My blog guest today at Sweet ‘N Sexy Divas is H. K. Carlton. I’ve long admired the power and range of her stories. Once you plunge into the personal story she’s sharing today, I promise you won’t be able to put it down – just like the fiction that’s risen from it.
The best of both worlds – and why I write it, by H. K. Carlton
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!
Book Two of my series that began in Wales during the Roman Occupation of Britain will be released at Extasy Books on Friday!
Title: From Beyond the Curtain
Series: Seren’s Story, Book Two
Publisher: Extasy Books
Release Date: July 14, 2023
Length: 22,500 words
ISBN: 978-1-4874-3897-5
Prologue
Her place between worlds was not uncomfortable, but neither was it home. Seren suppressed a deep sigh—to sigh would do nothing to advance her cause. Across the centuries she had never ceased searching out her descendants and following their lives, looking for possible candidates in her son’s line and that of her daughter who might fall in love with each other and release her from the limbo where she seemed eternally trapped.
The task looked nearly impossible for much of the first millennium after she died. Once the empire fell, Romans—especially descendants of her son, Marcus—tended to remain close to home. Most were farmers, a few were tradesmen, but none were soldiers or had the resources or desire to travel beyond the boundaries of what they knew. If they possessed any of the psychic gifts that had been so central for Seren, they gave out no clues. The few who were at all aware of her presence tended to dismiss it as merely another dream.
Her daughter Tegan’s line had seemed a little more promising. Tegan herself had trained as a healer, traveled widely across the Silurian tribe bands, and clearly possessed many of the gifts with which Seren was familiar. Seren had enjoyed regular contact with Tegan, thrilled to be at some level a part of the life and lives she had been forced to leave behind. Sadly, Tegan had moved beyond the place between worlds and was once again lost to Seren.
The fall of the Roman Empire had set Tegan’s people back, but as they began to fend off incursions from Anglo Saxons, then Danes, and later Normans, some did travel beyond their island nation, even as far as the booted peninsula known—by now—as Italy. Still, Seren had never been successful in making a match.
Everything had changed once America was discovered—Seren couldn’t withhold a chuckle. America had always been there, well-peopled by indigenous inhabitants. It had simply been unknown to her direct descendants. It wasn’t long before America became the melting pot where Italians and Welsh could freely mix and often fall in love.
This presented an enormous dilemma. By now, Seren had countless thousands of descendants in each of her children’s lines, far too numerous to permit direct contact with even a fraction. She’d slowly learned to focus on those few—in either line—who gave evidence of carrying the gifts. In each line, the gifted ones tended to be more recent immigrants to America, descended from families who had remained close to home and married locals across the years. Seren thought perhaps this process had intensified the gifts.
Would Gwen—Tegan’s descendant—be the one? At the very least, Gwen possessed the gifts and did not dismiss Seren as if she didn’t exist or didn’t matter. Yes, Gwen was delicious in her own right.
Now, the fates had conspired to throw a descendant of Marcus directly into Gwen’s path. This time a sigh did escape Seren. So often she was frustrated by her own inability to bend fate to meet her needs. She could time travel, interact, mind-speak, and persuade, but she had no power to create or change any specific outcome. Often she still felt the capricious gods of her youth were playing with her—the very same gods who had punished her for letting her family be torn asunder. As if she could have prevented it.
No matter. Dante, too, showed promise and obviously enjoyed Seren’s presence in his dreams. Perhaps it was time to move forward.
Is she a ghost? A visitor from another time and place? A siren? A temptress? Or just a meddling dream mistress?
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.
This is a blog hop! Click on the links to travel.
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.
For this month’s steam, I’m sharing from my newest release, Ripening Passion (Passion Series, Book Two).
EXCERPT
Set-Up: Max and Claire have finally agreed to “practice” in preparation for being on camera in the Center’s series on sex and aging…
Max parted Claire’s robe only far enough to cradle a breast. She arched slightly into his palm. He caressed it with his thumb, then circled her nipple, careful not to touch it. Her skin heated each time he touched her. With his gaze locked on her as if intent on savoring her tiniest response, he covered her nipple with his thumb and pressed inward.
