A rakish professor, a flaming redhead, her petite younger sister, and the redhead’s bi Italian girlfriend in a blistering transcontinental tale of revenge gone awry.
Chicago, Illinois. London, England. Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. Special places, for both Mr. Kraft and myself.
How do we choose where to place a story, when there’s the entire world to choose from? How much does it matter where a story is set?
Answers: for question two, it matters a lot. Geography, climate, urbanization versus rural, desert cactus and dry heat versus verdant forest and vast lakes, to say nothing of the quirks of local culture. Because these things matter to us, we’ve never set a story in a place where we haven’t either lived or at least spent time.(Not counting time travel and fantasy, that is…)
That still gives us lots of options – something like 25 countries, and most states in the U.S. But we do have some favorites. Chicago is where he and I met, fell in love, and married. I get back there at least once a year to reconnect with friends. I love its vibrance, museums, lakefront, restaurants, theater, and overall ambience. Especially in summer, which is when I visit. There’s a reason Mr. Kraft and I now live in Arizona… though a harsh winter snowstorm played a major role in advancing our relationship, back in the beginning. You can read about that HERE if you’re curious.
And England? Both he and I have been there… but not together! I was fortunate to travel with my college roommate the summer after graduation, and Mr. Kraft has traveled there for conferences and consultation.
ABOUT THE DIARY
Following Colors of the Night, our next publication was another full-length novel, The Diary. This book was our first submission and first acceptance at Extasy Books, where it is still available. It was released in February of 2007.
Chicago was a natural setting for the main action of The Diary; I’m not sure we ever considered any place else. Heroine Kate Noble is an art curator, working at a large private gallery. Her younger sister Lucy – for whom she’s had to take on a maternal role after their parents died – has her own apartment and is an English Major at a downtown college campus, where the hero, Grayson Cosgrove, is a professor. All the accoutrements needed for their first encounters and gradual entanglement are readily available in Chicago and flowed easily into the story.
Part way through the story, however, our main characters take a trip. Why England?. Because Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors was, loosely speaking, an inspiration for a twist in our plot, and it seemed poetic justice to place that scene – where else – on the Bard’s home turf, Stratford Upon Avon.
Researching the background for that scene gave us both a lot of pleasure, triggering memories and expanding our awareness of details—the carillons playing, the quiet walk along the river, the half-timbered houses and buildings. The secluded cottage where Kate and Grayson stay is a real place, with an inviting on-line brochure. The menu for their dinner at Marlowe’s was likewise readily accessible.
BOOK INFORMATION
Book Title: The Diary
Author: Adriana Kraft
Cover by Martine Jardin
Publisher: Extasy Books, February, 2007
ISBN: 1-55410-765-2
Novel: 70,000 words
Genre: Erotic Romance
Heat Level: Four Flames. Explicit sex: M/F, F/F, Menage: F/F/M, Toys
BLURB
Lust, revenge, dark sexual escapades and the mysterious disappearance of her younger half-sister, Luci, will take art curator Kate Noble on a whirlwind transcontinental journey. The diary Luci’s left behind paints vivid images of shameless erotic exploits with a rake named only as G.C.
Can Kate learn enough under the delightful hands of her bisexual best friend, Gina, to ensnare the sensual and elusive Professor Grayson Cosgrove into a marriage proposal of her making? Can she find Luci before it’s too late? If only she could read between the lines.
The Diary ~ never have the secrets of another been so electrifying!
EXCERPT
Set Up: Grayson’s point of view, following an angry exchange the previous day they haven’t talked about yet.
Kate’s eyes sparkled as she took in their exquisite surroundings, causing Grayson to chuckle. Marlowe’s had been built in 1595. Although it had been renovated many times across the centuries, it retained a charm that would have made Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare proud.
The oak paneled room, dark furniture, and crystal made for understated class. He smiled. Sort of like Kate, sitting across from him in her coral green dress that tastefully displayed her tantalizing cleavage. Red wavy tresses spilling over her shoulders framed her ivory face and gray cat-like eyes. He’d been envious of the jade dangling between her breasts ever since she’d put on the necklace.
Kate wasn’t doing anything intentionally to provoke him, yet he was as hard as he would’ve been if she was stark naked. Kate Noble projected a naturally seductive air. If he had his druthers, they’d race back to the cottage and forget about the play.
But Kate was so looking forward to seeing a Shakespearean play in Stratford. She’d been to England a few times, but had never made it to the Royal Shakespeare Company.
She checked her watch.
“We won’t be late,” he said. “I always get the woman to the church or the theater on time.”
She frowned at his lame attempt at levity.
They certainly needed more laughter. Maybe Shakespeare would help. “Do you want dessert?”
“Are you sure there’s time?”
He glanced around the room. “Most of these folks are probably going to the theater. There’s no stampede yet. Yes, I think there’s time.” Wasn’t this the moment for one of them to say Let’s save the dessert until later?
But neither did.
BUY LINKS
PUBLISHER: Extasy Books
https://www.extasybooks.com/the-diary
Currently on sale for $2.50 from the publisher. It’s easy to download Extasy e-books to your Kindle. “Send to Kindle” instructions are at the top of the Extasy home page.
UNIVERSAL LINK for All Major Retail Outlets
