Ari Callahan has no idea how to talk to boys -- or how to talk to anyone for that matter. Enter Zac, the cute new guy in town who won't stop texting her. But is his interest real, or does he have a hidden agenda? ***** Found as a young child washed up on the beach, 17-year-old Ari Callahan has never uttered a word out loud to anyone -- not even her adoptive family. Psychologists have diagnosed her with a condition called selective mutism, but Ari can't help identifying with her namesake character, Ariel, the little mermaid in the fairytale whose voice was stolen by a sea witch. Mermaid-obsession aside, Ari's silence makes socializing tough. She's never had a boyfriend or been asked out on a date. Not until Zac, the confident new arrival in town, asks for her number. But Zac has his own reasons for texting with Ari. He's part of a movement to sabotage the artificial music app called SirenSong, threatening to render human singing obsolete. Zac's collaborators have scoured the globe in search of a singing voice perfect enough to break the SirenSong spell, and their search has led them straight to Ari's beachside town. Will her relationship with Zac help Ari find her voice and unlock the secrets of her origins? Or will he use her and leave her high and dry? Title: Ari and Zac (formerly The Mermaid Hypothesis) Content Warning: This story contains references to selective mutism, suicidal thoughts, and early childhood trauma.

Thrown out of an abusive home, Suki pretends to be Devin's girlfriend while she stays with his family. But what happens when pretend feelings become real? ***** With nowhere to go after being thrown out of an abusive home, Suki asks Devin, a complete stranger, if she can stay the night with him. But what was supposed to be a short-term solution quickly turns into an open-ended promise: if Suki pretends to be Devin's girlfriend to ward off his pushy (if loving) mother, then she can live in his spare bedroom until she sorts out her life. But what happens when pretend feelings become real? Will Suki be able to overcome the fear and pain in her past in order to heal and fall in love? [[1st Place, The Rarity Awards, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, Skull Awards, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, The Royalty Awards 2017, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, The Gold Awards 2017, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, The Holo Awards, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, The Z Awards, Romance Category]] [[1st Place, The Purple Awards, Romance Category]] [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]