Beasts of Alytheria invites you into a world where gears and magic collide, and the creatures are just as quirky as the people-if not more so! This collection of short stories uncovers the peculiar inhabitants of Alytheria, from clockwork critters with attitudes to mysterious beings with even stranger habits. Whether you're new to the Steampunk Heroes series or a seasoned adventurer, this book is your ticket to a wild ride through a world you won't soon forget.

Alytheria is a world of magic, adventure and progress. Elves, dwarves, elementals, gnomes and all kinds of wonderous creatures call Alytheria home. This is a story about one such "creature... A very handsome and brave dwarf called Delain and how he met The Last Dragon. Beware, dear Reader, for adventure awaits... As well as shenanigans, naughtiness and some cussing once in a while.

Written for Lilac Contests January 2024 Suspense at your Doorstep Prompt #5

Kira has a system. It involves observation, data collection, and very clear rules-especially Rule #1: Do not let Ethan Fletcher get too close. Which shouldn't be a problem. Ethan is loud, chaotic, and deeply committed to being the most annoying person in her life. He climbs things he shouldn't climb, says things he shouldn't say, and does things he shouldn't do. Now, for reasons that are still unclear, he has a project he swears only Kira can help him with. There's a spreadsheet. There are rules. There are objectives. (There are also several suspicious attempts to add "kissing" to all of them.) Kira is determined to keep things under control. Friendly. Logical. Safe. Because Ethan is... well, Ethan. The guy next door. Her best friend's brother. The son her father never had. Practically family. Definitely not someone she wants to kiss. Probably. Genre: Teenage Romance/New Adult Romance This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. I reserve all rights as @MaggieOHighley. Please do not copy or use my work anywhere without my permission. Thank you.

A collection of all my short stories divided into categories. Though I'm marking it as completed, I'll add to it whenever I write a new one for some weird reason or another. Enjoy TW:- The stories in the Horror section might be disturbing to sensitive readers, as they contain references to murder, abuse, violence and other possibly triggering themes. Reader's discretion is advised.

When life becomes too hard to bear alone, someone comes along to bear it with you. Cody wasn't supposed to end up here. Not in this quiet farming town. Not on his grandmother's dairy farm. And definitely not sitting on a fallen tree in the middle of nowhere, wishing he could disappear. Then she finds him. A girl dressed like a walking burst of colour, marching straight out of nowhere and into his solitude. She talks like she knows him. Sits like she belongs there. Holds him like she's not afraid of the broken parts. He thinks she might be a hallucination. She's not entirely convinced he's real either. But when they meet again days later-under fairy lights, strange traditions, and a town that celebrates life in the most unexpected ways-neither of them can ignore the pull between them. Because sometimes, when the world has taken too much... you don't need answers. You just need someone to sit beside you in the dark. Genre: Romance/Humour This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. TW: Please be advised that this story contains references to violence, self-harm, depression, anxiety, mental health issues, and other possibly upsetting themes. Reader discretion is advised. I reserve all rights as @MaggieOHighley. Please do not copy or use my work anywhere without my permission. Thank you.

Belle needed a quiet place to paint. What she got... was The House. Described by her cousin as "quaint" and "full of character," the old mansion on the isolated farm is anything but. The house smells like something died in it in 1893 and never quite left. The lights don't work, the clocks don't agree, and the walls seem to whisper when the storm rolls in. Charming. Cut off from the outside world as the weather turns vicious, Belle is not alone. There's a man-warm, real, and very distracting... except for one small problem: She's not entirely sure he is real. Because this house doesn't behave. Doors don't always lead where they should. Time slips. Shadows remember. And sometimes, the past doesn't just echo-it replays. As old journals, strange dreams, and terrifying moments she can't explain bring together fragments of history, Belle begins to uncover tragedies that were never meant to be buried. But the house isn't just remembering. It's waiting... Funny, haunting, and quietly heartbreaking, The House is a story about love, loss, revenge, and the secrets that refuse to stay buried. This story contains themes of psychological horror, violence, and disturbing imagery. Reader discretion is advised. Genre: Mystery/Humour/Romance This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All rights are reserved by me as @MaggieOHighley. Please do not copy or use my work anywhere without my permission. Thank you.

When Willow Mayfair's life falls apart, her mother brings her to Briar Cove, the coastal town where she grew up. Living with Rebecca's childhood friend, a new world filled with love, excitement, and friendship opens up for both of them. This story is for everybody who also dreams of a fairy tale and won't care if the "knights" were a little dirty. "Grab a bunch of broken misfits, chuck them in a tribe, add some glitter and loads of weird-ass garbage, voila, you've got yourself a fairy tale... kinda... just... you know... minus the fairies..." Paisley Davenport This story is my happy place; I do not plan on ever finishing it. It will go on and on like a soapie. I might break it up into volumes later. This book is ideal for forgetting the world and becoming best friends with the characters. Please Note:- I'm currently rewriting this story to edit and enhance parts. I'm also breaking up long chapters. Though the reading flow will not be broken, the chapter numbers will become out of sync at the border between old and new. ♫ Genre: Slice of Life/Romance/Humour This is a slow-burn journey through love and life, filled with an array of beloved characters, their sad moments, happy moments and a multitude of bat-sh#t crazy moments. P.S.: This is not a fairy tale... ♫ This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. TW: Please be advised that this story contains references to violence (sexual and other), drugs, anxiety, mental health issues, abuse and other possibly upsetting themes. Reader discretion is advised. I reserve all rights to my stories. Please do not copy or use my work anywhere without my permission. Thank you.

What do you do when the girl of your dreams lives next door, but she hates your guts and will never see you as anything other than her best friend's annoying brother? You make a brilliant plan; that's what you do! This is a story about becoming friends and falling in love one crazy moment at a time... and having loads of fun along the way. Friendly Dating - Kira is written from Kira's point of view and can be read before, during or after this one, but they do contain some spoilers for each other.