Adriana Kraft

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

Romantic Suspense

The Villain of the Piece #MWTease #MFRWAuthor #RomanticSuspense #PreOrder

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Welcome to MidWeek Tease, where authors share tempting snippets to tide you over till the weekend. A huge shout out to author Angelica Dawson for hosting our blog hop every week!

The Painter is a Lady is now up for Pre Order at Amazon!

We thought perhaps it was time to let readers hear from the villain of the piece—we need sinister organ music to go with this one. That’ll help you Boo the villain!

Secrets. Trust. Courage.

 

Who will knuckle under first—

the war hero?

The spirited single mom?

Or the former high school bully who still hates them both?

Romantic Suspense:
246 pages

Three flames:
Explicit sex, M/F

 

 

EXCERPT

Taking a last drag on a cigarette, Brett Hill glared at the all too familiar figure leaving the Monroe Avenue house where he knew Brenda Tower was working. With some satisfaction, he noted that Michael Jarvis favored his left leg slightly. The whole town had made such a fuss when his injury was reported. Brett scowled. You’d have thought the guy had been killed in action in Afghanistan.

“Too bad he wasn’t,” Brett grumbled, slouching further in the seat.

Now the asshole was back. After all this time, was he planning to make a play for Brenda? He’d better not. Brett chuckled bitterly.

He knew the rumors weren’t true. At least he thought he knew, but who could believe a woman when she was drunk and sotted with desire? He’d only learned about the possibility a couple years earlier. He’d tucked it in his memory bank for possible use later. Information was power. And he might yet be able to check out whether Sam Stanton was actually the kid’s father. Wouldn’t that make a splash? Sister-in-law gets pregnant with brother-in-law―the hotshot school teacher, church leader and all-around Boy Scout.

But he’d have to do more sleuthing before putting much faith in Sharon Jorgenson’s babbling. She might’ve been a legal secretary who knew the facts, but Brett prided himself on being a cautious man. He’d continue biding his time until he saw a need to act. If there was nothing to gain, he wouldn’t venture.

 

BLURB

When war hero Michael Jarvis returns to Ashland, Wisconsin, he doesn’t plan to stay—he’s undercover, investigating a possible sex trafficking ring on the Great Lakes. But he does want to sample the pesky girl next door he always turned down—and it wouldn’t hurt if she’d clear up a few mysteries of her own.

Successfully established as an interior house painter, Brenda Tower finally has her act together as a single mom—but it hangs by a thread, a secret she’ll guard with her life. The return of her youthful crush Michael Jarvis threatens to unravel everything.

Jealousy has inflamed Brett Hill’s hatred of Michael and Brenda for as long as he can remember. Revenge will be so sweet.

When the secrets break open, can Michael and Brenda find the courage to trust each other, or will revenge and betrayal triumph?

BUY LINKS

You can pre order The Painter is a Lady NOW at Amazon, or purchase directly (any format) at Extasy Books:

           

 

Lots of terrific authors have midweek teases waiting for you at the links below:

The Painter is a Lady #PreOrder #Excerpt #MFRWAuthor

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Now Available for Pre-Order at Amazon!

Secrets. Trust. Courage. Who will knuckle under first—the war hero? The spirited single mom? Or the former high school bully who still hates them both

BLURB

When war hero Michael Jarvis returns to Ashland, Wisconsin, he doesn’t plan to stay—he’s undercover, investigating a possible sex trafficking ring on the Great Lakes. But he does want to sample the pesky girl next door he always turned down—and it wouldn’t hurt if she’d clear up a few mysteries of her own.

Successfully established as an interior house painter, Brenda Tower finally has her act together as a single mom—but it hangs by a thread, a secret she’ll guard with her life. The return of her youthful crush Michael Jarvis threatens to unravel everything.

Jealousy has inflamed Brett Hill’s hatred of Michael and Brenda for as long as he can remember. Revenge will be so sweet.

When the secrets break open, can Michael and Brenda find the courage to trust each other, or will revenge and betrayal triumph?

EXCERPT

Prologue

Pulling her flannel nightgown tighter around her frame, Brenda Tower stared out her bedroom window at Lake Superior in the gray distance. The waves must be twenty or thirty feet high for her to see them through the dawn haze. Had the late November storm awakened her? And why did she have such a feeling of dread? She’d always loved the lake – swimming, fishing, picnicking and playing on calm sunny days, and thrilling to its power when she watched it storm.

