Spotlight: The Silence in Her Eyes by Armando Lucas Correa

In the vein of Paula Hawkins and Ruth Ware, a bold and suspenseful psychological thriller about a young woman with a rare neurological condition who is convinced her neighbor is going to be murdered.

Leah has been living with akinetopsia, or motion blindness, since she was a child. For the last twenty years, she hasn’t been able to see movement. As she walks around her upper Manhattan neighborhood with her white stick tapping in front, most people assume she’s blind. But the truth is Leah sees a good deal, and with her acute senses of smell and hearing, very little escapes her notice.

She has a quiet, orderly life, with little human contact beyond her longtime housekeeper, her doctor, and her elderly neighbor. That all changes when Alice moves into the apartment next door and Leah can immediately smell the anxiety wafting off her. Worse, Leah can’t help but hear Alice and a late-night visitor engage in a violent fight. Worried, she befriends her neighbor and discovers that Alice is in the middle of a messy divorce from an abusive husband.

Then one night, Leah wakes up to someone in her apartment. She blacks out and in the morning is left wondering if she dreamt the episode. And yet the scent of the intruder follows her everywhere. And when she hears Alice through the wall pleading for her help, Leah makes a decision that will test her courage, her strength, and ultimately her sanity.

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Spotlight: The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan

Malaya, 1945. Cecily Alcantara’s family is in terrible danger: her fifteen-year-old son, Abel, has disappeared, and her youngest daughter, Jasmin, is confined in a basement to prevent being pressed into service at the comfort stations. Her eldest daughter Jujube, who works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers, becomes angrier by the day.

Cecily knows two things: that this is all her fault; and that her family must never learn the truth.

A decade prior, Cecily had been desperate to be more than a housewife to a low-level bureaucrat in British-colonized Malaya. A chance meeting with the charismatic General Fuijwara lured her into a life of espionage, pursuing dreams of an “Asia for Asians.” Instead, Cecily helped usher in an even more brutal occupation by the Japanese. Ten years later as the war reaches its apex, her actions have caught up with her. Now her family is on the brink of destruction—and she will do anything to save them.

Spanning years of pain and triumph, told from the perspectives of four unforgettable characters, The Storm We Made is a dazzling saga about the horrors of war; the fraught relationships between the colonized and their oppressors, and the ambiguity of right and wrong when survival is at stake.

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Spotlight: Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen

In this charming rom-com about two star-crossed lovers, a woman whose life is guided by her belief in the red-string of fate finds her perfect match—but his skepticism about true love puts a knot in their chances.

Just a date . . . or a twist of fate?

​When it comes to love and art, Rooney Gao believes in signs. Most of all, she believes in the Chinese legend that everyone is tied to their one true love by the red string of fate. And that belief has inspired her career as an artist, as well as the large art installations she makes with (obviously) red string. That is until artist’s block strikes and Rooney begins to question everything. But then fate leads her to the perfect guy . . . Jack Liu is perfect. He’s absurdly smart, successful, handsome, and after one enchanting New York night—under icy February skies and fueled by fried dumplings—all signs point to destiny. Only Jack doesn’t believe. And after their magical date, it looks like they might be lost to each other forever . . . until they’re given one more chance to reconnect. But can Rooney convince a reluctant skeptic to take a leap of fate?

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Spotlight: Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham

A sharp and twisty exploration of female friendship from the New York Times bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things.

Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive. Bold and dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot is the shy one, the careful one, always the sidekick and never the center of attention. But when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year, a year Margot spent studying and playing it safe, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can't say no—something daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.

And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls, Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined. It's a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she's been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Margot and Lucy have become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered... and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.

From the author of A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things comes a tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal—another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.

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Spotlight: The Hobby Shop on Barnaby Street by Jillianne Hamilton

A forbidden wartime romance begins just as German planes fill the skies over London in 1940. A playful and heartfelt read perfect for fans of Dear. Mrs. Bird, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

When Maisie Beckett steps into her brother’s struggling London hobby shop during wartime, she’s confronted with two harsh realities: the looming threat of a Nazi invasion and the shop’s dire financial situation. Determined to prove herself to her parents and keep the shop afloat, Maisie moonlights as a pinup photographer, covertly boosting the shop’s earnings. In the midst of London’s nightly bombings, Maisie finds herself irresistibly drawn to the shop’s co-owner, Cal Woodbury, captivated by his quick wit and bashful smile—and his mysterious secret.

