A 2018 WATTPAD FEATURED STORY, for those who enjoyed Harry Potter but who seek a feisty, determined female protagonist. -Midwest Book Review. Sixteen-year-old Tessa seeks to restore her father to life by stealing the most prized magical artifact of the wicked conjurer, Lord Fellstone. She's joined by Calder, searching for his lost love, and Ash, whose growing attraction to Tessa distracts from his plan to avenge his murdered twin. A coming-of-age story about a girl who finds great power, only to learn it comes at a terrible price. Reached the Top 100 (#96) in Fantasy after only 8 weeks on this site. 2017 Bronze Medal Winner for the Wishing Shelf Book Awards. "Celebrates life and love the way only the best fantasy tales can." -Kirkus Reviews This is a sampler of the opening chapters. To purchase the complete novel as an ebook or paperback, follow this link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dreadmarrow-Thieves-Magic-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0BNNKYSG2

** Wattpad Featured Story!** A young girl arouses the wrath of an ancient Scottish water spirit who takes her brother's soul in revenge. To save him Brigid must journey through the Shadow realm, begging help and proving herself to each of the totem animal spirits of Britain. Steeped in British mythology and animal lore, The Shadowkeeper is a modern fairy tale written with animation in mind but could also be live action/CGI - lots of CGI! Author's Note: Back in 2005, The Shadowkeeper came heartbreakingly close to being sold to major production companies thanks to good showing in the three screenwriting competitions I submitted to*. A whirlwind trip to Hollywood for an awards night followed by meetings with managers and production companies had my little heart singing (literally one night, at an Etta James concert at the Hollywood Bowl!) Then reality hit. All of the feedback I received was the same: We love it but there's no audience for adventure stories with a female protagonist, change Brigid to a boy and we'll negotiate. Call me stubborn (the two managers offering me representation did) but I didn't think that was a legitimate "note", I thought it was simple sexism and I refused. Since then, The Shadowkeeper has been in the proverbial drawer but I love Brigid, I think she's a badass little eight year old and I've never given up on her. It's now ten years later and the attitude to female protagonists appears to be changing so I'm thinking of submitting The Shadowkeeper again but first I thought I'd pop it up here and see what Wattpadders think. If you like it, I do hope you'll vote and/or comment to let me know whether you'd like to see it on the screen! Happy reading! Darcy. *Competition Results: Finalist, ScriptP.I.M.P. Competition 2005 Quarter finalist, Academy Nicholl Fellowship 2005 Quarter finalist, Page International Screenwriting Competition 2005 All rights reserved. WGAw Registration: 1065086 Cover Design ©NarrativeDisorder

Cara’s mother has disappeared. Her father isn’t talking about it. Her big brother Max is hiding behind his iPod, and her genius little brother Jackson is busy studying the creatures he collects from the beach. But when a watery specter begins to haunt the family’s Cape Cod home, Cara and her brothers realize that their scientist mother may not be who they thought she was—and that the world has much stranger, much older inhabitants than they had imagined. With help from Cara’s best friend Hayley, the three embark on a quest that will lead them from the Cape’s hidden, ancient places to a shipwreck at the bottom of the sea. They’re soon on the front lines of an ancient battle between good and evil, with the terrifying “pouring man” close on their heels. One chapter will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until all 10 chapters are up. These will be followed by the second book in the series, The Shimmers in the Night. A Junior Library Guild Pick; Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011; Selected for the ABC Best Books for Children Catalog; Locus Notable Books.

When Jane Madarang's neighbor Natalie kills herself and leaves behind cryptic instructions, it's up to Jane and her classmates to unearth deadly secrets. ***** Natalie Driscoll is dead. She threw herself out a window and left her neighbor Jane to unravel their town's darkest secrets. Following Natalie's instructions leads Jane to three other high school students who all have something to hide. The four of them must carry out Natalie's final errand while solving the mysteries written in her diary. But the secrets they unearth may be far more dangerous than what they ever imagined. Content and/or trigger warning: This story contains scenes of suicide, violence and murder that may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]