Readers who missed book one might want to go back and catch that sexy scene. It’s another example of something Melissa persuaded me to do…

~

My thanks to Kayelle Allen at the Romance Lives Forever blog for these marvelous interview questions and her permission to re-blog the interview.

Ripening Passion by Adriana Kraft
Genre: Erotic Romance
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

BUY LINK

Universal Buy Link

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Book Blurb:

Can Max melt the Ice Queen? Should he even try?

Claire Johnson’s dedication to sex—the cornerstone of her career—led her to help found the Center for Sexuality and Sex Practices. Now in her fifties, she knows the Center must keep pace with the rapidly growing Baby Boomer market, so she agrees to go back on camera for a series on sex and aging. But work with her nemesis?

Former English Professor Max Wilson has championed the cause of the Center ever since his now deceased wife sought the Center’s help to rekindle the nearly extinguished sexual flames of their relationship. He loves working on camera and welcomes the challenge to perform with the svelte but icy temptress.

Sparks fly immediately on and off camera. The jury is out on whether either Max or Claire can transform those sparks into a fire of sexual desire for their viewers—let alone for each other.

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What had he concluded? Embracing Passion #EroticRomance #Polyamory #MFRWHooks

A single wrong assumption can be costly…

I’m so excited about my most recent release! Embracing Passion has been a long labor of love – the finale to the Passion series, set in a fictional center for sex studies and sexuality.

Welcome to MFRW Hooks, where the authors of Marketing for Romance Writers
share snippets from their stories to entice you into wanting more.
Be sure to click on the links at the end to travel!

EXCERPT

Set Up: Today’s scene follows shortly after last week’s college campus lecture scene.

New York, New York 2014

Shuddering slightly, Rosanne settled back against the pillows and pulled the covers up to her neck. She’d done amazingly well after she’d seen Detective Walker sneak into the lecture hall. A lesser woman might’ve panicked, but she had nothing to hide. Thank goodness Anna was there to help take up the slack when she’d needed time to think.

What had he concluded about her? She hugged herself. He certainly had seen a different side of her than that initial impression in the parking lot. Did he think her a chameleon? That might not be terrible. At most lectures, she’d encouraged questioners not to use her title, but not tonight. She’d wanted him to hear over and over that she was indeed Dr. Rosanne Falcon, a competent, professional woman.

He’d been quite impressive sitting in the back row looking pensive and serious. She’d noticed him laughing several times. It was good to know that Detective Walker could laugh. She’d scanned across his area of the hall when she acknowledged she was bisexual. That didn’t seem to faze him in the least. Maybe he already knew that. He probably already had a Center catalogue, or at least had been to the Center’s web page.

She chuckled softly. Would he order any Center videos? Would he wear out his DVD machine playing and replaying her scenes?

BLURB

Now in her late twenties, Rosanne Falcon’s life has finally come together—a Ph.D., a prestigious research job, and two exquisite lovers, one of each gender, to complete the package. The intense bond she shares with Simone Stone was augmented rather than broken when Simone met and married Boyd Roberts, and the three have forged a fulfilling polyamory relationship. More would only be trouble.

Widowed by a tragic accident several years earlier, Detective Thomas Walker is nearing retirement after twenty years on the police force and ready to change careers. Fully convinced the hot redhead who meets truckers at the rest area he’s staked out is a prostitute, he sets out to build his case against her. He is dead wrong, but each layer he uncovers of what she really does for a living challenges long held assumptions. Can he overcome his deep-seated bias to make room for what’s possible?

BUY LINK

Now available at all ebook stores!

UNIVERSAL LINK

https://books2read.com/u/bpYaYX

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Would Dante understand any of that? #SnippetSunday #SnipSun #WeekendWritingWarriors #EroticRomance

Is she a ghost? A visitor from another time and place? A siren? A temptress? Or just a meddling dream mistress?

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday,
the weekly hops for everyone who loves to write – and read!
Click on the graphics to travel to the other snippets.

