*Now published as a full ebook and paperback novel. Buy now on www.authoranhorton.com* How far would you go to keep a promise? When twelve-year-old Oliver Ainsworth promised his life to Avery Hastings, she never believed him. After years apart, through war and tragedy, it seems even more likely that he's forgotten her entirely. And she's moved on as well. Haunted by their parents' gruesome murder and the overbearing debt they'd left behind, Avery and her sister both sell themselves into different trades to make their livings, to pay back the murderer before he comes for them too. As for Oliver? The war came for him just like it came for every other young boy in their village. Or so Avery thinks. Until her employment with a wealthy family in France forces their two worlds to collide once more and she learns there's far more to the boy she knew than she could have ever imagined. Bound by a contract neither of them ever signed, they must come together again after years apart, after being worlds away, after becoming different people. A contract which states that they are overdue for their own wedding. But, after a lengthy engagement, when Oliver gives Avery the chance to opt out... will she even want to?

When all hope is lost. When there's no-one else left to call... Dudley the Labrador is a cadaver dog specifically trained to sniff out human remains. His handler, Jennifer, suffers from an unusual phobia which has left her socially isolated. When together they uncover the corpse of a missing child, Jennifer begins to feel a deep, personal connection to the case. Dissatisfied by the direction of the official police investigation, she resolves to unravel the mystery herself. In doing so, she must first unravel herself... Readers' comments (final chapter): 'great book', 'superb' 'wonderful, incredible, fantastic!' 'wow, just wow', 'wonderfully satisfying', 'I love this book' Status: completed Genre: mystery/suspense Target readership: adults Narrative style: psychological depth, frequent twists, semi-literary Length: 75,000 words (approximately 300 standard novel pages) Author: Michael D Smith, Wattys award winner (The Painted Altar, 2020, literary fiction) Extract: It was then that the barking came, somewhere a hundred or so metres off to my right. Not his usual playful response, but instead a focused, constant noise - a quick-fire volley of woofs like rounds from a machine gun. His 'found something' bark. My heart quickened along with my step, the flashlight boring through the darkness. The moist barks of the trees deflected against my outstretched hand; pernicious branches whipped at my thighs, my chest, my face. "Stay there boy! You just stay right there." The barking was incessant, grew louder with each step. At last the thick maze of tree trunks relented and there he was, framed in the soft-edged beam of the torchlight in the centre of a small clearing. His tail swooshing manically, snout directed at the ground. Stooping myself down beside him, I slanted the flashlight to the earth, squinted in close examination. Nothing - just dirt, twigs and damp leaves. A shallow grave. The lifeless body of Meghan Shaw had been tossed into a shallow grave.

The harsh winters and freezing blizzards of the tundra are all familiar to Anyu. Living amongst her tribe in the frozen wasteland, she has learned to survive and fend for herself. But when she is lost in a strange blizzard, Anyu finds herself in a world of creatures, spirits, and magic that she has only heard of in legends. Led by her mysterious guide Kano, Anyu searches for a way back home. But before she can leave, she will have to discover the truth about herself and the land she calls home. What has Anyu's tribe been keeping hidden? What is her connection to this strange new world? And what are the secrets hidden beneath the ice? Highest Ranking: #44 in Fantasy Cover by @KatrinHollister

THE FAE ARE STEALING HEARTS [Wattpad Picks: Editors' Choice] Many moons ago, a deal was struck with the fae by a young woman who wished to save her lover's life. Years later, Adalyn is called upon to repay the debt and tumbles into a realm entirely apart from her own. Lost within a sinister fae city, she must learn to live in a place where fates can be foretold, names are kept as secrets, and bandits can steal the beating heart from her chest. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's dangerous to wander into the Wystwood alone?" Fantasy│Adventure│Romance A Wattpad Editors' Choice Story [Cover designed by myself│Cover graphic '04 Dorothy Lathrop' attributed to Will (ajourneyroundmyskull) on Flickr, licenced under CC BY 4.0]

When a storm strands Ira Hale at the stately Beaufort Manor, she joins the household to work under the mysterious and reclusive Valeri Beaufort, but what secrets are lurking in the shadows? *** Ira Hale joins the Beaufort household under the employ of Beaufort Manor's mysterious master, Sir Valeri Beaufort. She soon comes to care for the reclusive noble and his haunted home. When a series of gruesome murders in a nearby town expose Sir Beaufort as a vampire, both the town and Beaufort Manor fall under the scrutiny of a ruthless police force known as the Amith Capil. In a world where monsters walk among humans, the true killer hides in plain sight. *** Book I of Kingdom at the End of the World series. 2021 Watty Winner in Horror *** Content warning: This story contains graphic depictions of violence and death.

