Tina Donahue

#BookRelease “Swimming My Way Back to You” by @tinadonauthor.bsky.social #booksky

SWIMMING My Way Back to YOU
A REELSHORT Original Story

A Contemporary Romance Featuring: Second Chance Romance, Surprise Pregnancy, Betrayal, Heartbreak and Love Worth Fighting For

AMAZON: https://shorturl.at/chzOJ

Blurb:

It’s time to choose herself for once… too bad fate has other plans.

Hazel hoped she’d found her forever with Marcus. Even though their love is a secret, she always held out hope that one day, they’d share something real. But when his ex, Zoe, returns to town, all bets are off. Hazel has no choice but to end things with him, once and for all. As she begins to pick up the pieces of her life, she makes a startling discovery—she’s pregnant. What’s worse? Marcus reappears with a shocking proposal: marry him in secret.

Torn between the man she longs to love and the future she wants for her unborn child and herself, Hazel is swept into a world she neither wanted nor imagined, one where jealousy, betrayal, and scandal reign supreme. Every stolen glance, every confrontation, every heartbreak brings her closer to her truth—and further from the life she once imagined.

EXCERPT ONE (PG rated):

The day after our first kiss we became friends with benefits, an epic way for things to turn out… or so I thought. When sleeping with him wasn’t enough any longer, I stupidly hoped for more and am still waiting for it.

“So, Marcus…” Oscar’s voice sounds from the living room. “Now that Zoe’s coming back— Hold on. Forgot to ask. Is there anyone else in your life? A babe you love?”

Fool that I am, I hope for the best and hold my breath as I wait for Marcus’s answer.

Marcus takes so long to speak, my lungs burn, wanting air, and my spirits start to sink.

Come on, say something… anything… even if it hurts me.

I don’t want that, but I’m tired of him playing with my emotions.

Someone clears their throat.

Marcus?

“Don’t you have a lovelife of your own, Oscar? Why are you so interested in mine with Zoe or anyone else?”

“I’m not.”

Cory jumps in. “I’d like to know. How about you, Dan?”

“Sure.”

Rafe laughs. “Count me in as one of the curious.”

“You’re worse than tween girls.” Marcus belches. “For your information, I’m not in love with anyone. Okay?”

I sink to the floor and swallow repeatedly, my face burning, heart pounding.

There it is, the truth finally.

By keeping me a secret all these years and being casual about things that mattered to me, Marcus was saying without words how he felt. I’m the one at fault for refusing to accept reality.

I’ve little choice now except to face what I knew all along.

Marcus will never love me.

I’ll never be Zoe.

Curled in a fetal position on the floor, I tell myself I should at least sleep in Marcus’s bed.

I haven’t the strength to walk or crawl that far, nor do I want to smell his scent on the sheets. If I do, I might rationalize what I just heard, telling myself he’ll come to his senses and will love me someday.

Sure.

He and Zoe will likely have a houseful of kids before that point. I’ll have to wait for her funeral, when she’s in her nineties, before Marcus gives me his undivided attention.

But never his love.

He’s stingy with that like his parents are when it comes to their tenderness for him.

I’m simply experiencing the fallout from his upbringing, even though Zoe doesn’t.

With her, I bet he’s attentive, loving, and doesn’t forget anything she says or does, her likes and dislikes the script he lives by.

Lucky her.

Stupid me.

To hell with them both.

I’m done.

About Tina:

Tina’s an Amazon and international bestselling novelist who writes passionate romance for every taste – ‘heat with heart’ – for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. She’s won Readers’ Choice Awards, was named a finalist in the EPIC competition, received a Book of the Year award, The Golden Nib Award, awards of merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competitions, and second place in the NEC RWA contests. She’s featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.

On a less serious note: she’s an admitted and unrepentant chocoholic, brakes for Mexican restaurants, and has been known to moan like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally while wolfing down tostadas. She’s flown a single-engine airplane (freaking scary), rewired an old house using an ‘electricity for dummies’ book, and is horribly shy despite the hot romances she writes.

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/tinadonahue

Bluesky: @tinadonauthor.bsky.social

Website/Blog: https://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/

Newsletter: https://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/p/newsletter.html

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tina-donahue

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/146988.Tina_Donahue

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/tinadonahue

Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/1ChWFkO

Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas: https://sweetnsexydivas.blogspot.com/

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/AuthorTinaDonahue

#Book “LOVE ME AFTER MY DEATH” by @tinadonauthor.bsky.social #EnemiestoLovers #Booksky

LOVE ME AFTER MY DEATH
A REELSHORT Original Story
by TINA DONAHUE

Contemporary Romance Featuring:

High Drama, Star-Crossed Lovers, Revenge, Tortured Hero, Enemies to Lovers
And a Devastating Secret That Threatens These Lovers

AMAZON: https://shorturl.at/8sNUy

Blurb:

There was a time when Caroline would’ve done anything for her former sweetheart, Eric Martin.

