[ORIGINAL DRAFT SAMPLE] She is twenty-nine when the FBI comes for her, but Catherine Themis was only seventeen, grieving and naive and angry, the first time she wiped someone else's blood from her fingers and felt the snake rise in her chest. She was seventeen when she stepped into the dark and never looked back. ***** By day, Catherine Themis is an unassuming civilian administrator for the Dedwich Police Department, but by night, she is a notorious vigilante known as The Hangman. Struggling with her violent urges and the psychological cost of her actions, Catherine becomes the target of an obsessive serial killer and a relentless FBI agent, and as the hunt for the Hangman intensifies, Catherine must decide which life she wishes to live and what she values more: vengeance or her fading humanity? A psychological thriller in the vein of MINDHUNTER and HANNIBAL, SERPENT HEART is a deep-dive into the life and history of a conflicted vigilante forced to confront her inner demons and evade a national manhunt. Catherine questions the efficacy of her own convictions as the FBI closes in and a vindictive murderer puts her family, love, and identity in jeopardy. With everything on the line and time running out, who will Catherine Themis become? --- [[AVAILABLE ON AMAZON]] [[REMOVED 24 DEC 2021]] [[2019 Watty Winner - Mystery & Thriller]]

Alexander Langley wasn't looking for trouble but Charlotte Porter found him anyway. Only, this new partnership has them in over their heads and way before their time. 2020 WATTYS WINNER in MYSTERY The life of a poor merchant's daughter in Victorian Era London is quite boring. Charlotte Porter, it seems, is the exception. Desperate for a source of income once her father's gambling debts have drained their funds and placed them in the sights of some of London's most notorious criminals, Charlotte is in search of salvation. It comes in the form of handsome detective Alexander Langley, a curious gentleman with a strange connection to Scotland Yard and an even stranger connection to the American West. Charlotte soon finds herself swept into his world of investigation and intrigue. When a case of art theft turns into murder and she and Alexander are thrown into the seedy underbelly of the London elite, Charlotte realizes that the work isn't the only thing she's become attached to. But now, her father's powerful creditors are ready to close the books on them, and Charlotte must find a way to keep them out of the red because this time it won't be written in ink. Book 1 of the Langley & Porter Series *Featured on: The Wattpad Stars For Fans of Bridgerton List Wattpad's Strong Female Leads List @HistoricalFiction 's The Gothic List EDITOR'S PICK April 2021 Content warning: This story contains violence. **This is only the first five chapters. The rest of the book is available on Amazon for purchase and via KU.**

[This story will become free on JANUARY 21st, 2026] Angie, a grieving expectant mother, must help the spirit of a little girl find the remains of twelve other children who mysteriously disappeared three years ago. ***** After the death of her twin brother, Angie Abernathy immersed herself in her painting to help her deal with her overwhelming grief. When her husband, John, finally convinces her to sort through some of Cory's belongings, she unexpectedly finds the closure she needs in the form of a map and a journal full of cryptic notes. When the notes lead her to the bodily remains of six-year-old Mary Drake, the first of thirteen children who went missing three years ago, Angie finds herself caught up in her own investigation and quickly starts to believe that Mary's bones aren't as dead as they seem to be... Content warning: This story contains mature themes, including references to the murder of children

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]]

Corinna Báthory, 16th-century nobility, is kidnapped and thrown into a male detective academy in present-day Florida. But they grabbed the wrong girl. Season 1 of Agents of Time ***** It's 1585, and things could not possibly be going any slower for Corinna Báthory. Overwhelmed with expectations as Hungarian nobility and the trials and tribulations of becoming a female playwright in a field dominated by men, Corinna would do anything for a change of pace. Of course, there's nothing better to speed up the narrative than being kidnapped...and being accused of being a serial killer. ***** [[ THE WATTY'S 2021 SHORTLIST ]]

2018 • [ A CROOKED TALE, a phantom's whisper, watch it burn, feel it blister. ] • A forest. A hut on chicken's feet. A fence of blood and bone. Before she was Baba Yaga, she was just a girl. Fuelled by spite and hatred for the world around her, Yaga Izeva has always had two faces. A beautiful one, the tailor's girl and a perfect wife, and the other, far darker than anyone could've ever imagined. Because things like that didn't happen in their village - until they did. With the blood of her village on her hands and nowhere to turn to, Yaga runs to the open arms of the forest, where the water runs black and the trees are haunted by ghosts of the past. Power is a pretty thing - before it consumes you. Go to sleep, children. And watch out for Baba Yaga. (cover by @wanderess_4) •1st place Morningtides Awards Winner •Reader's Choice Winner - Best Story Description •Chaos Awards 5 - 2nd Place in Fantasy •Youngblood Awards - 1st place in Fantasy

[A Wattpad featured story] Halloween, a highlight of the year, has come once again to the small town of Hains. Bethanie Cousins, high school royalty and writer-in-secret, just wants to have some fun, possibly do something she normally wouldn't. After all, next year she'll be moving to the city for university and everything will change. Dylan Corvall, aspiring photographer and son of the town mayor, wants to use this Halloween to gather some unique shots for his university portfolio. But while he seems to have everything planned, what he doesn't count on is Bethanie and the whirlwind of an evening she has in store for him. And both are surprised when they meet Florence Nigh, the mysterious new girl with a flare for danger. The trio are in for the Halloween of their lives, but little do they know that something supernatural is at work, something that may see one of them dead before the night is out... © 2016 by shayebay This short story is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. All Rights Reserved Featured by Wattpad in September 2017

Even a Diamond can be shattered... After the owner of a security company is murdered, his sharp-edged wife goes on the run. Forced to abandon everything she holds dear - her home, her friends, her job in special ops - she builds a new life for herself in England. As Ashlyn Hale, she meets Luke, a handsome local who makes her realise just how lonely she is. Yet, even in the sleepy village of Lower Foxford, the dark side of life dogs Diamond's trail when the unthinkable strikes. Forced out of hiding, she races against time to save those she cares about. But is it too little, too late? **WARNING** If you want sweetness and light and all things bright, Diamond's not the girl for you. She's got sass, she's got snark, and she's moody and dark, As she does what a girl's got to do. Thanks to my awesome readers for taking Pitch Black to #1 on the Mystery/Thriller Hotlist!

He skins his victims alive, taking pleasure from their pain. In the cold, dark nights of Alaska, a hunter is stalking his prey. Once found, he takes them into the woods and skins them alive, prolonging the experience as much as he can, but the satisfaction always wanes. Aislinn Cain and the Serial Crimes Tracking Unit have just finished up another case when they get the call. Now they are packing their bags and heading for Alaska in March. The team must overcome the hostile locals and harsh climate to catch a killer before he steals the life of another woman.