Better Homes And Gardens Sweepstakes

Three years ago, Crystal Gomez gave her heart to Justin Miller only to have it shattered by a cruel misunderstanding that tore them apart. She rebuilt her life piece by piece, vowing never to fall again for sweet words or stolen kisses. Now a confident, rising marketing executive in a bustling modern city, Crystal has everything except closure. When Justin walks back into her life, no longer the carefree boy she once loved but a man with a quiet intensity and deep regret, old wounds resurface and so do buried feelings she thought she had left behind. He wants a second chance. She wants answers.But time has changed them both. Can love survive pride, pain, and the years between? Or was their forever only meant to live in the past? “You’re still the only woman I’ve ever wanted even after all this time.” This is a heart wrenching and soul healing journey of forgiveness, rediscovery, and the power of a love that never truly fades.

A man is killed and awakens in a mysterious white room, face to face with a powerful deity who governs all life in the universe. The deity offers him a second chance—to return to Earth. Driven by his love for his little sister, who is gravely ill and in desperate need of medical care, he accepts the offer. However, there's a catch: to earn his way back, he must conquer multiple worlds, each filled with its own dangers and challenges.

Rossie, a senior at Haul Academy is restless and torn between her crush on Michael and the pressures of exams. Unable to sleep, she wanders the campus at night and discovers a hidden, magical garden glowing with moonflowers and jasmine tended by the enigmatic Midnight Gardener. This mysterious figure, cloaked in a long coat and hat, teases out Rossie’s secret feelings for Michael, offering her a moonflower that pulses with light and thrives on truths. The Gardener’s cryptic advice and the garden’s strange allure pull Rossie into a web of self-discovery. Driven by rumors, Rossie visits the old library to confront a cursed mirror said to reveal one’s destined love or greatest loss. To her shock, the mirror first shows the Gardener’s face, then Michael with her rival, Angela, fueling her fears of rejection and inadequacy tied to her parents’ divorce. Returning to the garden, the Gardener suggests the mirror reflects her fears and not fate, urging her to face her truths without anxiety. Emboldened, Rossie confesses her feelings to Michael in the courtyard, learning he likes her too, though rumors and Angela’s influence complicate things. Their playful banter sparks hope for a deeper connection. However, during a literature class, Rossie is haunted by the Gardener’s spectral presence, visible only to her and a chilling message on the chalkboard: “The garden’s watching.” Her outburst in class draws attention, but the Gardener vanishes, leaving Rossie questioning reality. As she grapples with the Gardener’s cryptic influence and her own insecurities, Rossie realizes she must confront her fears to pursue her feelings for Michael. The story blends magical realism with a coming-of-age narrative, exploring themes of love, self-doubt, and the courage to face one’s truth.

Aria Maheshwari walked away from everything—her past as a undercover CBI officer, as the daughter of a powerful family, and the chaos of Delhi—seeking peace in a quiet town of Himachal Pradesh. But peace ends the day an envelope arrives from her best friend, Ruhani Roy, who has mysteriously disappeared. Inside the envelope—A letter informing her of Ruhani’s children and the danger looming above them — Ruhani’s photo with a stranger, behind it an address. At that location, Aria discovers a bloodied teenage girl named Vidya clutching two newborn twins. She claims Ruhani has been missing for five days after going to meet the lover she hadn’t seen in nearly a year. Following Ruhani’s last instructions, Vidya begs Aria for her help. Aria takes the twins under her care and begins to investigate. Her trail leads back to the Rajvanshi family—wealthy, powerful, and dangerous. Ruhani’s lover? Ahaan Rajvanshi, the only heir of the empire. Determined to protect the children and avenge her bestfriend, Aria agrees to a strategic marriage arranged by her parents, tying herself to the very man she intends to destroy. But the truth is far more twisted. The twins aren't his, but his hidden elder twin — Rudra's, a hidden weapon shaped by the Rajvanshi family's dark legacy. Ahaan is tormented by his brother’s disappearance, and Aria's arrival with the babies. There’s something familiar in Aria’s fierce protectiveness… something Rudra once described about the girl he loved in secret. As their reluctant partnership deepens, an undeniable attraction simmers—complicated by guilt, suspicion, and buried grief. Their fragile trust shatters when someone tries to kidnap the elder twin, triggering a confrontation that unearths secrets both have fought to keep hidden. As danger closes in and truths unravel, Aria and Ahaan must face their haunted pasts, forbidden emotions, and decide where their loyalties lie. In a world where love is treated as weakness and survival comes at a brutal cost, they’ll need more than truth to protect the innocent—they’ll need each other.

