Excerpts

What if the Lady Wants More? #Sale #99Cents #Giveaway #LGBTQ #EroticRomance #SapphicRomance #FF @IHeartLesFic

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.

For week two of highlighting my 58 published romance novels, I’m jumping out of time order to let you in on a giveaway and a marvelous opportunity to fill your Kindle and win gift cards!

Every Week, I Heart SapphFic sponsors a sapphic fiction reading challenge featuring books in each of two themes/tropes, with most of the books on sale for the week.

One of this week’s tropes is “divorced heroine,” and my novella The Lady Wants More has been selected to participate. Many featured authors (including yours truly) are offering giveaways and prizes this week in the I Heart SapphFic Readers Group on Facebook – here’s your chance to not only fill your kindle but enter for other giveaways. You can read more about the Weekly Reading Challenge HERE – to further entice you, the grand prize drawing at the end of the year features multiple gift cards, topping out at $250!

THE STORY BEHIND THE LADY WANTS MORE

Some of you may remember a marvelous e-publisher that was among the first to publish and promote LGBTQ books – Torquere Press, 2003-2016. I am deeply sorry it is gone. Their editing staff and graphic artists were marvelous to work with.

Sometime in early 2010, Torquere put out a submissions call for a twelve-book lesbian romance series featuring the signs of the Zodiac. My sun sign is Cancer, and I immediately knew I wanted to write a heroine who shared my sign: nurturing, loyal, reserved, resistant to change, seeks a well-ordered life. And there’s more – the Cancer Zodiac symbol is a crab, well known to scuttle backwards to reach its destination. Like my heroine Janet, I often take a circuitous route to accomplish my goals.

Who to partner her with? Go with what you know. My husband is Aquarius, the opposite of orderly, structured – a sign that can never be put in any box. Voila, Brenda emerged to challenge the reserved and hesitant Janet. They were a lot of fun to write.

The Torquere Press edition was published in June, 2011 – under the sign of Cancer, of course. Our contract was for two years, so when rights reverted to us, we thoroughly edited it, expanded some scenes, and published it under our own imprint in October of 2014.

I’d always loved our cover, and I’d met the original cover artist, Alessia Brio, at a writer’s conference a while earlier. I was thrilled she was willing to adapt her original cover for our new edition.

BOOK INFORMATION

Title: The Lady Wants More
Author: Adriana Kraft
Cover Artist: Alessia Brio
Publisher ‏ : ‎ B&B Publishing (October 24, 2014)
Length: Novella, 22,000 words, 83 pages
Genres: Erotic Romance, Sapphic Romance, Later in Life, Second Chance

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?

EXCERPT

Set-Up: A few days after their brief connection at the twenty-year high school reunion, Janet is pacing her bedroom, cell phone in hand, with Brenda’s number already entered. She finally hits “send”…

“Hi, Janet,” Brenda chirped, “I hoped you would call soon. So are you joining me for the ballet?”

Janet rolled her eyes. Obviously, caller ID hadn’t allowed her to surprise Brenda. “I’m fine. How are you?”

“Oh,” Brenda replied. “Sorry, should’ve asked first. I’ve had a good week so far. Though thinking about you has been a distraction at times.”

“Oh.” Janet held her breath. It hadn’t occurred to her Brenda might think about her as much as she’d been thinking about Brenda. Distraction? That was a mild way of putting it. Brenda had been an ever-present weight since they’d parted Saturday night.

“So,” Brenda cooed, “have you thought about me much these last few days?”

“Some.”

“Just some.”

“A lot,” Janet confessed.

“That’s better. I’d hate to be the only one losing sleep.”

“Losing sleep?” Janet blurted out. “You, too? I didn’t think you’d lose sleep over me.”

“Two a.m. on the dot. Haven’t missed a night yet.”

“Oh my. I wake at two also.”

Brenda chuckled. “I told you there is some sort of karma at work here. So what do you think?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe there’s karma, or maybe you’ll join me a week from Friday?”

“I have to be in the city that afternoon for a meeting with an author and her publisher.”

“How convenient. So you’ll join me for dinner and the ballet?”

“I don’t know about dinner. It’s a late-afternoon meeting, the only time the publisher could clear her calendar. Maybe we shouldn’t plan on dinner.” Janet swallowed and wet her lips. “Before.”

She could imagine Brenda mulling over the implications of that single word. She wished she was more skilled at veiled repartee, but she never had been.

“Ah,” Brenda said at last. “My loft isn’t far from the theater. Of course, you could drop by after your meeting to freshen up. Though if you do that, we might not make it to the ballet.”

Failing to hold back a giggle, Janet said, “You’re pretty confident, as usual.” She sobered. “I’ll change clothes in a restroom before heading over to meet you at the theater. I often do that when I have plans after work and don’t want to go home first.”

“You do plan ahead. Let’s grab a sandwich on our own before the performance, then, and have drinks and dessert afterward at my place.”

Janet closed her eyes and nodded. “That sounds good.”

“Your enthusiasm overwhelms,” Brenda chided. “Do you still love crème brûlée?”

Janet responded quickly, “Of course I do. But I wouldn’t want you to go to a lot of work.”

