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Adriana Kraft

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Book Tour: Rocky Mountain Star #Giveaway #Romance #Contemporary

January 26, 2023 by Adriana Kraft 1 Comment

(Rocky Mountain Romances, Book 2)

Romance

Date Published: 12.13.2022

Publisher: Dragonbooks Publishing House

 

 

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Did someone say dance like no one is watching? Guess that’s the only
way Tyler CAN dance now. Slip into the pages of the fun and feisty second
book in the Rocky Mountain Romances series.

Tyler Carter has everything she dreams of—she’s the starring
ballerina in a Cirque-du-Soleil type show, a splashy Las Vegas lifestyle,
and there’s nothing tying her down. Until she injures her knee, that
is.

Tyler flees to her family in the little mountain town of Independence
Junction, Colorado, and pretends she’ll get better, until forced to realize
the truth. And forced to confront her past when she smacks right into
Patrick West, the architect restoring the historic Wilkinson house.

Their attraction quickly rekindles because of a one-night tryst they had
the summer before—one neither of them wants to admit to!

But something else gets rekindled. A stalker sets their sights on Tyler and
leaves shocking clues indicating they know exactly who Tyler is, and that
they want her dead. Will Patrick, Tyler’s brother, and a retired
police dog be able to keep Tyler safe?

The fascinating and quirky citizens of Independence Junction come back in
Book 2 of The Rocky Mountain Romances series to show how small-town
relationships can bring out the best and worst in people.

Heart-warming with a splash of Vegas glamour, Book 2 successfully combines
a new-and-old mix of family and townsfolk in a pressure-cooker plot that
never lets up on chuckles, suspense, and romance.

Excerpt

Panting, Tyler braced herself, waiting to catch her breath. She hadn’t known working out with a punching bag would be so strenuous. And she was used to quite a bit from her own training as a dancer. Slowly, she lowered her arms. She could barely lift them. As she turned, her eyes fell on someone. An image of muscular arms around her waist and intertwined legs flashed before her inner eye. Heat shot through her body. Oh great. She was suddenly aware of scattered strands of hair that had come loose from her braid sticking to her sweaty face.

“You!” she gasped.

“I was thinking the same thing,” he answered.

Funny, she remembered the way he smelled, the sensation of his touch, but she couldn’t remember his name.

“Pat,” he said, as though reading her mind. “Patrick West.”

“Tyler—”

“Carter. I remember.”

They looked at each other, memories from the summer flooding back. Along with the dark good looks and toned body, Tyler remembered he was an architect. He was planning the restoration of a historic house in the area. Which explained why he was still in town.

He took off his jacket and sat on the floor. “I didn’t know dancers could work the bag,” he said.

“I didn’t know either, but it’s great for blowing off frustrations.”

He nodded.

She waited for a comment, but he said nothing, just waited until she slid down beside him, leaning back against the wall.

“You a boxer?” she asked out of the blue.

“A little martial arts,” he answered.

“So this dance studio is now a dojo?”

“You know the Japanese word for it.” He looked impressed.

“I work in Vegas with dancers, stunt people, and every kind of physical entertainment professional from all over the world. Of course I know the term.”

The slight, amused smile fell from his face. “If you need the space, I’ll find another place.”

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Filed Under: Blog, Contests, Guest Bloggers Tagged With: Contemporary, Giveaway, Rocky Mountains, romance

Release Blitz: The Gods of Inthya, by Effie Calvin @EffieCalvin #Giveaway #Fantasy #ShortStories #Magic

January 23, 2023 by Adriana Kraft Leave a Comment

Title:  Gods of Inthya

Series: Tales of Inthya, Book 5.5

Author: Effie Calvin

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 01/17/2023

Heat Level: 1 – No Sex

Pairing: Female/Female

Length: 38600

Genre: Fantasy, anthology, Fantasy, gods, magic, romance, short stories

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Description

At the beginning of time, the gods came together to create Inthya, a world where magic is common and hatred never had the opportunity to take root.

But the Inthyan gods are young and imperfect. With countless failures behind them and unspeakable horrors lurking outside the borders of creation, they must not allow this world to meet the same fate as the last—without alerting their mortal worshippers that anything is wrong.

