Van_Carley

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 | 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 When Mara Santiago is laid off from work and dumped by her boyfriend, she moves in with her parents. Struggling to find another job as a ballerina, she begins go-go dancing at Penthouse---a high-end nightclub in San Francisco where her brother Lucas bartends. He warns that underneath the glitz and glam is a dangerous world she should stay away from, but Penthouse pays well, and Mara is determined to get back on her feet.One night, an older gentleman tips her handsomely. At first, it seems like a one-time thing, but his generous tips continue. Curious, she asks him why. After all, she's a go-go dancer, not a stripper. He confesses he wanted to do something kind.However, it's not the only reason. Enzo Esposito is looking for a "companion." If Mara agrees to accompany him to important work events and dinners, he'll pay her a thousand dollars each time: no strings attached or hanky panky. The offer is too tempting. So, Mara agrees. But nothing is ever that simple---especially regarding to whom she entrusts her heart. Not when a murderer is on the loose with sights possibly set on her.𝙊𝙉𝘾 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙨 #69, #46 𝙖𝙣𝙙 #33…

Van_Carley

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐎𝐧𝐞 | 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬It's all fun and games until someone suggests killing each other's spouses for revenge.Miguel Gomez is your average disgruntled divorcée attending a support group in San Francisco to cope with the split from his wife. Life as a newly single man in his thirties seems bleak, but when an alluring woman named Angie Mendoza walks into his support group, Miguel can't take his eyes off her---until she proposes they kill their exes. At first, he thinks she's crazy, but she's done her homework and has researched reasons why he should kill his ex-wife. Still, he refuses until the abusive ex-husband of his love interest threatens to kill him, and he has no choice but to seek Angie's help. This sends Miguel down a rabbit hole with more twists than a labyrinth, and it could be his ultimate ruin.* * *𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙪𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚.**𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬:~EDITOR'S PICK Sep 30, 2022@Wattpad - Adrenaline Rush@WattpadExlorer - Adrenaline Rush @ContemporaryLit - Featured List@BadassReads - Featured Badass Reads@DangerousLove - Wattpad Picks @AdultFiction - Featured Adult Fiction@Mystery - Featured Mystery/Thriller @Crime - Detective & Crime…

Van_Carley

*𝘖𝘕 𝘏𝘖𝘓𝘋. 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 May*𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐓𝐰𝐨 | 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬There's a place downtown where frosty pints of beer overflow, and wine stains the lips of whispering lovers under flickering chandelier light. If you tip the bartender generously, he'll slide over a free cocktail, but be careful, it might be kissed with a bitter death.Lucas Santiago is a bartender at Penthouse, a high-end nightclub in San Francisco. On the outside, he's your average good-looking guy who takes care of his parents, protects his sisters, and dotes on his nibling. But Lucas has a secret. Order a special drink at the bar, and it's the magic word to hire him as a hitman. However, Lucas has standards and will only accept contracts that are low risk or serve the greater good. When he crosses paths with Hazel, a battered wife, he can't help but want to break all his rules for the woman with sad, honey-colored eyes. The trouble is, she's involved in a sticky web that might cost him everything--including his life.…

Van_Carley

Is it possible to fall in love with someone you've never met?When Amos Castillo buys a vintage guitar at a pawnshop, he discovers more than an SG Gibson inside the hard leather case. A hidden compartment filled with journal entries gives him a glimpse into Carmela's tumultuous relationship with her addict rockstar husband, Rodrigo. She's a young woman, navigating a world she wasn't ready for, and suffering in silence as she loses herself to his addiction and manipulations.The more Amos reads, the more he realizes their lives aren't so different. While Carmela struggles to find her voice in a toxic marriage, Amos finds himself in a five-year relationship going nowhere. As he silently roots for Carmela to leave her husband, he reclaims his life by figuring out what he needs to be happy. It Ends With Us X Daisy Jones & the Six ~~~~~~~~~~~ [[Top 5 Winner - 4th Place]] 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏[[ ONC Round One Winner - 2nd Place ]] 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙩 #29 "𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙮" -𝙑𝙞𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙖 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙛[[1st Place Winner]] 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏…

