Saturday, February 29, 2020

Saturday's Blurbs feature Books by Adriana Kraft #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Suspense #Sensual tales


The Merry Widow

The Merry Widow
Publisher: Extasy Books
Price: $4.99
Word length: 68,500     313 pages
Genres: Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense
Heat Rating: R (explicit sex, m/f, f/f; ménage, f/f/f, f/f/m; toys)

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






Cherry Tune-Up
Publisher: B&B Publications
Price: $2.99 or FREE for newsletter sign-up
Word length: 30,800     105 pages
Genres: Erotic Romance
Heat Rating: R (explicit sex, m/f, f/f; ménage, f/f/m; light BDSM; toys)

BLURB

She’s desperately seeking a sex tutor – what if he demands total control? 

Desperate for a crash course in lovemaking, Bobbi Jo Martin seeks out her childhood best friend. A successful contractor with NASCAR dreams, Jack Day has never forgotten her—but how will he protect his heart?  In a moment of sheer genius, he decides to play the role of master…

BUY LINKS





Hookups (Swinging Games, Book 2)
Publisher: Extasy Books
Price: $4.99; FREE at Extasy Books.
17,300 words, 53 pages
Heat Rating: R (explicit sex, m/f, f/f; menage, f/f/m, f/m/f, four way; toys)

BLURB

Friends with benefits —a brand new world opens up for Jen and Brett Andrews in the enticing but unpredictable world of swinging. Will Pam and Rick be all they've hoped for? Will Tom and Linda disappear after chatting them up? What about Carl and Alice? Fantasies and new hookups fuel the fire of lust and excitement, but what will happen to their marriage?

BUY LINKS

Amazon     Kobo     FREE at Extasy Books

Friday, February 28, 2020

Friday Adriana Kraft is visiting and Talking about Who She Was Before #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Suspense


1.      What were you before you became an author? Did this influence your choices as a writer?

Since there are two of us writing together under our pen name, you get double coverage! I was a family therapist, a social work educator, and a consultant, in addition to free-lancing as an editor. My husband was a criminologist who did criminal justice research and taught in social work schools—naturally, we met when we were both teaching at one of them. We love drawing on our wide range of experiences as we craft our characters and create the obstacles we throw at them.

2.      Are you genre specific or general? I don’t mean major genres but subdivisions or romance, mystery or paranormal.

We’re pretty specific, within two main subgenres: we write romantic suspense that typically features one man and one woman with a happy ending (after they solve the crimes and escape the villains, of course), and we write erotic romance with a wide range of pairings: f/m, f/f, f/f/m, f/m/f, four-way ménage, polyamory and more. Within both genres, we’re especially interested in how characters evolve and change as they’re faced with choices they hadn’t anticipated.

3.      What is your latest release?

The Merry Widow, just released at Extasy Books, is both an erotic f/f/m romance and a suspense story. We first started writing this one to be an erotic romp, with the device of the threat of mob exposure to push our characters into flaunting the mob with more and more sex scenes. We probably accomplished that goal, but as the story unfolded, we came to care more about Merry’s journey as a woman.

When her story opens, on New Year’s Eve 1999, widow Merry Delaney is probably one of the most shut-down, despairing characters we’ve ever met. We loved tracing (well, and creating) those tiny first steps toward change—the ones she hardly even knows she’s making. By the time she’s aware, she’s evolved into something she hardly recognizes, but she’s never said “no” along the way. She’s also believed she’d never fall in love again. Now that she has, she faces tough choices—if she continues to embrace her new identity, will she lose her new love? What will she choose?

4.      What are you working on now?

We’re polishing an erotic romance manuscript about a Twin Cities photographer who specializes in erotic portraits and a Nebraska schoolteacher who signs up for a course at the academy where he teaches – unprepared for what he asks of her until she delves deeper into her own family history and realizes where she comes from. As you can see, we love exploring women’s self-discovery journeys – and of course, those journeys provide lots of opportunities for erotic scenes.

5.      Do your reading choices influence your choice of a writing career?

They certainly did as we began to transition from co-authoring academic pieces to co-writing romance a couple decades ago. I’d delved into many classic women’s romances (in addition to being a major Jane Austen fan), Mr. Kraft had grown up reading western adventures, and both of us had explored major literary erotic authors. By now, our reading for pleasure is more wide ranging and not so focused just on what we write. We’re both currently on a Tudor and Medieval England binge, a welcome escape from our editing tasks when we need one.

