Spotlight: One Weekend in Venice by Christi Barth

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(One Weekend, #1)
Publication date: May 24th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Cady Staunton and Jasper Holt have been best friends forever–and only friends, aside from one unexpected kiss in Vegas eight years ago. But everything changes during a destination wedding in Venice.

Their rock band may or may not be breaking up. Jasper is definitely hiding a secret from her. Actually, they’ve both always hidden their true desires for each other. They intended to keep it that way until circumstances–and another accidental kiss–lead them to take a leap.

They’ll use this weekend in Venice to test shifting from friendship to something…more. If it doesn’t work? They’ll go back to being best friends. Except…that never works. And there’s still the problem of Jasper’s big secret and what to do about their band. Will their friendship, let alone their attempt at love, even survive the weekend?

Excerpt

“Didn’t that kiss mean anything to you?”

“Yes.” She wouldn’t lie to him. Which was why she kept going. “I assumed that it didn’t mean anything to you.”

“I’m not sure which one of us that insults more.” 

“Sometimes being honest is more important than being polite.”

Jasper backed her against the wall until the chair rail bumped against her butt. One hand planted high above her head, caging her in. 

Awareness of his masculinity assailed all of Cady’s senses. The touch of his muscular thigh in between hers, the piney scent of his cologne, and the navy-blue vein pulsing at his temple. That usually only happened when he argued with the twins about the direction of a new song. Only when he was completely riled up.

Had she done that to him?

In a deep, raspy rumble, he said, “All the whys come down to two basic facts. I missed you. A lot. And I realized when I finally saw you again today that I wanted to kiss you.” Jasper tilted his head to speak the rest with his breath, fanning warmth across her ear. “You, Cady. That’s it.”  

That was…an escalation on the level of an eye dropper of water turning into the entire freaking Pacific Ocean. 

Or was it a challenge? What was she supposed to do next? That type of question was the thing she always ran past her best friend. AKA, the confounding man causing this question. But hey, why ruin a solid track record out of potential humiliation? 

“Not so sure how to interpret that little disclosure. Since you just said that you don’t want a hook-up with me.”

“Because you’re better than that. Because our friendship deserves better than that. I don’t want a hook-up. I want to go out with you.”

When she fell asleep last night over a plastic cup of Pinot Grigio with the guy in the seat next to her snoring almost as loudly as the plane’s engines? She would’ve laid down a bet of everything in her bank account that Jasper had an allergy to commitment that even an EpiPen couldn’t cure. “A date? According to the dictionary definition?”

“Yeah. A no-strings-attached date. For the safety of the friendship.”

Cady’s head—no, her whole world—was reeling. “No strings? Is that man-code for no sex?”

“It’s whatever you want, Cady. I’m trying to be smart. Listen to my brain and my heart for once, instead of only my dick.”

“You’ll probably need a translator for that. Or a feather duster to sweep off all the cobwebs from those two parts of your body.”

“Very not funny.” Jasper put a minute amount of space between them. “Look, I don’t know what I’m doing here. I don’t know how to do it. We should try, though.”

“Should we, though? Or should we maybe not risk ruining our friendship?”

“See, that’s the beauty of this plan. Remember? Everything that happens in Venice stays in Venice. One weekend. No strings. No expectations. And if it doesn’t work? No fault.”

It was tempting. The same way that doing an eating challenge consisting of nine ice cream scoops was tempting. You knew you’d be miserable when it was over, but the doing of it would be glorious.

After all, then she’d know. She’d know the answers to all the secret questions she’d amassed over the years.

What were Jasper’s magic moves?

What did the skin on his inner thigh feel like beneath all that golden hair?

Was it possible to literally combust from the heat of him sliding inside her?

Blissful ignorance was overrated. She could go into this with her eyes wide open. Knowing that it’d never work, and so the only rule was to enjoy this one weekend with him.

And when it did fail, maybe there’d be a big fight, giving her the strength to reveal her secret project to him. It wasn’t good to hide things from your best friend. 

Aside from how much she’d always lusted after him. That was fine to keep hiding. 

So she stared into those blissfully blue eyes and said, “You forgot one rule. No regrets.”

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About the Author

USA TODAY bestseller Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance. Christi lives in Maryland with her husband.

