Spotlight: The Scream Behind Her Smile by Athena Daniels

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The Scream Behind Her Smile
Athena Daniels
Publication date: April 12th 2019
Genres: Adult, Psychological Thriller

It’s one thing to discover your husband is not who you believe him to be.
It’s another thing entirely to prove it.
The only question now, is how far he will go to protect his secrets.

From the #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the award-winning Beyond the Grave paranormal romance series.

“Athena Daniels has spun a spell-binding story that is sure to seduce fans of suspense… Her compelling writing style coupled with elements of high drama and disturbing characters makes for an emotionally intense read. Athena Daniels has a new fan in me!” Readers Favorite, 5 Stars

“…a contemporary psychological thriller with a solid plot line which had me reading late into the night. I thoroughly enjoyed every word.” 5 Stars, Readers Favorite

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One lie is enough to question all truths.

As I lie here in my front hallway, in the place where it all began, I wonder what would have happened if I’d never opened the door that afternoon?

Would she have gone somewhere else? Would she have swept off in another direction, an alternative reality where our lives would never have crossed paths?

And now I’m lying here, blood pooling beneath my body, deep crimson smears on cold white tiles, remembering every sordid moment in vivid detail.

There’s a shadow standing over me.

“I want you to die here, slowly and alone.” Her voice is cold, emotionless. “And I want you to use the time to think about what you did. And when you take your last breath, I want you to realize it’s all your fault. All of it!”

I drift in and out of consciousness and wonder if I had my chance to do it over again, if I had the choice, would I choose not to open the door that day?

Even after everything, I know that I would.

I’d go through it all again, and then some, if it meant the chance to be with Zach just one more time…

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EXCERPT:

I drag my gaze from across the room and look at my husband. Really look at him. He has his eyes squeezed shut. Has he always done that?

Was there ever a time we’d looked at each other as we made love?

“Derek?” I whisper. “Derek,” I repeat a little louder when it is clear he hadn’t heard me.

Derek opens his eyes, a slight frown between his brows. “Do you want me to stop?” Is that impatience in his tone?

“No,” I say. “I… I love you.”

“Love you, too.” But he closes his eyes as he says the words. He doesn’t see the tear that escapes between lids I’ve squeezed shut.

He changes the angle of his thrust. It’s only slight, but I recognize it, and I know he is getting close. I can almost tell, to the exact thrust, when he’ll climax.

Then he’ll roll off me and onto his back. I’ll lay my head on his chest and listen to the beat of his heart as it slows. For one minute. Never longer. He’ll then roll over, and I’ll spoon his back.

His eyes are shut, so he doesn’t see the other tear that rolls down my cheek to dampen the hair at the base of my neck. But I’m not even sad.

I don’t feel anything at all.

How can I cry when I feel this empty?

How can I feel empty with my husband inside me in the most intimate way possible?

With the final thrust of his hips, like an orchestra conductor’s last wave of his staff, Derek finishes.

Without a single glance in my direction, he rolls onto his back.

I didn’t even bother to fake an orgasm.

He doesn’t seem to care.

This time I roll over, my back toward him.

He doesn’t move to hold me as his heart slows. Instead, I listen as his breathing turns to a light snore.

I’m not where I belong. But that can’t be right. I’m married. I’m living with my husband. Surely this is where I belong.

Then why do I feel so lost?

And so terribly alone.


Author Bio:

Athena Daniels is the #1 international bestselling author of the award-winning Beyond the Grave paranormal romance series and the romantic thrillers Desperate and The Scream Behind Her Smile. In 2016, Athena was nominated for Author of the Year and Best New Author in AusRom Today's Reader's Choice Awards.

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Spotlight: Vivi's Leading Man by Emily Mims

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Vivi's Leading Man
Durango Street Theatre Book 1
by Emily Mims
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

A year after their divorce, Vivi and Miguel are forced to work together to save the Durango Street Theatre, and learn they might really love each other after all.


