[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]]

Esme Dupont's easy and high-class life takes a drastic turn one summer. It begins with her aunt, the Grand Wizard's, murder, a betrayal, a curse and a leap of faith off of the top of the massive Ivory Tower to her potential death. But it does not end there. Framed for the Grand Wizard's death and inconveniently cursed, Esme is forced to blackmail a young thief and force him to smuggle her from Lakeside city to the Granite Tower on the other-side of the country, where the only ally who is both magically and politically powerful enough to help her resides. But getting there will be hard and, with the police, the dangerous Wizard Tower's hunters and a begrudging ally, Esme is not at all confident she can make it in one piece, let alone alive. This wasn't the summer she had planned. This was a summer of nightmares. A summer of slyness, sneaking and shape-changing curses. A Vulpine Summer. Vulpine Summer is a young adult fantasy-romance adventure set in a fantastical 1920's world, where fashion and class mean everything and magic is barely holding its place against the ever growing science and medicine. Was titled Vulpine Summer from 2016 - 2022. Cover is my own work, drawn 2022. Author's note - Please be mindful of what you're saying when commenting. I'm happy with helpful criticism, spelling/grammar pointers, questions or simple chatter. However, a tirade of needless, unhelpful complaints and just outright rude commentary is not welcome. My stories are terrible first drafts, they're going to be riddled with issues, so just politely highlight if you feel there's a problem. I'll listen and likely take on board the criticism. And if you're not enjoying it, that's fine, just move on and thank you for giving it a shot.

Octavia. That's the name the world knows her by. One word. One name. At seventeen, she was a girl who had her spotlight when she was whisked away to co-star in what would be an award-winning movie. From that moment on, she had never strayed away. Now, at 24, Octavia is a star and has found herself in multiple productions. As she finds herself in Milan, Italy for a new and upcoming movie she is cast in, she crosses paths with Caleb Henderson, the famous writer known to the world as Romero Henderson. However, as the production of the movie begins, Octavia immediately decides her opinion of Caleb. She doesn't like him. She borderline hates him. She hates how annoying he is. She hates the stupid, random topics he always brings up. She hates how he almost always cuts her off whenever she's speaking. She hates how attracted she is to him. I exhaled, trying to rub the tiredness off my face with my hands. I looked down at his shadow on the ground to him. His face looked as if it was glowing from the sun, his eyes narrowing from the brightness. I let my gaze trail from the exposed tattoos on his arms to the stupid smile that was still on his face. "Why are you like this?" For a moment he didn't answer me. He simply glanced at me, knowing that I meant more in the five words. The smile on his face went from pure amusement to bitterness. It was something I had never seen before and I didn't think I wanted to see him smile like that ever again. He pivoted his head towards the sun once again and in a serious tone asked, "Would you have me any other way?" Cover: @EmSlough_

*EDITORS PICK* "This book has been so amazing I found myself daydreaming about it💖💖 totally worth my time 😃" "This story has had me laughing, screaming, and squealing with excitement. Dexter definitely gives me "dude really?" vibes and I'm so grateful the ending wasn't dragged out. Gaby is painfully relatable and I love her dearly and here I am wishing I had a friend like katya. I don't think I could give this story any more love!!! 💛💛💛💛💛" If you like this book, you can buy it: https://bookgoodies.com/a/B07RD1HRR5 A boy, a girl, a dating guru-what can possibly go wrong?! Gaby's recently split from her boyfriend of ten years and needs to escape fast. Where better than the Highlands of Scotland where she can lick her wounds and recover in peace and quiet? Fate has different ideas in mind. First, there's the rough and ready Jack McAllan who bears more than a passing resemblance to Gaby's favourite fictional Scottish hero. He's an important part of the local community, even if he's failed to impress Gaby so far. Who knew a guy could be so rude and taciturn? Then, there's the mystery of the woman whose home she now inhabits. Kirsty's left too many tantalising clues for Gaby to resist, not least her not-so-secret identity and YouTube fame. But why did Kirsty run, and does it have anything to do with the red-haired Scot who keeps turning up in Gaby's daydreams much as she tries to resist... Featuring kilts, mist-cloaked hills, lochs where the water runs deep, spoilt cats and a little too much whisky, Highland Fling is a sweet, fun-filled romp through Scottish small towns and rural life, finding love, making a fool of yourself and discovering that an overactive imagination leads you into all kinds of trouble... The perfect book for fans of chick lit humour, laugh-out loud romantic comedies along the lines of Jill Mansell, Sophie Kinsella and Jenny Colgan.

