Adriana Kraft

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Sex – and Everything Else

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Did I get your attention?

I’m an author of erotic romance, so naturally I like sex: reading about it, writing about it, watching it (there was some great discussion this past week on adult films for women at The Examiner) and of course having some for myself.

But November was a strange month and it’s made me sit back and re-focus on what I stand for.

Sexual Freedom, for starters: the freedom to read, write, watch and engage in hot sexy activity – with the partner of my choice, without any government intrusion into my bedroom or wherever else I choose to be sexy.

Equal Rights and equal protection under the law for all of us. That means I support marriage equality, the repeal of DADT, strong anti-bullying legislation for all our schools, and the Trevor Project and It Gets Better. And NOH8. Most of our books focus on LGBT characters, especially bisexual heroines. I want both the real world and the fictional world to be safe for them.

Great Sex – goes without saying. Tips, toys, information, resources, anything out there that increases sexual enjoyment, especially in romantic relationships, of whatever genders and combinations.

Health. The man I’m married to – half of the pen name Adriana Kraft – is a cardiac patient. Probably that’s a major reason we write erotic romance together. We live our lives by the “if not now, when” mantra because there’s no telling what’s promised. We also devote countless hours each week to staying healthy – by how we eat, how much we exercise, how we practice stress reduction and how we enjoy our time off. 

Some of these things are political and some are more individual, but for me they’re all intensely personal and hard to separate. I went off line for the last ten days leading up to November’s elections to work for local candidates who share my values. On November 2nd, my causes took a huge hit both here in Iowa and across the nation, even though both my candidates won.

So the last item on today’s “what I stand for” list is Happy Endings. Our characters deserve them and so do we. We’ll keep writing them in our fiction and working for them in our real life – to #MakeItBetter for all of us.

Best places to have sex!

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Do you follow @danandjennifer on Twitter? Definitely worth your time if you have any interest in sex! They’re a young couple with a fabulous sex advice blog and website at http://www.askdanandjennifer.com/  packed with short Q&A videos on hundreds of sex topics plus links and resources for anything you can think of.

One of my favorites is their “1001 best places to have sex.” Each time they tweet a new one it sparks discussion at our house – have we ever thought of that one? Can we top it? Have we written it into a book? Best, of course, is “ooh, been there, did that!”

So here are a few of theirs, and some you can find in our books.

From Dan and Jennifer:

At an Open Bus Stop Already tried the enclosed bus stop? Well, having sex at any open bus stop is guaranteed to attract attention – wanted or unwanted. The challenge here is to have sex without anyone knowing you’re having sex. Wearing a loosefitting skirt is always a good option to avoid getting caught.

 

In the Sleeper of a Semi Truck Sleepers in these big trucks can be quite plush, albeit small. Cuddle up for some kinky sex at the truck stop!

 

In the Family Room Behind the Sofa Remember what we did under the bed? Pull the sofa out just enough for you both to fit behind it. It should be very tight – that’s the whole idea.

 

You can find their whole list at http://www.askdanandjennifer.com/best-sex-places/ – or you can buy Jennifer’s book by the same title at http://www.amazon.com/001-Best-Places-Have-America/dp/1605500534

 

Favorites we’ve written:

 

 

On a crisp fall day in the north woods in a solidly built secluded deer stand – from Return to Purgatory Point ~ excerpt:

Natalie stood and brushed her lips across his. “Don’t look so dumbfounded. Haven’t you ever done it outdoors?”

“Of course I have. But a deer stand, in the middle of the day?”

“Works for me,” she said with a grin. She reached for the snap on her jeans and laughed at his wideninging eyes.

“What if someone comes by?”

She yanked on her zipper. “You expecting company out here?”

“Could happen. Maybe some one is exploring sign for the upcoming hunt.”

“They better not do it on my property unless they have permission.” She kicked aside her jeans. “You have permission to explore any and all my property. If you care too.”

 

On an oak kitchen table at a secluded guest cottage in Stratford-Upon-Avon – from The Diary.

 

“I’m glad you liked it.”  Kate lifted her glass to her lips, but it never quite got there.  Wine poured down between her breasts in rivulets. 

“Oh, goodness!” she exclaimed, leaping to her feet and unsnapping her skirt.  “How clumsy I am.”

Spellbound, Grayson watched the tiny river of wine make its way down to her belly button and over her belly.  It became lost in her pussy curls.

“Now I’m sticky again,” she complained.  “I can clean my breasts, but I may need your help.  Do you think this table will hold me?”

