Who hasn't? Well, I was right there when the spaceships crashed. I saw the lasers, felt the heat of the explosions and the clumps of dirt spank my face. And I saw the aliens. Then came the orb and the tats, and with them, the powers. For a few days afterward, I was on cloud 99. And then it all went downhill. First, I was fighting for the lives of strangers. Then I was fighting for my own. Now, I'm fighting for all of the above, and the lives of everyone I love. TAT is a novel for lovers of aliens, super-powers, and more action than is safe for a non-augmented human. Think you know pretty much what's inside? You don't. Think you can predict what's going to happen? You can't. Think you will be bored? You won't.

    The graffiti on the holding room wall says it all: 'Gunyah is hell on earth'. And Ellen's about to find out why. Ellen was never the daughter her mother wanted. Patent leather shoes and frilly dresses just weren't her thing and, at age fourteen, she's ready to leave school and find her own way. No one is going to stop her from going where she wants, doing what she wants, and hanging out with Robbie. Or so she thinks. But when the police turn up, Ellen is deemed to be in 'moral danger' and is sentenced to the Gunyah Training School for Girls. Suddenly, she's no longer Ellen, she's Girl 43, and she has to follow the rules, work hard and - most importantly - stay quiet. When it's discovered that she's pregnant, there's no respite from the staff. Told she isn't capable of bringing up a child, they twist the truth to make her cooperate. But however hard they try, they can't destroy the connection between a mother and her child . . . or can they? Drawn from experiences in Parramatta Girls' Home in the seventies, "Girl 43" is a story that could have come straight from today's headlines about the shocking treatment of innocent children and teens by people in the very institutions that were supposed to protect them.

    Scolded. Smeared. Betrayed. From an early age, shy nerd girl Autumn Blakewood didn't know how to fend for herself. Teased and bullied her whole life, she's withdrawing more and more. Not even her broken family can help her get through high school.Her only friends, Brody and Evie, are both social recluses too, and they seek comfort in each other's support. However, Autumn's friends can't always protect her from her malicious classmates who seem set on destroying what's left of her heart.When Autumn thinks her life can't get any worse, devastating news rips her family apart. It's up to her to pick up the pieces of her life and find a way to fix everything. Will she find the courage to fight?Fight is a short story prelude to the Fierce series and contains about 8500 words.

    No matter what she does, Liana feels she never measures up.Bryan Langley, a talented musician, was close to signing a recording contract when a barn fire left part of his face severely burned. He survived, but his career did not.When Liana’s father hires Bryan as a caretaker on the family estate outside of Seattle, Liana’s and Bryan’s lives become entangled. He risks public humiliation for Liana’s success, and she encourages him to use his musical gifts, despite his reluctance. Thrown together, will they achieve their elusive dreams? And will the two find the love and acceptance they yearn for, or will their actions only drive each other away?

    A modern day (BBC) Merlin AU set at the University of St Andrews, featuring teetotal kickboxers, secret wizards, magnificent bodyguards of various genders, irate fairies, imprisoned dragons, crumbling gothic architecture, arrogant princes, adorable engineering students, stolen gold, magical doorways, attempted assassination, drunken students, shaving foam fights, embarrassing mornings after, The Hammer Dance, duty, responsibility, friendship and true love...145,248 Words Complete

    The author unflinchingly begets a self from the unlikeliest beginnings, and now delivers a sequel illustrating both heaven and hell on her continuing flight for self discovery."An amazing story of a young girl who comes of age with only snippets of guidance from the adults around her. This is a well written book with explicit prose of Marlayna's continued journey looking for love and acceptance. She tells this very personal story vividly. There were moments I had to stop reading to absorb the "life shattering" events Marlayna experienced that would have crushed many and other moments in the book that I laughed out loud." - Eileen Cahill Moalli

     The true account of a teenage soldier in World War 2 Germany. Germany, 1945. Ever since Anton Kohler first heard the vibrant sound of the violin, he’s dreamed of mastering the instrument. But when his father dies, the fifteen-year-old must give up his passion to support his seven younger siblings. As the Russian army marches closer to his hometown, Anton and his best friend Gerhard are pulled from their families and forced to help defend their home in a last desperate stand. When Anton witnesses the slaughter of concentration camp prisoners, he vows to escape the war and find a way home to his family and his girl, Luise. In the chaos of impending defeat, Anton is torn between his promise to protect the life of his best friend and his desire to survive the war with his conscience intact. Based on a true account, this coming-of-age story set in the last turbulent months of World War 2, Germany, is a tale of love and friendship, of hope and loss. Read When the War is Over now to experience the poignant journey of a teenage soldier.

    Unprepared for the consequences of their attraction, at first each feigns indifference. But during the restless summer weeks that follow, unrelenting buried currents of obsession and fear, fascination and desire, intensify their passion as they test the charged ground between them. What grows from the depths of their spirits is a romance of scarcely six weeks' duration and an experience that marks them for a lifetime. For what the two discover on the Riviera and during a sultry evening in Rome is the one thing both already fear they may never truly find again: total intimacy. The psychological maneuvers that accompany attraction have seldom been more shrewdly captured than in André Aciman's frank, unsentimental, heartrending elegy to human passion. Call Me by Your Name is clear-eyed, bare-knuckled, and ultimately unforgettable.

