romance

If he looked at her with bedroom eyes… The Heist #Excerpt #KU #steamy #RomanticSuspense

November 11, 2022

by WebsiteDeveloper

Looking for a steamy romantic suspense?

The Heist, by Adriana Kraft

BLURB

A heist? A murder? It’s villain’s choice.

A special-order art theft? Tedious, but seamless – until small town museum director Kara Daniels calls in the experts. Furious her favorite trio of priceless impressionist paintings has been stolen from its traveling exhibit on her watch, Kara is determined to save not only the paintings, but her future in the art world. She’ll stop at nothing to entrap the thief.

Ted Springs knows the underbelly of the criminal world a little closer than he might like—but he’s turned it to good advantage, first as a police officer, and now as detective for the Upper Midwest Arts Council. His job? To guarantee the security of the valuable paintings in the Council’s traveling exhibits.

Heat sizzles when Ted and Kara collide—can they work together, before it’s too late?

EXCERPT

Set up ~ the museum has just been broken into for the first time, but nothing’s been stolen. Even so, the Arts Council is sending out a detective to improve their security.

The entire day had cast a pall of suspicion over Kara and her staff. Even the police had discounted the entire unforced entry as a likely prank by an insider.

Would Ted Springs want to talk with everyone? Talk. She remembered Sasha’s expression when she’d used that term. They both knew Springs would be more into interrogating than talking, even if this was supposed to be a consulting trip. He’d have to gather information in order to give them the best advice he and the Council could offer.

Clearing her desk, Kara smiled at Sasha’s chauffeur-babysitter reference. Springs might need someone to drive him about, and she’d probably get Irving involved in that, but it was definitely her job to meet him at the airport and to see that he was dealt with professionally. He wouldn’t want or need a babysitter.

She allowed her mind to wander to their first meeting in the Council’s Chicago offices. It had been a random event, an embarrassing experience. She’d barreled into him while exiting Alice Erikson’s office. Coming along behind her, Alice had made the introductions, saving an awkward moment as Kara disentangled herself from Ted’s arms. She’d never given their meeting much thought, other than to be aware he’d taken more time than needed to free her. She’d never expected to see him again.

Did he remember their brief encounter? Given his reluctance to let go of her quickly, she surmised he was a boob man. She had no difficulty recalling his firm chest as she’d crushed into him, or his strong arms keeping her from falling or retreating.

It was his booming laugh that stuck with her most. “We ought to try that again sometime,” he’d chortled, settling her back on her own feet.

He’d acknowledged the introduction by shaking her hand and jesting, “Too bad I have to rush off.”

Kara rapped her fingers on the desktop, not pleased with the burning embarrassment she still harbored from that initial meeting. That was one of the reasons she had to drive to Lincoln to pick up Ted Springs at the airport. If he looked at her with bedroom eyes, she’d straighten him out immediately.

BUY LINKS

Available in e-book and print

https://books2read.com/u/4D65wD

Always free to read at Kindle Unlimited

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Blog, Excerpts, Romantic Suspense

Tagged With:

art theft, crime, Detective, Heist, Indie Author, museum director, museums, Mystery, painting, paintings, romance, romantic fiction, Romantic Suspense, steamy

romance

Thoughts of a full-bodied heroine… The Heist, by Adriana Kraft #RomanticSuspense #KU #ArtTheft #IndieAuthor

November 10, 2022

by WebsiteDeveloper

Looking for a sizzling romantic suspense?

The Heist, by Adriana Kraft

BLURB

A heist? A murder? It’s villain’s choice.

Heat sizzles when Ted and Kara collide—can they work together, before it’s too late?

EXCERPT

Set up ~ the museum has just been broken into for the first time, but nothing’s been stolen. Kara is meeting with her curator, Sasha, as they prepare for the detective being sent by the Arts Council.

Kara turned back to Sasha. “You’ve triple and quadruple checked the exhibit areas? Nothing is missing or damaged?”

Sasha nodded. “That’s right. Irving and David have checked everything over and over, too. You walked through the entire building yourself. Nothing is missing. Nothing is damaged. That’s what’s crazy about this. Why would anyone go to the bother of disabling our computers and alarm system and steal nothing?” She paused. “And the creepy thing is we know they were in the building. The two soda cans on the floor in the vanPatten room didn’t just walk in on their own.”

Chuckling, Kara agreed, “No, I do believe they were carried in. Maybe someone wanted us to know just how vulnerable this place is.” She scowled. “But who, and why? I thought we were supposed to have a fairly sophisticated computer system.”

“Not sophisticated enough,” Sasha huffed. “Maybe it was some computer geeks at the college trying to show off.”

“Maybe. I hope Ted Springs will be able to shed some light on those questions. Doesn’t look like the cops are going to do much. No theft, no damage. They have more significant crimes to deal with.” Kara checked her watch. “It’s been a long day. Why don’t you head out when you’re ready? I’ll walk around through the place with David while we close up. Thank god it’s a Monday and we didn’t have to be open to the public. I’ll check with you in the morning after I get back from the airport with Springs.”