Rowan sees beauty in death. The Order he has sworn to obey only sees defilement. As the reviled Caretaker of the Order, Rowan has accepted his role as a dutiful outcast because he believes it is the only way to prove his worth to the man who holds his sisters’ souls as collateral. With his magic and his voice, Rowan can absorb death and transform it, but only in ways the Order deems acceptable to maintain the stability of the reality it claims to protect Order must subdue Disorder. Reality must triumph over illusion. He is tainted and always will be. Rowan has never questioned those lessons, but that changes the night he harvests a crimson soul that is more than human and chooses to keep it a secret. When Rowan’s song transforms that soul into a beautiful and mysterious man he names Wren, he is forced to accept that sometimes duty is a lie and illusion is the only thing you can trust. As the fabric of the Order begins to unwind and a new kind of Disorder takes hold, Rowan will need to choose again, stand with the Order that held him down, or forge a new path with Wren at his side. He may be the only one who can restore balance to the worlds, but only if he can find balance within himself first. ************************************* Updates 3-4 times per week. Note: This story focuses on relationships. I promise an epic romance, lots of swoon-worthy moments, and a healthy amount of fluff. When it does get steamy…you might get burned. Fair warning for explicit content. I don’t shy away from my spice. There are lots of side characters and couples to fall in love with, in addition to the main couple. If you love the idea of found family, you will be happy. This book is set in a non-heteronormative world, so you will see various gender identities/expressions and types of love. ************************************* Excerpt (if you want the full steamy version, you will have to read the book!): Still reeling from the new magic that coursed under his skin and unsure of how to react to the desire that threatened to take control of him, Rowan froze. Wren's hot breath against his mouth sent a jolt of pleasure through his body, and he choked back a groan. A different kind of panic flared in Rowan's chest, burning him as if he were the one on fire. This was what he wanted, what he'd thought about every night since Wren left. But wanting more was one thing. Acting on it was another. He'd spent so much of his life hiding, he didn't know how to do anything else. One corner of Wren's mouth twitched as Rowan pulled away. When he attempted to free himself from Wren's grasp, Wren just hauled him closer. Rowan liked that he didn't have to think about what to do next. His bare chest thudded against Wren's torso, and the heat from Wren's body merged with Rowan's skin, melting him from the inside out. "What did you just do to me?" Wren's deep voice vibrated against Rowan's chest. "The Disorder of your illusion was holding you captive. I…I absorbed it." "Oh? Where did you learn to do that? Have I been gone that long?" Wren's grip loosened slightly on Rowan's wrists as if he was satisfied now that Rowan was practically sitting on top him. Rowan stared at Wren's lips. He opened his mouth to protest, but immediately closed it again. "I know you aren't going to say that I shouldn't touch you." Wren's free hand splayed over the small of Rowan's back. "Not when you started it." Rowan's breath hitched. "No. I'm not going to say that anymore. Not to you." "I thought you were afraid to be touched." Wren's fingers traced a circle over the curve of Rowan's spine as if testing for a reaction. "I know that I'm not afraid of you." Rowan waited for the panic to set in, but all he felt was desire. "With you, I want…" "You want what?" "I want more." Triumph flared in Wren's gaze before he narrowed his eyes. "Really? Then why are you still trying to get away from me?"