A fragment of her dream flashed before her eyes, sending a chill down her spine. Startled, she grasped for more detail, but it remained just out of reach, though filled with foreboding. Lake, fishing boat, too many people, shouting, gunshots.

Must have been reading too many thrillers. She couldn’t link up the images with anything in her experience. Shrugging, she glanced at the clock and decided to go make coffee and start her day. So much for sleeping in on the weekend.

Is She Strong? #MSS179 #MFRWAuthor #NewRelease

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Welcome to My Sexy Saturday Week 179, where authors tease you with seven sentences or paragraphs from their sexy stories! This week’s theme is Sexy and Strong.

Strong? We’re not sure Brenda Tower thinks she’s strong, but we’ll let you be the judge. Here’s a little more about her.

Was she strong as an elementary and middle school girl who tagged after her older next door neighbor and joined him in countless hijinks? Was she strong when she charged through her sexually active adolescence at ninety miles an hour, deeply hurt that he was suddenly ignoring her? How about at nineteen, when birth control failed and she made the choice to become a single mom and raise her son? Or what about building a successful business as an interior house painter? Or perhaps she’s strong for protecting the secret she carries—the name of her child’s father.

Secrets. Trust. Courage. Who will knuckle under first—the war hero? The spirited single mom? Or the former high school bully who still hates them both?

EXCERPT

“Maybe we could start over.” Michel set down his beer stein. “You were going to tell me why you selected me as Tommy’s father. There must’ve been plenty of others to choose from.”

“That hurts.” Brenda shook her head. “Don’t apologize. I deserved that. We both know I was quite active sexually before Tommy was born.” She shrugged. “You made the most sense. You weren’t around to protest, and folks in town thought we’d been together off and on since I reached puberty, anyway.”

“So much for folks in town.”

“Right. Anyway. I wasn’t going to leave that line on the birth certificate blank. You were convenient. You were out of the country. I imagine I thought you might never find out.” She fought back tears, remembering filling out the necessary forms two days after Tommy was born. “And you were my friend.”

“I won’t deny that. For all the misery you caused me, there were plenty of times you stood by me when the chips were down. So I was convenient.” Michael raked his fingers through his hair. “You can tell me it’s none of my business, but I have to ask. Do you know who is Tommy’s actual father?”

Brenda gulped for air, nodded, and ignored the tears suddenly brimming in her eyes. “Yes,” she squeaked. “But I won’t tell you.”

“I wasn’t asking you to, but at least I know you’re not just protecting Tommy―you’re also protecting his father.”

BUY LINK

BLURB

When war hero Michael Jarvis returns to his hometown on the shores of Lake Superior, he doesn’t plan to stay—he’s undercover, investigating a possible sex trafficking ring operating on the Great Lakes. But he does want to sample the pesky girl next door he always turned down—and it wouldn’t hurt if she’d clear up a few mysteries of her own along the way.

Successfully established as an interior house painter, Brenda Tower finally has her act together as a single mom—but it hangs by a thread, a secret she’ll guard with her life. The return of her youthful crush Michael Jarvis threatens to unravel everything.

Jealousy has inflamed Brett Hill’s hatred of Michael and Brenda for as long as he can remember. Revenge will be so sweet—and it will fit in perfectly with his high stakes game.

When the secrets break open, can Michael and Brenda find the courage to trust each other, or will revenge and betrayal triumph?

More Snippets

Be sure to travel to the marvelous authors listed below to learn about their strong and sexy characters!

New Release! The Painter is a Lady by @AdrianaKraft #MFRWAuthor #eXbdd

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It’s Here!! Our romantic suspense The Painter is a Lady was just released today at Extasy Books, and will be available at Amazon and other outlets within a week!

We went back to one of our favorite places to set this story—check out our Pinterest board for a peek at Chequamegon Bay and the Duluth Lift Bridge, sights included in the book. “Ice-Out” plays a central role in the story. If you don’t know what that means, you’ve never lived in the northland 🙂

 

Secrets. Trust. Courage.

 

Who will knuckle under first—

 

The war hero?

 

The spirited single mom?

