Spotlight: A Lady Never Tells by Lynn Winchester

Richard Downing may be a viscount of impeccable character, but he’s bored beyond belief of dancing at balls, faking smiles, and making dull conversation. So when he stumbles upon a house maid with defiance in her striking blue eyes and a dagger hidden in her skirts…well, color him intrigued.

Raised with a rather…peculiar upbringing, Lady Victoria Daring is full of secrets and surprises. As part of His Majesty’s personal homeland spy network and as a master of disguises, Vic is charged with infiltrating high society to uncover the enemies hiding in plain sight.

But Richard is the first man to see through her disguises–and infiltrate deep into her heart. Too bad his family is at the top of her list of suspects…

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About the Author

Lynn Winchester is the pseudonym of a hardworking California-born conservative, now living in the wilds of Northeast Pennsylvania. Lynn has been writing fiction since the 5th grade, and enjoys creating worlds, characters, and stories for her readers.

When Lynn isn’t writing she is running a successful editing business, reading whatever she can get her hands on, raising her four children, making sure her husband is happy, and binge-watching shows on Netflix.

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Giveaway

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A Lady Never Tells

Spotlight: The Queen of Warriors by Zenobia Neil

Alexandra of Sparta vowed her sword and her heart to the goddess Artemis. And the goddess blessed her. But no warrior lives at peace, and soon, Alexandra loses her title, her troops, and all she holds dear, including the man who holds her heart.

Cursed by a Babylonian witch, she is forced to return to a city she once conquered to make amends, but is captured by the powerful Persian rebel, Artaxerxes. As his prisoner, she awaits judgment for her crimes. But Artaxerxes is not what he seems. With death approaching, Alexandra must face her violent past and discover the truth of her captor’s identity before it’s too late.

Excerpt

“So, Aristos, you come here as my willing slave?”

            “Yes,” he said, though he did not seem sure.

            “Well, go on then. Let me see what’s under your clothes.”

            He blushed but did not hesitate to remove his tunic, pulling it quickly over his head and folding it. He placed it gingerly on the carpet near his feet. She admired his strong chest and the well-defined muscles in his arms. But to her dismay, his arms were bare, and he wore only one golden bracelet.

            “What happened to your armlets? They were quite becoming on you.”

            He reddened more than when she had asked him to undress. She suspected a secret had been discovered.

            “I sold them, my queen.”

            “Why? Weren’t you taken care of?”

            “Yes, as well as could be expected.”

            “What did you sell them for?”

       He was silent, clearly not wanting to tell her and unable to lie. “Scrolls.”

“What scrolls did you trade your armlets for?” When he hesitated, she was even more intrigued. Pornography? Zoroastrian propaganda? There were scrolls circulating thinly veiled as fables, but they had a clear message to kill all Greeks and to return the satrapies to the hereditary rulers who had held them before Alexander. It seemed these would appeal to a boy like Aristos.

            “I bought all the scrolls of note I could find. I wanted to get the ones I had studied in Rhagae before…before you came. My favorite ones are the biography of Alexander by Ptolemy the First and The Iliad.”

            “In Greek?” she asked, surprised.

            “I prefer to read scrolls in the language they were originally written in.”

            “Alexander of Macedon? I would have thought you hated him.”

            “I should,” he said. “Many call him the Accursed and despise him, but my father taught me to learn from our enemies.” He stopped abruptly. “Forgive me. I meant only—”

            “The truth,” she said, amused. “Why don’t you hate him?”

            “He did what had never been done before.” He gazed at her a moment too long. “One cannot help but admire someone who can do that.”

            Her blood surged at his words and the way his eyes held her. “You flatter me, Aristos. I’m not sure if I believe you.”

            “No, you misunderstand if you think I flatter you—if you think I am a flatterer, you are mistaken.”

            She took her hand off him. His cheeks reddened, but he held her gaze.

            “I meant only that for me, truth is paramount. I admire him, as I admire you for what you have done. But I say it because it is true, not because I am your slave and will say anything to be in your good graces—my queen.” He lowered his gaze as if he expected her to beat him.

She was amazed by his daring and was again struck by his integrity. “You say you never lie?”

            “Yes. My people believe the light of truth is the only way to win over darkness.”