About the Author

http://www.christibarth.com/

https://x.com/christi_barth

https://www.facebook.com/christibarthauthor

https://www.instagram.com/christibarth/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3272041.Christi_Barth

Spotlight: La Bella Luna by Nicole Sharp

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Publication date: March 19th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Can you really reject a surprise last-minute, all-expense paid trip to Italy from your sister? For Diana, a sensible CPA in Atlanta, you most certainly can.

But within the last week, Diana turned forty-five, got engaged, purchased a wedding cake and agreed to join her fiancé in another state where his current work project has been extended for several months.

Diana’s younger sister, Harper, uses these uncharacteristic life changes as proof that Diana definitely can meet her in Italy. Besides, Harper’s already cleared the trip with Diana’s boss and fiancé. So begrudgingly, Diana agrees to go.

Little did she know that her whole world would be turned upside down the second she stepped foot on Italian soil.

As Diana falls deeper into Italy’s culture, countryside and cuisine, she reconnects with the ghosts of her past and reignites passions she thought had long been extinguished – proving that life and love are full of phases.

Excerpt

Navigating the tight space, Diana found a small table in the back of the café, where she could see people exiting into the arrival area.

She wasn’t sure where the thought or even the motivation came from, but she pulled out her phone, chose the camera app, held up the cup and took a selfie.

She carefully put the cup down and looked at the picture; actually thought about deleting it, but then on a whim, posted it to her account that Harper insisted she needed to set up for this trip. And why the hell not?

“Pisa, Italy. First espresso,” she wrote and posted the picture.

She took a few sips, closing her eyes to savor the bitter hot loveliness.

Finally, a message from Harper came in, demanding Diana call her right away. This was why she’d activated an international calling plan for her phone.

Diana excitedly grinned when Harper picked up on the first ring and exclaimed. “You must be nearby!” 

“Well …” Harper drew out the word, “Lu, you have the itinerary, right?”

“Yes, I printed it off before I left and it's on my phone. Where are you?”

“Happy engagement!” Harper sang.

“Harper ...” Diana laughed and looked around the part of the airport she could see, as if her younger sister would appear at any moment.

“Look, if I told you the truth you wouldn’t have gone, and you needed to go; Hell, if anyone needs a vacation it’s you.”

“Harper,” Diana’s heart began to thump wildly in her chest, “where are you?”

In almost a whisper, Harper answered, “New York.”

Diana turned so no one could see her anger. She cupped a hand over the receiver of her phone. “What the hell do you mean you’re in New York?”

“I couldn’t afford to pay for both of us. But I wanted you to have something different … I wanted to get you out of the house before you got married. I wanted you to see … more, something bigger, something inspiring before you got married.”

“Harper,” Diana choked out in disbelief.

“I wanted to get you out of your fucking comfort zone,” Harper admitted, with all the loving passion she could.

Diana was certainly out of her comfort zone now, that was for sure, and she’d be damned if she was going to stay in a foreign country by herself. “I’m not staying here alone,” she hissed. “You got me into this Harper, you need to get me a return ticket and get me out of this. Now.”

“No.”

“Then I need to go, I need to figure out how to get home.” 

“No. Please. You have ten days paid vacation in Italy. Do you know how many people dream of something like that?”

“Harper.” Diana’s throat was closing with the urge to cry.

“Luna, if you can’t figure out how to do this for yourself, then do this for me.“ Harper’s voice hitched with the same emotion. “Please Lu, you deserve something like this. You deserve to see something beautiful. You deserve to … sit in a Piazza in a world-famous café and sip an espresso. You deserve to be moved to tears by a painting.“ It was Harper who was crying now. “Jesus, Diana, you deserve to stand in the middle of Rome and be inspired. I understand this is the scariest thing anyone has ever asked you to do, I get that it’s a scary ass thing that I am asking you to do, but please … please, if you can’t do this for yourself, then do it for me.”

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About the Author

Legend has it that Nicole Sharp was born to hippies during an ice storm in Stone Mountain, Georgia. While confirmation of said events cannot be agreed upon, one fact is for certain, it was a Tuesday. 

