|| a featured story || Aurora never planned on spending her final month alive falling in love. When she meets Gus, a curious boy who is all too eager to waste away the days with her, she finds herself trading in her month of solitude for a month with him instead. Under the summer sun, they promise each other a forever they don't have. All they have is August, and they try to make it enough. [Features a commissioned bonus chapter for the JCPenny #DreamPromposal contest] __________________________ Alex Light © All rights reserved 2018

Bailey is taking her yearly flight to her father's house in Florida for the summer. When her plane gets delayed, she's forced to spend a few hours at an airport in the middle of nowhere. As a teenager traveling alone, she knows it's best not to talk to strangers-but what if he's in uniform and really cute? Lucas is traveling alone to Florida to report for duty. His decision to join the Marines might have been impulsive, but he's learning really fast his career with the Marines will involve a lot of "hurry up and wait." He's not interested in making small talk with any other tired travelers-but what if he just can't help but learn her name? When Bailey agrees to give Lucas her email address after a few hours together in an airport in the middle of nowhere, they'll learn that a lot can happen between "Dear Baily" and "Love, Lucas." This will be a short YA story.

When an 18 year-old Marine replies to an email meant for an advice columnist, the girl on the other end can't help but be hooked on his every word. Wes Lee, a US Marine on leave, is the accidental recipient of an email intended for an advice columnist. Even though he knows he shouldn't, Wes can't stop himself from answering the sender's cry for help. Morgan Mayfield, the high school senior who sent the email, is more than startled to received Wes's reply. But what he says to her resonates, and his advice might be just the thing she needs to break free from the life she hates.

Mateo Sanchez is a wounded warrior. He's 22 years old and on the mend from the injuries he received in a battle that took his fellow Marine's life. He's angry and unsettled, trying to get back to the man he used to be. Ashlyn West has always been a rescuer. She works at the hospital helping wounded vets get stronger. She's seen the way an injury can annihilate the life of the men who have been brave enough to sacrifice for their country. She's a fighter...and a lover, but she hasn't met her toughest patient yet. When Ashlyn gets assigned to Mateo's shift, the two of them are forced to spend time together everyday. Mateo quickly learns that his physical therapy isn't only going to be torture on his leg, watching her with bend and move is going to be torture on his libido. The two quickly find that his limb isn't the only thing needing mending. Will he fight leaning on her or will the two of them find a hotter way to build his physical endurance? Lean On Me will be the third book in the Dear Bailey Series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel. If you like your stories hot and your leading male hotter....then this is the one for you.

|| a featured story || After the tragic death of her boyfriend, Rose flees to a cabin in the wild to mend her broken heart. It's there she meets Sebastian, her new neighbour with eyes like a black hole: vast enough to hold thousands of secrets. Rose spends their short time together trying to unravel him, and learns that the only way to heal a broken heart is to fall in love with someone new. Featured on: November 13, 2017. Completed on: May 10, 2018. Copyright © 2017. All Rights Reserved RANKS: #1 in Short Story (Feb 6, 2019)

Reece Bremer goes through life with a scowl and cold personality. Jessica Andrews goes through life with a glowing smile and positive outlook. Reece looks at life with dull, judgmental eyes that make him hate the world and the people living in it. Jessica, well... She looks at life through a camera. Literally. They're polar opposites, and that's what sparks Reece's immediate hate for Jessica the moment they meet. All he sees is a girl with the best life, put in the category of those who get everything handed to them on a silver platter. But who says Jessica's life is like that? Just like a photograph, there's more to the story than what you see. Stumbling across one of Jessica's hidden portfolio might reveal that her happiness isn't all that true. Behind that smile and each picture she takes, holds a thousand words of a very big secret - one that Reece is determined to find out. And who knows? It just might change everything between them. cover by dysanic || 2015 watty's winner for talk of the town ||

Liam Smith is in Texas for the funeral of a fallen comrade. He proudly serves his country and would do anything for a fellow Marine. What he doesn't expect is the beautiful blonde sister his friend left behind. She's classy and strong, but he can see right through her brave facade and into her wounded heart. Juliet Pines hates seven letter words. She's been hurt by them too many times in her eighteen years. She's barely holding it together at her brother's funeral when an attractive Marine catches her eye. He might be charming and a temptation that would be hard to say no to, but at the end of the day he is still belongs to the Marines. Liam offers to help Juliet carrying out her brother's last request, putting the two of them in close quarters for an epic road trip. Can he show Juliet that not all seven-letter words have to be so painful? He's hoping he can burn up her seven-letter list with a little passion and a whole lot of romance.

When Everly Reed collides with the cynical and devilishly handsome Mason Valdez, she knows trouble is ahead, but she never could have guessed how much she would be drawn to the storm. ***** Nineteen-year-old Ever Reed likes when things make sense. Which is probably why she excels at math, enough to secure her a spot at an Ivy League school out of state. Sheltered by her mother and older brother Asher for most of her life, Ever hasn't experienced much of the world, but she knows New York will be an adventure. Enter Mason Valdez: cynical, arrogant, and undeniably attractive-exactly what Ever doesn't need. But as their paths keep crossing, Ever finds herself intrigued by Mason, and eager to know the boy behind the bitter mask. As secrets, scars, and painful pasts rise to the surface, Ever knows one thing for sure: they can only make it through if they face their storms together. [[word count: 150,000 - 200,000]] Cover designed by Frances Louise De Ramos Spinoff to The Hoodie Girl Book One of the A Thousand Storms series [[The Fiction Awards 2018 Best Overall Story and Best Romance Winner]] Content/trigger warning: This story mentions sexual assault and childhood abuse

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

|| Available in book stores!! || watty award 2017 winner! || Becca's life takes a thrilling turn when she pretends to date Brett Wells, the most popular boy in school. Becca Hart is determined to coast her way through her senior year at Eastwood High School. Counting down the days until graduation had become her crutch. Her plans come to a screeching halt one afternoon when she ends up sharing a spontaneous kiss with Brett Wells, who's known for being captain of the football team and an all-around good guy. Their "love" spreads like fire and their fake relationship begins. But the two quickly learn that just because it started off fake, doesn't mean it won't become very real. ___________________________________________ Highest Rank in Teen Fiction: #1 - June 24, 2017. Featured in Teen Fiction: August 1, 2017. Watty Award 2017 Winner for Riveting Reads: September 29, 2017 Completed on: September 18, 2017. ___________________________________________ This story was originally published by myself on the Episode Interactive App as RIVALS. However, the story and the sequel have now been taken down. Alex Light © All Rights Reserved 2017 Cover: Designed by Corina Lupp and drawn by Jordi Labanda.