Christmas Break spent in the Netherlands sounds like the perfect way for Charlotte Wright to relax with her best friend - until she sees the family that they'll be spending Christmas with! Wolfram van der Waals makes no secret of the fact he isn't Charlotte's biggest fan, even though he's never met her before. A quitter may have given up on getting Wolf to like her, but Charlotte is determined to make it a very merry Christmas - and that includes getting Scrooge to crack a smile! Her efforts blow up in her face and with Christmas soured, she has no reason to think of Wolf in the ensuing five years that she's spent establishing her matchmaking business in New York City. Until one day he makes her an offer too good to refuse...

When Aria's father sells her to a stranger from the north, she never expects to be cherished like a daughter. To live in a castle, showered with every luxury. Her sumptuous new life is every young girl's dream. But as Aria grows older she can no longer deny the mystery and strangeness of her beloved foster family. Especially the Greyback men. Nor can she ignore the dark menace of the woods beyond the castle. Aria is determined to unravel their secrets. Above all, those of Lucian Greyback, the enigmatic and unsettling man to whom she is betrothed. When her curiosity gets the better of her, Aria is compelled to venture into the forest and discover the truth. But beneath flesh and blood lies a beastly legacy. And a birthright she could never imagine. If you enjoyed the gothic, captivating world of mystery in Jane Eyre (but need a little more bite), you will love the suspenseful and alluring secrets of Aria's journey in this book. Cover designed by @JeanineCroft Copyright © 2015 by Jeanine Croft

WATTYS 2016 WINNER Untouchable. Stone. Jewel - these are some of the names used for people who are born with a gemstone at the centre of their forehead. This unfortunate phenomenon cannot be detected before birth, it cannot be prevented, if a family has a Jewelled child, there is only one outcome: Before they're sixteen, they will have to leave human society forever and serve "the Zephyr". Among the Jewels there are those who have it worse. Those who sport clear diamonds on their foreheads, the Undefined. The downtrodden, the unlucky - the doomed. Cello Riles and Syianne Locke are both Undefined. On their sixteenth birthday, they each leave their homes and travel across the country to the Zephyr, attempting to go into service. Though aside from the place, or thing, that will take them from human society forever - what IS the Zephyr? There are only questions promised, only shadowy riddles guaranteed. Yet faced with no other choice they must venture forth and plunge into the unknown - the Zephyr. [A big thanks to @stpolishook for being a wonderful friend and helping me figure out how to write a better synopsis] COVER BY Abyss-of-Crazy