BOOK ONE Coming out was supposed to set Julian free. Instead, it left him with a broken arm, a mother who won't stop preaching, and a silence that grows heavier every day. High school feels like a cage, and Julian is certain he doesn't belong anywhere-until Paul crashes into his world. With his inked skin, effortless charm, and a following that makes him untouchable, Paul should be the last person Julian lets close. But in Paul's arms, Julian feels something he's never known before: safe. As their connection deepens, so does the danger. Loving Paul means risking exposure, rejection, and heartbreak all over again. Worse, it means facing the cruelest voice of all-the one inside Julian's own head. Tender, raw, and unflinching, Open is a story about first love, first heartbreak, and finding the courage to believe you're worthy of both. ::: I could feel it when his body finally went slack, when he'd fallen asleep and soft snores emitted. And I thought I was getting better at this breaking down thing... I honestly did but when I was alone, I seemed to fall apart. Endless serenades of how worthless I'd been and how destructive I was; I was a disappointment to literally everyone and I hated it. My breathing became shallow as I cried for the second time that day, finally feeling content being immersed in guilt. A shudder wracked through my body, tears escaping and Paul pulled me closer as he woke silently. Mumbling soft nothings against my skin and kissing it to slow my breathing, he tried to lull me to sleep, "It's okay, you're okay." Refusing to speak -my voice failing me- his arm came up to wrap around my shoulder and I held him there, placing a small kiss to his tattooed skin in a broken sign of gratitude, I must've run out of tears. And I felt at ease.

Summer's over and Sam faces a dilemma: how to manage a long distance relationship with his first real boyfriend. Joining the volleyball team seems like the perfect answer to get out of town to see Leo. Laura's perfect season is rudely interrupted by Wren, new girl and lesbian hellbent on distracting her from her goals. The best way to avoid Wren seems to be pretending to be Sam's girlfriend, for his benefit and for hers. How long can the lies hold up? [fab covers by @RosyKun!]

Thoughts that have been swimming around my head for too long. It's time I let them out

As a kid, Raphael was a homophobic bully. Now, at age 23, he's grown out of the bully act. His homophobia? Still there, but it doesn't show often―after all, there are no gay people around him. Just his mom, ex-girlfriend, and daughter, Mia. Or so he thinks, until a phone call one morning comes with news that puts him face-to-face with his prejudice. But shaking prejudice is hard when your ashamed family, some hungry reporters, and a stubborn gay activist are breathing down your neck. Changing is hard, especially when you've buried skeletons.

In which a dancing, rapping white boy meets Brooklyn-born Vinny Vitale and realizes, hey. I may be gay. A short story.

Alex and Liam have been best friends their whole lives until a drunken kiss leads them down separate paths. As time passes, they must face truths they never expected. ***** Alex Camejo and Liam Santos have been thick as thieves since they met at age seven. As the years passed, Liam protected Alex from bullies while Alex denied what those bullies were saying. He's not gay no matter how "girly" he seems... or how much he longs to hold Liam's hand. But a drunken kiss tears everything down. The inseparable Liam Santos and Alex Camejo can no longer be friends. Without each other's support, they must overcome the struggles of adolescence, coming out, new lovers, self-doubt and lingering emotions. One hopes he will forget his best friend and find happiness. The other hopes they will reunite and be happy. In the end, whose dreams will come true? [[Watty's Award Winner]]

Screen burn: "Where a permanent mark is burnt into the mask of the TV screen due to prolonged display." If Jake's life is a TV show, the set that plays it is afflicted with screen burn, forever displaying his character in a frozen state, unable to change. He is the nice guy who always finishes last. He is stuck being the boring, straight, white male. Mateo is a bisexual, biracial troublemaker and everything that a girl wants. Jake aims to rewrite his character to win the girl of his dreams, and Mateo is going to help him (willingly or not). #45 in Humor. [Cover by: redblacklady]

A newly expanded and professionally edited version of the Boy in the Woods is now available for sale as an ebook and paperback! Buy it at Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and many other online outlets. Winner of the 2014 Wattys Talk of the Town award. After a devastating accident takes Jess's parents, a cold and controlling uncle is the only family she has left. Ripping away everything she's ever known, he takes her far from her home in the big city to live on the rural family estate. With a spoiled and stuck up older cousin the only other young person in the home, Jess struggles to adjust to her new life of loneliness and quiet isolation. While exploring the woods surrounding her home one day, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy. Desperate for a friend, she's instantly drawn to him, but he's deeply distrustful and wants nothing to do with her. Sneaking away to see him, she works hard to break through his walls and slowly gains his trust. As time passes, their bond grows from forbidden friendship into something more, but the threat they'll be caught looms closer. How far will Jess have to go to protect the boy she's fallen in love with? Or will her uncle find out about them before she can escape his control? The Boy in the Woods is a mysterious and poignant coming of age novel set in the late 1950's, with the same classic feel as A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. As one of the top ten most read historical fiction stories on the popular reading website Wattpad.com, it's already loved by tens of thousands of readers. This compelling story is twice the length of the average young adult novel, and is appropriate for ages 14 to adult. By the same author as Wattys finalists Stolen Hearts and Love You Forever! Best Ranking: Historical Fiction #1 General Fiction #3 Warning: This story contains occasional language and mild violence.

Fairy Godfather Jack must deliver a sleeping curse to college student Rose. But he thinks he's falling in love with his target. Rose has forgotten who she once was. But she recognizes the mysterious new guy on campus. From a dream, or another lifetime, maybe. As magic awakens and passions ignite, it becomes clear that the fates of both are entwined. And if they can't find a way to break the mysterious curse cast on Rose centuries ago, both their lives will be forfeit. Because they've angered the original Fairy Godmother. And she does not like to be crossed. . . --- A PARANORMAL ROMANCE made of STAR-CROSSED LOVERS and FAIRYTALE MAGIC from the Watty award winning author of CUPID'S MATCH, INK, and THAWING WINTER. -- [sample only - available exclusively on Radish Fiction]