Spotlight: The Vacation by John Marrs

Publication Date: 12/19/2023

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

How far would you run to escape your past?

Venice Beach, Los Angeles. A paradise on earth. Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood. But for eight strangers at a beach-front hostel, there is far more on their minds than an extended vacation. All of them are running from something. And they all have secrets they’d kill to keep…

This holiday-set read is a compulsive and addictive thriller, perfect for fans of T.M. Logan.

Excerpt

PROLOGUE

Venice Beach, Los Angeles

“That’s her,” the driver yelled to the three men waiting in the rear of the transit van.

He pointed a gloved finger in the direction of a slender woman walking along the sidewalk up ahead.

“You sure?” a gruff voice asked. “It’s pretty dark out there.”

The driver was very sure. He’d watched carefully as his target walked with purpose in her high heels. He recalled her appearance an hour earlier as she made her way up a stainless-steel pole before slowly, seductively descending.

“Yeah, man,” he replied. “You don’t forget a pretty little ass like that in a hurry, even from this distance.”

He was confident their mark was completely oblivious to her impending fate. She stopped suddenly, searching for something that was seemingly wedged in her clutch bag; the streetlamps and neon shop signs illuminated the glitter in her hair. The driver lifted his foot slightly from the accelerator and dipped the headlights as he continued to stalk his prey. Meanwhile, his colleagues slipped black balaclavas over their heads and adjusted their bodies into position—one knelt with his hand gripping the door lever, ready to open it on command; another held plastic restraints, and the third clasped a hunting knife with a serrated blade.

“Ready?” the driver asked. They grunted in unison.

The van sped up, but not so fast as to throw the hunters from the positions they’d rehearsed earlier that day. Then, as it pulled up alongside the woman, the door flew open and the first of her assailants sprang out.

The man with the restraints was the first to reel backward into the vehicle as a bullet from her revolver tore its way through his shoulder blade, taking fragments of collarbone with it.

For a split second, the flash from the gun’s muzzle illuminated the van’s interior as she pinpointed two more would-be assailants poised to drag her inside. Twice more she pulled the trigger; twice more she heard the men screaming. The driver remained rooted to his seat, baffled by how off-kilter their mission had suddenly gone. They had been so confident of its success that there was no Plan B.

“Go, man, go!” yelled a desperate voice as another bullet found its target.

Tires squealed as the van lurched forward, veering across the median and then crisscrossing back toward the sidewalk.

A combination of adrenaline and fury propelled the woman to kick off her heels and run after it, firing twice more and shattering its rear windshield. The vehicle clipped an LA Times newsstand, hurling newspapers into the air; they fell like large chunks of confetti.

She fired one last time, but the van had already corrected itself and sped off out of range. Then she watched in horror as that final shot sent a stranger up ahead, carrying a backpack, sprawling face forward onto the pavement.

Time froze as the consequences of her last reckless bullet resonated.

She had just killed an innocent tourist.

Excerpted from The Vacation. Copyright © 2023 by John Marrs. Published by Hanover Square Press, an imprint of HarperCollins.

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About the Author

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. His books include No1 bestseller and Netflix series The One, The Passengers, award winning What Lies Between Us and The Good Samaritan. Follow him at www.johnmarrsauthor.co.uk , on Twitter @johnmarrs1, on Instagram @johnmarrs.author and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/johnmarrsauthor.

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Spotlight: A Second Chance by I.S.A. Bella

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Tragedy tore us apart.

Scarlett

My entire world changed in an instant.

The biggest betrayal led my brother to his death, shattering my soul in the process.

He was my lifeline, the light to my darkness, and my best friend.

I don’t think I can survive without him until Maverick walks back into my life.

Maverick abandoned me when I needed him the most. He chose my sister over me.

Can I trust him to keep my heart beating, or will he destroy it for the last time?

Tragedy brought us back together.

Maverick

My best friend is gone.

The same day I lost Scarlett.

My Tinkerbelle. My best friend’s little sister.

The girl I ever loved became the girl I could never have.

Our age difference kept us in the friend zone, but she's all grown up now.

I’ve waited long enough to make her mine.

She needs me now more than ever.

I just need to convince my Tinkerbelle I will never fail her again.

Tropes:

*Small town romance

*Brother's best friend

*Age gap

*Small town boy to Hollywood Actor

*Single mother

*Tragedy

*Wicked half-sister

Please be aware this story contains content that might be troubling to some readers. Difficult topics are discussed in this story including mental health. Mature content, adult language, and disturbing matters that may trigger an emotional response.

Excerpt

THE PAST: MAVERICK 22, SCAR 16

After eating Scar's delicious dinner, we dispersed to separate rooms. The tension at the table was suffocating. I tried getting quick glimpses of Scar, but Skye would avert my attention by grabbing my thigh or making small talk.