 

Or the former high school bully who still hates them both?

 

BLURB

When war hero Michael Jarvis returns to his hometown on the shores of Lake Superior, he doesn’t plan to stay—he’s undercover, investigating a possible sex trafficking ring operating on the Great Lakes. But he does want to sample the pesky girl next door he always turned down—and it wouldn’t hurt if she’d clear up a few mysteries of her own.

Successfully established as an interior house painter, Brenda Tower finally has her act together as a single mom—but it hangs by a thread, a secret she’ll guard with her life. The return of her youthful crush Michael Jarvis threatens to unravel everything.

Jealousy has inflamed Brett Hill’s hatred of Michael and Brenda for as long as he can remember. Revenge will be so sweet—and it will fit in perfectly with his high stakes game.

When the secrets break open, can Michael and Brenda find the courage to trust each other, or will revenge and betrayal triumph?

BUY LINKS

Extasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/the-painter-is-a-lady/

Amazon

EXCERPT

Ignoring the catch in her voice, Brenda asked, “Did you really tell Tommy you’d help him with his pitching?”

Michael’s eyes lit up. “Ah, he remembered. I wasn’t sure he would. I did tell him once that if I moved back here, I might give him some tips.”

“Why?”

“Why?”

“Why did you even suggest such a thing? You obviously know the rumors. So does Tommy.” She gulped and curled her fingers into fists. “He thinks you’re his father. He wants you to be his father.”

Sitting back in the booth as if she’d slapped him, he eyed her cautiously. “And that’s my fault? I’ve only seen him a few times. When we did have that conversation, he was having a bad day. He’d been ragged on by his peers for throwing like a girl. He’d been crying, for God’s sake. I just stumbled into him near the park as he was coming home from school. He knew who I was. I knew who he was. So we talked. I didn’t think that was a crime.”

The pain on Michael’s face made Brenda wince. “I didn’t mean it that way. I doubt you’d do anything to hurt a little boy, but…but Tommy thinks you’re a hero. He’s eager to have you as a friend.”

Michael shrugged. “Sounds like the boy is more eager than his mother.”

“Damn. Do you have to twist everything I’m trying to say?” She clenched her fingers around the stein she’d hardly touched since sitting down.

“Sorry,” he said softly. “Maybe we could start over. You were going to tell me why you selected me as Tommy’s father. There must’ve been plenty of others to choose from.”

“That hurts.” She shook her head. “Don’t apologize. I deserved that. We both know I was quite active sexually before Tommy was born.” She shrugged. “You made the most sense. You weren’t around to protest, and folks in town thought we’d been together off and on since I reached puberty, anyway.”

“So much for folks in town.”

“Right. Anyway. I wasn’t going to leave that line on the birth certificate blank. You were convenient. You were out of the country. I imagine I thought you might never find out.” She fought back tears, remembering filling out the necessary forms two days after Tommy was born. “And you were my friend.”

“I won’t deny that. For all the misery you caused me, there were plenty of times you stood by me when the chips were down. So I was convenient.” Michael raked his fingers through his hair. “You can tell me it’s none of my business, but I have to ask. Do you know who is Tommy’s actual father?”

Brenda gulped for air, nodded, and ignored the tears suddenly brimming in her eyes. “Yes,” she squeaked. “But I won’t tell you.”

“I wasn’t asking you to, but at least I know you’re not just protecting Tommy―you’re also protecting his father.”

Click HERE for more about how we came to write this story

Click HERE for another excerpt

Join me for a Beer… #MWTease #MFWAuthor #RomanticSuspense

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Welcome to Midweek Tease, where we spice things up to help you get through the middle of the week!

Our forthcoming romantic suspense, The Painter is a Lady, releases at Extasy Books March 17, so for the next few weeks our Midweek Tease will be drawn from its pages.

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!

 

Secrets. Trust. Courage.

Who will knuckle under first—

the war hero?

The spirited single mom?

Or the former high school bully who still hates them both?

 

EXCERPT SET-UP: Michael’s doing finish carpentry work on the same job site where Brenda works as a house painter. Michael knows they’ve got to talk…

EXCERPT

“So you’ll join me for a beer after work?” Michal asked.

“Why can’t we just talk here?”

“Because I may want to claim squatter’s rights.”

