Contemporary Stories

Alison's sister disappeared filming a reality show, so she goes undercover as a contestant, discovering that in some cases reality tv is all too real. ***** Alison's sister disappeared while shooting a Survivor-style reality series, so when the show gets a reboot, Alison gets herself cast as a contestant. Arriving on the island, none of the organizers seem to be giving her straight answers. Forced to manipulate the situation to stay on the show, she starts an uneasy alliance with the handsome and physically capable Travis. They even act like they're falling in love, hoping their romantic appeal will keep them on the show. But as more challenges take place, and contestants go from being injured to dying in front of the camera, Alison and Travis realize that something is wrong. They have to win this game, or they won't make it off the island alive. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION Finished high school, Emma's forced to spend her summer at a camp. But a striking counsellor, Vivian, changes her plans from escape to together forever. ***** Seventeen-year-old Emma Lane usually lives with her dad, but she's once again being forced to spend the summer with her homophobic mom. This time, however, instead of spending a summer on the beach, her mom drops her off at Camp Mapplewood while she heads off on a cruise with her new husband. Emma hates the camp and tries to escape, but she is caught by a camp counsellor Vivian. She's drawn to Vivian's voice and her charm, while Vivian is fascinated by Emma's instinct to protect others and to feel with her whole heart. The two grow close, but the end of the summer looms. Can they find a way to stay together when they have to return to their normal lives? (Has a sequel: My Pretend Summer.) [[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]

A heartbroken fashion designer escapes to Tokyo to be an assistant on a movie set, only to get caught up in an illicit, whirlwind romance with the lead actor. ***** After discovering her fiance is cheating on her, heiress and fashion designer Lily Porter is whisked away to Tokyo to help a production company adapt one of her great-aunt's novels. She isn't thrilled about lying about being her aunt's assistant until it throws her into the path of the movie's lead actor, who is enough of a distraction to keep her mind off her ex for good. But can there really be a future for them when their relationship is built on lies, false identities, and a secret engagement? [[Wattys' Longlisted]] [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

Storie Sovany is used to being dismissed as the fat friend, until she moves from New York City to rural Ohio for college and the charming frat boy Liam Alexander approaches her. Torn between disbelief and flattery, Storie hopes her luck may have finally changed - but is it too good to be true? [author's note: this is not a romance!]

Tyler is being hunted by the Grinning Man and flees to Marble Springs, where he teams up with Serling and Price, real estate agents who sell haunted houses. ***** After his brother disappears and a burial mound explodes, high school student Tyler Graves starts having strange visions. His brother warns him that something is coming for him. Soon, Tyler's entire family is slaughtered, and he's being hunted by an otherworldly entity known as The Grinning Man. Fleeing to Marble Springs, he meets Serling and Price, real estate agents who specialize in selling haunted houses. It's up to this unlikely trio to stop a madman from destroying the world - by literally unleashing Hell on Earth! (Sequel to Apartment 239.) [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

After falling in love with a younger and much less successful man, can Yiwen convince herself and her parents to accept him into their wealthy family? ***** When Yiwen Wang suddenly finds herself 30 and single, she lets her well-meaning best friend talk her into a blind date with the handsome Zi'an Li. And not only is he plucked straight out of a movie screen, his witty banter over dinner also convinces Yiwen he's exactly the type to make her toes curl. Yet, by some wicked twist of fate, he's five years younger than her and has no house, car, or stable, high-paying job. So how is she ever going to convince herself and her parents that he's the right choice? Especially when her new, attractive boss makes it very clear that he's interested in her? [[1st Place, Flower Awards, Chicklit Category]] [[1st Place, The Golden Awards, Chicklit Category]] [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION How do you trust the ground when all you've known is flight? In this breathtaking debut, Leigh Ansell has created a compelling, heartbreaking, and truly engaging story about a young girl used to flying high only to be faced with living life with her two feet firmly on the ground . . . Seventeen-year-old Corey Ryder can't remember a time when she wasn't gliding through the air of Cirque Mystique's big top. As a trapeze artist in a traveling circus, Corey wakes up every day in a different place, buzzing for the moment she can suspend gravity during the night's performance. When the circus pulls into small-town Sherwood, California, everything seems normal - aside from meeting the exceptionally cute Luke Everett at a local diner. But that night, in the midst of the performance, tragedy strikes and flames overtake the tent. While Corey narrowly escapes, in the ashes of the circus pitch lies the only home she's ever known. Repeatedly thrown out of her comfort zone, Corey must learn how to push toward her future without forgetting her past, what it means to be a daughter to a mother she's never known, and how to navigate the confusing magic of first love, even as she performs the high-wire act of being true to who you really are.

