This week in The Loft: Author Lisa Bonham!

Joining me today in The Loft is Lisa Bonham. Lisa writes medical romance stories, drawing on the experiences of family and friends in medicine. She says she is a "curvy wine and food lover who is always dreaming of new romances," as well as "a cat and dog lover, an early riser" with "strong allergies to housework and dairy." A self-proclaimed lover of hedonistic, spontaneous travel, and intoxicating, intense experiences, she tries to bring those "immensely pleasurable emotions" to her steamy romance books, including The Love Pulse Series and The Sensual Treatments Series.

Author Lisa Bonham

S:  Good morning, Lisa. Welcome to The Loft!

Why did you choose to write in the medical romance subgenre?

L:  It's very relevant right now. There is a huge community of unsung heroes--doctors, researchers, and nurses, who add so much to our society and they have intensely challenging lives, too. There are so many powerful alpha women and men in the medical world with intimate desires, fantasies, and needs. I love to create the entangled plot, and real thoughts and characters who are intertwined in their worlds with steamy passion and happily-ever- afters as they also glide through their careers and personal journeys. I also come from a family of medical professionals. My father was a surgeon, as is one of my sisters and another is a GP and one of my closest girlfriends. I’m so familiar and resonate deeply with the personalities and lives of this world.

S:  With all of the books you've published, I'm sure they're aware by now that they're inspiring your stories!

What attracted you to your current partner?

L:  His genuineness, height, and firm body as well as his constant natural humor, charisma, and confidence. A totally hot gentleman who respects and values women, and knows exactly how to treat me in every way.

S:  That makes you a very lucky woman.

What would you like to people know about you?

L:  I’m a very open and energetic person--always have been. I'm really passionate about creating affordable, romantic entertainment for as many people as I can. Also, I would absolutely love to hear from more of my readers. What they like and dislike in my books, and what they would like to see more of in my future books.

S:  After the publication of the “Fifty Shades” trilogy, it was reported that some readers ventured into the BDSM world seeking their own Christian Grey. Some were scammed, sexually assaulted, or otherwise harmed. Does an author bear any responsibility for those types of consequences?

L:  The reality is that there are some very dark topics illustrated and written in books or movies all over the world. Documentaries, social media, and the media repeatedly broadcast and glamorize events with sordid details are produced and readily available to everyone. I disagree that the author bears responsibility for people not looking after their values and well-being. It would be similar to saying that documentaries on sordid events or non-fiction books bear the responsibility for those who act out similar crimes.

S:  If a reader asked you why they should read your books, what would you tell them?

L:  If you like to be entertained with lavishly enriched scenes in a fast-paced, exciting plot with absolutely gorgeous, talented, and stunning characters there is no doubt you will be entertained and filled with super positive vibes and enjoyable romance.

S:  What inspired The Sensual Treatment Series?

L:  I feel really aligned to medical romance because I come from a medical family and I feel that myself and my readers enjoy the fantasy of reading about other people’s lives that we would not ever experience. The romantic lives of medical professionals around the world helping global communities directly and indirectly are so real, and usually take a back seat to their daily responsibilities which are literally life-saving and having maximum impact on people’s well-being.

S:  Is there anything you would like readers to know about "Candied Exposure?"

L:  Sadly, "Candied Exposure" is the last book in The Sensual Treatment Series, but it finally answers some questions that have been burning throughout the series, and really draws everything to a close. It will be released April 1. For the fans of The Love Pulse Series and this one, The Sensual Treatments Series, I am currently working on a new series that you are going to love. If you want some sneak peeks, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter.

Here's the blurb for "Candied Exposure"--

Kelly: 

A secret sweetheart but rough and wild as a lover as I need him to be sometimes taking charge and setting the pace that sends shivers down my spine. He’s just so attentive and respectful toward women.

A true immaculately dressed, sophisticated, modern gentleman with a strong and dominating physique that sets my mind on fire.

I feel fragile and deliciously protected.

I flourish with deep happiness and thoughts of us building our lives and dreams together from the foundations of the luxurious lifestyle that he has built. He’s an infamous rockstar in his medical law world.

Being in this half-dating and half-friendship stage sucks.

