Grownupreads Stories

"Bridget Jones with a lot more wine! This story is hilarious, feel-good and relatable in all the best ways!" - Grace K @ HQ. She's just quit her high-flying job, and her marriage is coasting on fumes. Can Alice find a sense of purpose in the wreckage? ***** Alice's life isn't going to plan. She's tied to her phone, pointlessly managing PR for a sinking corporate megalith. She's become a bit player in her kids' lives, and her marriage is coasting on fumes. Forcing herself into action with a rash resignation, Alice sets out to make a positive impact on the world around her. But how? Meditation leads to napping, and her attempts to get closer to her teenage daughter result in the discovery of a secret that leaves her at a loss. As the months tick by and a sense of purpose continues to elude her, Alice finds herself forming bonds with the most unlikely characters: the young woman who panhandles outside her old office; the homeless boy who sits cross-legged outside the liquor store with his ginger cat; her own dog walker who, it turns out, knows a thing or two about developing a good crema. Testing the limits of marriage, motherhood and the Toronto subway system -- can Alice find her way into a purpose-driven life? Or will it all be one giant hangover? [*Wattpad Editor's Pick 2018*] [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]] Readers say: "This had me laughing so loud that my sister came to check up on me to see if I'm OK!!!" "...the new Bridget Jones, a working woman's take on the digital age." About the Author: Working mother and red wine enthusiast, Renee lives in Toronto with her flawed but wonderful family (seriously, who left socks on the kitchen counter?) in a flawed but wonderful house (what *is* that smell in the basement?) where she writes flawed but wonderful stories about what it is to be a woman today.

On America's favorite TV show, the only prize is getting out alive. Daniel is an affluent Senator's son who has just been disowned over his gender transition. When he's thrust out of his home and into the public spotlight, a bounty hunter targets him for a deadly reality show where Daniel teams up with a street-smart orphan. They must play to win because that's the only way to survive The Elimination Game. COMPLETED Wattys 2018 winner in The Originals category Wattpad Featured Pick June 2018 - Blast to the Future Past Wattpad Featured Pick December 2017 **THE COMPLETE WATCHERS TRILOGY** Book 1 - WATCHERS (Watty Award winner 2018) Companion Novella - KILLERS Book 2 - FIGHTERS (Wattpad Featured Pick) Book 3 - DESTROYERS

Where in the secret to life the universe and everything is revealed. Who says entertaining writing has to have a story, or a plot? Why can't it be just a stream of consciousness, some interesting episodes from one's life, some regrets revisited, some apologies long overdue, some philosophical speculations and some plain nonsense to keep it entertaining?

#girlswhotravel #lifegoals Recently dumped and going nowhere, Jennie Jamieson decides it's finally time to listen to all those inspirational Instagram hashtags and do something with her life. A visit to Antarctica has always been on her bucket list, so Jennie quits her job and blows her savings to follow her dream. Then, in the dark, icy hostility of Earth's final frontier, bodies start turning up... and no one can work out how-or why-they died. Join Jennie for mystery, adventure and thrills in the world's last true wilderness, and find out how much she is willing to risk for the #fame, #fortune and #followers of the perfect social media feed. This is my entry in the Open Novella Contest-a challenge to write a novella of 20,000 words, based on a prompt, in just a few weeks. I chose the "mystery in the Antarctic" prompt. ❄️Cover by @trista-❄️ 📱 Top rank: 26 in Adventure 📱

Sandrine is reluctant to take the job as a ghost hunter, despite her ancestral gift. And when she meets her boss and future partners, every fibre of her being tells her to quit-but she needs the money. How hard can it be to dispel the ghost of a bird? Soon, she finds herself fighting the advances of a medieval playboy, targeted by a flock of ectoplasmic ravens, and trying to solve the puzzle of the cottage in the lake. With disaster waiting around the corner, she truly has no time for a budding romance, right? ~ ~ ~ My entry for the open novella contest 2021. Prompts: No 5: There is a terrible drought ravaging the land, but when the waters recede from the local lake/reservoir, they reveal something no one expected to find. No 64. What should have been a simple task for a trio of ghost hunters quickly becomes something for which the term 'Worst Case Scenario' is the mother of all understatement. No 61. I would've lived longer if it weren't for Lorraine. There's only one issue... who's Lorraine? Words according to Wattpad: Chapter 1 - 1495 Chapter 2 - 1455 - milestone 1 reached Chapter 3 - 1469 Chapter 4 - 1552 Chapter 5 - 1563 Chapter 6 - 1620 - milestone 2 reached Chapter 7 - 1564 Chapter 8 - 1700 Chapter 9 - 1637 Chapter 10 - 1797 Chapter 11 - 1605 Chapter 12 - 1561 Chapter 13 - 1690 - milestone 3 reached Chapter 14 - 1842 Chapter 15 - 1762 Epilogue - 233 Total words published: 24545

A collection of Romantic short stories. They may be science fiction, adventure, fantasy - but they will always be about romance. See the Introduction for descriptions. New stories will be added occasionally. books2read.com/u/bQg0YZ

Near the end of the war, Minerva looks back at her relationship with Severus Snape and thinks about destiny.

This is where we will showcase our book of the month. We hope you can join us by reading what we have.

The idea that Miriam's long held dream could possibly be realized, set her on a precarious path through a corporate jungle of avaricious players, manipulating careers and events to her advantage, which led to jealousy, deceit and murder . . . Adult themed

A collection of micro stories, snippets of ideas that come to me collected together.