That’s why she agreed to marry him.

Six years ago, Caroline faced a dire ultimatum from Eric’s mother. Marry Eric, and Stacy—Eric’s conniving girlfriend—gets the life-saving operation she needs. Out of love, Caroline agreed, hoping that in time, she and Eric would be able to rekindle the spark they once shared.

But that hope was in vain. Since that fateful day, Eric has harbored nothing but brutal resentment for Caroline; the last six years of marriage have been a nightmare.

As their marriage descends deeper into emotional warfare, Caroline receives a shocking, tragic diagnosis of her own.

While Caroline quietly prepares for the end, an all-too-familiar face returns—with a devastating secret to reveal.

With time running out, the question remains: Will Eric finally see Stacy for who she is, or will everything fall apart before Caroline’s last breath?

EXCERPT ONE (PG rated):

He strokes the picture of him and Stacy as one would a beloved child or wife.

“Get it into your head, Caroline, this photo is important to me.”

While I’m not.

Anger flares at his unspoken words, heat stinging my cheeks.

He places the photo on the table.

I’ve a notion to swat it off to get a reaction from him, to let him know I exist, but I won’t. Another argument that leads to more icy indifference on his part isn’t how I want these moments to go.

Refusing to meet my gaze, he steps away from me. “Mess with my things again and I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Good god, after what we once shared we’ve come to this?

“I’ll regret it how? You’ll tear up my photos of Mom? You’ll throw out the jewelry she left me?”

He strides toward the front door.

I cry out, “Do you hate me so much?” My voice catches and trembles. “Do you?”

He stops, shoulders tightened, fists clenched.

Here it comes.

I brace myself for his verbal assault and talk fast. “The picture falling was an accident. I got dizzy and gripped the table. The picture—”

“Stop it.” Back at my side, he grips my shoulders, his features tight from indignation. “I’ve had it with your damn lies.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not lying. It was an accident.”

He digs his fingers into my shoulders.

I wince. “Stop it. You’re hurting me.”

His face changes, surprise replacing his anger. He loosens his grip but doesn’t let go.

“You expect me to believe your lies?” His voice couldn’t be colder or harder. “Especially after what you’ve always done to me?”

He’s not making sense. “What I’ve always done to you? I haven’t done— Eric, please, listen to me. I went to the hospital today and the doctor said…”

The words are on the tip of my tongue, yet I can’t force them out. They’re too vile.

“What?” His frown deepens. “Go on.”

Unable to, I shake my head.

“That’s what I thought.” He releases me, disgust in his gaze. “Spare me the theatrics. I’m not playing your games any longer. Never again.”

“But—”

His ringtone sounds, interrupting me. He pushes past, his arm knocking mine. The doctor’s report falls from my grip and floats to the floor, coming to a rest near his shoe.

He doesn’t notice, his full attention on the phone display.

I edge closer then freeze at Stacy’s picture.

She’s back?

She’s calling him?

My stomach drops, my skin crawling. Everything Stacy did to me floods back. Her ruthless betrayal when we’d been BFFs. Her poisoning Eric against me when he and I had once been in love. I still don’t know how she managed that with him. One day he and I were planning our future and in the next he was at Stacy’s side, wanting her and looking at me as if I was poison.

She can’t be back. I refuse to go through her shit again.

“Stacy?” With the phone to his ear, Eric turns away from me. “What’s wrong?”

Whatever it is, I’m certain it’s a lie he’ll believe. She was always good at convincing everyone, except me, of whatever she said.

“Don’t worry, please.” Eric’s voice couldn’t be softer, more protective. “I’ll be right there. I’ll make certain everything’s all right.”

He ends the call and hurries toward the front door.

I catch up and clasp his wrist.

“Eric, don’t go. Please.”

I hate to beg — at one time in my life I would have been ashamed to do so — but that’s not now. I need him here. With Mom gone, he and his mother Alice are the only family I have left. I don’t want to call her. Mom’s death was devastating enough for Alice. As for relying on a friend… Stacy made certain friendships were toxic.

“Stay here.” I caress his wrist. “We need to talk. I… I have something important to tell you.”

Praise for Love Me After My Death:

FIVE STARS – AMAZON
“WONDERFUL TEAR JERKER”
This one broke my heart in all the right ways. A great read.
– Carol J.

FIVE STARS – AMAZON
“FANTASTIC”
Read it all in one weekend! Loved entering their world on a deeper level. The ReelShort adaptations are the best.
– Sam

About Tina: