Dr. Madeline McKinnon has just returned from a service trip counseling victims of Child Soldier recruitment in South Sudan to work for the FBI. She's been given a gun, a badge, and a rigid partner. Special Agent Jake Parker has been working for the Federal Bureau of Investigations for a long time and he doesn't appreciate Dr. McKinnon's tendency to doubt him. It's brains versus brawn as these two learn to work together to solve the most brutal homicides under the Bureau's jurisdiction. But, as they solve the case and work to catch the killer, they learn that not everything is what it seems. Even when it comes to your very own partner. Originally submitted during the Open Novella Contest 2021. Trigger Warning: Please be advised that this story contains violence, sexual themes, alcohol and drug use, and casual depictions of violence by characters whose jobs make them susceptible to detachment.

High school graduation and an unsolved murder rip apart childhood sweethearts Barlow and Pet. Ten years pass and they get a second chance to rekindle their romance. When they team up to solve the murder, the killer resurfaces bent on parting them again, this time forever. Copyright 2019 by Dennis Royer All Rights Reserved.

Fashionista Cheline Morgan's life is turned upside down following the discovery of a corpse outside the building where her best friend lives. After coming to terms with the death, Cheline attempts to solve the mysterious circumstances surrounding it, while her best friend appears more guilty by the minute. Will she find the murderer before her BFF ends up in jail or worse...dead? Cover by the incredibly talented @x_Luminous_x.

WATTYS WINNER 2020 Two interconnected murders, 64 years apart. One woman's search for truth and identity. Readers' comments: 'a masterpiece', 'impeccably written', 'amazing', 'superbly crafted page-turner', 'hauntingly beautiful', 'tremendous plot and character development', 'one of a kind', 'fantastic story telling', 'loved this book', 'a wonderful read", 'absolutely beautiful', 'brought tears to my eyes' and many more Wattys judging panel: 'This is VERY good. We were HOOKED from the beginning, and the writing and plot hold up throughout. This is a very unique, polished, well-written and well-researched piece.' Plot Set partly in rural England, partly on the sun-kissed coast of southerm Italy, The Painted Altar is a murder mystery mixed with romantic and historical elements (World War Two). Given away at two days old, Mary Rice has spent her life in the shadows. When discovering the suspicious circumstances surrounding her biological mother's death, she embarks on a journey which will shine a light not only on the truth but also on her own identity. Brief extract Suddenly, the door had inched open, half a wrinkled face visible behind the tautened chain. "Hello. Who is it?" The words I was going to say had of course been well-rehearsed, repeated over and over in my mind like a mantra, but now that the moment had arrived I found myself struggling to remember them. "Mrs Harvey... I think that you might... well, that you might be..." The door closed, then slowly opened once more, the chain this time unlatched. And there she was before me - half a metre away, within arm's reach. Thin lips gradually crooking upwards at each corner like the slow beatific kindling of a summer's dawn. "Oh yes love, I know who you are." Length: 70,000 words About the author: Originally from England but for the last 16 years I've been living in Italy. I hope therefore that the Italian aspects of the novel will have a certain gloss of authenticity.

{Wattpad Featured Story} Nolan Clay was convicted of murder and dishonorably discharged from his marksman position in the Navy SEALs all in one night...for a crime he didn't commit. After spending ten years in prison, all Nolan wants to do is live a quiet life in the mountains of Colorado. However, when Nolan is called upon by the Central Intelligence Agency to investigate rumors of terrorist activity, what he uncovers is more than he ever bargained for. Old enemies are planning to disrupt the way society functions and have created a system that seems unbreakable. Nolan must decide between two things: Walk away from the chaos as a condemned man, or save it from itself. This is a serial story and I post every Wednesday! It will not include any language or inappropriate scenes, but there is violence. Thank you so much for reading! ^_^

