You only live once

WATTY'S 2019 MYSTERY/THRILLER NOVEL WINNER - Twenty-third century Cascade. A city divided. A city traumatised by its past. The wealthy elite live in luxury, safe in their high towers. In the city below, the streets are ruled by the "Wolfpack": the ruthless street gang that rose to dominance in the wake of the Red Night Riot. Cybernetic surgeon Blair Sandburg could have been one of the elite but, pulled into the Wolfpack through some bad choices, he now sees no way out of the criminal underworld. Jim Ellison is a man with a mission and a secret he must keep at all costs. His quest leads him to risk a journey through the depths of the Wolfpack's territory to Sandburg's door, beginning an adventure that will change both lives forever. Content warning: This story contains some mature themes such as sexual content and violence, reader discretion is advised. :)

Assassin Lilia Cortova was given a simple task: kill a rich lord at a festival. The last thing she expected was to be betrayed by the leader of her own Guild in the process. Cassandra Cortova believes Lilia has deserted her, and is planning to marry the very man who secretly betrayed her sister. Now, Lilia must decide between her lust for vengeance and love of family as she joins forces with the dangerous and handsome man she was supposed to kill, and Cassandra must wrestle with finding the truth before it's too late. Two deadly sisters. Two intertwined fates. And a secret that may bring them back together-or destroy them both.

When the truth comes out, there's nowhere left to run. Season 3 of Eliona's War *** When Seth received a new virtual reality video game from his uncle, he wasn't expecting to get swept up into a whole new world called Eliona. As it turned out, Eliona and its people are far more dangerous than Seth could ever have imagined. There is a real consequence to playing this game: it's changing him, and it might not be for the better. Now that Seth/Severance knows the truth of Eliona, there's no going back. Eliona is dying, and in order to save it, he needs to beat a very difficult dungeon before anyone else does. And on Earth, things are even worse. It's come to light that Eliona is leaving a mark on its players, and suddenly, everyone wants to be involved. Players find themselves with a target on their back, and Seth? He might just have the biggest one of all. Too bad for them, he's done running.

[WINNER OF BEST HISTORICAL FICTION STORY IN THE FICTION AWARDS] There is a story that has been whispered into ear after ear across many countries. It's a sad but hopeful story, the story of The Lost Princess of Scotland. You should know that the story I am about to tell you is true. The horrific events within said story are real, however I should inform you that some details have been altered and exaggerated over the passing years so believe as much as you wish... ~~~ Seventeen years after the tragic attack on the Scottish Kingdom, Rosalie is leading a simple life with her Aunt and Uncle in England. Their lives are soon turned upside down when an unwelcome visitor calls upon their cottage. Running for her life Rose stumbles upon the help of Georgiana, Princess of England. Introduced to a whole new way of life, Rose finds herself falling for Georgiana's older brother, Alexander. Lust and power are a dangerous combination and Rose soon finds herself caught in the middle of a treacherous plot. The Kingdom may not be the safest place to stay after all. [[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]

Kai Gilling, a transgender wanderer traversing the American West, has to trek hundreds of miles in his beat up Jeep, in order to reach an urban legend rumored to be the only settlement still thriving. *********** It's a Wasteland, baby. In the uncomfortably not-so-distant future, the world has been ravaged by natural disasters, water shortages, and public apathy. People like Kai Gilling have flocked to the desert (once known as the American West) in hopes of finding a better life. After picking up a pair of siblings, the three come across a strange woman who claims to have a map to Arcadia, an urban legend rumored to be the only city thriving in the wreckage of the old world. Will they keep their hearts set on an oasis in the desert--even if it's just a mirage? Or will they be tempted by something else

A painful breakup pushes Kyla Evans to get into a fake relationship with the person her ex-boyfriend hates the most: Seth Everett. But what will she do when the game starts to feel too real? ***** Seventeen-year-old Kyla has sworn off love. After getting dumped all too suddenly by her longtime boyfriend Cedric, she becomes convinced that people are never really who you think they are. So when notorious playboy Seth Everett suggests that Kyla fake date him to get back at Cedric, it seems like the perfect plan... as long as she doesn't end up falling for him. Content and/or trigger warning: This story mentions cancer, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]

When a case of mistaken identity leads to an innocent girl being kidnapped by a gangster, will one man bent on revenge push them together or destroy them? ***** Hayden King and Violet Smith couldn't be more different. While he was a feared gangster, she was a simple college student, a delicate flower whose petals had been crushed by a stranger a long time ago. But what they didn't realize is that they had more in common than they initially thought. Their lives were interlinked in a complicated way because of some sick twist of fate. So how will the big revelation affect their life? Will he able to save Violet from the demon of her dreams? Let's find out. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]

Luke has been in love with his best friend, Taylor, for too long now and it's getting difficult to be around him. He knows it's time to move on and find someone who can make him happy, but he feels like that will never happen, not with the way Taylor has his heart... ***** Being in love with your best friend is hard. Luke Peterson knows this better than anyone else, as he's agonized over his feelings for Taylor Schofield for the past five years. So when he meets the handsome and confident Will Carson who wants to help him get over Taylor, it seems like the perfect chance for him to move on. But can Luke truly give Will a chance? Or will his heart always belong to his best friend? Content and trigger warning: This story contains descriptions of suicide and homophobia. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]] Cover designed by Holly Thurston