He might as well have pressed some internal starter switch. She mewled her pleasure, encouraging him, wanting more, determined not to hold anything back this time.
He smiled and dipped his head until his mouth covered her breast. Her hands moved as if being released from jail. She rubbed his bald head and playfully planted a wet kiss on it.
His tongue swirled around her nipple, teasing, tantalizing. His teeth nipped at the sensitive peak. He tugged on it. Cripes. He was coaxing her to the edge already.
She lifted his chin. He looked like a small boy awaiting his punishment. “That was lovely,” she whispered. “But are you certain you don’t need more to eat? We still have plenty of fruit.”
“Positive,” he said hoarsely. “I’ve developed quite a hunger for you.”
She nodded. “Then let’s move to the bed. This couch is getting a little cramped.”
Grinning broadly, Max rose to his feet and bowed deeply. “At your service, madam. Lead the way.”
Claire stood and shrugged off her robe. She was pleased to see his eyes widen as he took in her nakedness. He doffed his robe, and they both smiled at his half-stiff cock.
She led him by the hand to the bed. After pulling back the covers, she patted the bed, and he sat.
“I could use a little more nibbling myself,” she said, dropping to her knees.
She encircled a hand around his semihard cock, then quickly took him into her mouth. She’d forgotten how much she loved the feel of a cock growing hard in her mouth and throat. Peeking up at the sight of pure delight on Max’s face, she chuckled to herself. And so many women thought they had no power.
Slowly, she began bobbing up and down while Max’s fingers combed her hair. She knew he wasn’t in any danger of coming. That gave her freedom to explore his full length. She twisted her fingers around its base, then pressed its crown into her puffed out cheek. She took all of him until she could kiss his belly. Gingerly, she hefted his substantial testicles. He’d given up holding her and had leaned back on the bed, propping himself up on his palms. She winked at him, and he gave her a look of awe.
He held out a hand to her. “Why don’t you join me on the bed? I want to pleasure you, too.”
Reluctantly, she dropped him from her mouth. “Doing that for you gives me a lot of pleasure, too.”
“You don’t have to stop what you were doing. But I want to taste you too.”
“That can be arranged,” she said, crawling onto the bed.
Max helped her straddle his chest until he must’ve been eye to eye with her pussy. On her hands and knees above him, Claire relished the feel of his hands kneading her buttocks. Deliberately, she wagged her butt without lowering her loins. Max ran a thumb along one side of her pussy lips, and she nearly came unglued. So much for deliberate.
“You win.” She chuckled, settling against his solid frame.
Immediately his chin, mouth, and nose glided up and down her folds.
“Ah,” she moaned, “welcome to my table. No silverware needed. No napkin provided.”
With Max occupied, Claire curled her fingers around his cock. To her delight, he’d softened some. She plopped him into her mouth, not at all displeased that she had to start over.
Only this time was different. Max seemed determined to have his cake and eat it too. She gasped as his tongue slithered down her crevice. He separated her pussy lips and wiggled his tongue side to side as he worked it to the top of her outer lips, then slowly back down.
Somewhere along his life journey he’d learned how to use his tongue.
Title: Ripening Passion
Series: Passion Series, Book Two
Author: Adriana Kraft
Published by: eXtasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4874-3813-5
Length: 254 pages, 75813 words
Publication Date: June 2, 2023
Genres: Erotic Romance, LGBTQIA, Contemporary Romance
Tags: Menage, Bisexual, New York City, Later in Life
Heat Level: Four Flames
Pairings: MF, FF, FFF, FMF, MFM
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.
This is a blog hop – click on the links to travel to the other posts!
Passion Series, Book Two
Erotic Romance, Later in Life, LGBTQ
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!
I got ahead of myself – the last two scenes I posted (6/13 and 6/14) were out of time order, showcasing a little heat once Max and Claire had started working things out. I’m backtracking today to share their first kiss…
Set Up
This scene takes place while Claire and Max are in California at the Sex and Aging workshop. They’ve been avoiding each other, but it might finally be time to “practice” together. They’re in Claire’s suite:
“I can think of something I’d rather munch on,” Max said softly, sitting down beside her.