When it was time to go to bed, I couldn't fall asleep, and it wasn't because Skye was lying next to me in lace panties. I wanted to spend more time with Scar and check in on her. With my hand underneath my head, I saw a flicker of light from the corner of my eye. I heard faint footsteps walking across the hardwood floor.

I glanced down at Skye's sleeping form and gingerly slid away from her. I grabbed my shirt, pulled up my jeans, and quietly walked out the door.

I padded down the hall until I reached the kitchen. An easy smile formed on my face as I took in Scar in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water and quietly singing "Alone" by Heart. She spun around too quickly, and her eyes widened when she saw me.

I chuckled and held my hands up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a tray of fresh fruits. Using her hip, she closed the fridge door and placed the tray on the table. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked, reaching for a strawberry and bringing it to her lips before biting into it.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah. Is that why you’re up?"

She nodded and grabbed another strawberry. My eyes involuntarily moved to her pink lips. "Do you want one?" she asked, holding a strawberry out.

I gave her a small smile. “No thanks, Tinkerbelle.”

She blushed at the nickname. I headed toward the cupboard behind her and pulled out a jar of peanut butter. Her face lit up when she saw what I was doing. I grabbed a few strawberries and dipped them in the jar. I set a few in front of her.

Strawberries dipped in peanut butter were her favorite snack as a kid. At first, I thought it was gross, but she convinced me it tasted like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. After one taste, I was addicted.

"It's your fault I love these damn things," I teased, making her blush even more. She grabbed one and took a bite. A moan escaped her pretty mouth, making my dick twitch. I shoved a cracker in my mouth to drown out the sound of her breathy moans before I did something that would put me in jail.

"Oh, God. This is so good."

I choked on my snack when I saw a picture of her making those sounds as her body writhed underneath me.

"Are you okay?" Scar patted my back with a wary look.

I nodded and stepped around her, ashamed of my thoughts, and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

I was going to hell.

"Ricky?" Scar's soft voice sent goosebumps across my skin. She closed the distance between us and handed me a napkin.

"Thanks," I murmured, wiping my mouth.

She was like my sister, as Seth would remind me.

She's too young.

She's your best friend's little sister.

I kept repeating these words to convince myself that it was fucked up. I needed to fight the urges that I shouldn't be having for Scar.

My Tinkerbelle.

It was so fucking wrong.

But when she looked at me with those big golden eyes, I couldn’t help but graze the corner of her mouth with my thumb. Her breath hitched, and her lashes fluttered and her eyes closed briefly, absorbing the moment between us.

"You got a little something..." I whispered, watching my finger trail over her bottom lip, a pinkish shade coming to her cheeks.

"Mav, what are you...?"

My hand quickly fell to my side at the sound of Skylar's voice. I looked up to see Skylar shooting daggers at us and the compromising position we were in. I looked down to see how close our bodies were and swallowed. Scar must have noticed it, too, because she stepped back and mumbled something. She danced around Skylar, but not until she got in a dig.

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About the Author

I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York until our family moved around to four different states. Currently reside in Ohio with my husband Steven of fourteen years. No children or fur babies. I have three siblings: a sister who will go to the earth and moon for you, an older brother who passed away unexpectedly in 2019, and a younger brother who loves with his whole heart. I am also a proud auntie to a teenage niece and nephew.

My dream was to become a writer someday, but real life got in the way. I started writing in my journal at an early age. Over time, the words in the pages formed into poetry. Reading and writing is my way of “escaping reality.” Real life sucks sometimes and getting lost in a good book helps make it less sucky.

My favorite genre is romance which includes young adult, contemporary, sports, and fantasy.

​When I am not reading or writing, you will find me in the kitchen baking a crap load of sugar that I do not need or binging on the next series on Netflix, movies (huge superhero fanatic) reading my Kindle at all hours of the night, or watching Tik Tok videos. Thank you for giving my books a chance. I hope you will fall in love with the characters as much as I had fun writing them.

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Spotlight: Summer Sparrow by Emmerson Hoyt

Rylee Adder left Eden thinking she’d put the worst day of her life behind her.

She was wrong.

Separated from her new family and Colton—the man she never thought she’d have to live without—Rylee finds herself in Boston facing her biggest challenge yet: surviving the Viper’s Den.

Plagued by nightmarish memories, she throws herself into uncovering evidence to bring down those threatening the ones she loves.

If Rylee fails, Eden’s dark history is destined to repeat itself. But she’s not the only one on the hunt for answers, and some secrets are desperate to stay buried.

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About the Author

Emmerson Hoyt lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and a small horde of animals. When she's not writing, she's playing video games or finding an excuse to get another floral tattoo. Keep up with Emmerson and subscribe to her newsletter: https://bit.ly/3ZVjY2G

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Spotlight: Homecoming by Ana Balan

Ian Williams and Lola Adams met when they were kids.

