After escaping a stalled elevator into a zombie apocalypse, Emily must learn how to trust people again or risk losing everything in this terrifying world. ***** For Emily, every day of the last two years have been a blur. She keeps her head down, takes her college courses online, and only goes out to work at her mandatory internship. But all that changes on the day the office elevator breaks down, leaving her trapped when the screams begin. And when the doors finally open, revealing a dystopian world ruined by bloody teeth and disease, Emily is launched into a terrifying run for her life, caught between the strangers she's not sure she can trust and the man-eating monsters that hunger for her flesh. Now she must learn not only how to survive in this new and dangerous world, but also how to overcome her own inner demons before they cost her something more precious than her life. [[Wattys' Shortlist]] [[Promoted by AMC]] Content and/or Trigger Warning: The story contains some gore, violence, strong language, and dark themes. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

Damien Stryker is a ruthless billionaire, but when Serena Mclane is forced to marry him, she hopes to find the mercy behind his cold eyes and strong hands. ****** Damien Stryker, a domineering billionaire, is someone you don't want to get close to. Unfortunately for Serena Mclane, she doesn't have much of a choice. Always at the mercy of her family's name and legacy, Serena has to do as her father says. So when her father forces her into an arranged marriage with the one and only Damien Stryker: the truth comes out. Secrets are unveiled, and love starts to bloom. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]

When good girl highschooler Ellie falls in love with an ex-convict, old family secrets come back to haunt them and keep them apart. ***** Living up to her "good girl" reputation had never been an issue for Ellie Browning, a small town Australian highschooler. That is until she meets Haze. Handsome, tattooed, and with a criminal past, he is everything she was taught to avoid. Unable to control their feelings, the two form an unbreakable bond that unearths family secrets and emotional turmoil for Ellie and everyone she has ever loved. With all odds against them, Ellie and Haze must ultimately choose between their love and familial obligations. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]

Henley agrees to pretend to date millionaire Bennett Calloway for a fee, falling in love as she wonders - how is he involved in her brother's false conviction? ****** Henley Linden's brother is in jail for a crime he didn't commit, and she'll take any job to raise the money needed to free him. Soon, she's agreed to pretend to date millionaire Bennett Calloway for ten thousand dollars, so his mother will ease up the pressure on him to find a wife. But once Henley is enmeshed in Bennett's world, he falls for her, and she starts to have feelings for him as well. Despite her romance with Bennett, as she grows closer to the Calloways, Henley realizes they are somehow involved in her brother's conviction. Journeying deeper into a world of wealth and conspiracies, Henley is forced to rely on Bennett, though doing so could cost her everything. [[word count: 200,000-250,000 words]]

FOR FANS OF BRIDGERTON. To save her family's reputation, Isabella must impersonate her twin sister to deceive her sister's husband in a scheme that depends on her not falling for him. ****** Identical twins Isabella and Arabella Garvey have nothing in common except their looks: where Arabella is a confident socialite, Isabella hides from society, ruined by scandal. But when Arabella runs away with a secret lover to escape her loveless marriage, Isabella must impersonate her sister in order to save her family's reputation. The only problem? In order to outfox Arabella's cruel and clever husband, Isabella must start living with him, and it doesn't take long for her to discover a passionate and respectful man under his icy exterior. But is she willing to destroy her sister's reputation in order to be with the man she loves? [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

Tobias and Talia are complete opposites, yet thrown together in an arranged marriage. Can they navigate married life in the wake of a terrible tragedy? ***** After being pressured into an arranged marriage to merge their families' companies, Talia and Tobias are stuck living together as husband and wife. Although they are both unhappy, neither tries to make the best of it. Tobias is too busy, and Talia is too distraught by the tragic death of her former fianceé, Jason. But as time goes by and they spend more time together, an undeniable attraction develops between the two. Despite this, Tobias can't seem to see past his jealousy of Jason and accept Talia - and Talia, plagued by guilt, is unwilling to let Jason go. Are the two heading for better - or are they headed for far worse? [[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]

Hunter, a street kid turned FBI agent, is ordered to befriend Calvin Black. But as they grow closer, she realizes Calvin cares more about her than the FBI. Hunter Ashley was taken off the streets as a teen and brought into a highly secret FBI program that's turned her into a full-fledged agent. She is assigned, alongside the brooding agent Micah, to befriend Calvin Black, the son of the notorious Christopher Black. Hunter does her best to hide her survival training inside a typical high school, only she's developing feelings for Calvin, and it looks like Micah is starting to crush on her. In a world where a single mistake can prove fatal, Hunter has to figure out who she can trust, or she'll end up back on the streets. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]

Maya, an innocent nurse, finds herself forced to accept protection from the Phantoms motorcycle gang, specifically the dangerous, irresistible biker, Jake Ford. ***** Maya has a normal life and a normal boyfriend, Sebastian. But one day she drops off a letter to a prison for a patient under her care, and finds herself being watched over by a dangerous, handsome biker. It turns out Maya is under the protection of Jake Ford, and despite her feelings for Sebastian, she can't resist the pull of Jake's strong arms, dark looks and chequered past. Soon criminals are coming after her, and Jake is the only one who can keep her safe. Will Maya hide behind her good-girl reputation, or let go and lose herself in the passionate world of Jake Ford? Content and/or trigger warning: This story contains scenes of violence and sexual activity, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]] Cover designer: Ren T. Photographer: Michelle Lancaster Model: Jaxon Human

When college student Kasey Whitton takes a job babysitting for single dad Jian Li, she doesn't expect to fall in love with the newborn baby -- or with Jian. ***** Love is the last thing on Kasey Whitton's mind when she agrees to take an overnight babysitting job to help support her struggling family. But as her business relationship with single dad Jian Li slowly develops into something more, Kasey is surprised to find herself falling in love with him despite his hot-and-cold attitude towards her -- and the fact that she has a long-term high school boyfriend. Will her growing feelings for Jian and his newborn son be enough to convince her to risk everything stable in her life? Or will Jian's fear of commitment -- and his belief all the women in his life are cursed -- be enough to keep them apart? [[Best Diverse Story, The Fiction Awards]] [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]