Nineteen short stories from the perspectives of the gods themselves, some humorous, some horrifying, and all united by a theme of protecting the mortals who love them unconditionally.

Excerpt

Gods of Inthya
Effie Calvin © 2023
All Rights Reserved

Inthi, God of Creation and First of the Ten, does not generally manifest in cities. This is somewhat paradoxical, considering most new ideas come from places where mortals gather in large numbers. But Inthi is a quiet, thoughtful sort of god and has trouble focusing when surrounded by too much noise and commotion. Even when they are called to a mortal’s private workshop, away from shouting vendors and screaming children, they cannot block out the soft but persistent hum of countless souls going about their daily business outside, each mind a bright beacon of wants and worries and dreams.

But today, unfortunately, they must make an exception.

Inthi is intimately familiar with their own Great Temple in Birsgen, and the enormous district surrounding it. Some call it the Flame District, but others simply call it Inthi’s District. Most large cities have one, a place where smiths and artisans and inventors come together to work and exchange ideas.

As Inthi approaches their temple, they hear mortal voices raised in argument. Standing on the steps are two people—a neutroi that Inthi recognizes as their own archpriest here in Ieflaria, and a priestess of Eran dressed in silver robes. The priestess is the source of most of the noise, waving her clenched fist in the archpriest’s face.

Inthi’s archpriest, however, is unimpressed. They wave a hand dismissively and say, “Your concerns are unwarranted.”

The priestess’s cheeks redden. From the rage that emanates from her mind, Inthi can tell reason has failed and now she is about to start cursing. Inthi walks up behind her and rests a reassuring hand on the prophet-priestess’s shoulder. “It’s all right,” they say. “I will handle it.”

Eran’s priestess looks at Inthi with wide, disbelieving eyes. She takes a step back, too dumbfounded to speak. Inthi’s own archpriest has not recognized them, but she has. With more effort, they can disguise themselves completely, but Inthi is not inclined to do so today.

“I appreciate your efforts,” they add. Only rarely do Eran’s priests take an active role in events. Most adhere to the philosophy that attempting to alter the future is pointless at best and disastrous at worst. This priestess must have decided that no outcome is worse than what she’s already seen in her dreams. “Excuse me.”

Inthi walks past the bemused archpriest and enters the temple. Inside is warm from the heat of dozens of forges, and every stone is steeped in magic. Countless prayers have been uttered within these walls. Generations of priests and artisans have labored here. Even if the temple was disassembled and all the stones cast into the sea, it would take centuries for the magic to dissipate from the air.

After taking a few moments to admire the new bronze statues decorating the temple’s anteroom, Inthi takes a side door into a hallway. All around them, mortal minds buzz with ideas; mortal hands wrest iron and copper into new shapes. It is still early, but most of them have been awake for hours. Some have not slept at all.

Inthi could have manifested directly at the source of the problem, but there is time enough to enjoy being in the temple. They pass a few priests in orange robes, but most of the mortals are dressed practically, with heavy leather gloves and large aprons. Some carry boxes, or tools, or push carts filled with scrap metal to be melted down and turned into something useful. Inthi brushes each mind as they pass, appreciating every mortal’s unique focus.

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NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

Effie is definitely a human being with all her own skin, and not a robot. She writes science fiction and fantasy novels and lives with her cat in the greater Philadelphia area.

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Filed Under: Blog, Guest Bloggers Tagged With: anthology, Fantasy, Giveaway, gods, magic, romance, Short Stories

Release Blitz: Rocky Mountain Dogs, by Virginia Fox #RockyMountainDogs #Giveaway #Romance

January 17, 2023 by Adriana Kraft Leave a Comment

 

 

(Rocky Mountain Romances, Book 3)

 

Romance

Date Published: 1.17.2022

Publisher: Dragonbooks Publishing House

 

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Is that a vintage RV— painted top to bottom with paw print-shaped
polka-dots — driving into town? You can bet your pupper’s next
bubble bath it is! Get ready to plunge into the pages of the third book in
the always pet-friendly Rocky Mountain Romances series.
 

When Kathrina gets chased out of her Seattle apartment because of its no
pets policy, she packs up her business, Kat’s for Dogs Mobile
Grooming, and heads to the mountain town of Independence Junction, Colorado.

