Marta Díaz Aponte, a city-born caretaker working in Hayatozca's sole orphanage, is met with the grim sight of a young man found dead in the playground with strange marks on his neck. Terrified, yet determined to keep her orphanage safe, she teams up with a paranormal investigator who is as mysterious as the killer she seeks. Her fiery resolve may be both a blessing and a curse, as she unearths secrets buried within the rural town she calls home, grows closer to her scarfed collaborator, and faces a supernatural murderer threatening both her loved ones and her sanity. ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ Updates bimonthly on Thursdays ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ Current cover made by me Chapter banners created by the talented @VeraChendra © 2025 Nightingale257 || Available only on W a t t p a d.

The man who once saved her becomes the man she needs saving from. ♥♥♥ Life was never easy for Chelsea, but she refused to let it define her. After college, she settled into a quiet life as a teacher in a small Connecticut town, accepting that motherhood was out of reach-until one night changes everything. At her best friend's wedding on Jekyll Island, an evening with a charming Marine, Trevor Anderson, leads to an unexpected pregnancy-her Miracle. When Trevor returns from deployment and discovers the pregnancy, he insists they marry. At first, Chelsea hopes it's the beginning of something real. But the man who once saved her becomes someone she needs saving from. Determined to protect her daughter, she makes the only choice she can: vanish. Reborn as Kate in a remote Washington town, she starts over-until Ryan Dalton, her first love, walks back into her life and helps her uncover a long-buried family secret. But just as Chelsea begins to heal, a national news broadcast shatters her new life. Trevor's emotional plea paints her as unstable and missing, igniting a media firestorm. Now, with her past closing in, Chelsea must fight not just for her future-but for her daughter, her truth, and the love she's finally found. In Miracle, Barbara Targonski delivers a gut-wrenching story, deeply personal debut about reclaiming your voice, breaking cycles of abuse, and the powerful kind of love that comes at the highest cost. ♥♥♥ It doesn't look like us. I slide down the wall. Onto the floor. My whole body shakes with the weight of it. I cry silently. For myself. For my daughter. For the man who used to make me feel safest in the world. I want to pretend it didn't happen. I want to tell myself it was a mistake. But I know better. I've seen this before. In my childhood. In the way my mom shrank beneath my father's voice. In the way she made excuses. In the way I swore I never would. I didn't deserve this. No one does. ♥♥♥

In a world where Vampire on Vampire murder is punishable by a fate worse than death, Lucretia Aemelia and Aurora Beatrix have been sworn enemies for two millennia. Being the matriarchs of their respective ancient clans, they are the two oldest and most influential vampires in North America. With their rivalry coming to a dangerous boiling point at Lucretia's 2200th birthday celebration, they are summoned by the Elders From Beyond the Veil, who put them through the nine circles of hell in a last-ditch effort to prevent the eruption of inter-coven war. Bite Me Tender is a slow-burning, paranormal, sapphic enemies-to-lovers dark romantic comedy with elements of historical fiction and horror. It is a story for mature audiences and is not meant to be read by anyone under 18. Content warnings: Explicit scenes Explicit language Drug and alcohol use Violence and gore References to real-life religions that some may find offensive

After the massacre of her previous masters, Seul-Ki is transferred to the Royal Palace to work for Queen Bae Joo-Hyun--an ice-cold Queen with an unreasonable attitude. Despite the reputation, Seul-Ki finds the Queen to be an enticing mystery, a feeling that is surprisingly reciprocated. Curiosity grows into passion, and a forbidden relationship begins to blossom between them amidst opposite forces: the Queen's duty to the King, a rising tension in the courts, and jealous wrath from the Concubine who vies for the King's attention. While Seul-Ki falls deeper and deeper in love with the woman she cannot have, the world around her spirals more and more into a political storm she cannot control. There is nothing she can do to protect the Queen, no matter how much she is willing to sacrifice for her. The world is cruel, and the Queen's maid is powerless. *A Korean historical romantic tragedy inspired by the iconic lesbian movie, The Handmaiden.* *** First written date: 15 Jul 2022 First published date: 15 Sep 2022 Completed date: 19 Jan 2023 Edited date: TBD Word Count: ~39,000 Cover done by @/adrian.dsgns on Instagram

