Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Not Afraid to Love You by Jude Ouvrard

Title: Not Afraid to Love You
Author: Jude Ouvrard
Series: Ink Spin-Off #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Drama
Release Date: May 1, 2016
Cover Design: Kari March Designs
Summary:
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?


Dave booked us a flight for tonight. My clothes and toiletries are packed and ready to go. My suitcase is waiting by the door and so are my heels. This is going to be so much fun. My heart is fluttering just at the thought of seeing them. To please Dave, I decide to wear my red skirt that he loves so much, paired with my black see-through blouse. He’s going to love it.

We’re leaving after dinner, so I best get that done. He’s been working from home today and didn’t really eat much of his lunch so he must be starving.

In the kitchen, while I’m preparing a green garden salad and grilled chicken, Dave shows up and asks for a glass of wine.

“Of course,” I say getting him a glass of his favorite red. Some guys like football or hockey, Dave likes wine. A lot.

“Here, baby.” I hand him his glass and right away, he smells its perfume before taking a sip. While he tastes it, his eyes close and I can see how much he loves it. He always purchases very expensive bottles and drinks them with passion until the last drop. No wine goes to waste in this house—ever.

Setting his glass on the counter, he wraps his arms around me and I like it. I love the feeling of him near me, holding me against him. He always seems to do it in a dominant kind of way.

“Why are you dressed so sexy today, Lilly-Rose?” He pauses, his nose on my neck taking in my perfume—breathing me in. “Are you planning on seeing someone else tonight?”

“Absolutely not, I wanted to please you and be sexy for you. You know me better than that.”

I can’t believe he thinks I’m wearing his favorite clothes for someone else. It doesn’t make sense.

“I’m not sure I do. You’ll have to change before we leave. Nobody else gets to see your curves like I do. You’re mine, Lilly-Rose. I won’t allow anyone else to see what I get to touch when we’re in bed.”

I nod. “Okay, I will. Maybe I should change now,” I say nervously.

He presses against me, letting me feel his erection. My heart’s beating so fast. I don’t know what’s happening. I clearly turn him on but at the same time, he acts as if I’ve done something wrong.

With one quick movement, he turns me around tearing apart my blouse and pulling it away from my body. He holds his hand high above me holding the torn piece of cloth and then lets the blouse fall on the kitchen counter leaving me in my bra and skirt. My legs are shaking and I can’t even tell if I’m breathing or not. I try pulling away but I hit the glass of wine with my elbow and it shatters on the floor. I freeze knowing this situation just got worse.



Author Bio:
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 five-year old superhero son, and a supportive boyfriend of thirteen 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.

Jude Ouvrard is the author of two novellas, "Under the Sun" and "Wonderland", and three novels, “Lost Dreams”, “Body, Ink, and Soul,” and “Ophelia.” She is currently working on sequels to her novels and a new project.


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Not Afraid to Love #1

Body, Ink, & Soul #1

Music, Ink, & Love #2

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The Devil's Own Chloe by Alix Nichols

Title: The Devil's Own Chloe
Author: Alix Nichols
Series: Bistro La Bohème 
Genre: Romantic Adult Comedy
Release Date: May 1, 2016

***99cents till May 9, 2016***

Summary:
Young Parisian architect Chloe Germain hires childhood friend Hugo Bonnet as a builder. Lethally toxic to loved ones, Chloe keeps them at arm’s length in order to protect them.

Or so she thinks.

Capable, strong and patient, Hugo prides himself on being able to fix anything. Trouble is, he’s never tried repairing a chasm in someone’s soul before.

Will his love save Chloe or will fixing her leave him broken?

IS THE BISTRO LA BOHEME SERIES FOR YOU?
The Bistro La Bohème books are romantic comedies with an edge, a good deal of spice, and heroes you won't want to forget. In addition, each book can be read as a standalone. Hey, who says you can't have it all? Gentle reader, don't listen to naysayers! You absolutely can, because you're worth it.



Tell me about your latest book.
Like the rest of the books in the Bistro La Bohème series, “The Devil’s Own Chloe” is a contemporary romance set in Paris. Albeit not as “light” as some of my other stories, it will still keep you turning the pages and make you laugh out loud every now and then.

The heroine, Chloe, is an up-and-coming French architect who’s great at her job, but not so good with people. An adoptee who’s seen too much loss in her childhood, Chloe is convinced she’s toxic to everyone who loves her, and so she must push them away to keep them from harm.