    Let me explain more, yeah? She was pushed, by her best friends, into a guy- but not just any guy. Cyrus Angelo, the infamous Cyrus Angelo. Maverly Perkins is full of witty comebacks, a loud laugh, and has a fierce attitude. Love doesn't come easy to her but does it to anyone? Just as Maverly is giving up on guys, due to a past experience with a jerk, she’s pushed into something she doesn't want to get involved with, literally. No, not something- more like someone; Cyrus Angelo to be exact. But some things are different about him; her usual witty and sarcastic comments become stutters and nervous babbling. What is this feeling in the pit of her stomach? A crush? Love? Of course not.Cyrus Angelo- those are the two words that make guys run and girls swoon. No one talks to him, threatens him, touches him, or talks back to him. The last time any one of these things happened; someone ended up in a hospital for 6 weeks in the intensive care unit. But what happens when Maverly breaks all those rules… within a 2 minute period? After a promise to 'see her later,' too many awkward moments to count, crazy parties where a few people get drunk and tell their life story in full detail, funny experiences of falling, failing, and fighting, terrible flirting, and stupid games of truth or dare- Who knows what could happen? And to think it all started with a push.

    Walsh comes an introspective and emotional novel with vivid characterization. This insightful, nostalgic, and witty story follows the lives of three teenage girls as they 'come of age’. In 1953, the world was ripe for destruction. The Korean War dragged on and the Rosenbergs were executed as spies. Senator Joseph McCarthy convinced the country communists were infiltrating the government, and the threat of nuclear war festered in the collective consciousness of the nation. While American’s constructed backyard bomb shelters, the government conducted nuclear tests in the desert, three teenage girls planned their futures. Their innocent conversations about what each of them would do if the end of the world were imminent, coupled with a friend’s obsession, become the catalyst for a prank that spins wildly beyond control and draws in an entire town. Left behind in the wake of that summer’s events are their unrealized dreams and open wounds. In 1973, a reunion trip to the small town of their youth returns them to the summer of 1953 and the passion and betrayal that changed their lives. BE PREPARED! This summer will be Atomic! What readers are saying about Atomic Summer? Every character comes alive Refreshing The story transported me back in time ˃˃˃ Why should you grab a copy of this award winning novel?In addition to being one of the top summer reads, the author dedicated the book to her mother who died of cancer and is donating all her royalties to cancer causes and charities. Grab your copy now and see why everyone else loves Atomic Summer

    It’s the late eighties in Long Island, New York, and eighteen-year-old Harlan Kessler plays in a band, parties with friends, and struggles with a family that offers anything but a Kodak moment. The one ray of hope in Harlan’s life is Sarah DeRosa. With her by his side, Harlan just might make the right choices between love and aggression, intimacy and absence, finding himself and losing his mind. . . .

    Friends who joke a little too personally, sit a little too closely, hug for a little too long, stare a little too intimitely, touch a little too often and care a little too much. Right. Just friends.

    Adam is convinced it's fate that draws him into the showers after a night of studying so he can finally get a chance to be with the guy he's been crushing on for two years. Lincoln had no idea being with a guy could be more than getting off, but Adam's definitely more than he ever expected. Can they make it work for more than one night? Can they build the foundation of a relationship that will last for years to come?Original Prompt:Dear Author,I would love it if these boys could tell us the story of how they came together. Starting from that mind-numbing blowjob in the showers at high-school.One of the boys could simply no longer hide his feelings and lust and spurred by the acceptance of intimate contact by his colleague, he confessed his love. And was rewarded with a confession in return and more days of fun and loving.Photo Description: Surrounded by azure tiles, two naked young men share a shower. One stands, arms up-stretched to grip the shower-head, eyes closed. In front of him the shorter boy presses close, bellies touching, his hand gliding soap up one raised, exposed armpit, mouths hovering an inch away from the kiss. This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.Download the story, read it here or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Volume 3 or Don't Read in the Closet: GayRomLit Retreat 2011 Special Edition.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: gay m/m, coming-of-age, virgin, high school, teens, coming outWarnings: teenagers (both 18)Word Count: 9,322

    Lip gloss, eyeliner, eye shadow, nail polish? Back in the small town where I grew up, a boy would have never dared to dress like him. When an assignment to create a video news segment from one of our professors places us both in the same group, personalities clash, and what started as fascination on my part turns into instant dislike, which he seems to immediately return. He's smart, quick-thinking, creative…but also snarky, moody, defensive, and basically the complete physical opposite of every guy I've ever been attracted to. And yet, despite the fact that I think he needs an attitude adjustment, and he thinks I'm just a backward country hick, I've quickly come to realize that sometimes the line between love and hate really is paper thin.P.S. An HEA would definitely be preferred to an HFN ending. Photo Description: Two young men stare at each other through a chain-link fence. They are holding hands through it; one has nail polish and lip gloss.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is Always Write" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.Read it online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 11 - Bonus Volume.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: first love; college; coming out; gay-for-you; enemies to loversWarnings: noneWord Count: 68,123

    Ayma’s expectations are not very high. She is the daughter of a control-freak mother and a father who has been absent for the past three years. She is ridiculed by the popular kids in school because of her unfortunate name and the way she dresses. Although she’s nearly eighteen, her mother controls every aspect of her life, including what she wears, who her friends are and even what foods she is allowed to eat. The only bright spot in her life is her friend Tabby. Until she meets Colton. Colton is unexpected. He’s gorgeous, popular – the guy all the girls want and the one all of the other guys want to be like. When he begins to pay attention to Ayma, she doesn’t know what to think. Things like this just don’t happen to girls like her. One obstacle after another is thrown into their path, but they can’t deny what they feel for one another. Their new-found love will be threatened by secrets from their past, challenges in their present and a future they can only dream about. Ayma struggles to find an identity apart from her mother’s controlling nature while Colton faces the results of an arrest that took place the summer before his tenth grade year. Can they find love and happiness? Or will they be destroyed by events beyond their control?