Childhood friends enter high school no longer speaking to each other, it's their senior year, and they are partnered up to do a project that's worth half of their final grade. will they get along? While they are hiding secrets. Will an innocent child/children bring them together in ways they didn't expect? Read to find out Ariadne and Jordan's love or hate story. Highest rank 4/1/2020- #2 in baby project 4/3/2020-#1 in baby project

Avery and Andrew have been best friends since middle school; they're close. But they're about to get a whole lot closer when paired up for the project like no other: the baby project.

Lisa and her boss, Alessandro, agree to spite their exes by pretending to date, but things begin to backfire when fake feelings become real along the way. ***** For two years, Lisa Brooks worked as a secretary to the powerful self-made billionaire, Alessandro Russo. He hardly noticed her, and to him, she was nothing more than a co-worker who wore conservative clothes, a tight bun, and followed his orders. But when Lisa's heart gets broken by her first love and Alessandro starts to lose his willpower to avoid Gretchen (his ex-girlfriend and now-client's wife), they decide to help each other out by fake dating. I mean, how hard can it be to not fall in love? [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ashley Santoro

Celeste didn't think it couldn't get any weirder than waitressing at an exclusive erotic masquerade ball for the uber-rich. Then she caught the eye of her gorgeous billionaire boss, Griffin Steele. What started out as one night of anonymous hedonistic bliss quickly spirals into full-blown feelings, catapulting Celeste into the cruel world of the rich and powerful. **************** GRIFFIN STEELE: I've never lost my head over a woman and I've sure as shit never been in love because it's a myth. A chemical farce masquerading as temporary insanity. It's all a game of give and take, but to men like me, it's a ruthless takeover. At least, that's what I told myself. Then that twenty-something temptress waltzed into my world and upended everything. CELESTE MARTIN: Talk about a weird night. I got harassed, assaulted, and fired (not necessarily in that order) before spontaneously combusting into raw sexual energy with my former boss. And Griffin Steele wasn't just a worldly billionaire-slash-untouchable Green Tech god. From his dusky blue bedroom eyes to his aura of quiet power, the man was hazardous to my health (and my underwear). We were a burst of ephemeral magic. An incredible fluke that left my legs quivering and my body craving so much more. And unfortunately, it can't 👏 happen 👏 again 👏 2023 WATTYS SHORTLISTED STORY 🏆 ***Please note, this book has been taken down for editing.

Rescued from a blind date from hell, a career woman's one night stand with her would be savior has unforeseen consequences. **** Up and coming New York apartment manager, Vanessa Torres' life is going perfectly according to her five year plan. Well, everything except in the love department, but that will come later. On cloud nine from her recent promotion, she agrees to go on a blind date arranged by her friend. Little does she know her squeaky clean life is about to turn upside down, following a one night stand with a handsome stranger, who saves her from the disastrous set-up. Reputable, lease up closer, Gabriel Tate, loves to live life by the game of chance, with no long term plans in mind. Blessed with Adonis-like looks and a charming personality he's used to getting what he wants when he wants until one flip of a coin changes his life forever. Their lives become entangled in a heated competition to fulfill rental contracts for their respective employers, not to mention running in the same social circles within the apartment industry. They soon realize change and compromise are necessary not only within their careers but also life and neither expected to find love during the chaotic and dysfunctional rivalry. Open Novella Contest 2023 Prompts: #5 Flip a coin and make a life choice with it. Two choices, one coin, and no turning back. Do you dare? #25 "If he smiled at you, he'll break your heart. If she winked at you, she'll rip you apart. #39 On a blind date with a complete mismatch, you're increasingly uncomfortable , but too polite to leave. Then an attractive stranger comes over and gives you an out. © 2023 LJRae