Van_Carley

During a massive drought, a Water Witcher goes trekking across several states to visit a friend but finds himself in danger when a group called The Hounds begins hunting him down.𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 1 ~ 🅦🅐🅣🅔🅡 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 Corbin has been witching water since he was a young boy. It's a skill his grandfather taught him to survive living in a time of thirst. He also taught him never to venture farther than their property because the world had become too dangerous with people fighting over water.As an adult, however, he finds himself alone. The home he once shared with his grandfather feels more like an empty shell with echoes of memories. Deciding to head for the road to visit a friend, he sets out to wander what's practically become a wasteland. Except, he soon discovers that since his last adventure north, Water Witchers are being captured and sold to high bidders by a group called The Hounds. With his friend Coyote living up north, a few states away, he'll have to figure out how to get there safely, but it won't be easy with danger at every turn.* * 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧: ~Editor's Pick - Oct 7, 2022~@Wattpad - Adrenaline Rush @WattpadExplorer - Adrenaline Rush @WattpadDarkFantasy @Adventure - Featured Stories @Fantasy - Featured Fantasy @Mystery Featured Mystery @Adultfiction - Featured Adult Fiction @Action - Featured Action Stories…

Van_Carley

🅦🅐🅣🅣🅨🅢 ➋⓿➊➑ 🅢🅗🅞🅡🅣🅛🅘🅢🅣(𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 2) **𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬** During a terrible nationwide drought, desert--land stretches as far as the eye can see. Corbin is a Water Witcher, who can sense and find water beneath the ground, but doesn't advertise it due to fear of being enslaved for government purposes. Drifting through the wasteland, he runs into a pair of siblings desperate to survive and learns that first impressions are deceiving. Especially Everleigh. There's a child-like innocence about her, yet she shows zero hesitation in murdering a desert thief. Thanks to past betrayals, Corbin keeps to himself, but a barbaric new law forces him to step out of his comfort zone. There are ways around this law, some are legal, but most are not. Either way, he's is not losing sight of the two siblings and will even risk revealing his gift of water witching if it means helping them. Limits are tested, loyalty is questioned, and trust becomes fragile, but if there is one thing threading their lives together, it's the determination to survive living in a time of thirst. ♡♡ What the critics are saying ♡♡"I just wanted to tell you that your first chapter was one of the best intro chapters I've read on Wattpad. It was very well written, and I already love the characters. You earned a new follower! Hope to read more :)" - DC_Outlaw"This is really good, I'm definitely going to keep reading!" - Heatheranno"My heart was pumping the whole way!! Really incredible![...] Loved how you introduced all the characters, and the description throughout the story was very well done…

Van_Carley

Short story from former Paid Stars Anthology: ✨The One That Got Away✨ In this spin-off from The Water Witcher, Romie Ramirez is a drifter with burn scars disfiguring her face. As a woman in her twenties, she hides them with a bandana, but emotionally drowns her insecurities with needles, men, booze--anything to numb her past.After being convinced to rob a man named Luca who lives in the desert, she's reminded why only bad things happen in Nevada.𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 1.5 ~ 🅦🅐🅣🅔🅡 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 **This story is now free**…

Van_Carley

Estera Montenegro grew up knowing one thing: she needs to be a wolf to survive. As an Enforcer in her community, it's her job to face off with law-breaking members in an arena while citizens watch. But when fate takes a drastic turn, she finds herself injured and homeless.That is until she crosses paths with Magnus Juarez. His community supplies electricity to the entire region, which makes them vital in the wasteland. Little does he know he just allowed a wolf through their gates because Estera is willing to do anything to survive and she's hungry for revenge on the people who wronged her. * * * 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐧: 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 & 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐫✨✨ ᏟᎾᏉᎬᏒ ᏟᏒᎬᎪᏆᎬᎠ bᎽ ᏆhᎬ ᎥmmᎬᏁsᎬᏞᎽ ᏆᎪᏞᎬᏁᏆᎬᎠ @sereneur ✨✨…

Van_Carley

On a crisp, fall morning, Valerie Rossi is stopped by a stranger, asking if she's Valentina Moreno--a child who went missing in Yosemite National Park twenty years ago. Curious, Valerie's friend Julian looks up the age progression photo recently shown in the news, and the uncanny resemblance is too much to ignore. Especially because of the reoccurring dream Valerie has of a shadow snatching her in the night.Suddenly, something doesn't feel right, so she digs for answers by turning to the one person she might not be able to trust: her father.ONC prompt #51~Featured on @WattpadFriendsandFamily - Book of the Month~…

