Halloween and Samhain may be over, but the trouble is just beginning for Matt and Nancy. In this excerpt, Nancy’s staking out a local bar in disguise…

EXCERPT

Out of the corner of her eye, Nancy watched Bayfield accept his drink and change. His gaze swept above her trying to locate a seat in the crowded tavern. His eyes lowered, meeting hers. She tried to control her racing pulse. He shook his head. And then his eyes bugged.

“Ms. Cr—”

Before he could mutter another syllable, Nancy leaped to her feet, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted the biggest, wettest kiss she could muster on his mouth, swallowing the rest of her name and his breath. He stumbled backward. She refused to let him go, imprinting her lips on his.

She started to release him, but then one of his hands pressed against her back and the other curved over her buttocks. Her eyes widened. Professor Bayfield was kissing her back! Not about to pass up this opportunity, Nancy closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.

His tongue pushed into her open mouth; she greeted it with her own. He brought a hand between them and squeezed a breast. Her eyes flew open. Would she burn up right there in the damn bar? As if he sensed her changing mood, Bayfield’s eyes sprang as wide open as hers. He started to pull away.

Applause and hoots broke out from bar patrons. Steins were raised in salute.

Nancy and Matt looked sheepishly at the other patrons. “Don’t say a word, Bayfield,” Nancy said, still holding him close. “I can explain everything, but we’ve got to get out of here, now.” He started to open his mouth. Brushing her lips across his, she whispered, “Please, don’t say my name. It could be a matter of life and death.”

BUY LINKS

E-Book: $3.99, or borrow through Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime

Amazon

Print: Amazon

BLURB

Whose mask will crumble first—
the enigmatic professor of Celtic Studies,
the undercover cop masquerading as a co-ed,
or the campus stalker,
biding his time to strike again?

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?
Click on the list below to travel to the other excerpts in the hop:

Welcome to My Sexy Saturday! Halloween is almost here ~ Martha Richards is about to be visited by a pair of very sexy ghosts!

EXCERPT

She needed to stay warm in the winter, and she wasn’t about to flee back to civilization any time soon. It had taken all her gumption and most of her inheritance to buy Purgatory Point; she wasn’t about to give up because of a chill in the air.

That decided, she closed her eyes and welcomed the drifting sensations of dozing.

He’d have strong hands. She’d have soft hands. Dan’s fingers. Natalie’s fingers. As if from a distance, Martha recognized her own soft moans. Her loins ached. It was an old ache, yet a familiar ache.

Her nipples pebbled and strained against the flannel gown. Fingers brushed against her inner thigh. She squeezed her legs tightly together, trapping them.

Whose fingers? Hers? His? Natalie’s? She was dreaming. She knew she was. She had to be dreaming. She let herself sink farther into the darkness.

“That a girl,” came a soothing whisper penetrating her fuzzy brain. “You’re a passionate woman. Let it out. Cherish your passion. Let me help. Let me touch you.”

“Natalie?” Martha whispered, unable to awaken.

A soft chuckle answered. “Not this time. Maybe later if you allow yourself. Now let me help you.”

BLURB

A tender ghost story and a sizzling erotic romance with a splash of BDSM, Mistress of Purgatory Point is also the deeply moving chronicle of the mid-life sexual awakening of a stoic widow who thought she’d already experienced her one allotted love. One man, two women and two ghosts keep love’s fires burning through the deep chill of a North Woods winter—but which love will hold the key?

BUY LINKS

E-Book

Print: Mistress of Purgatory Point and Return to Purgatory Point are available in a single print volume, Purgatory Point

Click on the list below to travel to the other authors:

Welcome to Book Hooks, a Wednesday offering by members of Marketing For Romance Writers to share a little taste of our work and entice you into wanting more! Click on the links at the end to travel to other Book Hook posts, and enjoy!

The Breeder’s Cup is less than two weeks away – do you even know what it is? Perhaps you’ve heard of The Kentucky Derby, or The Triple Crown, premier thoroughbred stakes races. The Breeders cup is the pinnacle of U.S. thoroughbred racing, so we thought it was time to focus on our romantic suspense horse racing series, Riders Up. Here is the blurb and seven paragraphs from Book One: Cassie’s Hope.

BLURB

What happens when a fiercely loyal widowed half-Ute cowboy meets a fiery redhead with an Irish temper to match? Cassidy O’Hanlon – Cassie, to her friends – has set aside her Chicago career for six months to train racehorses for her dad after his stroke.

Furious the interloper has shipped in a ringer from the Chicago circuit to his Wyoming turf, Rancher/trainer Clint Travers sets out to put her in her place. Sparks fly immediately, but after their rocky start, the two quickly forge a passionate relationship, and he follows her to Chicago.