“In due time,” Claire said, patting his thigh. “Remember, one of the advantages of age is we don’t have to rush because of galloping hormones.”
He chuckled around a cracker and sipped his wine. “Just so you know. My hormones are already trotting.”
She tipped her head back and laughed. “Just so you know, mine too.”
“Good.”
Maybe there was something to the age factor. She couldn’t recall ever being this relaxed before a first sexual encounter with a man. She refused to acknowledge that fiasco at the Center as their first time.
Max set down his wineglass and peered at her. His eyes gleamed and sparkled. “I think I have enough energy to manage a kiss.”
She held his gaze, then tipped her chin in invitation.
He leaned over and nibbled at the corner of her mouth. Only their lips touched. They explored slowly. Max etched her upper lip with his tongue. She rimmed his lower lip with hers. He tilted his head slightly, then slanted his lips across hers.
Claire willed her hands to stay in her lap. This already surpassed her expectations. Let him lead. She didn’t have to lead all the time. Their eyes hadn’t closed, as if they didn’t want to miss a thing. Claire warmed, realizing this really was their first kiss. They’d skipped this step entirely at the Center. What fools they’d been—he was a delicious kisser. Who would’ve guessed?
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.
Title: Ripening Passion
Series: Passion Series, Book Two
Author: Adriana Kraft
Published by: eXtasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4874-3813-5
Length: 254 pages, 75813 words
Publication Date: June 2, 2023
Genres: Erotic Romance, LGBTQIA, Contemporary Romance
Tags: Menage, Bisexual, New York City, Later in Life
Heat Level: Four Flames
Pairings: MF, FF, FFF, FMF, MFM
Click on the links to travel to the rest of the blog posts:
Characters in novels seem to always have the perfect witty comment at the tip of their tongues. I was wishing for that skill the other morning, and the exchange made me think of our latest heroine, who would have done far better than I. She was just interviewed over at the Romance Lives Forever Blog. You won’t want to miss her snappy repartee!
I was at our small town’s local market picking up eggs and tortillas. When I came to the cashier line, a good-looking Afro-American man in dreads motioned me to get in front of him; I’m sure he was at least two or three decades younger than I. I thanked him, and then he said “May I give you a compliment? I really like your hairstyle.” I thanked him for that as well and added, “and I really like dreads, so we’re even,” and he laughed.
What I wish I’d said? “I’m lucky enough to be old and gray, so I like to look sharp.”
I know that’s what Claire Johnson would have said – though since she tints her blonde hair to hide the gray, it wouldn’t have quite fit for her.
She and I have so many characteristics in common. I’ve loved writing her story in Ripening Passion (and her role in book one, Smoldering Passion) and am sorry she only plays a minor role in book three, coming August 18. She’ll be hard to let go of. She and I are both trim, look good for our age, take pride in what we look like, and are dedicated to health and fitness. I can’t claim to be as svelte as she is – I must be at least ten inches shorter. And I will say I’ve never cultivated the icy exterior she’s so skilled at. Oh, perhaps I should add another difference – I’ve never had sex on camera.
It’s been a great pleasure being inside her head and above all having the time to come up with her witty responses as her ice starts to melt. She’s recently been interviewed at a couple blog spots, so I thought I’d throw in one of her responses here (and thank you, Kayelle Allen, for this interview question):
Please provide a physical description of yourself.
Claire: 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.
You can catch Claire’s entire interview HERE, and of course I hope we’ve tempted you into checking out Ripening Passion at this link:
Title: Ripening Passion
Series: Passion Series, Book Two
Author: Adriana Kraft
Published by: eXtasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4874-3813-5
Length: 254 pages, 75813 words
Publication Date: June 2, 2023
Genres: Erotic Romance, LGBTQIA, Contemporary Romance
Tags: Menage, Bisexual, New York City, Later in Life
Heat Level: Four Flames
Pairings: MF, FF, FFF, FMF, MFM
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.
Passion Series, Book Two
Erotic Romance, Later in Life, LGBTQ
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!
SetUp: After sharing dinner at a restaurant, Max and Claire have taken a walk in Central Park and are now seated on a park bench.
“There sure are a lot of power walkers out this evening,” Claire said.