Van_Carley

People say age is nothing but a number. In a time where men seek young trophy wives and women are applauded for being cougars, it was inevitable that Tristan Lee and Hildy Willow would cross paths on a summer afternoon.Their fifteen-year age gap meant something when Hildy was just a kid, but as adults, it becomes a game of age.***PLEASE NOTE, I WROTE THIS STORY IN 2014, AND IT NEEDS EDITING... BADLY. LOL. I WILL GET TO IT SOMEDAY :)…

Van_Carley

(Incomplete)LUCINDA is a heartbroken woman in her late twenties. She's a bit of a recluse and doesn't particularly trust men, thanks to a two-timing ex who spun her life upside down. So she takes a jump. From a bridge.MERRILL is an elderly widow living in Redwood Village, away from busy city life. He spends his days fly-fishing, tending to his farm, and enjoying the absolute quiet.But his kids seem to think he'd be better off in an old folks home.RAIF owns a coffee shop in Breeze Bay---a tourist beach town. On the outside, he's a real catch: successful, handsome, a surfing champ, and when he's not out catching waves, he's playing fetch with his dog, Frank.Except there's one teeny, tiny problem from his past, which comes back to shock him.By accident and chance, these three lives collide, but will they change each other for the better, or will they only make matters worse?***THIS IS SOMETHING I WROTE BACK IN 2013 AND IS A FIRST DRAFT.…

Van_Carley

**Received Honorable Mention**Contest entry for #MysteryfridayPrompt: Someone is running. Night time. 1000 word limit.…

Van_Carley

What's a penny worth? Do you ignore the ones lying on the sidewalk because they're not worth picking up? For the shy and clumsy Norah, a penny will become so much more than a simple cent. Every morning she enters the elevator of her office building and hides among the throng of professionals sandwiching inside. From behind their shoulders, she's safe to hopelessly stare at Cole Collins... or at least get a glimpse of the back of his well-trimmed hair---the hair she dreams of running her fingers through.When a loud and obnoxious office Temp decides to barge her way into Norah's life, they develop a friendship that might be exactly what she needs to change up her luck with love. And it all starts with picking up a penny.…

Van_Carley

**Top 25 for #LenovoBackToSchool contest**On the outside, Elliott Addison looks like your average all-star high schooler. He's the jock with the good grades and the perfect girlfriend. You know, the one where girls practically faint at his feet with a flash of a smile. The one who bumps knuckles with the fellas in the hallway and high-fives the down to earth teachers. He's the epitome of upperclassmen cool.Except, that's not the real Elliott. It's all a façade.With just a couple of days to go before the first day of his senior year, he's scared about the gossip that might swirl around him. Other than his closest friends, no one knows that he's spent the summer in a psych ward. And he plans to keep it that way. If only that girl in the hospital with him, the one with the staring problem, would stop being so curious! What does she know about Elliott? And will she blow his cover when they get back to school?…

Van_Carley

A short 500 word story from a "bird's eye-view" for National Geographic's #planetorplastic contest.…

Van_Carley

A collection of short stories, each with a different theme according to the challenge given. **Winner of Challenge 18** :)…

Van_Carley

When Earth was running out of its resources, scientists called, "Seekers", found Tanis through solar codes which revealed its coordinates. It had always been the plan to return to Earth, living on Tanis was just temporary. However, finding the solar codes guiding humanity back to Earth, isn't easy. Only certain people can reveal the codes. Why? Because it's in their DNA.…

Van_Carley

**This is the first story I wrote on Wattpad back in 2012. It needs editing, but still very enjoyable**Jonah is a hopeless romantic who gets offered his dream job at Sparrow Publications. On top of that, his crush reveals she's newly single and wants to have dinner with him.With everything lining up perfectly for Jonah, what could possibly go wrong?How about getting hit by a van and being rushed into emergency brain surgery? However, it's not just any surgery. It's an experimental one, and with his life on the line, his parents decide to go for it. Now Jonah is awake from a coma, but he's experiencing memories that aren't his. So who's memories are they? Jonah is eager to find out!…