“The table is solid oak. It’ll hold you.  Hell, I’ll buy them a new one if it doesn’t.”

 

Up against the wall in the foyer of her house – from The Merry Widow

 

On top of the pool table – from Swinging Games: Who’s the Coach?

 

In front of a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Central Park – from Smoldering Passion

 

Leaning out the stone window of a restored cloister overlooking the gardens below – from Colors of the Night

 

In a gazebo – from Writing Skin

 

On a wooded hillside overlooking Walden Pond – from Through the Mirror

 

We’d love to hear some of your favorites!

Ménage in Erotic Romance

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Our guest blogger from last week, Cecilia Tan, got me thinking about the varieties of ménage scenes we write in our erotic romance and why we write them. We got started, of course, because of the erotic appeal of even imagining a third partner in a sexual encounter: an extra pair of hands, the pleasure of two persons entirely devoted to satisfying the third, the famous male fantasy of two women at once and of course its counterpart, double penetration for the female. We’ve written all those, and we love to read them.

 

But what about the variety of relationships that make such encounters possible? Sometimes it’s a true polyamory – as in our full length novel Writing Skin, in which Luci Parker is courted by a married couple. Each of the pairs in that resulting triangle struggles to develop the bonds of trust and love that make the committed three-way relationship possible and satisfying.

 

Sometimes, as in our Meghan’s Playhouse series of novellas, a primary bond (the romance!) forms between two parties, and the additional characters and ménage scenes serve the purpose of driving forward their story and their romance. That was Meg’s role at the beginning of the series, when she was a carefree twenty year old sprite. By now we’ve watched her grow up across four books and her needs have changed – hence, book five: Meg’s Folly, her own version of a happy (romantic!) ending. It’s available in print and e-book at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid.

 

Relationships in the swing lifestyle are very different. Most swingers are committed couples, already (we hope) secure in their love and trust together. They seek erotic encounters with others for pure pleasure and variety, and for most, the excitement and energy of those experiences feed back into their ongoing relationship. Some couples prefer to keep their swinging encounters simple: meet, have some great sex, and leave without any chance for developing complications. Others seek the “friends with benefits” model – they want to find other couples they can enjoy spending time with doing non-sexy things in addition to bedroom activities.

 

Brett and Jen Andrews, our hero and heroine in the Swinging Games series, like this second approach , with a little twist: they’re also seeking a safe outlet for expression of their bisexual nature—yes, by now readers will have figured out that it’s not just Jen who is bi! This is tender territory for both of them, because it’s new, so building trust and establishing a relationship is an important value for them.

 

The next installment of their story was just released at Extasy Books today!

Brett and Jen agree to mentor a much younger couple into the swing lifestyle

– but Carson and Vanessa turn the tables with their bi-play!

 

BLURB

What’s a girl to do? Happily married with all her children grown, Jennifer Andrews has finally figured out she’s bi-sexual – but just turning on to hot f/f fiction and videos isn’t enough. She wants the real thing, and she want to share it with Brett. Addition sounds so much better than subtraction. Will the swing lifestyle be the answer they’re seeking? They’re determined to find out.

Take on a newbie couple? Intrigued by the fact that both partners are bi, Brett and Jen Andrews accept the request of a much younger couple to mentor them into the swing lifestyle. The tables are quickly turned when the new couple pushes boundaries and fulfills fantasies Brett and Jen only dreamed of!

Across the series thus far, Brett has gradually figured out he, too, might be bisexual. Both partners in this new couple turn out to be bi and are thrilled to initiate Brett into some hot M/M action. New three- and four-way combinations are suddenly opened up for all four participants.

EXCERPT:

Brett nodded. “It’s been our experience that most couples need a time or two before they become comfortable with one another. So do either of you have more questions in general about swinging? We’ve covered a lot already. And we’ve gotten into our own likes and dislikes, which is a conversation I’m sure we’ll continue over time.”

“Have you ever done double penetration—one guy in your pussy and one in your ass?”

Jen tilted her head slightly before answering Vanessa. “I know what it is. I’ve tried it.”

“Wow! I so want to try that. Did you like it?”

Brett wondered how honest Jen would be. He knew the answer. Vanessa nearly bounced beside him. Her fingers tightened on his thigh as she waited for Jen’s response. He doubted Vanessa was good at waiting for much of anything.

“I love d.p. if the guys are good at taking their cues from me. But double penetration doesn’t have to be limited to two guys. A woman with a strap-on is a nice variation.”

