Friday, April 1, 2016

Friday Cover Reveals from Jude Ouvrard, S.K. Hartley, Lili Valente, & J.A. Essen




NOT AFRAID TO LOVE YOU
Ink Series - Spin Off Book 1

by

Jude Ouvrard

Cover Designer: Kari March Designs
Official genre of book: Contemporary Romance/Drama



Lilly McCarthy thought she had found the one, until an unexpected side of Dave left her body bruised and her pride hurt.

Living in fear, she knows she has to do something before the unimaginable happens. A timely phone call provides Lilly a means to escape but is her family prepared to face her nightmares?

While Lilly takes the time to heal and regain control of her life, an unexpected source of support appears in the form of her brother's best friend - and her old crush - Lennox.

Lilly hesitates to take on a new relationship, but Lennox is not giving up. He wants Lilly to find her way and be herself again, the relaxed and easygoing girl she used to be.

Can the love of a good man convince this scared and frightened woman to trust again? Or is it only going to push her away?



Sitting back in my sister’s luxurious car, I let her drive us to the restaurant. My stomach keeps growling and it’s getting embarrassing. I’m on edge, my eyes following every person on the sidewalk and looking at every building we come across.

She finally parks her car in a large lot almost filled to capacity. I’ve seen this place before but I never went inside. The Spot, that’s what they call it, I remember.

Matthew nudges his sister. “Are you even old enough to get inside?”

“Don’t worry, it’s all under control.”

Stepping out of the car, I follow them to the entrance. The security guy hugs my sister as they chitchat. How does she know him? I don’t understand. This place requires you to be twenty-one and she isn’t, yet.

When we walk inside, it hits me. The place is full of men in uniform…Air Force guys. This has to be where she met her boyfriend. Some of the guys nod at her, some wave.

“Hey Ab. Logan isn’t out yet.”

“I know. I came with my brother and sister.” The guy’s eyes zoom in on mine and he winks. Heat surges to my cheeks. Why am I blushing? Matthew subtlety steps in front of me.

“Hey Matthew.” They shake hands and engage in some small talk.

“Meet my sister, Lilly. She just moved back to town today.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Carlos.” We shake hands but I can’t look him in the eyes. I avoid him and it must look stupid. Maybe going out tonight wasn’t a good idea, after all. I’m not ready for this. He lets my hand go.

“Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?” For someone so tall and big, he has the most comforting voice but I can’t do this.

“I… uh… I.” I stuttered.

“No, it’s okay. She’s been through a lot. We’re just going to go sit and eat. I’ll talk to you later.” Abbey takes control of the situation. She’s now in protector mode too.

I order a club sandwich, which I plan to eat all of and no doubt quickly because I’m so hungry. As well as that I order a beer, my first beer since I moved away from here because Dave only ever drank wine. I am going to savor every drop of it. Only now as I relax, it strikes me why I am so hungry, I haven’t eaten all day.

Fifteen minutes later, our food arrives and I think I’m going to pass out if I don’t start eating now. Matthew is already cutting into his steak while Abbey digs into her pasta bowl. My mouth’s full, I probably have one quarter of my sandwich packed inside my mouth. Way to go, Lilly.

“Hey guys.”

“Hey man. Sit with us.” Matthew offers the seat next to him, which is also next to me. I hurry and try to swallow the damn sandwich. “Do you remember my sister, Lilly?”

Trying to look normal, I turn to him with a fake smile. I do know him. My first high school crush. Lennox Love. My brother’s best friend until he moved away to Seattle.

My smile turns real and honest. “Lennox, hi.”

“Hi, long time no see.”

I think I’m going to faint. Many nights while I shared my bed with Dave, I thought about him. Wondering where he was, what he was doing. Would I ever see him again?

There was nothing normal about my crush on him. Well, unless crying for two days when he moved away is normal?

Lennox freaking Love. Is. Back.







author pic
"Drama, true love, tattoos...and everything in between!"

Jude Ouvrard is an author who writes from the heart, and reads with passion and devotion. Jude enjoys stories of drama, true love, tattoos, and everything in between. While writing is her therapy, reading is her solace. Life doesn't get better than books and chocolate, and maybe a little bit of shopping.

A romance lover, Jude writes about love, pain, heartbreak and matters that will challenge your heart. A book can tell an unexpected story, no matter which directions it takes. Jude embraces words that have haunted her for years.

Jude is a working mom who dedicates her time to a law firm and writing books. She has an energetic superhero son, and a supportive boyfriend of many years. Her family is her rock; she could not survive without them. Born a country girl, she transformed into a city woman who now lives in Montreal, Canada. Although French is her first language, Jude decided to write in English because she liked the challenge.

