Claire Johnson, heroine of Ripening Passion by Adriana Kraft, is an enigma to her co-workers. Can anyone crack her icy exterior?

Adriana, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about Ripening Passion.

Ripening Passion by Adriana Kraft

Genre: Erotic Romance
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

Can Max melt the Ice Queen? Should he even try?

Claire Johnson’s dedication to sex—the cornerstone of her career—led her to help found the Center for Sexuality and Sex Practices. Now in her fifties, she knows the Center must keep pace with the rapidly growing Baby Boomer market, so she agrees to go back on camera for a series on sex and aging. But work with her nemesis?

Former English Professor Max Wilson has championed the cause of the Center ever since his now deceased wife sought the Center’s help to rekindle the nearly extinguished sexual flames of their relationship. He loves working on camera and welcomes the challenge to perform with the svelte but icy temptress.

Sparks fly immediately on and off camera. The jury is out on whether either Max or Claire can transform those sparks into a fire of sexual desire for their viewers—let alone for each other.

Insider Information about Claire Johnson

Welcome! We’d like to know more about you. Please add info you’re comfortable sharing.

Name: Claire Johnson
Nickname: The one I sometimes hear whispered? The Ice Queen.
Age: 59
Gender: Female
Birthplace: Manhattan
Profession: Sex Educator? Marketing Expert? I co-direct a center whose goal is to help others of all ages, from all walks of life, safely discover and enjoy the many gifts of sexual pleasure in their lives. It was my first job after college, and I do whatever’s required to advance our purpose.

Please provide a physical description of yourself.

Thank you for asking – call me vain if you like, but I’m really proud of the fact that I can still turn heads at age 59. I’m a tall trim blonde, and yes, I do touch up my hair color a tad. I used to keep a severe short hairstyle, but I’ve let it grow out a bit. By now I can rely on my presence and my stature to intimidate when I need to. Did I mention trim? I work out and I watch what I eat.

What are your pronouns?

She/Her. That’s never wavered; I’m pleased there are more options now than when I was young, though.

What is your middle name?

I don’t have one.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

No. At least, it’s never happened to me. I’ve only ever had one love, and she left our Center eight years ago and cut off all contact. She died of cancer four years later, and I barely learned in time to get to her funeral. Our open relationship was complex but profound and deep, but I’d never say I fell in love with her at first sight. She was the one who pursued me.

What is your MBTI type?

Wow. It’s been a long time since I took that test, for some team building we were doing at the Center several years back. I remember getting pissed off at some of the questions – nothing in life is dichotomous, either/or, and I hated having to choose when neither was quite right. But I really can’t argue with the type that surfaced: ESTJ. I’m definitely an extrovert, which places me well to schmooze with potential donors and drum up funds for the Center. I’m extremely organized and analytical, quick to assess when something might be useful for Center goals and take advantage of it. No one would ever accuse me of being touchy-feely. It’s not that I don’t have emotions, but I learned long ago how to keep them under wraps so they wouldn’t interfere with my goals. And yes, quick to judge and make decisions…even if they’re wrong sometimes.

Do you enjoy dressing up or prefer to dress casually?

You truly want to know this? I’m most comfortable being fully nude, and I love the privacy of my Manhattan condo. Even so, I’ll often wear a silky coverup or lounge dress, especially during the winter. When I go out? Classic and stylish, however formal or casual. I can still rock a little black dress and love to circulate among our donors at fund raisers.

What color best describes you?

I’ve never thought about that. I wear a lot of blue, both pale and jewel toned. I think it sets off my blue eyes and blonde hair nicely, so yes, blue, but never a sad blue. Plus I suppose blue would go with Ice Queen. I might have left the impression I don’t like that nickname, but secretly, it’s something I’ve cultivated. Or perhaps not so secretly, by now.

Who is the one person who can convince you to do something you know you shouldn’t?

I used to think there wasn’t anyone. But ever since Melissa Hopkins (now Hopkins-Gage) joined our center, she qualifies. She’s a full three decades younger than I am, but what an effervescent bundle of energy! Very creative, and just as dedicated to our purpose as myself. I have to add that everything she talked me into turned out to be exactly what I needed, but every single time I was convinced otherwise. For example, she’s the one who convinced me to go back on camera for our videos on sex and aging. That changed my life—but I’m not allowed to give you spoilers!

If you could choose a theme song to play when you entered a scene, which one of the following would fit best:

LOL Been there, done that – in book one of this series, Smoldering Passion. The perfect song for me? I’m a child of the sixties: Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman.” Readers who missed book one might want to go back and catch that sexy scene. It’s another example of something Melissa persuaded me to do…

Where to buy Ripening Passion

Universal Buy Link https://books2read.com/u/4D82BP

Adriana Kraft Social Media

Adriana Kraft is the pen name for a married pair of retired professors writing erotic romance and erotic romantic suspense together. 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 the Midwest, 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 fifty romance novels and novellas to outstanding reviews. Whether readers open our romantic suspense or our erotic romance, they can expect characters they care about, hot sex scenes, and a compelling story.

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