EXES AND OHS

The marriage was one of convenience. She had status and he had money. But... there was something there, and both of them felt it. After three years of him working long hours and her spending too much time at the Durango Street Theatre, Miguel Abonce and Vivienne Heiser called it quits. One year later, they are forced to work together to save or sell the theater. In the process they discover things they never knew about each other and they learn there's more between them than burning up the sheets. They might really love each other after all.





Author of eighteen romance novels under the pseudonym 'Emily Elliott', Emily Mims combined her writing career with a career in public education until leaving the classroom to write full time. 'Solomon's Choice' is her first romantic suspense and the first novel she has published under her own name. The mother of two sons, she and her husband Charles split their time between Central Texas and eastern Tennessee. For relaxation she plays the piano, organ, dulcimer, and ukulele. She says, "I love to write romances because I believe in them. Romance happened to me and it can happen to any woman-if she'll just let it."




Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!




Spotlight: The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker

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In which experienced West End actress Freddy Carlton takes on an Austen-inspired play, a scandal at a country estate, an enthusiastic search for a passion outside of acting…and the (some people might say icy*) heart of London’s most feared theater critic.

*if those people were being nice

Freddy Carlton knows she should be focusing on her lines for The Austen Playbook, a live-action TV event where viewers choose the outcome of each scene, but her concentration’s been blown. The palatial estate housing the endeavor is now run by the rude (brilliant) critic who’s consistently slammed her performances of late. James “Griff” Ford-Griffin has a penchant for sarcasm, a majestic nose and all the sensitivity of a sledgehammer.

She can’t take her eyes off him.

Griff can hardly focus with a contagious joy fairy flitting about near him, especially when Freddy looks at him like that. His only concern right now should be on shutting down his younger brother’s well-intentioned (disastrous) schemes—or at the very least on the production (not this one) that might save his family home from the banks.

Instead all he can think of is soft skin and vibrant curls.

As he’s reluctantly dragged into her quest to rediscover her passion for the stage and Freddy is drawn into his research on a legendary theater star, the adage about appearances being deceiving proves abundantly true. It’s the unlikely start of something enormous…but a single revelation about the past could derail it all.

Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About Lucy Parker

Lucy Parker lives in the gorgeous Central Otago region of New Zealand, where she feels lucky every day to look out at mountains, lakes and vineyards. She has a degree in Art History, loves museums and galleries, and doodles unrecognisable flowers when she has writer’s block.

Her interest in romantic fiction began with a pre-teen viewing of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Firth-style), which prompted her to read the book as well, and the rest was history.

Connect with Lucy: Website | Twitter | Instagram

Spotlight: Luke Hamill: Before Faithful Falls by Elle Linder

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Luke Hamill: Before Faithful Falls
Faithful Falls Prequel
by Elle Linder
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Semper Fi and honor above all else

Luke Hamill, staunch in his convictions, is a family man who will go to any length to preserve his marriage, even leave his beloved Marines. After his final tour of duty, his life is upended by the two people he trusted most. Now, a new course is set, one that takes him to Faithful Falls, Idaho.

In this prequel to Stay With Me, Julia, discover what drove Luke to leave all that he knows, and discover Faithful Falls. Even though the road ahead is bumpy, it leads Luke to abundant love and a strong community beyond the horizon. Meet some friendly, unique locals and get comfy in the little tourist town, where those destined to together prove love is stronger than any obstacles life throws their way.



**Get it FREE!!**


Stay With Me, Julia
Faithful Falls Book 1

She is only to be in Idaho for three months.

Her task is simple: run the lakeside resort in her aunt’s absence and return to her life in Los Angeles.

Easy. Or maybe not.

Ruggedly handsome Luke Hamill—Brook Trout Resort’s grounds manager—instantly piques her interest. A former Marine and divorced father of two, Luke introduces Julia to small town living and a passionate love like she’s never known. The mountain man is the total package: tender, strong, sexy, and honorable. He could be everything Julia wants… except for his problematic and meddling ex-wife.

Julia is smart, sensible, and irresistible, and she immediately captures Luke’s heart with her playful tenderness and saucy independence. Now he can’t imagine his life without her.