“Oh wow!” Vanessa scooted even closer to Brett. “I’m creaming just imagining that. I’ve never tried a strap-on with a woman.”

Brett tried not to choke as he processed the implications of Vanessa’s off-hand comment. His butt clenched.

Vanessa leaned in to him to whisper in his ear. “That won’t happen on a first date either. But it is something for you to think about. You have such a nice butt.”

The Cougar Image – Positive or Negative?

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When author/editor Jolie DuPre conceptualized The Cougar Book and put out her call for submissions over a year ago, both halves of Adriana were thrilled. We knew immediately we wanted to be in that book and we had no problem coming up with our fantasy of a perfect evening for an older woman’s first time out with a stunning younger man. We’re proud to have made the cut – our story, “A Taste of Ginger,” is one of the twenty-two stories finally selected for the anthology, released on Valentine’s Day 2010 at Logical Lust and available in both print and e-book.

We’ve never hesitated celebrating the powerful and enticing imagery we associate with the image of the cougar. In the words of The Cougar Book’s introduction by Valerie Gibson, Canadian TV personality and author, cougars are

“skilled—and creative—in the sexual arts . . .They love to make love and enjoy it for what it is—a joyful, satisfying, energizing, and life-enhancing activity that keeps you youthful and vital. What’s more, it’s fun! It’s a rare and precious attribute for any woman, but when it comes with enthusiasm and few strings attached? Priceless!”

 

Both of us are also longtime fans of TV and film star Kim Cattrall. In her role as “Samantha” in Sex and the City and in her personal life, she epitomizes the positive qualities we associate with “cougar.” Through her books and many personal appearances she continues to encourage women to embrace their lives, their bodies and their sexuality. Some quotes:

Asked by Amazon.com to explain what she means by sexual intelligence: “A person who knows what they like! And has some idea why … I used the word intelligence in the title of the book and the documentary because it reflects my desire to gather whatever insights, inspirations, and information that could nourish the part of us that is sexual and sensual, so that it might be strong and function well.”

 

In a recent interview for TheaterMania.com promoting Sex and the City II: “We have encouraged a lot of women to change the way they feel about being single, about having cancer, being lonely, and I think that’s a powerful thing in this era of post-feminism. I think we have helped to find what it is to be successful, smart, and feminine.”

 

But it turns out she – and many others – think the term is derogatory and the cougar trend is on its way out. PopEater.com puts it this way in Saying goodbye to the Cougar Trend:

“And so now it looks like we’re going to have to look at Pfeiffer, Cox, Cattrall and other aging actress for what they really are: confident, successful women whose talent has kept them in the spotlight beyond an arbitrary media-determined sell-by date. Rather than agree to hide behind some sort of cartoon send-up of what an attractive older woman is, these ladies are redefining how we see life after you spot that first wrinkle.”

 

Cattrall recently turned down a cover spot on a major women’s magazine because they wanted her to pose with a cougar – and to her, that term and that imagery are derogatory. She told Extra “I really take umbrage to the code ‘cougar’ …I think cougar has a negative connotation, and I don’t see anything negative about Samantha and her sexuality, sensuality and choice.” Over at The Today Show in an interview with Meredith Viera she clarified, “I feel there is nothing predatory about a woman of a certain age. The stereotype is that the woman is searching for young men like they’re prey, and I just don’t think that’s good enough.”

We’ve received lots of positive comments from readers who are inspired by the cougar concept and love the fantasies, so we’re curious – what does the cougar image mean to YOU? Positive or negative, celebratory or derogatory, powerful or demeaning? Eager to hear from you!

Three-Way – Which ways do you like it?

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The first erotic romance my husband and I wrote together under our pen name Adriana Kraft was filled with hot three-way scenes between the immortal Love Goddess Aria and the mortal couple whose marriage she came to save, Ryan and Jamie Hazleton. We’ve never looked back – nearly all our stories have at least three-way encounters, sometimes more, and most of our heroines are bisexual. We wrote (and still write) what we love to read, scenes that turn us on, even when we read, re-read, edit and polish them. Scenes that fill our fantasy life—scenes we’d love to find ourselves in the middle of. We hope you do, too.

Colors 150

Colors of the Night ~ Excerpt

What’s been fascinating for us is how our tastes have expanded, once those doors opened. We now find ourselves writing a much wider range. We’ve played with the unique pleasures two men can bring to one woman – April Day’s fantasies of a D.P. come to mind, now available in print in our 2in1 release at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, Meghan’s Playhouse Vol. 2.

