{WATTY'S 2020 WINNER & EDITOR'S PICK.} Hopeless romantic and aspiring writer Mare Atwood has fallen madly in love with her childhood correspondent. There's only one catch-she doesn't know who he is. When the beaus of Star's Crossing return from boarding school to begin the courting season, Mare is determined to uncover the identity of her writer, flout her family's intentions of orchestrating an advantageous marriage, and procure the life of writing and romance she's always sought. But as in the tales she so adores, it won't be easy. Galas, masquerades, picnics, and hunts-alongside an old friend, a former teacher, and an unlikely ally, Mare delves into an investigation that leaves her torn between three clever, deceptive, and wealthy young bachelors. If Mare can confirm which is her writer and claim his hand before the courting season ends, she'll have her wish: the love of her life, a valuable marriage, and a future of writing romance. But with the eyes of Star's Crossing upon her, a business plot forcing invisible hands, and the unwillingness of her writer to come forward-Mare's future may not end in triumph, but tragedy. Set against the gilded Victorian backdrop of coastal Connecticut and lush with pre-war luxury, fans of Jane Austen, Margaret Mitchell, and Louisa May Alcott are sure to enjoy this lighthearted, lyrical novel of young love, independence, and identity. #1 Literary #1 YA Romance #1 Victorian #1 Lyrical #8 General Fiction

There are stories about a monster who walks amongst people unseen, one that collects the hearts of the tragic victims who travel through the forest. Aceline Capet, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, knows this story well, but already at eleven years of age, she is much too old for fairytales. There are so many more things to worry about like the reigning government's total upheaval, their family's escape to an unknown village, or her two perfect, overbearing sisters. Having left their luxurious way of life behind, her family adjusts to its new, penniless position in society and Aceline struggles with both loss and revenge. However, many years later, on the eve of her 20th birthday and after a terrible financial adventure, life takes a perilous turn when Aceline finds out a contract was made between her father and a powerful faerie. In exchange for a white rose, one person must offer themselves up to the unknown and terrible Faerie Lord living in the forest.

COMPLETED: 2019 Watty Award Winner in Fantasy Every night she plays...and every night they come... Lira is a violinist by nature and a performer by imprisonment. Stolen as a child by a malevolent wraith and trapped in the Spirit World, Lira now spends her days playing the very music that seduced her in the first place. She sees no escape from her existence under the sorceress Bebinn, until one day her music lures Owen who, at age 16, is supposed to be too old to succumb to its spell. Imprisoned alongside Lira and desperate to find a way back home, Owen vows to find a way to free them both. The only problem: no one has ever escaped Bebinn and the Spirit World alive. 1st Place Winner in Fantasy for the Undiscovered Writer Awards! 1st Place in Fantasy for the Hidden Author Awards! 1st Place in Fantasy for the Hot Dog Awards! Winner of @EventualElites "Hypnotized and Hooked" Award! 3rd Place in Fantasy for the Book Center's Summer Awards! Cover by: @Baneen121

WATTYS 2016 WINNER Untouchable. Stone. Jewel - these are some of the names used for people who are born with a gemstone at the centre of their forehead. This unfortunate phenomenon cannot be detected before birth, it cannot be prevented, if a family has a Jewelled child, there is only one outcome: Before they're sixteen, they will have to leave human society forever and serve "the Zephyr". Among the Jewels there are those who have it worse. Those who sport clear diamonds on their foreheads, the Undefined. The downtrodden, the unlucky - the doomed. Cello Riles and Syianne Locke are both Undefined. On their sixteenth birthday, they each leave their homes and travel across the country to the Zephyr, attempting to go into service. Though aside from the place, or thing, that will take them from human society forever - what IS the Zephyr? There are only questions promised, only shadowy riddles guaranteed. Yet faced with no other choice they must venture forth and plunge into the unknown - the Zephyr. [A big thanks to @stpolishook for being a wonderful friend and helping me figure out how to write a better synopsis] COVER BY Abyss-of-Crazy