I want to be enveloped in the embrace of this strong, silent bad boy with the most tender heart.

Will we always just be the party couple or a couple of life?

Michael:

There’s a barrier around her that I don’t seem to be able to crack.

She feels distant and evasive.

I had thought that she had taken to me in the last few months.

There feels like a piece of me missing without Kimberly in my day, my heart, my life.
All this distraction needs to go away for us to build our lives together.

What is the wall made up of?

Will she let me into her heart?

S:  That sounds intriguing! Where can readers buy your book?

L:  It will be available tomorrow at https://amzn.to/3KrQPGp.

S:  Lisa, thanks for joining me today. If you'd like to learn more about Lisa and her books, please visit--

Website:  https://www.lisabonham.com/
Blog:  https://www.lisabonham.com/blog/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LisaBonhamOfficial
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LisaBonhamBooks

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lisabonham_books/
Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22327796.Lisa_Bonham
BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-bonham
Amazon Author Page:   https://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Bonham/e/B09VFGDJ61
Newsletter:  https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/y0q4w2

This week in The Loft: Author Pia Manning!

Joining me today in The Loft is fellow Wisconsinite Pia Manning. While I'm settled in the SE corner of the state, Pia resides in the north, where snow can be found well into June. Pia writes erotic romance and penned the Caveman Creek and Star Brides. A supporter of animal rescue, Pia enjoys hanging out with her fur babies – four cats and a big yellow dog. She has also raised and released close to a hundred butterflies over the last couple of years. Married to the love of her life, Pia and her husband have raised four children, all out in the world following dreams of their own.

S:  Good morning, Pia. Thanks for visiting me in The Loft.  

What’s love got to do with writing romance?

P:  I believe romance is a journey that leads to love--sometimes. Romance is that sweet time with flowers, candlelight dinners, and whispered promises when lovers get to know each other and decide if they have a future. The road isn’t always an easy one though, and is often filled with angst, doubt, and heartache. Relationships fail to go the distance for all kinds of reasons, but when romance deepens and trust develops, love blooms.

S:  I like that--romance is a journey. Do you write in other genres?

P:  I confess! I write horror--no erotic or romantic content--with a gothic edge. I love the creepy atmospherics and settings, especially lonely graveyards with crumbling tombstones, lights that flicker when they feel like it, and pets that stare at the ceiling and growl. I’ve even participated in an official ghost hunt. Some of my stories are on my website at https://www.piamanning.com/just-for-fun.html.

S:  Do you believe in love at first sight? Has it ever happened to you?

P:  Yes! Yes! And Yes! I absolutely believe in love at first sight. I noticed the future love of my life around here and there. We said, "Hi" and "How’s it going?" but we didn’t really talk or meet up. One miserably cold and soggy November, I was walking home when the gray skies opened. He pulled up in a barely street-legal orange VW with the fenders wired on and asked if I wanted a ride home. I climbed in, grateful to be out of the sleet. Then I looked down and saw the road through the hole in the floor. That Bug got me home though, and we married about six weeks later. Many years later, children, and a whole bunch of life later, we are still together and very much in love.

S:  Stories like this make great movies!

Have you ever shelved or thrown out a manuscript?

P:  The very first book I wrote is still a work-in-progress. It has cycled through various critique groups and I’ve ripped it apart many times, fixing this or adding that. In that respect, it isn’t finished. It sits, in its place of honor, on a shelf beneath the coffee table. I refuse to stuff the book into the file cabinet. If that happens, I fear it will be lost forever, and I’ll never work on it again.

S:  I hope that one day, inspiration will strike and you finally finish it.

Complete this sentence, “When one of my books is released, I...”

P:  When one of my books is released, I breathe a sigh of relief and go out to dinner with my sweetie. Then it’s catch-up time. You know, all those little projects that have been hanging out on the back burner for weeks. Right now, I need a glue-it day. What, you may ask, happens on glue-it day? I fix things. For example, the suction cup shower curtain rod fell and broke off the arm of the black bear toilet bowl brush holder. I need to glue it back on--preferably before I lose the bear’s arm. And you thought authors lead glamorous lives.