Delena is determined to have a good time at summer camp and forget about her backstabbing ex-best-friend Mei. But when Mei shows up at camp too, suddenly revenge looks a lot more appealing than forgetting. * * * * * As far as 17-year-old Delena Torres is concerned, friendship is nothing more than a quick way to get hurt. This has been her mindset for the past two months anyway, ever since her best friend Mei ditched her and started hanging out with her arch enemy. She's more than ready to spend summer vacation alone-- then her parents surprise her by signing her up for a photography course at Camp Create It, the summer camp she and Mei always dreamed of attending. Still, even if she has to be surrounded by other campers, Del's determined not to get attached to anyone. She'll spend the summer by herself, honing her photography skills and forgetting about Mei. Easy, right? Maybe, if it wasn't for the fact that her quirky cabin-mate seems deadset on becoming friends. Or if she could stop running into the cute guy from the kitchen staff. Oh, and if she wasn't in the middle of a prank war after one stupid attempt at revenge, since Mei just happened to show up at camp, too. Yeah, this "lone wolf" thing might be harder than she thought. 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 (𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝) - 𝟏𝟎/𝟏𝟓/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎

❝𝘊𝘖𝘕𝘎𝘙𝘈𝘛𝘜𝘓𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕𝘚. 𝘠𝘖𝘜 𝘏𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘉𝘌𝘌𝘕 𝘈𝘊𝘊𝘌𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘋 𝘐𝘕𝘛𝘖 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘎𝘈𝘔𝘌. 𝘠𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘛𝘌𝘈𝘔 𝘕𝘈𝘔𝘌 𝘐𝘚: 𝘍𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘖𝘍 𝘊𝘓𝘜𝘉𝘚.❞ Everyone at Rutherford High is familiar with the elite and anonymous group known as The Seven. When they announce a competition to win five thousand dollars, an unlikely group of students decide to band together in an attempt to win it all. But they aren't the only ones with their eyes on the prize, and with every challenge seeming more absurd than the last, they'll be forced to question just how far they're willing to go to win- and why. Join the Four of Clubs in their journey of friendship, romance, and excitement as they learn to work together to decipher the riddles and comple the dares that get them one step closer to victory. 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 (𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝) - 𝟖/𝟑𝟏/𝟏𝟖 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 (𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐬) - 𝟏𝟐/𝟐𝟖/𝟏𝟗

Abigail Archer lived a non-existent life. That is until Death arrived at her door with an interesting proposition... He asks her to live. But what will Abigail do when she realizes her only reason to live is Death itself? And what will Death do when he realizes that in Abigail, he has found life?

Years ago, the Trolls were banished into the Nether, a void of evil and darkness between the magical realms. With their greed and treachery locked away, peace has reigned throughout the worlds. But not for nineteen-year-old witch, Aramina. Being discovered to be a non-magic-a witch with waning powers- has cost her everything. A place among her people, her future as the next High Mistress of Magic, and the man she loves. Determined to live a life without magic, Aramina's plan is foiled when Roane, a man of many secrets and tattoos thwarts her kidnapping. He introduces her to a world where non-magics are being hunted and sent into the Nether. She will never be safe unless she finds out why the Trolls need non-magics and who is smuggling them into the Nether. To get her answer, Aramina will be forced to face an evil that's had a chance to grow, and to defeat it, she'll need a different kind of magic. The kind she'll only find within herself. That is if she can finally face her demons, and if Roane's secret doesn't get her killed first.

2020 WATTYS WINNER in NEW ADULT! Oliver Ausman has been given a second chance at life, but it's hard to feel grateful when he was the one trying to end it in the first place. Returning to his normal life after being released from the hospital is hard, especially since his parent's idea of normal is made up of dinner parties, prep school, fancy suits, and fake manners-- all paired with a complete disregard for the mental health of their firstborn. He's long been fed up with it, but the final straw is when he finds out that his "father" isn't actually his father at all. Oliver decides he's had enough of the perfect facade, so he packs a suitcase and grabs his younger brother, "borrowing" his mother's car to sneak off on a trip to find his biological father. But he never expected to pick up a girl with her own similar set of problems, to be followed across the country by a money-hungry pair of criminals, or most of all, to find out that maybe this life thing isn't as bad as he thought. 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 (𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝) - 𝟏/𝟐𝟐/𝟐𝟎