*Featured Story* Readers of dark tales, are you in the mood for holiday cheer? Enter DEAD WINTER and get your fill. But mind your step! In this frozen world, victory belongs to the villains. DEAD WINTER: A CRYPTIC Anthology is a collection of 25 chilling tales penned by Wattpad's finest authors. Stories will be published one per day beginning on New Year's Day. Highest Ranking: #30 in Short Story.

Of Swell, it may well be true that a nondescript, tiresomely uncomplicated man is found dead in an isolated hut in the middle of a car park by a voluptuous though sexually innocent young woman who is convinced he is her saviour. The evidence might suggest his death has been caused by the unbearable heat then again, it may not be quite so simple. It is entirely possible that nothing about this man, and the story of his life, is as it seems. Swell is a seminal tale of obsession, isolation and control with intimations of sexual deviance. Be cautious of your first impressions, only upon reaching the end will you see whether you are right to believe what you think you know. Visit www.rivenrod.com for more . . .

I am Death. I know who you are... There is darkness and madness in each of us. We must do battle with our own demons. But... What if those demons opened the door in the back of your mind and stepped out. What if they became real? If the night, the shadows, the reflections and Death himself walked among us? And what if they were watching you? Waiting? Thirsting...? Dark Places. Thirteen stories. Thirteen poems. Thirteen doorways. - Praise for Dark Places: "He paints a surreal picture that sucks you into the terror." "Wow. Brilliantly written!"

What will you get if you pair a reckless, impulsive, dramatic young lady and London's corinthian and master conspirator in an obscure engagement? Simple: the bride to be will try to flee and the groom to be will do what he does best, to seduce and conspire!

A uncoordinated intern, a demanding gentleman, and an a game. What's missing? For the most part, a regular day for Ellie Donovan consists of running around the office, typing up documents, setting up meetings, and attending to her cold-hearted boss. It's almost like any other office job. That is unless you like twisted sex games, and lying gentlemen. But something is missing... A platonic relationship with a man she's never met will cause her suspicions to raise once her relationship with the CEO of Hale Inc. changes. It seems that life can never be too sweet to Ellie once a few gentlemen enter the picture causing the uproar of a lifetime. You could say it's a Gentleman's Affair.

After escaping her past, Miranda finds herself in coastal Maine, and when she meets Owen, she must help him uncover what truly happened to his now-dead ex. ***** On the run from her abusive ex, Miranda Lewis figures a small town in coastal Maine is just the place for her to lay low. There she befriends Claire, the owner of a local cafe, and her son, Owen. A woodworker and musician, he keeps to himself, especially since the town believes he played a part in the disappearance of the town's pride and joy... a skilled artist and his former girlfriend. As the two begin to grow closer, Miranda agrees to help him uncover the truth behind what really happened, especially now that strange things are occurring again, leading all roads back to Owen. [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]] Cover designed by Simone Northey

A world called Nocturnia… a nightmare place, populated by every monster you've ever heard of – werewolves, vampires, zombies, trolls, yeti, Frankensteinian patchwork creatures -- and some you probably haven't. Monsters aren’t the exception on Nocturnia, they're the rule. In fact, they rule: Each monster type has its own country and government and culture. Humans are a very persecuted minority in Nocturnia – those who aren’t slaves are food.

Emmy's life is going just as she'd planned: She's living in her own apartment, dancing every day and is just leaps away from being named her company's next Prima ballerina. And she's only 17. But all of Emmy's plans come to a screeching halt when the FBI shows up at her door to let her know that she's being stalked by a serial killer. Suddenly, the safe, insulated world she created for herself is riddled with violence, fear...and a growing pile of dead bodies. At first Emmy wants nothing more than to forget her chilling new reality - but her admirer isn't finished with her yet, and before she knows it, Emmy's stuck in a nightmare she can't dance her way out of. Content and/or trigger warning: This story contains detailed scenes of murder, rape, torture, sex and stalking, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]]

Even though Riley Brennan is new to Noble Matchmaking, she's determined to find a match for the agency's most important -- and difficult -- client, Trevor McKnight, no matter how drawn to him she is. But when Riley finds herself accidentally on a date with the sexy millionaire, she must keep her wits about her or risk losing the only job she's ever loved. Will Riley be able to match this millionaire? Check out my Pinterest visual board for this story here: https://www.pinterest.com/lindsayaarons/no-match-for-a-millionaire-visual-board/ Thanks for reading! ____ Praise for "Make Me a Match (Noble Matchmaking Series #1)", a featured Wattpad romance: - "Love this!! It's fun, reads well and I like the characters." @JenniferAnnLewis - "This is a really interesting and addictive book. I'm loving it." @TresseFruit - "Wow! This is an excellently written story! Loved it from start to finish." @thelphred - "That was as the most sweetest, crisp, romantic, short, interesting, and amazing story I have read." @cookie_and_cream2001 - "This story was written beautifully and I have never gotten such satisfaction out of such a short story." @sleepalldayy

Seventeen-year-old botanist Isla Blume believes every life deserves a chance to survive, even in the apocalypse. So when collector droids kidnap her mom, she knows she has to fight back to save her life. No one returns from being collected, not even her boyfriend Daniel, and after a failed attempt to combat the droids, Isla is captured too. Just when she's sure she'll suffocate inside one of the droids, a group of renegade scientists, the Deathless, save Isla and her mom. They tell her that that droids have been harvesting survivors as forced labor for the government. After learning Isla's name, the Deathless become suspicious of her, and soon she hears why: A familiar voice to Isla repeats over a transmission from the bunker, "Find Isla Blume." Determined to reconnect with those she's lost, Isla faces her fear of fighting and joins the Deathless' first attack on the government. If only she could trust them to help her. A Wattpad featured story! Follow Isla's journey through post-apocalyptic US with the trilogy! Now you can read the whole trilogy here, including bonus material and extras! For the complete Deathless experience, read THE BLAST and STORIES OF THE DEATHLESS too! Beautiful cover by @MulanJiang