Max chuckled. “Do you suppose they’re power walkers, or are they just people in a rush to get somewhere?”
“Good point. I imagine I used to rush like that.”
“But not anymore?”
Claire shook her head, cradling his hand. “Not anymore. Time is rushing faster than I can manage. Don’t stare, but take a peek at the young couple at about two o’clock braced against the tree making out. They do seem to enjoy kissing.”
Max looked, then nibbled Claire’s ear. “Who’s staring? You do have radar for lovers.”
“Cripes, she’s riding his knee. Oh my, a girl after my own heart. Max, she’s hanging onto his shoulder for dear life, but she’s not surrendering her perch on his thigh for anything. He’s looking around. Oops, I think he caught me watching. Ah.” Claire sighed. “She stopped, now they’re kissing wildly again.” Claire squeezed his fingers on her breast. “That girl had a damn good ride. Oh, to be young lovers again.”
“Being old lovers isn’t bad.” Max dipped his fingers under the fabric covering her breast.
“If that couple were to look across the way at us, they’d never guess I’m sitting here with my man caressing my nipple. And”—she turned and kissed his cheek—“that I’m wet as hell.”
“You could probably hump my knee and they wouldn’t even notice because they don’t expect it. That’s one advantage with age. People don’t expect us to be horny or do outrageous things.”
“So true. And there’s something quite gratifying about defying their limited expectations. Perhaps we should go over and share our wisdom with the youngsters.”
Max shook his head. “I doubt they’d listen.
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.
Title: Ripening Passion
Series: Passion Series, Book Two
Author: Adriana Kraft
Published by: eXtasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4874-3813-5
Length: 254 pages, 75813 words
Publication Date: June 2, 2023
Genres: Erotic Romance, LGBTQIA, Contemporary Romance
Tags: Menage, Bisexual, New York City, Later in Life
Heat Level: Four Flames
Pairings: MF, FF, FFF, FMF, MFM
Click on the links to travel to the rest of the blog posts:
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.
For this month’s steam, I’m sharing from my newest release, Ripening Passion (Passion Series, Book Two).
EXCERPT
Set Up: Claire and Max have spent the night at his home in Hastings-on-Hudson, and now they’ve just finished the breakfast he cooked…
“It’s Saturday morning,” Claire said evenly. “Do you plan on yard work this morning?”
“I told you I wasn’t.”
She nodded and wet her lips. “Grab your mug and follow me.”
Claire left the kitchen heading for Max’s office. She smiled when she heard Max’s footsteps behind her.
Without uttering a word, she strode quickly to his desk and began moving stacks of paper to the floor. Claire had the desk nearly cleared before Max spoke.
“What are you doing, Claire? I didn’t think you’d want to spend Saturday morning cleaning my office.”
“I have no such plans,” she said, crawling onto his desk. She stretched out on her side, resting her chin on her elbow. “Office desks have many uses.” She flipped up her short skirt and reached around her butt to slip a finger in her exposed pussy.
“Have you ever fucked a woman on your desk? Maybe one of those cute coeds who flash their panties at you from the front row of the lecture hall?”
Max’s fingers trembled fumbling at his belt buckle. He shook his head. “Never.”
“Too bad, though I love being your first at most anything. Well, Professor, why don’t you think of me as one of your older students looking for a little extra credit?”
She smiled as he kicked his jeans aside, then quickly tugged his polo shirt over his head. His stiff cock swung wildly.
“My, my, he is ready. Maybe I should’ve brought along some classmates.”
Title: Ripening Passion
Series: Passion Series, Book Two
Author: Adriana Kraft
Published by: eXtasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4874-3813-5
Length: 254 pages, 75813 words
Publication Date: June 2, 2023
Genres: Erotic Romance, LGBTQIA, Contemporary Romance
Tags: Menage, Bisexual, New York City, Later in Life
Heat Level: Four Flames
Pairings: MF, FF, FFF, FMF, MFM
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.
This is a blog hop – click on the links to travel to the other posts!
Each day for the month of June, I’ve been featuring an LGBTQ book on my social media – Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon, and MeWe. Some are my own, some are from other authors I’ve enjoyed; you can catch them all (to date) on my Instagram profile. Today’s is one of my polyamory stories.
