The Wattys 2014 "Undiscovered Gem" Stella Henry is afraid of a lot of things. As a child, her simple, comfortable home life did not prepare her for the sort of people whom she would meet as a younger teenager. Now eighteen and a freshman at Clemson University, Stella meets Charlie, who, like her, has long been keeping others at bay. Though his disposition is kind and gentle, Charlie is a boxer, and his world only reminds Stella of elements of her past she would like to forget. When both realize that they have a safe place in one another, they start to overcome their fear of other people, and of letting them get close enough to matter. In many ways, this is a story about allowing people to matter to our lives, and about meaning something to them, in turn. At some point in your day, in your routine, in your life, you will matter to someone. That is a special kind of power, do be careful with it. "We love people not so much for the good they've done us, as for the good we've done them." Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Five-time New York Times #1 bestseller, Adelaide Maddox, is not like normal 21 year-olds for many reasons. Not only is she one of the most popular romance novelists, she's hiding something from her readers. She's never been in love, never even been kissed. And when Addy's faithful editor retires and a newer, hotter replacement comes in, how far will she go to make Mr. Elliot Hayes hers? It's battle royale at the office, and maybe with the help of her best friend Bria, Addy can be victorious. And through all of this, can Addy escape her writer's block and finish her sixth novel? Read as Addy acquires her battle scars, goes through lessons in flirting, and struggles to live out her own romance, in I Write Romances, Not Live Them.

Ashley Martin has been through more grief than a person experiences in their entire life and carries baggage that no kid should ever entail. Tyler Miller is the school's scandalous bad boy who acts on impulse, blinded rage and will single-handedly destroy anybody who stands in his way. Then all of a sudden, they're thrown together and despite their destructive past, they're forced to overcome their differences. It's time for Ashley to stop running away from his death glares, blank stares and that spine-chilling scowl that reminds her just how little he cares. Driven by a whirlwind of secrets, a class assignment and midnight walks into the past, things should start working out. But then fate kicks in; hard-hitting and soul-crushing. It's a fight-or-flight situation, a reincarnation of her past, a chance for him to right the wrongs he did by her. A second chance is like giving someone an extra bullet for their gun after they missed you the first time round. So here's Tyler's gun. Here's Ashley's heart. And here's to their second chance, however hopeless it may seem.

Kayleigh's scared. And she hates it. It's weak and pathetic, but she can't stop it. So instead she hides it. But it's always there. It's always itching in the back of her mind. It's only a matter of time before someone finds out. So what happens when Jayden, a guy she never even spoke to before her eighteenth birthday, starts to see past all her defences. What about when there's nowhere left to hide from her darkest fears? What's the plan then? [(Special thanks to x_ADaydreamAway_x for making me the cover)] xxx TW: Suicide mention: chapter 25 a character states her belief that its a childish means of escape and i dont have any one correct her on that in this story (im working on fixing this) **ill put a more in depth explanation next to chapter 25**

When Arianna marries billionaire Zach Price to save her family, she doesn't expect to fall in love with a man who'd always consider her a second choice. An unexpected turn of events brings the couple closer together, but can a marriage based on lies and deceit ever survive? ***** When Arianna's older sister, Olivia, decides to run away on the day of her wedding, Arianna is forced to take her place to save her family from ruin. But her new husband is angry, heartbroken, and seems to hate her guts. The cold, elusive billionaire Zach Price has never quite struck Arianna as the kind of man she'd want to spend her entire life with. She was more than content with her sweet, thoughtful boyfriend Noah, but when circumstances force them together, Zach and Arianna's hearts get entangled in a way she never saw coming. As the couple grows closer, they must battle the demons of their past and of the lives they left behind - especially when Olivia returns and decides she wants Zach all for herself. Content/Trigger Warning: This story contains scenes of violence and sexual abuse, and mentions abortion and miscarriage. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ren Tachibana

Isabella Stanford never thought that one day she would have the Playboy Billionaire hottie for a guardian but did when her parents died in a tragic accident and left him with that responsibility. Now, ten years later, she discovers that the big crush she had always had for the badboy was still very much alive and he was igniting more than curiosity from her. After the death of his partner, Liam Vergil was shocked to discover that he was granted guardianship for his partner's sole daughter. The last thing he needed was for a child to enter his glamorous life...until he laid his eyes on her and something engraved deep inside him. There was nothing more he wanted than to protect and cherish this young woman.

✨✨Shortlisted for 2017 WATTYS!✨✨ Losing any human sense sucks. But for Everett North, losing his vision at eight years old made his life a living nightmare. Angry and hurt, his sanctuary became the world he found in music and he shut out the world. But when a new girl emerges on the scene and attempts breaking through his walls, Everett realizes all bets are off. So now, it's up to the girl with a pocket full of dreams to show the boy who gave up that life has plenty of things worth fighting for. Soon, Everett ends up finding friendship, a little bit of love and most importantly, himself. * * * * * * * * * * "Love...is never blind."

Prince John's biggest fear? Becoming King, and everything to do with it, from the sheltered life, to someday having to get married. Celia, a lady knight, minus the 'Lady' if she can help it, is not looking forward to coming of age and attending the High Ball which she thinks is nothing more than a market for single girls. The two have hated each other since childhood, but when the stress gets to John and he does something drastic, Celia's the only one who can help.

[FEATURED STORY] At school, they were nothing. At midnight, they were lovers. Because one minute after midnight... a rich girl and a boy who came from nothing found something they had in common. © 2014 All rights reserved | Short-Story #2 | Humour #25 |

Seat filler Lincoln Parker never expected to accidentally fall on one knee in front of world-famous superstar Emily Margot. Now, with his face on the cover of every tabloid, he has to pretend to be her lover-and keep hidden his real, growing feelings as their time together starts to run out. ***** When 23-year-old Lincoln Parker accidentally trips over famous actress Emily Margot, he never imagines that she would ask him to be her pretend fiancé until the scandal-of being caught supposedly proposing to her-blows over in the media. Because he's a relative nobody; just an army medic on leave, moonlighting at award shows as a seat filler. But with his name on the dotted line of their contract, he has to find a way to survive in her Hollywood bubble and also bury his growing anxiety, especially as his leave from the army runs out. Can their budding relationship withstand the distance? Is their love built to last? [ General fiction #2 chick lit #4 ] [Wattys 2015 Winner - HQ Love) [word count: 60,000-70,000 words] Cover designed by Lucas Fisher Sequel: The Game Changer