Website ✯ Twitter ✯ Goodreads ✯ Amazon ✯ Facebook




Series: The Finding Series
Author: S.K. Hartley
Genre: New Adult/Suspense
Cover Design: Sofie Hartley - Luminos Graphic House



Finding You


My pain started when I was just ten years old, it was the day my mom got that dreaded phone call. My life has never been the same...

I’m all kinds of broken.

I have known Logan White forever, he was my brothers best friend and my secret protector. I used to have nightmares that drew me into a dark place, and when the nightmares got too much...Logan was by my side. The nightmares are few and far between now, but my life is centered around the tragedy of my past.

But after an unexpected moment, things changed. Now Logan is somebody else; hot, sexy and so damn delicious and I want to know him.
Desperately. But then there’s Angel Walker, who is far from the angelic nature of his name. He’s a broken man who just screams sin. He doesn't want to protect me or care for me,
He just wants me.

Do I want the man who can cut through all of my pain
or the man who could cause me more?





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Finding Me


The lines are blurred between what is real and what isn't, the darkness that was once a place I feared was now a place of safety.
If I stayed in the darkness, the hellish reality of what was truly happening no longer seemed real.

But I was about to be pulled from beneath the consuming blanket of dark shadows, and plunged into the murky depths of my past.
I was about to be shown my demons and all their evil sides, all of their pain and grief. I could only hope I survive it.

What happens when the world you once knew crumbles and falls at your feet?

Who will find me? Who will save me from my demons?

My dark prince or my white knight...

And will I find myself in the process?


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Finding Us


I'm loud, I'm proud, and I like to bust balls in my spare time.
At least, that's what Low Parker would do. But she is just a mask, one I have perfected over years of running.

I am Willow Knoxx. Master of deception, secrets, and lies.

I am the girl your mother told you to stay away from, and the girl your father fantasized about. I have been running for years, always looking over my shoulder. Hoping I wasn’t going to be found.

But hiding comes with a price.

Now, the mask I have perfected is about to disappear, and everything I have done to keep myself hidden is about to be revealed.

How far are you willing to go to hide from your past in order to protect your future?

I’m willing to die to protect the ones I love.
I’m willing to go to the ends of the earth to stop my past from finding us.
Even if it kills me.


ADD TO GOODREADS




Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK




Author Bio


S.K. Hartley is a wife and mother to an oil soaked husband and a tomato sauce covered son by day, by night an international bestselling author whose first novel, Finding You, quickly shot up the charts in fall 2013.

Located in the not-so-sunny North West of England, UK, S.K. Hartley can usually be found in her office writing or dealing with daily battles against her love of chocolate, her coffee addiction, the endless streams of questionable questions from her four year old and defying autocorrect.


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Title: Magnificent Bastard
(Super Sexy Standalone)
AuthorLili Valente
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Cover Design: Helen Williams 
Release Date: April 25, 2016



Blurb

F*&k Prince Charming. Sometimes, you need a Magnificent Bastard.

Face it, ladies: love sucks and then you cry…while your ex rides off into the sunset banging your best friend.

But why let a break-up end in tears when it can end with sweet revenge? Enter Magnificent Bastard Consulting and me, chief executive bastard. I’ve got it all—looks, brains, a heart of gold, and the killer instinct guaran-damn-teed to make your ex regret the day he said goodbye.

With the help of my virtual assistant, I’ve built an empire giving broken-hearted women the vengeance they deserve, while keeping myself far from the front lines of the heart. Life is a bowl of f*&king cherries, until my virtual assistant shows up on my real doorstep for the first time, begging for a Magnificent Bastard intervention of her own.

F*&king hell. She’s a bona fide sex kitten.

I pride myself on being a true pro, but pretending to be her lover soon leads to giving it to her good, hard, fast, and up against the wall. And somewhere between getting balls deep in my sweet and sexy assistant and watching her ex beg for a second chance, I break every last one of my damn rules—professional and personal.

So what’s my next move? Fight for the girl who makes me want to get up on a white horse and ride to her rescue, or stay a Magnificent Bastard to the end?

Warning: MAGNIFICENT BASTARD is a stand-alone erotic romance told from the hero’s point of view. No cliffhanger. Lots of dirty talk.





Pre-order Link






Excerpt

Picture this: it’s a rainy spring day in the city. The streets are covered in a fine layer of mud and soggy garbage, the sun is a distant memory from another, brighter time, when you were still stupid enough to believe in happy endings, and you’ve just been dumped so hard your heart looks like it’s gone three rounds with Mike Tyson. You’re ugly crying in a corner with a box of wine and a chocolate bar the size of your forearm, wishing Prince Charming would come scoop you up on his white horse and carry you far away from all those nasty memories of Mr. Wrong, but I’m here to tell you, ladies—

You need to stop that shit.