By age twelve, Nicole was sure of two things: 1) She wanted to be a writer and 2) She wanted to travel. She begged her parents to allow her to voyage alone to exotic lands. They permitted her to go from California to Boise, Idaho to visit a great-grandmother.

After muddling through the college years, Nicole graduated with a Bachelors in History (think Greeks and Romans). Why didn’t she major in English if she wanted to be a writer? There were better stories in history class. 

Nicole is Italian. According to Ancestry.com it’s a rather low percentage, but she feels that she is at least 51% Italian. When she returned to the homeland, she fell in love with the Italian cappuccino, so much so that she studied the language until she was fluent; thus she could order the magical elixir herself: Posso avere un cappuccino, per favore!

Nicole’s first concert was to see the bluegrass group The Seldom Scene when she was a fifteen-year-old, thanks to her parent’s bluegrass phase. However, she never admits it, and instead tells everyone that They Might Be Giants, whom she saw in college, was her real first concert. 

Her first car was a yellow Chevy Celebrity and her favorite job was working as a docent in a museum in an old mining town in Colorado. She has written extensively about both. 

Visit NicoleSharpWrites.com for more entertainment.

Connect:

https://nicolesharpwrites.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Nicolesharpwrites/

https://www.instagram.com/nicolesharpwrites/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22442002.Nicole_Sharp

Spotlight: Their Shattered Hearts by Angie Cole

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Publication date: March 1st 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

A story of love, loss, and redemption unfolds in the rustic charm of Cardinal Creek, Texas. Will Deluca, a stoic firefighter and ranch owner, bears the weight of his wife’s untimely demise. His world once filled with warmth, now echoes with the silent grief of his two children and the unyielding Texas plains.

Enter Anna Samuels, a heart that’s seen its share of sorrow. Leaving Missouri’s memories behind, she hopes to find solace and new beginnings in the small Texas town. As a dedicated palliative care nurse, she embarks on a mission to bring comfort to families grappling with illness. Destiny leads her to Rockin’ D Ranch, where her path crosses with Will, a man whose rugged charm and piercing blue eyes hide a world of pain.

Amidst the rolling hills of Cardinal Creek, Will and Anna find their lives intricately entwined, linked by a forgotten encounter from their youth. Anna’s arrival sparks a glimmer of hope in Will’s heart, inspiring him to fulfill a promise to his late wife: to create a sanctuary for children with autism. Together, they begin to weave dreams of a brighter future.

But shadows linger in the corners of their newfound happiness. Anna grapples with a dark secret that threatens to destroy the life she has built in Cardinal Creek. As Will confronts his own fears, he risks losing the one person who could help him heal. In the face of adversity, will they find the strength to conquer their demons and embrace a second chance at love?

In Their Shattered Hearts fate, passion, and dark secrets collide. Join Will and Anna as they journey through the complexities of the heart, learning that sometimes, the path to happiness is paved with the courage to face the ghosts of the past.

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About the Author

My journey as a romance author is deeply rooted in my personal experiences of love, loss, and resilience. The profound impact of the losses I have endured, including the passing of my grandparents and my parents, has shaped my perspective on life and love.

My own love story is one of healing and finding joy after heartache, and it mirrors the themes I explore in my novels.

As a survivor of grief and a believer in the power of love, I channel my experiences into crafting stories that resonate with the complexities and triumphs of the human heart. My writing is a testament to the idea that love can emerge from the most unexpected places, offering hope and healing. The one thing that can be learned from grief is that it's a very personal experience and isn't the same for every person. 

Connect:

https://angiecoleromance.com/

https://www.instagram.com/authorangiecole

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554474502006

Spotlight: False Haven by Rebecca Rook

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Publication date: February 13th 2024
Genres: Horror, Young Adult

Synopsis:

False Haven is a young adult horror novel for fans of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Asylum by Madeleine Roux, and Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff.

Seventeen-year-old Vivienne Barston’s life has fallen apart.

With her mother recently dead, her father disappears into his grief – leaving Viv to deal with her sadness and anger alone. Viv turns to destructive behaviors like petty vandalism, but after a disturbing stint in a juvenile detention center frightens her, Viv agrees to a court mandated service opportunity designed to expunge her record. The deal: work for six weeks with a trail conservation crew in the rural woods of southern Oregon, and she’ll be free with a clean slate.