But Cal made a promise to his best friend and business partner, Roy—a promise that he would never pursue a romantic relationship with Maisie, Roy’s sweet and beautiful sister. As the German bombs rain down upon London, and as Cal’s bond with Maisie deepens, he discovers that some promises are impossible to keep. When Roy deserts the Navy and unexpectedly appears at Cal’s doorstep, Cal is forced to choose between his loyal friend and the woman he’s falling for.

While London goes to war around them, Maisie and Cal face their own battle—finding their courage and recognizing their worth.

Excerpt

“He kissed you!”

“Nora,” I warned, putting a finger to my lips as Mrs. Martin was in the kitchen nearby.

“Sorry,” Nora whispered, barely tamping down her giddiness. “What kind of kiss was it? Was it a peck or a proper grown-up kiss?”

“I’m not telling you that.” I adjusted my sitting position on the couch in the living room and smirked at Nora. “Especially when you’re not telling me what happened last night with you and Jack. The song ended and you were gone!”

The corner of Nora’s mouth curled up and her eyes appeared even more cat-like than usual. “I told you, we went for a walk—”

“In the dark,” I added.

“—and we took a wrong turn and ended up having to spend the night at the Blackfriars underground station shelter.”

“And how was that?”

“The shelter? Rotten. The bombs overhead? Loud.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “And you didn’t do any canoodling of your own?”

Nora pursed her lips. “We’re talking about you right now, not me.”

Sighing, I considered how much to share. “It was quite nice.”

She nodded in silent understanding and picked up her knitting from her lap.

Nora didn’t need to know how that passionate kiss made my entire body burn.

“When are you seeing him again? Outside of the shop, I mean.”

“That’s the thing,” I said, frowning. “He didn’t suggest we go on a date at all. We said goodnight and parted ways.”

I didn’t know if it was his shyness or if it was something else that stopped him.

Nora put her knitting down again and tented her fingers like some sort of professor, specializing in the mysteries of men. “I wonder if you should ask him instead of waiting for him to ask.”

I scoffed. “Don’t be absurd.”

“I’m not being absurd at all! It’s 1940, after all. Women are running the world while the boys are away.” She shrugged. “It’s a whole new dynamic.”

I sighed and watched the rain hitting the windows behind the couch.

“Cal obviously adores you.” She tapped a knitting needle against her cheek. “Is there a chance your brother told him he wasn’t allowed to date you?”

“Almost certainly,” I said. “However, Roy is missing so he wouldn’t even know about it anyway.”

But I knew Nora could be correct. Maybe Cal was just holding on to a promise from my needlessly overprotective brother.

I needed to know.

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About the Author

Jillianne Hamilton writes delightful historical fiction and historical romance novels featuring rebellious ladies and happy endings. Her stories feature feisty female protagonists and plenty of sass and wit, using the past as an exciting backdrop. Her debut novel was shortlisted for the 2016 PEI Book Award and her debut historical fiction novel, The Spirited Mrs. Pringle, was longlisted for the 2022 Historical Fiction Company Book Award.

She lives in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on Canada’s beautiful east coast. She is a member of the Paper Lanterns Writers author collective.

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Spotlight: Y'allywood Billionaire by Terra Weiss

An accidental naked entanglement lands actress, Riley Glenn, in a fake off-screen romance with her obnoxious co-star, Maddox Winter. Their pretend engagement starts to feel like the only real thing in their cinematic lives… until their secret is revealed and threatens their relationship–on and off screen. Readers who love Claire Kingsley and Tessa Bailey will fall head-over-heels for Y’allywood Billionaire by Terra Weiss, a steamy, billionaire, celebrity, grumpy/sunshine, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating romantic comedy.

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Co-stars. Fake lovers. Real enemies.

I’ve landed my dream debut role on the TV crime series, Urban Dawn, but my co-star and on-screen beau, Maddox Winter, barely knows I exist. He’s too busy with his gold-digging arm candy—usually D-listers trying to make it in Y’allywood, Atlanta’s hot cinematic scene.

So what if he’s sexy as hell? I’m thrilled to see my name, Riley Glenn, at the top of the credits…even if the media has launched a smear campaign against me.