                                 

Last week’s Sunday Snippet from J. Arlene Culiner introduced me to a Nevada Native American archeological treasure I’d never heard of, in spite of spending a few years living in Nevada: The 10,000+ year-old petroglyphs at Winemucca Lake.  On the other side of the country, just two weeks ago, UNESCO announced the designation of an Ohio Native American archaeological site as a World Heritage site. The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks is a vast system of mounds and rectangles with a lunar alignment created some 1600 to 2000 years ago. The phenomenon is all the more impressive because the precise lunar cycle only repeats every 18 years.

The confluence of those events led me to select an excerpt from my recent release From Beyond The Curtain for this week’s Sunday Snippet. It features a native site close to home I’ve visited often, always learning something new. The three-story caliche Casa Grande structure and its surrounding villages are more recent than the Nevada or Ohio sites. The region in present-day Coolidge along Arizona’s Gila River was a population center from about 700 to 1450 AD, and the central feature pictured below was constructed between 1300 and 1350 (now with a modern roof).

You can read about the intricate and precisely sloped canal system created by the inhabitants that enabled them to thrive for several centuries. Though the reason they abandoned their settlement in the 1400s remains unknown, one theory is that there may have been a catastrophic flood, destroying the entire canal system all at once and making the arid desert once more uninhabitable.

EXCERPT

Eight sentences…

Gwen and Dante had taken a guided tour of the grounds and the large structure—the Casa Grande—early, before it got too hot, then spent over an hour in the air-conditioned museum, exploring the exhibits and taking in the interpretive movie. Now they sat under the shade of a pergola with a view of the incredible three-story building built nearly a millennium earlier by a people thought to be primitive. The structure itself was shaded by a large modern metal roof to help preserve it from the elements, but its western wall glowed warmly in the late afternoon sun. What must it have looked like in its heyday? What ceremonies had gathered in the very space where they now sat? Gwen wished she knew.

~ ~ ~

And a little more…

Still neither of them spoke. Was he contemplating the building, or her presence beside him? Gwen repressed a shudder. Her worlds were colliding. Indigenous Southwest spirituality called to her in such a familiar way, as if both it and her Celtic roots drew from a single ancient source. She’d known this even before the appearance of Seren, who had amplified and deepened her awareness. Would Dante understand any of that? Would he run the other way? Was it her place to convince him, or Seren’s?

BLURB

Seren has bided her time for centuries, waiting for the moment when two of her descendants fall in love and release her, finally, from the place between worlds. The many gifts Seren has inherited from her ancestors—time travel, entering dreams, telepathic communication—have been unsuccessful thus far. Will Gwen and Dante be the ones?

Gwen McFarland has always been in touch with her Celtic roots. When Seren—who looks to Gwen like a Celtic goddess—materializes and invites her to a love tryst in another time and place, she does not hesitate. That Seren sometimes brings along another woman is simply an added benefit.

Fast paced trial lawyer Dante Emmanuel has no time for sentimentality or relationships. A string of satisfying sexual encounters suits him just fine. He’s mystified when a recurring figure enters his dream life, but he won’t turn down Seren’s exotic sexual talents or the dreams that now seem more real than ever.

Who will make the first move in this three-part game of chess? Timing is everything.

BUY LINKS

Universal Link https://books2read.com/u/3k6RNK
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBWM7LGB/
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/from-beyond-the-curtain
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1425302

More on the monument:

I’ve added these to photos to share a little more about the monument. The first, with people standing in front of it, is to give a sense of its size. From the top tower, in its day, a person could see the entire complex of villages and farmlands in a sixteen-mile radius, all the way to the Gila River where the canals began.

The second photo is to show one of the alignments between openings in two walls across from each other. Most of these openings correspond to either solar or lunar alignment at specific times of the year.

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She was the sexiest woman in the room… Embracing Passion #NewRelease #EroticRomance #Polyamory #MFRWHooks

A single wrong assumption can be costly…

I’m so excited for this new release! Embracing Passion been a long labor of love – the finale to the Passion series, set in a fictional center for sex studies and sexuality.

Welcome to MFRW Hooks, where the authors of Marketing for Romance Writers
share snippets from their stories to entice you into wanting more.
Be sure to click on the links at the end to travel!

