Spotlight: Oliana Mercer Series by Marguerite Ashton

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(Oliana Mercer, #1)
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

Synopsis Book 1:

Oliana knows that every family has a secret, but she never expected hers to come from the grave.

High school senior Oliana Mercer dreams of attending the prestigious Reyersen Drama Academy and pursuing her acting career. But when tragedy strikes, Oliana discovers secrets hidden from her by her adopted parents, dimming the lights on her perfect world. As the sins of the past surface, Oliana finds herself caught up in a tug-of-war between two families while the love for her boyfriend is tested. Determined to find some form of happiness in life, Oliana becomes student director in the high school’s senior play. When her best friend, Devin Worthy, dies during dress rehearsal, Oliana is re-cast as the lead. Everyone thinks the death was a suicide, except Oliana, whose search for clues may be enough motive for the killer to murder again.

Excerpt

“Numbness held me in place as I closed the notebook and tucked it inside the wig. What did this mean? Is the Oliana mentioned in the notebook me? It had to be. But what was this about being set free? My bio parents died in a car accident.

      For a second, I felt like I was standing next to a furnace, smoldering in its waves of heat. I hurried out of the attic and stood outside, trying to catch my breath.

      Rain pelted my face as I glanced up at my parents’ window on the second floor, then at the driveway where Mom’s minivan and Dad’s pickup were parked. Inside the house, the lights were on in the kitchen. Probably doing what they always do together, cooking dinner.

      Grief hollowed my insides. Now was not the time to confront them about what I found. Besides what was I going to do? Tell Mom, I was snooping and found something that freaked me out?  The problem was I wanted to go in there and disturb their happiness, so I could get answers about what I’d read. Answers about the handwritten note to Mom by the woman I believed was my birth mother.”

Excerpt

Shadowed Seats: Oliana Mercer Series

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About the Author

When Marguerite Ashton was in her twenties, she took up acting but realized she preferred to work behind the camera, writing crime fiction. A few years later, she married an IT Geek and settled down with her role as wife, mom, and writer!

Her blog, Criminal Lines: Settled Writer Past 40 is her outlet while building dollhouses and plotting out her next book.

Marguerite lives in Wisconsin and enjoys RVing.

Connect:

https://margueriteashton.net/

https://www.instagram.com/margueriteashton45/

https://amzn.to/3iyTL88

https://www.facebook.com/MargueriteAshton/

https://twitter.com/msashton_writer

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4543141.Marguerite_Ashton?from_search=true&from_srp=true

Spotlight: Swear on My Life by S.L. Scott

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Release Date: December 2

Tropes: Opposites Attract/ Emotional/ Second Chance Romance/ Angsty/ Billionaire/Small Town & Big City

Warm brown eyes that melted my unsuspecting heart.

A smile that knocked me off my feet.

His touch—raw electricity.

I never saw Harbor Westcott coming.

I was a small-town girl with big city dreams and more ambition than money to my name. He had everything—money, privilege, and the world at his feet. 

Opposites in every way, but that didn’t matter. We were lightning in a bottle, and everything felt possible when we were together.

Life was perfect.

Or so I thought . . .

Years later, I’m no more prepared for him than I was the first time. He swears on his life that we are meant to be forever, but I know I can’t survive this man twice.

Buy on Amazon | Audible

Meet S.L. Scott:

Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling, avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She's obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist.

Scott writes character driven, heart-racing, and swoony romances to suspense that will leave you glued to the page. Her stories are regarded as emotion-filled and soulful. With stories ranging from light and witty beach reads to heart wrenching and heart healing, Scott has a story for all readers. Her books are more than escapes for the voracious readers of today. They are journeys of the heart that always come with a happily ever after reward at the end.

Connect with S.L. Scott:

https://linktr.ee/s.l.scott 

Spotlight: Pasko Na, My Love, A Holiday Romance Anthology

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Publication date: December 6th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

Family, heart, and a Merry Christmas Happily Ever After.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all ‘round Hacienda Luz bustled in celebration of Natividad Luz Moore’s 100th birthday.

A Filipino American woman of courage, strength, and heart, Lola Naty has touched the lives of many. Celebrities and politicians make merry, fine dresses and barong Tagalogs shimmer, and food and drink flow freely. And it’s all to honor family, tradition, and the very essence of that thing called love.

While Filipino ballads fill the chilly Northern California air, hearts throb and passions ignite as seven remarkable couples find love in all the right—or wrong—places.

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From acclaimed and bestselling Filipino American authors—Elle Cruz, Maan Gabriel, Maida Malby, Mia Hopkins, Sarah Smith, and Tif Marcelo—comes Pasko Na, My Love, a holiday romance collection that is sure to warm your heart and uplift your Christmas spirit.