“Not a problem. I don’t have anything on my calendar from mid-Friday afternoon on—except you.”

BUY LINKS

Want to support keeping LGBTQ Romance available for everyone? If you purchase The Lady Wants More (or any of the books in this week’s reading challenge) through the link on the book’s I Heart SapphFic page, a small portion of the price goes to help keep the website running. Definitely a worthy cause.

The Lady Wants More is exclusively on Amazon and is on sale for $0.99.
It is also available on KU.

https://iheartsapphfic.com/bookinfo/the-lady-wants-more/

If you live outside the U.S., this universal link will take you to the appropriate Amazon outlet:

https://books2read.com/u/bzn6RL

 

 

 

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She couldn’t be real… #SnippetSunday #SnipSun #WeekendWritingWarriors #LGBTQ #EroticRomance

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

                                        

This week I’m featuring my very first published romance novel, Colors of the Night. You can read the story behind it HERE.

EXCERPT

Set Up: The love goddess Aria materialized out of the northern lights…

Aria stretched forth her jeweled fingers, and Jamie found herself in a different space. Dozens of candles formed a ring in which the trio sat on colorful pillows, and shadowy images flickered across mirrored walls. It might have been an Arabian dwelling, a Gypsy tent, or a sacred Celtic chamber.

Jamie huddled closer to Ryan. Wherever they were, they were no longer in the Minnesota north woods. What had they gotten themselves into—and how were they ever going to get back to their tent? The goddess looked friendly enough, but she wasn’t real. She couldn’t be real.

BOOK INFORMATION

Colors of the Night
Series : Colors of the Night #1
Author : Adriana Kraft
Published by: eXtasy Books
Publication Date: July, 2009
ASIN : ‎ B003XREZ1W
ISBN: 978-1-55487-319-7
Word Count: 65000; Print length:‎ 180 pages
Heat Level :    four flames (explicit sex, FM, FFM, FF; sex toys)

BLURB

The dazzling and timeless love goddess Aria pays a visit to struggling thirty-something Jamie and Ryan Hazleton, who are on the brink of divorce.  When the hot sex that results from her first lesson cools to icy glares, Aria decides to move in with them and provide more experiential learning.  Can Ryan overcome his jealousy of Jamie’s uninhibited response to the delectable goddess? What if he succumbs to his own desires?  Only time will tell whether this love triangle with an immortal will ignite or extinguish the dying embers of Jamie and Ryan’s love.

 

BUY LINKS

PUBLISHER: Extasy Books

https://www.extasybooks.com/colors-of-the-night

Currently on sale for $2.50 from the publisher.
It’s easy to download Extasy books to your Kindle.
“Send to Kindle” instructions are at the top of the Extasy home page.

All Major Retail Outlets

UNIVERSAL LINK

https://books2read.com/u/3nDDJK

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“No, don’t stop!” MFRWSteam #EroticRomance #LGBTQ #LoveGoddess

Will this love triangle with an immortal goddess ignite or extinguish
the dying embers of Jamie and Ryan’s love?

Welcome to the MFRW Steam Hop,
where the authors of Marketing for Romance Writers
entice you with steamy excerpts from their erotic romance stories.

Scroll to the end for more of this week’s tempting excerpts.

This week I’m featuring my very first published romance novel, Colors of the Night. You can read the story behind it HERE.

BLURB

The dazzling and timeless love goddess Aria pays a visit to struggling thirty-something Jamie and Ryan Hazleton, who are on the brink of divorce.  When the hot sex that results from her first lesson cools to icy glares, Aria decides to move in with them and provide more experiential learning.  Can Ryan overcome his jealousy of Jamie’s uninhibited response to the delectable goddess? What if he succumbs to his own desires?  Only time will tell whether this love triangle with an immortal will ignite or extinguish the dying embers of Jamie and Ryan’s love.

EXCERPT

Set-up: Aria has brought Ryan and Jamie to a secluded cloister, one of Jamie’s favorite spots in the Twin Cities.

The three of them had climbed the wrought iron stairs six flights to the very top of the tower. Its stone ceiling protected them from the elements. The small open windows artfully carved in the stone walls provided access to spectacular views of the surrounding gardens. Jamie could see beds of orange, pink, red, pale blue and green. Flowers and shrubs of more varieties than she could name dotted the meandering sidewalks. Here and there she saw splendid tall trees—pine and cedar, for sure, and perhaps maple and oak. Jamie inhaled deeply. Would she ever get enough of the refreshing spirit permeating this space?

“I see that you connect with this place, Jamie,” Aria said. “That is good. These stones have witnessed much and will be enlivened by your sincerity and your odyssey through the sexual delights.”

Jamie turned to stare at the goddess of love. “Here?” she mouthed.

“This is perfect. Hardly anyone is around, and you already have a special place in your heart for these stones. I cannot imagine that we will find a better location in which to take a small risk in sharing our love.”

“But what if somebody comes?”

Aria grinned demurely. “No doubt, somebody will come.”

“I don’t mean that.”

“We won’t be bothered,” Aria said, glancing out one of the small windows. “Why don’t you stand over here, Jamie? Put your hands and shoulders in the window. There. You can see that no one is approaching the door below.”