EXCERPT

Set Up: Having checked out the Center’s website from Rosanne’s business card, the detective has decided to drop in on a lecture at a college campus… 

New York, New York 2014

Sitting in the back row of the small lecture hall, Tom Walker had a difficult time believing that the conservatively dressed, articulate, non-threatening woman explaining the hazards of sexually transmitted diseases was the same provocative woman he’d confronted at the rest area parking lot.

The hall was half-filled, with possibly two thirds of the audience female. Initially it had held a distinct air of tension, but Rosanne Falcon’s quick wit and sense of humor had helped relax the mood of the crowd. Clearly, Falcon and her co-presenter, Anna Jackson, were quite experienced at working a crowd. Jackson, with a nursing background, had been reassuring about how women and men could protect themselves and obtain treatment if they failed to do so. She came across very matter-of-fact, almost motherly.

He figured Jackson had to be in her forties. Taller than Falcon, the brunette was somewhat larger in build—not overweight, but leaning that way a little. She looked like money. The rings on her fingers reflected in the light, and he knew enough about women’s fashion to be aware the pantsuit she wore was probably tailored. All in all, pleasant looking, and knew how to dress for her size.

But Anna Jackson didn’t catch his imagination like Rosanne Falcon did. Hardly anything about Rosanne’s simple one-piece blue dress was sexy, yet she was the sexiest woman in the room. Was it her poise? It wasn’t her oversized loop earrings. Maybe it was her confident smile. She knew she had everyone’s attention.

Even his presence had only caused a momentary blip. He’d purposely come into the hall after he heard her begin to introduce herself and Anna. She hadn’t appeared shocked when he took his seat. By then she was already on cruise control. She had no doubt put him aside as a problem to deal with later.

Along with everyone else, he’d laughed when she’d informed them that the slide presentation was PG rated; if they’d been expecting X-rated materials, they’d be disappointed. She and Jackson shared several slides loaded with data on sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. There’d been a brief overview of the Center and its mission with a few slides of staff sitting around tables and working at computers. A couple slides of instructional DVD covers were at least suggestive. The slide that brought the biggest gasp of surprise, then titters and whispers, showed a table with a vast array of sex toys.

Clearly amused by the audience’s response, Falcon had quipped, “Don’t laugh. Some of those can be a woman or man’s second-best friend. Ladies, how many of you own at least one vibrator?”

A few hands went up, then many more. She’d laughed and clapped her hands. “Our research data suggests that the percentage is probably a little higher than that. Sorry if I embarrassed anyone.”

BLURB

Now in her late twenties, Rosanne Falcon’s life has finally come together—a Ph.D., a prestigious research job, and two exquisite lovers, one of each gender, to complete the package. The intense bond she shares with Simone Stone was augmented rather than broken when Simone met and married Boyd Roberts, and the three have forged a fulfilling polyamory relationship. More would only be trouble.

Widowed by a tragic accident several years earlier, Detective Thomas Walker is nearing retirement after twenty years on the police force and ready to change careers. Fully convinced the hot redhead who meets truckers at the rest area he’s staked out is a prostitute, he sets out to build his case against her. He is dead wrong, but each layer he uncovers of what she really does for a living challenges long held assumptions. Can he overcome his deep-seated bias to make room for what’s possible?

BUY LINK

Now available at all ebook stores!

UNIVERSAL LINK

https://books2read.com/u/bpYaYX

Be sure to click on the links to travel to the rest of today’s exciting excerpts!

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“And you met me.” #SnippetSunday #SnipSun #WeekendWritingWarriors #EroticRomance #LGBGTQ #Sale #99cents #MFRWAuthor @IHeartLesFic

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday, the weekly hops for everyone who loves to write – and read!
Click on the graphics to travel to the other snippets.

                                        

Picking up where we left off last Sunday from the opening scene, at their 20th college reunion; the last sentence was Janet shrugged, but didn’t withdraw her hand.

EXCERPT

She wasn’t pleased Brenda could still read her thoughts so well. “Why did you come this year? Do you come every year?”

