Spotlight: The Revenge List by Hannah Mary McKinnon

As a therapy exercise, a woman writes a list of people she wants to forgive, and thinks nothing of it when she loses it in an Uber…until one by one the people on the list become victims of freak accidents. Set in Portland, Maine, Hannah Mary McKinnon’s breakout suspense novel THE REVENGE LIST will appeal to fans of Lisa Unger, Joshilyn Jackson, and Tarryn Fisher.

Following an epic run-in with a client who threatened to pull out of a contract at her father’s company if she doesn’t suffer some consequences, Frankie Morgan agrees to go to anger management. With the business struggling with cash-flow and her brother needing help with the medical bills for his sick daughter, she can’t risk harming the business further. But that doesn’t mean she’ll be happy about attending.

During the first session, the group is asked to spend some quiet time exploring their pasts and sitting with the emotions that generates, before making a start on a Forgiveness List—a list of people with whom they’re angry and might work on forgiving. She begrudgingly goes along with it and doesn’t worry too much when she forgets the list in an Uber on her way home. It shouldn’t matter—it was just a therapy exercise—except a few days later the first person on that list is injured in a freak accident. When the second person gets hurt, she hopes it’s coincidence. After the third is targeted, she knows it’s a pattern. And she’s in trouble. Because the next name on that list is…hers.

Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

***

The sharp sound of a high-pitched scream filled the air. A noise so unrecognizable, at first I didn’t register it had come from deep within me, traveling up my throat in stealth mode before bursting from my mouth.

The remnants of the yell reverberated around the car, forcing their way into my ears and penetrating my skull, urging me to do something. Survival instincts kicked in, and I fumbled with the seatbelt, my other hand grasping for the door handle. The need for the relative safety that solid, stationary ground would bring was so intense it made my stomach heave. A loud click of the central locking system meant my captor had outsmarted me again, obliterating my immediate plan to throw myself from the moving vehicle.

When I looked out the windshield, I knew there was no time to find an alternate escape. The end of the road—the edge of the cliff—announced by signs and broken red-and-white-striped wooden barricades, had been far enough away seconds ago but now gleamed in the car’s headlights, a looming warning yards ahead. I couldn’t comprehend what was about to happen, couldn’t do anything as the vehicle kept going, splintering planks and racing out the other side with nothing but air below. I let out another scream, far louder than my first, the absolute terror exploding from my lungs.

For the briefest of moments, we were suspended, as if this was a magic trick or an elaborate roller coaster. Perhaps, if I were really lucky, this was all a dream. Except I already knew there were no smoke and mirrors, no swirling track leading us through loop-the-loops and to safety. It wasn’t a nightmare I’d wake from with bedsheets wrapped around my sweaty body. This was happening. It was all terrifyingly real.

As the car continued its trajectory, it tipped forward. The only thing to stop our momentum was whatever we were rushing toward, obscured by the cloudy night skies. Pushing my heels into the floor, I tried to flatten my shoulders against the seat. My hands scrambled for the ceiling to brace myself, but I flopped like a rag doll, my loosened seatbelt tearing into my shoulder.

They say your life flashes before you when you’re close to death. That didn’t happen to me. Instead, it was all my regrets. Choices I’d made. Not made. Things I’d said and done. Not said. Not done. It was far too late to make amends. There would be no opportunity to beg anyone for forgiveness. No possibility of offering some.

As the finality of the situation hit me full on, I turned my head. The features of the driver next to me were illuminated in a blueish glint from the dashboard lights. His face had set in a stony grimace; his jaw clenched so tight he had to have shattered teeth. But what frightened me the most were his eyes, filled with what could only be described as maniacal delight.

He’d said we were both going to die. As the car hurtled to the bottom of the cliff, I closed my eyes and accepted he was right.

***

Excerpted from The Revenge List by Hannah Mary McKinnon, Copyright © 2023 by Hannah McKinnon. Published by MIRA Books.

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About the Author

Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favor of writing. She now lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons, and is delighted by her twenty-second commute. Connect with her on Facebook, on Twitter @HannahMMcKinnon, and on Instagram @HannahMaryMcKinnon. For more, visit her website, www.hannahmarymckinnon.com.