She knows it’s her last chance to fix her life.

When Viv arrives at the small town of Hard Luck, Oregon, she meets her motley crewmates, all with troubles of their own. The unusual group travels to Grafton Stake, a remote and derelict former asylum with a haunted history–and now Viv must face the ghosts of the past while fighting for her future.

Don’t miss this inventive horror novel where Holes meets The Haunting of Hill House!

Excerpt

A short, weathered black stone pyramid rose from a hewn base buried deep into the ground. Viv could see the chisel marks at the base, lined with dirt and moss. No words or dates were inscribed, only the symbol of a single open eye.

A shiver skittered across her scalp. She recognized the symbol for the evil eye. An obelisk, she thought. It’s an obelisk.

What is an obelisk doing in the middle of the woods?

Viv peered past the obelisk. The stone stood waist-high and before a wide, flat stretch of pasture mostly clear of trees and brush. Thick holly bushes with sharp, black-green leaves lined the edges of the pasture. Unsettled, Viv rubbed her arms. Why would a clearly man-made pasture be up here, away in the woods? So far from the homestead? Viv stepped forward to take in more — and paused.

A rectangle of the same black stone lay next to her foot, embedded in the ground and with edges coated in moss. The numbers 81469 were chiseled into the dark stone.

Viv swallowed. She took another step, then another.

Then she saw it — another stone, half buried in the dirt. Almost six feet away from the first stone plaque. The numbers were 73071.

Now knowing what to seek, she scanned the earth around her. There were more. Many more. 42198.

32777.

21374.

91868.

Viv shook her head, trying to make sense of what she saw before her. She stumbled down the length of the pasture, seeking more and more of the stone plaques wedged into the earth’s sod, half visible.

Wholly terrible.

There were more than fifty plaques in the pasture, Viv realized.

She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she stood upon a graveyard.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

Rebecca Rook designs tabletop games, manages a little free library dedicated to sequential art and comics, and lives in the Pacific Northwest with two wonderful dogs. She writes young adult fiction in the fantasy, thriller, and horror genres.

A 2021-2022 Hugo House Fellow in
Seattle, WA, she also attended the 2021 Tin House YA Fiction Workshop in
Portland, OR. Rebecca was selected as one of the 100 invited writers to participate in the Write Team Mentorship Program’s curated Pitch-a-Thon event before being chosen as a Mentee for the 2021 Program. Prior to this, she completed the wonderful Yearlong Workshop for Young Adult and Middle Grade Fiction at Hugo House.

Connect:
https://www.byrebeccarook.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@byrebeccarook
https://www.instagram.com/byrebeccarook
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45848659.Rebecca_Rook

Spotlight: Serabelle: Where the Wealthy Come to Play by Tavi Taylor Black

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Publisher: Black Rose Writing (April 25, 2024)

An island sheltered from modern progress. Strict lines between servants and masters. Will crossing them leave her fatally exposed?

Bar Harbor, Maine. 1913. Mabel Rae is smart, reckless, and naïve. So when the ambitious seventeen-year-old joins the staff at a rocky cliffside cottage, she willingly lets the boisterous estate owner’s improper advances sweep her off her feet. And the slender young woman dismisses the vulnerability of her position when she discovers she’s pregnant with his unacknowledged child.

Brought harshly down to earth after she’s caught up in the machinations of a family feud, Mabel decides it’s time to take matters into her own hands. But with no money and few rights, she fears a forced marriage to the brutish gardener is her only socially acceptable option.

Is her future forever stunted, or can she become a beacon of change?

In a classic upstairs-downstairs tale, award-winning author Tavi Taylor Black spins an intricate web of idealism’s battle against harsh reality. Set at a time when suffrage was at its height, temperance was gaining momentum, and war loomed in Europe, this spellbinding novel shines a light on inequities we still face today.

Serabelle is a darkly humorous work of historical fiction. If you like intricate relationships, lyrical prose, and stories that tackle serious issues, then you’ll love Tavi Taylor Black’s vivid portrait of the Gilded Age.