“Not really – I’ve been to a few. I decided to come at the last minute, on a whim, really. I didn’t have anything else to do. Now that I live in New York, it’s not that hard to get here. A lot easier than when I was on the west coast.” Her mouth curved into a warm smile. “I hoped I might meet someone interesting.”

“And you met me. That must’ve been a downer.”

BLURB

Janet Baxter keeps her post-divorce life neatly compartmentalized: Secure job, spacious Westchester County home, successful adult children, dependable community volunteer activities. Why is she drawn—for the first time ever—to attend her twenty-year college reunion in New York City?

Always a free spirit, Brenda Cassidy is comfortably bisexual and has no plans to ever settle down. But a fling? The reappearance of svelte, reserved Janet Baxter in Brenda’s life is nothing less than a gift, worthy of every enticement Brenda can conjure up. Can Brenda seduce Janet into an endless night of the lovemaking they enjoyed too briefly as college roommates? What if the lady wants more?

BUY LINK

ON SALE NOW FOR 99¢

https://books2read.com/u/bzn6RL

REVIEW

Five Stars at Goodreads: “Building up the sexual tension between these two is the heart of this book. When they finally give in, I was right there with them. They are HOT! … a quick read but so well written I did not want it to end.”

HUGE SALE OF SAPPHIC FICTION

GOING ON NOW!

250+ BOOKS

Book Bargain Bonanza

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“You’re his puzzle piece… for the moment.” Embracing Passion #NewRelease #EroticRomance #Polyamory #MFRWHooks

A single wrong assumption can be costly…

I’m so excited for this new release! Embracing Passion been a long labor of love – the finale to the Passion series, set in a fictional center for sex studies and sexuality.

Welcome to MFRW Hooks, where the authors of Marketing for Romance Writers
share snippets from their stories to entice you into wanting more.
Be sure to click on the links at the end to travel!

EXCERPT

Set Up: Rosanne has shared her concern about the detective’s investigation with the Center staff.

New York, New York 2014

“I don’t care what you say,” Center Co-Director Harry Gage grumbled, “I don’t like the idea of a cop nosing around. Nothing good comes from that.”

Melissa Hopkins-Gage, the other co-director, shook her head at her husband, who sat on the opposite side of the office round table, with Simone Stone and Rosanne on either side of her. She knew he was only expressing his concern for their staff.

She was pleased that Anna Jackson, the Center’s part-time community education director and board member, had been able to join them this morning. In her early forties, Anna brought a certain wisdom to the Center as well as strong commitment to the Center’s broad educational mission. That she probably colored her raven hair and that her body had matured with age, displaying a slightly thicker waist and wider hips than Anna preferred, made her an asset, particularly in fantasy videos depicting a middle-aged woman’s role. Her enthusiasm in front of the camera rivaled that of her younger colleagues.

“We don’t have anything to hide, Harry,” Melissa reminded her husband. “You know that.”

Melissa glanced at Rosanne, who was uncharacteristically antsy. She’d seldom seen her friend so out of sorts. This detective must’ve shaken her up more than she was admitting. “If your detective comes to the Center, we’ll show him around. If he thinks we’re trying to hide something, then he’ll probably hang around a lot longer.”

Rosanne nodded, looking less than convinced.

“I haven’t liked this damn project you two are working on from the beginning.” Harry raked his graying hair. “It’s not safe. And it makes you look like…”

“Harry,” Rosanne interrupted, “we’ve discussed this ad nauseum. Simone and I are careful. We back each other up. We’ve nearly completed our sample selection. Simone’s already finished with her part of the data collection.”

“Right,” Harry huffed. “Because Boyd finally put his foot down. At least her husband has some sense.”

Simone thrust out her chin defiantly. “I agreed to quit because I didn’t have any more data to gain. My preliminary analysis suggests we’re developing a fairly complete picture of the trucker who seeks a liaison while on the road. Don’t make it sound like Boyd has me on a leash.”

Melissa smiled at the spunky woman, who was only two years older than Rosanne. Both women had their doctorates. Both were avid advocates for the Center and its mission. And both could twist Harry Gage around their fingers. She should know. She’d been doing that since before they married. “You know they’re not going to be satisfied until their research is done, Harry. If things were reversed, you’d feel just as strongly.”