S:  What do you want inscribed on your tombstone? How do you want to be remembered?

P:  How does, “Tried hard, loved more,” sound? I’m not always successful, but I do my absolute best when I commit--be that to a project, or the people in my life who I love.

S.  What inspired "Advantage: Home Team?"

P:   "Advantage: Home Team" is book three in the Caveman Creek series and is set way up here where I live. As much as possible, I’ve tried to include the north of HWY 8 way of life, cuisine, customs, and places--my characters feel very real and true. Piper Thomas, the heroine of "Advantage: Home Team," played basketball for a major university before hanging up her tennis shoes to become a teacher and coach. Most women in athletics never become professional athletes, but instead move on to other careers while taking with them all they’ve learned about teamwork, commitment, and effort. This book is, in some ways, my salute to women and girls in athletics. While I believe that the atmosphere for serious female athletes has improved, we have a way to go before these girls and women receive the respect they’ve earned.

Here's the blurb--

New junior high teacher and girls’ basketball coach, Piper Thomas, is brimming with enthusiasm and can’t wait for school to start. She wants to connect with her students and help them achieve their goals. One student, Maddie, struggles with her mother’s death and her father’s emotional collapse. Piper desperately wants to help Maddie. The last thing she needs is a romantic entanglement.

Pinecone Creek Deputy and dominant, Jaxon Cooper aches to find his forever woman--one that he and his best friend, dominant Deputy Rick Sanders, can share. The second he sees Piper, Coop’s heart knows she’s the woman for them. Rick isn’t so sure. Rick is all about control, and Piper is a free spirit who doesn’t need anyone’s rules--well, except when it comes to sex. Piper’s last relationship fizzled because she wanted to explore, and her traditional-minded lover couldn’t handle her needs. Can Rick and Coop give Piper what she craves?

S:  Now that sounds steamy!  Where can readers buy your book?

P:  It's available at https://www.bookstrand.com/book/advantage-home-team-mfm

S:  Pia, thanks for stopping by for a chat. If you'd like to learn more about Pia and her books, please visit--

Website:  https://www.piamanning.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pia.manning.71

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/piamanning3

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/pia.manning/

This week in The Loft: Author D. V. Stone!

Joining me today in The Loft is author D. V. Stone. An award-winning, multi-genre, traditionally and independently published author, D. V. writes fantasy, romantic suspense, contemporary, mid-grade, and historical tales, all of which include a bit of romance. Her stories focus on the importance of friends and family. Married for almost 29 years, she and her husband have one son and three grandchildren. While her home base is in Northern New Jersey, D.V. spends January to April in sunny Florida. 

Author D. V. Stone

S:  Good morning, D. V. Thanks for joining me in The Loft!

Do you think romance books have become “too spicy?”

D:  I write on the sweet side. Closed doors and fade to black. I don’t know about books being too spicy. Everyone has different things they are comfortable with. I read books that are more on the spicy side at times. If it’s too much for me, I’ll flip past it. Art is subjective, and so are books. Even though I lean farther to the conservative side, I vehemently oppose banning books. I do believe in parental responsibility and the options being offered. No one should be forced to read a book, and no one should be denied the opportunity.

S:  That's a very good point. Recent calls for bans on books are really troubling. 

Some critics say romance novels mislead readers about the reality of romance and in fact, give readers false expectations. Do you agree?

D:  That's such a dumb idea. What about fantasy, sci-fi, and cozy mysteries? Hello? Fiction is not reality. I read to escape. I read for enjoyment. I love the idea of love. The news is not reality. I say that because they make every terrible thing look like it’s our way of life. It’s the news because it’s out of the normal. Should we ban Hallmark movies because they are unrealistic? Video games because a short plumber is in love with a princess? Give me romance and fantasy any day.

S:  Do you believe in love at first sight? 

D:  I believe in attraction at first sight, but love can be right behind it. I’d met my husband a few times at work. After our first date, it was love. We got engaged after a month and married within the year. That was 28 years ago.

S:  When you know, you know.

Have you ever shelved or thrown out a manuscript? 

D:  The first story I wrote seven years ago is still a work in progress. Basically, it was a stream of thoughts and giant at 160,000 words. It sat on the shelf, and I took it out periodically. Lately, I’ve been working on it and hope to whip it into shape.

