"It's as if the world slows down to a standstill. Touch, taste, smell, hearing, they are all deemed inoperable, all except sight. Sight is amplified. Sight is intensified. Sight becomes my most important asset, and at the same time, becomes my enemy. For if it wasn't for my ability to see, I wouldn't have seen him, with his wide eyes and gaunt face, outstretching his right arm to a peculiar length. I wouldn't have seen the weapon clutched firmly in his hand, pointed directly toward my head. I wouldn't have seen him pull the trigger while looking unapologetically at me. But I do see. I see everything, from his blank, hopeless stare, to the weapon-clad men charging at him unmercilessly. I see him fall to the ground, as if his limbs are pulled out of his body from some unknown force. But first, and to my utter torment, I see his fingertips, blackening and charring as the plague strikes him right before he takes his last breath." © 2014 Liliana Araxes

Leaving behind everything she's ever known, Emilee enters a world of high glamour and even higher stakes. The new freedom that comes with being a part of the Famoux is intoxicating, but behind the perfect image lies an ugly truth - being popular is a matter of life or death. ***** Out of the wreckage of environmental collapse, the country of Delicatum emerged. Its most popular celebrities are the Famoux, uniquely beautiful stars of a reality TV show called the Fishbowl. In a world still recovering from catastrophe, they provide a 24/7 distraction. Sixteen-year-old Emilee Laurence is obsessed with the Famoux - they provide a refuge from her troubled home life and the bullies at school. When she receives an unimaginable offer to become a member herself, she takes it. But soon she realizes that fame can be deadly... Content and trigger warning: This story depicts mental health issues and contains scenes of violence. [[word count: 350,000-400,000 words]]

The year is 2201. Alina Pritchett is the daughter of a chef who works at the Crest--a palace formerly known as the White House. But her father is not who he seems; he does not just cook, but is also avidly involved with a rebellious group trying to topple the American Empire. Ever since Alina was young, she has known the horrors that They commit, and has been yearning for the time when she can truly fix her world. Braen Chancel is the son of the President of the American Empire. He has been trained for years in political machinations and etiquette, waiting for the moment when he can take over from his father and follow in his footsteps. Follow Alina from the moment that she meets Braen at twelve years old, and watch as she grows up beside her enemy. Alina will learn how to keep secrets, and how to have friends on both sides of a war. She will learn how to let go of attachments, and she will learn the true meaning of sacrifice and loyalty. No one will remain unscathed by the civil conflict that is about to unfold before your very eyes. -------- Thank you, glyphs for the beautiful cover! The PG-13 rating is for language that comes in later chapters, as well as some violence in (much) later chapters. There may be references to substance abuse in later chapters.