"My back is stiff because of the hard ground and my feet are ice cold. A little breeze touches my bare skin. The smell of rotten meat invades my nose. My hands are tied with a sharp rope and something is keeping my left foot from moving. My head is spinning. I try to stay awake, but it's too late. BLANK." Jayden and her family moved across the country because of a terrible experience. It's the start of a new school year and Jayden sees it as a new chance in life. But what happens when someone from the past invades Jayden's life again? Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077MNH9HC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511216390&sr=8-1&keywords=to+keep+it+secret+Laura+smithjes

Nine-year-old Addison has known only darkness - locked away in a basement, her world has been one of silence, fear, and isolation. But when Addison moves in with the Harrington brothers - the family she never knew she had - she faces the daunting task of learning to trust, speak, and heal. Surrounded by love but haunted by her past, will Addison find the light she's been searching for - or will the shadows of her trauma keep her trapped?

Eight-year-old Annelise doesn't remember her real name - or what it means to be safe. Taken from her family and trapped in a nightmare for six long years, she's finally rescued and returned to the people who have been waiting for her all along. The Beaumont brothers each carry their own scars from a past filled with loss and secrets. Together, they embark on a slow, tender journey of healing, trust, and rediscovery-where every unlocked door holds the chance for Annelise to reclaim what's been stolen from her.

Isa Willems and her dad move to the country where dreams come true, or so they say. Battling her way through her last year in high school, while taking on a big responsibility and having to adapt to a different lifestyle. Isa fights to keep herself from falling apart. She keeps her barriers up and stays strong for the only person who truly accepts and loves her, the only person she trusts, her dad. At school she just wants one thing, getting through senior year without being noticed. But of course this is easier said than done. Hayley Morgan, top student and cheerleading captain. At first glance she seems like your typical cheerleader, hence why Isa tries to avoid her with every fibre in her body. Hayley doesn't seem to take no for an answer and fate seems to push Isa in Hayley's direction. Let's hope Hayley is the one who can Break Isa's Barriers. ** First round winner in the 'LGBT Literary Award's 2019 under Young Adult** Warning: this book will contain topics that may be sensitive to some readers. - Talk about suicide - Sickness - Homophobic characters - Bullying - Stereotyping I don't own the song lyrics in this story. The first 5 chapters are bad and need a lot of editing, after chapter 5 my writing improves. Keep that in mind when you start reading! Started: *10/24/2019* Finished: *04/18/2020*

Augusto is a cold man. He has been hurt by life and doesn't know how to let go of it. Instead, he buries himself in anger, pain, sadness and guilt. Even with all the money in the world, there is one thing he can't buy: peace. Flora and Luca only know pain since they are born. Their own mother beat them before they were sent away to an orphanage, where life is a living hell. They are only 4 years old, but they lived more than anyone should have. Melody always hoped for a better future, but now she only hopes to feel nothing. Separated from her brother and sister, who were the light in her life, she wishes to run away from herself. The only thing that keeps her alive is the hope that she finds her sibling one day. Come with me on this journey to find the story of 4 people far away from each other, but will soon become closer than ever. ------ [WARNING] Contains - bad language, abuse, and other violent behaviors ------

At just a few months old, Myra was stolen in the dead of night; torn from her father, her brothers, and her twin. Escaping the orphanage, surviving the streets, and blind to the people that 'saved' her, Myra didn't just endure. Myra clawed her way out, and she burned everything in her wake to ashes. Seventeen years later, she's not just alive. She's powerful. Dangerous. Untouchable. Myra built her empire from the blood she's bled, the blood she's spilled, and secrets she'd kill to protect. It's not just her identity she's concealing - it's the cracks. She's back. But she's not the little sister they imagined. Can she keep everything hidden when a twist of fate drops her into the lap of her so-called family?

Forgotten ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aurora has had a hard life, dealing with abusive parents, a twin that wants her dead and a baby brother who depends on her solely to name a few. What else could go wrong? Enter her biological brothers and father who have not seen her since the twins were 4. A few months out from being 18 and free, Aurora is forced to move in with her new family and her twin. What will happen when her new life and her old life collide in one messy event? And will anyone else enter her life to mess it up even more? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Started: 04/07/2025

He was born from revenge. Raised in chains. Found by the man he was born to hate. Fifteen-year-old Elias Moretti learned early that love was just another lie. Sold by his own mother to a brutal gang, he survived nine years of pain, blood, and silence - until a mafia war sets him free. His rescuer? Dante Moretti, Italy's most feared mafia don... and the father who never knew he existed. Dante wants redemption. Elias wants nothing. The Moretti brothers want him gone. And then there's Aria - Dante's daughter. The one he raised. The one who shares Elias's eyes... and nightmares. Twins, separated by vengeance. Reunited by tragedy. But the past never stays buried. The gang that owned Elias once wants him - and his sister - back. Blood runs deep. Family runs darker. And some scars were never meant to heal. When blood meets vengeance, who survives the truth? --"You think being rich and guilty makes you my father?" --"No. But I'll keep trying until I earn the right to be."

Seventeen year old, Piper Delaney is caught red handed. After managing to steal thousands of dollars worth of merchandise over three years, it was only a matter of time before she was caught. Piper is then sent to Ash Falls Group Recovery Home for Troubled Youth. There, she meets the delinquents. Five boys and one girl. Rivalries, friendships, and romance emerge as Piper and the delinquents find themselves with the help of each other.

Jaden is finally caught after running away from his last foster home. He is placed in a new one that he ain't so sure of.