"Entwined" is now published as a Wattpad Book! As a Wattpad reader, you can access both the Original Edition and the Wattpad Books Edition upon purchase. On her eighteenth birthday, Avery Montgomery will discover who the Greek gods have chosen as her soulmate. But what if it's not the boy she's fallen in love with? ***** Seventeen-year-old Avery Montgomery doesn't want a soulmate, but she doesn't get a choice. As a descendant of a minor Greek goddess, it's her destiny to meet her other half after her eighteenth birthday and hear his thoughts inside her head -- just as it's the destiny of everyone else like her, born as part of an Ancient Greek race known as the Hellenicus. But Avery has never had a romantic bone in her body, and while there's a chance her soulmate might be Carlos, her dreamy new crush, or Adrian, her long-time childhood crush, there's also a chance...no, her soulmate couldn't possibly be her best friend's annoying older brother Vladimir. Right? Content/Trigger Warning: self-harm, violence against children [[People Choice Awards 2019 Winner for Best Teen Fiction]] [[The Wattys 2018, Longlist]]

Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option. ***** Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her... Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault. [[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]

Free to read! 19-year-old Jane, newly-single, moves to London to work for her friend, Kitty. But Kitty is hiding something about the café - and about Jane and Kitty's past. ***** If you looked at her Instagram, you'd think Jane had the perfect life. But a family tragedy and a big break up shatters that illusion, prompting Jane to drop out of university and move to London. She gets a room above a bookstore and a job as a barista, thanks to her childhood friend Kitty. Struggling with feelings of loneliness among the happy staff, Jane feels further ostracized when Kitty refuses to discuss Matt, who used to live in the bedroom Jane took over and who left under mysterious circumstances. As Jane struggles to find herself, and get the attention of the cute bartender, Harper, she discovers that the Brew Books café is brewing with dark secrets. [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]

EPILOGUE WILL BE FREE STARTING JUNE 29TH, 2023! Diana wakes up in pain, tied to a bed and unable to escape. She's been trapped by a group of surgeons with a twisted passion and she's their next victim. ***** Diana Slater, a typical University student, wakes up in pain, tied to a bed and unable to see. After a mysterious figure, known only as Dr. Sweeney, nurses her back to health she finds out the truth. The Doctor has kidnapped her and given her a cat's eyes as part of a larger ploy to turn humans into collectibles. Now she's being trained by Ben, another patient, with the skin of a snake, on how to behave. Diana and Ben are forced to work together to try to escape the murderous doctors - until she discovers Ben might not be the victim he makes himself out to be. The only person Diana can trust is herself, and if she fails, her eyes won't give her another nine lives. [[Winner of the 2018 Fiction Awards for Best Horror Story]] [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]] Cover designed by Holly Thurston

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION. If you'd like to access both this Books Edition & the Original Edition of Entwined, please see the other version on my profile. *** Sometimes love gets a bit twisted. Avery Montgomery doesn't even know if she wants a soul mate. As a member of the Hellenicus-a race founded in antiquity and descended directly from the Greek gods-Avery's attending her first Gathering where she'll gain the ability to entwine her thoughts with her destined soul mate and be tied to them forever. But all is not as it seems at the Royal Court. There are severe and strange looks from the elders, whisperings from the ancient Dodona tree, and encounters with spirits who seem to know Avery better than she knows herself. Throughout these whirlwind events at Court, Avery finds herself torn between her feelings for the wise and protective Vladimir and the passionate, fun-loving Adrian. Unwilling to surrender her independence or to betray her heart, Avery must decide once and for all if she'll give in to her desires and risk the wrath of the Gods. Because who are you if your destiny lies with another person?

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION When her initiation into her college's History Club goes awry, Sol has to come face to face with Ethan-the cute guy whose house she just broke into. ***** Soledad Gutierrez, or Sol to her friends, decides to join the History Club at her Community college. However, this club is not like other clubs: they have an initiation process and a slew of other 'extracurricular activities.' In order to join the club, Sol must break into the oldest house in her small Californian town and steal one of their forks. The club members provide all the materials to break in; she just needs to take the utensil, take a selfie in the kitchen, and get out undetected-with the fork, of course. The problem is: Ethan Winston spots Sol in his grandparent's house, and he's determined to uncover the reason behind the break-in. However, both he and Sol are thrown for a loop when feelings begin to develop between them. And as Ethan becomes suspicious of the History Club, he and Sol get tangled in an adventure none of them were expecting. [[word count: 90,000-100,000 words]] [[Wattys 2019 Winner for Young Adult + Being Published by Wattpad Books in Fall 2020]]

When Caroline returns home to find both her crush and the bad boy next door want to be with her, she's determined to keep her secrets from ruining everything. ***** Caroline Rogers is back. Having left behind her life to attend a prestigious musical academy the last three years, Caroline returns a whole new person, determined not to be weighed down by the scars of bullying that plagued her before. Her best friend and life-long crush is there to welcome her back, and he might finally return feelings for her. If only she could trust him again after what happened in their past. And when one of her former bullies, captivating bad boy Kieran, starts trying to connect with her in the wake of betrayal, Caroline is left confused over who she can really trust in this town, and how far gone she is from her past. Content and/or Trigger Warning: Not suitable for readers under the age of 13. There will be some mature language and sexual themes present. [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]]