“That’s true enough,” Jamie said, bending over to check below. Quickly, her skirt lay draped over her back and her buttocks pleasantly cooled. She hadn’t realized how hot she’d become. Hands cradled her rear; Aria’s long fingernails swept across her butt while Ryan’s stubbier fingers plied at her cleft. Jamie widened her stance.

“She’s quite ready for you, Ryan. Why don’t you drop your sweatpants and do your wife right here? I know you want to. She’s prepared, are you?”

“I’m as hard as these rocks. I’m ready.”

“Good, let me link the two of you.”

Jamie didn’t have to look to know the goddess was parting her nether lips and guiding Ryan’s cock. Its head pushed onward quickly, seating itself deep in her sex. She braced herself against the window, waiting for Ryan to take her to a familiar place. She kept her eyes open to guard against discovery. The cloister gardens remained serene with no one about.

Familiar places? This was one of those places, but today it seemed different, even more inviting, more welcoming. Her husband pinched her rear and began to take her slowly at first then faster. Her breath became ragged. She wanted to touch her aroused bud but didn’t want to risk losing her precarious perch in the window.

“Ah,” she sighed. The fingers caressing her clitoris had also become familiar. She trusted them, just as much as her husband’s. Electric shocks began coursing from her pussy to her brain. Did they emanate from Ryan’s cock, from Aria’s fingers, from the stone, or from her imagination?

A movement beside the rose bed directly below caught her eye. She shriveled. Where had that man come from? He waved at her and grinned. It was maddening. She was so close to bursting. The bald-headed man with a gray beard couldn’t possibly know what Ryan and Aria were doing to her.

Ryan slammed hard against her butt, nearly forcing her shoulders through the window. She pushed back against his thighs. That only seemed to stir him more.

“There’s a man out there,” she whispered. “He’s staring at me. Stop.” Her circuits began to explode one by one. “No, don’t stop. He can’t possibly know.” She tried desperately not to be overtaken by her mounting orgasm. She wouldn’t scream and give them away.

The man waved at her with his cane. What was he shouting? How could she possibly hear him? He was too far away. But he seemed very intent on getting her attention.

“Enjoy.” She heard the words as if the man stood right in front of her. “Don’t let me stop your pleasure. Let it go. Scream your wails of pleasure. The stones want to hear. I want to hear.”

Jamie bit down on her tongue but could not hold back. Her brow furrowed and she screamed, “Yes, oh my heavens! Yes, I’m coming!”

The older man placed the cane over his arm and applauded. “You are good for an old man’s soul, you temptress of the cloister.

Colors of the Night

BOOK INFORMATION

Colors of the Night
Series : Colors of the Night #1
Author : Adriana Kraft
Published by: eXtasy Books
Publication Date: July, 2009
ASIN : ‎ B003XREZ1W
ISBN: 978-1-55487-319-7
Word Count: 65000; Print length:‎ 180 pages
Heat Level :    four flames (explicit sex, FM, FFM, FF; sex toys)

BUY LINKS

PUBLISHER: Extasy Books

https://www.extasybooks.com/colors-of-the-night

Currently on sale for $2.50 from the publisher.
It’s easy to download Extasy books to your Kindle.
“Send to Kindle” instructions are at the top of the Extasy home page.

ALL MAJOR RETAIL OUTLETS

UNIVERSAL LINK

https://books2read.com/u/3nDDJK

…And don’t forget to travel to the rest of today’s steamy excerpts:

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A Little Cosplay #MFRWHooks #EroticRomance #TimeTravel #LoveGoddess #Cosplay

This week I’m featuring my very first published romance novel, Colors of the Night. You can read the story behind it HERE

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: When Jamie confesses one of her fantasies is making love on a grand piano, Aria transports her and Ryan to another dimension and sets the scene…

Swaying to the lilting score of the Abduction from the Seraglio, Jamie marveled again at how Mozart’s music filled her soul. Her fingers flew across the keyboard of the baby grand piano and the tempo increased. It was a splendid instrument, very responsive to the slightest touch.

The tempo slowed; she wiggled her bottom and resettled herself on the bench. She glanced at the door. There in the entryway stood a strange man dressed almost entirely in black.

Jamie played on, not frightened by the man, yet curious. His white ruffled shirt was open at the throat.  Black pants and boots were almost obscured by a black cape with a red lining, which the man drew across his chest once he realized she’d seen him standing there.  On his head sat a wide-brimmed black hat with one side turned up like a rough rider’s. Even more distinctive was the long red plume tucked into the hat band.

She continued playing while assessing the stranger. An extraordinary man, really.  To top things off, he wore a small dark mask. Was he Zorro come to protect her?  Was he a brigand come to plunder her? Was he the phantom drawn from the rafters, attracted by her opera music?

She played on, watching carefully as the stranger removed his hat and bowed deeply before her. He neither smiled nor frowned.  He said nothing.  She asked nothing.

He walked toward her, then came around the bench to stand behind her.  She couldn’t see what he was doing. She didn’t turn around. She played on.