A collection of sci fi and fantasy short stories. Some are new, some I wrote years ago and finally got around to posting here.

PRIDE'S CHILDREN, Book 1, is complete. ***** Finalist for 2016 Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards (UK)***** If you start reading on Wattpad, and would CONSIDER writing a review on Amazon (purchase not required, PM me for an electronic REVIEW Copy). The review is up to you - I won't nag. [It is published, on Amazon in Kindle Select, as of Oct. 30, 2015. The requirements for KDP are that the story not be available anywhere else, so I have taken all but 10% off Wattpad, where it had a great run. It is available in print as well.] If you like the sample here, let me know - all comments welcome. ***** WHAT YOU DO WITH AN OBSESSION COUNTS "I, KARENNA ELIZABETH Ashe, being of sound mind, do... But that's it, isn't it? Being here proves I am not of sound mind..." So begins Book 1 of the Pride's Children trilogy: Kary immediately regrets the misplaced sense of noblesse oblige which compels her to appear, live on national television-at exorbitant personal cost. What she cannot anticipate is an entanglement with Hollywood that destroys her carefully-constructed solitudinarian life. A contemporary mainstream love story, in the epic tradition of Jane Eyre, and Dorothy L. Sayers' four-novel bond between Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, Pride's Children starts with a very public chance encounter, and eventually stretches over three separate continents. ~ ~ ~ The complete blurb is on Amazon: http://amzn.com/B017AZLTLG http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017AZLTLG ~ ~ ~ RATING: Sexual innuendo, mild swearing, occasional non-graphic violence (PG-13).

Do we ever realize, at the moment that it is happening, that what is unfolding is to become the defining and pivotal moment of our life? Or does this realization only come years later, when we reflect and, given the wisdom of time, understand how a single event changed two people's lives forever? And how a cooler of beer, a Ford Econoline van, and eight high school friends on a road trip to a Prince concert might have changed everything. "Purple Rain" by BG Davies was first published in The Sun-kissed Summer Romance Anthology.

In the midst of a string of bank robberies hitting the city, detective Alpha investigates a bizarre sexual assault case. Meanwhile the unkeyed Ability still remains a mystery, nobody knows where it came from or what it does. But hey, at least there's coffee.

Schoolteacher Fiona is on a mission for her beloved but ailing grandpa - find a missing Zimbabwean artefact, the priceless soapstone statuette known as the Bird of the Gods. Conrad - globetrotting archaeologist-for-hire, contracted to the stunning influencer Amanda (aka #mandalove) - has the same job. When Fiona and Conrad's paths cross, what was supposed to be a straightforward quest turns into a high-stakes race around the world. And with antagonists popping up at every corner - from mountain tops to deep underground, in Serbian caves, frozen Canadian crypts, and the silver mines of the old West - Fiona and Conrad must work together to catch their bird. Mutual respect grows into something more. But not everything is quite as it seems, and the intrepid pair must watch their backs lest they too end up underground - this time permanently.

Still mending her heart after a toxic relationship, Makayla isn't in the mood for love. Her sister doesn't agree and sends Makayla to a matchmaking agency, whose algorithm is reputed infallible. While her personality and traits are analyzed, Makayla cannot help but start hoping to find the Perfect Guy--the one that will give her the courage to stop the downward spiral of depression. 🏆 Winner of "Twist the Clichés" contest, @WattCliches, @NARomance, @YARomance (August 2020) 📚 Featured on: @StoriesUndiscovered ~ Lunch Hour Short (May 1st, 2021) @ScienceFiction ~ Captain's Choice (April 16th, 2021) @ScienceFiction ~ Punk Fiction (April 16th, 2021) @ScienceFiction ~ Punk Fiction (January 19th, 2021) @WattpadShortStory ~ Another Time, Another Place (October 30th, 2020) @generalfiction ~ Finding Love | Romance (October 17th, 2020) @CoffeeCommunity ~ One Shots (October 8th, 2020) Cover made with Desygner

The invaders fired without warning. The space station exploded in a soundless ball of flame, incinerating the Patrol ships as they scrambled to launch. Lasers burned swathes through the planet settlements, destroying buildings and killing thousands in their path. In less than an hour, Bellatru was a smoking ruin. Then, the visitors launched the ground troops.

Technological development often isn't easy and there are regularly pitfalls and moral dilemmas along the way. Late one evening, a scientist makes the decision to test the latest version of his apparatus on himself. Things go, in some ways, far better than he expected but he soon discovers a much more urgent threat.

Yuki had a crush on Kaname forever. When she learns that he also has a crush on her. The plot thickens as they learn more about each other and found that they're parents set up an arranged marriage years ago. What will the new couple do? ©2018 Nadine van der Merwe

It is the year 2142 - The Age of Quantified Automation, and every life is measured and controlled. Everything a person does is recorded. This data is used to place people where they are most needed. Adelaide and Adwin are turning 18 soon and will be placed as a cog in the wheel of the American Republic. Are they more than their data? Does free will still exist? Follow them as they discover what truth really is and what it means to be truly free. Underground is a very different world. They are off the grid. Are they a threat to those who control the Republic - First 400? Do they know the truth? Can they save the world from what they believe to be pure evil? Or are they wrong about who the enemy is? Follow Freya as she fights for what she believes to be true. Join this exploration. ~~Don't forget to hit the ⭐️ if you like a chapter~~ This book is an exploration of biopower, basic income, culture, in-group and out-group bias, conflict, corruption, technology and the human spirit.