Adriana Kraft

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

Lake Superior

Thought I might… #WeWriWa #8Sunday #MFRWAuthor

by

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of their writing on Sunday.  Be sure to visit other participants at http://www.wewriwa.com/  and read and comment on their #8sunday posts.

Spread the word: Twitter hashtag #8sunday

EXCERPT

“Oh. It’s you,” Brenda said, looking more than a little deflated.

“Thought you might be expecting me.” Michael pushed away from the door frame and entered the room. “Forgot how stinging fresh paint can be to the eyes and lungs.”

She shrugged, placed the sprayer on a work bench, and crossed her arms over her midsection. “Welcome back,” she grunted, regaining her cool. “Ted told me you wanted to buy into the business.” She frowned. “Are you really going to stay in Ashland?”

“Thought I might.”

BOOK INFO

Title: The Painter is a Lady
Word count: 74,600
246 pages $4.99
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0964-7
Heat Level: Three flames: explicit sex, M/F; anal sex; explicit language

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?

BUY LINKS

AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK AND EBOOK AT AMAZON

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFYKF8M

 

EBOOK AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING RETAIL OUTLETS

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFYKF8M

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/708766

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-painter-is-a-lady/id1212626296?mt=11

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-painter-is-a-lady

B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-painter-is-a-lady-adriana-kraft/1125902800?ean=2940154043714

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

 

He Waited… #wewriwa #8Sunday #MFRWAuthor

by

 

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of their writing on Sunday.  Be sure to visit other participants at http://www.wewriwa.com/  and read and comment on their #8sunday posts.

Spread the word: Twitter hashtag #8sunday

EXCERPT

Set-Up: Michael has just returned home to Ashland and started working for his father.

Michael Jarvis leaned against the doorjamb of the vaulted-ceiling living room, admiring the sway of Brenda Tower’s rear end as she sprayed primer over its ten-foot walls. Once she was done painting, he’d turn to some of the final sanding of the spiral staircase. His dad had sent him over to the new house on the pretense that he was too busy elsewhere to finish it.

Grimacing at the tall, lithe woman dressed in white paint-spattered coveralls, Michael knew his father wanted him to connect as quickly as possible with the painter he’d often described as quite the lady. His dad had always been a romantic when it came to him and Brenda. Michael sighed heavily. It had taken a near-death experience for him to recognize his feelings—but he had no clue if she’d welcome his interest after he’d rebuffed her years earlier.

Brenda hadn’t noticed him standing in the doorway, but he was pretty sure she couldn’t hear him above the sound of the sprayer. He waited.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Painter is a Lady
Word count: 74,600
246 pages $4.99
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0964-7
Heat Level: Three flames: explicit sex, M/F; anal sex; explicit language

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?

BUY LINKS

AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK AND EBOOK AT AMAZON

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFYKF8M

 

EBOOK AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING RETAIL OUTLETS

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFYKF8M

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/708766

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-painter-is-a-lady/id1212626296?mt=11

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-painter-is-a-lady

B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-painter-is-a-lady-adriana-kraft/1125902800?ean=2940154043714

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

 

A fragment of her dream… #8Sunday #WeWriWa #MFRWAuthor

by

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of their writing on Sunday.  Be sure to visit other participants at http://www.wewriwa.com/  and read and comment on their #8sunday posts.

Spread the word: Twitter hashtag #8sunday

Here are the opening lines of our romantic suspense The Painter is a Lady:

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.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Painter is a Lady
Word count: 74,600
246 pages $4.99
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0964-7
Heat Level: Three flames: explicit sex, M/F; anal sex; explicit language

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?

BUY LINKS

AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK AND EBOOK AT AMAZON

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFYKF8M

 

EBOOK AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING RETAIL OUTLETS

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFYKF8M

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/708766

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-painter-is-a-lady/id1212626296?mt=11

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-painter-is-a-lady

B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-painter-is-a-lady-adriana-kraft/1125902800?ean=2940154043714

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

 

Maybe I was the Fool #MWTease #MFRWAuthor

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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 available in paperback!

Amazon

Available in EBook from the following retailers:

Amazon   Barnes & Noble   iTunes

  Kobo   Smashwords    Extasy

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?

 

Word count: 74,600

Genre:
Romantic Suspense

Heat Level:
Three flames

 

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?

EXCERPT

Hours later, Michael dried the china, crystal and silverware Brenda had brought out for his dad’s birthday party that didn’t go in the dishwasher. Tommy had gone to his room as soon as the others had left. No one seemed surprised that Michael had lingered to help with the dishes. More than satisfied with the turn of events, he hummed a show tune while Brenda fidgeted with the last of the silverware.

Remaining focused on scrubbing a stubborn piece of icing from a fork, Brenda muttered, “You’re making me nervous.”

“What?” He scowled at her profile. “Am I standing too close? Am I humming too loudly?”

Heaving an exasperated sigh, Brenda dropped the fork in the dishwater and turned to face him. “All of the above and much more. You didn’t have to stay behind and help with the dishes. I can do this without you. I have for years.”

“I’m sure you can. But that’s not what’s gnawing at you, is it? I thought you were coming around.” He stared at her through half closed eyelids.

She blanched.

“You’re the one who started the knee play beneath the dining table.”

“I know.” She shrugged, looking lost. “That was my impish clown, I guess. I can’t explain it, Michael. I’m sorry. I dreamed about you for hours on end when I was a kid. I threw myself at you. But you didn’t want me then. I was a fool.”

“Maybe I was the fool,” he replied softly, rubbing the back of his hand across her shoulder.

 ~ o ~             ~ o ~

Lots of fabulous authors have teases waiting just for you – click the links below to travel:

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!