In Independence Junction, pets are welcome, the local diner is the hub of
social life, and Sam, that good-looking guy Kat met last summer, just
happens to still be around. But oh no! Sam turns out to be a professional
hockey player with an ego the size of the biggest mountain in the state. Not
only is Kat a little man-shy, but she has no interest in wasting her time
trying to tame that wild one.

However, when injured dogs start turning up in the woods, Kat must find a
way to help. Before she knows it, Kat is tangled up in the small
town’s dark side. Will she rescue the animals? Will she accept
Sam’s help? Will the townsfolk finally have enough with whoever, or
whatever, is hurting their dogs?
 

Welcome back to Independence Junction in Book 3 of The Rocky Mountain
Romances series. Your quirky friends are waiting for you to join them for
another small town suspense story, complete with a nice blend of laughter,
mystery, and heart-warming romance along the way!

Praise for Rocky Mountain Romances Book 1:

“An enjoyable, mixed-genre romp with an intriguing main couple and
colorful townsfolk.” – Kirkus Reviews

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Book Tour: Rocky Mountain Yoga @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #RockyMountainYoga #VirginiaFox #Giveaway #Romance

December 5, 2022 by Adriana Kraft 1 Comment

 

(Rocky Mountain Romances, Book 1)

 

Romance

Date Published: 11.15.2022

Publisher: Dragonbooks Publishing House

 

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A little romance, a dab of suspense, and a whole lot of fun await you in
the first book of the genre-skipping Rocky Mountain Romances series.

What’s a big-city girl to do when she finds out her boyfriend is
dealing shady business out of the apartment they share in Seattle? She grabs
her big standard poodle named Rambo and runs to granny in small-town
Colorado, that’s what!

The dog fits in just fine, but Jasmine’s ways of vegetarian eating
and yoga are a bit different for this little mountain place. Meanwhile, the
hunky sheriff—single, with a reputation as a player—won’t
stop poking his nose into Jasmine’s past. Plus, he’s a bit too
fond of the way she looks in yoga pants. Her boyfriend isn’t ready to
let go, or forget that she knows about his illegal activities. Grandma, the
colorful townsfolk, and the pets who populate the town are in for some
thrills, chills and romantic double plays until Jasmine sorts her life out.
Grab the popcorn!

This is the first book in the romantic, Rocky Mountain Romances series. Set
in an idyllic Colorado landscape with a cast of characters who feel like
instant friends, the author captures the essence of a life that with stories
that mix romance, suspense, some mystery, a whole lotta fun, and lots of
pets.

Virginia Fox dazzles with a writing style that brought her thousands of
5-star reviews and bestselling status in the European market. Now it’s
your turn to revel in it. So pour yourself a cuppa and settle for a real
treat.

EXCERPT

CHAPTER ONE

“Why can’t I find anything in this purse!” For the third time, Jasmine shook her large shoulder hobo for the key to the yoga studio. But there was no teltale jingle. Her boss, Keith, would be cranky if she opened late. As a wannabe social media influencer in the yoga world, Keith was on top of his clients’ every desire.

Jasmine resisted the urge to dump her purse out on the sidewalk and sift through the jumble. But that wouldn’t do, not on this prime shopping street in the lower Queen Anne district of Seattle. No, she had to head home and hope the key was on the entry table in her apartment.

Just great! Now she had to pray that the traffic gods of GPS would be merciful. She turned on her heel and ran back to the parking garage. At least it wasn’t drizzling for once; a pleasant exception in rainy Washington state.

Rambo, her black standard poodle, had already been dropped off at the dog sitter. That was one thing to be thankful for. Fifteen minutes later, she pulled up in front of her apartment building. Ignoring the no parking sign, she left her emergency lights flashing and sprinted up the stairs. On the third landing, she stopped briefly to catch her breath. You should be used to living on the fourth floor by now,  she scolded herself. Not to mention that she taught yoga for a living.

She straightened her back, ready to tackle the last flight of stairs.

Thump!  The noise came from overhead, the direction of her floor, followed by the murmur of voices. She narrowed her eyes. Her boyfriend Gavin was home, that was expected.

But company this early? It was a miracle Gavin was out of bed at ten a.m. A thought popped into her head; was another woman with him? Please, please no.  She fervently hoped there was an innocent explanation for the noises coming from her apartment. The last thing she wanted was to catch Gavin cheating.