Excerpt

My historical novel, Serabelle is set in 1913 on what was the Sonogee Estate in Bar Harbor. My family's history informs this novel greatly, as my great-grandmother worked as a cook on the Kent estate. My grandmother and mother were there during the great Bar Harbor fire of 1947. When I was a child, my family would sneak onto the grounds of what was at that time a nursing home. We played on the rocks and gathered shells for hours every summer, instilling in me a fascination for the landscape.

I was handed down a piece of jewelry, a pin with sapphire and moonstone that was said to be given to my great-grandmother by Mrs. Kent herself. When my mother spoke of Sonogee, it was with pride, as if our family, too, belonged to that cottage. Throughout the novel, I explore what ownership and dignity mean to all facets of life on the estate.

Serabelle explores the struggles of class and position, of prejudice and honor—issues as relevant today as they were a hundred years ago. Is a person born to a certain class or race or gender bound to the constraints of that caste? Mabel and a handful of other servants explore the boundaries of their positions. Those who enjoy a good upstairs/downstairs series such as Downton Abbey will enjoy the intertwining plot lines of Serabelle.

Here’s a short excerpt wherein Mabel, a maid, is talking to a stable boy, Willie, over the body of Clarissa, a mare who just gave birth:

“Willie, what do you think a life is worth?”

“Whose?”

“That is exactly what I was thinking. Some lives are valuable, some are not.” Mabel thought of the pamphlet she had been handed the other day in town. She had taken it out of the basket and tucked it inside her bodice, only to unfold it later that night in bed, by candlelight. 

Twelve reasons why women should vote, it said. Mabel read down the list, clinging especially to the words: Because 8,000,000 women in the United States are wage workers, and the conditions under which they work are controlled by law. 

  “Clarissa,” Mabel said to Willie. “No one here, except you, really cares that she is dying. She is not valuable. If she had been a stallion, if there was something wrong with Mr. Hunt’s stallion, do you think they would have left him to die?”

“Not likely,” Wille admitted.

“Just what I thought. In this world, females do not count for much. We cannot even vote.” Mabel sniffed and tried to hold back her tears. “I just cannot figure out why Beverly thought my life was worth saving. Other than my mother—who might never even see me again—who would really care if I was dead?”

“I would.”

Mabel looked at Willie’s face, sad and soft, his look distant. “You are only being kind. I do not think you would miss me.”

“I am telling you the truth.” Willie stood and walked over to Mabel. He took both her hands tentatively in his, as if asking permission. He had never touched her before. He was ripe with the scent of blood and dung but his face was suddenly flushed with life, his eyes sparkled. “I would hate it if you died. You are one of the nicest people I ever met.”

Tears rolled freely down Mabel’s cheeks and she found she could not speak. What would someone who came upon them think? A young, pregnant maid holding hands with a negro stable boy? They stood still, freezing the moment in time, looking into each other’s eyes, until Clarissa made a soft hiccup. As if he had read Mabel’s thoughts, Willie dropped her hands and lay back down next to the horses. The baby made a bleating sound, nudging its mother. Clarissa did not move.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Tavi Taylor Black earned an MFA in creative writing from Lesley University in Cambridge where she worked with such skilled writers as A.J. Verdelle and Tony Eprile. In the years following her graduation, Tavi created a collection of short stories, Crazy Happy. Several stories from the collection were shortlisted for prizes, including the Fish One Page Prize, Aesthetica Magazine’s Creative Works Competition and the Donald Barthelme Prize for Short Prose. Other stories have appeared in Alligator Juniper and Opium Magazine online. Current stories are listed on her website at www.taviblack.com

Spotlight: Pity Parade by Whitney Dineen

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Trina Rockwell here. You know, your favorite TV host from Midwestern Matchmaker? While I’ve been setting up Midwestern singles for seven years, I’ve not had any luck finding myself a guy.

My last great encounter was a year ago when I bid on a date with billionaire Heath Fox at a charity auction. But then, after a great date and an even better good night kiss, Heath told me he wasn’t looking for a relationship. Super.

Now that Midwestern Matchmaker has been cancelled, my producer has got it into his head to do a new show where I’m the one who finds love. He wants to set me up with a bunch of B-List celebrities, the likes of which have me considering joining a convent.

There’s only one thing I can think of doing and that’s finding a boyfriend for real. The last thing I expected was for Heath to come back into my life and cause trouble.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

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/