After escaping a stalled elevator into a zombie apocalypse, Emily must learn how to trust people again or risk losing everything in this terrifying world. ***** For Emily, every day of the last two years have been a blur. She keeps her head down, takes her college courses online, and only goes out to work at her mandatory internship. But all that changes on the day the office elevator breaks down, leaving her trapped when the screams begin. And when the doors finally open, revealing a dystopian world ruined by bloody teeth and disease, Emily is launched into a terrifying run for her life, caught between the strangers she's not sure she can trust and the man-eating monsters that hunger for her flesh. Now she must learn not only how to survive in this new and dangerous world, but also how to overcome her own inner demons before they cost her something more precious than her life. [[Wattys' Shortlist]] [[Promoted by AMC]] Content and/or Trigger Warning: The story contains some gore, violence, strong language, and dark themes. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

Trapped in the last pocket of society that hasn't fallen to the apocalypse, Kate will have to choose how much she is willing to sacrifice to not only survive but to find the man she loves. ***** She knew it was coming. Nothing could stop the apocalypse now. It didn't even matter that Kate had made it months into the end of the world without seeing a single zombie. The clock was ticking, time was running out, and soon, she would have to face the monsters. That is, if she can tell what or who the real monsters are. And one may just be closer than she thinks. Content and/or Trigger Warning: The story contains some gore, violence, strong language, and dark themes. Copyright © 2019 by Nina Marks. All rights reserved.

A dark foe. A forbidden love. A deadly, high-seas quest. Mercenary sailor Jack's past comes back to haunt him when his crew receives a commission during the height of hurricane season. Charged with returning the all-too-familiar Prince Valory to the capital by way of the isles, Jack and schooner Windjammer battle storms and sea-monsters alike in Oceana's treacherous waters. Jack's new patron, however, is no ordinary nobleman. A hardened soldier and powerful commander, Valory boards Windjammer to scour the isles for signs of the mysterious new threat at Oceana's borders: an evil that burns innocents alive and smashes ships to pieces. Yet Jack isn't without secrets of his own -- secrets that unravel under the growing intensity of a forbidden attraction to his patron. Forced to reclaim his lost title, Jack comes face-to-face with the past he thought he'd outrun. As Windjammer races to defend Oceana from invasion, he and Valory must work together to untangle the threads of the dark alliance threatening their home, crew, and kingdom -- or risk losing everything in the process. [Book One of a Fantasy/LGBT+ Romance series. This is a sample; the full draft is available on Patreon.] ★

A jolt. A small hitch in the rhythmic beating of my heart. Dèjà vu didn't even begin to describe it. ... My heart stopped, my breath jostled forward, shock rippling through my system. It happened again. For a few precious seconds my mind froze up and, together with my body, went into a complete lockdown. It was the same each time I saw him.

Well, you could stare at a white wall until you were blue in the face, it would never be more than a white wall. The same was true for the master vampire. A vampire was a vampire was a vampire. Period. (Anna Johnson)

They are born in the darkness, and they own it like no one else. Anna Johnson stays clear of vampires. She knows what they are capable of. As a witch of the air she is working for the Circle as a researcher, closing her eyes to that which lies in her past. Until one phone call changes everything.

... for a moment I thought that everything was back to normal, that I was okay. But then it came crashing down on me. Blood was valuable. Blood was life. The loss of blood had a price. A high one.

Can a natural killer learn to be human again? Regan's unique talent for murder makes her a perfect assassin. After a lethal encounter leaves her broken body washed up on a beach, she finds herself adopted by a group of teenage bodyguards. She doesn't intend to stay for long, but soon Regan finds herself faced with a choice: become a hero or stay a villain? *** The boy played with the flat brim of the cap in his hands and looked around the room. He sat back in his chair, trying to look casual, but the heel of his hi-top sneaker drummed rapidly on the concrete floor. Regan sat opposite him with her legs crossed and her hands folded on her tartan skirt. She watched him without a word and brushed a strand of blue-dyed hair behind her ear. Somehow this seemed to unsettle him more. 'Calm down,' she said. 'It's just murder.' *** Author's Note: Darkness Girl: Trickster God is represented by Louise Fury from The Bent Agency. P.S. The epic cover was made by Paul Kopetko (you can stalk him at paulkopetko.com). Enjoy!

COMPLETED [boyxboy] Mason Maloney has lived his whole life in the shadow of his twin brother, Nathan, star quarterback of the football team. While Nathan impresses everyone in town with his athleticism, Mason spends his afternoons working at the local bakery. His rather mundane life becomes more interesting when his brother's rival quarterback, Sam Knight, gets a job along side him at the bakery. The rivalry between their two schools should keep them apart, but does it? COVER BY: @Grand_ ~166k words

COMPLETED [boyxboy] After his religious mother kicks him out for being gay, Elijah Ellis moves in with his father, where his step-mother, step-brother, and half-sister also welcome him. Elijah aspires to continue doing what he loves and play hockey for his new school, but his past hookup with the closeted hockey captain, Fox Ridley, complicates things. While Elijah just wants to get through the season unscathed, Fox is hellbent on hating him. Elijah is unsure whether he will ever overcome Fox's hatred, or if he will remain on thin ice. ~171k words