{Wattys 2018 Winner - The Contemporaries} Versailles, France 1789: Where the only things more prevalent than opulence and wealth, are secrets. At the dawn of the French Revolution, Paris is divided. In the glittering palace of Versailles, courtiers party without a care in the world, but in the city, people must fight to stay alive. Eighteen-year-old courtier Gabriel de la Marche is part of both worlds. When Gabriel was fourteen, his older sister went missing, and desperation for answers led him to strike a deal with an underground organization of assassins-they would use their connections to help Gabriel find his sister, if Gabriel agreed to kill members of nobility under the alias L'Ange de la Mort. Four years later, he still hasn't found his sister, and the repercussions of his decision are catching up with him. But he fears it might be too late to turn back now. The daughter of a French mother and a wealthy English earl, Lizabeth survived in the womb when her twin brother did not. Believed by her family to be cursed, she has grown up shamed and unloved, locked away in her father's estate. That is, until Lizabeth's mother strikes a deal of her own. If Lizabeth travels to Versailles and kills L'Ange de la Mort, she'll be granted her freedom. At the palace, Gabriel and Lizabeth fall headfirst into love, neither of them knowing the other's secret. Amid lavish court life, Lizabeth desperately searches for the identity of L'Ange de la Mort while Gabriel searches for the person rumored to want him dead. And when the truth is finally revealed, they discover they've become entrapped in a plot bigger than either of them could have imagined. One which could change all of France. stunning cover by storms_and_seas! aesthetics by makovea!

On a solitary drive across the states in search of refuge from her woes, a girl named Hensley stops in a peculiar small town perched on a plateau above the sea. The endeavor was only meant to be a pause for gas, but as Hensley goes to leave, she quickly finds that the roads off the shelf have vanished, and even worse, so have the towns residents. Now alone and trapped in a foreign place, Hensley quickly sets to looking for an escape, but as she soon finds, that's easier said than done. The town she's found herself in doesn't seem to be the same one she entered, decaying fast and rotted to ruin, and the sea below has drained into a bottomless, all consuming abyss. An abyss that's not empty... Beasts of utter horror are scurrying up the cliffs from the darkness, looking for lost morsels such as Hensley, and while she tries to duck them while looking for her way out, she fears that she won't be able to avoid them for long. Because the more she investigates, the more Hensely realizes she's not the first one on the shelf, and all the evidence points to her predecessors not making it out alive... Hensely only has herself to rely on now, and as time winds on, that statement proves to be darkly literal.

Nightingale is human - or would be, had it not been for the manner of her creation. Genetically engineered and grown to adulthood in a lab, she was created, not born. Why? For the sole purpose of the entertainment of rich men as one of the many Inamoratas in the bordello business . Beautiful, elegant, a superb dancer and an even better singer, she is the perfect lover for any man. Perfect, that is, except for her personality - the one thing you can't engineer.

The gentle young Earl of Ilmarie has his life turned upside down when he crosses paths with the fiery and wild Thea. A flash fic written for the #Shortys2024 Historical/ Romance Word count: 1921 [29/09/2024]

The House of Atreus bears a curse. One steeped in blood and nourished by decades of violence. Klytemnestra knew this when she married Agamemnon, but being a princess in Sparta doesn't leave you with much choice, though she longs for it. The Fates spin their threads impassively but all Klytemnestra wants, is to be free of the shackles that bound her. Iphigenia has always been the perfect daughter, the perfect princess, beloved by both her people and her father. With Greece on the brink of war, destiny chooses her to fulfil a higher purpose. But she might just have to sacrifice everything. Elektra is sick of being held down by those in power. Despite being a princess, she is living a life in poverty, one she didn't choose. But when her brother returns home after a long absence, she might just take matters into her own hands. *** Three women. Three secrets. Three tangled lives. *** This story is intended for an adult audience and features depictions of violence, murder and sexual encounters as well as mentions of rape, incest, cannibalism, and suicide. Cover design by AnnieRosebud * ONC 2023 Best Cover Award Winner * * Ambys 2024 Grand Favorite *

Arise Series Book 1 and Wattys 2022 Shortlist! As man has taken a step back in the world, magic, monsters, and adventure return. Modern man vs. the monsters of old who have re-entered the world. A group of men and women, the Journeymen, work to bring unity and order to a world separated by the differences that many once saw as incapable of reconciliation. With the use of magic and their skills as soldiers and lawmen, they are uniquely suited for the task of peace keeping. This story follows a small group of Journeymen. Jack Cooper is a man with one goal in mind, to create a world for his young family to have peace. Jack and his partner, the lovable and deadly veteran soldier Chuck Johnson, have challenges to face on all sides but perhaps the most daunting challenge of all is that of taking on a new apprentice. Anya Thompson, the orphaned daughter turned brand new Journeyman, faces the dangers of the big wide world that she has been cut off from for the last five years. Can she survive the trials of this savage land and in the process learn what it takes to protect the people who live in it? The Journeymen is a combination of a modern day, post-apocalyptic story with a dedication to realism and of a quest set in a world of high fantasy magic and monsters. I hope you all enjoy and I can't wait to interact with each of you in the comments!

(Various!Yanderes X F!Reader) [Y/N] is thrust into the world of high society after the tragic death of her parents in 1770. When she receives an unexpected invitation to a grand ball hosted by the Marquis of Paris, she is drawn into a world of political intrigue and manipulation. The Marquis, a man with a dangerous hunger for power, seeks to expand his influence by any means necessary. His ambitions extend not only to lands and titles but also to [Y/N] herself.

It was not until Marie stood in the palace courtyard that the reality of her situation swept over her like a wave. She could see nothing but Lorenzo's maddened hands; grasping at her, pulling her wrists harshly, tugging viciously at her skirts. Had it not been for Hortense clinging to to her right arm, Marie was fairly certain that falling faint was a distinct and ever-present possibility "Fear not, my love," Hortense whispered, ever the perceptive younger sister. "I am under his protection. We are safe here."

Escape from the Sun King tells the fictional story of the Guillet family, Robert, wife Ruth, son Roberto, daughter Sarah, and son Lucas who are Huguenot ( Protestant followers of John Calvin) living in Paris during the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) by Louis XIV the Sun King. This edict removes the right to worship their faith and gives the vicious dragonnades (soldier missionaries) the right to move in and persecute them in their own home. The family takes drastic action to survive and help others. Their daughter Sarah remains in Paris to look after the family's wealth and business interests by converting and marrying a Catholic. While her parents prepare to flee, she courts 3 prospective husbands and marries. Meanwhile one rejected suitor becomes obsessed with her and makes her life unbearable. The rest of the Guillet family bid their daughter farewell and begin their perilous journey to England. Family members face immense challenges including shipwreck, sexual assault, settling into a new country, starting a new business, indentured servitude, smuggling and fire. They meet their challenges despite all odds with close calls of capture by soldiers and tax collectors. For many of us, the Guillet are our ancestors. Although the characters are devout, this is not a book directed at a Christian audience. Instead, it is a story of courage and leadership faced by the people first described as refugees, especially the female members of the family. Light-hearted scenes include attending a ball at a grand house located on the Seine, a soiree at Versailles to meet the King and Madame Maintenon, a rescue at sea, smuggling on the Island of Jersey and interaction with a gang of ruffians in London.