Connect:

Website: www.HannahMaryMcKinnon.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/HannahMaryMcKinnon (@hannahmarymckinnon)

Instagram: www.instagram.com/HannahMaryMcKinnon/ (@hannahmarymckinnon)

Twitter: www.twitter.com/HannahMMcKinnon (@hannahmmckinnon)

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/15144570.Hannah_Mary_McKinnon

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/hannah-mary-mckinnon

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/hannahmarymckinnon 

Spotlight: The Summer Wedding Hoax by Jami Rogers

THE SUMMER WEDDING HOAX by Jami Rogers is out now! Check out the gorgeous new fake dating romcom and be sure to grab your copy today!

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romcom

About The Summer Wedding Hoax:

There’s nothing fake about this relationship, but that's news to both of them.

Everything is falling into place for Will Evergreen. In a few short months, he’ll be moving out of his Wyoming hometown to launch his own business and finally step out of his brothers’ shadows. Will's more than a cute, former whiz kid and will prove it by growing the family enterprise. Then Ava Robertson, the woman he failed to forget, comes crashing back to town. Suddenly, packing up is the last thing on his agenda.

Moving home isn't the future Ava planned for herself, but when the job market forces her to do just that, she turns to the childhood buddy she left behind. Will isn't the same boy she remembers. He's all man now, so when her mother's idea of moving forward means matchmaking, Ava begs Will to play the role of doting boyfriend.

Will agrees, but he’s keeping a secret. They’ll spend the summer attending weddings and family events as a couple, but he won't let the one get away again—even if it costs him his future.

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About the Author

Jami Rogers writes romance novels because she loves love and wants to share her passion with the world. She published her first novel in 2015 and continues to write romance as both a Tule Publishing and Indie author.

She lives in Wyoming with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. Her husband does 90% of the cooking in their house. Not because she’s busy—she’s just simply a bad cook.

Connect with the Author: Website | Instagram | Facebook  | TikTok | Newsletter | Email 

Spotlight: To Love a Thief by Delta James

(Relentless Pursuit, #1)
Publication date: May 19th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Synopsis:

When the thief he is chasing becomes more than just a job, will the distraction be his undoing or her death sentence?

Claire Mitchell is a master jewel thief, who has a secret. Although the thrill of the heist is exciting there is a reason behind her choice of profession. Family honor above all else. It was the perfect plan… until he interfered.

Ryland Fletcher is the investigator determined to catch her. As he tracks Claire and gets to know her he finds there are more questions than answers. He doesn’t trust the beautiful thief in his bed but it doesn’t stop him from wanting her. The risk is life or death but the rewards are too great to resist.

What begins as a heist of the century turns into a game of cat and mouse. When their game of cat and mouse turns deadly it’s time to bring her in.

Excerpt

“I swear you’re going to be the death of me,” said Mia as Claire slipped into the nondescript van.

“Only if you plan to die having too much fun.”

With a wry grin, Mia shook her head. “We’ve got a glitch in the Grenadine Necklace job.”

“What kind of glitch?”

“The insurance company has asked that at the close of tonight’s fundraising event that the necklace be pulled from public display and returned to Paris. They plan to have armed guards remove it from the case and walk it out to the armed elevator down to the secure parking lot, into an armored truck and then to a private airport to be taken back to Paris via a private plane.”

“Shit. I want that necklace.”

“It’s worth a small fortune and the insurance company was iffy about allowing the Petacci family to exhibit it at all.”

“Rightfully so. It doesn’t belong to them.”

“No one has ever been able to prove that the Grenadine Necklace didn’t find its way into the family long before Clara.”

“Knowing and being able to prove are entirely two different things, which is why no one has ever been able to wrest it from their greedy grasp until now.”

“You know, if it wasn’t for the fact that you don’t so much as keep a dime from these heists, I would have left you twisting in the wind in Dusseldorf. But like it or not, you, my friend, are on the side of the angels. I think you’re going to have to chalk the Grenadine Necklace up to a loss.”

“No. We’ve put in too much time…”

“And if we get caught?”

“We won’t. Let me think a minute.” Claire brought her fist up toward her face, bouncing the back of her thumb on her lips.

“While you’re coming up with something, you should know, I think someone may be on to us.”

