Adriana Kraft

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

Excerpts

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

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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.

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.

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!

The Mind of the Villain #TBT #RomanticSuspense #KU #Halloween #MFRWAuthor

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Halloween’s almost here! Did you think we were going to give away the villain’s secrets on this last Throw Back Thursday in October? Think again – but what we will do is share the opening of a creepy letter he sent her:

“Dear Detective: You may be good at games, but I am a master at them. I can hardly wait… Rest assured you are the chosen one. You will reign at the fire – no one else will do. Only one more pretender before you will mount the throne.

BLURB

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

Is anthropology professor Matt Bayfield the Blackthorn College rapist, or a potential ally? Aloof and unapproachable, Matt has academic ambitions. He can’t escape Blackthorn College soon enough, and he doesn’t want any entanglements to slow down his exit.

Nancy Appleby would like nothing more than to solve the string of campus rape cases before Thanksgiving so she can go home. The last thing she wants is a relationship to complicate her life—but she’ll settle for a fling, especially when the sex sizzles.

The stalker has his own carefully crafted timetable, with a special date just for Nancy. Can Matt and Nancy force him out of his hidey-hole before it’s too late?

BUY LINK

Available exclusively at Amazon

Always free to read on Kindle Unlimited

The Mind of the Villain #TBT #RomanticSuspense #KU #Halloween #MFRWAuthor

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For Throwback Thursday, here’s another peek into the mind of our villain. Tension is amping up! By now, Nancy and Matt have figured out the villain’s timing, but they still have no clue who he is, who he’ll target next, or how to stop him.

He sobered against the stiff wind. Did Detective Appleby think she was invulnerable to his gift? No goddess could resist the gift of his Robyn. And she was a goddess. Maybe more dangerous than the others, but certainly he knew now what the universe had been trying to tell him.

The irony was that she thought she was hunting him. None of the others were that eager to receive his gift. But she’d have to wait her turn.

BLURB

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

Is anthropology professor Matt Bayfield the Blackthorn College rapist, or a potential ally? Aloof and unapproachable, Matt has academic ambitions. He can’t escape Blackthorn College soon enough, and he doesn’t want any entanglements to slow down his exit.

Nancy Appleby would like nothing more than to solve the string of campus rape cases before Thanksgiving so she can go home. The last thing she wants is a relationship to complicate her life—but she’ll settle for a fling, especially when the sex sizzles.

The stalker has his own carefully crafted timetable, with a special date just for Nancy. Can Matt and Nancy force him out of his hidey-hole before it’s too late?

BUY LINK

Available exclusively at Amazon

Always free to read on Kindle Unlimited

That Kiss! #MFRWHooks #RomanticSuspense #Samhain #UndercoverCop #KU

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Welcome to MFRWHooks!
Scroll to the end for more of this weeks tempting excerpts

The Unmasking, by Adriana Kraft

BUY LINK  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IDVB6KQ/
Always free at Kindle Unlimited

BLURB

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

Is anthropology professor Matt Bayfield the Blackthorn College rapist, or a potential ally? Aloof and unapproachable, Matt has academic ambitions. He can’t escape Blackthorn College soon enough, and he doesn’t want any entanglements to slow down his exit.

Nancy Appleby would like nothing more than to solve the string of campus rape cases before Thanksgiving so she can go home. The last thing she wants is a relationship to complicate her life—but she’ll settle for a fling, especially when the sex sizzles.

The stalker has his own carefully crafted timetable, with a special date just for Nancy. Can Matt and Nancy force him out of his hidey-hole before it’s too late?

EXCERPT

Set Up: It’s Samhain—after leaving Professor Bayfield’s Celtic lecture, Nancy’s determined to smoke out the stalker; she’s pretty sure he spots his victims at a local bar…

At the bar two hours later, Nancy sat on a bar stool next to the open space where patrons came to place their orders. Her purse lay on the stool beside her so there would be plenty of room for her perp to sit down—if he ever arrived. She’d wait another half hour and then make her exit. She was nearly certain the man was somewhere in the smoky bar.

Slowly adding another layer of lipstick, Nancy studied her image in the mirror that stretched the full length of the row of liquor bottles behind the bartender. She hardly recognized herself. Her own dark hair was tucked under an auburn wig. Fake contacts made her eyes appear dark brown instead of gray. The sweater she wore dipped low, revealing much more of her breasts than she preferred, but then she was trying to fulfill every man’s dream. She hoped her red leather mini-skirt screamed availability. Once again, she had on the calf length black boots. They provided her with some sense of being covered up as well as warmth. Now all she needed was a man—the right man.