S:  Wow. I can't imagine writing a book of that length. When I write, the journalist in me takes over, and wants something short and sweet. It's a struggle between that training and actually allowing a story to play out. Plus, I am an impatient writer and reader. I want to get to the end!

What inspired "Sea Hunter?"

D:  "Sea Hunter" is my first historical/paranormal tale. It’s part of a seven-author series of standalone novellas tied together with a mystical Mortar & Pestle. My previous releases are in different genres, and I wanted to try something new. It needed to fit with the series of a time-traveling magical item that reveals a person’s true love and heart’s desire. It was a blast to write. 

Here's the blurb for the series--

A wisp of smoke, a swirl of promise, a breath of destiny…a message within the Mortar & Pestle for those who want to believe. Throughout time people have sought their heart’s desire. But true love is often elusive. Carved with ancient Norse runes, the Mortar & Pestle shows paths to happily-ever-afters. Once you capture the Mortar & Pestle’s scent of magic, you’ll want to read all seven individual romances. 

S:  Is there anything special you would like people to know about "Sea Hunter?

D:  An amazing amount of research needed to go into "Sea Hunter." It takes place post--WWII when technology was growing in leaps and bounds. I visited naval museums, shipyards, and a pirate museum from Freeport, Maine to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I also enjoyed learning about the vernacular of the times. The 40s were quite a colorful time.

Here's the blurb--

Zahra Corbyn.

As the professor of antiquities, nothing snaps my cap more than treasure hunters and looters. They smash and grab and then are gone with the wind. And there are two after Sea Wraith. But fate is a funny thing. Thanks to an ancient Mortar and Pestle, not only am I in cahoots with one of them but he’s also fired up my heart, turning me into a khaki-wacky.

Captain Jack Alexander.

I’ve been told women on a ship are unlucky, but this dame has the two pieces of the map I need to finally claim Sea Wraith. Now, I find myself in a lousy deal that makes me one-third partner with her and a known scalawag. It’s either that or bupkis. After all these years of chasing down my dream of finding the shipwreck, my obsession is cooling off and heating up toward a bird who’s way above my pay grade.

Can the two unlikely allies work together while safeguarding their hearts against the power of the Mortar and Pestle?

S:  That sounds like a fun adventure tale! Where can readers buy your book?

D:  It's available at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BRYJLLW1.

S:  D. V., thanks so much for joining me today and congratulations on your latest book! If you'd like learn more about D. V. and her books, please visit--

Link Tree 

Website / Amazon Author Page / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram /Pinterest / Bookbub / Goodreads / Newsletter / YouTube / Around the Fire blog

Let the shenanigans begin!

All of my backlist books are now 40% off at Extasy Books, including--

Kinky Briefs: https://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs-1

Kinky Briefs, Too: https://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs,-too

Kinky Briefs, Thrice: https://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs,-thrice

Kinky Briefs, Quatro: https://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs,-quatro

Kinky Briefs, Cinque: https://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs,-cinque

Snatching Dianna: https://www.extasybooks.com/snatching-dianna

Infamy: https://www.extasybooks.com/infamy

Cult: https://www.extasybooks.com/cult

Hope: https://www.extasybooks.com/hope

Martimus: https://www.extasybooks.com/martimus

The Garage Dweller: https://www.extasybooks.com/the-garage-dweller

The President’s Wife: https://www.extasybooks.com/the-presidents-wife

Seizing Hope: https://www.extasybooks.com/seizing-hope

The White House Wedding: https://www.extasybooks.com/the-white-house-wedding

The Last Christmas: https://www.extasybooks.com/the-last-christmas

The President’s Daughter: https://www.extasybooks.com/the-presidents-daughter

A Touchdown to Remember: https://www.extasybooks.com/a-touchdown-to-remember

First, We Kill All the Lawyers: https://www.extasybooks.com/first,-we-kill-all-the-lawyers

Ye Gods! The Law is an Ass!: https://www.extasybooks.com/ye-god-the-law-is-an-ass

Vive la Resistance: https://www.extasybooks.com/Vive-la-Resistance

 

This week in The Loft: Author Neil Plakcy!