Something light and fluffy grazed her neck. Jamie smiled.  She recognized the touch as coming from the stranger’s long red plume. It was soft against her skin.  She lowered her chin, offering more of her neck.

The man played with the plume, guiding it the length of her neck. He eased it toward her throat, and then let the tip of the feather play across her breasts, partially clothed in a sleek yellow dress.

She played on; not ignoring the stranger, but waiting. What will you do next, my masked man? When would she stop him?

BOOK INFORMATION

Colors of the Night
Series : Colors of the Night #1
Author : Adriana Kraft
Published by: eXtasy Books
Publication Date: July, 2009
ASIN : ‎ B003XREZ1W
ISBN: 978-1-55487-319-7
Word Count: 65000; Print length:‎ 180 pages
Heat Level :    four flames (explicit sex, FM, FFM, FF; sex toys)

BLURB

The dazzling and timeless love goddess Aria pays a visit to struggling thirty-something Jamie and Ryan Hazleton, who are on the brink of divorce.  When the hot sex that results from her first lesson cools to icy glares, Aria decides to move in with them and provide more experiential learning.  Can Ryan overcome his jealousy of Jamie’s uninhibited response to the delectable goddess? What if he succumbs to his own desires?  Only time will tell whether this love triangle with an immortal will ignite or extinguish the dying embers of Jamie and Ryan’s love.

 

BUY LINKS

PUBLISHER: Extasy Books

https://www.extasybooks.com/colors-of-the-night

Currently on sale for $2.50 from the publisher.
It’s easy to download Extasy books to your Kindle.
“Send to Kindle” instructions are at the top of the Extasy home page.

All Major Retail Outlets

UNIVERSAL LINK

https://books2read.com/u/3nDDJK

Click on the links travel to the rest of today’s excerpts:

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Alone New Year’s Eve… #SnippetSunday #SnipSun #WeekendWritingWarriors #LGBTQ #EroticRomance

The millennium arrived with such promise—
will it deliver for recently widowed Merry Delaney?

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

                                        

Since today is the last day of the year, I’m sharing a snippet from The Merry Widow, which opens on New Year’s Eve:

EXCERPT

Prologue

New Year’s Eve 1999
Four AM
Glencoe, Illinois

It was starting. Merry had awakened to her alarm, brewed the coffee, warmed up her favorite pastry, and now sat curled up on her living room couch wrapped in her plush bathrobe and focused on the TV screen, where the Samoans had just begun to welcome in the new year. Her favorite channel would be live for the next twenty-four hours, tracking the celebrations—or lack of—as the world turned toward the new millennium.

The Millennium. Y2K. She was so tired of all the doomsday hype—as an accountant, she’d had ample advance notice to bring all her software up to date to accommodate the changeover. People were treating it as if it might be the end of the world—hardly, even if her world had ended.

Maybe she could glean at least a small shred of inspiration from the rest of the world. How did you pick up and move on when everything you knew had changed? Tomorrow would be one year—to the day—since Dan had died. She shuddered. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to spend this day alone.

Book Information

Publisher: Extasy Books, February 7, 2020
Price: $4.99
Word length: 68,500     313 pages
Genres: Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense
Heat Rating: R (explicit sex, m/f, f/f; ménage, f/f/f, f/f/m; toys)

BLURB

So much for all the anticipation about the new millennium. Merry Delaney’s life is still in a rut and shows no signs of changing. Sex? A fading memory, gone long before her husband actually died. Excitement? Hardly the hallmark of an accountant’s life. At forty-two, what can she look forward to?

Until her best friend takes Merry’s predicament into her practiced hands. One passionate kiss unleashes possibilities Merry never dreamed of—and she wants to sample them all. Men? Women? Young? Old? Ménage? Toys? Yes, to all, to pleasure, to making up for lost time.

Enter Chicago Detective Jim Barnes, who solicits Merry’s help with a mob funds-skimming case. Can the scorching passion that soon smolders between Merry and Jim survive the escalating mob threats of exposure? Having discovered a zest for sex, will Merry ever again be satisfied with one man?

REVIEW

Five Stars from N. N. Light:

Wow, what an incredible book! Not only is this a gripping romantic suspense, but the heat level is hotter than Death Valley.

BUY LINKS

Universal link to all major retail vendors:

https://books2read.com/u/mK61gP

On sale for half price at Extasy Books:

https://www.extasybooks.com/the-merry-widow

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A solid male specimen… #MFRWHooks #EroticRomance #Detective #NewYear

The millennium arrived with such promise—
will it deliver for recently widowed Merry Delaney?

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!

Since The Merry Widow opens on a New Year’s Eve, I’ll post its opening for the Sunday Snippet hop this coming Sunday, but meanwhile, here’s the moment Merry meets Detective Jim Delaney:

EXCERPT

Merry parked the car in her Glencoe driveway. She got out and breathed deeply. She loved the richly fragrant springtime air. One of the best decisions she and Dan had ever made was purchasing this acre of land with its large old two-story house. Mature oaks and maples added to the sense of purpose and security of the place. This was home. Her home. And if she did kick up her heels and fall on her face in the process, she’d always have this place to return to.

