One woman's transformation - #Menage #Suspense #LGBTQ @AdrianaKraft

By Adriana Kraft (Guest Blogger)

Have you ever felt like life was passing you by? That shut-down feeling that separates you from everyone you see? They seem to be normal, happy, satisfied, and you just can’t connect. Worse yet, you don’t have the energy to do anything about it, to take even that first baby step toward making a change.

That’s what Merry Delaney is experiencing as the world turns toward the new millennium, New Year’s Eve 1999. She’s an accountant, for god’s sake. Her life consists of managing the math for other people’s lives. She’s been a widow for the past year, but something inside her died long before that, as she watched her husband’s MS take over his body and felt him withdraw from her.

My husband and I co-write erotic romance and romantic suspense under our pen name, Adriana Kraft. The Merry Widow combines both – intense eroticism with underlying suspense. But it is so much more than that. We wanted to capture a woman’s transition from that dark place and explore the process as she opens up and begins to say yes—slowly at first, and then pell-mell into the fast lane.

Especially, we wanted to explore the nuances of transformation: what is the moment, precisely, when a character makes an about face? When she’s passed (or we’ve passed, for that matter) the point of no return and can no longer continue as before? Is it an earth-shattering moment? Is it a moment so tiny it’s lost in the cacophony of choices and activities, only to be recognized much later, upon reflection? Does it happen not when the choice is first made, but when a character is confronted with something she wants very badly that flies in the face of what she’s become?

Naturally, in our story, Merry’s journey of self-discovery is filled with sexual adventure—we write erotic romance, after all. But it’s also filled with choices she must make as she samples new experiences and begins to fall in love at the same time. Will she settle for less than what she truly wants? We hope not—and we hope the same for you, our readers.

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: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084PCH63T/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-merry-widow-12

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1014270702?ean=2940163931583

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-merry-widow/id1499352992

GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Adriana_Kraft_THE_MERRY_WIDOW?id=nbPQDwAAQBAJ

Publisher: https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2805-1-the-merry-widow/

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51242831-the-merry-widow

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-merry-widow-by-adriana-kraft

Excerpt

Jim tried to breathe normally. That wasn’t going to happen as long as he stayed in this woman’s presence. Her lips started to move. He tried to focus on what she was saying.

“No apology required. If I remember correctly—my brain is still somewhat fried—I wasn’t holding back any. I don’t want another detective.” Merry gave him a sultry smile. “Your cock will do quite fine. I’ll gladly attest to that.”

He crossed the foyer in a flash and crushed her to his body. He kissed her hair, her forehead, her lips while her hands roamed across his back and buttocks. “Jesus,” he exclaimed, feeling himself harden again. “I’m not a twenty-year-old.”

“Thank God.”

He jerked himself from their embrace. “I don’t know what your game is, lady. I don’t know what you want. But I’m finding it damn hard to walk out of here.”

Merry laughed. She actually laughed at him.

She gripped his arousal. “You don’t seem to have much difficulty getting hard again.” She lowered her hand. “I’m not into games, Detective. Maybe I’m too old for that. I don’t have any particular wants other than some good, mind-blowing sex—which you’ve already demonstrated the capacity for. That’s all I ask. No strings. No commitments. No expectations. No nothing but hot sex.”

“Hmm. I’d be one of many if I sign on?”

“Probably.” She never hesitated. She never blinked.

“Never done it that way before,” he grunted.

Merry smiled. “Neither have I, but I’m learning it can be quite stimulating—quite invigorating, actually. And after so many years of abstinence, I’m not looking for a lovey-dovey relationship. Maybe someday, but not now. I’ve made a commitment to myself to be open to new sexual experiences, new opportunities.”

“Your commitment is to yourself?”

She shrugged. “Yes. And I don’t feel a bit guilty about that. I’ve sacrificed so much of myself because of commitment, I’m setting about to reclaim part of myself.”

“So I was merely part of that reclaiming.”

“Maybe. I enjoyed it. I think you did, too. Maybe that’s enough. Maybe once was enough. Or maybe you want to stay for coffee.”