"Sissy, I brought you a gift." He shuddered in fear the moment he heard her voice. Whenever he heard her voice, he knew nothing good ever came out of it. "Please, not today." His voice made it obvious he was scared. She laughed, then touched his shoulder. He flinched, but she held him down. "Please." he said in almost a whisper. ***** "HI." she waved at him. "You must be the Riley everyone's talking of, right?" He was left dumbfounded, hearing her say she had heard about him. Everyone who had heard about him made sure to keep their distance, so just why was she trying to start a conversation with him? "If you are doing this to become popular, then you are very well welcome to be my friend. But if you are just naive, I would advise you to keep your distance." he said to discourage her. "We do have something in common. You get bullied, so you hate bullies, while I hate them just because they are bullies." "Hating them does not change the fact that you will get bullied if you befriend me." "Then I will have you watch me kick their asses if they try messing with us." "Are we friends now." she asked after they both laugh at her former words. "We are, as long as you are ready to kick some ass." "Bring it on."

17-year-old Thomas Tachful has the rare gift of sensing emotions before anyone speaks. But when a mysterious killer appears, his world spirals out of control. Trust shatters as Thomas suspects everyone — from his neighbor Richard to his best friend John. Amid growing fear and confusion, Thomas must uncover the truth: could the greatest threat be the people closest to him?

In a world filled with mystery and wonder, a botanist named Rowan embarks on an epic journey to uncover magical plants hidden within three legendary dungeons Dungeon Top, Dungeon Under, and Dungeon Overworld. Each plant he discovers not only grants him incredible power but also unlocks fragments of his long-lost memory. Alongside NPCs he meets on his quest, Rowan must face ferocious monsters, terrifying dungeon bosses, and a truth far greater than himself. Through his adventure, Rowan learns that tending to plants is not just a matter of life and death but a bridge that connects the past and the future in order to save the world.

With the rise of violent souls and dark forces threatening the delicate balance between the living and spiritual worlds, Max, a weary Reaper, is assigned to guide fragile human souls for the first time. Bound by an unexpected promise, Max finds himself entangled with a young girl whose destiny could change everything. As rebellion brews in the shadows and corruption spreads, Max must navigate a journey of duty, loss, and unlikely hope before both realms spiral into chaos.

"Red roses are ordinary—but blue roses? They don’t even exist... or so they say." Ken, a disillusioned university student, has given up on love. To him, red roses are nothing but clichés—shallow symbols of a love he no longer believes in. What he yearns for is something rare, something real—a love as elusive and extraordinary as the mythical blue rose. Then, one fateful morning, he sees he —a girl in a blue dress, standing at the bus stop like a fleeting dream. The moment their eyes meet, something inside him shifts . Is it destiny, or just another cruel trick of fate? But Ken has been hurt before. His best friend warns him that chasing fantasies will only lead to more heartbreak. Yet, as their paths begin to intertwine, Ken is forced to confront the painful truth. What if the blue rose he’s been searching for was never a flower… but a person? A hauntingly beautiful romance about love, longing, and the courage to believe in the impossible.

JUST when they heard me fall with a thump .. everybody groaned, I didn't even wince and jerked up Immediately ...that was when I heard chatters of my name " ALEX..!..ALEX..ALEX.." aha now tell me who wouldn't love that ...a little show off wouldn't hurt, *wink*.

Sometimes home can be in people but what if home leaves.What if home doesn't find the same warmth and Safety in you?

2 boys getting stuck in a forest, trying to get home

Annie only wanted a peaceful start. A new school, new classmates—maybe even a real friend. Instead, she found cruelty behind smiles. Betrayed and broken by those she trusted, Annie becomes the target of a powerful group of girls led by Rose—protected by influence, feared by everyone, and untouchable by the school’s authority. Left traumatized and alone, Annie nearly gives up… until a single friendship sparks a fire within her. Together with Kayla, another student sick of the silence, Annie begins a quiet war—training in secret, gathering evidence, and striking back from the shadows. One by one, the roots of the “Rose Garden” begin to unravel as the truth goes viral, and the hunted becomes the hunter. But Rose’s power runs deeper than anyone imagined—and the closer Annie gets to exposing it all, the more dangerous the game becomes. In a world where silence protects the guilty, one girl dares to grow thorns.

