*Wattys 2018 Winner / Hidden Gems* CREATE YOUR OWN MR. RIGHT Weeks before Valentine's, seventeen-year-old Kate Lapuz goes through her first ever breakup, but soon she stumbles upon a mysterious new app called My Dream Boyfriend, an AI chatbot that has the ability to understand human feelings. Casually, she participates in the app's trial run but finds herself immersed in the empathic conversations with her customizable virtual boyfriend, Ecto. In a society both connected and alienated by technology, Kate suspects an actual secret admirer is behind Ecto. Could it be the work of the techie student council president Dion or has Kate really found her soulmate in bits of computer code? She decides to get to the bottom of the cutting-edge app. Her search for Ecto's real identity leads Kate to prom, where absolute knowledge comes with a very steep price.

Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option. ***** Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her... Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault. [[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]

Maddie can't remember the last 2 years, but she knows Ethan is the handsome boy who's been haunting her dreams. Do they have an insta-spark, or a past? *** When a skiing accident leaves sixteen-year-old Maddie Monroe with a brain injury, erasing all her memories from the past two years, her personality undergoes a massive transformation. Long gone is the carefree girl she used to be, and old friends feel like complete strangers. One of the strangest side effects the accident leaves her with are her dreams -- or more specifically, the boy who plagues them. She has no idea who he is, but he comes to her most nights; handsome, funny and charming as hell. When he shows up seated beside her in English class one day, she feels an instant connection to him - and as their relationship develops, Maddie can't help but feel like there's a hidden past between them. Have they met before? Who is Ethan Ryder? [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]

When Liz Charleston's ex-best friend suddenly returns with a plan to take revenge on her, drama seems inevitable - but who knew revenge could be so handsome? ***** Two years ago Liz Charleston made the biggest mistake of her life by rejecting her best friend, the only guy she has ever cared about. Desperate to become popular and join the junior varsity cheerleading team, she breaks his heart. Two years later, Frank is back, transformed into Taylor Blackstone, the new kid from New York who has it all. He's taller, stronger and hotter than ever, with a long line of girls that have no idea who he really is - except Liz, the girl who betrayed him two years ago. And he is determined to make her regret ever pushing him away. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

When the notebook containing their deepest, darkest secrets is stolen, two former best friends must unite, despite crushing on the same heart-stopping boy. ***** Best friends, Alex Canterbury and Alexx Lorde have been inseparable for years, but when school, family pressure, and even other friends begin to get in the way, the two girls decide to update each other in a notebook. As tough as it is sometimes, they are candid and real about EVERYTHING, until a mysterious boy with a dimpled smile gets in the way. When their notebook is suddenly stolen by someone who threatens to upload all their secrets to social media, the girls must unite despite their massive rivalry. Will they stop the perpetrator in time to save their reputations and their friendship? [From the author of The Cell Phone Swap aka Textrovert.]

Rosie is meant to hate famous rockstar Will O'Connor, who killed her father in a car crash, but she finds herself falling in love instead. ***** Rock sensation, Will O'Connor is in the prime of his career when he unintentionally kills a man in a car accident. Full of remorse, he must come to terms with his non-guilty verdict. People-pleasing Rosie Montgomery dedicates her life to making others happy. Following her father's death in Will's crash, she becomes desperate to keep her family intact. But when Will and Rosie accidentally meet at her father's grave, there's an undeniable bond. Can they ignore the rest of the world and go after what their hearts most desire? And most importantly - can either of them handle the consequences? [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]]

Wren Martin is socially awkward. She blocks off herself to the world, hiding behind her favorite hoodie. All she wants to do is keep a low profile, and graduate well enough to qualify for a college scholarship. But then a babysitting job leads her to cross paths with Asher Reed, Eastview Highʼs notorious athlete. When a field injury kickstarts his senior year, heʼs turning his free time and attention to Wren. And maybe she might not want to be invisible after all. ***** [Watty's Collector's Edition Winner] [TFA Runaway Prize Winner] [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]] Cover designed by Ashley Santoro

"Who do you think you are? You are just some nerd." He sneered at me, looking down at me like he already owned this place. I chuckled at his ignorance, "Honey, I'm the nerd who rules the school." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You know those cliché stories where it is either 'player and nerd', 'bad boy and nerd', 'bad girl and nerd', 'bad girl and bad boy' etc. What do all those have in common? Well, there's always a nerd that's weak and bullied. That's either the damsel in distress or she suddenly turns badass. But sorry to say, my story is completely different. People fear me, no one dares to bully me, even the cheerleaders and our school's star quarterback bow down to me. Oh you think I'm the 'bad girl'? Sorry, but I'm the nerd who rules the school. Cover credits to the incredible and awesome @hardcore_fangurl

Only Rule: DO NOT FALL IN LOVE / EDITING /

"Even with that angelic face of his, there is a beastly character is hidden behind it just ready to come out"~~ I'm Popular, he's not. I'm out going, he's not. I'm rich, he's not. I'm attractive, he's not. I like to party, he doesn't. I hate school, he does. Wait isn't t it the other way around? either way I still can't help but love him ~typical nerd eh? well what if he's really not the guy you thought he is? I say he's one mysterious nerd...