Corporate. The most notorious assassin ring you've never heard of. There's only one rule: complete your kill order, or be killed. Mila Cruz has been groomed from a young age to be a lethal killer, and quickly climbed the ranks to become one of Corporates most successful assassins. But while on a mission to avenge her sister's death, a Kill Order is sent out that will change her life forever. *Adult themes* 18+

I can't keep the smile off my face as I take my seat on the plane. I slide my bag under the seat and lean back. I close my eyes and let a blissful smile grace my face. He said I wouldn't be able to run. As if. I'm vaguely aware of someone taking the seat next to mine, but I pay no attention to said person. "So where we headed?" I choke on my own spit as my eyes fly open and whirl around to face the owner of the familiar voice. His eyes are hidden behind those damn sunglasses and a rather smug smile graces his face. I continue choking and he does nothing other than flip through a magazine. That smug smile never leaving his face. "You still haven't answered the question." "To hell." I finally manage to choke out. "Awesome," He flips a page in the magazine, "It's about time I returned home. You know, bodies to burn, lost souls to torture, I've missed it. It'll be fun." *** Nicolette Moore. A name law enforcement agencies across the world know. Though no one's ever seen the face of the world's greatest thief and hacker, everyone knows who she is by name. Nicky. She's an absolute genius. Once upon a time she wasn't the best person in the world. When her family was struggling she made some bad choices to help them through it, but when she tried to get out she got pulled in deeper. Ryder Stevenson. He's the son of the director of the FBI, and an FBI Agent himself. He's the one who brings in Nicky to get her protection from the people chasing after her. He's also the one, who gets assigned to protect her. Neither one of them like each other, and they can't go five minutes without getting in a full blown argument. She's constantly ditching him only for him to show up later and prove to her he's not that easy to get rid of. They're stuck with each other whether they like it or not. But he doesn't know who she really is. What will he do when he finds out? An FBI Agent protecting THE Hacker. The one the FBI have been after for years...this just screams chaos.

Set in a charming, rural Japanese village, Hana and The Dragon follows Hana, a curious and spirited young girl living a peaceful life surrounded by familial warmth and deep culture. As her village prepares for the annual summer festival, Hana becomes fascinated by local legends about a mysterious dragon rumored to dwell in the nearby Shimizu-gawa river, a guardian figure who hasn't been seen for many years. Driven by her curiosity, Hana uncovers subtle yet puzzling clues suggesting that the dragon might soon return. Unusual occurrences in nature further heighten her suspicions, signaling significant changes in the mortal and supernatural worlds. Determined to unravel the mystery, Hana embarks on an adventurous journey into the heart of her village's history. Along the way, she learns of deep connections linking her family and her community, to the legendary dragon itself. With a thoughtful blend of fantasy, Japanese local folk religion, Japanese Chūbu region cultural traditions, and coming-of-age themes, Hana and The Dragon beautifully captures the essence of family bonds, the importance of bravery, and the richness of cultural legacy through the eyes of an adventurous young protagonist.

'The Last Samurai' meets 'Shōgun', meets 'The King and I'... For years she believed herself to be cursed. Every time she grew close to someone they were taken away from her, paying the ultimate price. And now the curse struck again... Lottie has been falsely accused of her uncle's murder. She must escape or she will hang. It's 1854 and America's lawless West is not a place where a lonely woman can count on justice. Then, by the turn of fate, she is given a chance to revisit Japan and seek the people who raised her. In Imperial Japan, divided between isolationists and modernists, she finds an unexpected love and a new sense of belonging. She also finds someone else. Someone from her past... What will she choose? Where will her loyalties lie? Cover design by More Visual Ltd.

