****Copyrighted**** 'Tell me you don't feel it.' He whispered against my lips, and the trembling that had ceased at the feel of his lips against mine began again with renewed vigor. 'Tell me it's not what you want, and I'll go. You'll never have to see me again.' Swallowing, I looked up at the eyes that had entranced me from the start. I took in his every feature, slowly and deliberately. I thrilled at the feeling of his arms enfolding me, and I inhaled his familiar scent with a trembling breath. And then, then I did the most foolish thing imaginable: I flung my arms about his neck and kissed him with all that I had, almost losing myself in the safety and security I felt. But more than that, I ran. I took his moment of shock, the slight loosing of his arms about me, and tore myself away from him, shoving out the door and into the rain. I suppose I'll never know why he didn't follow me. It was the thing I feared most. I knew that if he came for me a second time, I wouldn't be able to say 'no'. I wouldn't be able to run. But I had to. I had to go. I couldn't let him be hurt because of me. He would live on now, and I would marry another. I had leased my last bit of passion in that one moment in his arms, and as I made my way through the dark streets, I felt myself become dull and lost like the creatures bound in the menagerie. **Much of this was written when I was younger and then I came back later and finished it. There will likely be mistakes. Lots of them.

Evil spirits. A cursed prince. Death itself in disarray. Iris just wants to go home, but fate has other plans for this young priestess and her odd companions. /// The land of Erinlin is dying, its ancient traditions choked out by the Kaerent church and its true priestesses, the Candlemaidens, increasingly regarded with fear and suspicion. All Iris wants is to tend her candles, win her shade battles, and chat with the spirits of her realm. But when she is torn away from her home by the Kaerent king, she learns that her country needs her to be far more than a typical Candlemaiden-- she must be as the legendary priestesses of old and walk through Death itself. *** Cover help from the awesome @ArdenBrooks. Special thanks to @rainersalt, @giveitameaning, and @piperjones033 !

Full version available on Amazon! https://a.co/d/8Mj3nhv Fidelia Atwell, a fiery red-headed American, will do anything to protect her sister during the war of 1812: even marry her enemy, the British spy Lord William Greyville. **** When British spy Lord William Greyville promises to protect the American sisters of his childhood friend in exchange for his life, fiery American Fidelia Atwell finds herself married to her enemy to protect his cover and her sister's life. The couple immediately butts heads, but Fidelia soon discovers her handsome husband to be a gentle and loving man who softens her feisty temper. When new dangers threaten Fidelia's life and William's cover, she finds herself playing the part of the spy to protect the man she loves and end the war that keeps them apart, but a traitor and an old enemy mean that failure will be something worse than death for William and the Atwell sisters. As spies, they could both lose their lives. As husband and wife, they could both lose their hearts. (Book One of the "In The Arms of My Love" Series) [[Winner of the Watty's 2020 Historical Fiction Award!]] [[Runner-up in the 2019 Covenant Communications StoryCatchers Contest]] [[Featured on the Editor's Picklist! (4-29-21)]] Highest Rankings: #17 for Historical Fiction! Content warning: this book contains PG-13 rated violence with some descriptions of blood, gunshots, and sword fights.

Taylen is loving her first year of college until a routine drive home catapults her into a medieval land where trust is a luxury she can no longer afford. Alone in a land ruled by suspicion and strange social dictates, she must discover others she can rely on if she hopes to survive long enough to find a way home.

Highest Rank #1 Fantasy - Bridges are meant to be crossed, aren't they? And yet, Sofia doesn't know of anybody who has ever crossed into Nihon, the shrouded unknown half of the world where magic rules and reality is pliable. One day, Sofia meets Orì, a girl with light blue skin from the other side of the river, and the two girls strike up an unlikely friendship. But Sofia is supposed to follow her aunt and become the Guardian of the Bridge, doomed to spend her life on the lookout for the things that nobody seems to want to see... When Orì suddenly vanishes, will Sofia have the courage to finally cross the bridge to Nihon and go to her friend's rescue? (First Book of the Nihon Series)

Born with glowing green eyes. Destined for rotten luck. Peasant girl Meya Hild was 'given' the opportunity to become a Lady. At swordpoint. By mercenaries. Engaged to a dying nobleman. Poisoned with one month to live. Tasked to loot a castle. In a kingdom running out of resources. Little did Meya know this shenanigan would lead her across land and over sea, from a mountain made of sapphire to an island shrouded in spiral clouds, with masquerades, heists, kidnappings, shipwrecks, alchemy, romance, and an unexpected 'bump' along the way. Let the misery begin. 🐉 🎯 PROGRESS: Book One (Chpt. 1 - 65): 100% Book Two (Chpt. 66 - 125): 100% Bingers, YOUR TIME HAS COMETH. Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7iYf3f78K4QInWwpz6z3Mp?si=35Rt2vgkTryCM3vD9eKVXA&pi=cE-JGby3RgeKW 🎨 Cover: @NamtanTangren / Namtan [糖人] https://www.deviantart.com/tangrennamtan 📋 Content Guidelines: Most chapters are safe for work/school. Chapters containing intimate scenes will be marked with ❣️ Although not depicted explicitly, this story touches on mature subject matter such as depression and suicide, drug addiction and overdose, human trafficking, organ harvesting, abortion and rape. It's also loosely based on medieval times, and some scientific misbeliefs (concerning health and pregnancy, etc.) are present. Young readers are urged to use discretion. ⭐ DOs & DON'Ts ⭐ 💖DO: Add LUMINOUS to your library & follow me so you don't miss any updates! 💖DO: Comment away! I love answering them. Please be polite and respectful! 💖DO: If you enjoyed Meya's adventure, spread the word! 🚫DON'T: SKIP THE PROLOGUE! You have been warned by the dragons that be that you will regret it! Why don't I just rename it "Chapter 1"? BECAUSE PROLOGUE SOUNDS COOLER!

|| a wattpad featured story || Who, or what, killed Cassie? Mere days after graduation, Cassie goes missing only to turn up dead in the forest near the Ponotoka River. Nobody seems to know anything about what happened to Cassie, but Luke remembers parts of that fateful night. The thing is, he believes he is partly responsible for his once close friend's death. Now a freshman in university, he is determined to find out the truth about how she died. To find the truth, though, he has to search for it. The thing is, the truth is a little messy. As he and his friends go on a wild goose chase to trace back Cassie's life before she died, he begins to question himself: who was Cassie, really? Was this the same girl he thought he knew? ____________________________________ *Highest Rank: #73 in Mystery/Thriller *Winner of the Phoenix Wars Wordsmith category* *MATURE CONTENT: mentions of sex, alcohol, self harm, drug use, and frequent swearing*