~ 2021 WATTY'S SHORTLIST ~ "I-well, I..." I hesitated with my response. I wanted to let go. To not worry about what would happen in the future. I'd always loved staring into fires. It hypnotized me with its beauty and danger. It was so tantalizing to look at, but one little touch could destroy. I knew the heat between Tyler and I was similar. It started off small but it had only grown in the weeks he'd been here. We'd fed it unintentionally, and it had gone from an ember to a crackling flame. Every nerve in my body wanted to reach out and touch it, even though I knew I'd get burned. *************************************************** Pia Callahan always lived a carefree life with no worries. Her only responsibilities were to attend her college classes (sometimes) and keep herself fed (on ramen). When tragedy strikes, Pia is all of the sudden thrown into a whirlwind of change. She has to grow up and take on more responsibility than she could ever imagine: the custody of her best friend's son. Pia may not believe she is the best person for the job, but she is determined to do it. She'll trade in frat parties for PTA meetings and beer-bongs for apple juice. But what happens when the ruggedly hot motocross athlete Tyler Westwood shows up in her small town? Tyler lives on the fast track, never caring too much about consequences. You can't when your job is to do backflips through the air. Sometimes, you just have to send it and hope for the best. From the second Tyler meets Pia, he knows he wants her. But she is determined to ignore their bubbling chemistry. She has priorities now and a summer fling isn't one of them. Will Pia be able to stay away from Tyler? Or will she decide to hit the throttle? ***************************************************

In which I fall in love with my brother's best friend. ***** "Don't pretend like you don't feel anything." His voice is low, sending shivers down my spine. "What do you mean?" "You know damn well what I mean." "I don't know what you're talking about." I pretend to ignore him, flipping some pages in my book. "Come on. I have all these assignments waiting. Aren't you supposed to teach me tonight?" "It depends on what you want me to teach." He smirks, his voice sounding even more dangerous. ***** I thought that my brother was the most popular guy in school, but as soon as I step into my university life, I realize how wrong I was. Meet Vaughn Cooper, his best friend. The guy is the epitome of every girl's dream. Godlike handsome. The quarterback. He's got the looks, and he's got the brain. Come on, he's got the scholarship to one of the most prestigious universities in the country, while I have just barely passed the entrance examination after long years of struggle during high school. How could a guy who worked that hard and deserves nothing more but adoration be labeled as a bad boy? Yeah, the answer is simple. The moment we lock eyes, I realize something as I stare into those piercing, amber eyes. He's not every girl's dream. He's every girl's nightmare. In my case, MY nightmare. Calm down, heart. Our story hasn't even started. ***** THE SPENCERS SERIES BOOK #1 © 2020 Anya Jayvyn. All Rights Reserved. (Content warning: This book has descriptive sexual content, explicit language, and triggering themes)

Love and hate get tangled in sheets when Vaughn and Claire enter into a marriage of convenience that defies a fragile and bloodthirsty family rivalry. *** Rich and spoilt, Claire's perfect life takes a turn when her father tries to force her into a marriage to pay for his debts. Claire's only escape lies in her father's worst enemy and business rival: Vaughn Jackson. To make matters more complicated still, Vaughn is the man responsible for her brother's death four years ago. However, their marriage will protect her and - sweeter still - show her father once and for all that he does not own her. It seems like the perfect plan. But Vaughn is burdened by dark secrets and vengeful desires. Can six months be enough to fire their passion? Or is the man she turned to for protection, the man she is starting to love, the greatest danger of all? With a killer on loose and love in line, bed sheets aren't the only thing tangled in this game of hearts. *** WATTPAD HQ EDITOR'S PICK - January 2023 Contains descriptive sexual content, strong language and violence. (18+)

High schooler, Helena Gallagher is still recovering from life's latest tragedy when chaos occurs. Another murder. Only this one is much closer to home. And when fingers start pointing towards her boyfriend-Elliot-she has no choice but to intervene. At first glance, it's an easy fix. But with mysterious notes turning up and her parents acting suspicious, it's clear to Helena that Oak Valley has a past. And it isn't pretty. **** This is the sequel to TRUTH OR DEATH?

