Forged In Fire is the true story of a young girl's childhood in pre-WW II Tokyo; her schoolgirl dreams; the violence, starvation and desperation of wartime that drove her family out of the city; and the American Occupation that shaped Japan's future. It is the story of my mother, Rita (then named Tomoko), who was ten years old when World War II began and fourteen years old when it ended. Mom had often recounted her experiences to me and my siblings as we were growing up. At some point, Mom began urging us to write down her stories for her. I finally got around to honoring her request early last year (2014). Using audio recordings, notes, frequent phone calls and plenty of fact-checking, I eventually placed into chronological order the various fragments of her memories. On one hand, it is a young girl's story, told plainly. On the other hand, it is a remarkable glimpse into one of history's most tumultuous events - one not widely known. Mom was later diagnosed with cancer in July 2014 and eventually passed away at the age of 83 in August. Although severely weakened from her illness, she was happy and proud to hold a rough draft of the printed manuscript in her hands. It was her final wish that her story be published and so here it begins....

Lizzie was on the run; not from bad guys, international criminals or terrorists. She was hiding from her mother! At age 20, she had left her grand house in England in the middle of the night with only a short note to dear mum. She had attended Oxford for two years when Lizzie's well-meaning family had tried one more time to arrange a marriage with the right kind of man from the right kind of family. Lizzie's mother did not believe that Ladies of her station needed a University education. Lizzie railed against that kind of tradition and simply wanted to finish her business degree and return to run the family estate and try to bring the property into the twenty-first century. If she failed in this endeavor, she would be forced to donate the family home to the National Trust as had been the case with so many of England's Great Houses. Lizzie's mother did not believe that Ladies of her station needed a University education. Her adventures next her first to Australia where she finished all but the last semester of her studies until the notorious London Tabloid Paparazzi found her. She once again escaped in the middle of the night and ended up at a small school in North America. That's where she met Mark...

When Matt Padlow is introduced to his father's new girlfriend, two families collide. But Matt has met his father's girlfriend's daughter before, and they have to keep it a secret. They'll have twelve Christmases. Twelve dry turkeys. Twelve family feuds. Twelve chances. They'll only ever meet at Christmas.

My entry to the #SciFriday SciFi Competitions Challenge 9 - Invisibility in 800 words. The story was placed second for this challenge.

"Semester Abroad" is a story from bestselling author Simon Rich's latest collection Spoiled Brats. About the Book: Twenty years ago, Barney the Dinosaur told the nation's children they were special. We're still paying the price. From "one of the funniest writers in America"* comes a collection of stories culled from the front lines of the millennial culture wars. Rife with failing rock bands, student loans, and participation trophies ; Spoiled Brats is about a generation of narcissists-and the well-meaning boomers who made them that way. A hardworking immigrant is preserved for a century in pickle brine. A helicopter mom strives to educate her demon son. And a family of hamsters struggles to survive in a private-school homeroom. Surreal, shrewd, and surprisingly warm, these stories are as resonant as they are hilarious. *Jimmy So, Daily Beast

A beautiful young woman was missing. I knew I had a murder. I even had a suspect. But would I ever find the body? Would I ever be able to arrest the suspect without the body? Don't believe all that crap you see on TV shows. Follow me on this true crime story and see what happens in a real murder case.

Being a fashion model is nearly every girl's dream. But what happens when dreams come true? "AT THAT MOMENT, IT HIT ME. I was a mere mortal in a room full of demigods: actors, actresses, bygone legends of the stage and screen; men and women who had traipsed down red carpets all of their lives, whom the rest of the country, no, the world, had pined for, had paid to know the secrets of. Here I was standing among them, cavorting with twenty-first century royals." Eighteen-year-old shy, suburban aspiring model Catherine Watson longed for adventure, for a life less...ordinary and moves away to pursue her modeling dream in New York City. When she is "discovered" by the hottest fashion designer in the pages of Vogue magazine, "Cat" thinks she has it all as the New York fashion world's new "It" girl. Her life is thrust into an alternate universe, where star-studded cocktail parties, casting calls, go-sees, and nightclub openings revolve around her like constellations and she tries to play the part. Her former self, "Catherine," was now a shadow of who she was, and what she was becoming. Leaving her good-girl image behind, Cat quickly learns things aren't always what they seem on the catwalk, and she's faced with a decision that will change her life forever. Drawing on her own experiences as a model in the fast-paced fashion industry, author Nicole Gabor masterfully weaves a timeless story of self-discovery, coming of age, and the perils of first loves.