Joining me today in The Loft is author Neil Plakcy. A former college professor, Neil writes LGBTQ stories, including contemporary romance, cozy mysteries, thrillers, detective, and adventure stories. His books include The Golden Retriever Mystery series, Mahu Investigations, Angus Green Thrillers, and Have Body, Will Guard Adventures. Neil lives in south Florida with his husband and two golden retrievers. When not writing, Neil enjoys walking his dogs under the palm trees, and collecting Starbucks bearista bears, rubber ducks, and anything to do with dogs.

Author Neil Plakcy

S:  Good morning, Neil. Welcome to The Loft!

What’s love got to do with writing romance?

N:  One of the most important human emotions is love, and almost everyone longs for that feeling of connection to someone else. For me, writing a romance is about two characters falling in love and overcoming the obstacles that society, or their own natures, throw in their way.

S:  Besides contemporary gay romance, what other genres do you write in?

N:  I also write gay action and adventure, FBI thrillers, police procedurals, and a cozy mystery series in which the golden retriever is an important co-detective. The characters and situations intrigue me, and I want to follow the ideas in my head to their conclusion. The longer I spend at this writing game, the better I understand which stories really matter to me, and I focus on those.

S:  I love the idea of a dog as a co-detective! I think we underestimate how much our pets know and understand. 

What was your worst date ever?

N:  Well, there are several in contention for that title. Was it the guy who ghosted me after I drove 45 minutes to meet him on a street corner? The psychologist who was suffering from severe depression? Or maybe the Orthodox Jewish guy who was struggling to understand his sexuality in the context of his religious beliefs, which said that man-on-man sex was a big no-no?

S:  Wow. Sounds like you have plenty of fodder for a rom-com on dating. 

Do you believe in love at first sight?

N:  I arranged to meet the man who would become my husband at a coffee shop on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. We had corresponded by email, but never sent photos or met in person. I was a few minutes early and spotted a guy heading toward the coffee shop who was the approximate size and wearing the right clothes. I felt an immediate pang of interest. And we’ve been together now 25 years.

S:  You are so lucky to have found "the one." So many are still searching.

What attracted you to your current partner?

N:  I grew up with the idea that a man should be a mensch, a Yiddish word which to me meant someone you could rely on, who stood for the right things, who behaved well under pressure. After that initial meeting at the coffee shop, my husband and I had dinner together, and then walked along Lincoln Road until 2 a.m. By then, I knew he was a mensch.

S:  That's actually great dating advice--look for a mensch.

What is the best or worst thing that has ever happened to you as a writer?

N:  The best thing was probably winning an award from the Left Coast Crime mystery fan conference for my second book, "Mahu Surfer." It was validation from the mystery community that they could enjoy a police procedural about a gay cop, and that I’d written a book that my character deserved.

S:  Congratulations on the award. Validation is so important. We all need it. Not all of us get it.

How do you get in the mood for writing?

N:  For years, I stopped at Starbucks every morning on my way to work to write for an hour. I motivated myself to sit down at the laptop by rewarding myself with a large café mocha, often with raspberry syrup. COVID disrupted that, so I’ve had to become my own barista, but I still write every morning and anticipate that reward.

S:  Have you ever shelved or thrown out a manuscript? 

N:  Early in my career, I hadn’t established my voice yet, and sometimes what I wrote sounded too much like an imitation of someone else--I'm looking at you, Vladimir Nabokov. I also didn’t understand story structure well enough, and I often wrote myself into a corner or ran out of inspiration.

S:  What inspired "The Lord and the Frenchman?"

N:  Two years ago, I wrote my first MM Victorian historical romance, because I found I loved reading that kind of book. I was gratified at the response to "The Gentleman and the Spy," and felt encouraged to write a second book with linked characters. I had to do a lot of research on the period and what the important questions were that might engage my characters. That research inspired me to address larger questions, like English-French relations and child labor laws, all in the context of a swoon-worthy romance.

S:  Is there anything special you would like people to know about "The Lord and the Frenchman?"