Living in a dreadful place, they leaned on each other to get through the day.

Then, at age sixteen, Ian had to go away and leave Lola behind.

At the crossroads, before parting ways for good, they promised each other they would always remember their time together.

Fifteen years go by, and the impossible happens.

They meet again in the unlikeliest of places.

Lola has never forgotten her friend from childhood, and over the years she has developed a crush on the man that appears in papers on a weekly basis. But Ian doesn’t seem to remember the girl from his past right away.

Seeing the hurt on Lola’s face drives Ian to make things right. But, how can he do that when he’s keeping secrets that could destroy everything?

Brought together by fate, and still getting to know each other as adults, they face the massive battle of beating demons from the past, and the hostile world of Formula One, trying to give their future a chance.

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About the Author

Ana Balen was born in Zagreb, Croatia, where she still lives with her husband, their son (read boss!) and the son’s pet rabbit named Shhh! (or some other gibberish that’s the favorite of their son for the day.)

She spends her days driving her husband up the wall (when he can’t get her ass up from the bed in the mornings), reading and daydreaming, or following orders from a two-year old. In the hectic life she leads (and loves every second of it), she never thought about writing. But, then one day a name popped in her head, then, the snippets of things, and she sat down and started typing. Next thing, she wrote a book. And now, she’s trying to write another one ;)I couldn’t be more grateful for this wonderful career. 

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Spotlight: Trust No One by Glenn Dyer

(Conor Thorn Series, #4)

Publication date: December 11th 2023

Genres: Adult, Historical, Thriller

Synopsis:

Loyalists meant to rid their country of a double-dealing collaborator. Instead, they created a threat that could destroy Allied unity.

Algiers. Winter 1942. Conor Thorn is devastated. He’s been fired from the OSS. His wife, Emily, has been fired from MI6. They allowed their morals to bend certain truths concerning the outcome of their last mission. Forever dedicated to defeating Axis powers, these skilled operatives jump at the chance to secretly help General Eisenhower deal with a political time bomb threatening Allied harmony and to redeem their honorable standing. To recover a rumored archive holding the truth about an assassination plot, they must travel deep into perilous Axis territory.

In the crosshairs of those determined to keep the information out of Allied hands, Conor and Emily fall victim to a violent assault. Though the resulting injuries leave him severely concussed and confused, Conor refuses to stand down while his beloved ventures deeper into danger.

Can Conor and Emily piece together a political puzzle in time to keep Allied unity from fracturing?

Trust No One is the high intensity, gritty fourth book in the Conor Thorn WWII espionage series inspired by true events. If you like heart-pounding action and white-knuckled tension, then you’ll love Glenn Dyer’s thrill ride through history.

Excerpt

Conor stirred. His head was pounding like the bass drum in the US Naval Academy marching band. When he opened his eyes, one person stared back at him. The facial features were out of focus, as if he were looking through cheesecloth. He blinked. The onlooker’s mouth began to flap. He sat up, but his head almost exploded. A hand pushed him back. The cheesecloth dissolved, and he could see someone smiling at him. Given the slow shake of his head, Captain Jack Waddon was not pleased to see him.

“You are one lucky bastard, Conor,” Waddon said.

Conor looked around and recognized that he was back aboard Waddon’s Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina, the ship that had taken him, Emily, and Father Sean Sullivan to Italy on their mission to snatch Ettore Majorana. “What did you say?” He could barely hear his own words. “What the hell happened?” He reached for his throbbing forehead and felt a knot the size of a billiard ball. The surface of his forehead radiated a low heat.

“You were introduced to a blackjack swung by one angry MP, that’s what happened,” Waddon said. “As far as being lucky, well, that’s because Commander Butcher saved your butt. Told the MP that he’d take it up with Colonel Eddy himself and see that you, being nonmilitary, would exit the theater as soon as he could arrange transport.”

Conor rolled over onto his right side. The two men were in the plane’s compartment forward of the waist gunner’s area and aft of the flight engineer’s compartment. He reached for the back of his head and discovered a lump where the blackjack had ambushed him. “Stevens?”

“Hauled out of there to the field hospital. Out cold. Like you were.”

Conor groaned.

“Here,” Waddon said as he handed him a damp handkerchief.

Conor spied white gauze peeking out from under Waddon’s left sleeve. Waddon had been wounded three weeks prior when his PBY approached the beach near Anzio to exfiltrate Conor, Emily, Sean Sullivan, and Ettore Majorana.

“How’s the arm?”

Waddon waved off the question. “On the mend. Already back in the left seat.”

Conor nodded, then held up the handkerchief. “What’s this for?”