With a queasy feeling in her stomach, Jasmine crept up the stairs. She was glad she was wearing sneakers as usual. Not very fancy, perhaps, as Gavin always liked to remind her, but unlike high-heeled shoes, the sneakers didn’t make a sound on the floor of the stairwell. She could make a near-silent approach. When she arrived on her floor, the voices were clear. They didn’t sound female. Those were men’s voices. Maybe Gavin’s friends had made an uncharacteristic early call. Her inner clock chimed, reminding her there was no time to lose if she wanted to make it back to the yoga studio on time. Going to open the door, she noticed it was ajar. That’s why she could hear the voices so well. What the heck?  Her thoughts were interrupted when Gavin spoke up.

“I told you, no personal contact. The risk—someone who knows me could see you.

Surely you’re aware of that.”

“That was before you failed. We don’t like fails.”

She did not know this voice.

“Not printing on time—big fail,” agreed a second unfamiliar voice. “You made this a personal visit, dude.”

The uneasy feeling in her stomach intensified, and hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

“Listen, you’ll get the real money.” That was Gavin’s voice and he sounded nervous. “I just need a few more days and I’ll have my girlfriend soft-boiled. I know she has cash, the real stuff, sitting in an account that she doesn’t need.”

Money she didn’t need? Jasmine’s cheeks grew pink with anger. That money was exactly three thousand dollars and eighty-seven cents. She’d saved it over two years of working nights, weekends, and days off at the homes of well-heeled clients, teaching them yoga and relaxation techniques. It was a little nest egg for herself and Gavin in case things got tough. Or they wanted to start a family. Which Gavin obviously didn’t want, if he was so free about dispensing her money to strangers. Fortunately, she’d had enough sense to follow her grandma’s advice to save it in a separate account.

The first strange voice snapped her out of her thoughts and made her blood run cold.

“We launder at flea markets and farmers markets, dude. The stuff needs to be printed in time before the weekend starts. You want to walk in with a twenty, buy something for a buck, and get the real stuff in change. If you’re gonna launder, you got to make the stuff on time.”

A twenty? Launder? Did he mean money laundering? Fake money? As in counterfeiting?

How had Gavin gotten involved in this? She leaned forward to listen. The overstuffed hobo on her shoulder tipped forward and bumped into the door. It swung open. Three pairs of men’s eyes shot over at her. Two bull-necked strangers radiated malice out of every pore. They didn’t look like they’d shaven for a couple of days. Maybe the last time they’d seen a shower was even longer. Gavin looked annoyed.

“Oh, hello everyone. I’ll be right back, just have to get something,” she said in a put-on cheerful voice. Friendly. Naive. Harmless. They had to buy that, didn’t they?

“What are you doing here? I thought you’d be at work by now!” Gavin’s frightened voice offered no reassurance.

“That’s no way to talk to your girlfriend,” Stranger Voice No. 1 chided Gavin, giving a snarling smile that made Jasmine’s stomach turn.

“What a happy coincidence,” Stranger Voice No. 2 agreed. “Now we can settle the real money thing. Always happy to help solve problems.” He cracked his knuckles to demonstrate.

Uh-oh. Retreat!  screamed all the alarm systems inside Jasmine. The key to the studio lost all importance. She took two cautious steps backward.

“Hey! This little one’s gonna split! Stop her!” shouted Stranger Voice No. 1, reaching behind his back to pull a frighteningly real-looking pistol from his waistband. Gavin seemed frozen, he made no move to stop anything. Jasmine never expected Gavin to be a knight in shining armor, but she never expected a wet dishrag either.

It was one against three and every woman for herself. Jasmine dashed out of the apartment and raced down the stairs as if all the hounds of hell were on her heels. She was quick and agile thanks to years of training and her small, slender stature. Unlike the two gorillas chasing her, who were cursing loudly and bumbling on the stairs. She covered the four floors in no time, gaining precious seconds.

On the ground floor, she flew out the door and jumped into her old car, which she had fortunately forgotten to lock. As the two thugs piled out of the building entrance, she drove off, tires squealing.