N:  I’d like people to know that they can read this book without having read the first, and that the trope of found family plays a big part here. Life was tough for gay men in the Victorian era, and many of them faced rejection from family and friends in addition to the perils of arrest. Finding your own cohort is incredibly important, even today.

Here's the blurb--

Two wounded men discover true love and a found family in Victorian England.

In the opulent courts of Victorian England, John Seales, Lord Therkenwell, is a man of wealth and privilege, expected to marry a woman of his own social standing and produce an heir. But when he meets dashing French diplomat Raoul Desjardins at a soirée arranged by a politically-connected gay couple, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to the man despite the risks of their forbidden love.

John and Raoul struggle to keep their feelings for each other hidden while becoming ensnared in a web of international intrigue that threatens to ruin their careers and endanger their lives. As they navigate the dangerous political landscape of the time, they must also confront their own demons and make a choice: follow the expectations of society or follow their hearts. Set against the backdrop of a tumultuous era, "The Lord and the Frenchman" is a passionate and romantic tale of love that knows no bounds.

S:  That sounds like a powerful story. Where can readers buy "The Lord and the Frenchman?"

N:  It's available at major booksellers, including--

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3XNKHMm

Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/u/4DJyJe.  

S:  Neil, thanks for joining me today and good luck with your latest release. If you'd like to learn more about Neil and his books, please visit--

Website:  www.mahubooks.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NeilPlakcy

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/neil-s-plakcy

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

This week in The Loft: Authors Adriana Kraft!

 Joining me today in The Loft are fellow Extasy authors Adriana Kraft. The pen name for a married pair of retired professors, they write erotic romance and erotic romantic suspense. The authors of more than fifty erotic romance novels and novellas, when the Krafts retired from positions in the Midwest, they sold their home and took off in a motor home to tour western United States, including Santa Fe, Taos, Puget Sound, and the Black Hills. They now reside in southern Arizona, where we enjoy hiking, golf, and travel, especially to the many Arizona Native American historical sites.

The Avatar for Adriana Kraft

S:  Thanks for joining me in The Loft today. I am eager to learn about your latest book!

Let's start with some basic questions: Do you believe in love at first sight? 

A:  Skeptics might say it was lust at first sight, but while working on my graduate degree at a Midwest university, I was hired as an instructor in an experimental program. I have a vivid memory of the faculty gathering that autumn, where new hires were introduced. A handsome bald man with a mischievous smile and soft brown eyes was introduced as a new professor--and his assignment was to the same program. My former roommate can corroborate that when I came home that evening, I excitedly told her about him. What was even better was that she worked in the same field, her colleagues had already connected with him for some consulting, and the next week, she brought me his resume. 

S:  Excuse my laughter. I was the youngest person in my graduate program and none of the other students, instructors, or professors ever lit a fire in me. They treated me like a kid and I just thought they were old.

What attracted you to your current partner?

A:  Obviously his looks (see the previous question), but of course, that was just the lust at first sight moment. I did have more data on him than he did on me, so I knew we shared many common interests as well as a checkered and unconventional route to the job that brought us together. I have to add that our first date didn’t occur until the following June, but by then we were colleagues working together, and I knew and highly valued his character. He was forthright, principled, willing to stand up for what was right, gentle, soft-spoken, except when defending a principle, and a good father to his three boys. Oh, and that first date? It was a dinner date, but before we left for the restaurant, we had an important discussion, in case this was the beginning of something serious. He wasn’t going to pursue a relationship with anyone who wasn’t open to being a parent to those boys, in case--which he anticipated--they needed to move in with him. That sold him. His heart was in the right place.

S:  He sounds like a wonderful partner!

What’s love got to do with writing romance?

A:  Good question. All of us love. Not all of us find that special loving relationship that helps ground us and share our life journey. I do know I’m very lucky in that department. Do I think that’s a requirement for writing good romance? No. I just said we all love, we all know what it is to want to be deeply connected with someone, to crave giving and receiving comfort and love, and of course, sex and intimacy. No matter our personal situation, if as writers we’re able to imbue our characters with that same electric combination of desires, hopes, fears, and longings, we’re writing about love in a true and grounded fashion. More than anything else, romance is about falling in love.