6.      Where can we find you?

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




Thursday, February 27, 2020

Thursday's Fifth Scene The Wizards of Fyre #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Fantasy #Sword and Sorcery #Dragons #Wizards


A man’s roar of pain startled Lorana. She slid the kettle from the fire. A guard shouted an order to halt. She ran to the gated entrance to the outer courtyard and peered through the frill. A bare-chested man with thorns protruding from his skin staggered inside. White streaks shot from his wand.
Lorana dripped to the ground when a bolt struck the grill. A matron of the hareem screamed and slumped against the wall. A wizard knocked the wand from the man’s hand.
The grill hung open. The man’s screams pulled Lorana to her feet. No one should suffer such pain. She ran to the fallen wizard. One by one she pulled thorns from his back and arms.
Someone grasped her shoulders. Fingers dug into her skin. “What are you doing?”
Despite the pain she continued removing the spines from the fallen man’s skin. “For him to have a chance of survival these must be removed.”
“No one survives such a dose.”
“Let her continue,” Mecador demanded.
The hands on her shoulders loosened. She looked up. “He’ll need much care.”
“Can you save him?” someone asked.
Lorana looked over her shoulder. “I’ve saved five men since my arrival though none bore so many thorns. I will try to heal him.”
Mecador nodded. “I’ve seen this one work. Soon after she arrived she healed me but I bore only two thorns.” He shoved the burly wizard away. “Cregan, tell me what happened.”
“He carried thorns he’d collected in his shirt and helped me. He tripped over a half full one and fell into the tangle.” He kept his head lowered.
Lorana looked at him. A shifting of his eyes made her wonder if he’d lied. She continued removing thorns. Her concern was for the wounded man. His breathing was shallow and she could barely feel his heart.
Mecador touched her head. “If you can save his life, tell me what you need.”
“Some herbs from the storeroom. I don’t know their names but I do the scent and taste. I’ll need water to bathe him. The poison will drain through his skin.”
The chief wizard pulled her to her feet. “Gather what you need. We’ll take him to his suite and return for you.”
Lorana nodded. “I’ll do this.” She lowered her head. Perhaps she would learn more about the ways of these men.
“Cregan, use your wand to maintain Arton’s life. You know the consequences if he dies.”
Loran pulled the last thorn from the man’s shoulder. She rose and backed away. Four men arrived. They rolled Arton onto the cloth attached to wooden poles. The man called Cregan pressed his want against the wounded man’s chest.
Unlike the pale-haired man, the fallen man had hair streaked with the colors of fire. She scurried to the storeroom to father what she would need to treat the fyrethorn poison.
In the large room she selected a large basket. Jar after jar on the shelf containing herbs and spices were searched. She dropped the ones she needed into the carrier and added one of tallow to use as a base for a paste. A small container of cordial and one of poison completed her search of these shelves. She found cloth for dressings and carried the basket to her room.
Before going to the gate she instructed two of the women how to brew the last jug of poison needed to fill the quota for trade. She lifted a mortar and pestle and added them to the basket.
She arrived at the grill and found Mecador waiting. He gestured to the guard. “Carry the basket.” He grasped Lorana’s arm. “Just a warning.”
His deep breath raised a shudder. “Why?”
“Not only does Arton’s life depend on you saving him but also Cregan’s.” he led her to a set of stairs and started up.
“I’ll do my best but only fate rules the outcome.”
“Your life is also at risk.”
Lorana sucked in a breath. Though death was an escape from slavery she had no desire for that end. If dead she couldn’t find a way to destroy the wizards.
They reached the second level of the citadel. His giant strides along the dimly lit corridors forced her to trot or risk having her arm pulled from the socket. He halted abruptly and she nearly fell. The guard hit her with the basket. She winced as pain shot down her leg.
Mecador opened a wooden door and pulled her into a room. A fireplace on the wall next to the entrance to a second room burned cheerfully. A table and two chairs stood against the side wall. Hooks adorned the other wall.
She saw comfort such as she recalled from her home. The chairs bore cushions. An oil lamp on the table waited to be lit. Through the doorway she saw a sleeping chamber. A wardrobe, a massive bed with wooden posts and curtains that could enclose the bed and a table plus a cushioned chair completed the furnishings.