Stop it. Right now.

Why? Because Prince Charming is a crock of shit. He doesn’t exist and even if he did, he’s a fucking wimp.

When you’re down and out and your heart has been ripped to shreds by an asshole with a dickish-side a mile wide, you don’t need Prince Charming. You need a man who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, a man who can teach Mr. Wrong a thing or two about what it feels like to be deceived, betrayed, and laid low by the one person in the world you thought you could trust. What you need is a Magnificent Bastard, your very own one-man vengeance machine.

Love isn’t a fairy tale, sweetheart; it’s war, and now you’ve got a soldier with an anti-asshole missile on your side.

Want to ruin your ex’s reputation? No problem. Every true asshole has a few skeletons in his closet and I specialize in making skeletons dance out of the darkness and into the light. Want to send that fucker to jail? A little harder, but often still possible. I only accept cases involving the very worst examples of mankind, the most miserable liars and cheats and scoundrels. Those types tend to be good at covering their tracks, but I’ve delivered exes locked in police cuffs before.

Want to make your former lover green with envy? Make him wish he’d never kicked you off the love wagon, spat in your face, and walked away? Well, that, cupcake…that’s what I’m best at.

I’ve been blessed with a face that turns heads, worked hard for a body that inspires shudders of lust at twenty paces, and honed my envy-inspiring skills into a razor sharp weapon I wield with ruthless efficiency. I will make you feel like a queen and ensure your ex doesn’t miss a minute of it. You’ll be treated like an irreplaceable treasure, pampered like a princess, and kissed like a slut who can’t get enough of my magnificent dick.

In reality, of course, things between us will never go further than a kiss, but your ex won’t know that. He’ll see your flushed cheeks, lust-glazed eyes, and wobbly legs and think I’m giving it to you hard every night.

He’ll imagine my hands on your ass, my fingers slipping between your legs, and your pussy slick and dripping just for me. He’ll imagine you screaming my name while you ride my cock and remember all the times he was lucky enough to be balls deep in your incomparable snatch. Before long, he’ll have a jealousy hard-on so bad he’ll come crawling back to you on his belly, begging for a second chance.

But you won’t give it to him.

Did you hear that? Even so, it bears repeating—

You. Will not. Give that fucking loser a second chance.

By the time I’m through with you, you will know deep down in the marrow of your bones that you’re better than that. You’ll understand that you deserve a man whose eyes won’t wander, whose hands won’t hurt, and whose heart belongs to you and only you. By the end of our time together, you will be able to look down at the sniveling, pathetic, limp-dicked excuse for a man you used to love and tell him that he has no power over you.

Not anymore. You will be free to move on with your life without any of the ugly, bad breakup, psychic baggage.

And that, gorgeous, is the most important of the services I deliver. I give you back to you, the only person who can be trusted to steer your course as you ride off into the sunset.

But if for some reason, you break this all-important rule. If you sour the gift you’ve been given by going back to Major Dickweed, don’t bother contacting me again. No amount of money will convince me to pick up the phone.

A Magnificent Bastard intervention is a once in a lifetime opportunity. One and done, no exceptions.

None.

Not even for her, the woman who made me break all my other rules, the woman who made me think—for one amazing week—that even magnificent bastards can live happily ever after.





Author Bio

U.S.A. Today Bestselling author Lili Valente has slept under the stars in Greece, eaten dinner at midnight with French men who couldn’t be trusted to keep their mouths on their food, and walked alone through Munich’s red light district after dark and lived to tell the tale.

These days you can find her writing in a tent beside the sea, drinking coconut water and thinking delightfully dirty thoughts.

Lili loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her via email at lili.valente.romance@gmail.com or like her page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLiliValente

You can also visit her website: www.lilivalente.com


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Title: Perilous Love
Author: J.A. Essen
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Cover Design: Essen-tial Designs 
 Release Date: April 22, 2016



Blurb

Edana is an Elven Druid princess whose world was sent spiraling out of control three years ago, shortly after her Awakening. She has spent her days since, training and biding her time, waiting to exact her revenge on those responsible. That time is now.

Faudron, our hero, has been contracted by the Kingdom of Dun Felmar, to track down and destroy the threat in the Forsaken Woods that is slowly killing off the Royal Guard. Another adventure and another payday. The only difference this time, is a set of mysterious circumstances that lead him to believe dark magic may be at play.

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time isn’t always such a bad thing.