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

Born with glowing green eyes. Destined for rotten luck. Peasant girl Meya Hild was 'given' the opportunity to become a Lady. At swordpoint. By mercenaries. Engaged to a dying nobleman. Poisoned with one month to live. Tasked to loot a castle. In a kingdom running out of resources. Little did Meya know this shenanigan would lead her across land and over sea, from a mountain made of sapphire to an island shrouded in spiral clouds, with masquerades, heists, kidnappings, shipwrecks, alchemy, romance, and an unexpected 'bump' along the way. Let the misery begin. 🐉 🎯 PROGRESS: Book One (Chpt. 1 - 65): 100% Book Two (Chpt. 66 - 125): 100% Bingers, YOUR TIME HAS COMETH. Get LUMINOUS: BOOK ONE Now! (Paperback, E-book) https://storyoriginapp.com/universalbooklinks/0dcea44e-7cd2-11ef-936d-4312a3d8a901 Leave a review on Goodreads! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219316805-luminous 🎨 Cover: @NamtanTangren / Namtan [糖人] https://www.deviantart.com/tangrennamtan 📋 Content Guidelines: Most chapters are safe for work/school. Chapters containing intimate scenes will be marked with ❣️ Although not depicted explicitly, this story touches on mature subject matter such as depression and suicide, drug addiction and overdose, human trafficking, organ harvesting, abortion and rape. It's also loosely based on medieval times, and some scientific misbeliefs (concerning health and pregnancy, etc.) are present. Young readers are urged to use discretion. ⭐ DOs & DON'Ts ⭐ 💖DO: Add LUMINOUS to your library & follow me so you don't miss any updates! 💖DO: Comment away! I love answering them. Please be polite and respectful! 💖DO: If you enjoyed Meya's adventure, spread the word! 🚫DON'T: SKIP THE PROLOGUE! You have been warned by the dragons that be that you will regret it! Why don't I just rename it "Chapter 1"? BECAUSE PROLOGUE SOUNDS COOLER!

❝𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒕, 𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒕.❞ (the stars incline us, they do not bind us.) ━━━━━━━━━━ 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 Born as twins, yet one of them had everything, and the other had close to none. Abandoned at birth, Elianna struggled to live in the cold desolated palace located in the deepest corners of Thethia's royal grounds, while her sister was crowned a Princess and showered with affections and luxury. Yet, Elianna was happy. She was surrounded by people who sincerely cared for her and having them is more than enough for her. The only question was, how long would this happiness last for her? ━━━━━━━━━━ Golden Awards 2020: Random Category - Honorable Mention ━━━━━━━━━━ 23.12.19: Completed | ✓ 09.12.20: First Edit | ✓

Luca Fern has been a girl with a morbid fascination for disguises ever since a case of mistaken identity lead to her mother's murder. Moving to Bottle Island was supposed to heal her obsessive behaviours, but instead it has revealed a mystery that could swallow her whole. As tradition on the island, Altswood High School organizes an annual game called the Hunt: a thrill-seeking contest among peers of seek and eliminate. But this year, instead of an innocent paint pellet, players are being eliminated permanently with bullets to the head. The head investigator, Luca's own father, is stumped as the death toll increases. Soon Luca will be next, and if she cannot bring light to the hidden secrets within Altswood High's traditions, then she too will die in this twisted version of the Hunt.

A new system of marriage for the prince has been made in the kingdom Taraxac: The Dandelion System. When Karlina Dearcage makes a deal with the manipulative Princess Oda to be her pawn in The Dandelion System, she has a bad feeling about it. There are ominous rumors of the mysterious prince whom the public never sees, the other contestants are just as driven as her for different reasons, and the Queen herself has some tricks up her sleeve. Nevertheless, she meets the strangely childish Prince Otto and the other personality, Oscar, who shares his body, and realizes she wants to help both of them out of her own will. As Karlina learns of the dark secrets of the Royal family and the other girls' feelings about it, she finds herself questioning the innocence of The Dandelion System. *** #1 in royal (2/11/21) #1 in royalty (4/21/20) #1 in retelling (6/13/19) #1 in medieval (1/22/20) #1 in revolution (4/16/20) #1 in dark fantasy (1/1/21) #2 in rebel (10/20/19) #2 in contest (8/22/19) #2 in competition (6/19/20) #2 in fantasy romance (10/8/21)

Clara Avery was a normal human girl. Or, at least, that was what she'd been made to believe. And yet amidst the dying flames of her ruined car, the few boxes of her personal belongings, and her relentless bad luck, Clara has something far more valuable than even she knows－her soul. Catastrophe and trouble turns her life inside out when she makes a regrettable deal with a demon; one that ends with her being kidnapped only to awake in the Underworld. As fate would have it, it is there she will find the truth behind the strange occurrences in her life, and her relationship with the group of demons known as the Elite. In a world where supernatural beings exist, how will Clara react to the sudden revelation of her fate? Who is she exactly, and what is her role in the events that unfold before her?