Adriana Kraft

When it's time to heat things up...

Excerpts

“…does that make this a date?” #MFRWhooks #RomanticSuspense #Romance

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A desperate espresso café owner, a determined coffee franchise rep, a quiet Midwestern town, anonymous threats out of the blue—where does the true danger lie?

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

EXCERPT

Kevin curled his fingers around the car door latch and turned back to Nadja. “Hmm, kissing me on the cheeks—does that make this a date?”

She broke into a large smile. “I’m not positive. Don’t misread a European custom.” She hesitated, then leaned across the space separating them to brush her lips lightly across his. She settled back in her seat and quietly watched his eyes sparkling.

“That’s an American custom,” he said, “for ending a date.”

“Don’t be so narrow-minded,” she teased. “I believe that custom is fairly common worldwide for ending a first date. Good night,” she added quickly. “I’ll see you on Friday.”

“You bet you will,” Kevin said, opening the door.

She watched him until he entered the motel. She hadn’t planned on their evening turning into a date. But it had. How? When? Why?

It had seemed like such a natural thing to kiss him. It had only been a kiss, and not much of one at that.

So why did her lips still tingle?

BUY LINKS

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L7WQH12/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1140503297
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/i-am-not-for-sale
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1115419
https://www.extasybooks.com/I-am-Not-for-Sale

REVIEW

Five Stars from N. N. Light

“The romance is so hot, you may have to call the fire department. But it’s the character development throughout I am Not for Sale which makes this such an incredible story.”

BLURB

It’s nothing personal…

It all seems simple enough—Ukrainian immigrant Nadja Petrov is determined to hold on to her thriving new coffee shop, Nadja’s Literary Cappuccino, and Java Beans District Rep Kevin Langley is equally determined to move into her North Iowa town with a franchise and run her out of business.

He scopes her out, she keeps a watchful eye on him, and the sparring begins. But there are other players involved, and the web of intrigue soon threatens Nadja, her shop, and her aunt as well as Kevin, his potential franchise, and his son.

Within this cauldron simmers a sexual attraction between Nadja and Kevin that catapults them to overcome their fears of intimacy and commitment. Their lovemaking is tender and raw. Their love is nearly lost in tragedy—can it survive doubts, fire, and even a death?

CLICK TO TRAVEL:

Stress – But not a complaint! #EroticRomance #RomanticSuspense #MFRWAuthor

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Do you let stress derail you plans?

Um, yes. Today’s Wednesday. I always have a post ready ahead of time for the MFRW Book Hooks weekly blog hop – but not this morning. I wasn’t even aware I’d missed it until I started running into the BookHooks posts of other authors on social  media this morning.

Stressors? On top of political turmoil and Covid fears, we lost a very dear friend Christmas day, and as so often also happens when I’m under stress, I didn’t pay enough attention to self-care and have developed a minor infection (short lived and easily cured, I hasten to add).

Stress doesn’t necessarily always stem from negative events – we’re thrilled our granddaughter is getting married this weekend. We can’t be there, and I put pressure on myself to get our gift to her in a timely manner. Which went out FedEx this morning.

I’m not writing all this on our blog to complain, but to talk about the impact of stressors on the best laid plans. Sometimes we have to simply step aside, accept what life has handed us, and change direction.

This is what Merry Delaney faces with the intrusion of Detective Jim Barnes into her life. Widowed for over a year, Merry is happily exploring all the dimensions of her new sexual liberation and has no plans to stop or slow down for anyone. Jim is investigating a mob funds-laundering scheme related to drug trafficking, and one of Merry’s accounting clients is under suspicion. She’s just discovered that some of her files have mysteriously disappeared from her home office computer…

EXCERPT

Merry looked up from the computer screen to see the object of her concern stalk into her office. He didn’t look any more relaxed than earlier. He held out his hand to her. She saw three tiny objects.

She cringed away from his hard stare. “What are they? Where did you find them?”

“Each of your three phones was tapped.”

“Shit. You were right about the computer, too. I don’t know why the security programs didn’t block the hacker. Somebody knows what they’re doing. You didn’t find anything else?”

“I’m not an expert on that, so we’ll wait for the people I called.”

“So we don’t know if anyone is listening as we speak.”

“Probably not.”