A few streets away, Jasmine slowed to the legal speed limit and tried to get her thoughts in order. She still couldn’t quite grasp what she had just witnessed. Her live-in boyfriend, Gavin, involved in a counterfeit money scheme? She broke out in a sweat thinking of his cold stare while the two guys were about to grab her. But what if this wasn’t anything like it seemed?

Gavin was her boyfriend. Maybe there was a reason for his reaction.

While she was driving along, torn with conflict and confusion, her phone started to ring.

With one hand she dumped the hobo upside down so everything tumbled out on the passenger seat. The cell phone buzzed at her, its screen blinking “Gavin.” She pushed Speaker, but all she heard was scuffling and static. Then the signal died.

Her attention turned back to the road. In a panic, she had blindly crisscrossed the neighborhood. Should she contact the police? At the next street corner, she saw a sign for a police station. An empty parking space seemed waiting for this occasion and helped her decide.

She pulled the car in and sat for a moment with the engine running, taking a deep breath. It was like being in the wrong movie!

Jasmine shook herself like a wet cat and reached for her purse. Before stepping out, she took a good look at the entrance to the police station—and stopped. Out the door came none other than Gavin, engaged in a friendly conversation with a police officer. She took her hand off the door handle and huddled deeper into the car seat. She was half a block down—it wasn’t like her car was directly in sight. She watched as the two patted each other on the back in male solidarity. As the officer stepped back inside the building, Gavin’s gaze roamed the area, looking for something. Her? Had he known she’d go to the police? If what just happened was innocent, what was Gavin doing schmoozing a police officer? The timing was odd, very odd.

Jasmine pulled her head down even further. A surge of adrenaline made the blood rush in her ears. Cautiously, she peered over the dashboard and saw Gavin walk over to a waiting car.

Stranger Voice No. 1 and 2 were in the front seat. Gavin got in the back.

What was she supposed to make of what she had just seen? She had no idea if corruption was an issue in the ranks of the Seattle Police Department. But seeing Gavin speaking directly to a cop as thugs 1 and 2 looked on halted her decision to report the incident right now. Especially parked right outside the police station, where they seemed to be waiting for her to show up.

Jasmine rubbed her temples; the whole thing was crazier by the second. She was a peace-loving person, she abhorred violence. Nor did she have any secret fantasies of being a heroine.

She was absolutely not made for that. She gritted her teeth. Time for a new plan.

When the gun guys and Gavin left the parking lot and disappeared around the block, she picked her cell phone out of the pile underneath her purse and called Pat, a longtime friend whom she trusted one hundred percent.

When Pat answered on the other end, her heart lifted. “Hey Pat, listen, I need your help. Can you pick up Rambo for me at Kathrina’s Dog Sitting?”

“Sure,” he answered promptly. Fortunately, Pat was self-employed and had the freedom to slip away now and then. “What’s the matter? Your voice sounds like you just finished a sprint.”

“Almost. I’ll explain everything later. Meet me at Westcrest Dog Park in two hours?”

Pat seemed to accept that he’d get no more info out of her for now. Relieved, she lowered her shoulders, which, she noticed, were pulled up almost to her ears from the tension.

“See you later.” She ended the call. Whew.  Time to move on to the next problem. Soon, she was on the freeway heading south. The destination was a shopping center on the outskirts of Seattle. Gavin would certainly not expect to find her there.

A few impulse purchases later included a big sack of dog chow with rice, sweet potatoes, and wild game, plus an important visit to the bank, Jasmine collapsed on a bench outside the shopping center eating a veggie dog. After devouring the last bite and wiping her hands on a napkin, she reached for the phone again.

“Hello, Nana!”

“Granddaughter! Jaz! Well, this is a pleasant surprise!”

Jasmine laughed tensely.

“When are you coming to visit me? The weather is getting nice.”

“I was thinking, like, two, three days.”

When her grandmother didn’t answer right away, she added the question, “I can sleep on the couch. Any spot will do. Or is now not a good time?”

“It’s always a good time,” her grandmother hastened to assure her. Jasmine heard Nana take a deep breath on the other end. “It’s just that I don’t live at my house anymore. The place got lonely over last winter, and Nadine invited me to come and spend a few weeks at her place nearby. I guess you could say staying with her got to be a habit.”

“That was the smart thing to do, Nana.”

