#Wattys2025 Shortlist Crimson Veil The wedding was just the beginning. When her kingdom falls and her cousins are slaughtered, Meira of Ink and Bone is spared - not out of mercy, but as a weapon. Ryul, the ruthless general turned Emperor, sees in her both a threat to his power and the perfect key to seal his rule. But Meira refuses to kneel. Dragged into a forced engagement, she becomes a pawn in a court of veils, ancient prophecies, and burning secrets. Haunted by visions of a future she cannot escape - one where her body yields to the very man who conquered her world - Meira must decide if she will break... or remake the empire from within. He wants her loyalty. She wants his blood. And the Veil watches them both. A dark, gothic fantasy laced with sensual tension, power plays, and spiritual warfare - Crimson Veil is a slow-burn psychological battle between a cursed bride and the man determined to own her soul.

The complete book is only available on Kindle and can be found at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FS181BKW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=2C1BY8TCDSU9G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UYq_PSgfmkivAIc6YRMNNQ.bASV0Mjw-veYDv83E4xEEOQOz5ORQXBkqztBnt-J9BM&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+gathered+fragments+of+us&qid=1758560347&s=books&sprefix=the+gathered+fragments+of+us%2Cbooks%2C46&sr=1-1 I will keep some of the early chapters here live, but the conclusion, changes to story line, and additions will only be available to read through Kindle once published. Until then, happy reading! 🥰 Felicity Barrett thought she had everything: a marriage to a man she loved and a beautiful future. But when years of neglect and unspoken grief collide with her husband's devastating mistake, everything begins to crumble. Caden Barrett has always been the fixer-at work, at home, and in his marriage. But some things can't be solved with late-night apologies or expensive gifts. To win back Felicity's trust, he'll have to face his failures, fight for their future, and learn what it truly means to not only love his wife, but to show that love. Together, they must navigate family turmoil, betrayal, and the painful echoes of the past. Through chaos, heartbreak, and unexpected joys, Felicity and Caden discover that love isn't about perfection-it's about persistence, forgiveness, and choosing each other again and again. This is a story of brokenness and healing, of second chances and the quiet work of love. It is a novel that explores modern marriage, blended families, and courage while asking: when everything shatters, can love be rebuilt stronger than before?

Cassy and Blake stand on the brink of a new beginning, hearts full of hope, ready to carve out a year at university filled with beauty and unforgettable moments. They dream of a year where every moment is steeped in beauty, every memory etched in time, as though the world itself would unfold gently at their feet. But life has other plans. The path they envisioned quickly unravels, giving way to unexpected challenges that disrupt their dreams. What was meant to be seamless becomes a struggle against the unknown, with buried secrets surfacing and the weight of life's trials threatening to overwhelm them. As past wounds resurface, each misstep feels like another blow to their fragile hopes. The road ahead, once promising, now seems uncertain and treacherous. In the face of struggle, the question remains: can they find the beauty they once dreamed of, or will their burdens break the vision they held for their first year? Only time will tell whether they can reclaim what was lost or if the future they hoped for will remain just out of reach. "Prepare yourself-putting this book down isn't an option."

It has been two years since Cassalia Anderson and Ben Mills' worlds first collided-two years since Ben stepped into her life, effortless and unforgettable, woven into her world through Paul, the one person who has always been more brother than best friend. Two years of stolen glances. Almost-moments. Unspoken feelings. For two years, Cassy has fought it. Buried it. Denied it. She has convinced herself, again and again-that it means nothing. That it has to mean nothing. She clings to that belief like a rule she refuses to break. Because she has never been one to gamble with her heart, not after everything she has lost, not after the scars that were carved into her. But no matter how deeply she buries it, the truth linger, quiet, relentless...a slow-burning ache she can never quite extinguish. And then, just as Ben finally confesses his feelings for her, everything she has spent two years holding back begins to unravel. For the first time, she allows herself to believe...maybe... maybe he has always felt it too. And then-everything changes. Because Ben isn't the only one who can unravel her world. Blake Handerson arrives like a storm she never sees coming, intense, complicated, and impossible to ignore. Where Ben feels like history, something steady and unfinished, Blake feels like chaos...like risk...like everything she has sworn to avoid. Now, caught between the love she has spent years denying and the one she never expects, Cassy is forced to confront the one thing she has tried so hard to control: Her heart. Because love is never simple. Trust is never guaranteed. And betrayal...never comes from where you expect. And this time-choosing wrong might cost her everything. 🤍 "Once you turn the first page, there's no turning back."