Sasha smirked. “At least I don’t have to be his chauffeur-slash-babysitter. See you.”

Kara smiled watching her curator saunter out of the office. Monday was their dress-down day, and Sasha was clad in overly tight work jeans and a tank top. For someone who wanted to maintain her privacy, Sasha seldom hesitated to dress provocatively.

Sasha could get by with tight jeans, or slinky outfits, or minis, with her petite frame. Heaving a sigh, Kara tried to keep her envy in check. Petite was hardly a word anyone would use to describe her. Full bodied, perhaps. Voluptuous, if one was trying to be kind. At least she had the strength to help David and Irving unload shipping crates. Some of those weighed three hundred pounds or more, depending on the size of the painting and its frame, requiring dollies and the greatest of care. Sasha usually stood by recording and documenting crate numbers and contents.

Maybe it was their age difference. At twenty-six, Sasha could get by with most any fashion. Seven years older, Kara had fewer options. She shook her head, trying to refocus. It wasn’t age that made the difference—it was the difference in skirt and sweater size. Kara exhaled, letting go of fruitless comparisons.

BUY LINKS

Available in e-book and print

https://books2read.com/u/4D65wD

Always free to read at Kindle Unlimited

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Blog, Excerpts, Romantic Suspense

Tagged With:

Art Curator, art history, art theft, artist, Detective, Heist, Indie Author, museum director, museums, Mystery, painting, paintings, romance, romantic fiction, Romantic Suspense

romance

#NewRelease: The Necromancer’s Heart, by Robin Harper @Suntail7 #LGBTQIA+ #fantasy #booklover #bookblogger

November 9, 2022

by WebsiteDeveloper

Title: The Necromancer’s Heart

Author: Robin Harper

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 11/16/2022

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 21300

Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQIA+, fantasy, supernatural, gay, first love, HFN

Add to Goodreads

Description

Mortimer’s life is set in stone. That is until he takes the reins and rejects his crown and his namesake. Striking out on his own, he discovers a whole new world and a whole new him. But even with all of the newness, falling in love is still his greatest dream.

Then he meets Galen. He never planned on falling for a man who stands for everything he’s not. Now he just has to deal with the significance of his birthright.

Excerpt

The Necromancer’s Heart
Robin Harper © 2022
All Rights Reserved

I fell into a hole.

I know, stellar move there. I was such a graceful individual. So graceful that I’d not only fallen into a hole, but I managed to sprain my ankle. Hopefully. I couldn’t tell for sure, but based on how painful it was, and how I could literally put no weight on the joint, I was betting it was broken. Only a fool would fall into a hole and break his ankle and thus remove any hope he had of getting out of said hole.

“Help!? Anyone up there?” I called out again for what seemed like the hundredth time. The sun had gradually been crawling along the sky so I knew I had to have been here for some hours, thank the living dead that night hadn’t fallen yet.

Alas, with no sign of passers-by or any fellow travelers that might take a moment of their day to aid me, I might have to think about this pit with its dirt and worms as my bed for the night.

And hope no wolves come for a snack.

Perhaps I should have stayed home and done as I was told. Those fairy tale stories made running away from a great destiny seem simple, and easy. I guessed reality must ever grind down on the mortals of the world to remind them they are but prisoners to fate on its plane of existence.

“Please! Someone! Anyone–help!” I cried again, despair thick in my voice. No one would hear me; what was the point? I was about to slump back against the dirt walls of my pit when a shadow danced along the side–and did the wind rustle the grass? Or was that the stepping of light feet? I eagerly pressed myself up against the side of the hole where I saw the shadow milling about. “Hey! Hey down here! Please help me!”

My hopes were dashed when two furry ears and a face of white whiskers greeted me. The accompanying ‘Maow’ crushed my heart.

“Oh, hello, adorable.” The cat was striped, black and white contrasting in defined lines across its face. The white whiskers wiggled as it ‘maow’ed’ down at me again, and I smiled despite my despair.

Cats always had an affinity for death and those of us who worked with it.

“Hey, sweetie—do you have a master? Hm? Someone who can pull me out of this pit? Anyone nearby to hear your small meows?”

“Maow!” the critter called down while its striped tail swayed behind it.

I sighed, “No, I suppose you don’t…”

The cat gave a trill and wandered away. My shoulders slumped as I took in my earthy prison. I guess I’d better make myself comfortable for the night, and try to find a stick or something as a weapon… Maybe one of the tree roots was hard enough to use as a blunt force weapon…

While I was hopping over to the other side of my dirty sanctuary the cadence of someone yelling echoed down the pit. Faint—but most assuredly a human’s voice.

Oh, praise the Dead!

“Hello! Over here! Please help me!” I bellowed, attempting to make my voice go as far as possible.