“My house has been empty but I never turned off the power. I was just waiting for . . .

well, I don’t know what I was waiting for. You’re welcome to stay there. The keys are where they’ve always been. Come whenever you want.”

“Thank you, Nana. It wil be so great to get away.” She made a face at the double meaning of “get away,” glad her grandmother couldn’t see her in person. If Nana only knew the getaway she was making! Jasmine made a bit more small talk and ended the call.

Her thoughts jumped to Keith and the studio. It was way past opening time, he’d be in soon. She made a quick call to Caitlin, the next instructor on the schedule, and fudged a bit of truth, saying she’d been called away suddenly by a family mat er. Could Caitlin go over to the studio early and meet Keith there? He had his own key, and the boss would have to figure out what to do after that. He was constantly complaining about the rising cost of contractors, so unfortunately he could pay her little more than minimum wage. Yet he wouldn’t have a business at all if she didn’t take care of all the lessons while he gave private sessions to female customers in particular need of enlightenment—mostly married women. She was just a part-time freelancer at the studio, no employment contract, therefore no notice period.

Truthfully, Seattle was starting to lose its appeal. Not its proximity to the Pacific, of course. She was sure she would miss the ocean. But the city and its accompanying hustle and bustle were getting on her nerves. A change of scenery might do her and Rambo some good while she got to the bot om of this Gavin fiasco. Whether she was in real danger or whether she wasn’t, Grandma had always said never to take chances. Get to a safe place first and let everything else take care of itself.

So, off to Independence, Colorado—a small town in the Rocky Mountains.

 

Will you fall in love with this Rocky Mountain town like Jasmine and
Rambo?

 

About the Author

Virginia Fox, born in 1978, was already infected at the age of four with
her two main passions: the love for books and texts in all forms and the
love for horses.

After reading numerous books and writing various short stories and essays,
she started her biggest project to date: The Dragon Sisters trilogy. After
completing the trilogy, she realized that the writing virus could not be
shaken off.

 

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Filed Under: Blog, Excerpts, Guest Bloggers, Romantic Suspense Tagged With: Giveaway, Rocky Mountain Yoga, romance, Virginia Fox, yoga

#NewRelease Love, Lorena, by @AuthorIvyLJames #LGBTQIA+ #Giveaway

October 22, 2022 by Adriana Kraft Leave a Comment

Title: Love, Lorena

Author: Ivy L. James

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 10/18/2022

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Female/Female

Length: 57950

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, contemporary, lesbian, bisexual, light romance, royalty, matchmaker, arranged/forced marriage, modern fairy tale, flirting, interracial/intercultural, pets, family drama

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Description

Lorena García Fernández has built her matchmaking company, “Love, Lorena,” from the ground up, but her parents refuse to acknowledge the business as legitimate. Hoping to impress them, she travels to Ìovoria to find Crown Prince Callum a match. However, when Callum unexpectedly abdicates, his wild sister, Rosamund, becomes the crown princess and Lorena’s new client.

Lorena knows “Rowdy Rosamund” from the news headlines, but as she helps the princess, she learns there’s more to Rose than her public persona. The two women grow closer with each date Lorena sets up for the crown princess, and Lorena finds herself falling for Rose.

With only a month to find the perfect match, each failure increases the pressure to succeed. How will Lorena choose between her duty and her heart?

Excerpt

Love, Lorena
Ivy L. James © 2022
All Rights Reserved

In her rural Virginia office, Lorena García Fernández bypassed the usual salacious story about the Ìovorian princess and snipped out the article about her business trip. The blades of her scissors slid through the newspaper in long, clean lines, perfectly even on every side. Although she sometimes wondered why Westmoreland County still used physical newspapers, she had to admit it was handy now.

She set the article in its frame and glanced at the front door to see if her second-in-command had arrived. No sign of her, but then again, it wasn’t even seven o’clock yet. Cool early-morning sunlight streamed through the windows and glass door. Lorena straightened the clipping, pressed the back of the frame into place, and double-checked how it looked from the front. Flawless. She rose from her chair and hung the article on the wall between two testimonials, neat and level.

Her ginger cat, Amado, rubbed against her ankles before hopping onto the desk, his tail twitching impishly. He wove between two photos of Lorena in Ìovoria—one selfie set in rolling green hills, one in the ancient capital city—and leapt onto the windowsill, where he settled to chirp at a bird.

