The dawn of the 2030s was not supposed to be what it became. Humanity had grown confident-more technologically advanced, more globally connected, more politically entrenched in the myth of progress than ever before. Then came the First Beilan Incident (2030). A catastrophic collapse-fluid spill in the South China Sea, the rupture of a relic site off the coast of Beilan Island, triggered a cascade of events that the world had neither anticipated nor prepared to handle. In the years that followed, entire coastlines were blackened, populations displaced, governments scrambled. The calamity exposed not just physical vulnerability, but geopolitical fragility. Collapse Fluid & Contamination At the heart of the crisis was Collapse Fluid-an extraordinary substance, born from relic-excavation and alien tech, highly radioactive, mutagenic, and volatile. When it ruptured into the environment, it generates Collapse Radiation, fallout storms and unpredictable particles that rendered once-habitable zones lethal. The world learned a new vocabulary: Vebryans (units of radiation concentration), ELIDs (Eurosky Low-Emission Infectious Disease units, mutated by contamination) and Collapse Storms. In this story's era-our era, though fictional-we stand at that moment between peace and the next wave. The zones are stable enough for domestic life, but unstable enough that a single tactical failure could shift the balance. And a man like Michael Carver Holt (Callsign "ATLAS"), veteran of far greater battles, lives in that tension: safe for now, carrying what could become the eroding of safety. All of it occurs in the shadow of Collapse - and the world may never be the same again. The tension exists in what is seen and what is hidden. - Felix N. M. K. Hoang

In the wake of the January 6th 2021 Capitol attack, the United States plunges into a devastating second Civil War, igniting a battle that reshapes the country forever. Through the eyes of Riley and Maya, a lesbian couple with a young adopted son named Sam, this gripping techno-thriller explores the personal and political toll of rebuilding a nation from the ruins of its own fractured identity. As the couple fights to protect their family and rebuild society, they must confront their own inner battles-Riley, once a fierce warrior, struggles to reconcile her violent past with her desire to heal, while Maya works tirelessly to unite the survivors into a new, inclusive government. Sam, a teenager caught between childhood and adulthood, must come to terms with a world where everything he knew has been turned upside down. As they fight to restore order in a fractured land, the trio becomes an unlikely symbol of hope in a world where the lines between right and wrong blur. But the road to a new America is fraught with danger, as old factions rise to reclaim power and new threats loom on the horizon. Together, they must navigate the complexities of governance, identity, and love in a world on the brink of rebirth. Ashes of the Union is a heart-wrenching and suspenseful family drama that explores themes of resilience, sacrifice, and the power of unity in the face of overwhelming odds. In a time where the future is uncertain, the bonds of family and love are the only things that can guide them through the storm.

In the heart of modern-day New York City, 18-year-old Everly Quinn, a sharp-tongued artist with a haunted past, crosses paths with Kieran Vale, a mysterious and impossibly charming boy who seems to know more about her than any stranger should. When a string of cryptic disappearances rattles the city - each marked by an eerie, ancient symbol - Everly and Kieran find themselves thrust into a dangerous mystery that stretches centuries into the past. As dark secrets unravel and forbidden feelings bloom, they must race to uncover a truth that could either save them or tear them apart forever...

ALL IS SILENCE finished #37 of 151 for Wattpad's Story of the Year! Also a WATTYS 2015 - Dream Collections Winner! Thanks to everyone who added me to their collections! You made my year! The sequel, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS, is available in print and e-book on all major ebook sites. If you are interested in hearing about special deals on this or any other works, please sign up for my monthly newsletter at www.desertedlands.com. #1 in Science Fiction - 57 days so far! Thank you, readers! PG-15: [Yes, you read that right. I would recommend teens not read it until they are 16!] Profanity, violence and sexual situations. Warning: There is talk of cutting and suicide. If any of these are triggers for you, please consider that when reading. Take care. Rob What if death forgot you? In a future that could be ours, Lizzie, a suicidal teen-age girl, barely navigates her own life. Then everything falls apart. In an apocalyptic land nearly deserted by disease, she lacks reasons to live until a shocking turn of events reveals a phone number. Her call pulls her dangerously cross-country to meet a stranger she thought was dead. In a world where there is plenty of food, plenty of gas, plenty of space... fear, anger and a lust for power still control the patterns of human life. This coming of age, edgy young adult novel is the debut of a former alternative high school teacher. If you like this, try Toils and Snares, a Deserted Lands novella, sampled on Wattpad.