When it becomes clear someone is drugging Cassie’s horse, Clint sets out to solve the mystery, but storms off in a cloud of wounded pride when suspicions turn to him.

Can love trump pride?

EXCERPT

Clint eased into his truck to head toward his motel. He would be eating alone again and then going over pedigrees or reading a novel. There were those connected with the track who partied hard every night. He wasn’t one of them. Apparently neither was the red-head.

What would she have done if he’d invited her to dinner? He pressed his lips together tightly. No doubt she would have given him a tongue lashing. Damn, she was a hard woman to get close to.

She had piqued his curiosity. It certainly was unusual to see a woman haul a horse halfway across the country to race. And a damn pretty woman at that. She had to have a lot of guts. He’d give her that.

He was looking forward to the big race. And he was looking forward to seeing how the big city tigress would handle victory or defeat.

He turned his truck toward Evanston. What would she do if he showed up at the café next to her motel around dinner time? It hadn’t been difficult to obtain that information from a secretary in the track office; they needed to know where folks stayed in town in case there was an emergency at the track.

He’d stay away from her, though he liked the way she blushed every time she got her dander up. Which seemed quite often.

Would she have as much fire in bed?

BUY LINKS

      KINDLE 

      PRINT      

REVIEWS

Five Stars at Goodreads: “An emotional roller-coaster, with twists and turns you never see coming! …I feel I know them, I took their journey with them. I felt their pain, their sadness, their struggles, and most of all their love. And that is the mark of a truly good book.” Faith

Five Stars at Amazon: “I have another favorite book for my shelf! … I love this book!!!! I laughed, cried, got angry and even said a few choice words while reading it, but to me that’s great writing.” Dorothy C

Click on the list below to travel to other authors in the hop!

Welcome to another round of My Sexy Saturday, where authors offer seven words, sentences, or paragraphs from their work for your entertainment. Be sure to click on the links at the bottom of the page and visit the other participants.

EXCERPT

The suspense is heating up – and I cheated, this is eight paragraphs 🙂

Nick looked at his palms and flexed his fingers. “So what am I supposed to do?”

“Depends on what you want.” Tom ducked his head and examined a tiny knot in  wood strip. “If you’re done with her and ready for another woman, you help her pack her bags and wave goodbye.”

Nick’s stomach knotted and his fingers balled into fists. “That’s not what I want. And you know it.”

“Good. Then you might want to figure out how you can help her do what she needs to do. If she needs time, give her time. If she needs space, give her space.”

“But how can I protect her if she leaves?”

“How can you protect her if she stays? If she’s in danger, and from what I know I assume she is, you can’t provide twenty-four hour lock-down security. Sounds to me like at some point this brother-in-law will have to be dealt with. He’s more likely to be flushed out of his hole if Daisy’s at her apartment than at your place.”

“I don’t want to use her as bait.”

Tom looked directly at Nick. “She is, whether you like it or not. The question is who’s prepared to move in if the bastard steps over the line?”

BLURB

When the chips are down, there’s nobody there. Willowy blond Daisy Matthews has survived the Chicago streets with this mantra but is unprepared for the much older Nick Underwood’s urgent pursuit. The wealthy businessman receives a thoroughbred in payment for a bad debt and is thrust into Daisy’s world. She teaches him about horse racing; he teaches her about love. When Daisy’s seamy brother-in-law threatens Nick’s safety, she doggedly tries to stop him by herself, but flees to the familiar streets when he attacks. Can Nick find her in time – and if he does, will she still want him?

BUY LINK

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DH13I

Welcome to another round of My Sexy Saturday, where authors offer seven words, sentences, or paragraphs from their work for your entertainment. Be sure to click on the graphic at the bottom of the page and visit the other participants.

Daisy’s not looking for romance – she just wants to make sure she’s not still a virgin when she turns twenty-one in a few weeks, and she’s chosen Nick: safe, tender, always a gentleman, and someone who wont want or expect romance. She thinks…

EXCERPT

Daisy gulped three deep breaths to clear her head. Seduction must be like swimming in the cold water of Lake Michigan. You had to dive in quickly, or you’d lose your nerve. She rapped on the door between their suites and turned the knob without waiting for a response.

“Hey kid,” Nick said, his eyes widening. He sat propped up on the king size bed with a folder on his lap. He wore pajama bottoms and nothing else. “I thought you went to bed an hour ago. I’ve been going over some dull reports.”

His eyes scrolled up and down her body. She couldn’t read the heavy emotion in them. She had on a thin nightgown and a robe which she hadn’t bothered to close. As he’d said on an earlier occasion, if she wanted to hide her wares she should remember to tie the sash. She wasn’t into hiding, not tonight.