When Edana and Faudron’s worlds collide, they’re sent down a path filled with deceit and betrayal, putting them both on the run from the Druids and humans. Could their magical attraction to one another be preordained? Where do they run with both on their tails? Is their forbidden love hopeless, or will the past change everything?









Pre-order Links

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Excerpt

I’m ready to return to Edana and as such, I begin to dress in anticipation of seeing where all of this will lead. My new attire fits perfectly. I place the old, which has been cleaned, and the new, extra set, into my bag, and tie it closed. My sword is lashed to my waist, and bow and quiver stored where they belong. Grabbing the bag, I make my way out of the room and down the corridors leading out to the stables.

Valiant is a sight to behold. His coat is gleaming, and the fresh, brown saddle looks welcoming indeed. Stowing my gear, I unlash him from the tie-up post, and we walk out into the bright morning sun. “Ready my friend? We have a long travel ahead of us and more adventures to be had.” I say this intentionally louder than I need to in case any prying ears are listening.

Flinging my leg over, and giving him a loving pop on the neck, we are off. Outside the front gate, we head east and ride for most of the morning. Rolling hills and sparse pockets of trees fly by as we push hard. At midday, I turn us northwesterly so that we are now heading back towards the Mountains of Dubh and the cave where Edana is recovering. IF we were being followed, we should’ve convinced them by now that we have no reason to stay in this kingdom.

This has put us considerably out of the way, but Valiant is showing no signs of fatigue, so we continue to push on at break-speed. Midafternoon brings us to within eyesight of the edge of the gloomy forest and the waterfall cascading down in the background.

Why does Edana have such a hold on my thoughts? I have seen, and had, plenty of beautiful women in my limited days. They were all just physical pursuits, though. There’s never been anything more to it; no desire for there TO be either. So why is it that I find myself so drawn to her? The feeling is deeper than carnal desire; NEED to be with her rather than a WANT. A feeling of totality.

We pull up alongside the black, granite mountains and follow them to the bend where the cave is hidden. Hopping off of my trusty steed’s back, I remove my things and leave him to walk as he pleases. I never have to worry about him leaving. Our kindred relationship is symbiotic.

Rounding into the mouth of the cave, I drop everything, including my jaw. Edana is lying across the blanket, her stunning body naked and uncovered. I stand there in complete awe and leisurely rake my eyes from top to bottom and back again. Her nipples are taught and peaked from the cool breeze, and the way her breasts rise and fall with her steady, sleeping breaths is hypnotic. The fingers of her hands are intertwined and resting just below her stomach. There is a small spattering of hair visible from the junction just above her crossed legs.

I’m instantaneously aroused, and that feeling of NEED has returned even more so; almost as if part of me is lying there, needing to be reattached to be whole again. She must have sensed me because I’m unable to move, so there is no way I disturbed her. Stretching her arms down her body, she forces her breasts together, and they peak magnificently. She rolls my direction, “Good afternoon?” She questions, obviously unsure of how much time has passed.

I cut my eyes away finally out of respect.

“I’m not ashamed of my body. Do you see me scurrying to hide anything from you?”

“No, but…”

“Then look upon me. I like the primal look in your eyes I saw when I woke just now; the lusty NEED in them.”

She stands completely and walks toward me. Moving the long tendrils of hair back over her ears, the magical air about her returns. She’s much shorter than I, her head only just reaching my chest. She looks up at me and raises her hand to my right cheek, running the backs of her slender fingers over my jawline, under my chin, and then turning her hand over, up my left cheek and into my wavy, chestnut locks.

“Kiss me,” she requests in an almost whisper.

Gently, I take her face in my hands and tilt her head backward. Leaning forward, I run my nose up her cheek and breathe her in deeply; her smooth skin smelling sweet and earthy. Brushing across her lips with my thumb, I can feel the cool intake of air as she parts her lips minimally from the touch. Sliding my lips sideways over hers, I use the tip of my tongue to tease her. Grabbing her bottom lip between my teeth, I pull lightly before letting go. Turning my head, I place my lips against hers again and use my tongue to open her willing mouth, giving me access to let our tongues explore one another. She’s aggressive and begins to suck on my tongue, pulling it firmly into her mouth, sending a warm flush across my skin from shock and desire.






Author Bio

I have been married for eleven years and have two, very rambunctious little boys, ages five and seven. I am a full time restaurant manager and now, part-time Indie author. I enjoyed writing short stories and poems when I was in middle school, and won a few contests with my poetry, one of which was a published Christmas poem. I enjoy reading everything from fantasy, to bio-tech sci-fi, to romance. I have already released a dark erotic read, Blinded by the Darkness, and while it was a good jumping-off point for my debut as an author, I now know that I have found my niche in FANTASY.


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