What if time travel is like alcoholism? Shouldn't mermaids have blubber to stay warm in the ocean? These short stories of fantasy and science fiction explore the weird, the bizarre, and the concretization of untenable fantasies. ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ Abby Goldsmith is the author of an epic dark sci-fi fantasy series published by Podium and narrated by George Newbern. The Torth series begins with Majority, available on Kindle, Audible, and carried by Ingram. https://abbygoldsmith.com/majority

When Charlotte agrees to fake date bad boy Mason to make her best friend and secret crush, Ben, jealous, she thinks it will be a simple arrangement. The rules are clear and she's certain of her goal: make Ben fall in love with her. So why does it seem like the lines always blur when Mason is around? *** Charlotte Anderson has secretly been in love with her best friend, Ben Hathaway, since childhood, though he's never seen her as anything but the girl next door. After witnessing Ben kissing another girl at a party, a heartbroken Charlotte accidentally admits her crush to notorious bad boy Mason Reed... who also happens to be one of Ben's closest friends. But Mason isn't going to tell Charlotte's secret; instead, he suggests they fake a relationship to make Ben jealous. They create a set of strict rules for the arrangement: no kissing when Ben isn't around, no sex, and no falling in love. But as their fake relationship progresses, and Mason's walls break down, Charlotte finds herself questioning her true feelings for both boys, and wondering if some rules are meant to be broken-especially when it comes to love. [[word count: 100,000 - 150,000]] Cover designed by Gillian Goulet (This story is a standalone title in the Dependency series) [[Wattpad Editors Choice: June 2021]]

Puck You is now available in paperback and e-book! Grace wants to prove herself by making the men's hockey team at her new school. Will a rivalry with the captain - or an attraction between them - get in the way? ***** When Grace Gillman moves to California, she's determined to play hockey -- even if that means making a place for herself on her new school's only team. But Sebastian Evans doesn't want a girl on the men's team, even if she's a great player. He's convinced she'll distract the other boys and cost them their shot at the championship - and with it, his only chance at a scholarship to his dream college. But despite his icy attitude towards her, he can't help but feel a connection building between them - which quickly gets complicated when he learns she has eyes for someone else. Will they remain rivals on the rink, or will things heat up between them? [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

The Locker Exchange is becoming a film and will be adapted by Wattpad WEBTOON Studios and Leone Film Group. Stay tuned for updates! ***** The Locker Exchange is now published as a Paperback and E-book by Wattpad Books! As a Wattpad reader, you can access both the Wattpad Original Edition and Wattpad Books Published Edition here upon purchase. Thank you so much for your support! ***** When Brynn finds herself accidentally sharing a locker with a misunderstood and popular bad boy, she can't help being pulled into a high-stakes mystery. ***** After discovering her newly assigned gym locker has no back wall -- so she's stuck staring at the shirtless abs of the school's resident bad boy, Kyler Fellan, almost every time she opens it -- Brynn Cadence does what anyone would do: she tries to pretend like everything is normal. But soon enough, she catches herself laughing at his flirtatious jokes and searching for his eyes in the crowds of the halls or lunch room. What she doesn't know, however, is falling in love with Kyler Fellan comes with more danger and drama than she realizes... [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

When a case of mistaken identity leads to an innocent girl being kidnapped by a gangster, will one man bent on revenge push them together or destroy them? ***** Hayden King and Violet Smith couldn't be more different. While he was a feared gangster, she was a simple college student, a delicate flower whose petals had been crushed by a stranger a long time ago. But what they didn't realize is that they had more in common than they initially thought. Their lives were interlinked in a complicated way because of some sick twist of fate. So how will the big revelation affect their life? Will he able to save Violet from the demon of her dreams? Let's find out. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]

Wren Martin is socially awkward. She blocks off herself to the world, hiding behind her favorite hoodie. All she wants to do is keep a low profile, and graduate well enough to qualify for a college scholarship. But then a babysitting job leads her to cross paths with Asher Reed, Eastview Highʼs notorious athlete. When a field injury kickstarts his senior year, heʼs turning his free time and attention to Wren. And maybe she might not want to be invisible after all. ***** [Watty's Collector's Edition Winner] [TFA Runaway Prize Winner] [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]] Cover designed by Ashley Santoro

She is fiery, hot-headed and spontaneous. He is calm, composed and calculating. She is fire, burning every obstacle in her path. He is ice, numbing his enemies with a single glare. She is loud, not afraid of raising her voice. He is quiet, his silence speaking volumes. ******* Hazel Martin and Xavier Davis are like two opposite sides of a pole, with her fierce persona and his cold attitude. But one thing is common between them; their love and affection for their families. So what will happen when they are stuck with each other and they need each other's help in the middle of a crisis? ... Thank you @prettypink-ink for such a wonderful cover. Things are bound to get messy as their opposite worlds clash with each other.