Are any of the characters based on specific people?
The characters in this book aren't based on any one person but rather some of the people I know, and some of the issues they’ve had to grapple with.

What inspires you to write?
Quite a few things, actually.  My first novel, What If It’s Love?, was inspired by a friend’s story and Marina Tsvetaeva’s love poems. Under My Skin was inspired by Sting’s 1991 ballad Mad About You. The hero of Falling for Emma—recently blinded rock star Cyril—was influenced by Al Pacino’s Lt. Col. Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman.

The name of the bistro where all the BLB books except Winter’s Gift are set is a tribute to French chansonnier Charles Aznavour’s signature song La Bohème.

Oh, and let’s not forget the incomparable, forever-young-in-my-eyes Colin Firth a.k.a. the best and truest Mr Darcy, and my official muse.

Paris plays an important part in this book, and the entire series. Do you see it as one of your recurrent characters?
In many ways, yes. I adore this city, and I hope my books convey some of its magic. A few years ago, when I visited San Francisco for the first time, I had an impression I was returning to a familiar place thanks to Armistead Maupin’sTales of the City. My ambition is that when my readers set foot in Paris for the first time, they feel the same warm glow of recognition I experienced when I walked the streets of San Francisco, looking for 28 Barbary Lane.

What do you love about writing? How about a down side?
The best part of writing a book is when your characters begin to prompt their lines, and when things you didn’t even realize you knew jump into your story straight from some secret corner of your brain.

One of the down sides is when you wake up in the morning, reread a scene you were quite pleased with last night, and you realize it’s crap.

Hemingway once said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Every writer knows what he meant.

Author Bio:
Alix Nichols is an unapologetic caffeine addict and a longtime fan of Mr. Darcy, especially in his Colin Firth incarnation. She is a Kindle Scout and Dante Rossetti Award winning author of critically acclaimed romantic comedies.

At the age of six, she released her first rom com. It featured highly creative spelling on a dozen pages stitched together and bound in velvet paper.

Decades later, she still loves the romance genre. Her spelling has improved (somewhat), and her books have made Amazon bestseller lists, climbing as high as #1. She lives in France with her family and their almost-human dog.

**For exclusive content, giveaways and special offers, including a bonus book, subscribe to the monthly newsletter on her author website.


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Hotshot Heroes Box Set

Title: Hotshot Heroes
Authors: Mimi Barbour, Jennifer Lowery, Changel Rhondeau
Lyssa Layne, D'Ann Lindun, Rachelle Ayala
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Release Date: April 14, 2016

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Summary:
Crave your men hot, alpha, and strong? Then fall in love with Hotshot Heroes: Strong Enough to Love - 6 full-length action-suspense romances plus one bonus novella from NY Times, USA Today, and International bestselling authors. Fall in love with sexy agents, cowboy sheriffs, firemen, bikers, and more. Danger, excitement, and heart-pounding romance await the women who love these brash and protective men. Get yours today before it goes away. LIMITED TIME ONLY.

Books Included:
Special Agent Maximilian by Mimi Barbour
Identical twins meet by chance & all hell breaks loose! 

In this electrifying romantic suspense set in the steamy streets of New Orleans, Lieutenant Commander Nik Baudin accidentally meets up with an identical twin he never knew existed. When his brother Max goes missing, Nik assumes his identity as Special Agent Maximilian. This gives him access to FBI files making it easier to arrest the gangsters who attacked his brother and to stop their trafficking of underage girls. Being that Nik has specialized commando training, he’s the perfect man for the job - that’s if his PTSD doesn’t kick in and leave him cowering in a corner.

Special Agent Maya Barnes can’t believe it when she spots her partner, Max Foster, wandering along the French market without a care in the world. Since he’d been beaten and had gone missing weeks earlier, they all believed him dead. There’s only one problem… though this man might look exactly like the missing agent, she knows differently. In all the years they’ve worked together, she’s never wanted to have mind-blowing sex with her partner before.

Murphy’s Law by Jennifer Lowery
Home is the last place Jon Murphy can go. After being held captive in Azbakastan, he returns to the States only to find he can’t face his mom and sisters with what he did while he was a prisoner, so he retreats to the mountains.