Merry slammed a fist on her desk. “This is too much. Having you spy on me from bushes is one thing, but this guy or woman is lurking in my space.”

“As I said, Merry, I doubt they have the house bugged. We’ll know for sure in a couple hours.”

“Good. I don’t like this, Jim. Not one bit.” She chewed on her lower lip. “It’s scary.”

“I know it is. Come on,” he said, offering her a hand. “Let’s go outside. Just in case.”

She grabbed his hand and led the way out onto the patio. “Would you hold me, please?” She directed him to the chaise lounge and sat on his lap. “Put your arms around me, please. I’m chilled. I’ve never been this scared. I was just trying to help—to help those young girls stay off drugs.”

BUY LINKS

All our backlist, including The Merry Widow, is on sale at Extasy Books through the month of January:

  Extasy Books

Additional Buy Links:

Amazon   Kobo   Barnes & Noble

Apple    Google Play

Goodreads     BookBub

Please visit all the Book Hooks bloggers who were timely at this link – you’ll be glad you did:

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to spend this day alone. #MFRWHook #EroticRomance #LGBTQ

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

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

EXCERPT

Since Friday night will usher in the new year, we’re sharing a snippet from The Merry Widow, which opens on New Year’s Eve:

Prologue

New Year’s Eve 1999
Four AM
Glencoe, Illinois

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

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

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

BLURB

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

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

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

REVIEW

Wow, what an incredible book! Not only is The Merry Widow a gripping romantic suspense, but the heat level is hotter than Death Valley… The ending took me by surprise and I was a little sad to see it end. I grew attached to the characters and wanted to stay in their world a little bit longer. The Merry Widow will be on my keeper shelf and one I will be re-reading again and again. Highly recommend!   N. N. Light

BUY LINKS

Amazon   Kobo   Barnes & Noble   Extasy Books

Apple    Google Play

Goodreads     BookBub

“You must be very special.” Santa’s Boss #FFM #EroticRomance #HolidayBook #MFRWhook

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Joy Danser has believed in Santa since childhood—now Nick Polaris and his Gypsy lover show her Santa can deliver an adult package beyond her wildest dreams!

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

Today we’re featuring another of our Holiday novellas, Santa’s Boss – a paranormal encounter with a very adult Santa!

EXCERPT

“You say this phantom came to you while you were having sex with your boyfriend.”

Joy nodded across the tiny round table at Sophia Nardiz. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation, but how could she expect the woman to help if she didn’t know what had happened? “Yes. He entered me from behind while I had Ted in my mouth.”

“Interesting. And you never said anything to your boyfriend.”

Trying not to scratch at her eyes, Joy inhaled the rich incense filling the room. “I didn’t know what to tell him.” She realized that must sound lame.

Sophia pushed back dark tresses of hair from her shoulder. She smiled as if she knew a secret. “Have you ever had two cocks before?”

Blanching, Joy shook her head.

“And this visitor claimed to be Santa Claus.”

“That’s right. I felt his beard and mustache.” Joy shuddered.

“I’m sure you did. You look quite pleased with the memory.”

“I must be crazy,” Joy wailed. “You must think I’m nuts for sure.”

“Don’t say that, girl.” Sophia cradled Joy’s hand, and Joy experienced an immediate calm spreading over her body. “What you describe is quite plausible.” Sophia smiled thinly. “You have too many aches—pleasant aches—for this to be something only in your mind. It could be someone with psychokinetic and telepathic powers. Rare, but not impossible. I have known persons with such powers.”

“You don’t think I’m crazy.”

“Not at all. I believe you must be very special to have received such a gift.”

BLURB

Always authentic, Assistant Mall Manager Joy Danser insists that her mall Santas must have real beards so children can believe. But even she is unprepared for the very real Santa who visits her bed invisibly this Christmas season. Is she dreaming, or has she gone mad? Joy consults Sophia Nardiz, manager of the Magical Gypsy shop at her mall. Sophia reads her palm and gives her a cryptic message: Joy is at a crossroads, and she must trust her intuition.

Owner of the Magical Gypsy chain and a true Gypsy himself, Nick Polaris is thrilled to play Joy’s Santa, in the mall and in her bed, but he knows it’s only a lark. For true love, he’ll need someone with Gypsy blood. Must he renounce the Scottish redhead he enjoys so much?