  • Volcanic Love by Elle Cruz

  • My Only Love by Maan Gabriel

  • So It’s You by Maida Malby

  • Illicit by Mia Hopkins

  • Last Minute by Sarah Smith

  • The Deal by Tif Marcelo

Except

From THE DEAL by Tif Marcelo

The second break room door, the one that led to the outside, opened with a bang, and a figure stumbled forward with a grunt. Norah sat up on the couch, stunned at the sight of the man who had earlier been thrown out, all but executing a judo roll. Sweeping back the hair that had fallen over his forehead with his fingers, he stood to his full height and stiffened when he saw her. 

Oliver Moore.

“Oh, hi,” he said.

“Hi.” For a beat, Norah was stunned, not only with surprise, but with how she’d apparently conjured him. Okay, so maybe she was also staring at him because of how goddamned good-looking he was. Though sorely underdressed, he was easily the handsomest man of the evening. His features were those she’d become familiar with while working with the Moore family: light brown skin, high cheekbones, brown hair with streaks of light in between, and a distinctive sharp jawline. 

He was so handsome that had she not been on the clock, and if he wasn’t a Moore, she might have offered to buy him a drink at the bar. Sadly, it had been years. This black hole of celibacy had not been her choice. For so long, she just hadn’t been in the mood, caught up with starting her life over with Braeden.

This man could fill that black hole.

As if he heard her thoughts, an eyebrow shot up. Then he said, “You’re from upstairs.”

“Yes.” She was still breathless. Then she remembered that in order to access that secondary door, he would have needed a key. She grabbed her phone from the couch and clicked through to her recent calls. Her thumb hovered over the name Up To Code, aka her boss Mr. Kawolski. 

He raised a palm. “Wait. N…no…don’t call anyone."

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

About the Authors

Elle Cruz is an author of contemporary romance. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and doctoral degree in nursing. By day she works in the medical field, but at night she is writing swoon-worthy stories perfect for all the hopeless romantics out there. In addition to being an author, Elle is active in the writing community and loves to mentor and give advice to new authors. She has a supportive husband and two amazing children.

Maan Gabriel is a mom, wife, dreamer, writer, and advocate for women’s stories in literature. She earned her BA in communications from St. Scholastica’s College in Manila and MPS in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University. She has lived in Manila, Brussels, Dakar, and Mexico City. During the day, she works in strategic communications. Gabriel, along with her husband and son, currently calls suburban Washington, D.C. home.

Filipino American author Maida Malby cooks up foodie, multicultural, and contemporary destination romance stories filled with heat, sizzle, spice, and a whole lotta love. She is a member of select writing groups and romance book clubs. Her To-Be-Read Mountain and book reviews are featured on her website maidamalby.com. Readers can also find her on Lone Star Literary Life via her regular Texas Reads Romance column.

Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. Her award-winning books have been featured by many publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and Entertainment Weekly. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. For more information, please visit www.miahopkinsauthor.com or connect with her on social media @miahopkinsxoxo.

Sarah Smith is a copywriter-turned-author who wants to make the world a lovelier place, one kissing story at a time. Her love of romance began when she was eight and she discovered her auntie's stash of romance novels. She's been hooked ever since. When she's not writing, you can find her hiking, eating chocolate, and perfecting her lumpia recipe.

Tif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse and holds a BS in Nursing and a Master’s in public administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts The Stories to Love Podcast, and is the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, which was a Target Diverse Book Club pick, The Holiday Switch, and the Heart Resort and Journey to the Heart series. She and her books have been featured in The Today Show, Shondaland, Real Simple Magazine, The Asian Journal and more!

Connect:

Facebook

Elle Cruz - https://www.facebook.com/ElleCruzAuthor

Maan Gabriel – https://www.facebook.com/MaanGabrielAuthor

Maida Malby – https://www.facebook.com/carpediemchroniclesbymaidamalby

Mia Hopkins – https://www.facebook.com/miahopkinsxoxo

Sarah Smith – https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahs

Tif Marcelo - https://www.facebook.com/TifMarcelo

Instagram:

Elle Cruz – https://www.instagram.com/ellecruzauthor

Maan Gabriel – https://www.instagram.com/maan_gabriel

Maida Malby – https://www.instagram.com/carpediemchronicles

Mia Hopkins – https://www.instagram.com/miahopkinsxoxo

Sarah Smith – https://www.instagram.com/authorsarahs

Tif Marcelo - https://www.instagram.com/tifmarcelo

Spotlight: The Unsolved Case of The Secret Christmas Baby by Hannah Byron

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Pub Date 06 Dec 2022
Historical Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers

A Victorian Cozy Mystery (The Mrs Imogene Lynch Series Book 1)

A presumed dead baby who's just turned fifty, a grieving widow on a mission, a female haberdasher hiding a scandalous secret

The Cotswolds, England, December 1895

Fifty-year-old Imogene Lynch has recently moved to the tight-knit community of Dartmond after her husband passed away.