            “Then let’s hope you have no secrets you wish to keep from me.” She stroked the strong muscles on his chest, his nipples reminding her of honeyed wine. She caressed his flat belly, trailing her finger over the little black hairs that led from his navel down into the waist of his trousers. “So, Aristos, did those stories keep your nights warm?”

            “Yes, my queen. They helped me through many nights”—he gazed down at her hand, pale against his abdomen—“of loneliness.”

            She untied the cord of his trousers and began to unlace them slowly, making sure to rub her hands against his manhood. She thought to remove his dagger and then remembered he was forbidden from carrying one.

            “Go on, then,” she said.

            He pulled his trousers off, folded them, and placed them next to his shirt. His face and chest flushed red, but he stood up straight.

            “You’re very fit,” she said. “Tell me your secret. Most bed slaves are so weak.”

            “My queen, I have already given you too many secrets for one night, please.”

            “Oh no, Aristos. If you are to be mine, I will have all of you.”

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About the Author

Zenobia Neil was named after an ancient warrior queen who fought against the Romans. She writes about the mythic past and Greek and Roman gods having too much fun. She lives with her husband, two children, and dog in Los Angeles. The Queen of Warriors is her third book.

Visit her at ZenobiaNeil.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

The Queen of Warriors

Spotlight: The Price of Grace by Diana Muñoz Stewart

Keeping secrets is her job.

A highly trained operative in the Parish family’s secret society of vigilantes, Gracie Parish learned a long time ago what happens when you fall in love and reveal the family’s dark secret. Now, she keeps her mouth shut and trusts no one.

Uncovering the truth is his job.

Special Agent Leif “Dusty” McAllister will do anything to expose the Parish family’s covert operations. And he believes Gracie is his ticket in. He’ll use everything he’s got—fair, unfair, and so-good-it’s-wrong—to penetrate her defenses and prove his case.

Even as the red-hot attraction between Dusty and Gracie heats up, his investigation ignites a deadly new threat. They’ll have to decide quickly how far they can trust each other, because now it’s not just Gracie’s vigilante lifestyle in jeopardy. It’s her life.

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About the Author

Diana lives in an often chaotic and always welcoming home that—depending on the day—can hold husband, kids, extended family, friends, and a canine or two. A believer in the power of words to heal, connect, and distract from chores, Diana blogs regularly on topics near and dear to her heart, including spotlight pieces on strong women from around the world. When not writing, Diana can be found kayaking, doing springs up her long driveway—harder than it sounds—attempting yoga on her deck, or hiking with the man who’s had her heart since they were teens.

Website: https://dianamunozstewart.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmunozstewart

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmunozstewart/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17352345.Diana_Munoz_Stewart

Playlist: One Queen of an Ending by Zachary Ryan

Synopsis:

It’s time to say goodbye to our Johnson Prep favorites before they all head off to college.

After the gossip-worthy events of graduation and the shocking death of one of their classmates, it seems The Queen of Queens wants to give Danielle, Bethany, Calvin, Tucker, and Aman one last hurrah.

Will everything have a happy ending, or will one of our favorites end up 6 feet under? How will the war end with the salacious arrival of returning students, Andrew and Jasmine? They all had one lesson left to learn: Just because high school is over, doesn’t mean the high school drama ends. They’re all about to take their curtain call, but will it end as a comedy or a tragedy?

Discover this sultry and thrilling end to the High School Queens Series.

Playlist

Ride-Lana Del Rey

Heads Will Roll-Yeah Yeah Yeah

Sue Me- Sabrina Carpenter

Sorry Not Sorry- Demi Lovato

Fiction- XX

Juicy- Better Than Ezra

Way Down We Go- Kaleo

King of the World-CRMNL

Sober-Kelly Clarkson

Maybe-Kelly Clarkson

Old Money- Lana Del Rey

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About the Author

Zachary Ryan grew up in a black-and-white box in Maryland, before moving to Chicago to start a new life. There, he found that he was accepted for his misfit status--and learned that it's perfectly normal to spend your twenties feeling lost and confused.

After a disastrous sexual encounter, Ryan stumbled on a group of true friends, or "soul cluster," that he connected with. Through his writing, he hopes to help other broken souls out there find comfort amid the chaos.

