Aysel is a Letter, an ancient people with blood teeming with magic just waiting to be released by a blade. But when her elder brother is captured by an unseen foe, only to return weeks later with a mysterious, seemingly-incurable illness, Aysel knows that no amount of spilled blood will be enough to save him. The only chance lies with the monsters that lurk in the shadows of her world, Beasts with violent minds, a taste for flesh, and power enough to rival even a Letter. Her pact with them-- a cure for her brother in return for her service-- will reveal deep-seated hatred in her own heart, souls twisted by greed and fear, and love where she thought nothing but evil could grow. Cover by @Azanthiel @YASciFantasy Staff Pick Completed 2019 74,962 Words

[Watty's 2018 shortlist] Adelyn's quick hands and knack for thievery had a bad habit of putting her in dangerous situations, but forcing her into the path of Nikolai Kors was the worst of them all. A pirate captain with years of death and destruction under his belt, Nikolai has spent ages searching for the one thing that could make every loss, gamble and lie worth it, and Adelyn is the one person who knows where it is. But when fate strikes, it's revealed that Adelyn is more than just a common thief that stole a watch: she's the second piece to the puzzle Nik has been desperate to solve. Together, Nikolai and Adelyn must venture the seven seas and battle monsters of every kind. Should they succeed, Adelyn would have enough money to buy herself out of the life of thievery she's been living for years, but Nikolai hasn't been entirely honest with her... because there's a whole lot more than just riches at the end of this game.

After finally graduating high school, eighteen year old Elizabeth Proctor is pressured into a party at sea. When things go wrong, she finds herself thrown into an entirely different world. Waking up on a pirate ship that sailed hundreds of years before her time, Elizabeth must figure out how to adjust to her new life and hide her impossible secret. A grand adventure awaits her if she's only brave enough to take a chance. Cover by @All_AboutAssymetry *Updates on Saturdays* 11/30/16 - #236 in Historical Fiction 1/23/17 - #225 in Historical Fiction 2/12/17 - #98 in Historical Fiction 4/7/17 - #69 in Historical Fiction 4/30/17 - #34 in Historical Fiction 5/21/17 - #29 in Historical Fiction 5/26/17 - #17 in Historical Fiction 6/13/17 - #14 in Historical Fiction 6/23/17 - #7 in Historical Fiction 6/27/17 - #6 in Historical Fiction 7/5/17 - #4 in Historical Fiction 5/15/18 - #1 in Historical Fiction Started - 9/17/16 Finished - 6/10/17

There are stories about a monster who walks amongst people unseen, one that collects the hearts of the tragic victims who travel through the forest. Aceline Capet, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, knows this story well, but already at eleven years of age, she is much too old for fairytales. There are so many more things to worry about like the reigning government's total upheaval, their family's escape to an unknown village, or her two perfect, overbearing sisters. Having left their luxurious way of life behind, her family adjusts to its new, penniless position in society and Aceline struggles with both loss and revenge. However, many years later, on the eve of her 20th birthday and after a terrible financial adventure, life takes a perilous turn when Aceline finds out a contract was made between her father and a powerful faerie. In exchange for a white rose, one person must offer themselves up to the unknown and terrible Faerie Lord living in the forest.

--JUNE 2021 EDITOR'S PICK-- In a near future where neuroprosthetics have evolved, Nina--a young journalist--receives a hippoccampal implant after losing the ability to create long term memories. All seems well until memories that don't seem to be her own begin to surface. Now, Nina must find the truth behind these memories while struggling not to lose herself in them.

"With all due respect sir, adding a new member to this team will only slow us down." "On the contrary, if anything your team will slow her down." *** She's the ghost story you tell around a camp fire. The monster that hides in your closet. The nightmare that wakes you from your sleep. She's the definition of the word 'deadly'. She never smiles, never shows any emotion other than a blank stare. Unless, she's pissed, then it shows. She doesn't trust any of the other agents, only the chief. She doesn't play nice with others. She's a solo agent, always works alone, but that's about to change. Respect her and she'll take a bullet for you. Mistreat her and she'll put a bullet in you...if you're lucky. She's Agent 13... ***Book 1*** Highest Ranking: #1 in Action

"What makes you think we can trust this Agent 1 guy?" "I-uh, I knew him before he was an agent...he's trustworthy...to an extent." "And I already told you I corrupted him. It's all good." "We're all going to die." *** Devin's hurt. Jason's missing. Lily's alive. The team finally has what they need to take down Garrett...but now they're short one agent. Lily can fill in for Jason but they still can't count on Devin till he's completely healed. So they decide to rely on a new ally...or maybe just an old enemy. When they need help who better to turn to than a new agent? As Lily's pointed out before, new agents are always easy to corrupt... But Agent 1 never really needed to be corrupted to begin with...this isn't going to end well. ***Book 3***

"She was my best friend. Someone I trusted far more than anyone else." "What was she like?" "She was worse than Devin if you can believe that." *** When the team goes on the hunt for Agent 77, aka Garrett, they discover some key information in finding him...Only one problem, the last person who had it was Agent 57. While they retrace her last steps, they run into Eliane, a civilian who gets caught in the cross fire. When they are put in charge of protecting her till the mission's over, they learn exactly how much Thirteen hates other girls. But when Eliane starts getting closer and closer to Cody, Thirteen begins to revert back to her cold self. While Chase and Devin blame it on jealousy, Jason tries to look at it more closely, coming to the conclusion that while Thirteen seems to not be able to stand this Eliane girl, there is something more to it that's fueling her anger. While Thirteen struggles to prove that there's more to Elaine than they can see, she gets a blast from the past. Thirteen's a closed off and secretive person, so how will the team react when they find out exactly how open she can be around the right people? And what will they do when they have some questions that only she can answer? Thirteen's always known more about the case than she's let on. But when she refuses to answer their questions they need find someone who can. Unfortunately the only other person with answers, is Garrett... ***Book 2*** Highest Ranking: #1 in Action

He skins his victims alive, taking pleasure from their pain. In the cold, dark nights of Alaska, a hunter is stalking his prey. Once found, he takes them into the woods and skins them alive, prolonging the experience as much as he can, but the satisfaction always wanes. Aislinn Cain and the Serial Crimes Tracking Unit have just finished up another case when they get the call. Now they are packing their bags and heading for Alaska in March. The team must overcome the hostile locals and harsh climate to catch a killer before he steals the life of another woman.

Going through my pictures, I went to the one that I had just taken, and the phone slowly slipped out of my grasp. What had escaped my notice before is that the couch I had taken the picture on was against a window, which showed the backyard of the house. But in this picture, it wasn't an empty backyard. No, behind my smiling face was another one, outside the window. It was his face. Covered with a black ski mask, watching me. *** All 19-year-old Layna wanted to do was forget about the guy that broke her heart, and move on with her new boyfriend Brian. But instead, she unwittingly attracted the attention of a stalker. Someone who had been watching her every move for a month, plotting and planning for the perfect moment when he could take her. What Layna never would have expected was that when he finally kidnaps her, she would have to undergo "The Test". The Test that the girls before her had gone through. The one they failed, and payed heavily for. Will she pass The Test or will she die like the others?