“Blasted pet–what are you doing? Stop tripping me!” Did the cat find help? Was that something a cat could do?

Not possible. But despite possibilities and probabilities, a petite black and white striped head with whiskers and big fluffy ears popped up again and gave me a friendly “Maow,” while its tail swished. I smirked, awkwardly because now I heard heavier, human footsteps approaching. And while that should spell my freedom from this forsaken hole, it meant interacting with another person.

I wanted out of this pit, of course, but my social graces were rusty to say the least. The mere idea of speaking and interacting with another person was a daunting task now. Hopefully it was some old man who would offer me a ride in the back of his potato wagon so that we didn’t have to speak so much while he took me to the nearest town…

The figure that appeared beside the striped kitty was not that of an old man. Oh no, I would never be that lucky. No, my fate was cruel and instead of some crotchety old man with beady, pale grey eyes and scruff for hair, a pair of golden-brown eyes met mine, a solid frame, square jawline. Skin that had been kissed by a thousand suns, thick, dark hair…and a furrow formed between two fine eyebrows as he startled at seeing someone very much alive in this hole.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

Robin Harper is a bisexual, polyamorous witch who lives with her husband and two sweet ginger cats in the cold northern state of Minnesota. She finds joy in creating stories about love, and healing, as well as weaving ghost tales and supernatural encounters. She is also an avid reader, an optician during the day, and a lover of coloring books.

Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Blog, Excerpts, Guest Bloggers

Tagged With:

Fantasy, first love, gay, Gay Romance, LGBTQIA+, new release, romance, supernatural

romance

A Ghostly Encounter #MFRWSteam #EroticRomance #LGBTQ

November 8, 2022

by WebsiteDeveloper

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

Today’s ghosts surfaced a little late for Halloween – but we’re only a week out from All Soul’s day, so no harm.

BLURB

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?

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.

Not quite fifty, recently widowed Martha Richards has just purchased the old sturdy house at the tip of Purgatory Point overlooking Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. She and her pastor husband often dreamed of retiring there on their summer canoe trips. Now, she welcomes the solitude and time to hone her jewelry-making craft.

Forest Ranger Dan Ford, her reticent neighbor to the south, thinks the aloof newcomer has no clue what it takes to survive North Woods winters. Reluctantly, he volunteers to help her prepare the place for the inevitable blizzards.

Martha is shocked when local shop owner Natalie Bjorg says her jewelry exudes erotic passion. Natalie doesn’t stop there, but explains that as the new Mistress of Purgatory Point, Martha now holds the key to release its two ghosts: Ben and Stella have been trapped between worlds for nearly a century, waiting for an owner of their home to discover a love that matches their own and set them free.

EXCERPT

Martha 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.”

The pressure of fingertips on her thigh matched the pressure building behind her loins. Her brow furrowed as another set of fingers caressed her taut nipples still protected by flannel. “Oh,” she moaned. She tensed and then relaxed. The fingers on her thigh slid upward to where she burned the hottest.

Martha bit down on her lower lip as a finger seeking more heat found it. She gasped and lurched up and down, helping to seat the intruder in her sex. “This can’t be happening,” she moaned, widening her thighs.

“But it is. You’re not pretending it isn’t, are you?”

Martha hesitated. The finger stopped its exploring. She shook her head in response to the question and to her overwhelming desire. She wasn’t even certain what she wanted, but she wanted it with her entire body.

BUY LINKS

Mistress of Purgatory Point is on sale for $3.00 from the publisher:

https://www.extasybooks.com/mistress-of-purgatory-point

Also available at these retail outlets:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mistress-of-Purgatory-Point-ebook/dp/B003XRF09S

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/mistress-of-purgatory-point

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Blog, Erotic Romance, Excerpts, LGBT

Tagged With:

bisexual, erotic romance, Extasy Books, LGBTQ, Minnesota, North Woods, romance, Winter Romance

romance

Aren’t you the new Mistress… #MFRWHooks #LGBTQ #EroticRomance

November 2, 2022

by WebsiteDeveloper

Welcome to MFRWHooks!

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

Mistress of Purgatory Point, by Adriana Kraft

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?

EXCERPT

Chapter One

“Aren’t you the new Mistress of Purgatory Point?”

Martha Richards tilted her head to the side and stared at her inquisitor. She’d never met the sprightly blonde, but then she’d only been in the combination book-and-craft store once before, to see if it seemed a worthwhile place to consign some jewelry pieces. Mistress of Purgatory Point. Really!

“I bought that property about a month ago,” Martha said in clipped tones. “I didn’t realize it came with a title.”

“Oh, it does,” the petite blonde bubbled, not in the least put off by the purposely cool response. “Oh, excuse me,” she said, smiling broadly, “I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Natalie Bjorg. I own this place.” She arched an eyebrow. “Well, I’m buying it from my parents, who moved to Florida over a year ago.”

