[NOTE: This book was written in 2010, a time of long-distance phone cards, weight-loss obsessions, and searching for a man as a solution to life's problems-what a messy time to be alive! In other words, I hope you enjoy this throwback, and while this book does end on a cliffhanger of sorts, the sequel addresses any unanswered questions (which is hopefully fair, given that book 1 is free, ya know?] An awkward family homecoming at Christmas. A humiliating public weigh-in, with two judging parents as the audience. The announcement of a deadline for arranged marriage doom. And that's just the first two chapters. In "Year of the Chick," Romi Narindra must find love before her parents find her a husband. Easy to say, less easy to live through, as this book takes you deep inside "awkward Indian living in the West." To escape her fate, Romi wades through the waters of secret-dating, where self-consciousness is at an all-time high, and experience at an all-time low. It's the sort of thing that would turn almost anyone into a man-crazy freak with romance tunnel-vision, and that's exactly what ends up happening. All the while, a lack of inspiration in her corporate job leads Romi to her love of writing, in what quickly becomes a man-quest play-by-play. From whiskey-breath scum bags to uni-brow creeps and everything in between, Romi and her wingmen come up empty time after time. And that's when she meets a fellow writer. On the Internet. So will it be arranged marriage doom, or an Internet affair that's not as creepy as "To Catch a Predator"? Time will tell in the "year of the chick," a twelve-month quest to find love. Tick-tock. --------------------------------------------- "Year of the Chick" is book one of a series, and book two is available at Amazon! LENGTH: 75,000 words or 285 pages DISCLAIMER: this book contains profanities, blunt accounts of the dating scene, and many awkward family moments. Enjoy!

When enigmatic freshman Amanda Valentino arrived at Endeavor High, she chose three people - Callie, Hal, and Nia - to guide her through the choppy waters of her new school. Except she didn't tell them about each other. When Amanda leaves, the three must reluctantly work together to figure out why. But once they start piecing together the cryptic clues that Amanda herself is leaving for them, they realize that everything they thought they knew about her is false. The more they dig, the mystery of where - and who - Amanda is deepens.

[season 1] In the near-future, mankind succeeds in curing A.I.D.S. However, something much worse fills the void, an aggressive sickness that only affects females. Though only 50% of Earth's population is at risk of contracting M.A.I.D.S., the illness impacts everyone. World War III begins as panic-stricken governments seize healthy females in order to ensure the survival of their people, but even warfare and forced breeding programs can't halt the inevitable: mankind is dying out. An international team of scientists combine existing technologies, theories, and desperation to create Synthia, a synthetic human female capable of M.A.I.D.S.-free existence and, most importantly, reproduction. Biomechanical humans, dubbed Synthias, are mass-produced, and mankind's population begins to slowly increase after being decimated by the illness and war. The cost of salvation is souls. Synthias are denied basic human rights because they are manufactured, not born. After staging an unsuccessful uprising, the facilities where Synthias are mass-produced undergo great changes. Synthia manufactories are re-opened as boutiques where a man's mate can be custom-ordered, right down to the various skills and knowledge the Synthia possesses. A truly male-oriented world emerges around this new technology. Adam, the first son of a Synthia, wants something more than a mere breeding machine. He wants a true partner and something like the "love" he only knows about from pre-war media. The Synthia he creates is something new that threatens to destroy the status quo... Adam's Synthia is not an it. Adam's Synthia is a she. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- M.A.I.D.S. is the winner of two Watty Awards (2011).

**I AM SLOWLY EDITING THIS!!!** WARNING: This is in no way a fairy tale. Kylie's been living life as simply as possible with her childhood friends and no worries except perhaps the next school assignment. All she knows is that she is perfectly happy where she is right now and doesn't plan on changing that any moment. But when her parents announce their "fantastic" plan to move to a small town in California, Kylie is devastated. Little does she know that this small town holds big secrets. And those secrets would very soon enter her life, making it more interesting than she could ever imagine. ~~Thanks to everyone who voted for me in the Watty Awards 2011!!! I couldn't have made it without you all~~ ***ALL NAMES AND SIMILARITIES ARE PURELY COINCIDENTAL***