“Damn,” Nick said, “I’ve never seen horse slippers; they’re sexy as hell.”

Daisy looked in horror at her slippers; blood rushed to her head. How juvenile they must appear! Cassie had bought them for her sixteenth birthday and she’d loved them. Although they’d worn out on more than one occasion, she’d sewed them up.They often provided solace. Would they be her undoing tonight?

Nick put the folders on the nightstand. “So what’s up? Still running on adrenalin? Can’t sleep? It was a terrific day.”

She saw his shoulder muscles tighten. Daisy tried to smile. She been bold, but now what? Those videos only showed people in bed, not how they got there. Be practical, girl, be straightforward had always been her grandmother’s advice. She didn’t know if her grandmother would approve of what she was doing, but that was probably the best advice she was going to get. “I need your help,” she blurted out. “I need you to make me a woman.” She remained standing just inside the doorway; her escape route was handy if she failed.

BUY LINK

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DH13I

BLURB

When the chips are down, there’s nobody there. Willowy blond Daisy Matthews has survived the Chicago streets with this mantra but is unprepared for the much older Nick Underwood’s urgent pursuit. The wealthy businessman receives a thoroughbred in payment for a bad debt and is thrust into Daisy’s world. She teaches him about horse racing; he teaches her about love. When Daisy’s seamy brother-in-law threatens Nick’s safety, she doggedly tries to stop him by herself, but flees to the familiar streets when he attacks. Can Nick find her in time – and if he does, will she still want him?

MY SEXY SATURDAY

Be sure to use the links below to check out the other fabulous authors on our weekly hop!

Welcome to Book Hooks, a Wednesday offering by members of Marketing For Romance Writers to share a little taste of our work and entice you into wanting more! Click on the graphic at the end to travel to other Book Hook posts, and enjoy!

Daisy and Nick are at a Cubs game – her first live baseball game. Who’s going to come out on top?

EXCERPT

“I didn’t realize there was so much strategy involved in baseball,” Daisy said. “Games were on the TV at the group home, but I never bothered to watch. Looked too boring.”

“Boring! There’s as much strategy in baseball as in horse racing. Hell, there’s strategy in anything worth pursuing.”

Daisy grinned broadly, reached over and squeezed Nick’s thigh, then placed her other hand on his neck and her lips close to his ear. “Old man, you overwhelm me with wisdom far beyond my years. I’ll bet there’s a lot more you could share, if you wanted to.”

Covering her hand with his, Nick lifted it and returned it to her lap. His fingers brushed her inner thigh; he jerked away as if he’d been singed by a blazing fire.

He awkwardly rose from his seat. “I’ve got to make a call. You want anything more to eat?”

“No, I’m fine. You’re not going to leave me here alone for long are you?”

Nick sighed; his shoulders slouched. “Kid, I don’t have the faintest idea what I’m going to do with you.”

~ ~ ~ ~

When the chips are down, there’s nobody there. Willowy blond Daisy Matthews has survived the Chicago streets with this mantra but is unprepared for the much older Nick Underwood’s urgent pursuit. “Suspenseful, intriguing and truly romantic! What a fabulous story of the blending of two worlds” Risha C, Goodreads Reviewer

BUY LINK

Welcome to another round of My Sexy Saturday, where authors offer seven words, sentences, or paragraphs from their work for your entertainment. Be sure to click on the graphic at the bottom of the page and visit the other participants.

We’ve been watching things heat up between Nick and Daisy – Nick has just arrived at Daisy’s apartment unannounced, rousting her out of bed by ringing the doorbell.

EXCERPT

“Morning, kid. Damn, you look quite fetching with sleep still in those lovely smoky eyes of yours.” Nicholas Underwood strolled into her living room like he’d been there many times before, like he belonged. “Come on, girl. Get your butt in gear—hell, it’s mid-morning. It’s your day off. We’re going to do Wrigley today. Enough of the books and pedigrees. I need a break. We need a break.”

Daisy stood in the entryway as if her feet were poured in cement and she was still waiting for it to dry.

“You got any coffee here? I’ll make it while you get into some clothes.” Nick licked his lips. “Don’t know why you bothered to put that robe on; it doesn’t hide a damn thing unless you tie it.”

Daisy’s hands flew to her ears. “Stop. Stop talking, please. How did you get here?Why are you here? My robe!” She pulled the robe tight around her body and knotted the sash. Her cheeks must be scarlet.

“Damn, I hope you don’t go answering the door like that for just any guy who happens by.”