Martha narrowed her eyes, “So you make decisions about what you will or won’t sell?”

“That’s right.” Natalie glanced at Martha’s shoulder bag. “Are you an artist?”

“I’m not sure I’d go that far.” Martha sighed. This was the hardest part of picking up her art again. Creating pieces, pouring her soul into them was one thing, but then she had to try and market them. “I do make jewelry from time to time, and I wondered if this shop might be interested in displaying them.”

“Come on over to my table,” Natalie said, pointing at one of four small round tables in a nook.

The intimacy of the nook surprised Martha. She could see it offered a pleasant place for customers to chat or read. So why were her palms sweating? Was she that anxious about her jewelry being rejected? There were several other shops in Ely that might work with her.

She scrutinized the shopkeeper as she pulled out a chair. Natalie Bjorg was hardly the kind of woman she’d expected to deal with when she’d entered the store, but if Natalie was the proprietor, she hardly had a choice. Natalie seemed rather young for the responsibility, though actually it was hard to determine the ages of women living year-round in Ely. Most of them spent so much time out on the Boundary Waters in the sun and wind or cross-country skiing in the winter that their tan skins made them appear ageless. “So you’re a native to the area?”

“Yep. Born and raised in Ely. Couldn’t imagine living any place else. Though I do want to travel more. Would you like some coffee? I don’t have the special blends, but I make good coffee.”

“Thanks. That would be nice.” Martha sighed softly, relaxing in spite of herself. How could she not, faced with such an infectious, energetic presence?

“So show me what you have,” Natalie said, after filling two coffee cups and pulling up a chair. “I am so pleased you came by. This is sort of our off season. Not much happens here until the snow flies.”

Holding her breath, Martha reached into her bag for a couple pieces wrapped in cloth. Carefully, she unwrapped the first piece, watching Natalie closely. The woman’s eyes rounded, and she gasped as soon as she saw the gold waxing moon pendant suspended from a circle.

“It’s beautiful!” Natalie exclaimed, with a hand at her throat. “You made that?”

“Of course.” Martha smiled. Why did people often seem so amazed by her creations? She pulled the cloth from the second piece, and again Natalie sat stunned. Martha caught herself grinning—probably the girl had seldom been without words.

“It’s so…so erotic. It’s absolutely stunning.”

BUY LINKS

Mistress of Purgatory Point is on sale for $3.00 from the publisher:

https://www.extasybooks.com/mistress-of-purgatory-point

Also available at these retail outlets:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mistress-of-Purgatory-Point-ebook/dp/B003XRF09S

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/mistress-of-purgatory-point

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

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Blog, Erotic Romance, Excerpts, LGBT

Tagged With:

bisexual, erotic romance, Extasy Books, LGBTQ, Minnesota, North Woods, romance, Winter Romance

romance

Deadeye ~ Teaser Tuesday #RABTBookTours #DeadEye #BonesMC #MCRomance @Marteekakarland @changelingpress

November 1, 2022

by WebsiteDeveloper

Bones MC, Book 13

Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense, Action & Adventure

Date Published: 11/04/2022

Chloe — Manipulative on the best of days, my mother hooked up with the president of a powerful MC. When he retired, she decided to give me to a man I’ve never met. Guess she thought she’d still be able to keep her status if I became the ol’lady of the new president. I have no idea what the men in the club are like and I’m not judging, but they wear the 1% patch and I know enough about MCs to know that can’t be good for a girl like me.

Deadeye – I’m a patient man. Pride myself on that. So when I find a girl camping out under a rock watching the club, I camp out to watch her. The more I watch, the more I like what I see. Before I can make her mine, though, I need to find out why she’s here. No one’s more surprised than me when she tells me who her daddy is. Except maybe her daddy. Now I’m pitted against one of my own brothers. But the more I get to know the spunky little minx, the more I want her. And the more I realize I may have to kill my own MC brother and tear apart a rival MC looking for the woman meant to be their new president’s ol’lady.

EXCERPT

I was tired. So fucking tired. I’d only been on the run for five days, but it was five days of backwoods hell. Finding the place I needed to get to had been hard enough. Actually getting there without anyone seeing me had been a feat like I’d never undertaken before. Still don’t know how I managed it without getting hopelessly lost. But here I was.

The name of the club was Bones MC, Somerset, Kentucky. I’d walked all the way from Jeffersonville, Indiana to find this place. Compared to the club I’d come from this one was relatively small. But from what I’d learned, they were very close-knit and incredibly dangerous.

I was currently hiding under a rock overhang just tall enough for me to lie flat on my belly and watch the place. I’d covered myself with leaves and sticks, camouflaging my hiding spot as best I could. So far, no one had spotted me. If they had, they hadn’t busted me yet. I should have just gone into the clubhouse, but I wanted to scout the place out first. If there seemed to be too much shady shit going down, I’d just move on without wasting my time. Or putting myself in a worse position than I’d been in when I ran.