It Followed Us Home" After a terrifying encounter with an unseen force, Emmanuel, Clara, and their group of friends thought they were rid of the horrors that had stalked them. They moved on, trying to live ordinary lives, hoping that the nightmarish events they’d survived were behind them. But the darkness never truly leaves. When a deadly force begins to haunt them once more, Emmanuel and Clara must confront the terrifying reality that the malevolent entity is still out there—waiting for them. As strange occurrences mount and the line between the living and the dead blurs, they begin to question everything: Who can they trust? What is real? The entity, which had once followed them home, now promises to never let them escape. Emmanuel and Clara’s only hope lies in understanding what the force wants, but with every attempt to escape its grasp, the terror only grows stronger. In the end, as the force resurfaces in their new home, Emmanuel and Clara realize that no matter how far they run, they may never truly be free from the darkness that watches them. The evil has always been there, and it’s still waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"You are Alice!" She doesn't know what her name is, but she's sure that it is not what they claim. Waking up in the middle of an unpleasant place, and then meeting an unpleasant child then finally calls her to a name she's familiar with but has a different feeling over it, she claims, "I'm not Alice!"

//chapters every Thursday// Evan Solene’s arrival at the Veiled Academy is supposed to mark the beginning of his prestigious education in the magical arts. But instead, it quickly becomes a descent into a world of secrets, power struggles, and forbidden magic. Beneath the academy's prestigious reputation lies a hidden truth: its true purpose is far more sinister than anyone knows. In the midst of this shadowy realm, Evan finds himself drawn to Selene Arkwright, a mysterious and compelling student with a lineage that connects her to the academy’s darkest history. As their bond grows, Evan discovers Selene’s crucial role in a centuries-old conflict that threatens to tear the academy—and the magical world—apart. The more Evan uncovers about the academy’s true purpose, the more he realizes that his arrival is no accident. The academy isn't just a place of learning; it's a breeding ground for the next generation of dark mages, and the students are nothing more than pawns in a deadly game. With powerful forces aligned against them, Evan and Selene must navigate a web of lies, betrayal, and temptation that threatens not only their love but their very lives. At the heart of this treacherous institution stands Mira Solene, a teacher with a brutal reputation, who harbors her own dark ambitions. As Evan and Selene uncover Mira's role in the academy’s corrupt leadership, they must decide how far they’re willing to go to expose the truth and free themselves from the academy’s deadly grip.

I wish it could all stop. The killings, the stealing, the kidnappings, deaths... I've had enough of it all. My emotional world has been torn apart because of an incident which would forever remain part of my nightmares even till the end of time.

At St. Lucia All Girls Academy, rivalry is tradition. Between the elegant Primrose Union and the rebellious Iris House, love is forbidden. But when two first-years from opposite sides start falling for each other, they’ll risk everything to rewrite the rules—one stolen smile at a time. Can love really bloom where war never ends?

Failure? Pain? Regret? These were the things which had assaulted him for a very long time. Over 6 years of constant pain, shame and disappointment. Sometimes he prayed to imaginary gods, others he indulged in wishful thinking...But who would have thought it could have changed like that? Who could have thought, that the very piece of shit, the world never cared for, will become the very peice of shit which the world would now loathe.

A book written about a young girl

If you wish to learn about 09th Garden Mythos and my works of fiction, the Databook is just for you!

Follow the shenanigans of two child-deities as they try to find a home and settle down (with varying success). [May be traumatizing in later chapters, be warned!] {Based loosely off of regular fantasy.}

After losing his mother as a child, Hoshino Aki clings to the legend she once told him—every 400 years, a falling star brings a celestial girl who grants a wish to someone in true need. Now, 20 years later, Aki is a high school student who has long dismissed the tale as a fantasy. But when news of a rare celestial event shakes his world, forgotten memories resurface. Could the legend be real? And if so, will he finally receive the wish he once longed for? As the fated night approaches, Aki is about to discover a truth far beyond his imagination.