“Guys don’t happen by without calling first. Now that you’re here, you might as well make yourself useful. The coffee is on the counter in the kitchen. Two scoops for eight cups. I’m going to get dressed.”

Daisy padded toward her bedroom with as much grace as she could muster and then slammed the door behind her so hard the hinges rattled.

The nerve of the man getting her out of bed. Was he checking up on her? A boyfriend could have slept over. Right! Well, it was possible. Yeah, and sewer rats can sprout wings.

Had he said something about the Cubs? Wrigley. The Cubs. What did you wear toa baseball game? Probably no different than the track. She tugged on a pair of white shorts and wiggled into a yellow spaghetti-string tank top. Under the tank top was a sheer bra that held things in place, but didn’t cover much up. She touched each nipple playfully until they were on full alert. Looking in the mirror, she chuckled softly. Underwood had come to her uninvited; she wasn’t about to run away and hide. He might think of her as a kid, but someday he’d realize she was more than enough woman for him to handle.

BLURB

When the chips are down, there’s nobody there. Willowy blond Daisy Matthews has survived the Chicago streets with this mantra but is unprepared for the much older Nick Underwood’s urgent pursuit. The wealthy businessman receives a thoroughbred in payment for a bad debt and is thrust into Daisy’s world. She teaches him about horse racing; he teaches her about love. When Daisy’s seamy brother-in-law threatens Nick’s safety, she doggedly tries to stop him by herself, but flees to the familiar streets when he attacks. Can Nick find her in time – and if he does, will she still want him?

REVIEWS

Five stars at Amazon “Adriana Kraft has created memorable characters that linger long after the story has ended and I’ve closed the book. She has done what an author should–brought me into the book’s world and made me care about the characters so that my world will not be the same as before their foray into it.” Sheila G.

Five stars at Goodreads “Suspenseful, intriguing and truly romantic! What a fabulous story of the blending of two worlds… the plot twists and turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat and the pages turning.” Risha C “…dreams can become reality, love can transcend age… Exciting, engaging and very entertaining story. The character interplay is spot on and the story is extremely well written.” Donna H.

BUY LINK

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DH13I

Welcome to Book Hooks, a Wednesday offering by members of Marketing For Romance Writers to share a little taste of our work and entice you into wanting more! Click on the graphic at the end to travel to other Book Hook posts, and enjoy!

The Diary

EXCERPT

I do love his cock. It is so sensitive. It weaves about whenever my fingers or lips approach. I love to take him in my mouth. He must be halfway down my throat by the time I fit all of him in.   The first time I went down on him, G.C. was quite angry because I dropped him from my mouth when he started to come. Since then, I’ve learned to swallow his come.

Actually, I’ve become quite greedy. I doubt I could ever get too much of that. Some days I think I like blowing G.C. better than anything else we do. Of course, he wouldn’t be satisfied with only that. He claims that variety really is the spice of life, particularly when it comes to sex.

“I just bet he does,” Kate muttered. It might have been her sister’s plan to trap the professor in her web, but it sure looked like it didn’t take long for the good professor to gain control of the relationship.

Kate peeled back several more pages. She could always go back and read the diary from cover to cover, but she had a bad niggling feeling. She feared for her sister. Would the professor hurt her, or would he dump her onto his trash heap of used co-eds?

Kate was developing a healthy distrust and dislike for G.C.

BUY LINKS

REVIEWS

Joyfully Reviewed: Recommended Read “The Diary was a fan-frickin’-tastic read! I didn’t want to put it down to do anything else, and when I did, I was just chomping at the bit to pick it back up again. The growth and development of Grayson and Kate was well-written and very realistic. And the sex scenes? Oh, man, talk about hot!”~ Tera

CoffeeTime Romance: “Ms. Kraft takes you to a world where anything and everything can and will happen. Be open minded and dive into this erotically charged, passionate story. All your preconceived notions will disappear into thin air. The intimacy is genuine and breathtaking.” ~ Krista

Romance Junkies: Four Blue Ribbons “THE DIARY is positively a work of art; sweet, funny, sexy and irresistible. Readers won’t be able to put this story down” ~ Amanda

BLURB

Lust, revenge, dark sexual escapades and the mysterious disappearance of her younger half sister, Luci, will take art curator Kate Noble on a whirlwind transcontinental journey. The diary Luci’s left behind paints vivid images of shameless erotic exploits with a rake named only as G.C.

Can Kate learn enough under the delightful hands of her bisexual best friend, Gina, to ensnare the sensual and elusive Professor Grayson Cosgrove into a marriage proposal of her making? Can she find Luci before it’s too late? If only she could read between the lines.

The Diary ~ never have the secrets of another been so electrifying!