She stopped by a lilac bush and sniffed, then closed her eyes and let the scent waft into her nostrils. This would do. Life would be just fine…

The crushed rock driveway crunched under the tires of a car entering. Merry cranked her head around as if she’d been caught doing something naughty.

She compressed her lips. She didn’t recognize the modest gray sedan or the brawny dark-haired man prying himself out of the driver’s seat. He gave her a crooked smile and a nod and walked toward her. Sauntered, she corrected herself.

“Mrs. Delaney? Mrs. Merry Delaney?” the man asked, reaching into his inner coat pocket and pulling out a badge.

“Yes, I’m Merry Delaney.” Her breath caught. “What’s wrong? Is it Tiffany? Has something happened to my daughter?”

The man shook his large head. He could pass for a Chicago Bears linebacker. His dark eyes penetrated.

Was he staring into her soul? Was he stripping her naked? Where did that thought come from? So maybe he was just the first man to show up since she’d decided it was time move on.

“I’m Detective Jim Barnes of the Chicago Police Department, Mrs. Delaney. I’m investigating a case that you may be able to shed some light on.” He looked around the front yard. “If it’s not too much trouble, could we step inside? This conversation might draw less curiosity if we conduct it indoors.”

“Of course, Detective Barnes. Forgive me.” She reached for her keys and unlocked the front door. “Come on in. I’ll make some coffee.”

“Don’t bother on my account.”

“No problem. It’s already made—I just have to push a button. I almost always have some ready to go.”

Now why was she rattling on so? Was it because she was unsure what questions he was going to ask? Or was it his physical presence? He was a solid male specimen—no question about that. And she couldn’t quite get away from him long enough to collect her thoughts. He’d followed her into the kitchen. That was okay. She was more comfortable in her kitchen than most anywhere else in the house.

BLURB

So much for all the anticipation about the new millennium. Merry Delaney’s life is still in a rut and shows no signs of changing. Sex? A fading memory, gone long before her husband actually died. Excitement? Hardly the hallmark of an accountant’s life. At forty-two, what can she look forward to?

Until her best friend takes Merry’s predicament into her practiced hands. One passionate kiss unleashes possibilities Merry never dreamed of—and she wants to sample them all. Men? Women? Young? Old? Ménage? Toys? Yes, to all, to pleasure, to making up for lost time.

Enter Chicago Detective Jim Barnes, who solicits Merry’s help with a mob funds-skimming case. Can the scorching passion that soon smolders between Merry and Jim survive the escalating mob threats of exposure? Having discovered a zest for sex, will Merry ever again be satisfied with one man?

BUY LINK

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK

https://books2read.com/u/mK61gP

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Yuletide Eve Scene and a wish from us for you #Love #Peace #Hope

Both of us who write under this pen name honor all who celebrate turning towards the light, in whatever tradition has come to be meaningful for you. At the center of this turning is warmth, love, peace, light, and hope. This is what we wish for all of you, not just in this season, but year-round.

Sometimes our characters experience this as well. Here is Christmas Eve from A Reluctant Santa

Set Up: Cliff spent the middle of the day playing Santa to needy kids, hosted by a local golf course lodge, with Carol assisting him as his elf. Now it’s late evening.

Carol snuggled into Cliff with his arm around her waist as they leaned against the lodge balcony railing, both of them in awe of the star-studded sky forming a canopy overhead. “This is so spectacular. The stars seem so close. And so many more are visible up here than in the city.”

“For sure. Sometimes I feel like time stands still while the night sky does its nightly dance. You should be here sometime when the Northern Lights put on a show. Dazzling. It can be like sheets of color fading in and out, daring you to ignore them. The night sky up here is so vast, almost overwhelming.”

“The stars are so brilliant. Santa won’t have any trouble navigating his way tonight.”

Cliff squeezed her tighter. “Especially if his favorite elf serves as his navigator.”

“Thanks again for taking me to the Christmas Eve service. It was so special.”

“Sarah thought you would like it.”

“It was just right. I gave up long time ago trying to deal with Christmas intellectually. I’m not into debating whether this happened or that didn’t. It’s the feeling of Christmas that moves me. And those kids certainly did that tonight. I nearly lost it when they marched down the aisle to The Little Drummer Boy with coffee cans hanging around their necks, pounding those cans like they were the most sophisticated drums ever made.”

“They were happy and proud, from the oldest to the youngest.”

“That says a lot about the adults, including children in the service like that. Wonderful. The Christmas spirit was palpable.” Carol suddenly pointed toward the sky. “Did you see that?”

“A shooting star. I hoped if we stood out here long enough we’d see some. That was a long, bright one. Don’t see many of those.”

“So fitting for the night. For Santa.” Carol hesitated. “For Santa and his elf.”

 

 

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Christmas Eve with Matt and Nancy #SnippetSunday #SnipSun #WeekendWritingWarriors #RomanticSuspense

I don’t think of The Unmasking as a typical Christmas book, but since it has one of my favorite Christmas Eve scenes, I’m sharing from it today. The hero, Matt, is an anthropology professor specializing in Celtic studies.

