"What? You gonna avoid me again like you did today? Pretend I'm not here and call it a night?" Then there's Donovan. Bittersweet, underappreciated Donovan. My best friend. The only person I had known I could use as a safety cushion whenever things got tough. My punching bag, my own personal, opinionated diary. He snapped my journal shut, waving it at me. "Can you be honest for once in your life and tell me what that list is about?" "I am honest with you."I mumbled, distracted by the bruises and cuts on his hand. "What happened there?" "Don't dodge the question. If you're so honest, why didn't you tell me they were giving you a hard time?" "Because it doesn't matter." "And Mel?" I admit that the worry in his honeyed-earths had almost cracked my demeanor, leaving me feeling vulnerable enough to want to open up to him, to let him in on all the cruelty I've endured. That is until he mentioned her. He took my silence as the answer he wanted to his question. He wanted me to be the bad guy because he cared that much for her. Wanted me to take on the role of bad friend so it'd fit his story and make him secure in his feelings. "Don't touch my stuff, Donovan." I mumbled and plucked my journal out of his hands with no fight from his end. I tucked my secrets back on my bookshelf and leaned against the wall, arms crossed as I anticipated his next words. I was met with silence and a whole lot of eye judging and with that, my old nemesis, panick, set in. "Did you read it?" Gosh, I hate how fragile that came out. I need to pull myself together before I end up saying something I'd regret. "You still haven't answered my question about Mel." "Because it's insulting." I responded, balling my hands into a fist to keep from chewing on my nails. "Did you read my journal?" He scoffed. "What do you think?" ... A story that tells of the struggles of teenage life, embracing change and how to cope with society as a whole.

Matthew thought he could escape his past, one filled with constant war, where his powers made him attractive to a crooked regime. They'd forced him to enlist, used him to fight their enemies, and the only way to separate himself from those blood-soaked hands was to wash it all away. His name, his people, his soul, all born anew far away from the corruption and death. In those few moments, he breathed easy, yet as he closed his eyes at night, flames flashed before his eyes, reminding him of what he'd hidden away. Nightmares turn into reality as a shadow from his past stalks him beyond sight, framing him for the murder of officials who sat at the feet of the party who rules his warring peoples. Now Matthew must run with his family or face a trial certain to result in their deaths. Danger licks at his heels as tensions rise within his homeland, the government forcing segregation of those with powers and those without. If he hides and does nothing, the world around him will fall to chaos, but is fighting to save his people worth the price? Will tainting his hands in blood once more take all that is left of him? Will that blood make the difference? Or will it force more into a world of suffering. Future cover will be created by @CrimsonShadowMask

Sylfir is a lone druid; a young bounty hunter hailing from the High Forest who has made a life for herself answering calls for aid from the helpless. When the village of Summerfall issues its plea, she thinks it is no different than any other bounty she has taken, but when she arrives, she gets far more than she bargained for. In the wake of its near-destruction at the hands of an unknown beast, the village has become a confluence of powerful players: a cleric of the gentle but resolute Eilistraee who is unwavering in her conviction, a trio of Uthgardt warriors with unmatched mettle, and a mysterious red-eyed witch who would invite doom on them all. Sylfir finds that she must rally these souls to her side for good to triumph over evil. But amid the sea of chaos, she chances to find islands of calm as she comes to feel for the village people. Of all of them, however, it is the son of a farmer that she's drawn to. She proves all too susceptible to his easy charm, but with all that is at stake, will she let herself fall for him? The Rescue of Summerfall is a DnD story set in the Forgotten Realms' Faerûn in the wake of the Second Sundering (1488 DR) and is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Content warnings: Mentions and depictions of violence, gore, implications of abuse, sexual themes (nothing explicit) Enjoy!

Paige de Haan believes in a lot of things, but ghosts aren't one of them. Keane Mahoney, her former best friend, would just like her to believe in herself. ***** After a devastating summer, Paige De Haan is determined to cut ties with her old life--no more parties, no more attention, and definitely no more old friends. Her plan seems to be working until an unexpected run-in with her former best friend, Keane Mahoney, throws a wrench in her plans. The universe pushes them together, forcing them to partner up for their senior project: a ghost-hunting web series where skeptic meets believer. The sudden closeness stirs up unresolved feelings and urges them to confront the past they've been avoiding. Now, Paige and Keane must decide if their relationship is destined to stay buried . . . or be brought back to life. ***** BENNINGTON COLLEGE #2 © 2024 caterina george // all rights reserved

**I LIKE YOUR VENOM SWEET REWRITE** Macheras is a name feared and respected within New Berlin, USA. With the city in a chokehold, a ruthless reputation, and every person of import in their pocket, the family's authority has remained unchallenged for decades. The Hydra, a syndicate of five brothers in all but name, fly through the ranks of New Berlin's criminal underworld and rise to the top. With all eyes on them, they must face their last and most challenging obstacle: Vasilios Rex Macheras and his children. All that, however, might have to wait as an unseen enemy threatens to destroy everything the two behemoths have built. A war looms on the horizon, and prior to dealing with domestic matters, one must weed out the pests. Alliances need making, blood needs spilling, and heads need rolling.

Rewrite Note: [At present I am rewriting the book with a planned release of the redone chapters starting in July! Originally thought I'd just clean up the chapters but decided instead to change up the story lines and make things better connect to book 2] So major plot changes will occur to what was read in draft 1 originally posted last year! A new opportunity to live his "best" life. At least, that's how Vincent was sold on the idea. Thing is, the condo's sort of haunted... by the ghost of a brutal killer known as the Hammer Man. For most, this would be a deal breaker. Well, not for Vincent. He's four years into his "career" and lives for hunts like this. It's a simple enough job: Go in, find the ghost, make it pay for the crimes it committed decades ago and deliver damnation in the way he knows best, punishment based around the target's sins. Will this job just be an easy, open, close case or will this hunt start him down the path of unraveling crimes of decades past, all while meddling in the affairs of the creatures around his new home?