TV chef Quinn Allen is ready to settle down with Lucy McLean in her small hometown, but will their relationship survive her big-city dreams? ***** From the outside, Lucy McLean's life is perfect. She's with the love of her life, Quinn Allen, and they have a thriving business together in tiny Port Ross, Nova Scotia. He wants to put down roots in the town and get even closer, but she's holding back - she can't escape the painful memories of tragic events from the past. A lucrative offer from an enigmatic billionaire has Lucy's head spinning, offering them a chance to get away from it all in New York City. It's a dream come true for Lucy, but Quinn is suspicious. She knows it's a gamble - either the opportunity of a lifetime, or a deal with the devil. Can they have it all in New York, or will Lucy's Big Apple dreams all turn sour? (Book three of the Local Flavour Series) [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ren T

Ari Callahan has no idea how to talk to boys -- or how to talk to anyone for that matter. Enter Zac, the cute new guy in town who won't stop texting her. But is his interest real, or does he have a hidden agenda? ***** Found as a young child washed up on the beach, 17-year-old Ari Callahan has never uttered a word out loud to anyone -- not even her adoptive family. Psychologists have diagnosed her with a condition called selective mutism, but Ari can't help identifying with her namesake character, Ariel, the little mermaid in the fairytale whose voice was stolen by a sea witch. Mermaid-obsession aside, Ari's silence makes socializing tough. She's never had a boyfriend or been asked out on a date. Not until Zac, the confident new arrival in town, asks for her number. But Zac has his own reasons for texting with Ari. He's part of a movement to sabotage the artificial music app called SirenSong, threatening to render human singing obsolete. Zac's collaborators have scoured the globe in search of a singing voice perfect enough to break the SirenSong spell, and their search has led them straight to Ari's beachside town. Will her relationship with Zac help Ari find her voice and unlock the secrets of her origins? Or will he use her and leave her high and dry? Title: Ari and Zac (formerly The Mermaid Hypothesis) Content Warning: This story contains references to selective mutism, suicidal thoughts, and early childhood trauma.