“Why do you say that?”

“When I was running my routine this afternoon, the program found two clandestine hits against our firewall at specific enough times that I don’t believe they were random. The first one was the day before the last job in Milan; I might have written that one off to an anomaly. But the second one was just this morning. I think someone is phishing.”

Claire looked at Mia and smiled. “It’s not like you to just dump a big problem in my lap. What are you thinking?”

“You know me too well,” she said with an impish grin. “There is a small—a very small—chance that you still might be able to snatch the necklace. Their plan is to send it out with armed guards who will exit via the still under construction new gallery. Their thinking is that it’s wide open, and no one can sneak up on them…”

“But you know better.” Despite what Mia liked to tell herself, she got just as much of a buzz out of pulling off these capers as Claire.

“I do. There’s a small piece of ducting that runs from the women’s loo. We take a canister with knock-out gas and roll it down to them. The loo is right around the corner from the new gallery. Once their down, you slip in, grab the thing and then walk out with the rest of the people at the fundraiser.”

Claire returned Mia’s wicked smile. “I like it. Simple, elegant, and no one gets hurt. And who will I be this evening?”

“Luckily, it wasn’t invitation only. Tickets were offered exclusively to those who made the right donation…”

“I take it you made the right donation?”

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About the Author

As a USA Today bestselling romance author, Delta James aims to captivate readers with stories about complex,curvy heroines and the dominant alpha males who adore them. For Delta, romance is more than just a love story; it’s a journey with challenges and thrills along the way. 

After creating a second chapter for herself that was dramatically different than the first, Delta now resides in Florida where she relaxes on warm summer evenings with her loveable pack of basset hounds as they watch the birds, squirrels and lizards. When not crafting fast-paced tales, she enjoys horseback riding, walks on the beach, and white-water rafting. 

More about Delta, including a full list of her books and audiobooks, can be found at www.deltajames.com.

Her readers mean the world to her, and Delta tries to interact personally to as many messages as she can. If you’d like to chat or discuss books, you can find Delta on Instagram, Facebook, and in her private reader group https://www.facebook.com/groups/348982795738444.

If you’re looking for your next bingeable series, you can get a FREE story by joining her newsletter https://www.subscribepage.com/VIPlist22019.

Connect:

https://www.deltajames.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DeltaJamesAuthor

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18197022.Delta_James

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Spotlight: The Front Porch Club by Michelle Major

They have nothing in common—except a need to start over…

The drawback to having a picture-perfect life is that there’s nowhere to go but down—and Annalise Haverford is falling fast. Once, she was the self-proclaimed queen bee of Magnolia, North Carolina. Now her husband has been arrested for fraud, and she’s become an outcast in the shallow circles she used to rule. There’s only one affordable rental in town, and it’s owned by the woman Annalise got fired from a lucrative job.

Much as single mother Shauna Myer would like to refuse Annalise, who treated her like dirt on the bottom of her red-soled shoe, she needs that rent money. But when Shauna’s first love arrives in town, unraveling secrets she’d hoped to keep, Annalise becomes her unlikely defender. Meghan Banks, an elementary school art teacher whose quiet existence suddenly descends into chaos, is thrown an unexpected lifeline by Annalise, too.

As spring ripens into a sultry summer, the three spur each other on to share their fears and dreams, face new challenges, and seize second chances. Because no matter how turbulent life may be, it’s much easier to navigate those choppy waters when you’re buoyed by true friendship…­

Excerpt

“Your card has been declined.” 

“That’s impossible. Run it again.” 

Annalise Haverford, of the Charlotte Haverfords, she used to proudly tell people, swallowed down the embarrassment that threatened to choke off her ability to breathe. She’d managed to hold her head high in the face of far worse trials than a defective credit card machine or a teenager who didn’t know how to work it. 

“Ma’am, I’ve tried it twice now.” The girl handed the card back to Annalise. It was heavy—platinum because that was the most exclusive membership level available to her—but the weight and prestige were no comfort right now. Not when a crumpled ten-dollar bill would have done the job with far less struggle. “Do you have another card?” 

“Mommy, I’m hungry.” 

Annalise automatically put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder and gently squeezed. “Just a moment, sweetheart.” 