Can love last forever? That’s what Jamie believes in the polyamory novella Three: A Love Story. Jamie is deeply in love with Susan. She trusts Susan’s love for her, and she doesn’t expect it ever to fade.
But if you spend any time poking around in polyamory blogs and websites (and we do; research, you know!), you’ll discover that many people who end up in some type of polyamory arrangement didn’t start out as polyamory advocates and go looking for someone. They experienced polyamory as something that just happened. They were in love with one person, and they began to experience feelings for an additional person. Rather than deny those feelings or simply bail on the person they already loved, they opened up about those feelings in what had been their primary relationship, and together they moved on to explore what might be both right and possible for them.
I’m sure lots of relationships fall apart at this point in the process. Probably another significant number re-examine their relationship as a duo and re-commit to it. Most likely few of either of these groups are sharing their stories in the polyamory social media, and I’ve never seen any research on what the actual numbers might be.
But this precise point is where we chose to set our story. Jamie and Susan, both bisexual but committed to love each other, have continued to date men from time to time. Their relationships with men have been casual and have often led to casual sex, sometimes even casual three-way sex. We’re not sure they considered themselves to be swingers, but they probably wouldn’t have flinched at the label. In this regard, they are already more open to the potential of expanding their relationship than many couples might be. As our story opens, Jamie is starting to have more than casual feelings for the current man in her life.
Three-way committed relationships don’t simply emerge full-blown and move smoothly towards that happily-ever-after forever. We wanted to explore the tugs and pulls of each protagonist as the balance shifts and the pitfalls emerge. Who has the most to lose? What does each of them fear, and who is the most afraid? How do they go about the process of opening up these feelings and sorting them out? What do they still hide from each other? And of course, ultimately, can it work?
We’ve written a romance. You already know it has a happy ending. We still believe that’s possible, and we do know a few friends who are, at least for the moment, making something similar work for them. We hope you’ll join our characters for what proves to be a bumpy ride on the way to a unique Happily Ever After.
Three lives—but how many loves?
Committed lovers for three years, Jamie and Susan are good together. Jamie knows she wants Susan in her life forever. But what if that’s not enough?
Both bi, the two have continued dating men occasionally, and now Jamie’s falling in love with Mason. Can she love two persons? Will her love for either one wrench the other one out of her life?
Jamie’s convinced a long-term three-way relationship is the answer, but none of the players is prepared for what’s coming. Two-way relationships are hard enough—is a three-way even possible? And if so, what must each of them give up to create it?
EXCERPTJamie tilted her head to the side as Susan curled back in next to her. “So what do you think of Mason?”
“Ah, Mason. He’s the source of your stewing. Is he starting to wear on you? How long has it been—three months? Four months?”
“He’s not wearing on me. And it’s nearly five months.” Jamie paused to wet her lips. “You didn’t answer my question. What do you think of him? What do you really think of him?”
Susan flinched. “Well, I haven’t thought a lot about him, though I must say he has stayed around longer than any guy in recent memory.” Susan sighed. “Okay, to be honest. I think he seems like a very nice guy. When he’s over here, it’s because he’s come to see you, so I don’t really spend a lot of time with him. I’ve cooked a few dinners for you guys, but most of time he comes, you go out, you come back, and you shut your door and make love. I’m surprised the neighbors haven’t complained. And he’s usually gone before I’m up in the morning. And lately you’ve been spending much more time at his house than at our apartment…for your love nest activities, that is. I must say that’s easier on me. I get more sleep, and I don’t have to imagine what you and he are doing to each other.”
“That’s it?”
“What else do you want me to say? I’m an English professor, not a social worker. He doesn’t seem abusive. He’s easy to look at. He doesn’t…” Susan paused. “Uh oh. If he’s not wearing on you and yet you’re stewing about him…” She arched an eyebrow. “Jams, maybe you’d better tell me what’s really on your mind.”
Jamie didn’t miss the sudden flash of anxiety that crossed Susan’s face.
Blurb:
An exciting opportunity could solve all Brianna’s problems. But will it ultimately create more?
