[WINNER OF A WATTY AWARD 2019 IN THE LITERARY FICTION CATEGORY!!!!] "We always want to know what the dead would tell us if they could tell us anything at all. We invent ghosts. Ouija boards. We make mediums and psychics stinking rich, getting them to talk to those who aren't around anymore. I could just play that game. I could play the messenger of Death. Even if just for a while; I could make something out of the miracle that I am." Cover art credit: Janice Sung

A 2019 Watty Winner. For fans of Allison Pataki and Philippa Gregory, THE NYMPH OF VERSAILLES is based on the true story of Madame Montespan's rise and fall at the court of King Louis XIV. Being the Sun King's mistress is a coveted position in a court full of greedy courtiers vying for power and Athénaïs de Montespan won't let anything stand in the way of her stealing the king's heart-not even poison. When the king's interest in his mistress Louise begins to wane, Montespan sees the position as a possible escape from her husband's mounting debts and loveless marriage. Her strained friendship with Louise doesn't stop her from charming the king. However keeping his heart is tricky in a court full of plotting beauties eager to have him for themselves, especially with her jealous husband bent on ending her seduction. Then her children's governess becomes an unexpected rival for the king's heart and the only woman who can contend with Montespan. With the court swirling with rumors of poison, Montespan finds herself caught in the web of accusations. Her position with the king begins to crumble as she fights to hold on to the life she's built. Without the king's love, she fears she will lose everything as she falls from grace.

Miguel and his friends are just weeks away from graduating high school. Everyone is looking forward to graduation parties, summer break, and the start of college; but not Miguel. Miguel is undocumented and the President has just initiated the largest immigration crackdown in US history. Now he must navigate a world in which his very existence is treated with hostility by the country that he calls home.

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.

ABOUT THE BOOK: **A Watty Award 2020 Winner in the Literary Fiction category! Featured Wattpad Editors' Pick!** Nora and Rainey Ko-Harvey are sisters who couldn't be more different in temperament. Rainey impulsively follows her heart; Nora, the epitome of restraint, (over)thinks things. Yet they're still best friends. Along with their mother, they run the family business-a San Francisco tea salon-while navigating the ups and downs of romance, ambitions, and careers. When tragedy strikes their family, their world is turned upside down-yet grief brings new possibilities for love and success. Told with humor and warmth, HEARTS & MINDS is a beautifully executed novel about the many forms love can take.

[2020 Watty Award Winner] Alice Rhodes, an aspiring actress who gets a heart transplant, has to live her heart donor's life like it's a movie role, in order to find her identity and the life that awaits her in Hollywood. ***** A heart transplant causes Alice Rhodes to remember her heart donor's life. Intrigued by the strange people from her new memories, she goes looking for them, only to find herself in the middle of an investigation of the absurd disappearance of an important woman. With her personality changing into her heart donor's, Alice navigates a mysterious world where nothing seems to make sense and yet everything is strangely connected. It's not long before she realizes she may actually be looking for herself in the missing woman, and as she yields to her new heart, she's longing for the one she lost. Content warning: This story contains mature sexual content and themes of depression, sexual assault, and violence. © Robert Peterson 2020

Now a published novel and available worldwide! It is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Google Play Books, and many many others! [A 2020 Wattys award winning novel]. Something has changed inside of Leo Harr ever since the nightmares started. Only, he's not certain they're just dreams. Have you ever heard the color white? "This story is expertly written, with a mind-bending plot. The writing is reminiscent of Iain Reid's work (and talent)." - 2020 Watty Awards

**Preview Only** When a wounded dragon falls from the sky, Claire Evans runs into a cornfield to rescue it. This isn't just any dragon, he's a shifter, one of six royal protectors, and helping him has consequences. Claire finds herself traipsing--or rather, flying--across the kingdom of Dragonwall. She must face Dragonwall's king. King Talon is not like those before him. Troubled and temperamental, he is scarred by more than the events that shaped him. Worst of all, he is mateless. With no queen and no heir, his subjects are demanding he abandon tradition and marry into nobility. There is a rising threat at his borders, whispers of a sorcerer. Soon, he will have greater problems than that of finding a wife. Modern meets medieval in this seven-book series filled with magical creatures and adventure. This epic fantasy is a slow burn romance that follows multiple POVs, woven together around Claire, a small town Indiana gal. If you've ever wondered what it might be like to get sucked into a fantastical world beyond our own, look no further! **Read Exclusively On Wattpad**