Adriana Kraft

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

Romantic Suspense

Where does true danger lie? #NewRelease – I Am Not For Sale #MFRWHooks #RomanticSuspense

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

Coming this Friday, November 5, to Extasy Books!

It’s nothing personal…A desperate espresso café owner, a determined coffee franchise rep, a quiet Midwestern town, anonymous threats out of the blue—where does the true danger lie?

EXCERPT

Giving the menu a quick once-over, Kevin avoided looking at the blonde sitting on the other side of the booth. He counted himself lucky to be alive. Was the woman enraged at him, or did she normally drive like a demon? Fearing for life and limb, he’d made no attempt to engage in conversation, and neither had she.

He’d order the grilled walleye. That ought to be safe enough. He peeked up at Nadja, who gave him a hard stare. She was a specialist at projecting innocence, sexiness, and danger in one amazing package.

He reached for his coffee and sipped. Not bad for restaurant coffee. He glanced around the spacious eating area and smiled. Nadja wasn’t taking any chances. She’d brought him to a well-lit, fairly noisy sports bar. Hardly a setting that would engender a romantic mood.

And romance was the furthest thing from his mind—until he looked at her and felt himself drawn into her soulful eyes. Was she a witch? She had to be one of the most absolutely stunning women he’d ever met. And he was drawn to her eyes. Cripes, maybe he was getting old. At that moment, those beckoning eyes bored holes through him. Romance was definitely not on Nadja’s mind.

BLURB

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

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

BIG SALE

All our erotic romance and romantic suspense novels at

Extasy Books are on SALE

~ 40% off ~

now through November 30!

Extasy Books

Click to travel:

Coming Next Friday! #NewRelease #RomanticSuspense #MFRWAuthor @extasybooks

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Only a week to go! Our spicy romantic suspense “I Am Not For Sale” will be released next Friday at Extasy Books – where you can find our entire backlist on sale for 40% off, now through November 30.

It’s nothing personal…

BLURB

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

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

Five Stars for The Merry Widow #NewReview #MFRWAuthor #RomanticSuspense

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I hope you are safe and well in this perilous time. If you or your loved ones have been directly affected by the Covid 19 virus, our hearts go out to you. Our son has lost a friend who lived in New York City, and a former co-worker with whom I was very close has just been diagnosed positive. We are hoping for the best.

I’m sure many of you, like us, are staying at home, except for essentials like obtaining groceries. We take long walks, take turns doing our core workouts on our living room floor, and of course continue writing.

Whatever you’re doing – home schooling children, working on the front lines as a healthcare provider, delivering groceries and supplies for those who cannot shop for themselves, working from home in a job you can do from your computer – I hope you’re also caring for yourself, following safe practices, and of course finding time for reading.

We love this fun graphic, created by N. N. Light. To us, it looks like Merry herself, opening the French doors that lead from her bedroom to her back patio and her beloved gardens. I suspect in our current crisis, living as she does in a north Chicago suburb, she would be able to spend time outside in those gardens, though it might be a tad chilly or even snowy. But our artist caught her in a moment where she’s going back to bed to read, and we hope you do, too!

REVIEW

Wow, what an incredible book! Not only is this a gripping romantic suspense, but the heat level is hotter than Death Valley. Merry exploration adds a scorching depth to the story but it’s very well done. Merry’s pleasure journey is more about her rediscovering herself after years in solitude than having all kinds of sex. The emotions are firmly entrenched and that is what makes The Merry Widow such a wonderful romance. The characters leap off the page with their own set of insecurities and hang-ups. The plot moves at a quick pace with a balance between the erotic romance and the suspense. The ending took me by surprise and I was a little sad to see it end. I grew attached to the characters and wanted to stay in their world a little bit longer. The Merry Widow will be on my keeper shelf and one I will be re-reading again and again. Highly recommend! N. N. Light

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

BLURB

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

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

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

BUY LINKS

Amazon   Kobo   Barnes & Noble   Extasy Books  

Goodreads     BookBub

And do you have a name? #wewriwa #sundaysnippet #MFRWauthor #Giveaway #sunday8

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Our giveaway of an autographed print copy of Willow Smoke lasts all month – of course, you can always read it free at Kindle Unlimited!

Be sure to visit Weekend Writing Warriors to check out the rest of today’s exciting excerpts!

Contest details after our Sunday Snippet.

This May/September romantic suspense follows the teenage waif from the group home where Cassie worked in Book One. No longer a teenager, Daisy is carving a life for herself in spite of threats from her past.