Widow Sara Sheldon has made a lifetime of mistakes and is now running scared from her husband’s powerful family, who are determined to take her daughter away from her. When her little girl goes missing in the Rockies, Sara enlists the only help she can find: a gruff recluse with tracking skills to admire and a body to covet.

A storm strands Sara and her daughter at Murphy’s cabin, leaving her no choice but to hope her in-laws don’t catch up while she plans where to run next. Murphy resents the invasion of his privacy, but can’t seem to keep his mind--or his hands--off Sara. How can she stand to look at him, with all his scars? He’s not nearly as honorable as she might think…only enough to make sure she’s safe, and then he’ll go back to being alone, the way he should be.

Blazing Hotter (Love Under Fire – 2) by Chantel Rhondeau
Former bad boy and firefighter Frankie Hernandez struggles to recover from debilitating injuries sustained during his last fire. Physical therapist Cassie Flick is at her wit's end with the handsome hunk, conspiring with his friends to get Frankie’s life back despite his intense pain. Those plans get derailed when she receives a delivery from an unknown source. Roses are sweet, but a note inside them threatening Cassie isn’t.

There’s a killer loose in Sayle, Washington, and Frankie isn't about to let Cassie face this threat alone, no matter what it costs him physically. The more time they spend together, the closer they become and the higher the stakes are for Frankie to overcome his disabilities and protect her. Together they race to discover who’s killing women in their city, fighting to solve the mystery before Cassie becomes the next victim.

My Calling by Lyssa Layne
Fresh out of paramedic school, Saylor Warner can’t wait to start saving lives. At sixteen, she watched the man who raised her be gunned down and stood by unable to do anything except shed tears and watch her uncle die. It’s taken her six years to be able to fulfill her calling of helping others but the day has finally arrived and she’s ecstatic.

Jonathan “Beck” Beckerdyte isn’t exactly what you’d call a people person. He’s spent the last six years trying to stay out of the public eye but now, his calling has led him into the field of civil service. Less than excited about his new job riding in a rig all day and attending to medical emergencies, Beck deals with it because he’s made it his mission to watch over Saylor Warner… except Saylor doesn’t know that.

Longshot by D’Ann Lindun
Jamie English has sworn off all men because she was left by her teenage sweetheart to raise their daughter on her own. When Jamie’s father—the sheriff—is shot, he names Jamie as interim sheriff. She seeks help from CBI Agent Austin Varner, who is still shaken after the death of his last partner. However intrigued he is by the sexy, blonde sheriff, the agent keeps his feelings strictly professional. As they follow a trail of clues that leads into the Colorado Mountains Jamie and Austin dodge a killer and fall in love.
Playing Without Rules by Rachelle Ayala
Marcia Powers has more than she can handle with an elderly father, a business to run, and a four-year-old daughter posing as her baby sister.

Brock Carter’s back in town to rekindle his romance with Marcia, and this time, he’s not letting her run him out of town. Marcia is unable to resist Brock, but determined to keep her secret.

Brock’s already lost his heart to Marcia once. Will he lose every dream, including baseball, when he discovers the real reason Marcia sent him away?

Bad Boys for Hire: Ryker, Bad Boys for Hire Series Book #1 by Rachelle Ayala
Florist Terri Martin lives a calm and peaceful life. Maybe too calm and too peaceful because she can’t remember the last time she was in a relationship.

Terri calls Bad Boys for Hire to book herself a date for her thirtieth birthday party, but before she can hire one, she meets Ryker Slade and his bad-ass motorcycle.

Old vendettas resurface and soon, Terri has more than she can handle when she learns that her and Ryker’s love is as doomed as Romeo and Juliet’s.

Ryker thinks he has a way out, but can Terri escape her fate, or will she find her lover dead before she wakes?

Author Bios:
Mimi Barbour
Mimi Barbour is an incredibly busy New York Times, USA Today and award-winning, best-selling author who has five series to her credit. The Vicarage Bench Series – Spirit/Time -Travel tales that have a surprising twist / The Angels with Attitude Series – Angels Love Romance / The Elvis Series – Make an Elvis song a book / Vegas Series – 6 books full of romantic suspense, humor and gritty conflicts / and… the fast-paced, edgy yet humorous romantic suspense, Undercover FBI Series. She also has numerous box collections and single titles to add to her credits. Mob Tracker is a new series she’s working on now which will be published in 2016.