“Your ear. There’s some dried blood. Stevens must have landed at least one blow.”

Conor took the handkerchief and dabbed at his right ear, loosening some dried flakes but also coming away with some fresh blood. The bass drummer in his head pounded away. His head had seen better days.

“So you dragged my ass here after Butcher saved it?”

“Yep. Me and DiLazzaro. We thought you had some lead bars in your pockets. You were a load getting you in here.” Seaman Eugene DiLazzaro was one of Waddon’s crew and had wound up part of Conor’s team that went ashore at Anzio. The New Jersey–born Italian American had handled himself like a pro, particularly when the shooting started.

Conor’s stomach roiled. Bile crept upward. A mixture of oil, perspiration, fuel, and grease hung in the air, fanning the flames of his nausea. “Jack, do you have a bucket? I don’t feel too good.”

“Conor, don’t you lose it in my ship,” Waddon said, scurrying forward in search of something to keep his Catalina puke-free. Conor wondered what did the most damage: the blow to the back of his head from the blackjack or the oak bar that gave no quarter when his head collided with it. Waddon returned with a collapsible canvas bucket and shoved it into Conor’s hands. “Here, and don’t miss.”

Conor leaned over the side of the bunk and let loose a stream of vomit that filled the bottom two inches of the bucket. When he finally felt he had no more to give, he handed it to Waddon and lay back. “So you just happened to be in the area when the action started?”

“Hey, I was thirsty.” Waddon went aft and tossed the bucket’s contents out through the open starboard-side blister. He returned and sat across from Conor on the port-side bunk. “When I approached the bar’s entrance, I saw Butcher coming from the other direction. We were about ten feet from the bar when we heard a massive crash. That must have been Stevens doing a back flop on the backbar. Two MPs were already there. We saw one lower the boom from just inside the doorway. We both cringed when your head hit the bar.”

“Well, thanks for the sympathetic cringes. Then what?”

“I already told you. Don’t you remember?”

Conor shook his head and felt the pain surge as if his brain were bouncing around inside his skull.

“Like I said, Butcher jumped in, threw Ike’s name around a bit, and eventually, the MPs backed down. He told them to get Stevens to the field hospital and told me to take care of you, but not to go far. That he needed to see you when you got put back together. He wanted me to get this to you.” Waddon handed over a note.

Conor unfolded the paper. It was short and sweet. He folded the note and put it in his pants pocket, then settled back to let the whitecaps in his stomach calm down.

“Well, you going to let me in on it or not?”

“He wants to know why Donovan shitcanned me.”

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About the Author

GLENN DYER is a former commercial television executive whose career spanned over thirty-five years. That career took him to cities such as Salt Lake City, Dallas, Washington, DC, and Denver. He returned to Park City, Utah in retirement in 2013 to write full-time. He is an associate member of the International Thriller Writers, the Author’s Guild and The OSS Society. Glenn attended Villanova University and graduated from Boston University. He and his wife, Chris, have three children, all of whom live too far away. Visit his website at www.glenndyer.net and follow him on Twitter @duffy_dyer and Instagram @glennduffydyer.

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Spotlight: The Billionaire and the Maid by S.E. Rose

Release Date: December 14

A small-town maid who is trying to live her dream. A playboy billionaire who needs a fake girlfriend. And a holiday gala that is about to make things complicated.

Ella Foster takes a job as a maid for a billionaire family. Her real goal – to finish her degree and start her own design firm. She hasn’t had it easy after the death of her father. Unlike her stepsisters, Ella has had to work for everything. But she’s determined to make her dreams come true. There’s just one small hiccup…the priceless vase she broke while cleaning the house of the richest family in town.

Chase Marino has never wanted for anything. While the world sees him as the playboy grandson of one of the most famous shoe designers in the world, he secretly wants to explore his own design dreams. He’s working on a plan to do just that once he takes over the family’s company. That is until his father gives him an ultimatum. Settle down and find a girlfriend or lose his birthright as CEO of the company. And to make matters worse, he has less than four weeks to do it.

Chase gives Ella an offer she can’t refuse – be his fake girlfriend for a month and he’ll hide the fact that she destroyed his mother’s favorite vase.

Ella’s determined to put up with the annoying Chase Marino so that her dreams aren’t dashed, but she soon learns there’s more to him than the tainted image she sees online. Could he be more prince charming than spoiled playboy? And can Chase keep himself from falling for the fairytale-loving woman who seems so familiar to him?

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About the Author

USA Today & International Bestselling romance author, S.E. Rose lives near Washington D.C. with her family.

When she's not wrangling her cats or keeping up with her kids, she's plotting her next story.

She loves all things wine, coffee, and cats.

In her non-existent free time, she enjoys traveling, going to concerts, binging on her favorite shows, and reading, especially if it's a good mystery or comedy. 

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