Brianna Denton is a primary school teacher at the end of her tether. Budget cuts, changes in legislation and a pandemic have left her feeling like walking away from the only career she’s ever wanted. The trouble is, if she did quit, what would she do next? Living in London is expensive, and keeping on top of her rent and bills while retraining would be nigh-on impossible. An offer to move in with her best friend, Joel Harris, is appreciated, but feels way too much like charity for her liking.
But then Joel throws her a curveball. On a complete whim, he’s bought a fixer-upper cottage on a remote Scottish island. He wants to transform it into an uber-luxury holiday home and rent it out. To do that, however, he needs a skilled, reliable workforce and a project manager to keep things running smoothly. A visit to the island in question provides as many questions as answers, but one thing becomes clear – Brianna is the perfect woman for the job. She’s smart, organised, works well under duress, and if she can handle a classroom full of young children, surely a bunch of skilled tradesmen won’t be a problem. Working and living in such a stunning setting is a massive plus point, too.
Brianna takes a leap of faith, leaving her home and beloved career behind to help turn Joel’s dream into a reality. It’s a steep learning curve, but Brianna is definitely up for the challenge. But when working relationships develop into something more, will it bring the entire project crashing down around her ears, or is it simply the beginning of a whole new life?
Available from (will be in Kindle Unlimited for 90 days, then be released on all other retailers): https://books2read.com/curveappeal
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/134717777-curve-appeal
Add to BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/curve-appeal-by-lucy-felthouse
Excerpt:
Chapter One
Brianna smiled as she caught sight of Joel, already waiting for her outside the pub. His job as a high-flying London City banker meant he put in some insane hours at work, but he ensured he was always available and on time for their last-Friday-of-the-month meet up at their favourite Thames-side establishment. Not only was it a lovely place, but the location was perfect for them both—it was just far away enough from Joel’s work it was unlikely he’d bump into any colleagues, and close enough to the primary school Brianna taught in that she could tie up any loose ends and scurry the short distance to meet her friend in no time at all. Today she’d had quite a few loose ends, which always seemed to be the way lately, and was a few minutes later than she’d planned, so was scurrying more quickly than usual, not wanting to keep him waiting any longer than necessary.
He hadn’t spotted her yet—he was leaning against the wall, one expensively-shod foot propped up on the bricks behind him, his head tilted up to the early spring sunshine, which even this late in the day was surprisingly strong and picked up the few lighter strands in his dark hair. He’d removed his tie—knowing him, the moment he set foot outside his office building—the end of which poked from the pocket of his black trousers, and rolled up the cuffs of his subtly-patterned shirt to expose most of his forearms. The look was casual, relaxed. Handsome.
In a parallel universe, she and Joel might be a couple, off travelling the world together, or perhaps married and getting ready to settle down and have a couple of kids. Maybe they’d have started early and had the kids already. And a dog.
In this universe, however, they were best friends—had been since their first day of senior school at the tender age of eleven. And while Brianna thought Joel handsome, it was in an impartial, stating a fact way. She wasn’t attracted to him, and it wouldn’t have made a difference if she was, because in this universe, Joel was as gay as they came—a fact she hadn’t realised she’d already known, until at eighteen he’d sat her down, his expression serious, and said he had something to tell her.
Her heart had pounded, and a sick feeling had taken over her stomach. Thoughts started racing through her head—was one of his parents ill? Was he ill? Was he moving away? Unable to cope with the internal onslaught of negativity any longer, she’d said, “For Christ’s sake, Joel, spill the beans, would you? You’re freaking me the fuck out.”
His seriousness had morphed briefly to annoyance, then resignation. He’d taken in and released a deep breath, then, “Bree, I wanted you to be the first to know… I’m gay.”
A sound somewhere between a squeak and a giggle had escaped her lips before she could stop it. She’d clapped her hand over her mouth for a second, then removed it and burst out with “Oh, you idiot!” before landing a playful slap on his arm. “Is that all? I thought you were going to say something bad. That something terrible was going on. Thank God.”
Joel had frowned. “So you… don’t mind?” He’d paused, narrowed his eyes. “You don’t seem surprised.”
