Ivan has hunted a beast for years, and everything he knows about William comes back to Lianne - the beast's first victim, his only survivor and his next target. The plan is simple: protect Lianne, kill William when he comes. But protecting Lianne is anything but simple. Whispers follow her like shadows: of a Lady of the Lost, of her curse and her miracles. Demons prey on her at night. The toll of William's victims continues to rise. And when she speaks to Ivan's wolves, her words restitch their wounds with a hope he hasn't seen in his Pack for years. When William finally shows for the reckoning, Ivan finds everything he loves tested. Just how much can he sacrifice for one woman? Content/trigger warning: This story contains mentions of rape, self-harm, suicide, miscarriage, and drug use. [[word count: 150,000 - 200,000]] Cover designed by @Eunkyung_art

Detective Inspector Amber Rames investigates a series of murder cases in 2185 with the help of her new sergeant. Her attraction to him is hard to ignore, but having a relationship with a subordinate is illegal. ***** Four murder mysteries. One epic romance. It's 2185, and British civilization has moved underground after a nuclear war. In a city of bright lights and body-hacking, a wealthy woman is found dead in a dark alleyway, her throat slit. Detective Inspector Amber Rames is given the investigation...and a new partner to work with. Tall, dark, and a technological saviour, Detective Sergeant Alex Sullivan stirs feelings in her that she should ignore. Having a relationship with a subordinate is illegal. But as they work closely over several different murder cases, boundaries start to blur... WATTY AWARDS 2020 WINNER

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]]

WATTYS WINNER 2020 Two interconnected murders, 64 years apart. One woman's search for truth and identity. Readers' comments: 'a masterpiece', 'impeccably written', 'amazing', 'superbly crafted page-turner', 'hauntingly beautiful', 'tremendous plot and character development', 'one of a kind', 'fantastic story telling', 'loved this book', 'a wonderful read", 'absolutely beautiful', 'brought tears to my eyes' and many more Wattys judging panel: 'This is VERY good. We were HOOKED from the beginning, and the writing and plot hold up throughout. This is a very unique, polished, well-written and well-researched piece.' Plot Set partly in rural England, partly on the sun-kissed coast of southerm Italy, The Painted Altar is a murder mystery mixed with romantic and historical elements (World War Two). Given away at two days old, Mary Rice has spent her life in the shadows. When discovering the suspicious circumstances surrounding her biological mother's death, she embarks on a journey which will shine a light not only on the truth but also on her own identity. Brief extract Suddenly, the door had inched open, half a wrinkled face visible behind the tautened chain. "Hello. Who is it?" The words I was going to say had of course been well-rehearsed, repeated over and over in my mind like a mantra, but now that the moment had arrived I found myself struggling to remember them. "Mrs Harvey... I think that you might... well, that you might be..." The door closed, then slowly opened once more, the chain this time unlatched. And there she was before me - half a metre away, within arm's reach. Thin lips gradually crooking upwards at each corner like the slow beatific kindling of a summer's dawn. "Oh yes love, I know who you are." Length: 70,000 words About the author: Originally from England but for the last 16 years I've been living in Italy. I hope therefore that the Italian aspects of the novel will have a certain gloss of authenticity.

After a one night stand on New Year's Eve, Lia and Derrick don't expect to see one another again. After all, she's a Harvard PhD student and he's a professional hockey player for the Boston Knights - there's no way their paths should cross again. Except when they do, it's immediately obvious the chemistry between them hasn't dimmed one bit. Too busy for the real thing, neither of them sees the harm in continuing to see each other in a casual sense. Though when Derrick gets traded to a team in California and things begin to go sideways with Lia's research team, the pair can't seem to shake the fact they've grown to rely on one another, even now that they're thousands of miles apart.

Dante Brown has met many challenges in his life, all of them crumbled beneath the ground he walked. He is arrogant, cunning and brooding. He's on top of the world, a CEO for one of the largest companies in New York City. Nothing was tearing him down. Until her. Amelia Rhodes had been dealt the worst in life. Facing many hardships and a rough past. With no family as a safety net and only the strength of believing in herself, she makes it. She's finally found a decent job and a half decent apartment in the big Apple. When one night forces these two complete opposites together, bound by a contract, both face an even bigger challenge. Hating someone as much as you are falling in love with them. Highest rankings: #1 in Fiction #1 in Arrogant #3 in Enemiestolovers #5 in NewAdult #8 in Chicklit