Today’s excerpt comes immediately after last Sunday’s, where Daisy asked the stranger what he’s doing in her Arlington Park barn.

EXCERPT

Daisy knew how to protect herself from males — she’d been doing that for years. That wasn’t the problem. The guy was probably old enough to be her father. But he was dangerous; she just didn’t know how, yet. “And do you have a name? Who let you in here? You know you got to have a pass to be back here.”

“Good God kid, do you always welcome people by putting your dukes up first?” The man dug a visitor’s badge out of his pocket. “Will this help?” he asked, handing it to her. “The name’s Nicholas Underwood. My friends call me Nick.”

Riders Up

Book Three:

Willow Smoke

BLURB

When the chips are down, there’s nobody there.  Willowy blonde Daisy Matthews has survived the Chicago streets with this mantra, but she’s unprepared for the much older Nick Underwood’s urgent pursuit.  The wealthy businessman receives a thoroughbred in payment for a bad debt and is thrust into Daisy’s world.  She teaches him about horse racing; he teaches her about love.  When Daisy’s seamy brother-in-law threatens Nick’s safety, she doggedly tries to stop him by herself, but flees to the familiar streets when he attacks. Can Nick find her in time – and if he does, will she still want him?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder SALE #MFRWAuthor #suspense #RomanticSuspense #BookSale

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Huge SALE!

Thrillers, Mystery, Suspense

FREE or $.99, now through January 19!

Click HERE to land on the SALE page

Our sale book is the romantic suspense The Unmasking

just 99 cents today through January 19

The Unmasking

B&B Publishing

Romantic Suspense: 87,000 words

Cover by Dawne Dominique

Heat Rating: Four Flames

Explicit sex: m/f

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

Who will be the next victim?

Nancy Appleby scanned the co-eds in the small lecture hall. Each could be his next prey. Each looked much younger than she remembered being as a full-time student. Each woman hung on Professor Bayfield’s well-crafted words.

Was it the topic, Celtic Myths and Rituals, or was it the aloofness of the tall, dark-haired lecturer with the strong protruding chin that mesmerized? He did command attention. Although his tone was mild, Bayfield played with his audience like a polished actor. Clearly, he was in control. Though he gestured but rarely, he moved like an athlete, comfortable in his body.

Nancy jotted notes on a yellow pad pretending to be no different than anyone else in the room. She glanced up at Bayfield, whose eyes had settled on her; they were piercing and inquisitive. Then he shifted his gaze, but he’d noticed her, was thinking about her. Why? She’d done everything she could to blend in. He hadn’t seemed particularly troubled by her presence, just curious.

Don’t forget to hit the SALE page!

An odd sensation swept over her…#wewriwa #sundaysnippet #MFRWauthor #Giveaway

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Our giveaway of an autographed print copy of Willow Smoke lasts all month – of course, you can always read it free at Kindle Unlimited!

Be sure to visit Weekend Writing Warriors to check out the rest of today’s exciting excerpts!

Contest details after our Sunday Snippet.

This May/September romantic suspense follows the teenage waif from the group home where Cassie worked in Book One. No longer a teenager, Daisy is carving a life for herself in spite of threats from her past.

Today’s excerpt comes immediately after last Sunday’s, where a strange man frightened the horse Daisy was working with in the Arlington Park barn.

EXCERPT

The man frowned and sputtered before speaking. “Sorry, kid, I didn’t mean to put you in danger. Don’t know a damn thing about horses. I’ll be the first to admit that.”

Daisy exhaled slowly. “Okay, so why are you here?” She shifted her weight from foot to foot. An odd sensation swept over her—one she didn’t like. This man, although ignorant as hell about horses and barn etiquette, had an air of confidence that suggested he knew he belonged—whether in the board room, on a sailboat, or even in her barn. His staring made her uncomfortable, and she didn’t like being uncomfortable.

Riders Up

Book Three:

Willow Smoke

BLURB

When the chips are down, there’s nobody there.  Willowy blonde Daisy Matthews has survived the Chicago streets with this mantra, but she’s unprepared for the much older Nick Underwood’s urgent pursuit.  The wealthy businessman receives a thoroughbred in payment for a bad debt and is thrust into Daisy’s world.  She teaches him about horse racing; he teaches her about love.  When Daisy’s seamy brother-in-law threatens Nick’s safety, she doggedly tries to stop him by herself, but flees to the familiar streets when he attacks. Can Nick find her in time – and if he does, will she still want him?

a Rafflecopter giveaway