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

                                        

EXCERPT

Set-Up: Nancy’s still not sure if Matt is just a casual fling, but she’s brought him to spend Christmas with her family at their Wisconsin north woods cabin. Their Christmas Eve tradition is sharing Christmas memories…

Ten Sentences:

Matt became anxious when he realized there were only three others remaining who had not yet shared a story. Nancy’s family was a fun family to observe, but he didn’t fit in with them. What could he offer for a story? He knew they’d expect one.

When it was his turn, the words came of their own volition. “One of my best gifts was a book called The Flight of Dragons. I was eight years old. It was a rich and wonderful book and had lots of detail about exactly how dragons fly – using the same gases that they use to breathe from. It sure was high adventure for me – we hardly even went to movies, and we had no TV.”

“No TV!” Michael said, aghast.

…And a little more

Matt smiled at the boy and continued, “That book was probably the seed that began my quest for more knowledge of ancient cultures and myths.”

“Without that book, you wouldn’t be sitting here with us tonight.” Nancy’s voice was unusually quiet and he couldn’t read the soft expression on her face.

“I suppose you’re right. Every little step along the way shapes us in one way or another. But,” he turned to speak to the children, “I want you to know this was a fun book. I couldn’t stop reading, and I finished it by bedtime on Christmas night. Of course, I started rereading it the next morning.”

The children applauded and were joined by the adults. “I want to get that book, professor,” Michael said, coming to stand before Matt. “It sounds exciting. I especially like books about the Knights of the Round Table.”

“Me too,” Matt replied, absently brushing back a lock of hair from the boy’s forehead. “I expect in my library I have just about every book written on the subject that’s available to the public.”

“Really!” The boy’s eyes grew huge. “I’d sure like to see that library.”

Book Information

Title: The Unmasking
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: B&B Publishing
Length: 87,000 words, 375 pages
Tropes: Lady cop, Undercover Detective, college campus, small town
ASIN B00IDVB6KQ

BLURB

Is anthropology professor Matt Bayfield the Blackthorn College rapist, or a potential ally? Aloof and unapproachable, Matt has academic ambitions. He can’t escape Blackthorn College soon enough, and he doesn’t want any entanglements to slow down his exit.

Nancy Appleby would like nothing more than to solve the string of campus rape cases before Thanksgiving so she can go home. The last thing she wants is a relationship to complicate her life—but she’ll settle for a fling, especially when the sex sizzles.

The stalker has his own carefully crafted timetable, with a special date just for Nancy. Can Matt and Nancy force him out of his hidey-hole before it’s too late?

WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING

5 Stars, Amazon reviewer Rochelle: “They got me! I didn’t figure it out!”

5 Stars, Amazon reviewer Wendy: “wonderfully told, suspenseful, erotic romance”

BUY LINK

Available on Kindle Unlimited

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IDVB6KQ/

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Excerpts

Out Now! Nice and Naughty by Lil DeVille #NewRelease #bisexual #m/m romance #polyamory #role playing

BOOK INFORMATION

Title: Nice and Naughty
Author: Lil DeVille
Genre: Gay Romance, Holiday Romance, M/M Romance, Romantic Comedy
Heat Level: 5 Flames
ASIN: ‎ B0CP9WP2DF
ISBN: 9798871986608
Publisher: ‎Naughty Netherworld Press
Publication date:  December 23, 2023
Length: 14,500 words (Novelette)

BLURB

Parsifal returns home to spend the Christmas holidays with his family. As he arrives at the airport, he is greeted by his brother Hart and his ex-boyfriend Bobby. Bobby is accompanied by his new boyfriend Seth. As they spend the day together, Parsifal notices something peculiar. Bobby seeks comfort from Hart rather than Seth after a minor accident at the park.

Meanwhile, Parsifal finds himself drawn to hot nerd Seth. The more time they spend together, the more Parsifal believes the feeling is mutual.

However, Parsifal’s Christmas holiday is about to get even crazier. His redneck relatives are coming over for Christmas Eve dinner, and Parsifal is dreading the chaos that is sure to ensue. Between his family’s quirky behavior and Seth’s enticing presence, Parsifal’s vacation is shaping up to be anything but relaxing.

This is the second book in The Shape Of Heat series. It can be read as a standalone, but the first book, Awakening, should be read first if you wish to know more about the background of Parsifal and his girlfriends Candi and Luisa.

EXCERPT

Over the summer, things heated beyond the boiling point between me and my longtime friends Candi and Luisa. We grew even closer as the fall that never looks like fall rolled into the Caribbean island where we work and play. Our boss had nothing but praise for us as resort workers, and we were popular writers at Climax Productions. Everyone needs to rest sometime, though, so I was glad to be heading home to Tennessee to reconnect with family and friends over the winter holidays.

I was especially looking forward to seeing my big brother Hart and my ex-boyfriend Bobby. Although Bobby and I broke up after I cheated on him, we remained close friends. Plus, I was looking forward to meeting Bobby’s new guy Seth.

Hart was waiting in the pickup zone in his beloved 1965 burgundy Mustang. He was a dark-haired, lanky drink of water who resembled the late, great Hank Williams. I’m a skinny beach bum with wavy, strawberry-blond hair. I think I look like a young Dennis Wilson. My girl Candi says I look like an elf. My little brothers say that Hart and I look like Beavis and Butthead. Well, what can you expect from little brothers? At least they have great taste in cartoons.