*Short Story* It is difficult to stay with the people who look down at you like you are some kind of disease. It hurts when they don't want to acknowledge you for the good things you have done. It hurts when your family rejects you only because you are quiet and weak saying you are good for nothing. Annie Ryan was nothing but a quiet, innocent teenager waiting for her mate to save her from the dark hell she was living in. She had only one dream, she wanted to feel loved, she wanted someone to tell her that they care and would love her no matter what happens. But little did she know that she was just another unfortunate soul whose mate had different plans. Caden was an young alpha. He had everything but where everyone was eager to meet their mate, he wasn't. He had already given his position of alpha female to his girlfriend. But after she left him, he turned cold and ruthless. But when he met Annie, his mate, one thing was clear. He wanted nothing to do with her. He asked her to leave but when she declined, he paid her no attention like she never existed. Annie was broken. Her dream was just a dream. Every night she closed her eyes, she realized she was going to die alone with no one to care. She wanted to end her life but not before setting everything right, not before her destined alpha mate finds his happiness. Caden didn't know what he was missing until he lost it. Maybe that's how life works. Maybe that's why it is called cruel.

Blayze Norman; A cold and ruthless CEO of Norman Enterprises has decided to take Caden Carter as his bride, not even the heavens was going to stop him. * * * Blayze Norman is the cold, ruthless and industrious CEO of the multi-billion Norman Enterprises. He's meticulous and calculative with his every step. The type to pay back what has been given to him. When he's informed that the debt a lesser company owes his has somehow strained the financial status of his even by the lowest percent, he's offered with the oldest alternative. Make the debtor's oldest daughter his bride and stand the first in line to claim all their properties. Unfortunately for him, the young bride-to-be is not as submissive as he would like. In fact, she's the opposite of what you might call the perfect wife. Soon, they're tying the knot followed by a series of comic events that escalates towards finding love and comfort in each other faster than the two ever expected. * * * THIS BOOK IS COMPLETE BONUS CHAPTER NOW AVAILABLE!

The world had gone to hell long ago, taken over by the vampire race. In order to keep some sort of peace in our land, the Vampire Lords made a consecutive agreement. The rich and powerful humans could survive just as they had been, untouched by the vampires save for the occasional blood collections, or so they thought In reality, we were all under their control. Castles spread out throughout our land, one landing in each city. Each castle varied in the number of vampires residing there, but all of them carried a Lord. The Lords were the ones in charge in every city, whether we liked it or not. The vampires often roam through the city, making sure that everyone was in order and no one stepped out of line. If you stepped out of line, you died, end of story. Even if the rich were still under their control, their lives were still better than the poor. The poorest lives held a much worse fate. The men were to be put to work as slaves, whether that meant serving a specific vampire, or just building their castles, they were slaves. The women were to be pets. Pets were the lowest rank you could have. They were forced into cages that were too small to stand in with collars around their necks. They spent their lives in pet shops, just waiting for the dreadful day that they'll be bought. They were treated like animals, trained into what their master wanted, and punished if they misbehaved. Those who were lucky enough to live through that, we're to be slaughtered for their blood at age twenty-five in an act to make sure that our population would stay steady. I was born into this world. Born into this world full of blood-sucking monsters. Except, I was one of the lucky ones. Was. It all ended for me when I was 12, when I was taken away from the last bit of hope and family that I had left. Ever since then, I've lived in a cage, just rotting away, waiting, dreading for the day that some monster would make me his. This is my life. I am a pet. ~~~ Cover by: @mshacake

{WATTY'S 2020 WINNER & EDITOR'S PICK.} Hopeless romantic and aspiring writer Mare Atwood has fallen madly in love with her childhood correspondent. There's only one catch-she doesn't know who he is. When the beaus of Star's Crossing return from boarding school to begin the courting season, Mare is determined to uncover the identity of her writer, flout her family's intentions of orchestrating an advantageous marriage, and procure the life of writing and romance she's always sought. But as in the tales she so adores, it won't be easy. Galas, masquerades, picnics, and hunts-alongside an old friend, a former teacher, and an unlikely ally, Mare delves into an investigation that leaves her torn between three clever, deceptive, and wealthy young bachelors. If Mare can confirm which is her writer and claim his hand before the courting season ends, she'll have her wish: the love of her life, a valuable marriage, and a future of writing romance. But with the eyes of Star's Crossing upon her, a business plot forcing invisible hands, and the unwillingness of her writer to come forward-Mare's future may not end in triumph, but tragedy. Set against the gilded Victorian backdrop of coastal Connecticut and lush with pre-war luxury, fans of Jane Austen, Margaret Mitchell, and Louisa May Alcott are sure to enjoy this lighthearted, lyrical novel of young love, independence, and identity. #1 Literary #1 YA Romance #1 Victorian #1 Lyrical #8 General Fiction