Connect:

https://www.facebook.com/Zacharyryanbooks/

https://zacharyryanbooks.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14028362.Zachary_Ryan

Spotlight: Not Suitable for Work by Skye McDonald

Not Suitable for Work
Skye McDonald
(Anti-Belle, #1)
Publication date: September 24th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The competition is stiff. The stakes are high. And what happens on Halloween night is definitely not suitable for work.

Celeste Greene and Ben Addison didn’t realize the internship-to-hire opportunity was actually a contest, but neither of these talented web designers can afford to walk away.
After betrayal destroyed her fabulous life in New York City, Celeste moved home to Nashville, Tennessee broke and broken. Restarting her career is her only goal. An ice queen who drove her partner to cheat can’t even think about friends or fun. Celeste’s talent and desperation should make the competition an easy win—if only she could stop gawking at her rival long enough to concentrate.
Ben Addison doesn’t want to be a corporate climber or live in a high-rise downtown. He just needs a steady paycheck after foolishly investing everything in a pretty face and a shot at a music career. He has no business fantasizing about his competitor, even if she is the most stunning—and guarded—woman he’s ever met.

This contest can’t rival the chemistry between these two, but is the risk worth the reward? With a haunting past and her future on the line, Celeste must decide what she wants, what she needs, and what her heart is really worth.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I heaved a sigh and pushed off the cushion, shuffling blind down the hall to brush my teeth. It was only 9:00, but exhaustion and the look on my mother’s face haunted me. I crawled into the sheets, where ideas and questions tumbled around in my head in a jumbled mess.

Give me a truth… I’m fine. Once this job sorts itself out, life can begin again. I’m not hiding, I’m… playing to my strengths. I’m better alone. I can focus. Know yourself. Your business is you.

But, as always, my thoughts turned back to That Day—the day I blew it, the day Derrick taught me the hardest truths of my life.

Stop. Don’t. Don’t think about it. Don’t go there again. I gripped my arm tight and braced against the memories I couldn’t control, could never forget. Something new. Think of something, anything else. My nails dug into my skin as I searched my mind and landed on…

Ben.

Wonder where he is tonight, what he’s doing? Is he drinking Jameson? Is he thinking of me? Definitely not, but still. What if he was? And why are you holding your elbow so damn tight?

My grip slacked, and blood began to flow again. It had been such a nothing move, only a means to stop me from driving home tipsy, but the memory of his hand wrapped around my arm made my skin tingle.

“Give me a truth.”

In the dark, alone, the truth was this: I wanted him to touch me again.

Author Bio:

Skye spent a lot of her adolescence dreaming about living in a hip, urban town full of adventures that occurred outside of the local mall. (Hers was Rivergate, in case you know Nashville well!) Now that she’s been living away from Nashville for years, the once sleepy Southern city has become just that place, and she returns to visit whenever she can. Her seven-novel-and-growing Anti-Belle series is centered in her hometown, partly as a homage and partly because these days Nashville is too hip to ignore.

In the real world, Skye is an English teacher in Brooklyn, New York, and has lived there long enough to consider herself a true New Yorker—even though she proudly cheers for the Tennessee Vols (her alma mater) and loves being a GRITS (Girl Raised in the South).
​
Skye's philosophy is to live with your heart and mind open. She believes in the beauty of this world and seeks adventure and joy as a daily practice. If "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans," as John Lennon said, then she'd rather leave the schedule open and let life happen.

Website / Twitter / Instagram

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Spotlight: A Dash of Christmas by Samantha Chase

With a dash of Christmas magic…

Two people who have spent most of their lives being rivals…

Learn a little something about following their hearts…

Carter Montgomery broke the family mold when he went to culinary school. Now a successful restauranteur, he’s at a crossroads: should he continue on his successful path or look for a new challenge? What he needs is time alone to think things through. But his matchmaking family has other ideas…

Emery Monaghan’s no-good fiancé has embroiled her in scandal and she needs a way out. When mentor Eliza Montgomery offers her a refuge, she’s relieved—until she realizes that the deal means rubbing elbows with Eliza’s son Carter—Emery’s childhood nemesis.

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About the Author

Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

Website: https://www.chasing-romance.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamanthaChase3 

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthachaseromance/ 

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2HFLHxb 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-chase