Mecador dragged her into the sleeping chamber. “Three times a day food will be delivered. You may eat what he doesn’t. There is no reason for you to leave these rooms and if you are found in the halls you will be punished.” He pointed to the other room. “The necessary for washing and all other matters is in there.”
Lorana walked to the massive bed. A blanket covered Arton’s lower body. She turned to the older man. “He should be turned to his stomach so I can see the wounds and treat them.”
He snapped his fingers. Cregan appeared immediately. Lorana tensed. Would the burly man be constantly present? Would he prevent her from finding things to aid in her escape?
“Turn him on his stomach,” Mecador commanded.
Cregan pressed close enough to run his hand over her hip. She edged back and nearly collided with the older wizard.
Lorana approached the bed. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the men had left. She placed her supplies on the table where a cluster of colored fyrestones formed an intricate pattern on a leather tray. She returned to the bed and touched the places where the thorns had penetrated the skin. Several retained bits of the tips. She needed a knife.
His blue dragon trousers hung on the edge of the bed. A sheath on the belt produced a knife. She cleaned the edge and point with liquid distilled from pine sap. One by one she cut the skin and removed the foreign matter. She mixed drops of the poison with an equal amount of the cordial. She mixed this with the lard and treated each area where the thorns had pierced his back and arms. She covered his back and arms with cloth and managed to turn him over and tied the ends to keep the material secure.
His labored breathing troubled her. In a large cup of hot water taken from the bathing room she blended a mixture of herbs. After adding some sweetened syrup and a measure of spirits she returned to the bed.
She raised his head with a pillow and spooned the liquid into his mouth. At first she had to massage his throat to encourage swallowing. He managed the last of the dose o his own. Soon his breathing steadied. A sheen of perspiration covered his face and chest.
Lorana filled a basin with water and wiped away the river of perspiration. Her fingers stroked his chest feeling the way the hair swirled. She edged the blanket lower to expose his lower body. As she wiped the cloth over his abdomen she saw his male organ grow longer and thicker.
Her face heated. Her breasts felt heave and he nipples peaked. A tendril of heat flowed toward her private places. As quickly as possible she washed sweat from his legs and pulled the covers over his body.
She retreated and slumped in the chair. Why was heat cascading through her? She didn’t understand what caused these sensations. She leaned back and closed her eyes.
*Escape. Come to me.*
Her eyes flew open. Had she heard a dragon’s voice? How could that be? Many, many years ago the wizards had killed the dragons of this land. All but the ones who had fled over the mountains had died beneath the power of the wizard’s wands. These evil men used dragon skins to make their clothes.
Arton moaned. Lorana returned to the bedside. She made another brew of herbs and encouraged him to drink. One thing she knew. If he survived the massive dose of thorn poison he would be immune.
She brushed damp hair from his forehead. On an impulse she bent and kissed his forehead, just like she remembered her mother had done when she was young. Her hands tightened. Being drawn to him frightened her. He was one of the enemy.
Lorana returned to the chair and dozed. Sounds from the other room startled her/ She cowered and pressed further into the chair. Until the sounds ceased she barely breathed. Cautiously she crept to the door and saw a feast had been placed on the table.
She shredded meat and minced vegetables to add to the bowl of broth. She cut pieces of fruit into small bites. She fed Arton all the broth and most of the fruit. When he slept she went to the outer room and ate most of what remained. She hid the hard rind fruit on the bottom of the basket beneath the cloth tunic and trousers she found in a corner of his wardrobe.
That night and all of the next day she dosed and roused, dosed, bathed and fed Arton. Each tie he drank the potion and sweated he became more responsive.
On the third day he sat propped by pillows and fed himself. The door opened. Lorana went to see who had entered knowing this wasn’t the time meals were delivered.
Cregan stood with his arms crossed. “Mecador wants to know if Arton has improved. In six days he must be ready to leave for the clan gathering. He will face a challenge there.” He cupped her face with his fleshy hands. “He will lose and after one more contest you will be mine.” He crushed her lips with his in a brutal kiss. He wheeled and marched from the room.
Lorana stared at the door. She wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her dress. In six days or less she would return to the hareem and plan her escape.