She's rich, she's famous, she's twice his age--and she can make him a star. Should homeless teen Shoni King leave the family that needs him and the girl who loves him for her fast lane life? EDITORS PICK, JULY 2021, NARomance Awards SHORTLIST 2021. Elliott Weston, who went from child star to pop star before dropping out of the "business of show" years ago, thinks Shoni has the looks and smarts to make it big. And she's willing to share him with the world and the "other woman," Xochitl, if she must. But Shoni, who has worked hard to keep food on his family's table for most of his young life, is an old soul not easily fooled by "smoke and mirrors." Elliott fascinates him-she's worldly, wild and wonderfully "well-preserved" for her age. And, as a natural caretaker, he's also concerned by her failing health. But he loves the saner, simpler world he comes from--and a Native woman from across the border who adores him deeply and selflessly just as he is. He's standing on the edge of stardom, but should he take that leap? (MATURE--sexual content)

Book of the Month on the @Ambassadors Mystery profile! This story will become FREE on August 30th, 2023! When 17-year-old Arbor Hayes' best friend turns up alive after a mysterious six-month disappearance, she must piece together the fragments of her story to make sense of what happened. But as clues emerge, she discovers how damaged Emma Navarro is ... and how dangerous the truth can be. * * * * * When 16-year-old Emma Navarro goes missing, the seemingly perfect town of Menteuse, Ohio is in shock - including Arbor Hayes, Emma's best friend and next door neighbor. After weeks of searching, Emma's truck is found abandoned hours away from home with blood in the back seat, turning the rescue mission into a recovery of her body. Six months later, Arbor receives a text from Emma's phone stating she's alive, but when her best friend reappears, she's more sinister and unpredictable than the Emma from before. And as details regarding her ordeal emerge, the more Arbor realizes how damaged Emma is ... and how dangerous the truth can be. Content warning: this story contains references to sexual abuse, mental health issues, violence, and mild drug use. ✨2022 Watty Awards Shortlist ✨Mystery/Thriller winner 2022 Amby Awards ✨Mystery/Suspense winner 2022 Punk Rock Awards ✨Best First Line - 2022 Punk Rock Awards ✨Best Action/Fight Scene - 2022 Punk Rock Awards ✨2021 Watty Awards Shortlist Emma That is Dead by Darly Jamison Copyright © 2021 All Rights Reserved Current cover designed by me, using MidJourney and Canva Pro. Photo inside created by D-Keine on iStockphoto, and edited on Canva Pro. (Previous Wattpad cover designed by Ashley Bandy) Notice: This document is not authorized for upload or use with artificial intelligence systems or platforms. Any attempt to upload, analyze, or process this content using AI technology is strictly prohibited.

As a scout for what remains of the government in a post-outbreak world, Merryn is sent to investigate an old naval supply depot in a nearby city but finds so much more than zombies. ***** A year after a virus leaves the world infested with shambling zombies, those who remain attempt to rebuild a shattered country. Supported by her friends and colleagues, Merryn forges a path through the post virus landscape, finding other survivors, and searching for anything that could help everyone survive. The best and worst of humanity still live, but things take a turn as nature plays another card: a young woman could be the key to everyone's survival as one variant after another changes the behaviour of the walkers, once again threatening the scattered remnants of humanity as they teeter on the brink of extinction. [Word count: approximately 70,000, now complete on Wattpad]