Giving up, Harry scrunched his mouth. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“No, I suppose it doesn’t. So,” Melissa said, taking charge, “if this detective shows up, we’ll be nice to him, answer his questions, and show him around.”

“You won’t show him around,” Rosanne protested, “if we’re working on camera.”

“Of course not,” Melissa agreed. “We can show him the stages and sets when they’re not in use, which is most of the time. Do you really think he’ll track you down?”

Rosanne took a long time to respond.

Melissa knew Max’s granddaughter better than most. That flicker of emotion wasn’t exactly fear. So she was more than a little curious about the man who’d apparently stalked her from the rest area to the rental car agency. Melissa smiled to herself. She’d tuck that bit of information away, just in case.

Rosanne flexed her fingers and wet her lips. “I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t,” she said at last. “Detective Walker strikes me as a man who won’t be satisfied until he has all the pieces of the puzzle in place.”

“And you’re his puzzle for the moment.”

BLURB

Now in her late twenties, Rosanne Falcon’s life has finally come together—a Ph.D., a prestigious research job, and two exquisite lovers, one of each gender, to complete the package. The intense bond she shares with Simone Stone was augmented rather than broken when Simone met and married Boyd Roberts, and the three have forged a fulfilling polyamory relationship. More would only be trouble.

Widowed by a tragic accident several years earlier, Detective Thomas Walker is nearing retirement after twenty years on the police force and ready to change careers. Fully convinced the hot redhead who meets truckers at the rest area he’s staked out is a prostitute, he sets out to build his case against her. He is dead wrong, but each layer he uncovers of what she really does for a living challenges long held assumptions. Can he overcome his deep-seated bias to make room for what’s possible?

BUY LINK

Now available at all ebook stores!

UNIVERSAL LINK

https://books2read.com/u/bpYaYX

Be sure to click on the links to travel to the rest of today’s exciting excerpts!

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Recent Release: The Earl’s Awakening, by Joy Lynn Fielding #LGBTQ #GayRomance #Regency #Review #Giveaway

RECENT RELEASE

Book Title: The Earl’s Awakening

Author: Joy Lynn Fielding

Publisher: Extasy Books

Cover Artist: Martine Jardin

Release Date: September 8, 2023

Genre: Regency M/M romance

Tropes: Rake/bad boy romance

Themes: Learning to live, self-discovery.

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length: 55 000 words/ 198 pages

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links

Extasy Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK

 

One glance, and his past life was history.

Blurb

Leander Talbot’s life changed forever when his wife died. He is now reluctantly venturing back into society, knowing that, as the Earl of Ockley, he must marry again to produce an heir. But he can’t bring himself to the sticking point. Instead, he spends his time evading the matchmaking mamas of the ton.

The dark and dangerous Duke of Arden is an infamous libertine. It is said that he seduces innocents, and there are even more sinister tales whispered of his predilections. Only the wild young blades who form his retinue know the truth, but he is shunned by all save those wishing to court notoriety.

A chance meeting brings Leander into Arden’s orbit. Ignoring the warnings about Arden’s intentions, Leander is drawn into a seductive world of sexual indulgence. There, he finds the freedom he craves from his overbearing family. By the time he suspects Arden might have ulterior motives, it may be too late to save his reputation—and his heart.

Excerpt

Leander sighed slightly. He had immersed himself in work and duty since Bella’s death, but it was only now he understood how removed from his contemporaries he had become. Most faces here were unfamiliar to him. Take the character in the corner—a dark complexion, his dress rich but careless in a way that proclaimed he cared little for the opinion of society. Leander was certain he had never set eyes on him, though the deference with which his circle of friends was treating him indicated that he was a man of some standing. He took the opportunity to ask the servant who brought him a glass of champagne.

“His Grace the Duke of Arden, my lord,” the man informed him.