The crew of the USCSS Grafton have one mission: survive. After being sent to the Pandemonium Research Station following a discovery that could lead to the truth about the missing ship the Nostromo, the crew members of the Grafton are thrown into a savage fight for their lives when a deadly organism onboard begins to systematically hunt them down one by one as they try to find a way off the station. Can the surviving crew members of the station and the Grafton work together to get off the station and survive this nightmare? In space nobody can hear you scream.

The sequel to Children's Games: A Story of Modern Consequence. Emilia has escaped one war-torn country only to find herself in another. The United States isn't the nuclear wasteland she was told it was; it's a land of beauty, resilience, and survivors hardened by their quest for retribution. Tasked with finding a masked vigilante-a misguided war hero reminiscent of her past in Fimiston-Emilia must find a way to bring peace to her new environment but must also uncover the truth about her family's connection to TB84, the disease ravaging the world. Inspired by Joshua to seek peace, she is determined to end the violence, but in a place where mistrust and danger lurk at every turn, her mission becomes a deadly game. In a world where every decision can mean life or death, trust is the most dangerous weapon of all.

"You don't know how strong you are, until strength is the only choice you have."~Anonymous In the world of bombs and shootings, in a corrupt world, there is a team fighting against the most evil people on the Earth. When a team of US army men go into battle, they leave the battlefield unaware that two men had been ambushed during their attack. The team faces a choice: go back for their men, their brothers, or leave them so they won't put themselves in danger. And if they decide to go, the worst people on earth, the terrorists, won't stop until they have their revenge: killing every American soldier that steps foot on their soil. This army team faces one challenge: saving their teammates, their brothers.

After her best friend is found dead in a motel room with no clear answers, Sofia Wineheart is determined to uncover the truth--even if it shatters everything she thought she knew. ***** It's a quiet October morning in Palo Alto, California, when the news break out--June Beaumont was found dead in a motel room, and no one knows what happened, not even her family. Sofia Wineheart, confused and devastated, takes it upon herself to pick up everyone's pieces--her friends', June's brother Meridian, but not hers--and figure out exactly what happened that night for the sake of closure. The little leads she finds all connect to one place: San Francisco. There's no telling what it will bring, or if it will bring up any answers, let alone those she's hoping she'll get. [wattpad editor's choice] © 2019 caterina george // all rights reserved

2004 Afghanistan, United States Marine William Kelly and a hunter-killer team from Forward Operation Base Rhino start the push-up Highway One, they encounter the vicious stoning of a young girl. Commanded to ignore the honor killing, and stick to the Rules of Engagement, Staff Sergeant Michael Theodore, "Theo," disobeys Battalion Command and gives the order to engage the Taliban. What follows is a nightmare. An imminent attack on an ancient village, manned by old men, women, and children, becomes an action to prevent genocide. With no support from Taskforce Sledgehammer, William Kelly is brought face to face with fear, rage, hatred, and apathy toward a young girl on the verge of death.

After she tragically loses her mother, Cassie turns to street fighting-but she soon learns that the biggest fights happen outside the ring. ***** Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Haynes has never been one to follow the rules. Constantly on the brink of expulsion at school, she doesn't care what anyone thinks about her. But when tragedy strikes and she is left alone to care for her little sister, Cassie needs to find a way to survive and quick. Without telling a single soul, she moves to the next city over and turns to the only thing she knows--the illegal sport of street fighting. As her fights get grittier and more dangerous, Cassie finds out that there are even more people out for her blood. She'll do anything to protect her little sister and some people are about to learn the hard way. Content and/or Trigger Warning: attempted suicide in Chapter 2. [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]] Link to the sequel - https://www.wattpad.com/story/29778845-the-mystery-fighter-ii Cover designed by Ren T