“I want a cookie now, Mommy.” 

Annalise glanced down at the eight-year-old girl’s head. Margo’s hair was starting to darken at the roots, just as Annalise’s had when she was that age. She’d been in third grade, just like Margo, the first time her mother had taken her to the salon for highlights. 

Carolann Fluk had insisted that her only daughter would succeed on the beauty pageant circuit and had been convinced Annalise would do better with sun-kissed highlights than as a dishwater blond. 

Despite her mother’s efforts, Annalise hadn’t made it through more than a handful of competitions before even Carolann admitted that her daughter didn’t have what it took to make it as a beauty queen.

Unlike her mother’s, Annalise’s smile wasn’t perky enough, and she had no real talent despite endless piano and voice lessons. There were some things that couldn’t be overcome with training, and Annalise’s lack of coordination and tone deafness fell into that category.

She eventually found other ways to make her mother proud, habits she carried into adulthood and had passed on to her daughter. Until a few months ago, she hadn’t cared that most people considered Margo a brat. 

Annalise had encouraged her daughter’s precociousness and sense of entitlement, falsely believing those personality traits went hand in hand with confidence. 

She’d encouraged a lot of things that were coming back to bite her in the tush—the habit of not carrying cash was proving to be one of them. Cash was dirty, and the way regular people—those without platinum cards—paid for purchases. Too bad germ-laden dollar bills weren’t the worst way money could be dirty. 

Who would have thought that a skinny latte, strawberry lemonade and cookie order at the local bakery in Magnolia, North Carolina, would be what finally brought Annalise low? Moisture pooled under the arms of her silk blouse, but she smiled benignly at the barista. 

“I don’t have another card with me.” 

The young girl furrowed her brow as if the words didn’t make sense. “We take cash,” she said and pulled the two drinks that sat on the counter between them closer to her side. 

“Mommy.” 

“Hush, Margo,” Annalise whispered. “Well, this is a bit of a quandary.” A sense of amusement she didn’t feel colored her tone. If she didn’t think she’d be overplaying it, she would have added a “fiddle-dee-dee” into the mix like she was channeling her inner Scarlett O’Hara. 

What a shame she had no Tara to retreat to and the windows of the house she was due to move out of by the end of the week had plantation shutters for blinds. She could have used some curtains for repurposing. 

“I just need to run over to the bank and straighten things out,” she told the guardian of her order. “I’ll return with the money in a jiffy.” 

The girl rolled her eyes with such precision, Annalise wondered if she’d been practicing the gesture in the mirror. Either way, the barista had definitely heard the promise before.

“I’ll keep your drinks to the side.” 

“Or we could take them with us,” Annalise suggested, giving the girl her own practiced stare, the one that had cowed dozens of volunteer committees into doing Annalise’s bidding over the past decade. “I’m a longtime member of this community. You can trust me.” 

There was a cough that sounded more like a muffled swear word behind her, and she turned to see her former best friend, Everly Mae Tinsdale, standing a few feet away. Certainly close enough to have overheard the entire exchange with the girl behind the counter.

Unlike Annalise, who was by this time dripping with anxious, sticky sweat as she shoved her useless credit card into her designer purse, Everly Mae appeared to have stepped out of the salon minutes earlier. Maybe she had. 

What day of the week was it anyway?

Buy on Amazon | Audible | Bookshop.org

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Michelle Major loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after. An avid hiker and avoider of housework, she lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two teenagers and a menagerie of spoiled furbabies.

Spotlight: Pity Date by Whitney Dineen

Release Date: May 18

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Faith

I should have known disaster was right around the corner.

In all my twenty-nine years, life has never been smooth sailing, especially when a man was involved. Astor Hill was everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner—handsome, successful, and interested in me. Until he started cheating. The cherry on the sundae is finding out about his extracurricular activities less than two weeks before we’re supposed to stand up for our best friends at their wedding.

When a staggeringly good-looking and kind stranger comes to town and offers to take me to the wedding, I jump at his proposal. Who cares if he’s gay? Astor never needs to know that.

Teddy

She thinks I’m gay?!

I’m taking a vacation from Hollywood and going back to Elk Lake. My grandfather hasn’t been doing well after Gram died and he needs my support. Luckily, I’m between blockbuster movies so I can make the time.