BUY LINKS

Amazon    Barnes & Noble

Kobo    Extasy Books

On #Sale thru 12/31 The Gift Exchange #EroticRomance @ExtasyBooks #Menage #MFRWhook

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For only 80 cents, you can download our Holiday short story The Gift Exchange, now through the 31st of December at Extasy Books!

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

This week’s excerpt comes from our Holiday FFM Menage short story, The Gift Exchange.

It’s Christmas Eve—what gifts will Mack, Carol and Tara unwrap together?

EXCERPT

“Let’s see.” Carol handed one light package to Tara and they both began to carefully pull at the tissue paper.
“Oh my,” Tara gasped. “Santa has sexy naughty taste.”
“He does, doesn’t he?” Carol held up a sheer pale white camisole and watched Tara do the same. “They match,” Carol said, as if surprised.
Mack cleared his throat. “Wow.”
“Do you think Santa got the right sizes?” Carol looked at Tara.
Tara made a show of carefully examining the thin material. “Hard to tell. He must’ve forgotten to get us bottoms.”

BLURB

What is Carol up to now? Mack has always known his free-spirited wife is bisexual, but it seems she has new adventures on her mind this Christmas season.

Carol has long entertained fantasies of a threesome with herself, her husband, and their attractive nearby neighbor, Tara.  Now that Tara’s troublesome ex is out of the picture, is this the season to make her fantasies come true?

Tara’s felt a little deprived since cutting things off with her ex, and she’ll admit she envies what Mack and her best friend Carol seem to share. If they invite her to join them, will she dare?

Click to travel to the other excerpts!

“I gave it to you to tide you over…” #NewRelease #MFRWsteam #RomanticSuspense

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Welcome to Steam Hop, a monthly offering by members of Marketing For Romance Writers for readers who like their scenes hot and spicy. Click on the links at the end to travel to other Steam Hop posts, and enjoy!

Today’s excerpt is from our newest release, I Am Not For Sale.

A desperate espresso café owner, a determined coffee franchise rep, a quiet Midwestern town, anonymous threats out of the blue—where does the true danger lie?

EXCERPT

Set-up: Today’s excerpt occurs just after Kevin’s first visit to Nadja’s cafe. Her Aunt Ivett has been watching through the door that connects their two shops…

Ivett looked around, probably double-checking that they were alone. She leaned forward and spoke softly. “Maybe I shouldn’t have given you that crystal dildo two years ago. I gave it to you to tide you over—not to replace a man.”

Scowling, Nadja huffed, “You know I don’t like calling it a dildo. It’s my magical crystal wand.”

“Did you ever try the rabbit I gave you?”

“I don’t want to use anything mechanical. The crystal is natural and communicates its own vibrations. And I’ve told you before, I do enjoy it. It warms me.”

“Not as much as a man would. I’m sorry I gave it to you.”

“Don’t be sorry. Maybe I simply haven’t found a man who intrigues me enough to make time for him.”

BLURB

It’s nothing personal…

It all seems simple enough—Ukrainian immigrant Nadja Petrov is determined to hold on to her thriving new coffee shop, Nadja’s Literary Cappuccino, and Java Beans District Rep Kevin Langley is equally determined to move into her North Iowa town with a franchise and run her out of business.

He scopes her out, she keeps a watchful eye on him, and the sparring begins. But there are other players involved, and the web of intrigue soon threatens Nadja, her shop, and her aunt as well as Kevin, his potential franchise, and his son. Within this cauldron simmers a sexual attraction between Nadja and Kevin that catapults them to overcome their fears of intimacy and commitment. Their lovemaking is tender and raw. Their love is nearly lost in tragedy—can it survive doubts, fire, and even a death?

REVIEW

Five Stars from N. N. Light: “The romance is so hot, you may have to call the fire department. But it’s the character development throughout I am Not for Sale which makes this such an incredible story.” https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/i-am-not-for-sale-bookreview

BUY LINKS

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L7WQH12/

Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1140503297

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/i-am-not-for-sale

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1115419

ExtasyBooks https://www.extasybooks.com/I-am-Not-for-Sale

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59582104

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/books/i-am-not-for-sale-by-adriana-kraft