In the decades of her husband's job as chief constable of the neighboring Landdulton, the childless Imogene often assisted him in solving seemingly unsolvable crimes. On his deathbed Thaddeus Lynch has one last request to his wife: solve the secret Christmas baby's mystery.

Overcome by grief, but with the promise as a stamp on her heart, Imogene sets out in her roundabout way to unearth Sir Finley Lowther's mysterious origins. The first trace leads to Miss Eloise Platt, a well-respected Dartmond shopkeeper.

But when a baby's skull is dredged up from the bottom of Tiverstock Lake and Miss Eloise confesses to the murder, Mrs Imogene Lynch faces a stalemate. While the Dartmonders squabble over Miss Platt's fate, the widow-turned-detective worries she'll never fulfil her promise.

To break through her impasse, she pays a visit to the elderly Lady Lowther in Ridgeview Asylum with far-reaching consequences. For Imogene, the mystery is now solved, but getting Miss Platt to tell the truth is another matter.

With her characteristic quirky style, Mrs Lynch confides in the most unlikely candidate in her arsenal, her landlord, Mr Richard Hopewell. If the mute bookkeeper can shed light on what he witnessed on that fateful Christmas Day in 1845, she has the ally she needs to confront Miss Platt.

After fifty-one years, Constable Thaddeus Lynch's brown file on the Secret Christmas Baby can be closed for good. With Finley's adoption mystery solved and Miss Platt redeemed, all Dartmond joins in the merry 1896 Christmas celebrations.

This first book in the Victorian Cozy Mystery Series introduces Mrs Imogene Lynch, a willy-nilly detective who talks too much and eats too little.

Excerpt

“Now stop whining, Gertie, and just walk slowly down the stairs. Jasper isn’t even 2 stone. You carry heavier sacks of potatoes up the stairs.”

“But I carry the teddies up the stairs, Ma’am, not down. The dog is heavier than a three-year-old babber.” 

A three-year-old baby? Have you ever heard of such an exaggeration? One day soon, that maid’s going to do me in. She shuffles down the stairs so slowly, I’m almost losing my balance, and mind you, these stairs are as narrow as a rabbit hole.

“Just hold him steady, will you, or you’ll scare him, and you know what happens then!”

But it’s too late. Jasper whimpers once, and the damage is done.

“Ma’am, he’s wee-weeing all over me dress.”

“Poor darling Jasper, we’ll sort you out downstairs. Don’t squeeze him so tight, Gertie, I told you a dozen times before. It frightens him. And keep moving now. You can change your dress in a minute.”  

Dear Lord in Heaven, what is it with this maid? I can’t go through this every time with her and the dog.

When we finally land in one piece on the mat in the tight hallway near the glass-panelled front door, she puts poor Jasper on all fours. He looks up at me with those large, guilt-ridden eyes, but the stricken soul can’t help this. Enough is enough. 

“It’s all right, Jasper dear. Gertie, I’ll ask if Neil Fritter wants to earn a little extra pocket money and carry Jasper up and down, all right? We can’t have you change dresses three times a day.”

“That’s gurt lush, Ma’am.”

“Nice of me? Well, it’s all right, Gertie. Now change and wash that dress. I’ll pop into Donald’s fish shop on my way back and see if Neil is available.” 

“And I’m sorry for the mess, Ma’am.”

Don’t think that I miss the flicker of hope in Gertie’s grey eyes. Yes, Neil Fritter is a bit of a looker, so she won’t mind seeing him upstairs. I’ll make sure he delivers Jasper at my front door and doesn’t come in. I’m not against romancing, but I’ll not encourage it either in un-betrothed people. That’s not my style.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

“Ever since I could hold a pen, I’ve written stories and poems, and I’ll write till my dying day.”

Historical fiction author Hannah Byron's crib stood near the Seine in Paris, but she was raised in the south of Holland by Anglo-Dutch parents. In her bestselling WW2 historical fiction series, The Resistance Girl Series, Hannah's heroines also traipse from one European country to the next, very much like their creator.

Now a retired university lecturer and translator, the European traveler and avid researcher is about to cross a new border and settle down south of Dublin.