As Julia’s departure nears, Luke’s mission is clear: show her their love can conquer anything life throws their way.

Can Julia embrace her feelings for Luke, and will they be enough to keep her in Faithful Falls? Or will the challenges of a blended family make her abandon it all and head back to Southern California?

Stay With Me, Julia, is the first book in the Faithful Falls series, where those destined to be together prove love is stronger than the obstacles threatening to tear them apart.



**Only .99 cents until 4/23!!**


Love Me, Lauren
Faithful Falls Book 2

She wants more than a one-night stand.

Lauren, a fiercely independent woman, is afraid to commit. Still, she secretly desires to fall in love.

Could it be that simple?

Enter Rick, ex-Marine and single dad, who is looking for a fresh start in Faithful Falls. He has big plans to open a brewery, and no time for love. When he crosses paths with Lauren, her formidable lure is irritating yet irresistible, and sparks fly.

Unexpectedly, Lauren is rattled when her past collides with her present, exposing her fears and insecurities. Once the truth is revealed, it may destroy Rick’s plans, her dreams, and their future.

Can they find the courage to face down Lauren's demons together and ignite the fire and passion that leads them to their HEA?

Love Me, Lauren is the second book in the Faithful Falls series. Reconnect with Luke and Julia and the quirky characters of this little Idaho tourist town.

Get this sizzling book NOW.





Elle lives in NW Minnesota (or the Frozen Tundra, as she likes to call it) with her family. She has lived in all four corners of the U.S., and as a native California country girl, her heart yearns for the Pacific Coast. The One That Matters is Elle's first novel.

Elle is currently wrapping up several novels in the Faithful Falls series, which include:

Love Me, Lauren
Trust Me, Tiffani
Choose Me, Erika
Forgive Me, Kandace


To find out more about Elle's published books, future books, biography, and other information, visit her website and be sure to sign up for her newsletter while your there to stay up to date on her book releases and to participate in special promotions and giveaways.






Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!







Spotlight: Southern Devotion Series by Amy K McClung

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Southern Devotion Series Box Set
Books 1-4
by Amy K. McClung
Genre: Contemporary Romance

noun: devotion
1. love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.
A complete series of stories about love, friendship, and making some of life’s most difficult choices.

For The love of Gracie •• Book 1
What lengths will the man of her dreams go to… for the Love of Gracie?

Curves In The Road •• Book 2
With a decision to make, is it possible for two lost loves to find their way back to each other or are there too many curves in the road?

Complicated Relationships •• Book 3
Love… it’s complicated.

Twisted Fate •• Book 4
Two love stories. Two lost souls. Two fates, twisted together.




**Only 99 cents until April 29th!!**
**On Sale for $2.99 4/30 – 5/9 **



For the Love of Gracie
Southern Devotion Book 1

Always falling for the wrong guy, Gracie Walker hasn't had much luck finding Prince Charming. She's reached a point where it's easier to forget about romance and focus on what's important: college, clubbing, and her friends.

But the best-laid plans don't always pan out as hoped.

Caught up in a web of relationships that threaten nothing but pain, Gracie has to decide who she can trust and who can help keep her safe.

What lengths will the man of her dreams go to… for the Love of Gracie?







Curves in the Road
Southern Devotion Book 2

Living in Nashville with his daughter, Katelyn, single dad Derrick Collins’s main goal is to provide a good life for his daughter. With no social life to speak of, he knows it’s time for a change. He just needs to find the perfect woman who will complete his happy family. The problem is he’s already met her and let her go.

Mary Jane Evans’s life took a path she could only dream of. Though leaving her home in Nashville meant saying goodbye to childhood friends, family, and the first man she ever loved. Now she has to choose if she will return or continue her new journey.

With a decision to make, is it possible for two lost loves to find their way back to each other or are there too many curves in the road?






Complicated Relationships
Southern Devotion Book 3

Tristan Jacob’s life is full of complicated relationships. Having been hurt by love and loss, and with his focus on taking care of his younger sister, Macy, for the past five years, it was safer to put his romantic life on hold.