The name was one with which Leander was familiar. It was a name with which all of London and some of the more enlightened provinces were familiar. Arden represented all that was decadent in the ton, his philandering ways extending far beyond opera dancers and actresses to ladies of quality. And it was not only widows or liaisons with married ladies, for it was said of him that he had ruined more than one young maiden. The number of duels that he had fought and won, the drunken orgies at which he presided, and his losses and gains at the gaming table had all assumed the proportions of legend. There were still darker things whispered about him. Only the coterie of wild young blades who formed his retinue knew the truth of these, but the intimations were there, and Arden remained unrecognised by all save those wishing to court notoriety.

Leander became aware that Arden was returning his gaze, his heavy-lidded eyes holding what appeared to be a gleam of amusement. As Leander watched, Arden raised his glass in a mocking salute before putting it to his lips and tossing back the contents.

Perhaps it was the champagne, perhaps it was the shock of realising that his acquaintances now viewed him as a prig. Whatever the reason, some demon prompted Leander to his feet. In defiance of all proper behaviour, he crossed the room to Arden and introduced himself.

Those dark eyebrows raised briefly, a noble head was inclined, and one of the young men clustered around Arden was moving from his seat, offering it to Leander.

“So you’re Ockley.” The duke’s aristocratic fingers curved elegantly around the stem of his glass and his dark eyes surveyed Leander as he sat. “I didn’t think this to be your sort of place. I’d thought you more of a White’s man.”

The provocation was there. It was well known that Arden had been pre-emptively blackballed by the respectable club lest any member lose their faculties and propose him for membership.

“Indeed?” Leander said stiffly, his somewhat lamentable temper aroused by Arden’s dismissal of him as a priggish bore. “And I thought you a legend, sir. A cautionary tale used by protective parents to keep young cubs in line.”

Reaction rippled through the assembled ranks, but Leander’s gaze was on Arden’s face. A smile touched his lips as he looked at Leander. “A palpable hit, Ockley,” he murmured. His voice was rich and soft, with a hint of steel that intrigued Leander.

“Lea.” Henry’s voice broke in. He was not precisely floored, but he was foxed enough to ignore all dictates of manners as he tugged insistently at his brother’s arm. Knowing that if he resisted, Henry would only become more forceful, Leander allowed himself to be raised to his feet. His brother had been the same since nursery days—when he wanted something, he wanted it now, and it was usually attention he craved. Leander directed a small bow towards Arden, whose smile had widened at the spectacle Henry was making of them both, before following his brother’s urgent strictures to leave immediately.

Review

I’m always eager to pick up a new LGBTQ romance set in the regency era, where we know such relationships had to be clandestine, deeply hidden, highly cloaked. Having read (and re-read, more times than I can count) all of Jane Austen’s groundbreaking novels from the era, I’m already steeped in what such a novel should look like, and The Earl’s Awakening did not disappoint.

Where the novel departs from the period regency, of course, is in its open bedroom – or ballroom, or card room, or wherever the participants engage in their flaming debauchery and wild orgies.

The novel maintains a single point of view throughout, that of Leander, Earl of Ockley. As the novel opens, his behavior in every aspect conforms with what is expected from an upstanding and desirable male member of the Ton. Having recently lost his beloved wife, he honors the needs of his lady mother and plans to re-marry to provide her with the required heir – just not at present.

Seeds of his dramatic transformation are sown in Chapter Two when he first meets the Duke of Arden at a London gaming salon and notices, in spite of himself, that “his voice was rich and soft, with a hint of steel that intrigued Leander.”

Leander’s internal struggle to deny his urgings and prevent himself from acting upon them is richly and authentically conveyed. At nearly every turning point, he responds with action – powerless to resist that hint of steel – then tries to deny that what has occurred satisfies his deepest desires. The many explicit scenes that propel his journey forward are crafted with superb eroticism.

Is he being played for a fool by a rake who intends merely to ruin him? As he comes to recognize and claim what he truly wants, will he find himself rejected? Afficionados of gay erotic romance will relish the journey and find its conclusion highly satisfying.

Five Stars.

About the Author

Joy Lynn Fielding lives in a small English market town, where she indulges her passions for vintage aircraft, horse riding and gardening (though not all at the same time).

Joy tends to wax lyrical about the fascinating facts she discovers during her research for books. Thankfully, she has a very patient Labrador who has a gift for looking interested in what she’s saying while he waits for the food to arrive.

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“You look like you’re miles away…” #SnippetSunday #SnipSun #WeekendWritingWarriors #EroticRomance #LGBGTQ #Sale #99cents #MFRWAuthor

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday, the weekly hops for everyone who loves to write – and read!
Click on the graphics to travel to the other snippets.

                                        

EXCERPT

Picking up where we left off last Sunday from the opening scene, at their 20th college reunion:

Janet remembered how much Brenda used to admire her long legs and hid a smile. Janet was a good head and a half taller than her old roomie. They used to get kidded a lot about being a feminine Mutt and Jeff duo. She’d always blushed and resented that comment—did any of their friends know they’d experimented with each other sexually?

Janet swallowed hard. It hadn’t happened often—not often enough for Brenda. But…Janet raised her eyes from her drink to meet Brenda’s intense gaze.

“You look like you’re miles away, or maybe years in the past.” Brenda reached across the tiny round table to clutch Janet’s hand again. “Hey, it’s okay. Isn’t that part of what reunions are about?”

Janet shrugged, but didn’t withdraw her hand.

BLURB

Janet Baxter keeps her post-divorce life neatly compartmentalized: Secure job, spacious Westchester County home, successful adult children, dependable community volunteer activities. Why is she drawn—for the first time ever—to attend her twenty-year college reunion in New York City?

Always a free spirit, Brenda Cassidy is comfortably bisexual and has no plans to ever settle down. But a fling? The reappearance of svelte, reserved Janet Baxter in Brenda’s life is nothing less than a gift, worthy of every enticement Brenda can conjure up. Can Brenda seduce Janet into an endless night of the lovemaking they enjoyed too briefly as college roommates? What if the lady wants more?

BUY LINK

ON SALE NOW FOR 99¢

https://books2read.com/u/bzn6RL

REVIEW

Five Stars at Goodreads: “Building up the sexual tension between these two is the heart of this book. When they finally give in, I was right there with them. They are HOT! … a quick read but so well written I did not want it to end.”

 

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Stigma, Then and Now #LGBTQ #EroticRomance #ExtasyBooks #MFRWAuthor

The 15th of every month is my LGBTQ guest post at Tina Donahue’s Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas blog. Today I’m talking about stigma and some of the inspiration for Embracing Passion, book three in the Passion Series, with an excerpt.

Stigma, then and now – Inspiration for Embracing Passion

Hope you’ll stop by and check it out!

Book Information

Embracing Passion, By Adriana Kraft

Release date: August 18, 2023
Publisher: Extasy Books
Genre: Erotic Romance
Themes: Polyamory, Menage, Exhibitionism, age gap
Pairings: MF, FF, FFM, FMF

 

BLURB

A single wrong assumption can be costly…

Now in her late twenties, Rosanne Falcon’s life has finally come together—a Ph.D., a prestigious research job, and two exquisite lovers, one of each gender, to complete the package. The intense bond she shares with Simone Stone was augmented rather than broken when Simone met and married Boyd Roberts, and the three have forged a fulfilling polyamory relationship. More would only be trouble.

Widowed by a tragic accident several years earlier, Detective Thomas Walker is nearing retirement after twenty years on the police force and ready to change careers. Fully convinced the hot redhead who meets truckers at the rest area he’s staked out is a prostitute, he sets out to build his case against her. He is dead wrong, but each layer he uncovers of what she really does for a living challenges long held assumptions. Can he overcome his deep-seated bias to make room for what’s possible?

 

Now available at all ebook stores!

UNIVERSAL LINK

https://books2read.com/u/bpYaYX

Amazon series link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1ZYW1FH

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He’d nearly spoiled her day… Embracing Passion #NewRelease #EroticRomance #Polyamory #MFRWHooks

A single wrong assumption can be costly…

I’m so excited for this new release! It’s been a long labor of love – the finale to the Passion series, set in a fictional center for sex studies and sexuality.

Welcome to MFRW Hooks, where the authors of Marketing for Romance Writers
share snippets from their stories to entice you into wanting more.
Be sure to click on the links at the end to travel!

