The only thing Mia Hope has in common with Jake Carpenter, Artwood High's most popular quarterback, is a love for the coffee served at The Coffee Pod. He wants her to tutor him - and if she can do it without a single cup of coffee, he'll pay her triple. Easy. Nothing could go wrong, right? ***** When Jake learns he's failing English, he knows he needs to pull his grades up or he'll risk being kicked off the football team. He strikes a deal with the elusive Mia - the quiet girl with secrets. If she can't go without a single cup of coffee, she has to tutor him for free. If she can, he'll pay her triple, and with Christmas around the corner, there's nothing Mia needs more than money. But as the pair grow closer, Jake learns the real reason for Mia's bad habit, and what starts as an innocent bet between enemies grows into something more serious. Can the pair survive the next two months with their hearts - and secrets - still intact? Content/trigger warning: This story contains themes of assault and abuse. [[word count: 60,000 - 70,000]] Cover designed by Jenna Conrad The Coffee Pact now has a sequel: The Kissing Pact

Geoff and Naomi are dead, and they're depressed, but when Geoff's cat Bernie dies as well, they embark on a wild journey to find it in the underworld. ***** When Geoff dies, alongside his girlfriend Naomi, they end up sharing an apartment in the Underworld as skeletons. But after a few years, Geoff starts suffering a mid-death crisis. What's the purpose of going through the motions as a skeleton if you can't really live? Then he gets word that his cat, Bernie, just died and he can collect him and bring him home! Geoff and Naomi hurry to get Bernie only to discover that, due to a clerical error, their cat has been lost. With the hunt for Bernie giving new purpose to Geoff's un-life, he and Naomi begin a quest to get back their cat. Battling skeleton pirates, climbing the sky ladder and facing off against the villain who took Bernie, Geoff is determined to find his purpose - or die a second time trying! [[2018 Wattys Winner - The Originals]] [[word count: 30,000-40,000 words]]