Every human needs a strong wolf to survive, And every strong wolf needs a human to calm the raging tide. So when a lonely male wolf meets a small pack of only two, He begins to love what's not his, because he does not listen to the Moon. ~ A young female werewolf and her five year old pup meet a lonely Alpha rogue one night in the woods, a man who has silently had his eye on them, watching over them in the shadows. He makes them his pack, his family, and vows to protect them for all he is worth. But what will happen when truths are spoken, mates are found, and the family that is so closely tethered, becomes torn apart? This is a story of raw emotion, deep betrayal, and love that is stripped to the bone. A mates bond is instant, but coming to fully love someone takes time.

Sam is the most promising swordsman among this year’s crop of Paladin trainees...and knows it. Brash, cocky, and unbeatable with a sword (well, almost), Sam is the kingdom of Thule’s best hope against the violence wrought by demons. The only problem is that Sam is really Lady Samantha, daughter of the seventeenth Duke of Haywood, and if her father has his way, she’ll be marrying a Paladin, not becoming one. But Sam has never held much interest in playing damsel-in-distress, and so she rescues herself from a lifetime of boredom and matrimonial drudgery. Pity that Tristan Lyons, the Paladin assigned to train her, is none other than the hero of her childhood. He hasn’t recognized her as Lady Samantha--yet-- but if he does, he’ll take away her sword and send her packing. Sam is not the only trainee hiding secrets: Braeden is a half-demon with a dark past that might be unforgivable. Sam, Braeden and Tristan set out for the western coast, charged with rooting out an infestation of demons that has made the West unlivable. As they travel, they uncover a deep-seated corruption of power that threatens to derail everything they stand for. Rebellion stirs, led by a rival faction of warriors who tempt Sam to join them with an irresistible offer. A war between men is coming, and Sam must pick a side. Will saving the kingdom cost her life -- or just her heart? Reminiscent of Mulan, but with a medieval fantasy twist, Paladin is a tale of adventure, action, and romance.

**FEATURED STORY JULY 2018* **WATTPAD HQ READ OF THE WEEK AUGUST 2018* **WATTYS 2018 WINNER** Casey Brogan is on a mission to self-destruct. Whether it's booze, drugs or men, she's spiralling out of control and stepping over the line, to destroy the demons of her past and herself in the process. Ethan Drake isn't looking to be anyone's saviour. He has enough demons of his own and a legacy he'd do anything to avoid. Following a near-fatal overdose, Casey discovers a world beyond the one she knows, one where dark creatures wage an age-old war and where nobody is who they appear to be. Now hunted by those who want their world to remain a secret, she must decide whether she can put her trust in Ethan, or whether he is just as much a threat as those that want her dead. After a lifetime of trying to destroy herself, Casey is about to do just about anything to keep herself alive.

∞ A Wattpad Featured Story on 17 January 2018 ∞ "There are two sides of the same coin." In a dystopian society where people are discriminated by their social status, Adrastea Bones is merely a healer with a knack for inventing antidotes for fatal poisons. When the leader of the rebellion, Rhydderch Thomas, finds out about Adrastea's skill, he persuades her to his cause, despite her originally wanting to stay out of the fray. It doesn't help that Rhydderch is her soulmate due to the words on their skin. Never had she entertained the thought of finding hers, let alone the fact that he didn't seem to mind her being his that much. Journey with Adrastea as she comes to see that it always isn't good and bad and that as ruthless and manipulative Rhydderch can be, perhaps, there was more to him than she originally thought. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Just be careful of Rhydderch," he warned. Adrastea looked up at that. "Why?" she paused warily, "Is there a reason why I should be wary of my own soulmate?" He shook his head, "No, but Rhydderch is the type of person who had gone to hell and when he came back, he brought back a piece of it with him." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * soulmate trope from Tumblr | dark | inspired by the tomione ship

Story completely independent of 'Her Cursed Monster' She was a demon's sacrifice, but to him she became more. Born with a limp and stuck in the orphanage, Elyse is more than acquainted with the fact that life is challenging. Her tormentors seem determined to never let her forget that. However, after a demon summoning gone wrong, a dark presence enters the life of the orphanage. A dark presence intent on haunting Elyse and making her his. Azrael was disturbed from his realm. Great was his surprise and joy when the sight that greets him on his summoning was that of his human mate. Now he just has to persuade his timid Mistress to accept him. Even if he has to haunt her. #77 in Paranormal on 03/12/2017 #15 in Paranormal on 01/05/2018 #4 in Paranormal on 13/07/2018

Marcie is an oddity in her village, the daughter of a widower with both village and outsider blood in her veins. She cares for her drunken father, and struggles to fit in with the rest of the village. Everything changes when she comes across two dragons, a mother and her new born, and unwittingly becomes the Tamer of the baby dragon when his mother dies. This new unlikely bond completely changes her life and opens doors to her future that she would have never thought possible whilst also causing her pain and heartache.