Introverted Charlie never expected to gain the attention of Dia, the chatterbox on the train, and he certainly wasn't expecting to fall in love. *** A few words can describe Charlie Jackson. He enjoys the simplicity of a coffee far more than the average person, and devotes too much time to his work - commuting included. But Charlie's life is far more complicated than meets the eye. Hindered by his stammer and the anxiety that occurs as a result, he has become accustomed to letting others use their voices for him. When Dia strolls into work one day, it seems that the universe has its own plans. Charlie instantly recognises her as the chatty woman from the train he takes five days a week. She's different in many ways, and it becomes clear that there's something between them. But the journey to love isn't so smooth sailing, especially when Dia's own battles come to light. Can Charlie fight his demons to support Dia in facing hers, or will his anxiety never allow him to become more than the stranger on the train? Romance Wattys Winner- 2020 1st place in the Firework Awards [New Adult] Featured in the Wattpad Summer Challege- 2020 Content and Trigger Warning- this book contains themes including the following; mental health, anxiety, suicide awareness, domestic violence.

Lily is a laidback slacker with a phobia for commitment...who happens to owe the devil her (nonexistent) firstborn. When the ruler of Hell comes knocking, what choice does she have but to let the devil play matchmaker? *** Lily has never been good at relationships, not that it matters to her. That is until Eve, a seductive woman claiming to be the devil's apprentice, shows up to collect a debt Lily doesn't remember owing: her firstborn child. Without a firstborn to give, and with the threat of eternal damnation at her heels, Lily finds herself on a chaotic matchmaking quest with the devil herself. Eve swears she's only playing matchmaker to collect the debt owed to her, but with each failed set-up, Lily suspects there may be something more to the devil's plan. [[word count: 60,000 - 70,000]] Cover designed by Joe Resch [[Wattys 2020 Winner]] Content warning: this story includes dark humour, mature themes, and scenes of violence and gore

[Soon by WATTPAD BOOKS] In the prestigious race of stars, Sozo must hide the truth of who she is or pay with her life, but her blossoming relationship with the most talented competitor threatens everything she's worked for. ***** Every ten years, the lucky chosen bond with stars and race to win a wish. Any wish. Sozo is one of the lucky chosen, but she has a secret: as an Omen -- cursed beings that can transform into monsters -- she's forbidden from competing. Discovery would mean her death. Can she hope to keep her identity a secret, let alone win the race, especially as the talented and sunny Naqi enters the picture? When Sozo is given an ultimatum, she has to choose: betray her Omen people, or betray the people who are slowly, surely, becoming like a family to her. --- WATTYS AWARD 2020 "Bar none, this was [Senior Editorial Specialist] Amanda's absolute favourite read from the Wattys this year. It makes you cry, just from pure, uncontainable joy, and the ending kept us reading until nearly 6am. Everything about this story is beautiful. We were astounded that anyone could create something so magnificent and moving and magical. This level of storytelling mastery will never not blow us away." [Word Count: 70,500]

When powerful witch Marithyda Skyelorn becomes a participant of the Royal Exposition, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with the Prince--or to be the cause of his death. ***** Every year, the kingdom of Karvoth hosts the Royal Exposition: a corrupt carnival where a race of citizens who possess powerful magic, known as the Touched, are exploited for the enjoyment of nobles. But when Marithyda Skyelorn's grand performance ends in tragedy and pits her against the deranged King, she must make the impossible choice between remaining in exile and participating again in the dangerous competition that ruined her life--to end it once and for all. (Book One of the Skyelorn Chronicles trilogy) [[2020 Watty's winner, Fantasy]] Content and/or Trigger Warning: Some scenes contain violence that may upset sensitive readers [[Word Count: 50,000-60,000]]