EXCERPT

New York, New York 2014

Continuing where we left off last week: Detective Tom Walker has just met the subject of his investigation…Now we’re in Rosanne’s point of view:

Glancing in her rearview mirror at the detective fuming near his car, Rosanne couldn’t suppress a shudder. While she and Simone always knew they’d have to have a lot of luck not to attract the attention of a cop before completing their research, it still was a little unnerving to come face to face with one. He’d nearly spoiled her day. Her early-morning rendezvous with Ben had provided a wealth of information on the life of the over-the-road trucker.

And then the cop was waiting for her. He’d acted rather befuddled by her presence. She liked that, a lot. She hadn’t been afraid he’d arrest her. He had no evidence, because there was no evidence to get. She might be a working girl, but not the kind he suspected.

She checked her mirror. Would he follow her? She shook her head. He probably already knew who she was. She’d seen him nosing around a couple times. And he’d followed her the previous week to the car rental. He probably already had her name and address, but he’d seemed more than a little puzzled by her card.

Maybe he’d give up now that he’d confronted her. She smacked her lips. Detective Walker didn’t strike her as a man who gave up easily. Would he stalk her? Would he come to the Center to question her, or Melissa and Harry Gage, the Center directors? If he did, he’d be in for a surprise or two.

She’d have to warn her friends and mentors about his interest, not that the Center activities hadn’t been scrutinized before. There were many folks out there—too many—who didn’t appreciate the mission of the Center to foster healthy sexual relationships across the lifespan. Toward that end, the Center produced and distributed instructional videos affirming most forms of sexual practices between consenting adults, as well as a catalogue of toys, lubricants, and other sexual aides. Its work had become more sophisticated and more embracing since its inception in the mid-sixties. Its market had also grown geometrically.

She was proud of her work and knew firsthand how the Center had helped to save marriages. If it hadn’t been for the Center, she wasn’t certain her own grandparents would’ve made it. It was Grandma Agnes who had sought help from the Center and encouraged Grandpa Max to volunteer with her. Their work on camera had drawn considerable praise and offered hope to many older couples. After Grandma Agnes died, Grandpa Max eventually hooked up with Claire Johnson, who’d spent her entire career with the Center—the woman Grandma Agnes had sought out as her coach.

Rosanne ran a brush through her short hair. And now it was her turn to promote the work of the Center. She peeked at the rearview mirror. And no damn cop was going to make her think less of her work.

Grinning at the memory of his gaze roving over her, she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d go out and rent a semi and call her. She was familiar with that look. For a moment, he hadn’t been a cop assessing a suspect. He’d been an aroused man assessing a woman.

BLURB

Now in her late twenties, Rosanne Falcon’s life has finally come together—a Ph.D., a prestigious research job, and two exquisite lovers, one of each gender, to complete the package. The intense bond she shares with Simone Stone was augmented rather than broken when Simone met and married Boyd Roberts, and the three have forged a fulfilling polyamory relationship. More would only be trouble.

Widowed by a tragic accident several years earlier, Detective Thomas Walker is nearing retirement after twenty years on the police force and ready to change careers. Fully convinced the hot redhead who meets truckers at the rest area he’s staked out is a prostitute, he sets out to build his case against her. He is dead wrong, but each layer he uncovers of what she really does for a living challenges long held assumptions. Can he overcome his deep-seated bias to make room for what’s possible?

BUY LINK

Now available at all ebook stores!

UNIVERSAL LINK

https://books2read.com/u/bpYaYX

Be sure to click on the links to travel to the rest of today’s exciting excerpts!

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REVIEWS

Erotic Romance “Seducing Cat is a Must Read…Hot in all the right places!”

Love Bites and Silk Ties
Romantic Suspense: Mystery and Romance are woven well in The Painter is a Lady.

Romantic Suspense: “The Unmasking is a fascinating tale…some emotionally trying scenes.”

Erotic Romance FFM Menage: “Edgy characters, inclusive sexuality…The Reunion is not for the faint of heart.”

Erotic Romance FFM Menage: “The intimacy is genuine and breathtaking”

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