The lock clicked, and the bell over the front door jingled. In walked Lorena’s best friend and vice president, Natascha Barclave, juggling her purse and several binders overflowing with papers. Her mouse-brown curls were pulled into a french braid but already frizzing around the edges of her freckled face. She reached out with one full hand and flipped the CLOSED sign to OPEN with her pinkie finger. “I’m here, I’m here. And it may not look like it, but I’m fully prepared for the Johnson intake interview at ten.”

“Are those my Wallace-Díaz notes?” Lorena took the binders and set them safely on the welcome desk. “What the hell did you do to them?”

“Chill. Everything’s still in there. It’s just a little, um, messier.” Natascha dropped her purse onto the desk chair. They did their quick secret handshake and bumped fists before getting back to business. “I took Casey Bright home, too, and ran the numbers. We should set her up with Allie Masterson. They were a 90 percent match in the algorithm, and I think they’d get along well.”

Lorena flipped through the Bright binder and found the printout of the results. Promising indeed. “Okay, let’s talk first-date options after my eight o’clock review with Eve Ebron.”

Her work cell rang atop her desk. Lorena snatched up the phone and pressed it to her ear. “Thank you for calling Love, Lorena. This is Lorena. How can I help you?”

“Good morning, love!” The two familiar, Ìovorian-brogued voices sounded far away: Teague and Ailsa Duglass on speakerphone. The two thirtysomething aristocrats talked over each other before Ailsa shushed Teague and asked Lorena, “How’s your first day back in the office? Is the jet lag bad?”

“Not too bad, but I will say I already miss Ìovoria.” She leaned against the desk. “How are y’all?”

“Enjoying the honeymoon you planned for us.” Teague’s smile shone through his voice.

“Thank you again for everything you did, bringing us together,” Ailsa said. “It was all straight out of a fairy tale. I never thought I had a perfect match, but you found him.”

“Think you’ll find that someone special of your own soon?” Teague asked.

Lorena’s throat closed, but she tossed out a blasé “Nah. My to-do list is long enough.” As if she couldn’t be bothered, as if she’d hardly considered it at all. As if her own parents’ brutal divorce hadn’t convinced her long ago love wasn’t in the cards for her. Not now, not ever.

“Not to worry, we won’t hold you up. You’ve plenty of clients to help, I’m sure.” Ailsa paused meaningfully. “We wanted to let you know a little something special is coming your way soon.”

A thank-you card, maybe? If Lorena was lucky, it would include a hefty tip. Running an international matchmaking company wasn’t cheap. “You didn’t have to do that. Thank you.”

“No, thank you,” Ailsa corrected her. “I’ve never been happier in my life. You have a gift, you know?”

Lorena’s heart warmed. Nothing felt as good as a satisfied customer.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

Ivy L. James wrote her first story on Post-it notes as a child. Since then, she has graduated to regular paper and enjoys writing inclusive, heartwarming romance as a way to counterbalance the negativity in the world. She lives in Maryland with her partner and their corgi, cat, and two snakes.

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Filed Under: Blog, Guest Bloggers, LGBT Tagged With: arranged/forced marriage, bisexual, Contemporary, family-drama, flirting, Giveaway, interracial/intercultural, lesbian, Lesbian Love, LGBTQIA+, light romance, Love story, matchmaker, modern fairy tale, new release, pets, royalty

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

October 15, 2022 by Adriana Kraft Leave a Comment

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

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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 adrianakraft99@yahoo.com, and here is our website:

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

STALKER LINKS:

Blog: https://www.adrianakraft.com/blog

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/AdrianaKraft

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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/

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

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Filed Under: Blog, Erotic Romance, Excerpts, LGBT, Menage Tagged With: erotic romance, Giveaway, Happily Ever After, HEA, Indie Author, LGBTQ, love triangle, romance

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REVIEWS


Erotic Romance “Seducing Cat is a Must Read…Hot in all the right places!”


Love Bites and Silk Ties
Romantic Suspense: Mystery and Romance are woven well in The Painter is a Lady.


Romantic Suspense: “The Unmasking is a fascinating tale…some emotionally trying scenes.”


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Erotic Romance FFM Menage: “The intimacy is genuine and breathtaking”

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