Hart gave me a great big bear hug and put my bags in the trunk. I settled in the passenger seat. Bobby and Seth, who had flown into Nashville from Los Angeles, were riding in the back.

Bobby reached around the seat to hug me. He was still the same golden-haired, freckle-faced ray of California sunshine that I remembered. Seth was quiet and had a brooding artist vibe about him. He had shaggy coffee-brown hair with long wedge bangs and a pale complexion. He smiled shyly when he shook my hand.

“Seth Dinapoli,” he said, his voice cool and whispery like the winds outside a haunted castle.

“Parsifal Matveev. Pleased to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Seth said, unaware of how he was killing me with his seductive gray eyes peeking from behind his dark curtain of hair.

“Don’t even think about it, Parsley,” I admonished myself as I felt a stirring in my loins when I gripped Seth’s pale, slender hand. “We’ll draft a nice Gothic story about a smolderingly seductive vampire who has his way with the innocent young prodigal son who just returned home to Ye Olde Manor after a year away. We will have naughty video chats with our sexy girlfriends. We will not, and I repeat, will not seduce our ex-boyfriend’s new man.”

BUY LINK

https://amzn.to/3T3srPF

Ebook: Just 99 cents.

Paperback: $4.20

ABOUT LIL

Lil DeVille is a former nurse who started writing erotica after becoming disabled in 2019. She enjoys imagining quirky characters involved in lusty encounters anywhere from a tropical paradise or a rustic mountain village in the present day to an all-male mining colony on an asteroid in the distant future.

Lil likes to end her stories on a Happy for Now note with a promise of more good things to come. Although her writing sometimes addresses difficult subjects such as alcoholism or past abuse, she brings a note of love and support to scenes involving these issues.

Lil lives in a remote prairie town in Northeastern Colorado with her adult son and three cats. When she isn’t cooking up spicy stories, she enjoys baking and crafts.

Lil’s Links

Amazon Author Page: https://bit.ly/LilDevilleAmazonAuthor

Lil’s Latest: https://www.subscribepage.com/lildeville

Naughty Netherworld Press Blog: http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com

Naughty Netherworld Press Books: https://bit.ly/NNPBooks

Naughty Netherworld Press Start Page

https://naughtynetherworldpress.start.page

Naughty Netherworld Press Substack

https://naughtynetherworldpress.substack.com

Naughty Netherworld Press Tumblr

http://netherworldwritersguild.tumblr.com

Readers Roost Book Blog https://bit.ly/ReadersRoost

Readers Roost Twitter https://twitter.com/ReadersRoost

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Excerpts

Out Now! Wild About That Thing by Lisabet Sarai #ChicagoBlues #DeltaBlues #NewYorkCity #SingleMom #Multiracial #Threesome #Menage #Polyamory #Instalove

There’s more than one way to beat the blues

BOOK INFORMATION

Wild About That Thing
By LisabetSarai
Multiracial Ménage Erotic Romance
Five flames
20,000 words, 78 pages
Smashwords and Amazon KDP
ISBN (Smashwords): 9798215599563
ASIN: ‎ B0CPDD3JR9‎

Not Me

Most authors put some of themselves into their characters. We can’t help it, really. We’re all shaped by our experience, in ways we can’t fully or consciously appreciate. Our characters are likely to share our assumptions, our biases and our values, whether this is our intention or not.

For instance, my female characters tend to be independent, well-educated and unapologetic about their sexuality. Anyone who knows me at all will recognize these traits also describe me. I don’t think I’ve ever written a helpless, timid virgin or a self-obsessed beauty queen. I don’t create violent characters, either, or at least not violent protagonists. You won’t find any mafia capos or special forces agents in my books. (The one exception is Cecily Harrowsmith in Rajasthani Moon, who is Queen Victoria’s spy, and she’s a slightly comic figure.)

Sometimes I deliberately try to create characters who are different from me, but that can be a struggle. The thing is, how can you imagine the inner life of someone whose background, priorities and goals deviate significantly from your own?

So my success varies. In that regard, I’m pretty proud of Wild About That Thing.

My heroine Ruby Jones is definitely not me. She’s a black woman, for one thing. As much as I try to empathize, I doubt I can really understand what it’s like to grow up black in America. She’s also a mother – a single mother, having divorced her cheating ex-husband. I’ve never had children, so it’s a stretch to imagine what it would be like to have total responsibility for someone else’s safety and well-being. Scary. My experience with marriage has been ninety nine percent positive. Ruby in contrast has been badly burned, and is naturally wary of new commitments.

Despite our differences, however, I feel that I know Ruby well. Early in the writing process, I learned about Ruby’s parents and came to see how her relationships with both her mother and her father shaped her personality and her behavior. Somehow these insights were not intellectual. Instead, I found myself in Ruby’s head, listening to her inner critic who often speaks with her mother’s voice.

Ruby is constantly torn between her analytical tendencies and her passionate nature. I suppose this is somewhat true of me, but in Ruby’s case the conflict is  particularly painful. One minute she’s a hard-headed businesswoman. The next, she’s a puddle of lust.