Mimi lives on the East coast of Vancouver Island with her loving husband and a son who makes her glad she was born a woman. Also has a niece whose family adds greatly to her enjoyment of life, and she's a happy soul. Gardening lights her inner fires, but alas, there's just not enough time to be outside when fictional characters vie to be heard.

Jennifer Lowery
NY Times & USA Today bestselling author, Jennifer Lowery grew up reading romance novels in the back of her math book and on the bus to school, and never wanted to be anything but a writer. Her summers were spent sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters spinning tales of romance and intrigue and always with a tall glass of iced tea at their side.

Today, Jennifer is living that dream and she couldn’t be happier to share her passion with her readers. She loves everything there is about romance. Her stories feature alpha heroes who meet their match with strong, independent heroines. She believes that happily ever after is only the beginning of her stories. And the road to that happy ending is paved with action, adventure, and romance. As her characters find out when they face danger, overcome fears, and are forced to look deep within themselves to discover love.

Jennifer lives in Michigan with her husband and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

Chantel Rhondeau
Bestselling author Chantel Rhondeau once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Chantel is author of six romantic suspense novels, a Christmas novella, and the new McCallister’s Paradise series with many more in the works. She lives in the western United States, and when she's not writing she loves playing cards with her family, bowling on leagues, and snuggling with her lazy kitties.

Lyssa Layne
Lyssa Layne is first, and foremost, the proud momma to her precious daughter, AR. In addition to working full-time and being a mommy to AR, she is also an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor.

Having watched one too many medical dramas and being inspired by author Rachelle Ayala, who introduced her to the world of indie writing, Lyssa decided to try her hand at writing a romance story. Her attempt turned into the Burning Lovesick series. You can find Lyssa's own interests throughout her stories although all stories are fictional.

D'Ann Lindun
Falling in love with romance novels the summer before sixth grade, D’Ann Lindun never thought about writing one until many years later when she took a how-to class at her local college. She was hooked! She began writing and never looked back. Romance appeals to her because there's just something so satisfying about writing a book guaranteed to have a happy ending. D’Ann’s particular favorites usually feature cowboys and the women who love them. This is probably because she draws inspiration from the area where she lives, Western Colorado, her husband of twenty-nine years and their daughter. Composites of their small farm, herd of horses, five Australian shepherds, a Queensland heeler, two ducks and cats of every shape and color often show up in her stories!

Rachelle Ayala
Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Her foremost goal is to take readers on a shared emotional journey with her characters as they grow and become more true to themselves. Rachelle believes in the power of love to overcome obstacles and feels that everyone should find love as often as possible, especially if it's within the pages of a book.

Her book, Knowing Vera, won the 2015 Angie Ovation Award, and A Father for Christmas garnered a 2015 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award.

She is also a writing teacher and founder of the Romance In A Month writing community. She lives in California with her husband and has three children and two birds.


Mimi Barbour
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EMAIL: mimibarbour@hotmail.com

Jennifer Lowery
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Chantel Rhondeau
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Lyssa Layne
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D'Ann Lindun
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Rachelle Ayala
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Love Caters All & Third Strikes the Charm by Nicci Carrera

Series: Lobster Cove
Author: Nicci Carrera
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Dates: Love Caters All: November 26, 2014
Third Strikes the Charm: April 27, 2016

Love Caters All
Summary:
When hard-driving CEO Rick Nordan arrives in Lobster Cove under strict orders from the family doctor to take a break, he discovers the rental house comes with a family attached, including one sexy dynamo of a caterer. She's nothing like his ex-fiancee who wouldn't sign a pre-nup, but maybe that means she's the real deal and not a gold digger.

Maya Cruz wants life for her widowed mother to get easier by renting out her house during the summer. But teaching Mama business means explaining Rick isn't a "guest," he's a "customer." And the first thing Mama does is invite Rick to join their family activities. Having Rick around wouldn't be so bad if Maya didn't find him so attractive. The last time she fell for a vacationing millionaire, she had her heart broken.

She swore off his type, and he's not looking, but this might be a recipe for love.

Third Strike’s The Charm
Summary‬:
Super student Cara Cruz made it all the way through her prestigious MBA program only to choke on the last final. Ordered by her advisor to take the summer off and clear her head, she’s home in Lobster Cove for some fun before retaking the exam. If she fails a second time, she will lose her dream job offer in Chicago. Meanwhile her best friend happens to be her ex-boyfriend’s mom, which means close contact with the man who broke her heart. Twice. This time she’ll protect her heart no matter the cost.

