Just when she thought she was safe . . . Now that she has a loving, devoted family by her side, Talia Wilson finally feels happy and secure. What she doesn't realize is that someone from the past is out to get her. Someone who knows about her secrets and the deceitful game she played. And this someone is even crazier than the last . . . Welcome to 'Secrets and Lies', a sequel to Watty Award winning story 'The Secret'! *This story is an unedited first draft. Highest rank: #1 in Mystery and Thriller *This story contains scenes of abuse and may be disturbing to some readers. While the characters are fictional, domestic violence is a serious issue that many people across the world face. If you or someone you know is the victim of abuse, please seek help immediately. Notice: This document is not authorized for upload or use with artificial intelligence systems or platforms. Any attempt to upload, analyze, or process this content using AI technology is strictly prohibited.

Even a Diamond can be shattered... After the owner of a security company is murdered, his sharp-edged wife goes on the run. Forced to abandon everything she holds dear - her home, her friends, her job in special ops - she builds a new life for herself in England. As Ashlyn Hale, she meets Luke, a handsome local who makes her realise just how lonely she is. Yet, even in the sleepy village of Lower Foxford, the dark side of life dogs Diamond's trail when the unthinkable strikes. Forced out of hiding, she races against time to save those she cares about. But is it too little, too late? **WARNING** If you want sweetness and light and all things bright, Diamond's not the girl for you. She's got sass, she's got snark, and she's moody and dark, As she does what a girl's got to do. Thanks to my awesome readers for taking Pitch Black to #1 on the Mystery/Thriller Hotlist!

From USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Aaron Patterson, the New York Times bestselling BREAKING STEELE. Who is Sarah Steele? The successful, happy ADA or the wild, angry vigilante? Sarah Steele has a lot to prove. Foster care brat turned successful Assistant District Attorney, she's enjoying her magical pumpkin carriage ride but knows she is only one mistake away from landing on the curb. When she's given an open-and-shut case regarding multi-millionaire Hank Williams and his murder of young Tracy Mulligan, Sarah's determined to win. But when everything goes wrong, and there's a killer on the loose, she isn't prepared for who the real battle is against: herself. Is she really willing to do anything to take Hank Williams down? For fans of thrillers, crime, pulp, female protagonists, dark vengeful mystery crime fiction, vigilante justice, and mystery series.

Cera is a clothing designer for her own women's boutique. When she decides to branch out into men's fashion as well, she knows that she's going to need help to get her foot in the door. So, she creates a business plan that causes her to work with the most arrogant man she has ever met. Can she tolerate him long enough for her plans to be realized? Byron knows that he can have any woman that he wants. As a successful business man and a former model, he has a long line of women waiting for the chance to be seen by his side. As Cera continues to brush off his not so subtle suggestions, he begins to see her as a challenge. There is no woman that he can't have.

****NOTE: This novel is completed ... Enjoy!***** Working as a journalist at a small weekly paper in rural Idaho, Cal Murphy begins losing his big city dreams of writing for a metro paper before his passion is reignited after three high school star athletes are found dead in a 24-hour period. As he and fellow photographer Kelly Mendoza attempt to make sense of bizarre circumstances that led to the teens' deaths, Cal makes a chilling discovery, uncovering a vast conspiracy that grows darker with every twist and turn. With a mastermind determined to silence Cal and Kelly for good, the young reporters ultimately must decide if their lives are worth the risk to reveal the truth.

Cassie, a young ASA works a murder case which throws her world and beliefs into chaos. For Ian, who works for the police, this case is an opportunity for something completely different... The murder case forces Cassie to question her past, why she chose to become an assistant states attorney and what her future will hold. Her judgment on the line between right and wrong blurs when she is thrown into the world of a secret society, that she never knew existed. What Cassie is unaware of is that a lot of the people in her surroundings have grown up within The Society...

THE PRINCIPALS Paul Wheeler. CEO of the Wheeler Enterprises empire. At age fifty-two, he’s a pillar of Atlanta society and a brilliant businessman. But Paul is out of the picture even before the opening credits — shot dead during an armed robbery. Julie Rutledge. A savvy, cultured, and attractive Southern woman, seasoned by a stint of study and romance in Paris. She owns the city’s most successful and sophisticated art gallery on Peachtree Street. She was also Paul Wheeler’s weekly companion at the hotel where he was murdered and was hand in hand with him at the time of his death. Derek Mitchell. A defense lawyer of renown. Successful, handsome, and despised by the Atlanta PD for his courtroom victories, he goes to the mat to make a case for every client – and headlines for himself. A guilty verdict is not an option. Yet he’s not entirely without a conscience, as proven when his life takes a terrible turn toward the cinematic. Creighton Wheeler. The prodigal nephew of Paul. With movie-star looks and guileless blue eyes, the twenty-eight-year-old playboy has a penchant for call girls, fast cars, and designer clothes. But his passion is movies. He studies them, quotes them…and lives them. Even those closest to Creighton can’t be sure when he exits reality and enters the fantasy world of films.

It was supposed to be an easy job. Get to Mexico, get photos of that bastard, Niro, and get home. But photojournalist Corkie Brooks did not account for a lone Army Ranger kidnapping her, stealing her photos, and then protecting her. Lt. Alex Spears wants to destroy the man who killed his father. He never expects to see a pretty photographer in the middle of his top secret mission. To save his career, his life, and his sanity, Alex must guard Corkie from herself and from the men chasing them. Together, they might be crazy enough to survive.

When her four year old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him. But that "sick" man turns out to be Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Honor that she and her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word. But Honor soon discovers that even those close to her can't be trusted. Coburn claims that her beloved late husband possessed something extremely valuable that places Honor and her daughter in grave danger. Coburn is there to retrieve it -- at any cost. From FBI offices in Washington, D.C., to a rundown shrimp boat in coastal Louisiana, Coburn and Honor run for their lives from the very people sworn to protect them, and unravel a web of corruption and depravity that threatens not only them, but the fabric of our society

Gracie Dodge and Braden James must bury their resentments to honor the final wishes of Gracie's father. They face compelling conflicts on their path to peace - a long overdue reunion, a marriage of convenience, and a dangerous secret. Will the inheritance that brought them together again, ultimately tear them apart forever? Or will love conquer the secrets of the past? Thanks for taking the time to follow Gracie and Braden on their journey. I am editing the rough draft as I go, and plan to post each chapter as it's polished. I truly appreciate your interest, your comments, and your votes so much!