Anyway, I do hope my readers enjoy Ruby Jones. I feel that she’s one of the most realistic heroines I’ve created, as well as one of the most likable.

Note, though, that she still shares some attributes with me. She is independent and, as you might guess from the tag line, unapologetic about her sexuality.

BLURB

She’s always been proud of her sensual nature. Now it seems to have landed her in an impossible situation. Two lovers…and she wants them both.

Ruby Jones has clear priorities. Her teenage son comes first, then her struggling blues club. Her love life ranks as a distant third, despite the efforts of Zeke Chambers to convince her otherwise. Zeke’s the lead singer in her house band, a devoted friend, and an occasional lover. He can drive her wild with desire, but can’t get her to make a commitment. Deserted by her cheating ex-husband, Ruby’s determined she’s going to make it on her own. She’s hot-blooded like her bluesman daddy, happy to satisfy her physical cravings, but she’s not about to let any man into her heart.

The stranger who takes the stage on open mike night upsets the delicate balance in Ruby’s world. From the moment Ruby sets eyes on him, Remy Saint-Michel inspires irresistible lust and inexplicable sympathy. Confused, guilty and worried about her prized independence, Ruby decides that the only way to deal with the two men is to push them both away. Zeke and Remy, however, have other ideas.

Note: Wild About That Thing was previously published by Totally Entwined. This new edition has been revised and re-edited.

EXCERPT

He looked pretty good himself. He wore his work clothes—trim navy blue chinos and a striped shirt with a button-down collar. The trousers weren’t as tight as the jeans he wore when he was off-duty, but they couldn’t hide the bulk of his hard-on. His eyes sparkled like sapphires under his bushy blond brows and a lock of his honey-colored hair hung down over his forehead. She fought the urge to brush it back into place.

“I thought maybe I could join you two for dinner,” he continued. “Then maybe after, we can all watch a video or something.”

He didn’t say anything more, but she knew what he was thinking. After Isaiah was safe in his bed, maybe Zeke could spend some time in hers.

Ruby remembered her assignation with Remy—remembered the insane lust he’d inspired. It had been intoxicating, but scary too. For a moment, all she wanted was to say yes to Zeke’s unspoken question, to trade the risky promise of a stranger for more familiar pleasures. But she’d given her word to Remy. Anyway, what gave Zeke the right to barge in to her life, assuming she’d be available?

“We’d love for you eat with us,” she began, trying to be gentle. “But afterward, I’ve got a date.”

Zeke’s forehead knitted into a frown. “A date?” His voice was dark as gathering thunderclouds. “Who with?”

Ruby laid her hand on his arm. That was a mistake. The feel of his warm, firm flesh under the fine cotton made her want to take it all back—to swear that she wanted only him, to beg him to fuck her. “I don’t think you need to know,” she said, her eyes cast downward.

She felt like such a traitor. Of course, they’d agreed when they began that their relationship should be non-exclusive. Still, she hadn’t been with anyone else, not for two years. Why should she, when she had a strong, sexy, generous man like Ezekiel Chambers?

But Remy…she’d never experienced anything like the magnetic pull she’d felt in his presence. She had to find out what it would be like to fuck him. To get him out of her system.

“Thanks for being honest,” Zeke said softly. “That’s something at least.”

“I’d never lie to you, baby. That’s just plain wrong. Otis taught me that. It’s just this one time, anyway.”

“You do what you need to do, Ruby. It won’t change how I feel about you.” He blinked once or twice, then stood up. “Guess I should go.”

“No, please—stay for dinner. Just pizza and salad, but we’d love to have you. I’m sure that Isaiah will want to tell you the big news about his band.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” Ruby gave him a hug, fighting the urge to rub herself against the still-obvious lump in his groin. “Let’s go call Antonio’s.”

“You got someone to stay with the kid while you’re out?” Zeke asked, as Ruby retrieved the pizza menu stuck onto the refrigerator door.

“Um—no… He’ll be okay. It’s just a couple hours.” Ruby’s doubts resurfaced. Maybe she really should call Remy and cancel. Things were just too complicated…

“I’ll hang out here until you get back, then.”

“What?” Ruby stared at him, astonished and grateful. “You’re gonna babysit, while I go meet another man? What are you, some kind of saint?”

“Nah, I’m just a guy who loves you and wants you to be happy. I know you won’t be able to relax if Isaiah’s home alone.”

Ruby rewarded him with a kiss. What had she done to deserve him? “You know me too well, baby.”

“I do, darlin’. You’re like Skynard’s free bird. Ain’t nobody can put you in a cage.”

BUY LINKS

Kinky Literature – https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/1342-wild-about-that-thing-/

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPDD3JR9

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CPDD3JR9

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1485627

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-about-that-thing-lisabet-sarai/1110738210?ean=2940167659858

Kobo  – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wild-about-that-thing-4

Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6474285642

Add on Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203152943-wild-about-that-thing

Add on BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/wild-about-that-thing-by-lisabet-sarai-2023-12-10

ABOUT LISABET

Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, LGBTQ, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh

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