 
 

 Meg 1 and 2 150

 

But it’s been our swinging characters, Jen and Brett Andrews, who pushed us over the brink into three-ways that include m/m. Turns out it’s not only Jen who discovers she’s bi at mid life – Brett has been bi-curious for longer than he’s let anyone know. He sampled a small taste in Swinging Games: A Tempting Taste, and now he’s ready for more in Swinging Games: Complexities. Here’s a small sample for your reading pleasure:

 

SG COMPLEX 150

 

What if the neighbors find out –
and what if they want to join in?
Delectable complexities unfold
as Jen and Brett continue their swinging adventures!

 

 

EXCERPT

“Christ, this guy is torturing me.” Dan’s fingers dug into Brett’s shoulder.

Brett raised his head to read his partner better.

“No, don’t stop. This is incredible torture.”

“Make sure you let us know when you’ve had enough or are close,” Jen cautioned.

“I will. Keep going, Brett. Please.”

Brett smiled around the cock he’d slipped back into his mouth, more than a little pleased their new bi friend was in such a dither due to him. He sank deeper down the cock, taking as much as he could easily manage, amazed at how its width stretched his mouth.

“Damn, I like watching a man go down on my man.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brenda palming her pussy. He peeked at Jen to see her doing the same. He shuttered his eyes, waiting for something—for what, he wasn’t quite sure. At least the women were enjoying the show, and from the sounds of Dan’s labored breathing, he wasn’t complaining either.

Brett stretched as taut as he could. His balls ached. And then he heard the beat. Was it coming from his head, his balls or Dan’s cock? It didn’t matter. Keeping fingers wrapped tightly around the base of Dan’s penis, Brett began to bob up and down like so many women had done for him in the past.

Even with his eyes closed, his vision blurred. He had to remember to breathe. Fingers encircled his cock. He wasn’t sure whose and he didn’t care. All he wanted was to share some the sensations coursing through his body with Dan—at the point of their connection.

He slowed, not wanting this electrifying exchange to end too soon. He backed off a little and nibbled briefly before resuming his dance with Dan’s cock.

“How in the hell did you learn how to suck cock like this?” Dan wailed. “Jesus.”

What are Your Hottest Fantasies?

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What are some of your hottest erotic fantasies?

That’s the question that guides the erotic scenes we create in our novels. Two persons write erotic romance together under the pen name Adriana Kraft – myself and my husband. When we develop the story arc for a new book, we reach for characters and plots that will allow us to explore those fantasies and flesh them out, for ourselves and for our readers.

We write primarily LGBT erotic romance. I ran into an interesting phenomenon at an online chat recently where I was promoting our Extasy Books series, Swinging Games. Someone asked who the hero of the series was based on, and I answered he was a happily married man whose wife is bi. Another reader chimed in “lucky man.” As fast as I could type, I responded “Lucky woman. She gets it both ways.”

We have a lot in common with the hero and heroine of that series. Jennifer and Brad are in their mid fifties, with their children grown and out of the home. They, like we, have renewed energy to explore sexual fantasies and take action. They turn to swinging – we turn to writing about them!

Jennifer’s fantasies? She’s finally figured out she’s attracted to women as well as men, and she’s never had a chance to try that out before. She wants to enjoy pleasuring and being pleasured by another woman – or maybe two of them. She’d also love to try having two men at the same time, focused entirely on giving her pleasure. And because she loves Brad, she’d love to be part of delivering the classic threesome for him – two women, focused entirely (well, almost!) on giving him pleasure.

Brad’s fantasies? An f/m/f three-way, for sure. Just imagining making love with two women at once is an incredible turn on for him. He’d also love to watch two women with each other – especially if one of them is Jen and she’s having the time of her life. And secretly, deep down inside, he’s beginning to fantasize what it might be like to be with another man.

The swing lifestyle delivers all this for them and even more.  Who knew how totally decadent it would feel to have three or even four pairs of hands giving pleasure at the same time? Or what a turn on it would be just to watch someone they love giving and receiving pleasure with someone else? What they were unprepared for was the exquisite effect of these experiences on their relationship and their own sexual practice. New energy, new encounters and new fantasies continue to fuel and enliven everything they do together, even when they are by themselves.

And writing about it delivers the same for us – and, we hope, for all of you who read our books.

Here are links to some excerpts from our Swinging Games series:

Anticipation

Hookups

A Tempting Taste

Complexities

The Adventure Continues