Monday, June 3, 2013

Guest Blogger - Adriana Kraft


Thanks so much for having me today, Elizabeth! Hubs and I are so excited about The Best Man, which has already been given a five star review. This is the first release for the new indie imprint my husband and I are launching, B&B Publishing.


Bad boy meets bad girl. Is there anything more?

THE BEST MAN
B&B Publishing, June, 2013: e-book
ISBN 978-0-9894693-0-2,  ASIN B00D2YEZXE
Erotic Romance Novel, 56,000 words
Cover by Dawné Dominique
Heat Rating Four Flames: Explicit sex: M/F; ménage: M/F/M; multiple partners; sex toys; anal sex; light bondage.


REVIEW:
Five Stars: I loved Kitty and Jared.  Both are strong willed characters who will not run from their attraction. Both expect a short but passionate affair, but their plans are upset when their emotions become involved.  Watching them both fight their feelings made their capitulation so much sweeter.… THE BEST MAN is excellent. Sheila, Shelfari and Amazon

BLURB
Passionate, hard working and every inch a business woman, Chicago realtor Kitty Paige likes her sex raw and edgy, and sees no reason to limit herself to just one man. Never married and not quite forty, the striking blonde has successfully raised her daughter, Susan, and is already pushing her new-found freedom to the limits.

Wealthy commodities middle-man and race horse owner Jared Jacobs is father of the best man at Susan’s wedding. He is smitten by the vision in yellow who exudes sex as she escorts her daughter down the aisle. Also single, the handsome mustached California ranch owner with mischievous eyes views his sex life as a series of splendid love affairs, and sets out to make Kitty next on the list.

Together and apart, their chemistry is explosive, and their sparkling repartee and steamy sex catch both partners by surprise. Jared is first to recognize he’s fallen in love. When Kitty panics, can Jared finesse his every move and reel her in?

DO READERS LIKE A BAD GIRL HEROINE?

That question has niggled at us ever since we met Kitty Paige, heroine of our just-released erotic romance novel, The Best Man. Naturally as authors, hubs and I like to think we have some measure of control over who our characters are and what they do, but Kitty stormed into our lives, full steam ahead, and insisted that we just deal with her. She opens the novel in the middle of one of her “baddest” moments – prone on her back in a hotel suite with a seriously inappropriate partner, the night before her daughter’s wedding. What can we say!
She made us nervous, but we decided to be as bold as she is and just let her have her way with us :). We wondered how readers would react – whether they could identify with her and maybe tolerate her badness enough to want to know the rest of her story, or whether they’d get too turned off by her outrageous behavior.
So last week we posed the question to our readers: do you like a bad girl heroine? We got some great responses! For example, from Cassie: I love a bad girl and ones who are totally bitches, lol. Kitty would love this comment – she’s cultivated her bitchy side and carefully groomed it, both for business and for pleasure. She’d be first to claim the label, when it suits her. From Renee: I love the bad girl heroines because they can kick some major butt, but still be vulnerable to their special lover, whoever that may be. It’s no surprise that’s exactly what Kitty struggles with – she’s afraid to be vulnerable, always trying to keep the upper hand. From Jeannie: I love them… Just like Bad boy heroes, they are strong, independent and it takes a strong partner to settle them and show them what love is. Agreed, totally – that comment sent hubs and me into a discussion about who is stronger, Kitty or Jared. Turns out it’s Jared, hands down – strong enough to be vulnerable first, and then to hang in there when Kitty freaks.
So we’re hoping you and all our readers will love Kitty as much as we do. We think, when all is said and done, she earns her happy ending!

EXCERPT

Frowning at the unfamiliar number on her caller I.D., Kitty nodded at the contractor she’d hired to do the rehab on a nineteen-twenties four-square she planned on reselling within the next six months. She’d been making the rounds of the four construction projects she had underway. It was her experience that if she didn’t keep routine tabs on them, the projects slowed. Contractors often responded to the squeaky wheel.

She smiled as she carefully made her way across the sub-flooring, making sure her high heels resonated through the empty house. She knew that sound translated into power with most construction workers. As usual, she’d chosen her wardrobe with her day in mind. This was not a day for refined, potentially high-paying buyers. This was a day for making sure the men she hired didn’t forget they were working for her. In addition to her blue high heels, she’d chosen a beaded pair of blue denim hip huggers and a simple canary yellow cardigan that failed to reach her jeans.

She avoided eye contact with the workers as she made her way to her car. She saw no need to embarrass them as they fantasized about her ass. One of her goals was to be the squeakiest wheel contractors ever heard. So far, she seemed to be meeting her goal.

She chuckled, leaned up against the car and glanced back toward the four-square. Men working on its siding quickly found something to do. Damn, she loved being a woman.

She punched a button on her cell, retrieving and returning the most recent call. Brushing her hair aside, Kitty brought the phone to her ear.

She startled when she heard the deep drawl.


The Silk Scarf Contest

We don't want to give away any secrets, but the yellow scarf that's just dropped to the floor between Jared and Kitty on their cover has some very special scenes of its own in the book - and you have a chance to win it (U.S. delivery only) ! One lucky reader will win a hand-finished yellow scarf made of genuine Thai Dupioni silk, just like Kitty's! All you have to do is leave us a comment about The Best Man any time all month, on our blog or on our blog tour! Please leave your name like this: YOUR NAME @ blahdeblah DOT whatever. (example: elizabethablack AT comcast DOT net).

Here are the first tour stops:

Friday, May 31: 
Destiny Blaine 

Saturday, June 1:
 Ella Jade 

Monday, June 3: 
Elizabeth Black

Wednesday, June 5    
Night Owl Reviews

Check our blog or be sure to follow me on my FaceBook Page , Twitter, or Google+ to be notified of the rest of the June tour stops. The more you comment, the more chances to win!



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adriana Kraft is the pen name for a husband/wife team writing Erotic Romance for Two, Three or More. The award-winning pair has published over thirty erotic romance novels and novellas to outstanding reviews. Long and Short Reviews: “scorching hot…refreshing...something to read when you want straight up hotness.” Romance Junkies: “filled with warmth, blazing hot sex, well-developed characters…not for the faint of heart.”  Romantic pairings include straight m/f, lesbian, bisexual, ménage and polyamory, in both contemporary and paranormal settings.

Find Adriana on the web:
Adriana’s Author Pages:



2 comments:

  1. Good morning, Elizabeth, and thanks so much for having me as your guest today. Gotta love those bad girl heroines!

    ReplyDelete
  2. p.s. - Readers, if you're entering for the Silk Scarf, please put your email addy in your comment so I can reach you if you win!

    Adriana

    ReplyDelete