My Places

Buy Mark

http://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/



Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Wednesday The Aries Libra Connection #MFRWHooks #BWLAuthor #Romance contemporary #Astrology #Hospital

The Aries Libra Connection (Opposites In Love Book 1)

Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com  for some great excerpts. Mine is from the Aries Libra Connection.

Jenessa is Aries, a nurse, union advocate and likes a good fight.

Eric is Libra, Director of Nursing, and believes in compromise.

Can these two find a way to uncover the underhanded events at the hospital? They’re on opposite sides but the attraction between them is strong. She’s a widow who fought to save her husband’s life during a code. She feels guilty because the love she and her husband shared had died before his death. He assisted at the code but he feels guilty since he was the one who was responsible for the short staffing the night her husband died.

Now they face falling in love and trying to solve the problems between the nurse’s union and the president of the hospital’s Board who wants a take over of the hospital by his hospital group. Is their love strong enough to survive?


Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
While a first meeting might be memorable, that doesn’t mean the memory is easily triggered. She’s a widow, he’s the nurse who was responsible for the short staffing at the hospital the night her husband died. And when the truth comes out it can destroy any chances for a relationship. In Aries-Libra Connection, the author demonstrates her knowledge of hospitals to make the story real, but does so skillfully without slowing down the read. From the first page to the last, Walters pulls you into the lives of her characters and has you rooting for a happily-ever after ending.

Recommend this book and the rest of the Opposites in Love series.


Rosemary Morris

5.0 out of 5 stars Hospital Romance
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 26, 2018
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase


Excerpt:
The heat of the August sun caused a trickle of sweat to run down Jenessa’s back. As she threw her practice pitches, she watched Sam Gray and a tall, blond man approach. He put a can on the grass. She felt his appraising stare and tamped an urge to ask what his problem was.
     “Play ball.” The home plate umpire’s call interrupted her thoughts. She stepped on the mound and prepared her first pitch.
     The first two innings were scoreless. She stepped to the plate in the bottom of the third. The first three pitches were high and wide. “Put one across.”
     The pitcher hurled. Jenessa tapped a liner off the end of the bat. The opposing pitcher bobbled the ball. Jenessa streaked past first and dove for second.
     “Out.”
     She bounced to her feet. “You’re blind. I was safe.”
     “Out,” he repeated.
     Megan, he’s not for me, she thought. As she walked away, she dusted her shirt. Her braid slapped against her back. A few feet from first base, she turned. “Safe.”
     For a moment, she thought he intended to continue the discussion. She felt his gaze on her back and grinned. Sparring with him at the bargaining table could be fun.
     In the seventh and final inning, the other team scored two runs. Jenessa rallied her team. “We can’t let them win. Nan, Simone, just get on and I’ll bring you in.”

     They walked. She strode to the plate and connected with the first pitch. The ball soared over the heads of the outfielders. She trotted past first. “I was safe.”
My Places

Buy Mark

http://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Tuesday's Writer's Tip After the End #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Writing #Promotion


Even before you finish your book, there are things you should be doing.

1. Make a list of the publishers you want to send your book to. Make a list of all the publishers who publish the kind of books you write. I once had an agent who sent a Regency romance to a science fiction/fantasy publisher. If you plan to self-publish, I have no idea how to go about this but there are other authors who do. Make sure the publishers you list do publish your kind of book. You can do this by looking at the books you have and the publishers.

2. Do the same thing with agents if this is the way you want to go. You can look to see which authors they represent.

3. Make sure you follow completely the instructions of publishers or agents when you submit.

4. Find authors you know who write in the same genre as you do and if you’re a fan, you could ask them for a recommendation or even a little bit about your book.

5. Do write what is your back of the book material. Having the Blurb in hand is a good idea. There are people on line who can help you with this copy.

6. Start appearing on Blogs of authors who welcome visitors to their blog. There are some places like Marketing For Romance Authors. This is a place where all your questions can be answered.

7. Set a budget for how much you want to spend promoting your book and stick to it. There are places where you can promote for free and ones that charge.

8. Be sure after you send out the book you don’t sit and wait for responses. Immediately start on the next book. Responses from publishers and agents can take weeks to months. Sitting and daydreaming about that big sale isn’t wise. If you’re well into a new book and you hear a negative response from an agent or editor, you have anew dream waiting. Writing and publishing aren’t for the weak. Unfortunately it’s a business.

9. Good luck and hopefully you’ll find a publisher like the one I found who wants everything you write.
My Places

Buy Mark

http://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/


Monday, February 24, 2020

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Poem #Cake #Writing

Meander 1 Poem -- Untitled

Butterfly kite high,
Spies fir tree spears,tugs winding
Ties, dips to touch spring

I you guide with knotted chains
My rough grasped rope struggles in your hold. Bend
As you husband me with elastic cords
And thinning strings cut tight into your hands.
Whisper threads snap and I am free to fly.
You dangle vanished ties and wonder why,

Swoop in eagle dance,
Find new currents. Ride the wind.
Butterfly kite high.

