Guest Post & New Release : Smoldering Passion - by @AdrianaKraft #menage #agegap #eroticromance

Happy Friday, All. I've got a treat to send us off into the weekend on a high note! Please Welcome back, the dynamic duo, Adriana Kraft, with a sneak peek of new release Smoldering Passion, the first book in a brand new series!

Book Information

Title: Smoldering Passion

Passion Series, Book One

Can be read as a stand-alone

Author: Adriana Kraft

Publisher: eXtasy Books

Publication Date: April 7, 2023

ISBN 978-1-4874-3815-9

Length: 70,259 words

Genres: Erotic Romance, LGBT Romance

Pairings: MF, FF, FFF, FMF, MFM

Contemporary, Menage, Bisexual, FM, FF,  New York City, struggling artist, age gap

Heat rating: four flames

Her passionsmolders. Will it ignite?  

When art studentMelissa Hopkins finally unpacks the two boxes her Aunt Phoebe left for her andsees Phoebe’s black and white photos, it’s like opening Pandora’s Box. A simplequest to find a new job morphs into an about face—not just in her art, but inher career and personal life. Short on funds now that her graduate stipend isending, she applies to work where Aunt Phoebe once worked: a center forsexuality and sex studies.

Sworn off women after a disastrous relationship, Center DirectorHarry Gage ignores the danger signals and hires the striking young woman whoreminds him of his former lover. Her air of innocence will captivate centerviewers, so he’s sure she’ll be a hit on camera. What he’s not prepared for ishow she pierces his heart.

When the sparks flare up, is it love or just sex—and what must eachof them risk to find out?

Universal Buy Link

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Do you love New York or hate it? I love it.Our newest release, Smoldering Passion(Extasy Books, April 7, 2023), pulls together some of what my  husband and I love best about New York andpays tribute to a favorite aunt of mine. It’s no accident that we placed ourfictional Center for Sexuality and Sex Studies in a vintage Greenwichvillage Brownstone, where everything we love about the city is easily accessible.

We gave our heroine, Melissa Hopkins, aBrooklyn apartment and neighborhood based on our son’s just after college –upstairs over a laundromat, not far from what was once Dodger Stadium/EbbetsField. The neighborhood is polyglot, full of deli’s, coffee shops, shoeboxrestaurants, and specialty grocery stores from almost any cuisine. It’s also ineasy walking distance of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. One of my favorite scenesin Smoldering Passion takes place in its Shakespeare Garden, where I’veoften sat and watched the crowd.

Somewhat older than Melissa, hero HarryGage is the director of our fictional Center. A Manhattan snob, he takes a dimview of pretty much any place that isn’t Manhattan, Brooklyn being near the topof his list. He lives in a high-rise condo apartment with floor to ceilingwindows overlooking Central Park. We took advantage of that window for anotherof my favorite scenes.

When the story opens, Melissa is an artstudent working on her master’s degree, and she needs a job. She’s technicallyvery proficient in her art medium but has been told she lacks passion. Sheanswers an ad for a research worker at Harry’s center – where her aunt used towork. We’ll let readers decide if Melissa succeeds in unlocking her hidden passions– we think they were smoldering all along.

Passion is exactly what prompted my favoriteaunt to pursue a groundbreaking career in sex studies and erotic art and tochampion women’s rights, and this series is dedicated to her memory.

Melissa stood and rotated her shoulders. She had to get out of herapartment. It was a beautiful day, and she didn’t want to spend it all inside.

She grabbed her keys and some cash and headed down the stairs tostreet level. She walked briskly, suddenly knowing where she wanted to be.

Shortly, she turned in at the entrance to the Brooklyn BotanicalGardens and slowed her pace, pausing to watch the ducks in the Japanese watergarden. This was space for relaxing – for breathing deeply, soaking in colorsand breezes and scents. The riot of spring blooms was long gone, and summer wasat its peak. She headed for the Shakespeare Garden and was relieved to find ashady bench empty in a secluded corner. Daisies, black-eyed Susans, anddaylilies formed a casual cluster in yellow, white, and orange beside thebench. Further off, some taller mauve blooms she couldn’t name were full ofbutterflies, and a curly-headed toddler ran up to them laughing gleefully. Thechild’s parents stood nearby, holding hands, happy, as if they had no care inthe world.

Melissa shook off a wave of loneliness. She waited till the familyleft and headed across the broad open meadow toward the rock garden, stoppingto watch more children playing tag and hiding behind shrubs and bushes. Anartist had set up his easel next to a large, tall tree that had oneout-of-place, low-slung branch reaching several yards straight out, parallel tothe ground. She could easily imagine relaxing under the protective boughs, butshe knew better than to disturb his scene or ask what he was seeing.

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She stopped and turnedaround. Nothing seemed out of place – the children were still running withabandon, lovers walked hand-in-hand stopping for brief kisses – there! A manstood on a distant knoll watching where she stood. A hat pulled low on his headserved almost as a mask.

She cocked her head to the side. Harry? She jogged toward thesmall hill. The man turned and scurried over the rise. When she crested it,there was nothing but trees, bushes, and flowers. Not a single person was inthe little glade. 

Harry was really getting to her. Now she was seeing him where sheknew he never would be. She laughed freely and headed back to her apartment.Harry probably never left Manhattan.

* * * *

Not looking back,Harry scampered toward his car, parked a couple blocks away. That was close.What would he have said if she’d spied him? He didn’t often hang out inBrooklyn – though that had been changing of late. Brooklyn seemed quaintcompared to Manhattan, but it was where she lived.

What would Melissa have said if she’d caught up with him? Would shebe pleased to know he’d followed her? Or would she be frightened?

He chuckled. He didn’t think she’d befrightened. Maybe mad as hell, but not frightened. 

Adriana Kraft is the pen name for a marriedpair of retired professors  writing erotic romance and erotic romantic suspensetogether. 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 theMidwest, 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 fiftyromance novels and novellas to outstanding reviews. Whether readers open ourromantic suspense or our erotic romance, they can expect characters they careabout, hot sex scenes, and a compelling story.

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

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Have you just discovered your smoldering weekend read?Happy Reading, All, and thank you for being our guest today, Adriana! This sounds like another sizzling read. 

Universal Buy Link

https://books2read.com/u/3nDdOe