What started as curiosity about her family's connection to D-Day, evolved into an out-of-controlish study into WW2 history. To blame, or thank, must be Uncle Tom Naylor. If he'd not landed on the beaches of Normandy and help liberate Holland, her British mother would never have met her Dutch Dad after the war.

Strong women are at the core of her clean and wholesome romance novels. Every book is a tribute to the generations who started the women’s lib movement, got dirty in overalls, flew planes, and did intelligence work. Today’s girl bosses can but stand on the shoulders of these amazons.

Side-by-side with their male counterparts, Byron’s heroines fight for freedom, equality and… love.

In December 2022, Byron will launch her first Historical Mysteries. The Mrs Imogene Lynch Series stars the kind but opinionated Victorian widow of Constable Thaddeus Lynch.

Connect:

https://www.hannahbyron.com/

https://www.instagram.com/authorhannahbyron/

https://www.facebook.com/authorhannahbyron

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/hannah-byron

https://twitter.com/HannahByron8

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20653723.Hannah_Byron

Spotlight: Country Snow and Mistletoe by Anne Carrole

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A Wyoming Romance Novel Book 1

Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance 

To risk or not risk: that is the question? A second-chance, enemies-to-lovers novel.

Career-minded Lexi Russell seeks a calm, predictable life that doesn’t require taking chances. But coming home to Wyoming for Thanksgiving, she finds out her carefully orchestrated life has imploded. Her “perfect” boyfriend has been cheating on her, her lucrative job has been eliminated, and the family ranch is on the chopping block. In addition, the teenage boy who broke her heart one summer a decade ago has turned into a handsome cowboy who’s planning on buying her family’s ranch with a low ball offer and her parents’ blessing. She’s got to figure out a way to help her parents avoid a serious mistake, find a new job, and stop her growing attraction to the cowboy who dumped her. With Christmas on the horizon, things take an unexpected turn that will force her to decide whether love is worth the risk. 

Excerpt

What had been the worst few days of her life grew exponentially worse as Lexi stared across the table at Cort McClane in the flesh. It had been years since she’d seen him. Ten years and three months, in fact.

Unfortunately, he looked better than she remembered. 

If only he’d gotten a paunch belly and gone bald. But no. He looked trim and fit and had gained some impressive muscle, as revealed by the rolled-up sleeves of his plaid flannel shirt. His hair was the same rich coffee color, and there was plenty of it, with a lock falling over his forehead. His blue eyes seemed bluer against tanned and weathered skin. And then there was that mouth of his, lit up in a smile as he stared back at her.

Like it was yesterday, she could remember his lips caressing hers as he taught her about kissing. French kissing, to be exact. Her sixteen-year-old self had been in love with him. She hadn’t had much judgment at sixteen, and, apparently, at twenty-six, it hadn’t gotten any better, at least where men were concerned.

“You must remember Cort from that summer he was here,” her mother said. “You taught him how to ride, if I recall.”

Lexi forced a smile. “Surprised to see you, Cort.” That was an understatement.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

Anne Carrole is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical western romances. Raised on a farm with horses, dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, and whatever other animals she could convince her parents to shelter, she’s married to her own sweet-talking hero and the proud mother of a twenty-something cowgirl. Besides Country Snow and Mistletoe, you can also enjoy her popular Hearts of Wyoming contemporary series where love gets a second chance. Visit her website at https://www.annecarrole.com

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Spotlight: Copper Waters by Marlene M. Bell

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(Annalisse, #4)
Publication date: December 5th 2022
Genres: Adult, Crime, Mystery

A rural New Zealand vacation turns poisonous.

Antiquities expert Annalisse Drury and tycoon Alec Zavos are at an impasse in their relationship when Alec refuses to clear up a paternity issue with an ex-lover.

Frustrated with his avoidance when their future is at stake, Annalisse accepts an invitation from an acquaintance to fly to New Zealand—hoping to escape the recent turbulence in her life.

But even Annalisse’s cottage idyll on the family sheep farm isn’t immune to intrigue.

Alec sends a mutual friend and detective, Bill Drake, to follow her, and a local resident who accompanies them from the Christchurch airport dies mysteriously soon after. A second violent death finds Annalisse and Bill at odds with the official investigations.

The local police want to close both cases as quickly as possible—without unearthing the town’s dirty secrets.

As she and Bill pursue their own leads at serious cost, the dual mysteries force Annalisse to question everything she thought she knew about family ties, politics, and the art of small-town betrayal.

Excerpt

“Nothing’s sinking in.” I pass the note to Alec and prepare myself. “Would you mind reading it aloud?”