She’d shaken her head. “Of course I don’t mind. Why the hell would I mind? I’m not a homophobe. If blokes float your boat, so be it. As long as you’re happy, I couldn’t give a toss. And, for the record…” it had been her turn to pause, “I think I’ve known for years.” She nodded as long-forgotten jigsaw pieces began slotting together in her head, then shrugged. “Yeah. I have. Years.”
And now, twenty years later, their friendship had endured—flourished, even. Weathered storms, and basked in sunlight—much as Joel continued to do as she grew closer. Her smile widened, and she was glad she had on flat shoes—not only did it make both her job and the short walk from the school easier, it also meant she had a good chance of creeping up on Joel, maybe scaring the shit out of him as he sunned himself. They might be approaching forty, but when they were together, they often acted as immature and idiotic as they had when they’d first met. Yes, they were getting older, but they sure as shit weren’t growing up.
Respective partners had come and gone, most of them never able to comprehend, much less tolerate, hers and Joel’s unique friendship, but as their jobs, and other friends and family kept them busy and fulfilled, singledom had never particularly concerned either of them. As far as she was concerned, at least, what would be, would be.
She enjoyed the sunshine on her skin as she closed the gap between them, then held her breath as she came within a couple of metres of Joel before flinging herself forward and grabbing onto his nearest finely-muscled arm. “Gotcha!”
He yelped, jumped, snatched his arm away and opened his eyes in a hilarious sequence, then clutched his chest and gave her a good-natured glare, his blue eyes glinting. “Fuck’s sake, Bree! You’re lucky I didn’t swing for you, then. I thought someone was trying to rob me.”
“That’ll teach you to wear ludicrously expensive watches,” she replied with a snicker.
He glanced wryly at his Patek Philippe, then looked back at her with a grin. “Touché. Come on,” he turned around, slipped his arm through hers and led her into the relative gloom of the pub, “for that twattishness, first drink’s on you.”
She couldn’t argue with that reasoning. It was still worth it, though, to see the look of pure panic cross his face. She stifled further giggles, not wanting to inspire her friend to order the most expensive drink he could think of, purely to get his own back. While top of the range watches were easily within his budget, she’d had to save up for a mid-range Fitbit.
A few minutes later, with drinks in hand, they sat down at a table on the terrace overlooking the river and took simultaneous sips of their chosen beverages. Brianna swallowed the mouthful of chilled white wine, then, without meaning to, let out a long, contented sigh.
Joel raised an eyebrow as he swigged his beer, then said, “Sounds as though you needed that. Tough week?”
“Hmm. You could say that.” She fidgeted in her seat, getting the uncomfortable inkling she’d opened a can of worms she’d have preferred was left undisturbed.
“Oh?” His other eyebrow jumped up to join the first. “Do tell.”
She stared out over the river, screwed up her nose and wafted a hand in his vague direction. “No, no, it’s work stuff. Boring, really. Not worth talking about.”
“Bree.” He grabbed her hand, drawing her attention to his face. His expression was earnest, his gaze intense. “Maybe it is boring, but it’s clearly bothering you, so I want to know about it. I’m your best friend, remember? If you can’t tell me, who can you tell?”
She squeezed his hand, then pulled hers away, picked up her glass and took a gulp. Swallowed, then groaned. There was no putting the lid back on the can—she might as well come out with it. “Oh, all right. It’s just… I don’t know… I think I’m getting a bit fed up of teaching.”
Joel spluttered into his pint, drawing querying glances from a few of the people at tables adjacent to theirs. Ignoring them, Joel put his drink down, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gaped at her as though she’d grown a second head. “What? But you… you love teaching!”
Nodding sadly, she replied, “I do. The teaching part. The kids. But the rest; the planning, the admin, the assessing, the being assessed, being micromanaged, dealing with parents, the endless fucking meetings, the meetings about meetings, the meetings that could have been an email… it’s getting on top of me. It wasn’t too bad before—the joy of being in the classroom far outweighed the rest, but since the pandemic, the shambles that is bloody Brexit and the subsequent government fuckery, things have become steadily worse. Rules being changed, goalposts moving, budgets being squeezed, funding getting cut, costs going up. We’re expected to work more and more hours for the same amount of pay, with fewer support staff, yet still uphold the same insanely high standards and have enough energy and spark to engage and teach a class of primary school kids! It’s becoming completely untenable. And the strike action hasn’t exactly been stress free.”