When an accidental naked entanglement lands Maddox and me on the cover of Love Buzz, the news spreads like norovirus on a cruise ship. With ratings skyrocketing, our director casts us into a faux relationship, and my wackadoodle godmother steps in to help out.

Sprinkling my gram's ashes in Scotland, I experience a new Maddox who brews my coffee and carries me through a field of cow pies. Oddly, our pretend relationship feels like the only real thing in our lives.

But when our secret drops, it could be the end of our act, on and off screen.

Y'allywood Billionaire is a witty, heartfelt stand-alone romcom mystery with adult language and steamy, open-door chemistry that will have you rooting for a happily-ever-after.

Excerpt 

Copyright 2024 Terra Weiss

I’m not a stripper, but I play one on TV. At least, today I do.

I’m nervous as hell walking on set, a darkened private lap dance room which is actually not-so-private with the droves of lighting engineers, costume designers, makeup artists, writers, and cinematographers swarming around. Our director, Smith Cameron, looms everywhere like an omnipresent puppet master.

“C’mon, people—let’s get it right.” Smith is irked—this is take six. He flashes me his resting prick face. “Work that pole, Riley. Be the pole.”

“Be the pole,” I echo. My character, Lexi Bryce, is an FBI agent who’s undercover, acting as a stripper.

When Smith calls, “Action,” colored lights flash and swanky music plays. Forcing my lips into a sultry smile, I greet my pretend client—my hotshot co-star, Maddox Winter, who’s my partner on the show. His character, Agent Knox Sullivan, is also undercover, wearing a tight blue dress shirt that shows off his rock-hard chest and brings his crystalline eyes to life.

Sure, I’m attracted to him—who isn’t? An ex-producer, he’s now TV’s golden boy after his breakout role in this summer’s Bingeflix blockbuster, Bladelands. But off-set, Maddox Winter’s got all the warmth of liquid nitrogen.

My half-naked body hovers over his, and I flash him a wicked smile as I stroke his hard pecs under his thin shirt. Stepping between his legs, I bend into him again, giving him the scripted eyeful of my glistening breasts. “Still think I’m a nine?”

He looks up at me with his on-screen signature smirk. “Eh. Nine point five.” Although his button-pushing words are part of the script, the huskiness of his voice is new.

I tug his hair and pull his head back. Nuzzling his neck, I say, “Wrong answer.”

“You smell so damn good.” Maddox, or Agent Sullivan, closes his eyes.

“Glad to make you happy, baby.” Man, this is getting steamy—Smith should be pleased. As I slide down Maddox’s body, I expect him to look away, but he holds my gaze. I swiftly move back up, making sure my chest rubs against his. I stop at his face to trace his jawline with the tip of my nose. Even though I’m acting, I have to say, I enjoy being in control. Maybe a little too much.

When I feel his chest rise and fall beneath me, my breath hitches. And when a bulge threatens to burst from the zipper of his pants, I swallow hard. That’s clearly not part of the script.

I feel a deep satisfaction at the thought of torturing him, and it causes me a momentary brain lapse. 

Focus. Standing and turning away from him, I lower myself until I hover over his lap. When I accidentally dip too low and brush over Maddox’s bulge, electricity shoots through me. He slips a bill into the side of my thong, and the touch of his fingertips makes my mind go hazy.

I turn back, and Maddox’s chilly eyes somehow burn into me, fragmenting my thoughts. I slide down his body again, pressing harder against him. When I make another quick pass over his zipper—this time intentionally—I surprise myself.

On beat with the music, I roll my shoulders back and sway my hips as I move downward.

“Oh, yeah,” Maddox moans, his eyes blazing. At this point, I have no idea if he’s acting or not.

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About Terra Weiss 

Terra Weiss is a romcom author with a knack for witty banter and gift for capturing authentic family dynamics. Readers love how her stories steer away from typical romcom cookie-cutter formulas and show how real-life people find real-life love.

When Terra's not spilling the tea on what happens in the big and small towns that live in her heart, you'll find her with her spunky daughter, mad scientist husband, wacky and wonderful mother, and the two six-pound dogs that run her house. She enjoys jogging at a snail's pace, reading from her iPhone, and piling bright orange mountains of squeezy cheese on her crackers.

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