Ex-major-league baseball pitcher Jason Ward blew his money, his elbow, and his love life. Now at home taking care of his mom and working on a new life plan, he wants Cara back, but he already struck out, didn’t he? Maybe not, and now his mission is to win her back without telling her the truth about why he really came home.

Winning at love will be the only play that counts.


Love Caters All
“Doc made me unplug. Ordered me to read books. Even went so far as to write out a prescription.” Rick reached in his pocket.

She took the paper he’d retrieved and read it. Sure enough, their website and the words, No electronics, read a book were scrawled on an Rx sheet in Doc’s handwriting. She handed back the note. “I’d recognize Doc’s penmanship anywhere.”

“Penmanship!” Rick grinned. “You can see from Doc’s chicken scratch, if I had to rely on the Internet for entertainment I’d be out of luck. It’s old-fashioned bound-paper for me this week.”

“I love books. In our library, you’ll find the classics, westerns, and some spicy romance.” Maya thought she’d just toss the last genre in there to see how he’d react. He grinned. Her stomach fluttered. This man was nothing like the conceited ass she’d dated last summer. Both men might be rich, but they were so different. “History, biography, and a Bible.”

“Will there be a quiz?”

“Only on the romance.” His laugh was so sensuous she could roll in it.

“I really need to dry the floor. I’ll get a rag. Excuse me.”

Mama passed her at the hall closet. “We should invite Mr. Nordan to our party tomorrow.”

Oh no. Rick was going to meet the gorgeous twins before Maya even had a single date with him.

Third Strikes the Charm
“I found out I couldn’t go back to the majors the day of Maya’s wedding.”

She remembered his anger, the way he stormed off, how hurt she’d been at the time. “Oh no! I’m so sorry.” That news made Maya’s wedding day one of the worst of his life. “I had no idea.”

“I know. That’s why I wanted to tell you. I was in a really bad state of mind that day. I acted like such a jerk.”

Her heart constricted. “The whole kiss thing was an accident, and I made it worse by not sorting it out right away. Now to find out you had that awful news hanging over your head makes me feel even worse.”

He frowned. “I overreacted.”

“Well, it’s understandable now.”

He cleared his throat, meeting her gaze. “Now that we have that cleared up, are you seeing someone?”

Did he want to try again? Her heart gave an inappropriate little bump. Remember your MBA, your new job. And remember how many times Jason disappointed you. “No. I’m not seeing anyone. I need to get my career settled before I think about anything like that.”

He frowned, and then nodded.

What Others Are Saying for Love Caters All:
I just finished reading Love Caters All. What a good, fun read! Nicci Carrera creates a fiery romance between a hot-shot Silicon Valley exec and an independent owner of a catering business in small-town Maine. Obviously opposites attract between these two, and the bi-coastal setting and Nicci's humerous dialog gives the story an extra edge. I enjoyed reading about the characters' different lifestyles and how they found love after tackling several twists and turns along the way. I definitely recommend it! By catherine hampel Verified Purchase

I received an ARC of this delightful novella and enjoyed it so much I purchased a copy for my Kindle. : )

Back to Love Caters All, I enjoyed the Cruz family and how they all bounced off of each other. I especially loved the heroine’s food truck and it made me think of the movie Chef which I watched this summer. Maya Cruz is a strong, independent woman who gives up much in her own life to care for her mother and younger sisters after her father’s sudden death. It takes an unlikely hero, in billionaire Rick Nordan, to make her sit up and take notice of her own life. It takes that hero to roll up his sleeves, and allow her to let someone else carry some of the burdens of life. To let love in. These two are truly so well-suited, and yet they have many issues to overcome before they can find their way to real happiness.

The author has an easy style and I found myself immediately drawn in to this story, and I read the novella in one afternoon. Her glimpse into the hero’s corporate life in California brought authenticity to the story and provided a fascinating contrast to the life the heroine encountered back in Maine. By Roben Verified Purchase

Author Bio:
Nicci Carrera lives to write contemporary and spicy love stories with sassy heroines and sexy heroes. Nicci believes the perfect man makes lots of bread…the kind you eat hot from the oven with butter. She lives in Silicon Valley with her husband, and yes, he bakes all their bread. When not at her keyboard writing a romance, in the kitchen, or curled up with a book, Nicci enjoys photography and long walks.


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