WATTYS WINNER 2020 Two interconnected murders, 64 years apart. One woman's search for truth and identity. Readers' comments: 'a masterpiece', 'impeccably written', 'amazing', 'superbly crafted page-turner', 'hauntingly beautiful', 'tremendous plot and character development', 'one of a kind', 'fantastic story telling', 'loved this book', 'a wonderful read", 'absolutely beautiful', 'brought tears to my eyes' and many more Wattys judging panel: 'This is VERY good. We were HOOKED from the beginning, and the writing and plot hold up throughout. This is a very unique, polished, well-written and well-researched piece.' Plot Set partly in rural England, partly on the sun-kissed coast of southerm Italy, The Painted Altar is a murder mystery mixed with romantic and historical elements (World War Two). Given away at two days old, Mary Rice has spent her life in the shadows. When discovering the suspicious circumstances surrounding her biological mother's death, she embarks on a journey which will shine a light not only on the truth but also on her own identity. Brief extract Suddenly, the door had inched open, half a wrinkled face visible behind the tautened chain. "Hello. Who is it?" The words I was going to say had of course been well-rehearsed, repeated over and over in my mind like a mantra, but now that the moment had arrived I found myself struggling to remember them. "Mrs Harvey... I think that you might... well, that you might be..." The door closed, then slowly opened once more, the chain this time unlatched. And there she was before me - half a metre away, within arm's reach. Thin lips gradually crooking upwards at each corner like the slow beatific kindling of a summer's dawn. "Oh yes love, I know who you are." Length: 70,000 words About the author: Originally from England but for the last 16 years I've been living in Italy. I hope therefore that the Italian aspects of the novel will have a certain gloss of authenticity.

***Wattys 2020 Winner*** Rex Fletcher is caught up in a desperate race to unravel one of the most ancient mysteries of the world. ***** Rex and his motley group of friends travel across Europe trying to stay one step ahead of a megalomaniac that wants nothing more than to reshape history in his image. Can Rex connect the clues, save an old friend's life, and track down a historic relic in time? Or will he be forced to watch as the power of the gods falls into the wrong hands? Author's note: This is a sample. If you are interested in the full novel, you can find it on Amazon in paperback and ebook.

2020 WATTYS WINNER in NEW ADULT! Oliver Ausman has been given a second chance at life, but it's hard to feel grateful when he was the one trying to end it in the first place. Returning to his normal life after being released from the hospital is hard, especially since his parent's idea of normal is made up of dinner parties, prep school, fancy suits, and fake manners-- all paired with a complete disregard for the mental health of their firstborn. He's long been fed up with it, but the final straw is when he finds out that his "father" isn't actually his father at all. Oliver decides he's had enough of the perfect facade, so he packs a suitcase and grabs his younger brother, "borrowing" his mother's car to sneak off on a trip to find his biological father. But he never expected to pick up a girl with her own similar set of problems, to be followed across the country by a money-hungry pair of criminals, or most of all, to find out that maybe this life thing isn't as bad as he thought. 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 (𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝) - 𝟏/𝟐𝟐/𝟐𝟎

Being one of only two out gay students in a sometimes not-so-open-minded high school has presented Jackson Humes with certain challenges. Even though all teenagers' lives are challenging in their own ways, Jackson's takes a complicated turn the day he catches Alex Cole in the guy's locker room posing in front of a mirror wearing nothing but a pair of dingy tighty whities. While the rest of the school worries that the recent mountain lion sightings in the woods might have something to do with the star quarterback's disappearance, Jackson worries that Alex is going to rearrange his face in a manner that will make any attempts at future dating impossible. When an unhinged Alex corners Jackson in the woods, Jackson responds by miraculously breaking the laws of gravity. He soon realizes that his emerging superpower is connected to a dark secret, forcefully suppressed after the long ago deaths of all those involved, including Jackson's own parents. But secrets don't stay buried forever, as Jackson is about to discover.

A magic-addicted spy trapped in the queen's service must track a princess-turned-assassin in order to earn her freedom, but things get complicated when she falls for the princess she's supposed to capture. ***** Weak. Cursed. That's how seventeen-year-old Kayden Branimir, the realm's deadliest assassin, views herself. Some believe she could save the world with her rare healing magic, but she gave up on her powers long ago after failing to save her best friend. Her life changes when she receives a letter from her supposedly dead twin brother, Alaric, begging to be rescued from rival territory Leodia. For the first time since her friend's accident, Kayden is determined to be the hero, but she must learn to embrace her magic--and herself--along the way. Strange. Unnatural. Those are the words whispered about eighteen-year-old Zara Tait, a Leodian spy addicted to soul-stealing magic. Forced into the queen's service, Zara wants to escape and return home, but she has nothing to offer the queen in exchange for her freedom. When Kayden arrives in Leodia, Zara sees the quiet girl with unique magic as the bargaining chip she needs. But the more she learns of Kayden, the more her feelings grow. Now, Zara must choose between her freedom and the dangerous assassin she hadn't meant to fall for. [2020 Watty Award Winner] Content warning: This story contains mature themes of violence, addiction, abuse, self-harm, and mental illness. Cover by Faera Lane