Praise for Adriana Kraft Books

Wow, what an incredible book! Not only is The Merry Widow a gripping, romantic suspense but the heat level is hotter than Death Valley… 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

Their romance is hot in all the right places…If you love romance with more than two people, you’re going to love this book! Seducing Cat is a must read! The TBR Pile

Filled with warmth, blazing hot sex, well-developed characters and an interesting plot…not for the faint of heart.  If you are looking for an interesting story filled with scorching hot erotica, author Adriana Kraft's novel Vegas Gambler is the book for you. Romance Junkies

Ms. Kraft has a gift for pleasing the reader with vivid imagery and erotic language. Fasten your seat belts – Cherry Tune-Up is one hot ride that you don’t want to miss. Romance Junkies

Definitely recommended The Reunion sizzled as two incredibly sexy women and one gorgeous guy form a super hot triad, eventually. These three are by far and away the best smoldering trio I have read about. Oh, bring on more of this, but read this one first!  Rainbow Reviews

About Adriana Kraft

When it’s Time to Heat Things Up

Award winning author Adriana Kraft is a married couple writing Sizzling Romantic Suspense and Erotic Romance for Two, Three, or More. Whether readers open our romantic suspense or our erotic romance, they can expect characters they care about, hot sex scenes, and a compelling story. Our suspense stories deliver one man, one woman, danger and intrigue. Our erotic romance is edgier and nearly always includes ménage or polyamory, sometimes with two women and a man, sometimes with two (or more) couples. We write our Erotic Romance stories to entertain, of course, but most of all we write them because we believe in happy endings for all who fall in love, whatever their gender, sexual orientation or numerical combination.

Social Media Links

Website: https://adrianakraft.com

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

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

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/adrianakraft5/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kraftadriana/

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/adriana-kraft

Book Hooks: Wild About That Thing - #MFRWHooks #blues #menage #giveaway

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for another Marketing for Romance Writers Book Hooks blog hop.

My hook today comes from my blues-themed ménage erotic romance Wild About That Thing. 

 

Two things are important to Ruby Jones: her teenage son and her struggling club, the Crossroads Blues Bar. Her love life comes in a distant third, despite the efforts of Zeke Chambers to convince her otherwise. Zeke's the lead singer in her house band, a devoted friend, and an occasional lover. He can drive her wild with desire, but can't get her to make a commitment. Deserted by her cheating ex-husband, Ruby's determined she's going to make it on her own. She's hot-blooded like her bluesman daddy - happy to satisfy her physical cravings, but not about to let any man into her heart.

The stranger who takes the stage on the Crossroads open mike night upsets the delicate balance in Ruby's world. Remy Saint-Michel inspires irrational, irresistible lust as well as inexplicable sympathy. Overwhelmed, confused, guilty and worried about her prized independence, Ruby decides that the only way to deal with her two lovers is to push them both away. Zeke and Remy, though, have other ideas.

The Hook

Ruby could feel it in her bones. It was going to be a good night. Only ten thirty, but most of the tables clustered ‘round the stage were full. Lori had already lugged two extra cases of Heineken—tonight’s beer special—up from the basement, and from the looks of the empties accumulating in front the customers, they were going fast. The bartender caught Ruby’s eye and gave her a thumbs up. Everything under control.

Up front, the Night Travellers hit a dark groove, wailing through Born Under a Bad Sign. Zeke’s fingers flew over the strings, improvising a high riff, while Jojo’s bass kept the song grounded. “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all,” Zeke growled, torturing his guitar to match the pain in his voice. Damn, but the man sounded black, despite the mop of straw-coloured hair he kept pushing out of his eyes. Born in Mississippi, he must’ve soaked up blues in the water and the air. Certainly he could play with the best. Ruby was lucky to have him and his band, given the pittance she could afford to pay them.

As if he sensed her attention, Zeke picked her out of the shadows at the back of the club. She felt the warmth of the smile he beamed to her, a smile totally at odds with the desperate mood of the song. You know why Zeke plays here, her inner critic commented. You’re just taking advantage of him.

He gets what he wants, she argued with the internal voice that sounded so very much like her mother’s. I treat him fine. Of course, she got as much out of their relationship as he did. Zeke was a strong man with powerful desires. He could set her on fire. It wasn’t her fault that he was so sentimental. You wouldn’t expect it from a rough and tumble guy like Zeke Chambers—ten years a New York cabbie, a guy who’d seen every horror the city could dish out.

~ ~ ~ ~

Want to win a free copy of this book? Check out my blog post from lastSaturday for details. I’ll be drawing the winner next Saturday.

And don’t forget to visit the blogs of the other authors “hooking” today!

Vive La France (#france #gourmet #bdsm)

In April of 2013, my husband and I were fortunate enough to enjoy a two and a half week vacation in France. We traveled by train, in a broad circle that took us through much of the country. Starting in Paris, we visited historic Lyons, Annecy in the French Alps, Chamonix, lively Marseille, glorious Avignon, Carcassonne with its Crusader-era fortress, cosmopolitan Bordeaux, and medieval Normandy, before returning to Paris for several days. This incredible journey served as partial inspiration for my erotic romance novel The Ingredients of Bliss.

In this contemporary BDSM ménage, Mei Lee “Emily” Wong, an accomplished cook from Hong Kong, and her boss, the culinary legend Etienne Duvalier, are sent to France by the Toutes Les Saveurs network to shoot a series of shows on location, featuring regional cuisine and tourist highlights. Emily's master, producer Harry Sanborne, is also part of the entourage. Emily, Etienne and Harry retrace my steps, from Paris to Lyons to Marseille. In that gritty seaside melting pot, the story diverges from my itinerary, as a criminal gang kidnaps Harry and Etienne in a case of mistaken identity. (However, I did manage to include some scenes in Nice, which I visited on a previous trip to France.)

My stories always have a strong sense of place, and this one is no exception. Some authors deliberately set their tales in nameless cities – so as not to distract from the unfolding relationships, one friend told me. Of course every writer is different, but for me, the sights, sounds, smells and tastes surrounding my characters are important determinants of their thoughts and moods. Given that both Emily and Etienne are chefs, one can hardly imagine a more appropriate setting. Meanwhile, my recent experiences there made it easy for me to conjure vivid sensual impressions.

Magnificent France forms the backdrop for this tale of love, sex, danger and deliverance. If you enjoy travel tales, that's just one more reason to get yourself a copy of this lusty and transgressive romance.

Excerpt – Rated R

“Emily?” Harry’s voice boomed through the corridors, as if in answer to my thoughts.

“In here. In Dantès cell.”

Harry had to duck to get through the low doorway. “Ah. I should have figured I’d find you in a dungeon.” He smelled of sunscreen, sweat and musk. Like Pavlov’s dog, I started to get wet in response to the familiar stimulus.

I fought my rising need. “Hi, Harry. I was just about to head back…”

Before I could stop him, he’d clasped me to his chest. “I missed you, love.” He buried his nose in my wind-tousled hair, breathing deep then nibbled my ear. “You smell delicious.”

I tried to untangle myself from his arms. “I need a shower.” My laugh sounded hollow.

“That’s why you smell so good. No, actually that’s not true. You always smell good. One whiff of your magic scent and I’m hard as a rock.”

He wasn’t lying. His erection prodded my belly as he ran his hands over my curves and burrowed into the crook of my neck.

“Too bad there aren’t any iron rings or bars. You’d look so fetching, shackled to the dungeon wall.”

“Harry, come one. Be serious!” Once more I struggled against his embrace, without success. He only held me tighter. He was far stronger than I. My stomach did a dizzy little flip at this realization. “They’re probably waiting for us…”

He left off his nuzzling and gazed into my eyes. In the dim cell, his were full of shadows. “Let them wait. And I am serious, Emily. I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

I couldn’t avoid the kiss. Honestly, I didn’t want to. His mouth sealed itself to mine and his tongue forced my lips apart, claiming me. Lust roared through me, unleashed by the ferocity of his oral conquest. I tasted the sugary residue of his soft drink, the mint of his toothpaste, residual garlic and herbs from the ratatouille. His assertive male odor surrounded me, the essence of pure sex. I opened to him and let him take me. I had no choice.

He didn’t fondle my breasts or pinch my bottom or insinuate his fingers into my drenched knickers. He did nothing but kiss me, pouring every ounce of feeling into that mouth-to-mouth connection. Without the slightest stimulation, aside from his taste and smell, the firmness of his lips and the probing of his tongue, I found myself trembling on the verge of climax. Irresistible power flowed from him, overwhelming me. Helpless, lost and grateful, I let myself go.

He understood what he was doing to me. He felt my last resistance crumble. My plans, my qualms, my logic all came to nothing when faced with the intensity of his desire. And as I surrendered, the kiss changed.

Now he sipped at my mouth rather than swallowing me whole. His tongue feathered over my lips, coaxing me to let him enter. He breathed into me, warm and sweet, gentle as drifting clouds on a spring day. Holding me close, so close I could feel the heartbeat under his sweat-damp shirt, he bathed me in his devotion.

My sex still tingled and sparked, but now some other sensation swelled in my chest, a rare joy that seemed on the edge of triggering both laughter and tears.

“I love you, Emily.” His voice was rough velvet, his lips moist against my cheek. “More than I can ever say. More than I know what to do with.”

Tell him, my rational self whimpered, weaker by the instant. Tell him you’re leaving, before it’s too late.

I raised my face to his and offered him my mouth, and the truth.

“I love you, too.”

Get your copy today!

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Meet Ashe ... and her sexy spacemen! (#bookgiveaway #menage #scifiromance @AsheBarker)

I’m delighted to have my friend and blog-mate Ashe Barker visiting today, to tell us a bit about herself and her latest release, Theirs:Found and Claimed. Oh, she has a giveaway at the end, too! ~ Lisabet

Lisabet: How many books have you written? Are they all spanking fiction?

Ashe: I think I have approaching fifty titles out now, and they are all erotic stories. Some are more BDSM themed and some are spanking/domestic discipline. At first I wrote just contemporary stories, then I started adding a few historicals as well, and one paranormal so far. Theirs: Found and Claimed is my third sci-fi and I love writing in this genre.

Why do you enjoy writing sci-fi?

Because I love the idea of playing God. I can create just the world(s) I want, set up whatever social system suits my story, and craft the most amazing characters. The usual laws of physics, time, and cultural behavior don’t count so the story-telling can be much more creative and inventive in an alternative universe. Stories which might be really controversial if written as a contemporary romance can be ‘cloaked’ in a sci-fi.

Do you see writing as a career?

Yes. I try to be fairly ordered about it. I like to be at my desk (well, more accurately the kitchen table) laptop fired up and coffee to hand, by nine in the morning and I tend to write for most of the day then. There are also a lot of related tasks to keep on top of, mainly to do with promo or research, or keeping in touch with readers and other authors. It’s definitely a full-time job for me.

If you could have been told one thing that you weren't told when you were a teenager, what would you like to have heard?

I was given lots of advice as a teenager, much of it unsolicited and not especially good. I think we all have to make our own mistakes, but hopefully I haven’t made the same mistake to many times. That would be sad.

Looking back, I think the most important thing I picked up along the way was that we all have choices, all the time. We’re entitled to choose our own way in life, but we should also be ready to own and accept the consequences of our decisions.

Someone once invited me to cast my mind forward to a time perhaps sixty years from now when I’ll be long-gone and my daughter (currently eighteen) is herself entering old age. Imagine she’s talking to her grandchildren, telling them about me. What would I like her to be saying? My actions now, today, will dictate what those obituaries might be so don’t leave it until later to be the sort of person you want to be remembered as.

If you had to describe yourself using three words, it would be…

Resilient. Creative. Calm.

What would you do if you were the last person on this earth?

Turn out the lights.

And now, onto the information about the book!

Blurb

Who is she? What is she? And what will they do with her?

When they board a derelict spacecraft in search of valuable scrap metal, the last thing Luca and Sylvan expect is to stumble upon a beautiful, naked woman in need of medical assistance. Despite her protests, they bring her back to their ship, treat her illness, and take it upon themselves to look after her.

After she contracted the virus that wiped out her people and killed everyone else on her ship, Llianna didn’t expect to survive, and she is shocked when she awakens from a comatose state with two men standing over her. Once she regains her health, however, she is horrified to realize that she is about to enter her fertile period, a uniquely vulnerable time for females of her species.

Knowing that she will end up begging Luca and Sylvan to take her in any way they please if she doesn’t act quickly, she flees in her partially-repaired ship, only to be caught, stripped bare, and spanked soundly. The stern punishment leaves her desire burning even more fiercely, and soon she is writhing in ecstasy as her handsome rescuers claim her hard and thoroughly.

Though Luca and Sylvan make it clear that she is free to go once her ship is finally fully operational again, Llianna finds herself yearning to belong to them completely, and as she learns to submit to their firm, loving dominance, her passion for them grows more intense with each passing day. But when she discovers that she is not the last of her kind after all, will she leave the men she loves to live amongst her own people?

Publisher’s Note: Theirs: Found and Claimed includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.

Buy Links:   Amazon    Read Chapter One for Free

Excerpt (X-Rated)

“Am I hurting you?” Sylvan is sliding his fingers in and out of my wet pussy, the motion slow, deliberate, utterly seductive. All the while Luca continues to torment my clit, teasing me to a near frenzy then allowing his fingers to slide away until he barely touches me.

I shake my head as I gnaw on my lower lip. This is wonderful, the sensations they are creating are sheer unadulterated bliss, but it’s torture too. I yearn for… something, something more. But at the same time I never want this to end.