She took a sip of Coors and watched a new patron enter the room still huddled over from fighting the cold wind. He straightened and stepped into the light.

Nancy raised a hand to cover her largely exposed breasts. It couldn’t be, she screamed to no one. It couldn’t be. She looked away and then peeked back at the man approaching the bar. Holy shit! It was.

Be calm. He won’t recognize you. You’re in disguise. And what in the hell was Matt Bayfield doing here? This wasn’t his kind of scene. She closed her eyes, taking in the lilting Celtic music. Of course it was, tonight. She should have remembered that. She shivered and then warmed to her task. It might be fun observing the man when he didn’t realize she was even nearby.

Nancy concentrated on her beer and nearly snickered when Bayfield came to the bar to order a drink. His fingers drummed against the bar surface no more than two feet from her arm. The bartender was busy at the other end of the bar and Bayfield’s impatience was evident.

At last, the bartender nodded at Bayfield. “What can I get for you?”

“A glass of chardonnay,” Bayfield said, distinctly as if the man might be hard of hearing.

The man wiped his hands on his once white apron. “Drinking heavy tonight, huh?”

Nancy gave Bayfield credit for not rising to the bartender’s bait.

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

“Ms. Cr—”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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 15th 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 15th, 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://adrianakraft.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

HookUps ~ First Swinging date for a mid-life couple! #Sale #TBT #Backlist #MFRWAuthor @extasybooks

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…so life happens, and I missed TBT yesterday, but meanwhile, with our car in the shop so long, I got to drive a hot fire-engine red Mustang for a couple days!

Better late than never, here’s our Throw Back Thursday post for a backlist book:

Swinging Games: Hookups

Do you ever fantasize about what it might be like to be in the swing lifestyle? We think lots of couples have this fantasy without ever taking the plunge and getting involved, and that’s part of why we’ve written an entire series about it. Swinging Games, with fifteen novellas, is the story of an empty-nest couple who get curious and decide to try it out. The series is a safe way for wanna-be’s to dip their toes in and find out more. A great way to feed those fantasies, even if they never lead any further!

We’ve visited several swing clubs and talked with lots of swingers, and they tell us our series is spot-on accurate about some of the best of what the lifestyle has to offer. Hook Ups is our fictional couple’s first date in the lifestyle – the first time they have a sexual adventure with another couple. We should add that first “dates” don’t always lead to play – often couples who’ve decided to meet plan a “meet and greet” first, to figure out if they’ll really want to get up close and personal. Fortunately for our couple, the answer this time is yes.

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Friends with benefits – a brand new world opens up for Jen and Brett Andrews in the enticing but unpredictable world of swinging. Will Pam and Rick be all they’ve hoped for? Will Tom and Linda disappear after chatting them up? What about Carl and Alice? Fantasies and new hookups fuel the fire of lust and excitement, but what will happen to their marriage?

EXCERPT

Trying to keep the obvious lust from his eyes, Brett nodded and smiled at Linda, who was eyeing him boldly over her wineglass. She sipped her wine and shuddered slightly as the liquid slid over her palate. Brett’s breathing tightened when she chuckled softly and set the glass down on the table.

“We’re glad you agreed to meet us on rather short notice.” Linda’s white teeth glistened and her dark eyes snapped. “Sometimes good things can come from cancellations.”

“That was lucky for us,” Brett said. “I can’t even recall the names of the couple that bailed on us. Pictures don’t do you guys justice.” He knew that must sound like a hackneyed line, but he meant every word. Even attired modestly in a blue blouse and black slacks, Linda projected that confident sexy air that never ceased to arouse him. She glowed a mixture of eroticism and exoticism that was nearly spellbinding.

He reached down and briefly squeezed his wife’s fingers, which had been doing a tap dance on his inner thigh—their sign that this was a couple with whom she wanted to play. Stifling a chuckle, he blew a kiss at her. They hadn’t even been served yet. Sometimes Jen could be quick with her judgments, but then there’d been little doubt since their first contact on the swing site that they’d want to play with the couple from Louisville. It still wasn’t clear if the chocolate-skinned female and her tanned husband would want to play with them, but Brett sure hoped so.

BUY LINKS

On Sale at Extasy Books

$2.40 https://www.extasybooks.com/hook-ups

It’s easy to download Extasy books to your Kindle. “Send to Kindle” instructions are at the top of the page at the Extasy Facebook Reader Group, Book Carousel. While you’re there, we’d love to have you join us—theme days, author events, games, prizes, plus a chance to get to know all the wonderful Extasy authors.

Other Retail Outlets

$4.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XREY9A

$5.99 https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hookups