So far, there had been parties that got pretty loud and wild, similar to what I’d seen at Iron Tzars MC. The guys at Bones partied hard, but they worked hard, too. Beyond the large clubhouse was a neighborhood. There were what looked like high-end, double-wide mobile homes, but also a smattering of houses, with more going up. The two days I’d been hiding out, I’d seen several of the club members working throughout the day. If there were drug deals or arms sales going down, it wasn’t anywhere near their compound. There were women all over the place, but none of them seemed to be there against their will.

The weather was turning. Autumn rain was coming, if the sky was any indication. It was cold and damp, and I had no desire to spend another night under a rock. If I’d judged this place wrong, I was in trouble. Of course, if I didn’t get some decent shelter soon, I’d still be in trouble. I’d heard good things about this club in the community. They might not be law-abiding citizens, but they weren’t so bad they were feared by the whole city. I was counting on the reputation they’d apparently worked hard to build. If Bones turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I was fucked, because I had nowhere else to go. And the one man I needed to see here, the one man who could help me in a way I could live with, had no idea I even existed.

Knowing there was nothing else I could find out without getting inside the place, I decided to quit being a pussy and stop stalling. I stood, looking down at my clothes. Having been outside under a rock for the better part of two days, I was filthy. Probably stank too. There was a creek just below my hiding place on the other side of the hill between me and the compound. I could wash there and change my clothes before trying to get inside. If I was lucky, they’d stop me at the gate and take me straight to the man I needed to see. I could only hope he remembered my mother. If not, I was probably screwed.

The wind had started to pick up, and there was a cold bite to it. I knew I needed to hurry, but not bathing and changing clothes simply wasn’t an option. If I came to their doorstep looking like a hobo, I was afraid no one would take me seriously. Or, worse, tell me to get the fuck on before they got rid of me.

I stripped, tossing my filthy, damp clothing to the ground. I kept the long-sleeved T-shirt to use as a washcloth, so I didn’t have to actually get in the creek. While it was still warm most days, the nights in this part of Kentucky were chilly this time of year. Shallow water, like the lazy stream here, had started to cool, making this bath seriously uncomfortable.

I’d never done this before. Bathed out in the open. In fact, though I’d lived in an MC for most of my life, roughing it wasn’t exactly in my repertoire. I’d never been camping. Or hunting. I’d been fishing occasionally but usually on a boat or a dock at the lake. All I’d had to eat the last five days were some snacks I’d managed to sneak out and a couple bottles of water I refilled every chance I got. Now, I was cold, dirty, hungry, and so fucking tired I just wanted to sleep for a fucking week.

“Well, now. What do we have here?” The lazy drawl made me jump and cry out. I tripped and landed on my ass, my naked body on full display.

The guy smirked as he looked down at me, his big arms crossed over a powerful-looking chest. His shoulders were wide, stretching the fabric of his Henley, as did his biceps. He had a full beard reaching about halfway down his chest. Cold, assessing blue eyes were fixed squarely on me.

Visit Author Marteeka Karland on Social Media

The author on…

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Visit the Publisher Changeling Press on Social Media

Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @changelingpress

Pre-Order Today

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Blog, Guest Bloggers

Tagged With:

BonesMC, Dead Eye, MC Romance, RABT Book Tours, romance, Romantic Suspense

romance

The Eggplant Story ~ Is This a #MeetCute? #RomCom #RomanceReads

October 25, 2022

by WebsiteDeveloper

Since Hubs and I don’t write Rom Com or Chick Lit, we don’t really write Meet Cutes, at least not on purpose. A Meet Cute might set an odd tone for our romantic suspense and erotic romance stories…

But having got this far, I’m thinking that how he and I met might be a true-life Meet Cute. Here’s our story—we’d love to hear whether it qualifies. For that matter, if any of you have a real Meet Cute in your life, we’d love to hear about it!

The first time I ever saw my husband, I was a grad student and an instructor in a new program at my university.

Early that fall, the entire school faculty were gathered in the lobby for the introduction of new hires. There were only two or three new faces, but a distinguished looking bearded man with mischievous eyes stood out to me immediately. It got even better when it turned out he was a new addition to the program I was teaching in. I won’t say I stalked him—but I will say that when I got home, I told my roommate about him, and through her contacts in a similar field, she got me his bio.

Fast forward to a Chicago January: Snow is piled high in streets and on sidewalks, and our program is having a potluck an hour’s drive away. I have a car (which I’ve duly shoveled out). The new professor does not have one. A fellow prof suggests that I give him a ride, he accepts, and we have an hour each way to talk to each other. I had two conclusions at the end of the evening – I was very definitely interested in him (okay, I was crushing on him), and I suspected he was living with someone (someone who wouldn’t share her car? Wasn’t sure).

The following week he materialized in my office doorway to ask me for the recipe of the dish I’d brought to the potluck. Triumph! I shared it – and nothing else happened for five more months. He had some loose ends to tie up, it turns out…

Our first date (finally!) was that June, and we married the following June.

