Highest Ranking: #1 in Humor [FEATURED, SEPT-OCT] An idealistic poet refuses to budge from the last parcel of land a developer needs to acquire in order to build a shopping mall. (Literary satire with pop culture references and environmental themes.) synopsis: The Myth of Wile E. is a riff on the modern obsession with fame and acclaim, as well as a mediation on the artist's place in the modern world, as seen through the eyes of a naive poet who is made simultaneously pathetic and heroic by the pursuit of a singular goal. In this novel, we meet an assortment of eccentric monomaniacs, from mushroom hunters in search of a legendary truffle, to birders pursuing a possibly-extinct bird, to competitive Duck Stamp artists, to "the World's Foremost Living Statue"...and even a very stubborn spider. Meanwhile, our narrator--a terrible, yet persistent, poet--battles a ruthless land developer who's determined to acquire the poet's humble property, in an escalating battle of wills that spirals out of control when the media gets involved. With these quirky events as a backdrop, we gradually learn of the misfortunes that befell each member of the poet's family in their various misguided quests for glory. We also learn why money makes the world go flat, why talent is a white elephant, and what it means for parents to love their children "to pieces." Some of my influences are Richard Brautigan (especially), Christopher Moore, Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins, and George Saunders, so if you like any of them, I hope you'll enjoy this, too.

Thrown out of an abusive home, Suki pretends to be Devin's girlfriend while she stays with his family. But what happens when pretend feelings become real? ***** With nowhere to go after being thrown out of an abusive home, Suki asks Devin, a complete stranger, if she can stay the night with him. But what was supposed to be a short-term solution quickly turns into an open-ended promise: if Suki pretends to be Devin's girlfriend to ward off his pushy (if loving) mother, then she can live in his spare bedroom until she sorts out her life. But what happens when pretend feelings become real? Will Suki be able to overcome the fear and pain in her past in order to heal and fall in love? [[1st Place, The Rarity Awards, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, Skull Awards, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, The Royalty Awards 2017, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, The Gold Awards 2017, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, The Holo Awards, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, The Z Awards, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, The Purple Awards, Romance Category]] [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]

❝Tell me a story, love.❞ In which, a slave girl tells a bloodthirsty king a story in exchange for her life. [07.15.16] all rights reserved ©2016