WATTYS WINNER When her fiancé ends up in a coma and his secret mistress, Halley, shows up, Mary feels like her world is falling apart. What she doesn't realize is she's actually falling in love...with Halley. ***** Eight years after a traumatizing accident that killed one of her loved ones, Mary Kincaid is about to marry her childhood sweetheart when the universe yanks the rug out from under her yet again, leaving her fiancé badly injured and in a coma. Of course this is when his secret mistress shows up, a beautiful person whom Mary should by all rights hate - so why does she find herself inviting her to stay in the spare bedroom? She soon learns that sometimes the person you're looking for comes when you're not looking at all. Content and/or trigger warning: This story mentions violence, addiction, and childhood trauma, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]

Being one of only two out gay students in a sometimes not-so-open-minded high school has presented Jackson Humes with certain challenges. Even though all teenagers' lives are challenging in their own ways, Jackson's takes a complicated turn the day he catches Alex Cole in the guy's locker room posing in front of a mirror wearing nothing but a pair of dingy tighty whities. While the rest of the school worries that the recent mountain lion sightings in the woods might have something to do with the star quarterback's disappearance, Jackson worries that Alex is going to rearrange his face in a manner that will make any attempts at future dating impossible. When an unhinged Alex corners Jackson in the woods, Jackson responds by miraculously breaking the laws of gravity. He soon realizes that his emerging superpower is connected to a dark secret, forcefully suppressed after the long ago deaths of all those involved, including Jackson's own parents. But secrets don't stay buried forever, as Jackson is about to discover.

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.

"We Create Our Own Destruction" People change they always do. But how do you deal with that, how do you deal with pain, destruction and love? Could you really come out a better person? Disclaimer I don't own any of the Marvel characters all rights remain with their respected creators. Celaena Sardothein is owned by Sarah.J.Mass.

Lol, just some backstory