When Hayley falls for a bodyguard whose secret is more dangerous than her own, she must decide how much she is willing to risk for love. ***** Tank has spent his life protecting people. He works for one of the most successful security companies in the world, makes more money than most people see in a lifetime, and has a past that no one can ever know about. Hayley Elliott will do anything to keep her mom safe. Her sister has found a cure for Alzheimer's and their mom is living proof that the supplement works - but hiding from the people looking for the supplement's formula is impossible. When the threat to their lives becomes deadly, she has no option but to trust a man who's living with a secret more dangerous than her own. With more at stake than their own lives, Tank and Hayley have to decide what is more important: protecting the past or risking everything for love. Leeanna Morgan is a USA Today Bestselling Author.

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION. It only takes one moment to change your life forever . . . After her mother's deportation last year, all Soledad "Sol" Gutierrez wants is for her life to go back to normal. Everything's changed-new apartment, new school, new family dynamic-and Sol desperately wants to fit in. When she joins her community college's history club, it comes with an odd initiation process: break into Westray's oldest house and steal . . . a fork? There's just one problem: while the owners of the house aren't home, their grandson Ethan is, and when he catches Sol with her hand in the kitchen drawer, she barely escapes with the fork intact. This one chance encounter irrevocably alters her life, and Sol soon learns that sometimes fitting in isn't as important as being yourself-even if that's the hardest thing she's ever had to do.

Selena is the 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍. The villain destined to lose her football-star boyfriend to the shy, innocent nerd. Everyone watches in silent awe as he replaces her in the name of love. It was the perfect fairytale ending, just like the movies... But not for long. Because this breakup awakens admirers long held back. Particularly one who's made her his quiet obsession: Noel Casper. The neglected genius assigned to be her tutor. What begins as study sessions develops into a friendship neither of them expected. Behind closed doors, Selena cooks for him, upgrades his wardrobe, and supports his dreams. But to the outside world, he's just a boy being used by the mean girl, especially when they see him carrying her books, tying her shoes, and driving her all around. What they don't know, is that Noel has been watching her for years. And the more Selena takes care of him, the more he becomes 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅. When his research catapults him to international success, the world suddenly notices the boy they once overlooked. Now Selena's ex is begging for a second chance, and the rival who started this all is determined to "rescue" Noel. But Noel doesn't want to be saved. He only wants one person. Selena. And he will do whatever it takes to ensure she never leaves his side. ***UNDERGOING STRUCTURAL EDITS*** ─ ⊹ ⊱ ⊰ ⊹ ─ 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑩𝒆𝒆 𝒙 𝑸𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒖𝒔 𝚃𝚘𝚙 𝚁𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: #1 𝚘𝚋𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 #1 𝚟𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚗ess #2 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 #2 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜

ORGINALLY A 'PAID' STORY. NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON/KU *** 4 CHAPTER SAMPLE HERE *** After a great loss, Jake Bryant finds himself in Las Vegas. To fill the void in his heart, he searches for a woman's missing daughter and finds more than he bargained for. ***** Two years after his daughter was kidnapped, Jake Bryant meets a woman in desperate need of help. Seeing the opportunity to redeem himself, Jake probes Las Vegas's seemly underbelly to find the pimp responsible for abducting her daughter. But navigating Sin City's sex trade business proves tougher than Jake thought, and he finds himself digging his own grave at gunpoint. Can Jake find a way to escape? Or will his mistakes lead to more death? [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]

ORGINALLY A 'PAID' STORY. NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON/KU *** 4 CHAPTER SAMPLE HERE *** Jake Bryant must stop the criminal mastermind who orchestrated the murder of his best friend from killing his new family. ***** More dark secrets from Jake Bryant's past come to light. Dolan, the criminal mastermind who ordered the hit on Jake's best friend, Tom, is searching for evidence Tom collected against him for another murder - evidence Tom hid with his widow before his death. Desperate to bring Dolan to justice, Jake finds himself in a race against time to save the lives of those he loves. But with allies double-crossing him left and right, Jake must discover who he can trust before Tom's family is destroyed along with the evidence. Can Jake win the race or will he die just like his friend? [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]

Easton was Luna's closest friend until a family tragedy tore them apart. Five years later, a mysterious invitation brings them back together - and Luna's life will never be the same. ***** It's been five years since a deadly fire took the lives of Luna's parents and Easton's father-destroying Luna and Easton's friendship in the process. Now, Luna's looking forward to a brighter future. But when she encounters Easton at a party, she discovers that although she's come to terms with her past, Easton's is tearing him apart. As Luna tries to help Easton heal, she soon realizes that her past and her future might be more intertwined than she thought. [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]] Cover designed by Ashley Santoro