Why is this the Eggplant Story? Because the dish I’d taken to the potluck was one of my favorite veggie recipes of my mom’s, an eggplant-tomato-bacon casserole. Hubs and I had been married for over two years when the confession finally came: He’d had no idea which dish was mine—he was just looking for a way to start a conversation with me, and he hates eggplant.

We’re still married.

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Blog, More About Adriana

Tagged With:

Meet Cute, romance, Romance Fiction, Romance Read, RomCom, True Story

romance

HEA for Everyone #LGBTQ+ #Romance #Giveaway #IndieAuthor #LoveTriangle

October 15, 2022

by WebsiteDeveloper

Below, I’m publishing a blog post that was originally scheduled at author Tina Donahue’s Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas blog for this morning. We’re running into some Blogger-related difficulties, so the post isn’t up yet, and I’m running it here so loyal readers can enter the Rafflecopter.

Without further ado, here’s the original post.

Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas Blog Post

Good morning! I’m half of the writing duo Adriana Kraft, and I’ll be with you on the 15^th of every month for the coming year. Tina Donahue has invited me to expand the LBGTQ+ offerings here at Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas.

Most of the erotic romance my husband and I co-author features either bisexual women or lesbian women. We write these pairings for two main reasons. As parents of a gay son and grandparents of a non-binary adult, we believe that love is love, and any gender pairing deserves happiness in love. We also write these pairings for their eroticism. Erotic romance readers (of whatever gender) are seeking fantasies that expand their horizons and amp up the voltage of arousal.

In particular, just as women have been flocking to stories of hot male bodies in gay romances, men often fantasize about being with two women, or seeing two women together. Since my husband and I write as a married cisgender couple, we like to write stories that might appeal to both halves of other couples like us.

There are a wide range of LBGTQ+ pairings and combinations that we do not currently write, so some months I’ll be featuring other authors whose works I’ve read and liked. This will bring us gay male romance (by both female and male authors) and transgendered romance, among others. The “Q+” designation includes a great variety of orientations and combinations that don’t necessarily have much in common other than that they depart from what so long was considered “normal.” Through the range of books and issues we showcase each month, we hope to contribute to normalizing love across the entire spectrum of the LGBTQ+ rainbow.

Be sure to stop by in a month, on November 15^th, when we’ll hear from multi-award-winning author Rick R. Reed. He’ll share with us about his latest release, The Impossible Childhood of My Desires.

This month I’m highlighting one of our own favorites. The Reunion, released in 2014, was the winner of that year’s Bi Writers Association Book Award for Bisexual Erotic Fiction. Across the LGBTQ+ books we’ve written, we explore many of the possible Happily Ever Afters sought by bisexual women. For some, happiness is a monogamous relationship with one partner, of either gender. Others find partners with whom they can have an open relationship, often called ethical consensual non-monogamy. Committed polyamory is a third option, and it’s the one featured in The Reunion.

Be sure to scroll to the Rafflecopter contest at the end of this post and enter for your chance to win a copy of The Reunion!

BUY LINK

https://www.amazon.com/Reunion-Adriana-Kraft-ebook/dp/B00F30CTLK

Always free to read at Kindle Unlimited

BLURB

A dark and brooding bad boy,

his petite Latina lover,

and his unattainable former high school crush ~

a sizzling, combustible threesome.

Dark and brooding, Adam Granger was always the bad boy out of reach—but now he’s in Sarah Atkinson’s bed, the morning after their twentieth high school reunion. When Adam beats a retreat to his Pacific Palisades estate, former good girl Sarah throws caution to the wind and pursues him.

Petite copper-skinned Maria Ramirez greets Sarah at Adam’s front door. The former exotic dancer doesn’t challenge Sarah’s assumption she’s the maid—how long will it take the dark-haired beauty to figure out Maria is Adam’s live-in lover? Better yet, how long before Maria can entice her into their bed?

Determined not to rock his hard-won lifestyle, Adam resolves to push Sarah past her sexual limits so she’ll leave. When she stays, he watches helplessly as the two women fall in love with each other. Will they shut him out? And, if they let him in, what must he sacrifice?

EXCERPT

Maria opened Adam’s office door quietly and entered, bringing him a second cup of coffee. She placed it on his desk. “Are you okay?”

Heaving his shoulders and avoiding direct eye contact, he nodded. “Sure, why not?”

“I could think of a few reasons.”

His gaze settled on hers.

She witnessed pain before he was able to hide it.

“How was she?”

“Succulent.” Maria wasn’t going to lie. “You know, like when you take the first bite of lobster soaked in butter. It is so scrumptious you’re not sure you dare take a second bite for fear it will disappoint. That’s Sarah.”

A flash of emotion flickered across Adam’s face before he muttered, “I know. But you took a chance and went back for more. So will you take her from me?”