“What?” Brenda’s mouth fell open and she blinked. “What?”

He pursed his lips. “You’ve had this whole town believing you and I got it on years ago. That I’m Tommy’s natural father. Maybe I’m ready to prove you right.”

Michael retreated quickly as she pointed the sprayer at him.

“Don’t you get any such ideas, Michael Jarvis,” she huffed. “You don’t have any rights. You rejected me―” she choked out― “you hurt me so many times there’s no way I’m going to go to bed with you now. I’ve got my life together. I sure as hell don’t need you.”

He gave her his most confident grin. “You may not need me, but the question remains―do you still want me?” He held up his palm to stop her response. “I’ll pick you up at seven. I trust you’ll be ready.”

“Oh, I’ll damn well be ready,” she snapped. “We’ve got lots to talk about. Like how we can work together without you letting your libido get in the way. But don’t come by my house. I’ll meet you at McPhail’s.” She took a quick gulp of air and hurried on before he could interrupt. “I’m not a teenager anymore, Michael. I’m not about to fall down on my knees and worship your existence.”

“I don’t want that.” Michael chuckled. “And when you’re on your knees, I’m counting on you having something else on your mind than worship.”

He ducked through the doorway, narrowly escaping a paint brush thrown his way. Whistling softly, he tried not to pay close attention to the string of cuss words coming from the living room. This was probably not the moment to tell Brenda that a woman talking dirty to him was a definite turn on.

 

BLURB

When war hero Michael Jarvis returns to his home town on the shores of Lake Superior, he doesn’t plan to stay—he’s undercover, investigating a possible sex trafficking ring operating on the Great Lakes. But he does want to sample the pesky girl next door he always turned down—and it wouldn’t hurt if she’d clear up a few mysteries of her own along the way.

Successfully established as an interior house painter, Brenda Tower finally has her act together as a single mom—but it hangs by a thread, a secret she’ll guard with her life. The return of her youthful crush Michael Jarvis threatens to unravel everything.

Jealousy has inflamed Brett Hill’s hatred of Michael and Brenda for as long as he can remember. Revenge will be so sweet—and it will fit in perfectly with his high stakes game.

When the secrets break open, can Michael and Brenda find the courage to trust each other, or will revenge and betrayal triumph?

 

It’s the middle of the week – you’ll want to check out all these other great teases to get you through to Friday!

A Bright New Dawn

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Happy New Year!

Wherever you are, whatever your New Year’s morning sky looks like, both of us who write as Adriana Kraft wish you the fresh beginnings of a bright new dawn.

Looking East at the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

I took this photograph on my morning walk last summer just south of Santa Fe, New Mexico, where we spent a month traveling and touring. So many mornings looked just as beautiful that it was hard for me to select which picture to feature. As I sorted through them, it suddenly struck me that only with clouds do we receive the gift of the most brilliant sunrises. So our New Year’s wish for you is that even when there are clouds, there will be new dawns that beckon with opportunity.

Maggie Anderson, heroine of Heat Wave, has come through a lot of dark times, including the loss of her parents and her husband. Now she’s struggling to raise her two children and make a living off the Iowa farm her parents left her. Farmers around her are bailing out and selling off—instead of knuckling under, she makes a daring move and seeks her new dawn:

BLURB

During an oppressive Iowa summer of drought and farm foreclosures, widowed Maggie Anderson makes a bold decision: She’ll merge her love of horses and her family’s three hundred and twenty acres into a horse farm and try her hand at nearby Prairie Meadows Race Track, where racing purses have just been augmented by the recently added casino gambling.

Down on his luck after being falsely accused in a racing scandal and banned from training, former Arlington Race Track trainer Ed Harrington has skulked home to Des Moines to drown his sorrows and wait for the dust to clear. He’s unprepared for the piercing robin’s-egg-blue eyes of pint-sized Maggie Anderson, who finds him at a flophouse and offers him a job. Can he pull himself together and meet the challenge?

As the two forge a tumultuous working partnership, they soon discover someone is out to get Maggie’s farm and will stop at almost nothing to force her off the land. Can they find and stop the culprit before someone is killed? Can they survive the far greater danger unleashed by the raw passion simmering just beneath the surface of their relationship?

BUY LINK
Print and Ebook

You can read an excerpt HERE