**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.

For Wren, the eldest daughter of the Queen of Avaloria, taking the throne means mastering the delicate politics of a kingdom, marrying to fulfill her duty to the throne. But ruling is never that easy--especially being the Queen's adopted child. Judgement starts to pour in and her mate, belonging to the sea as much as the land, tears Wren in two when she can't follow her below. Duty and love are pulling her in opposite directions, and it feels like everything is crashing down at once. Will she rise up above it all, or will the pressure pull her beneath the surface? Cover made by @lemonsindecay

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐦. 𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬. Valerie Crescent once had a promising future. In the land of Maskamere, blessed by the magic of the silvertrees, she was ready to begin her training as a priestess. Then the Drakonian Empire invaded, and Valerie lost everything. Two years later, Maskamere is a vassal of the Empire. Dressmaker by day, rebel by night, Valerie embarks on a mission to restore the silvertrees and free her country. But when an assassination plot goes wrong and her magical powers are revealed, Valerie is captured by the very man she tried to kill. • • • Content warnings: Mature themes, violence (including torture), references to slavery. See the author's note for a more complete list.

Mabel's life is falling apart. Between her long-time situationship who wants to be more than friends now, her rapidly deteriorating grades, and a group of friends who've been conveniently excluding her from their plans lately, nothing is going her way, and the pressure keeps building up from all sides. That's when Katie comes along, a brilliant new student who is quickly arranged to be her tutor. She seems like everything Mabel could never be. And yet, she understands her better than anyone ever did before. As the two start spending more time together, and Mabel's life becomes increasingly messier day after day, Katie will add another problem onto Mabel's plate-one that, if not handled properly, could leave a bitter taste in their mouths... and hearts. ~ 🍋 ~ Entry written for Open Novella Contest 2025 Prompts: 126, 118, 134, 69 Genre(s): Contemporary YA Romance PUBLISHED: 2/1/2025 COMPLETED: TBA

Eighteen-year-old cadet Lara Lorensky has one goal: to win the Selection, the only way people on Earth can ascend to NovaTopia, a utopia-like space shuttle orbiting the planet. Unfortunately, her longtime rival, Morgan Sánchez, also has the same goal--and their almost undefeated record in practices is Lara's biggest obstacle to victory. When an unexpected terrorist attack destroys Morgan's cyber arm, Lara's chances to win are significantly increased. But... what is the point of winning if her rival is not in their top condition? Plagued by guilt and a feeling she does not quite understand yet, Lara decides to help Morgan find a cyberlimb mechanic. As she ventures outside her sheltered bubble, Lara realizes that everything she was taught was a lie, including her identity. Perhaps the utopia she was fighting for all her life was also an illusion. Together, Lara and Morgan have a new goal: to find out the truth of Lara's identity--and the truth behind NovaTopia. {Part I COMPLETED! Currently on break until I am done writing and editing Part II!} *** - 'The Hunger Games' X 'Arcane' X 'Fallout' - Sapphic rivals to lovers - Hidden powers and identity - Non-binary cyborg love interest - Cyberpunk earth vs Utopian space Current word count: 57,000 words Planned word count to hit: 120,000 words Beautiful cover by @yadsdom on Fiverr

He was sent to learn from the king. He ended up unraveling him. Slowburn, longing, and the kind of tension that leaves scars. ✦•···················•✦•···················•✦ King Cassian rules Montverne with quiet grace and unshakable control. He speaks softly, moves precisely - a presence shaped and scarred by a tragedy. When Nikandros, crown prince of Dioneth, is sent to observe him and learn by example, it seems like nothing more than a political courtesy. But Nikandros is defiant by nature - reckless, sharp-tongued, and far too charming for his own good. He tests the rules, the patience of the court, and the composure of the king. But when Nikandros glimpses Cassian in a moment of raw vulnerability, something shifts. The distant figure the Prince imagined becomes achingly real - and far harder to resist. Between lessons, intrigue, and unspoken desire, both will come to realise that true learning goes far beyond what can be taught within the castle walls. After all, some lessons are learned through experience - and others through the heart. Date of publication: 04/03 - #1rst - Heartfelt (04/29) 🥇 ✦•···················•✦•···················•✦ 🥀This story was inspired by Laurent and Damianos (Captive Prince). Any resemblance is not a mere coincidence. 🥀 ‼️WARNING‼️: This story does not explore controversial themes as found in the book; however, it is intended for a mature audience. It features explicit sexual content, strong language, violence, manipulation, torture.