Startled, Maria chose her words carefully. “You’ve done little to hold onto her, if that’s what you want.”

“I took her slow,” he said, defensively.

“Right. Even then you threw it back in her face by leaving her bed.”

ABOUT ADRIANA KRAFT

Adriana Kraft is the pen name for a married pair of retired professors writing erotic romance together. We like to think we’ve broken the mold for staid, fusty academics, and we hope lots of former profs are enjoying life as much as we are.

Having lived in many states across the Midwest, we now make our home in southern Arizona, where we enjoy hiking, golf, and travel, especially to the many Arizona Native American historical sites.

Together we have published more than fifty romance novels and novellas to outstanding reviews. We love hearing from readers at [email protected], and here is our website:

When It’s Time to Heat Things Up https://adrianakraft.com

STALKER LINKS:

Blog: https://web7.editstage.com/blog

Newsletter: free download of our erotic romance novella Cherry Tune-Up for signing up.

Twitter https://twitter.com/AdrianaKraft

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adriana.kraft.5

FaceBook Fan Page https://www.facebook.com/AdrianaKraftAuthor

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/adrianakraft

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1578571.Adriana_Kraft

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kraftadriana/

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/adriana-kraft

Extasy Books Page https://www.extasybooks.com/adriana-kraft

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Blog, Erotic Romance, Excerpts, LGBT, Menage

Tagged With:

erotic romance, Giveaway, Happily Ever After, HEA, Indie Author, LGBTQ, love triangle, romance

romance

Ace of Hearts by Lucy Mason New Release Blitz and Giveaway! @ninestarpress @indigomarketingdesign #LGBTQIA+

October 8, 2022

by WebsiteDeveloper

Title: Ace of Hearts

Author: Lucy Mason

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 10/04/2022

Heat Level: 1 – No Sex

Pairing: Male/Female

Length: 60200

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Romance, contemporary, new adult, family-drama, asexual, college students, sports injury, fake marriage, slow burn, friends to lovers, abusive father, depression

Add to Goodreads

Description

Hesper Stalides and Felix Morlan have been best friends for as long as they can remember, bonding over their troubled home lives. When a horrible sports injury derails Felix’s promising career and results in the loss of his scholarship, Hesper offers a proposition: a year-long marriage of convenience so he can get free tuition at the college where she works.

It isn’t supposed to be complicated…until they fall in love for real. When Hesper reveals that she’s asexual, Felix must reassess everything he thinks about love and ask himself what he’s willing to sacrifice for a future with Hesper—before the past she’s spent her life running from can take her away from him forever.

Excerpt

Hesper

It was not my Felix Morlan lying in the hospital bed, tangled in the sterile white sheets. He was the bravest, funniest, most cheerful man I knew, strong enough to make up for it when his friends were weak, and this wasn’t him. I brushed his dark hair away from his forehead, which was glistening with sweat, pain hazing over his eyes.

“Sorry I scared you, Hes.” His voice cracked, and I handed him a Styrofoam cup filled with cold water and ice chips.

“I’m just glad you’re…”

Okay? Of course he wasn’t okay. One of his teammates had shown me a replay of the hit that had hyperextended his knee and destroyed his ACL. It had been on mute, and Felix was wearing a helmet that obscured part of his face, but the contorted expression of agony was seared into my memory. He may or may not have blacked out from the pain; I wasn’t sure because I quit watching, unable to stomach it.

“Want me to call the nurse?” I asked tentatively.

He turned his head away, but not before I caught the shine of tears gathering in his eyes. His leg was wrapped heavily in dressings, but I’d seen it when he came out of surgery, exhausted but too frightened to sleep while I waited. The skin around his knee was swollen, an angry red color where staples held the surgical wounds closed. I’d sat by his bed, sketching on the small pad I kept in Calamity, my old Jeep, while he slept off the anesthesia. But he was awake now, and he twisted his calloused hands in the sheets.

“They’ll be keeping me for observation for a few days. Go home and get some rest.”

“Nope.”

“Some of the guys from the team will stop by and—”

“Nope,” I reiterated firmly, crossing my arms.

It was a policy we’d had with each other our whole lives, and it didn’t change even when we’d moved halfway across the country together for college: we had nobody else here, but we had each other. He’d watched my back, and I would watch his. Felix and I had been best friends since we were old enough to walk and talk. Now, his mom was in jail while his dad was busy raising his six younger siblings, and I had run away from Missouri to avoid getting an order of protection against my own father. We’d basically raised each other. I wasn’t running away at the first sign of trouble.

“Show me.” He held out one hand for my sketch pad and I clutched it to my chest. “Come on.”

Normally this was fine. I’d draw tables covered in leaves, teacups and books and pocket watches and chunks of amethyst and rusty old keys, the kind of things I found aesthetically soothing. But I’d been doing something different while he slept, trying to erase the memory of his pain in the video replay of his injury. I’d drawn the slightly blocky angle of his jaw, his mouth turned up in half a smile, a five-o’clock shadow dusting the sides of his face. I’d drawn him happy, my best copy of the way he looked in my favorite memory of him.