Lucy McLean returns home to help her parents win a national cooking competition, only to fall in love with its host: handsome celebrity chef, Quinn Allen. ***** Lucy McLean arrives back in her hometown with her confidence shattered. She's been dumped and fired by her fiancé (who was also her boss), but she has more than a broken heart to contend with: her parents' restaurant is failing so they're taking part in a television contest run by hothead celebrity chef, Quinn Allen. Distracted and distraught, Lucy struggles to embrace the contest, but as she gets back on her feet, she's slowly charmed by the attention of the handsome, famous chef. The two of them grow close, but being together would end Quinn's TV career and doom her family restaurant. Can she wait until the show is over, or will she give in to the heat of Quinn's kitchen? (Book one of the Local Flavour series) [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ren T

When Earth is conquered by the sinister Greys and the alien who killed Evie's husband returns seeking her help, she must find a way to enact her revenge and fight the growing feelings for the creature who is an exact replica of the man she loved. *** Two years ago, Evie Morgan's husband disappeared. Under suspicion of his murder, no one believed Evie's story about the mysterious creature with the black eyes that killed Tom and assumed his identity. Now, trying to survive in the ruins of post-invasion London, Evie's world is once more thrown into turmoil, when she meets the alien that destroyed her life. On the run from his own kind, he offers her insider knowledge on how to defeat the Greys, in return for her protection. At risk from her fellow survivors discovering 'Tom's' true identity, taking the alien back to her camp is going to be no easy task for Evie. With the alien's genetic make-up assuming more of Tom's identity every day, Evie struggles between her hatred for her husband's killer and a growing attraction for him that confuses her. The time is coming for Evie to decide. Pull the trigger or put her trust in the creature that tore her whole world apart? *** Content warning: This story contains mature sexual content, and themes of violence and reference to an attempted sexual assault.

When powerful witch Marithyda Skyelorn becomes a participant of the Royal Exposition, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with the Prince--or to be the cause of his death. ***** Every year, the kingdom of Karvoth hosts the Royal Exposition: a corrupt carnival where a race of citizens who possess powerful magic, known as the Touched, are exploited for the enjoyment of nobles. But when Marithyda Skyelorn's grand performance ends in tragedy and pits her against the deranged King, she must make the impossible choice between remaining in exile and participating again in the dangerous competition that ruined her life--to end it once and for all. (Book One of the Skyelorn Chronicles trilogy) [[2020 Watty's winner, Fantasy]] Content and/or Trigger Warning: Some scenes contain violence that may upset sensitive readers [[Word Count: 50,000-60,000]]

Corinna Báthory, 16th-century nobility, is kidnapped and thrown into a male detective academy in present-day Florida. But they grabbed the wrong girl. Season 1 of Agents of Time ***** It's 1585, and things could not possibly be going any slower for Corinna Báthory. Overwhelmed with expectations as Hungarian nobility and the trials and tribulations of becoming a female playwright in a field dominated by men, Corinna would do anything for a change of pace. Of course, there's nothing better to speed up the narrative than being kidnapped...and being accused of being a serial killer. ***** [[ THE WATTY'S 2021 SHORTLIST ]]

My second collection of short stories, but longer than the works in my Read my Shorts collection. This volume consists of anything more than 1000 words and includes new works, re-writes of a few older pieces and anything else I found on my computer that I'd forgotten to post before. It will contain steampunk, historical fiction, urban fantasy, science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, sci-fantasy, horror, paranormal, general oddity and anything else that happens to fall out of my ears as ideas formulate into stories. Enjoy. Comments and constructive feedback always welcomed.

{COMPLETED} Professional assassin Nadia Hart is seconds away from retiring in luxury, then risks it all when a target becomes personal. Lone wolf Nadia Hart is the best killer for hire in the business. A mistress of disguise, her superb skills are legendary; her motto: "never hesitate, never miss." Hired to kill Salvatore DeMarco, son of one of the most vicious mob bosses in Boston's history, she's confident the job will be done smoothly and then she's out. Free to enjoy her off-shore fortune on a tiny island in the Pacific where she can forget about her many sins. And maybe find some redemption. But the unthinkable happens. When she looks through the crosshairs of her sniper rifle, she finds she cannot pull the trigger on the target. Nadia knows him. And it's even worse than that. Salvatore is 'Sal' - once her protector and only childhood friend. Nadia can't bring herself to eliminate the only friend she ever had. She needs to know what brought her to him in the first place. She needs to find out more. With time running out, she has only one option - save Sal and get them both somewhere safe. Because the rules in her game are simple and she knows them well. It's kill or be killed, and the clock is ticking for them both.