But he's finally ready to find the girl of his dreams.

When an auburn-haired beauty captures his attention, Tristan doesn't realize she has a connection to the woman who broke his heart. Will he get his happily ever after? Or will the complications prove to be too difficult to overcome?






Twisted Fate
Southern Devotion Book 4

Two love stories. Two lost souls. Two fates, twisted together.

Old habits are hard to break when lust factors in. Angel is celebrating her sobriety and making changes in her life. Surrounded by happily married couples, she realizes how much she wants to fall in love. Angel meets her match in more ways than one.

Cameron has been working behind the scenes, manipulating fate to help his friends find their happiness. But as he works to make everyone else happy, he’s hiding his own pain. So focused on concealing the truth, his relationship with Gavin suffers because of it.

Join Angel and Cameron in the spectacular conclusion of Amy K. McClung’s The Southern Devotion series, as this group of friends battle to find their happily ever afters.





Amy K. McClung was born in Nashville, TN. She is the second oldest of four girls and occasionally suffers from middle child syndrome. She met the love of her life online in August of 2004, on his birthday of all days, and married him in September 2005. Currently they have no human children only the room full of colourful robots that transform into vehicles and the large headed Pop Funko's who represent their favourite characters. Collecting movies, shotglasses, Pop Funkos, and dust bunnies are some of her favourite pastimes. She began writing in September of 2011 and independently published her first YA novel called Cascades of Moonlight, Book one of the Parker Harris Series the following May. Her first book was a means of therapy for her as it enabled her to escape reality for a while during a difficult transition in her life.




Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!













Spotlight: Hide and Seek by Mary Burton

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Profiling FBI Profiler Macy Crow

Special Agent Macy Crow is 33-years-old and is an accomplished FBI Agent. She’s worked a series of high profile cases across the United States and isn’t afraid to take chances. When her father was murdered, she headed to Texas to investigate the crime. Following clues left behind by her father, she was closing in on the killer when she became the victim of a hit and run accident.

Most would have died from the injuries Macy sustained or would have been permanently disabled. However, Macy channeled her extreme ability to focus into her recovery. Though her fit muscles have softened during her recovery, she is regaining strength each day and is now laser-focused on returning to the FBI as a field agent. Before her accident, she had shoulder length blond hair but the brain surgeons who saved her life cut off all her hair. She now proudly sports a pixie cut.

When Macy returned to Texas, she learned a startling fact about herself. She has an identical twin—medical examiner Dr. Faith McIntyre. Though adopted by different families, the sisters already have a strong connection.

Macy’s adoptive parents split when she was two and she moved from Texas to Alexandria, Virginia located outside of Washington, D.C. Over the years she remained close with her father and spent many summers with him helping repair old cars on his auto salvage lot. In Alexandria, she and her mother lived in a large apartment complex. When she was young, a neighborhood girl was murdered. That tragedy had a very profound affect on Macy, who discovered she wasn’t afraid of the police and FBI agents swarming the apartment complex. Instead, she was fascinated by their work and not only watched law enforcement in action but also walked the actual crime scene herself in search of clues.

Macy has never been married and has no children. For a long time, she considered herself married to her job and it wasn’t until she met FBI Special Agent Mike Nevada that she reconsidered her single status. However, her accident cut short their romance. Nevada is now the sheriff in a small Virginia town in the Shenandoah Valley. He understands Macy’s need to reclaim the FBI job she has always loved so much. In the last year, he has never forgotten her and is committed to helping regain her old life. When the two are paired on a cold case murder investigation in Nevada’s district, they become an unstoppable team.

Summary

Special Agent Macy Crow is a survivor. After a vicious hit-and-run nearly kills her, she gets right back to work, and now she’s gunning for a spot on the FBI’s elite profiling team. As an audition, she offers to investigate the recently discovered bones of Tobi Turner, a high school girl who disappeared fifteen years ago.