Joel gave her a sympathetic smile. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better. Why haven’t you mentioned this before now?”
She shrugged. “No point. All the decisions are way above my pay grade, so there’s nothing I can do. I’ve just been soldiering on, hoping things will improve. But right now, I honestly can’t see an end in sight. We’re human beings, not robots, and we’re being treated like shit. We’ve come a long way from being lauded as keyworkers, that’s for bloody certain.” She rolled her lips inward, bit down on them, wondering whether she should let the words on the tip of her tongue come out. She’d barely admitted it to herself, much less anyone else. But this was Joel. He’d have her back no matter what she said.
She took a deep breath, huffed it out again, then looked him in the eye. “I’m thinking of jacking it in at the end of term.”
*****
Author Bio:
Lucy Felthouse is the award-winning author of erotic romance novels Stately Pleasures, Eyes Wide Open, The Persecution of the Wolves, Hiding in Plain Sight, Curve Appeal, and The Heiress’s Harem and The Dreadnoughts series. Including novels, short stories and novellas, she has over 170 publications to her name. Find out more about her and her writing at http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/linktree
Release blitz organised by Writer Marketing Services.
Passion Series, Book Two
Erotic Romance, Later in Life, LGBTQ
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!
New York, New York, 2006
Set Up: After Max and Claire’s disastrous first efforts on camera, Center co-director Melissa Hopkins Gage has decided to send them together on short notice to a conference retreat on sexuality and aging in Monterrey.
“We’ll go,” Claire said softly. “But don’t get confused about the two of us, Missy. We are doing this for the Center. That’s all.” A small devilish smile crossed Claire’s lips. “And just for the record, you have a long way to go before you match your aunt’s and my skills at conniving.”
Melissa shrugged her shoulders.
Max gave her credit for keeping her mouth shut once she’d won.
“And,” Claire said, pointing her fingers, “this little switch in plans will cost the Center some extra dollars.”
“What do you mean?”
“Max and I will require separate rooms.”
Max laughed, then nodded his agreement. “Absolutely, if you want me to come back a sane man, then separate rooms are a necessity.”
“I’ll see what I can arrange at such late notice.” Melissa grinned, bowed from the waist and waved goodbye. The door shut quietly behind her.
Claire stretched her neck, avoiding Max’s gaze.
He could get up and help her with her muscle tension, but he wasn’t about to do that. She could stew in her own juices. She’d been a thorn in his side for years—and it didn’t look like he’d be rid of her anytime soon. He glanced at the door. Why couldn’t Melissa stick to her own business? He loved that young woman a lot. Hell, she’d thrown him a lifeline. But she had no idea what she was asking of him.
He’d finally overcome his natural survival instincts to agree to having sex with Claire on camera for the good of the Center and for the cause that he and Agnes had so vigorously shared. But Melissa wanted him and Claire to share an intimacy like she shared with Harry. That was impossible. He and Claire had treaded far too much water over the years for that to happen.
“Well, are you going to say something?”
Max furrowed his brow at Claire, who ran her fingers through her shoulder-length blond hair. He’d rarely seen Claire show any vulnerability. This was one of those rare moments. Perhaps he should treasure it by seeing how long it would last. But then he’d never been good at torturing insects when he was a kid. “Guess we’ll go learn about aging and sexuality. Wonder if there’ll be any other attendees our age. Maybe they’ll be like Melissa—talking about something they don’t know.”
“There’s a lot that girl doesn’t know.”
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.
Title: Ripening Passion
Series: Passion Series, Book Two
Author: Adriana Kraft
Published by: eXtasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4874-3813-5
Length: 254 pages, 75813 words
Publication Date: June 2, 2023
Genres: Erotic Romance, LGBTQIA, Contemporary Romance
Tags: Menage, Bisexual, New York City, Later in Life
Heat Level: Four Flames
Pairings: MF, FF, FFF, FMF, MFM
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