I contemplated crumpling the page before he could see it.

Instead, I flipped back to an earlier page where I’d been doing a study of the trees outside his hospital window, light filtering through them in an orange haze as the sun rose. I hadn’t been able to quite capture it with the small bag of pencils I had on hand, but it was enough that he got the idea.

“Remind me again why you aren’t going into this?” He sounded clearer than he had in several hours, his eyes focused on my sketch pad. It was an uncomfortable feeling, to see someone marvel at my work. Like being under a microscope.

“No steady paycheck,” I reminded him, counting the reasons I’d rehearsed to people a hundred thousand times off on my fingers. “Deadlines would push me to create when I didn’t feel like it. I would grow to hate it if I had to do it for a living. The pressure would be too intense.”

I didn’t list the other reason. Sometimes it took every ounce of energy I possessed just to get up in the morning. Sometimes I simply didn’t have enough inside me to both function and create. Art was my escape. If I turned it into another source of stress, where would I hide when the rest of the world got to be too much? What would I do to restore the balance?

“Those are all good reasons,” he agreed begrudgingly, and he reached back over to hand the pad back to me, twisting slightly to do so.

He didn’t say a word but the set of his mouth and eyebrows told me he’d moved wrong, in a way that would have left him screaming if he hadn’t been so heavily medicated. My chest hurt, my lungs burning because I just couldn’t get enough oxygen in, because I couldn’t breathe looking at the way my best friend suffered. This was the sort of thing you read about in the paper or heard about on the news. It happened to other people, sure. But it wasn’t supposed to happen to Felix.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

Lucy lives in rural southern Illinois with a frankly ridiculous amount of yarn and books. During the day she works in adult education and by night she’s a writer and dabbler in yarncrafts. She knits, loves video games and podcasts, and cries over fictional characters regularly.

Website | Twitter

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Blog, Guest Bloggers, LGBT

Tagged With:

abusive father, asexual, college students, Contemporary, depression, fake marriage, family-drama, friends to lovers, LGBTQIA+, New Adult, romance, Slow Burn, sports injury

romance

New Release! Take Me to the Lake, by Kaci Rose #Giveaway #Billionaire #MountanMan #Romance

September 26, 2022

by WebsiteDeveloper

Take Me To the Lake

Mountain Men of Whiskey River Book 3

by Kaci Rose

Genre: Billionaire Mountain Man Romance

Someone is watching me. Luckily my mountain man is watching over me.

Hope:

I didn’t think they would find me here. I moved to the small town of Whiskey River three months ago, hoping I would finally be safe from my past. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I can breathe easier.

Then I meet the mountain man who makes my breath quicken. And my heart race.

He’s my protector – safe in his strong arms.

But my past is coming for me… and he might end up paying the price.

Cash:

The tracks along the treeline were my first clue. I might not have experience with women, but I know my way around the woods. And Hope is not safe living out here alone.

And I’m pretty sure that’s my fault.

Her stalker knows I have money, and that I’ll pay any price to keep the woman I love safe from harm.

But what her stalker doesn’t know is that I plan on making them pay instead.

Amazon * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads

**Don’t miss the other Mountain Men of Whiskey River!**

Take Me to the River

Mountain Men of Whiskey River Book 1

**Only .99 cents!!**

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Books2Read

Take Me to the Cabin

Mountain Men of Whiskey River Book 2

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Books2Read

Kaci runs on coffee, chocolate, and Oreos. She loves her book boyfriends with tattoos, muscles, beards, and a little dirty.

Kaci loves romance books and has been jotting down ideas since she was in high school and is now putting the ideas down on paper. She believes in satisfying, happily ever afters with a lot of steam on the way.

She was born and raised in Southwest Florida but is wholeheartedly a mountain girl. She has been reading as many books as she could get her hands on since grade school and loves to travel when she gets the chance.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * TikTok

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Blog, Guest Bloggers, Romantic Suspense

Tagged With:

billionaire, Kaci Rose, mountain man, romance, Romantic Suspense

romance

BLURB

EXCERPT

BUY LINKS

Share this:

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Tagged With:

romance

BLURB

EXCERPT

BUY LINKS

Share this:

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Tagged With:

romance

Description

Excerpt

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway

Share this:

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Tagged With:

romance

BLURB

EXCERPT

BUY LINKS

Share this:

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Tagged With:

romance

BLURB

EXCERPT

BUY LINKS

Share this:

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Tagged With:

romance

Share this:

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Tagged With:

romance

Share this:

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Tagged With:

romance

Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas Blog Post

Share this:

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under:

Tagged With:

romance

Description

Excerpt

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

Website | Twitter

Giveaway

Share this:

Like this:

Loading...

Filed Under: