What happens when all your apocalyptic nightmares seem to be coming true? In this lyrically poignant piece, Margaret Atwood reflects on growing up in the age of the scarlet fever, diphtheria, polio and the whooping cough that swept Canada in the 1940s. Yellow signs with the words 'QUARANTINED' became a signature of the era and marked doors in neighbourhoods across the country. Drawing from her own experiences and the experiences of her parents who lived through the Spanish flu, Atwood sings words of encouragement, "Take heart! Humanity's been through it before. There will be an Other Side." And while nothing is scarier than an enemy you can't see, there is always hope and there is always another side. In a way that only she can, Atwood takes a look into the past and the present to give us words for the future. Copyright belongs to O.W. Toad and this piece first ran in The Globe and Mail.

There's nothing you're forced to trust more than your own mind. You're dependent on it, it stores the memories that make up your world. But what if it could be stolen from you? Aspen's world is growing, from the boundaries of her country farm to the edges of the city. Her first year of university. It's supposed to be full of independence and new beginnings, and Aspen's is filled with new friends and the prospect of romance. Until she finds out her best friends are killing people. A YA thriller swimming with mystery, romance, and a seething danger that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highest rank: #10 in Mystery/Thriller Cover by @supernovass © 2016 AUTHERAS, All rights reserved

"It is your choice," he said, stepping so close to me that our lips were almost touching. "Either do what I say - or get another job." My heart stood still as I gazed up into his deep, dark, dangerous eyes... In a world where women's only role in life is to sit at home and look pretty, Lilly is determined to fight for her freedom. There's only one problem: a powerful man blocking her way.

"Her dying wish was for me to complete her list, and I wasn't going to stop until it was completed." When Alyssa Morrison loses her little sister to cancer, the last think she wants to think about is completing the ridiculous list she left behind. A list containing eighteen things she wants Alyssa to do before her twenty first birthday in a month. Alyssa soon finds herself following every item on the list, finding some easier then others and some. . . unexpected. But Alyssa soon uncovers the truth behind may have really caused her family to fall apart. . . and just how much her seemingly innocent little sister knew about it.

On the flip of a coin, people die around Sin. Escaped from a lunatic asylum and haunted by his dead sister, he must find out why, and discover who is trying to use his power to destroy everything and everyone. ***** Dead, dead, dead. Say it enough times and it becomes just another word. What would you do? Could you kill a killer? Does the death of one appease the deaths of a hundred? What about that hundred against a thousand? What if you had no choice? Meet Sin. No, not that sort of sin, but Sin, crazy as a loon (you ask Sister Moon), and proud of it. Sin locks himself away in an asylum and, every so often, badboy he's believed to be, gets violent. That's only so they'll give him those nice drugs, though. The ones that help him forget. It's a pity they don't work. Sin, you see, has a serious problem. Well, it's not so much his problem, as ours - yours, mine and everyone else's. People die around Sin. He doesn't like it and there's nothing he can do about it. But someone else knows, and Sin has to stop them... and himself... Flip and catch... -- WATTY WINNER!! Includes a special BONUS CHAPTER commissioned for Amazon Prime's Panic, and bonus chapters set in Sin's asylum! Featured on the following amazing lists! *The @fright profile for Top Horror Stories selected by movie The Ring!* *The Top Psychological Horror reading list for The Boy movie!* *The Terrifying Thrillers reading list for The Purge: Election Year!* *The Sinister Stories reading list for movie Sinister II!* *The Best of Thriller reading list for the Unfriended film!* #4 in MysteryThriller #6 in Horror #6 in Mystery #2 in Psychological #1 in Chiller #1 in Psychological Horror on Amazon!

WATTY WINNER! Life has dealt city girl Olivia Porter a series of bad hands, but just as she's about to fold, fate intervenes and leaves her with a full house. Out of other options, she takes a gamble and moves to the countryside, hoping Lady Luck will follow along. Olivia's decision to embrace the single life is soon challenged by the arrival of local ace, Tate, and wild card, Warren, but little villages can hide big secrets and somebody thinks Olivia is holding the key to theirs. As her opponent ups his game, Olivia gets one last roll of the dice with the arrival of a leather-clad stranger. Will she hit the jackpot or go bust? Joker in the Pack is a standalone romantic suspense novel from the Blackwood UK series - no cliffhanger! FEATURED by Wattpad. Highest ranking: Mystery/Thriller #2