The city of Harborne is one with a troubled past. Its influence once wiped out an entire nation and, in return, it brought the wrath of the Dragon-Kin, of Bron and the Viper, down upon its walls. For over a year it survived, protected by the subtleties of its location, by the ocean and the rain, until its fate was eventually sealed by one of its own. In this world where everyone is born with magic, Edward Montgomery, who somehow had not a scrap of power within him, turned his heart to darkness and let the serpents through Harborne’s battered gates. And though this happened seven generations ago, there is still a saying in the city that survived Bron: “No magic leads to dark magic”. Which wasn’t a problem when Kiara was a child and could disappear from sight with nothing more than a simple thought. Only now she’s inexplicably crippled, with no magic to speak of, and the horizons beckon. She’s headed East, to the Mirror City, because they say a man can buy anything there, anything at all. And anything is exactly what she’d give to get her magic back. She’s willing to face dragons for it. Lucky, really, since Ben is tired of this power he cannot control, and he’s headed East too, to see if he can’t just sell his. **** Watty Award Shortlisted (Most Imaginative Setting) 2012 *****

The Real World has become monotonous. Everyday it's the same thing, work, eat and sleep. New adventures and fantasy has become a thing of the past. The imaginations of the people have dulled and main streamed. Boredom has taken over the youth as game after game became easier to play and usually have the same parameters, such as beat the boss, or save the princess and complete the story line, but, not anymore. Starlight International had a vision of revitalizing the fantasy of the entire planet and threw all their resources in creating the most diverse game ever to hit the markets. 10 Years after their announcement to challenge and change the gaming industry, Starlight International rolled out Divine World Online, a virtual reality game which changed the face of not only the game market, but also every other departments of the world. Boasting a full mind saturation system the game enables the player to truly experience the game as if he/she was present inside a new world. In just a few weeks the number of active players reached the 8 digit number. In a few months it became an absolute necessity to play the game. Due to the time difference in game of 4 days to 1 day in the real world, schools now held classes in game for longer hours using private servers; Armies, Navies and Air Forces have requested private customized servers where they can practice combat tactics in different environments, Companies now had meetings and practice trading techniques in game and testing of new methods to be used in the real world has become a trend. 1 Year after the game’s release, everyone was and is playing the game now. Everyone, but a small orphaned boy of 16 who is busy lifting boxes for a convenience store in order to get some money to buy food and survive the harsh realities of the world around him. Authors Note: Please leave a comment. Constructive criticism will help. Thanks and Enjoy. =)

*Discontinued* In a world of magic & mythical creatures, people's jobs are decided based on how much magic they possess. When Kira is tested for how much magic she has, the results are impossible. Women are known to possess less magic than men, and often don't get as many job options as men do. However, she has more magic in her than she should, opening up many futures that no other women have ever had. Because of this impossible scenario she's put in, she gets to lead the life she always wanted, but assumed she would never have; becoming a Dragon Rider. This may sound like a perfect world and a perfect life, but there is no such thing as perfection...

Meet Joe Nobody . . . and pray he never meets you. He's average height, with an average build, and average looks - an instantly forgettable face in the crowd. Joe also happens to be a hit man, quite possibly one of the best in the world. He's so good, in fact, that most of his work life has settled into a comfortable routine, where everything goes according to plan, and nothing at all is surprising anymore. He's been just about everywhere, and he's seen it all. But Joe hasn't seen everything. Not yet . . . **WARNING** - This work contains several curse words and some extremely violent themes and situations throughout. I mean, the main character is a hit man . . . there's your first sign. You've been warned. **ADDITIONAL WARNING** - This is soooooooo first-draft-ish, so any problems you see logistically, thematically, or grammatically are all the fault of a combination of absinthe and overzealous fingers. And please, for god's sake, if you see something glaringly wrong, tell me about it! :)

Nahlia and Thane are fugitives. Enemies surround them from every side. Not just Aeons and Templars, but a mysterious sect of assassins who seek the artifact they stole from Whitecliff. During this time, Nahlia's powers grow faster than she'd ever imagined. But this growth brings new challenges, including a darker side of Ethermancy that could change everything Meanwhile, Ciena Raider strikes out on her own. Driven by vengeance, she trains harder than ever before, vowing to become the strongest Aeon of this age. https://davidmusk.com/books/aeonica-the-justicars-heir

*Watty's Shortlist!* Asher didn't know what he expected when he woke up in the desert, but it certainly wasn't to be shot at. It's 2056 and Asher-along with a group of twenty-one boys who can't remember a thing-is left reeling after barely surviving the battle that marked the beginning of his only memories. Dropped in the West Bank with nothing aside from the clothes on their backs and chains at their necks, the group scours the land, desperate to solve the mystery of their arrival. As Asher discovers the truth, he realizes that the fate of humanity may as well rest in his hands. Cover credit: @TheLittleMissShadow

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.

~*Wattys 2016 Winner*~ The Ministry is in an uproar over the alleged sightings of a ghost, Damien stands torn between helping an old friend and doing his duty as a top traveler of the Ministry, while Gerard tries desperately to bring back someone he lost long ago in the midst of discovering secrets that leads him to believe he knows this ghost's identity.

When I was born I was the smallest one. They called me the runt. As I grew up I stayed small but I was also weak. Now they call me the weak runt In my teen years all the other teens began to train to protect the land we were given. I was left with the pregnant women who vowed to protect me. I had enough I began to train alone. I slowly but swiftly built up my own power and strength. I used my height as an advantage and my appearance and size as a weapon When the Princess of Alphas come for a visit she caught my eyes as well as the eye of many suitors. Will the princess of Alphas love a weak runt like me or will my secret training pay off? Book 1 of the Hidden Fighter series

The continuation of the Starcross series. Last time a battle had just been won by the ragtag 33rd Colorado showing the world that the Druidth could be beaten. Now, the war rages on as men lose themselves in their inner demons doing whatever it takes to beat the alien menace and the fate of Humanity is staked on one impossible gamble... Will Humanity be victorious or will Earth become a new colony in the Druidth Empire?