While investigating with local sheriff Mike Nevada, a former colleague and onetime lover, Macy discovers a link between Tobi’s case and several others that occurred around the same time as her disappearance. As Macy interviews victims and examines old cases, she uncovers a sinister picture of a stalker who graduated to sexual assault—and then murder.

Macy and Nevada race to put this monster behind bars before he can come out of hiding. But the murderer’s had years to hone his skills, and soon Macy herself becomes a target. She’s no stranger to pain and terror, but will Macy’s first profiling case be her last?

Excerpt

Vivid blue sky, white clouds, and golden fall leaves blanketed the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains and created a picture-perfect day in the valley. In Macy’s book, the beauty was wasted. If she had God’s ear, today would have been cold, overcast, and damp. Save the pretty days until she caught this killer.

As she drove south down I-81, Macy mentally replayed her ten minutes of regional research. In the last couple of decades, the Shenandoah Valley’s population had ballooned thanks to a growing university, its proximity to Washington, DC, and a thriving tourism trade peddling vineyards, Civil War battlefields, and railroad museums. Filling in the economic gaps were warehouse distribution centers, chain hotels, and strip malls.

The voice of Macy’s GPS cut through AC/DC’s Back in Black blasting from her playlist and instructed her to take the upcoming exit toward Deep Run. As she rolled onto Route 250, a sign for her go-to fast-food eatery gave her an excuse to stretch her legs before driving the remaining ten miles to the crime scene.

Parking, she gingerly rose up out of the car. Her leg hurt. Stretches weren’t optional any more. She grabbed her ankle and pulled until the bunched muscles in her thigh released. After a quick walk around the lot, she made a beeline for the restaurant bathroom.

She glanced into the mirror as she washed her hands. Even after five months, she still didn’t recognize the woman with the short hair and thin face.

Nevada was in for a rude awakening.

She wiped her face with a paper towel. “Macy Crow, you’re above ground and headed in the right direction. That’s what counts.”

At the counter, she ordered a supersize bucket of fries and a large soda. It wasn’t that she loved the food—okay, maybe she did love the fries—but the chain restaurant’s predictability and sameness was comforting after so many life changes.

A few fries later, she was in her car and backing out of her space when her phone rang. Nevada’s number appeared. She cleared her throat and sat a little taller.

“Agent Macy Crow,” she said.

“Ramsey tells me you’re on your way. Where are you?”

He was direct, rarely charming, and she always knew where she stood with him. “Fifteen minutes from the barn.”

“I’m here now.”

The transition back into a working relationship appeared effortless. Whatever they had was over and done. No hard feelings.

“See you soon,” she said.

En route on the interstate, she ate her fries and drained her soda. There were no guarantees on when the next meal would be.

The last few miles took her down smaller roads until she spotted the driveway marked by stacked stones. Gravel crunched under her tires as she passed a freshly cleared field. Over the rise of a hill, she saw the old barn encircled by yellow crime scene tape.

When she had been researching the area, slogans such as “Best Quality of Life” and “Raise Your Family in Deep Run” popped up on her computer screen. As she had read about the area, she had kept glancing toward her open case file filled with images of Tobi Turner’s scattered bones. Recent pictures had captured the barn surrounded by dozens of state and local law enforcement vehicles crammed side by side in the grassy field.

Now as Macy parked, she noted that all the vehicles were gone expect for a lone black SUV. She grabbed her Glock from the glove box, holstered it, and stepped out of her car. Her worn hiking boots sloshed in the damp muddy soil. She tugged on an FBI windbreaker and draped her FBI credentials around her neck. As a stiff breeze blew a lingering chill and autumn scents, she checked her pockets for latex gloves, sunglasses, a small pocketknife, and pendant light.

Edginess and excitement fused as she strode toward the stretch of yellow tape and searched for Nevada. She ducked under the tape and stepped inside the barn.

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About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the highly praised author of twenty-six romance and suspense novels and five novellas. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.maryburton.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryburtonfanpage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryBurtonBooks

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15020.Mary_Burton