Lyra, a recent college grad on a break with her narcissistic boyfriend, flees to a beach town where a steamy affair with a billionaire CEO forces her to choose between meeting others' expectations and pursuing her dreams. Lyra's boyfriend of four years wants a break. What Lyra wants isn't of much importance, though. At least, not to her parents, who think her dreams are just a phase. Agreeing with people is much easier than trying to prove them wrong, and that's what Lyra has done for a while. Right until the impromptu solo trip to the coastal town of Marfolk. Right until the meeting with the dark-haired, blue-eyed Emrys. He gets under her skın like no other man, and soon they're caught in a riptide of a forbidden, passionate romance. Too bad it has an expiration date-the day Lyra returns home. Content warning: this story contains mentions of domestic violence that can be upsetting to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

[FREE STORY w/ bonus paid chapters] When a scandal hits perfect seventeen-year-old Rose in the run-up to an election, she starts to believe that her dreams of becoming Class President are over. But in the shreds of her reputation is where she meets Blake - Archbury High's favorite troublemaker. As morally corrupt as he is handsome, Rose knows that asking for his help is a risk, but it could help to claw back her dignity. What starts off as a mutual arrangement soon begins to unravel, and as the pair grow closer and secrets are spilled in the run-up to the election, Rose starts to learn that maybe perfect isn't everything.

An older man, a broken heart, and a world of temptation. Chaise Da Silva thought she had the perfect college life until she walked in on her best friend and boyfriend going at it the day before summer vacation began. Heartbroken, she returned home to figure out what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, only to find that her father was out of the country and had left the house in the care of his criminally hot best friend. Grayson Reed is twice her age, devastatingly handsome, and completely off-limits. Stuck together for the summer, Chaise and Grayson try to deny their growing attraction but are thrown together at every turn. Although she only wanted to feel desired after being cruelly cast aside, the fires of passion ignited between them show no signs of being extinguished. Unless, of course, her father finds out... CONTENT WARNING (CW): This story may include scenes or depictions of- - Age Gap - Explicit Sexual Content - Violence - Sexual Trauma (Attempted Sexual assault) NOTE - a glitch may show these chapters in the wrong order, please check the side bar for chapter titles.

The coasts have always been peaceful, until the waters revolt against the land. In 2047, long-term marine pollution alters the genetics of aquatic organisms, turning them into bloodthirsty monsters. The Loch Ness, the Krakens... these mythical beings have become a reality. They leave the seas one day to ravage the land and prey on humans. Delia is a normal high schooler, until she witnesses the death of her schoolmates and finds herself thrown into a world of bloodshed and terror. While escaping from the creatures, she finds herself stuck in a shelter full of strangers, but how long can they stay safe before danger comes knocking on their door? As Delia faces troubles at every turn, she soon realizes that she can't hide her deepest secret forever, especially not after a creature saves her. How long can she fight for her survival as she watches the world perish before her eyes? Content Warning: The story contains some gore, suicide, violence and dark themes. Completed: 28/9/2022 (Word count: 80,000 - 90,000) Highest ranking: #2 in Horror #1 in Suspence #3 in Teen Fiction #30 in Romance ========================================== Copyright © 2021-2023 by Kim_Knights

||WATTY'S SHORTLIST 2023|| [LGBTQ+ New Adult Fiction] When Mia Cunningham leaves her hometown in coastal Maine at 11 years old after her mother's death, her best friend, Leila Sutherland, gifts Mia a seashell "so she can hear the ocean and remember her home." Over a decade later, the two young women are beginning to navigate their post-grad lives. Leila has remained in Maine, afraid to branch out of her comfort zone, and Mia, after spending her college years in New York and unsure of her future, returns to the only place she ever felt home--Kenneburk, Maine. After a fateful meeting between the young women, Leila and Mia slowly begin to rekindle the friendship that had once been long forgotten. Their friendship is immediately tested, however, as Leila begins to develops familiar feelings and Mia, unsure of where she belongs, cannot help but wonder the direction her life is calling her towards. Will their friendship survive these new trials of adulthood, or should it have ended permanently the day that Mia left 12 years prior? Find out in "Can You Hear the Ocean?" (Published: 2021)