Meander 2 - Cake - I found a recipe for a cake not using flour and set out to find the ingredients. Since I don't like orange flavored things, I found I could substitue another citrus fruit. I chose limes. Then the recipe called for almond flour. There was none at the grocery store. I found coconut and apple flout. I chose the coconut and decided to go from there. Then an orange liquor but I decided to substitute either rum or vodka and add some limeade to the liquor. Soon I will bake this substitute cake and wonder how it will taste.

Meander 3 - Writing - Am almost back on trace for the new book. I'll be starting the plot draft soon and finish typing in the Rough draft. Am liking the way the story is going but I need to work on the time line when doing the Plot draft. Need to invent a time line and stick to it.


My Places

Buy Mark
http://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Sunday's Book Wizards of Fyre #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Fantasy #Romance #Sword and Sorcery

Wizards of Fyre (Island of Fyre Book 3)

Lorana, sold by her father to the slavers, resides in the harem in the citadel of the wizards. Her desire is to escape before she is given as a reward to one of the two wizard trainees who are competing for a spot on the council. She knows how to brew a cordial from firethorn berries and a poison from the thorns. When Arton, one of the young men is poisoned by the thorns she must care for him. She feels an attraction to him but she must escape. One night she hears the voice of a dragon. She thought the wizards had destroyed all the dragons on this side of the mountains. When the wizards leave to collect men to sell to the slavers, she takes the opportunity to escape with few supplies and a determination to reach the dragon.

Arton is a fledgling wizard and is about to be tested for the council. His mentor has died. His mentor wasn’t his father. The wizard purchased Arton from the slavers years ago. The present chief wizard would like to thwart Arton’s quest because he wants his son and trainee to join the council. Arton and his rival are evenly matched. The escape of Lorana becomes a quest. Which of the young wizards returns her to the citadel will win the competition and gain her as a reward. Cregan the rival decides to search on the desert. Arton chooses the hills. Because of Lorana’s care of him when he was poisoned he is attracted to her and he still craves a seat on the council.

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
This is the story of Lorana and Arton who join forces with a dragon to defeat an evil wizard and his son. The book is well written and the story interesting enough to keep me turning the pages even though this isn't my preferred genre.

An enjoyable read and I would recommend it for fans of YA/fantasy.

Can Arton find Lorana first and will he make her a prisoner or allow her to remain free?


My Places


Buy Mark
http://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Saturday's Blurbs Feature Books by Lorelei Confer #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Suspense



Deadly Deception

 Deadly Deception:  Human Trafficking: One of the most prolific and profitable businesses in the world and growing every day. But that’s only in third world countries, right?
Isabella Donnelly felt safe in her middle-class Colorado neighborhood until human traffickers drugged and abducted her. After being betrayed by a “friend,” she’s transported across state lines to Virginia to be sold into slavery or worse. With the clock ticking she manages to escape and is rescued by skeptical, but staggeringly handsome detective, Wyatt Bowman. After what’s happened she’s slow to trust anyone. Can she trust him?
Wyatt Bowman, with nothing-gets-past-him blue eyes, isn’t convinced her horrific story is true but the lawman in him demands an investigation. Aware of their immediate attraction and the heat burning between them, he doesn’t want to risk her safety but needs her help to carry out the sting operation. Can he keep her from harm?

Deadly Revenge: Tory Richards returns to North Carolina to help her mother set up a B&B, never expecting to discover murder victims, fall in love, or get abducted by human traffickers.
Fortunately, when she’s run off the road on her way into town, Dave Miller comes to her aid. She blows off the near fatal accident as just that--an accident—or is someone trying to kill her?
Dave Miller, who is working undercover on the task force for human trafficking, is drawn to Tory with passion he’s never felt toward any other woman. He wants to tell her the truth but can’t risk his mission by revealing his true identity.
Truth becomes a moot point when Tory is abducted and everything points to the group of human traffickers Dave’s had under surveillance. He calls in the task force, but will they reach Tory before she’s sold or used as a sex slave?

Deadly Deliverance: Things get personal for Sam Brower, undercover task force FBI agent for human trafficking, when his niece, Autumn, goes missing. To make matters worse, he’s forced to work with his ex-girlfriend and former DC cop, Lisa Conover, when she’s assigned to a cold case involving his abducted brother, Luke.
Despite working together like a fine-tuned instrument, Lisa and Sam have a past.
Undercover work doesn’t lend itself to trust. Can they reignite the passion of that past, if they make it out alive?