My first stop in Rosemary’s Bakery for one of the gingersnaps I remember so fondly from my childhood. The only problem is that the girl at the counter has eaten them all. After spilling my tea on me, she bursts into tears and tells me her troubles. I should be annoyed but I’m oddly charmed.

I know what it’s like to be dumped by a cheater so I do the only thing I can think of. I offer to take her to the wedding and make her ex jealous.

Unfortunately, with the help of the tabloids, nothing goes according to plan…

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About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Whitney Dineen is a rock star in her own head. While delusional about her singing abilities, there’s been a plethora of validation that she’s a fairly decent author (AMAZING!!!). After winning many writing awards and selling nearly a kabillion books (math may not be her forte, either), she’s decided to let the voices in her head say whatever they want (sorry, Mom). She also won a fourth-place ribbon in a fifth-grade swim meet in backstroke. So, there’s that.

Whitney loves to hang with her kids (a.k.a. dazzle them with her amazing 80's dance moves, serenading them to Bohemian Rhapsody, and binge watch Ted Lasso ), bake stuff, eat stuff, and write books for people who "get" her. She thinks french fries are the perfect food and Mrs. Roper is her spirit animal.

To find out about Whitney Dineen’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on Whitney Dineen and her books visit: https://www.whitneydineen.com/

Connect with Whitney Dineen: https://www.whitneydineen.com/

Spotlight: Crossroads of Innocence by Danielle M Haas

Release Date: May 18

An Innocent Mistake Just Might End Her Life.

Pine Valley, Tennessee’s biggest flirt, Wade McKenzie, has devoted himself to keeping his family’s legacy alive. A decision that cost him the love of his life when he refused to abandon the restaurant that means so much to him. When Jude breezes back into Pine Valley years later, one look at her has him second guessing everything.

Photographer Jude Metcalf had no intention of ever returning to her hometown, but when she accidentally captures a drug-deal gone bad on film, she has nowhere else to run. Her troubled past makes trusting anyone impossible—even the police. So she swallows her pride and asks for help from the one person she’s ever depended on. The man she left broken hearted when she had no choice but to leave Pine Valley and her abusive father behind.

When Jude’s attacked, Wade secures protection for her at Crossroads Mountain Retreat—a place for wounded law enforcement and veterans to heal. People are in town looking for Jude, and Wade knows one wrong move will blow her cover. He left her side once before, and he won’t make the same mistake again. Even if it costs him his life.

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About the Author

Danielle grew up with a love of reading, partly due to her namesake – Danielle Steele. It seemed as though she was born to put pen to paper and write out the same love stories she devoured while growing up.

She attended Bowling Green State University with a dream of studying creative writing, but the thought of sharing her work in front of a group of strangers was enough to make her change her major…seven times. After a semester studying abroad in Spain, Danielle’s eyes were opened to a new love of travel, as well as a passion for studying Political Science.

After college, she moved across the state of Ohio with her soon-to-be husband. Once they married and had babies, she decided to stay home and raise her children. Her young daughter and son, along with her fur babies and husband, are the loves of her life, but some days her sanity slipped further across the line to crazy town. She decided to open up her laptop and brush off her rusty writing chops and see what happened.

What happened was rediscovering her passion for writing. Danielle now spends her days running kids around, playing with her Shar-Pei/Pit Bull love bug, and typing as fast as she can to get the stories in her head written down. She loves to write contemporary romances with relatable characters that make her readers’ hearts happy, as well as fast-paced romantic suspense that leaves them on the edge of their seats. Her story ideas are as varied and unpredictable as her everyday life.

When she isn’t writing, Danielle is daydreaming about her next travel adventure. Whether across the state, country, or world, she loves to go where ever she’s lucky enough to escape to for a brief moment of time. Luckily, her family has the same passion for adventure and they can gallop across the world together.

To learn more about Danielle, please follow her blog or connect with her on social media. She always has a new story to tell or an all-too-relatable mom moment to share.

To find out about Danielle M. Haas’ upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on Danielle and her books visit: https://daniellemhaas.com/

Connect with Danielle M. Haas: https://daniellemhaas.com/contact/