On a sunny day, on the border between Summer and Autumn, Lauriel was sitting among the snowy white clouds. He was sprawled on his back, leaning comfortably on the fluffy clouds as his feet were hanging. Maybe someone else in his position would take time to marvel at the scenery. Lauriel completely disregarded the way sunshine was breaking around him, creating translucent colors and lights, and the precipitous height that allowed him to observe the world stretched beneath him. Some might say it was because he was arrogant and too self-observed to pay attention, but it wasn't true. On some other day, he would pay attention or enjoy it, but not on this one. Lauriel was an avid reader and often times you could find him immersed in a book or in a search of a tome. This particular time, he was reading a beautiful book made out of pure white pages and most perfect ink. The covers had a beautiful handmade painting depicting a single tear falling into a river, yet just from a single glance, one could think that what he was holding was a river, as it seemed as if it was flowing, until it finally disappeared into golden edges, whose only job was to capture it from disappearing from the covers. One might take joy just from looking at it, which was the reason why Lauriel was holding the said book, but after one looked at his expression, it seemed as if it was a huge steaming pile of shit. His light grey eyes were glaring at the lines he was following, mouth hanging open as his features were twisted into a disgustingly appalled expression. Next second, Lauriel closed the book with a snap and yelled in frustration as he threw the book as far away as he could - the book flew over the clouds, which left its perfect covers wet from accumulated water, but it didn't stay wet as it kept flying through the air like an arrow, accumulating more speed the further it went, as a small airplane, with its pages rustling like leaves until finally, it landed into a volcano. Lauriel dashed through the clouds towards his house, his dazzling white cape hanging off his shoulders, as a loud bang could be heard, followed by a shriek nearby. "Can you please stop throwing all the books you do not like into a volcano, Lauriel my dear?!" sounded a slightly annoyed female voice. Lauriel turned on his heel, his expression still annoyed, and appeared right next to a black-haired woman. Her back was slender, turned towards him as she was looking in the distance where an erupting volcano could be spotted. Her black eyes stared into the distance, as her thin lips were twisted into a line. "I will not. They don't deserve a better fate, Miki. You should have read this, this....." Lauriel paused mid-fit, as he was trying to find a proper word to depict it vividly to Miki. "Abhorrence." he finished.

"Orphaned at a young age, Layla Llewellyn feels like the luckiest girl in the world after she moves in with her uncle Bill, a gardener who lives on the scenic Arvis estate in the Berg Empire. To Layla, Arvis seems like paradise; she loves to explore the vast forest, always bringing her notebook to record the wildlife she encounters. She especially loves the birds, watching them with awe as they hatch and grow from fluffy chicks into beautiful birds. Duke Herhardt, the young, handsome lord of Arvis, is also interested in birds—and in Layla. But the difference, is he's interested in birds because he likes to hunt them... and he's interested in Layla because he likes to make her cry. She had been his lovely bird in a golden cage, and her tears had been his favorite melody. He had clipped her wings. He had locked her heart. He had broken her freedom. To keep her close, Matthias had done everything without hesitation. And because he hadn’t hesitated, he had never regretted. He had never reflected. He had never apologized. When his lovely bird, Layla, opened the cage he built and flew away, Matthias had made his cruel decision: “If I lose her forever and can’t get her back, I’d rather kill her.”

The Garden of Souls Dark Fantasy · Antihero · Overpowered MC · Isekai (Anomaly) He wasn’t summoned. He wasn’t chosen. He wasn’t even supposed to exist. During the sacred summoning of five heroes, something went wrong—horribly wrong. A sixth figure emerged from the magic circle… uncalled, unnoticed, and immediately attacked by the world’s defense system. Kael died. But death couldn’t hold him. Now, cursed—or perhaps blessed—with the forbidden Thanatós Protocol, Kael wields a power that doesn’t destroy... it erases. Concepts. Beings. Even gods. As the world hails its radiant heroes, Kael walks alone through forgotten tombs and forbidden archives, collecting secrets that were meant to stay buried. He’s not here to save the world. He’s here to understand why it tried to kill him first. And when the flowers of the dead begin to bloom, the world will finally remember what it tried to erase.