“She and Ethan traveled together.” He gazes at me.

“Okay, we’d considered that.”

“Kate has business to conclude in New Zealand before she returns to New York. She asks me not to mention this to you until she arrives in the States but didn’t give a reason. Kate says she’ll meet you in person when she’s ready.”

“Seriously? Where does she plan to live? With me in Greenwich? The Goshen farm could be sold by now. Does she mention Jeremy finding her another place?”

Alec scans the page randomly. “No, she didn’t.”

I scratch my scalp and shake my head. “Then my sheep station trip to New Zealand is perfect timing. I have to leave now and see if I can catch her before she skips out. Ethan must know where Kate is. If it’s all the same, we’ll hang on to the tickets for our April trip, and I’ll buy my own way for this flight.” Tugging at my sweatshirt with clammy hands, I take the note from Alec and sail it into the flames, watching paper crinkle and burn on the log.

He steps forward, his chiseled profile gawking at the fire in disbelief.

“Were you ever going to tell me about Kate’s message?” A sob chokes my windpipe. “If it weren’t for Ethan’s invite, I doubt that we’d be talking about Kate.”

“Babe, I thought by staying neutral…” He twists his lips and looks at his shoes. “Seeing your reaction now; it was a mistake not to tell you.”

“That totally blows.” I ball my hands into fists. “More like you were afraid that I’d run down there to find her.” I’m mad enough to send smoke signals, so I take slower, calming breaths.

“If I’d told you… Yeah, I worried you’d run off. The ordeal in Italy, then Peter Gregory terrorizing you, and Helga has had barely enough time to settle around here. Your safety doesn’t include encouraging you to hop on a plane to another country so soon after a trauma like that. Waiting for Kate’s return felt right to me. At some point, I hope you’ll see things from my side. Kate put me in the middle, but it’s you I worry about.”

Willing myself to relax, I take his hand to get him to focus on me instead of the floor. “I know that.”

Peter Gregory, an old coworker from my past job at another gallery, is responsible for a young woman’s murder in Lecce, near the Mediterranean Sea on Italy’s eastern shore. Alec and I went to Southern Italy for a working vacation that spun us into solving more than one homicide in order for Alec to sell his dad’s Signorile Corporation, a sports car company.

“After a shower, I’ll give your mom a call from the car on the way home. I might have trouble getting a flight out on the spur of the moment, but if I do, I hope you’ll help me.”

“Anna, we should discuss this.” He catches my wrist. “I’d like to go along. Say the word, and I’m on that plane with you. Allow what’s happened with Kate to simmer. You might feel differently in the morning.”

Grasping Kate’s locket beneath my shirt, I slide the chain over my head and cup Alec’s hand, dropping the necklace there.

“Hold on to my locket while I’m gone. It’s the most precious thing I own. That way, you’ll know I’m coming back to you.” On my tiptoes, our salty kiss calls a loneliness— In a flash, two people are about to have a hemisphere drifting between them from outside influences that want to manipulate us. “Gen will be here to see Noah in a few hours, and you have him until Sunday. Let me go, Alec, and please wait for me at Brookehaven. I have to make this trip by myself. If there’s the slightest chance that Kate’s with Ethan or he knows where she is, I have to go. I’ve already lost precious time.” I start for the drawing room doors and remember something left undone. “Oh, and sorry for the sticky mess in your stable office.”

In a dead run, I’m biting a quivering lip. On the way to Alec’s bedroom suite, I send Chase a text to hold Ethan’s box and note for me at the gallery. True to form, Kate shoves us all out of our comfort zones, where I’m certain to find a disaster waiting for me to book a ticket to New Zealand in a mad rush.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

Marlene M. Bell is an award-winning writer and acclaimed artist as well as a photographer. Her sheep landscapes grace the covers of Sheep!, The Shepherd, Ranch & Rural Living and Sheep Industry News, to name a few.

Her catalog Ewephoric began in 1985 out of her desire to locate personalized sheep stationery. She rarely found sheep products through catalogs and set out to design them herself. Ewephoric gifts may be ordered online or request a catalog at TexasSheep.com.

Marlene and her husband, Gregg reside in beautiful East Texas on a wooded ranch with their dreadfully spoiled horned Dorset sheep, a large Maremma guard dog named, Tia, along with Hollywood, Leo and Squeaks, the cats that believe they rule the household—and do.

Connect:

https://twitter.com/ewephoric

https://www.marlenembell.com/

https://www.instagram.com/marlenemysteries/

https://www.facebook.com/marlenembell

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17642396.Marlene_M_Bell