Watty's 2018 Long list! Highest Ranking: #1 in Action & #1 in Fantasy. (For ease of reading for those with mobile devices, this written work will be one story section per chapter.) Brenna Caldwythe walks in the forest on her sixteenth birthday and discovers a relic. Her discovery begins a chain of events which will forever alter her purpose in life. Aederan, the world upon which she lives is threatened by unspeakable evil, which is growing in strength and power. "Listen child to the voices in the wind blowing through the grasses and the leaves, they speak of many things; the wise should listen to what they have to say. You are young and know not of the darkness, yet you sense its wicked ways. The evil is spreading through the water, the soil, and through the air, seeking to corrupt the world," Elliana said. "As a flickering flame can shine brightly in the darkness, driving back the shadows; so too, can the power of one who is pure, strong of heart, and faithful. My child, you are the one Light of Elliana and are Aederan's greatest hope. Go forth, and rally those who share your dream of finding the sanctuary, for within lays the destiny of your world." Prince Donovan Answaar, through events, finds himself guided deep into the forest. Determined friends, in the form of Morgan, Changa, Girard, among others, are found by Brenna who leads them to Donovan. Five friends realize they're experiencing the same recurring dreams which state they must begin a quest. Twelve loyal friends discover the horrific truth about their world's ancient past. With the enemy pursuing their token force of intrepid adventurers, they must face dark sorcerers, evil necromancers, the undead, and the brutal malice of a Black Dragon. These stalwart heroes are locked in a race against time. The prize is nothing less than the hope of victory over ancient evil, which threatens to destroy their world.

[Book one of the Paint series.] A boy details his emotions through painting, one color at a time.

Marty Stu Bonkvist, a bed-hopping journalist who totally isn't an idealized version of the author, goes to investigate a forty-year old disappearance. Aided by his sociopathic hacker sidekick Elzbeth Salamander, he taps into a vein of sandwiches, Apple computers, and unbelievable plot twists. Anyone who loved "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" will appreciate this good-natured satire. Anyone who hated the original novel will appreciate this ruthless skewering.

~ Winner of Wattys 2015 Hidden Gem Award , The JOURNEY THAT BEGINS THE FIREBIRD CHRONICLES. "You are my daughter, and you have grown up so kind and innocent and just," she said, "You are everything I could have wished for. But it is not enough. The King will take your kindness, and use it to crush you. He will trick you with your innocence and perverse justice as we know it. You will die as you are now. Do you hear me, Lumina? You must become stronger. One day you must become Queen." Lumina, a young thief, is desperate to find her best friend and sister, Reia, when she vanishes one night in the woods. Following her trail, Lumina finds herself travelling across the mysterious floating island, a kingdom within the clouds that is inhabited by angels. The kingdom has fallen to an oppressive ruler with a dark magic. Fabian, a powerful elemental lord, enrols Lumina, an eligible candidate for Queen, in the fight for the throne. Instead of finding Reia, Lumina discovers that friendship, love and adventure lurk at every corner, and a journey intended to find another is really about finding herself. Highest ranking #7 in Fantasy. Completed. Check out Book 2, Solstice!

The harsh winters and freezing blizzards of the tundra are all familiar to Anyu. Living amongst her tribe in the frozen wasteland, she has learned to survive and fend for herself. But when she is lost in a strange blizzard, Anyu finds herself in a world of creatures, spirits, and magic that she has only heard of in legends. Led by her mysterious guide Kano, Anyu searches for a way back home. But before she can leave, she will have to discover the truth about herself and the land she calls home. What has Anyu's tribe been keeping hidden? What is her connection to this strange new world? And what are the secrets hidden beneath the ice? Highest Ranking: #44 in Fantasy Cover by @KatrinHollister

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.

Highest rating: #19 in fantasy! Edlyn has never fit in. With her unusual white hair and silver eyes, she sticks out from her village of brown. To make matters worse, unexplainable things tend to happen around her-things that she can't control. In a time of turbulence surrounding the use of magic and those who possess it, Edlyn's life may be in danger. But when her village is attacked and she learns of an entire world of magic she never knew existed, Edlyn will realize that her destiny involves much more than keeping her powers hidden from the locals. To save the world of her new friends as well as her own, she must embark on a journey across unfamiliar lands filled with danger, loyalty, betrayal, and love. Will she be able to defeat the wicked witch who threatens to destroy everything and everyone Edlyn cares about? Amazing cover by the awesome Shan @GoldenSongbird <3

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS STORY IS ON HOLD AND MAY NOT BE UPDATED UNTIL AT LEAST JAN 2022 In times past, a warrior would eat the heart of his enemies to gain their strength... These are the times past. The Queen of Hearts sits on the throne of Catrimar. Her signature phrase? Off with their head and out with their heart. With every heart she consumes, the Queen grows stronger and more skilled and no one dares challenge her for the throne. But when a magic mirror and a prediction from a seer show her the girl who will be her downfall, the Queen is determined to nip the rose in the bud. She sends her slave, a werewolf with a black past, to take the girl's heart, but their encounter unearths secrets that neither wants uncovered. Secrets that may put both of them in serious danger... This is the story of a sympathetic assassin, a haunted Queen, and maid with lilac eyes, sure to smash the stereotypes you think you know. A fairy tale mash up with elements from Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and Beauty and the Beast and based on Native American and Aztec superstition (the heart eating bit). (Now rated mature for potentially triggering content related to suicide and self harm. Chapters containing such content are marked as such.)

"Our kingdom was once beautiful, but now the towers are everywhere. They say that Queen Rapunzel has lost her mind--and I believe them. Before, I might have felt sorry for her, but now I just fear her. I fear the sound of her soldiers pounding at the door, demanding that I be taken away. I fear the towers." Years after the original tale of Rapunzel took place, the kingdom--left to the grief-stricken Queen after her husband's death--is falling apart. People live in constant fear of the many terrible towers across the land, built by her Majesty's decree to imprison any who dare question her. Bird's nothing but a girl from the north, but when someone she cares about is taken by the mad Queen's soldiers, she'll stop at nothing to save them. With nothing but her friends, a sled, and a mind full of songs, she sets out to get rid of the towers, once and for all. DISCLAIMER: this is a retelling of the *ORIGINAL FAIRY TALE* by the Brothers Grimm and has no connection to Disney's version whatsoever. DISCLAIMER PART II: I wrote this book when I was 15 and am still in the middle of huge revisions that I haven't posted here yet! Please feel free to read, but keep in mind this is a work in progress. :)

For years, Calissa has dreamed of her curse breaking. But when it finally does, she was in no where prepared for what happened next. >< Years have passed since she has escaped the tower and all the weakness she had formed are now stuffed inside a locked cage inside her heart. Her mission now is to stand up against the strong evil and go against the tyrant king that has imprisoned them all in a lowly society. As a member of the Masked Bandits, she will do everything in her power to stop the tyrant king from finding the Eternal Dark-- the crystal that grants all evil to the master. With the mind and spirit of an animal, her talents shine above all others. So much, that she has been chosen by the masked man to act upon her desire of protection. By the masked man's unfailing trust around her neck and her instincts of honour and loyalty bound around her soul, she is determined to put an end to the kingdom's darkness. However, along the way, her courage will be tested. Along with her heart. The weaknesses that she caged in so long ago, will threaten to spill out. Including a dangerous, unbreakable bondage between her and another that even she cannot deny. ~~~~~ A Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood, and Mulan retelling. With a hint of Rapunzel. Winner of the FairytaleCommunity Mix-up Contest Cover by me Cover picture by Laura Caseley (https://goo.gl/izkOCG)