When senior students at Lincoln High receive the same deadly text message, it falls upon Helena Gallagher and an unlikely companion to solve the mystery and catch the killer. •••• High school student, Helena Gallagher is a murder fanatic. A devoted admirer of all things mysterious. Always watching crime documentaries on Netflix, she longs for a more exciting life. What she doesn't expect is for her small town in Michigan to become the centre of a very public murder investigation. What starts off as a harmless game soon turns sinister. Students are dying. Secrets are spilling. No one is safe. Would you die to keep a secret? * •Cover design by @laurellwrites

"I'd much rather have my head between her legs than yours." *** SEQUEL TO CONTRONYM Life is never kind to the broken. Then again, aren't we all broken? I've faced the sexists, the egotistics, the rapists, the catalysts; everyone is an asshole in their own right. Sadly, I'm maxing out on how much more hardship I can take. Griffin Riley used to be my enemy and the cause of my many headaches but now he seems to be my pain medication that takes the aches away. But nothing good can last forever. Maybe we'll be the exception. A girl can hope. But between the stress, high stakes, jealousy, fights, trials, the media, school, life changing scares, and most importantly; Lacrosse, our relationship will be put through the ringer. I just hope we aren't smushed to death.

Leah Mitchell isn't the same shy, poor girl anymore. Now a college student, she is enjoying her life in the city and the freedom she longed for. She works hard and knows her worth. She has it all, but her heart aches for the only person from her past she is unable to forget. Brian O'Brien never thought about his future until the tragedy, and the all-consuming guilt that followed forced him to make the decision that might change his life. Brian is trying to figure out who he is. The only thing he has no doubts about is that he wants his first love to be a part of his future. Will he be able to win her over now that the shy kitten became a fierce tiger? Content warning: this story contains mentions of a threatened miscarriage that can be upsetting to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

When the bold, cocky bad boy Brian O'Brien returns to his hometown, he discovers that some things changed in his absence. Brian has a new neighbor-a shy, smart girl Leah, who seems to hate his guts since the moment she sees him from her bedroom window. Intrigued by the girl who is unlike anyone he's ever met, he calls her Kitten and tries to discover who she really is. Her claws only come out with him, but how many layers are there to the good girl with a perfect boyfriend and a strict mother? Small towns make it hard to avoid a person. As Brian and Leah spend more time together, a series of events set something much bigger in motion-something that will forever change them both. Brian loves the wind in his hair and the rumble of his bike's engine. Leah is sheltered in her little world. What would happen if he showed her that there is more to life than what she has seen? What if she starts to realize how much she's been missing? Content warning: this story contains mentions of depression and suicide that can be upsetting to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

{18+ COMPLETED} THREE BOOKS IN ONE. "What are you doing?" I ask and he raises an eyebrow. "What do you think?" Brett retorts, grabbing hold of my waist and pulling me towards him, moving me over to straddle him. Grabbing hold of my lower back he pushes me into him, and I moan slightly as his hardness rubs against my core. "Do you feel what you do to me?" he whispers and I nod. Moving my hair to the side he reaches down, planting a chaste kiss on my exposed collarbone as I feel his hand trace down my torso, lightly over my breast, causing me to arch into him even more. "Brett..." I breathe out and he moans before smashing his lips on mine. _____ In High School Brett Winters is popular. Savannah is not. All she wants is to be able to earn enough money to be able to go to her dream college and make her parents proud, all whilst staying as far away from trouble as possible. Money is no object to Brett Winters. He's an arrogant, cocky footballer with the looks to match, a guy who quickly sets his sights on the mysterious, stubborn blonde who has no interest in the world that he is about to pull her into. Over the years they attempt to resist the undying attraction between them, ignoring the urges that pull them together, using their every mistake to barricade themselves away from each other. After all, desire is only skin deep... right? _____ A TRILOGY. All of which is contained in this one book. Part One: 35 Chapters Part Two: 40 Chapters Part Three: 35 Chapters

**Third book of the Gift Chronicles. Direct sequel to the Alpha and the Vigilante. Takes place during the same time as ONYX** ••• When the Moon Goddess created the first werewolves, she split one soul between the two of them, thus creating a perfect soulmate for every werewolf thereafter, known as their mate. Upon the birth of a werewolf, she assigns them with a supernatural ability, known as their Gift••• Three months after the scarring events in "The Alpha and the Vigilante", Ares and Cain struggle to return to normalcy. Ares' trauma is fresh, as is Cain's thirst for vengeance. While they deal with the threat of impending war and old enemies, they also grapple with being the challenges that come with being mates.