“That’s two fingers. This is three…” Sylvan pulls his fingers out of me again, then carefully parts my pussy lips with his free hand before slipping back inside. The stretch is delicious, the slight burn at my entrance intoxicating. I am aware of every callused centimetre of his long digits as they ease back inside me and my body reshapes to accept them.

“Does this hurt?” The question is murmured, Sylvan’s voice low and compelling, “or this?” He somehow twists his hand within me to change the angle of his penetration. He scissors his fingers, rubbing a spot somewhere on the front wall of my pussy. Everything I was already feeling is intensified, as though white lights explode in my head, behind my eyes. My entire body convulses now and I let out a high-pitched moan.

Luca takes a firm hold on my clit and squeezes hard, pulling as he does so. The pleasure is beyond belief, and seems to rush into that one single place, the very core of my being. Helpless to resist, unable to control my response even if I wanted to, I splinter.

There’s warmth, wetness, even more than before. Sylvan’s fingers move easily inside me, skilled and accurate, drawing my response out, bringing me back to that shimmering peak again and again. I am floating, my bones liquid, my senses shattered. There is nothing in this universe beyond the amazing sensations exploding at my core then rippling out to fill every extremity of my body.

I lose any sense of time, of space, but that does not matter because they have me. I drift, suspended between reality and some magical, mystical realm beyond, unable to comprehend what has just happened. I settle back down, breathless, and the heady sensations dissipate. I become aware of my surroundings again, and of my still-overwhelming need. The phase is relentless, assuaged only momentarily by the rush of my release. If anything, my need to have Sylvan inside me, fully sheathed within my needy pussy, is greater now, even more compelling.

“She just gushed. We’re swimming in it down here.” Again I do not comprehend Sylvan’s meaning, but his tone is warm and he seems satisfied with the situation.

“Excellent, that’ll help. Now would be a good time then…” Luca relinquishes his hold on my clit and reaches for my spread legs. He grips me behind each knee and pulls my thighs wider apart, at the same time tilting me up a little as though to offer me to Sylvan. “Relax, sweetheart. You’ll love this bit, I promise.”

I go limp in Luca’s arms as the other male rises up to kneel on the bed. I crane my neck to peer down and watch, detached almost as Sylvan positions his awesome cock at my entrance then begins to press forward. He uses his fingers to part my pussy lips to gain better access, then suddenly the entire head of his cock is inside me. The lips of my pussy are spread wide, stretching around him and I am intensely aware of every intimate detail.

I stiffen, and whimper softly. Luca’s breath is on my neck. “Are we hurting you?”

“No,” I manage, “not hurting. It is just… it feels so strange.”

“Mmm, I’ll bet.” He nibbles on my earlobe before opening his lips around the skin in the crook of my neck and sucking there. The sensation is almost as erotic as Sylvan’s slow, steady penetration and I moan quietly.

Sylvan leans forward, his right hand on the bed to support his weight and his left finds my breast. He caresses the lower curve then flicks my nipple with his fingertip. The unexpected stimulation unleashes another rush of sensation and I thrust against him, impaling myself yet more on his solid cock. He sinks in, and the stretch feels near impossible as my body parts to admit him. Then he stops. He has reached the limit, the point beyond which it is not possible to proceed. I chance a quick glance down to see perhaps half his length still visible and I know this is not quite correct. I was right, he is just too large, too—

“Aagh!” I scream as a searing pain stabs me, momentarily taking my breath away. In that instant Sylvan moves, shifts, and the remainder of his massive cock drives forward to fill me.

It is done, and I am dead.

About Ashe Barker

USA Today Bestselling author Ashe Barker writes erotic romance and spanking romance in a variety of genres including contemporary, BDSM, paranormal, historical. ménage, gay romance and time travel. She is a #1 Amazon Bestseller and all her stories feature hot alpha males and sassy submissives, often with a lot to learn. Kink abounds, and there’s enough dirty talk to satisfy the most demanding smut lover. However dark and dirty the setting, love always emerges triumphant, and her stories never fail to deliver a satisfying happy ever after.

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To celebrate the release of Theirs: Found and Claimed, and of course in honour of Valentine’s Day next week, I’m offering one reader the chance to win their selection from my backlist.  

Three runners up will each get a coaster featuring Theirs :Found and Claimed. To enter, use the widget below.

The competition closes on 13 February, so be quick.

a Rafflecopter giveaway