Can a lawyer solve a ghost's murder without falling in love? When a beautiful woman claiming to be a ghost from 1912 appears in Nick Marshal's new office and begs for help to solve her murder, he's intrigued. Once he realizes she's not a practical joke, and a real ghost, he's determined to kick-start his career by solving this century-old case. The more history he uncovers, the deeper he falls for the ghost. But can happily-ever-after happen when she's already dead?

~•Featured in @WattpadVampires' 'Supernatural Crossroads | Paranormal' Reading List•~ ~•Featured in @WattpadDarkFantasy's 'The Bestiary' Reading List•~ ~•Featured in @WattpadRoyals' 'Fantastical Kingdoms and Beasts' Reading List•~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~◇◇~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~•Book 1 in The Vampire Queen Series•~ Being tortured and hated by people is one thing. But being tortured and hated by one's own parents is another thing. And that's exactly what happened to Azira Vanderwood. Ever since her birth, she was constantly hated, shunned and tortured for who she was and wasn't and for what she did and didn't. And as she grew up, the never-ending cycle of hatred intensified itself. But she didn't give up. She endlessly fought until she earned the life, the happiness and the respect that she deserved. Her dedication, her self-confidence, her intelligence and her willingness to thrive to success shaped her into the first ever, the most powerful and the most feared vampire Queen of all times. They morphed her into the supreme vampire Queen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~◇◇~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~•Some readers' reviews that really touched me: •"This book is honestly one of the best in Wattpad" •"Wow, I honestly love it...Amazing writing" •"I envision this story to be a huge success. I think you have a best seller here 100%. LOOOOOVE IT" •"Thank you for writing this fantastic book"•~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~◇◇~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~•Awards won: •3rd place winner in the Page Turnover Awards •1st place winner in The Shimmer Awards •3rd place winner in The Young Writer's Award •2nd place winner in the New Year Awards •Best Female Character in The Women Power Awards•~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~◇◇~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: Please DO NOT recreate Azira in your stories!! A/N: I do not own the pictures used in this book. Everything is from the Internet, unless stated otherwise. Note: No part of this book is to be reproduced in any way without prior permission from the author.

All small towns have their quirks. The town of Nowhere, for example, has an overabundance of ghosts. Wyatt Best has lost his money, his father, and his last sweater vest. He is only sad about losing one of those things. When he's sent to live with his estranged uncle in Nowhere, Wyatt is immediately fascinated by its magic. He then meets the Penny family. The three Penny sisters, who were each born on the same day exactly a year apart, have the ability to commune with the ghosts in Nowhere and act as a bridge between the land of the living and that of the dead. Just as Wyatt begins to adjust to his new life in this strange town, a forest appears. And the ghosts it has trapped inside have secrets to tell.

Mia Evian has to piece together the mystery of Zack Maddox, the bad boy whose life she saved, while simultaneously keeping her own crumbling life together before Zack ends up in trouble again - or worse yet, dead. ***** This is a love story. When Zack Maddox, a notorious bad boy, meets Mia Evian, a nobody with a disdain for arrogant pretty boys, the two teenagers' lives are thrown into chaos. Zack is a mystery Mia can't unravel, and as her family is torn apart by her father's infidelity, her newfound thrill-seeking attitude is the only thing keeping her head above water. As Mia's behaviour turns increasingly reckless, Zack becomes the lifeboat keeping her afloat. Mia thought she had a good grasp of the world, but she's beginning to realise the people around her are far more complex than she could have ever imagined. Worse still, she may not be the only one who needs a lifeboat. This is a love story - just not the kind you might expect. ***** Content warning: This story contains mild drug and alcohol use and themes of mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Cover designed by Lucas Fisher

In a world of monsters, is it possible to find the beauty in each other? Ice melts... Power ignites... Bonds forge... Just in time to clash with the impending storm on its way. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "I think you have lost your mind," Soren suddenly muttered. Then it happened: Annika grinned. A glowing warmth lit inside, heating her cold interior. There was something extraordinary about the simplicity put into a grin. The anguish lessoned, and suddenly anything was possible. Surely the sky could fall if Annika could smile? "What makes you say that?" She asked as she continued her movements. The grin acted as a soothing balm on her aching heart. Annika might've been crazy to become so easily uplifted by an everyday facial expression, but crazy seemed like a much better term to be than slave. "Only a lunatic would approach me in my slumber." His eyes remained shut, and he didn't object to her petting, so Annika didn't stop. "Well... you wouldn't know if you were asleep?" "Mmm," the sound vibrated like a guttural hum, "I awoke the second you entered." "Did you?" Annika asked as she turned her head to study his face, but this time, his eyes were open, revealing those beautiful pits of colorless depths. --------------------------------------------------------------- (WARNING: MATURE CONTENT OF ALL KINDS *EMPHASIS ON THE ALL PART*) Highest Rank: 48 (thanks to you beautiful creatures)