Calix Favela is the boy who cried wolf. His hometown, Lochhaven, has completely shut him out, due to its citizens believing him to be insane. He isolates himself from humanity by locking himself indoors, hardly ever making an appearance otherwise. Although, contrary to popular belief, he does this to protect Lochhaven in countless, yet secretive, ways. Lyra Baltz has only ever heard stories of Calix from one perspective: the generic, skeptic citizens'. Although, after Lyra's countless (accurate) predictions- which remained confidential to her- she begins to think that Calix isn't nearly as strange as some make him out to be. In fact, she feels a strange connection to him. Eventually, she begins to be haunted and harassed by incessant dreams, hallucinations, and thoughts of a vague, dark presence lurking in Lochhaven. Just as she was about to publicly reveal these disturbances, Calix crosses paths with Lyra and warns her of the terrible things that would occur in doing so. The pair must now face the problem head-on without any assistance, but will they be able to identify the source of the darkness in time?
A criminal mastermind makes a bold move against a wealthy client to put himself in a position to retire in comfort. He has no idea what he's up against when a young widow, desperate to make ends meet, sets her eyes on earning the bounty set on his head.
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Newly widowed housewife Melody Scott needs to earn some major cash, fast. When her bright and busy children learn that a priceless ruby bracelet has been stolen and a six-figure reward is being offered, they convince her to try to do what the police, museum security, and the best private investigators have failed to do. Working against them is a notorious thief who has met people from around the world, but who has never once encountered a woman like Melody Scott. When the sweet innocence of the Scott family clashes against criminal forces more dangerous than they ever imagined, Melody is all too aware that a mom's got to do what a mom's got to do to protect her family.
The Widow, Melody Scott is a 2021 Watty Award Winner!
Content Warning: This story does contain depictions of stalking behavior.