S:  Critics say romance novels mislead readers about the reality of romance and in fact, give readers false expectations. Do you agree?

A:  No. When Wiley Coyote accidentally runs off the cliff, falls hundreds of feet, splats on the ground, and gets up to run again, do cartoon watchers develop false expectations? I know that’s a simplistic response, and I have more to say. Romance novels are designed to punctuate life at the moment the characters say yes to love. All of our lives are a series of ups and downs, starts and stops, until we reach the final punctuation mark where we no longer exist. By design, romance novels, even second chance ones, where characters work through long standing problems, stop the action at a moment of resolution, a moment of happiness, a moment of fulfillment. This freeze-frame moment provides the escape so many readers are looking for, a fantasy to be enjoyed rather than a blueprint for false expectations.

S:  As I tell my friends, romance books are fiction. They are fantasy, not reality.

Do you think romance books have become “too spicy?”

A:  Given what my husband and I write? No. There is a wide range of heat levels in the romance genre, and most of them are accurately labeled so that readers can select the level they prefer and avoid content that’s noxious or offensive to them. I firmly believe in our right to read what we want to read. I’m frightened by the current move to ban books--for whatever content. My perspective is based on the concept of sex positivity. I’m indebted to Charlie Glickman, who I think offers the clearest definition of it: There are three criteria for judging any sexual encounter among adults. One, consent of all involved parties, at every step of the process. Two, pleasure for the involved parties, however they define pleasure. Three, it contributes to the well-being of the involved parties. By the same token, adults should have the freedom to choose what to read.

S:  Exactly. If you have a choice, it's a matter of free will. Read what you want. Don't let others force their preferences on you.

What inspired "Swingers Light Up Vegas?"

A:  I think we first started setting stories in the swing lifestyle because it was inherently erotic--it gave us a medium for three-way and four-way erotic scenes. As we learned more about it, we discovered that for participants, swinging heats up their relationship and their own intimacy, making their bonds stronger and their sex together more exciting. We’ve written a series exploring this dynamic called Swinging Games at Extasy Books, and we wanted to get it in front of new readers. We created a new pair of characters and gave them a brief swinging adventure for the heroine’s fiftieth birthday. We’re all about anti-ageism and wanted to show that an active sex life can be fun and exciting through midlife and beyond.

S:  Is there anything special you would like people to know about "Swingers Light Up Vegas?"

A:  First of all, it's free if you subscribe to our newsletter (see link below). Elsewhere, it's 99 cents. Even though we’re not gamblers, we love Las Vegas and visit it often, so Sin City seemed the perfect setting. On our last visit we took lots of photos of adventures we might send our characters off to--the LINQ High Roller Observation wheel, a lazy river in a tropical enclave, the Fremont Street Zipline, the view up the Strip from the Stratosphere at night, the rock formations at Red Rock Canyon. Not all of them made it into this short story, but we had a great time, and we think they probably did, too.

Here's the blurb--

What happens in Vegas…

Swingers Dan and Ginger head to Las Vegas to celebrate Ginger’s fiftieth birthday. Through their friends back home, they’ve scored a free week at a posh Vegas resort condominium. They fill their days with every iconic Las Vegas experience they can dream up. But by night? They’re determined not to leave Vegas without sampling what it has to offer in the erotically charged swing lifestyle. A Vegas swing club beckons – will it live up to their fantasies?

S:  Sounds like a sizzling story! Where can readers buy "Swingers Light Up Vegas?"

A:  Again, it's free to our newsletter subscribers and it's also available on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, ScribD, and Smashwords--

Newsletter signup (free book):  https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/d1c82f5e-9b43-11ed-8c5e-b712215e57d9. 

Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/u/bQN2lZ. 

S:  Adriana, it's always a pleasure to have you as a guest at The Loft. If you'd like to learn more about the Krafts and their books, please visit--

Website:  https://adrianakraft.com

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AdrianaKraft

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/adriana.kraft.5

Facebook Fan Page:  https://www.facebook.com/AdrianaKraftAuthor

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

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/author/adrianakraft

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1578571.Adriana_Kraft

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

Extasy Books:  https://www.extasybooks.com/adriana-kraft