Sometimes all you really need is a place to call home. *** Claire is lost and scared and utterly alone. Her family is in shambles after the death of her older sister Ina, and she's left to pick up the broken pieces of herself as her life heads into a downwards spiral of loneliness. Her heart leads her to 5:48, a little cafe by 33rd street, where she finds her new home. With a broken heart and a speech disability, Jasper has his heart and mouth sewn shut by the winding threads of hurt and fear. Painting and serving coffee in cafe 5:48 are one of his last few saving graces, but the smile he's been painting on himself will soon fade away as everything he's ever held dear slips away from his grasp. Ezra is out-of-sync and oddly cold by the way life has treated his young self. Abandoned by his single mother at an early age, he has grown up thinking that he is a mistake. His constant shaking hands are a reflection of what he often thinks of himself, but the delightful pastries he bakes for 5:48's customers are a reflection of what others see of him. Drew is a quirky rarity. He is a dash of loud, a pinch of exuberant, and a cup of eccentric - just like the meals he serves in the cafe as the only chef there. Behind his playful grins and outlandish clothes, however, are his jutting ribs, hollowed cheeks, and too-thin arms. Sometimes he cannot stomach being in his own skin as much as he cannot stomach food. This family has gone a long way from finding each other, and they'll be going a long way together too as reality comes catching up to them, threatening the newfound happiness they've found with each other. Secrets are revealed, pasts become presents, and lives are changed. Slowly but surely, they find their way back home. *** NOTE AS OF 08/2026: This is the old version of the story from 2012, posted in FULL. Another story that will be considered a reprise of this old version is in the works, and will be posted under the name "Hiraya House."

Susan a 16 year old girl, moves to her hometown with her mother and sister hoping to live a normal life. But soon after she realizes nothing in her life is normal. With her memories of her childhood taken away from her she find her self lost in the word of the Elementals fighting demons and protecting the dimensions from destruction. And she will have to make a choice that will not only effect her life but the lives of the people she loves.

It decides your life. It decides your future. It decides your death. Never has humanity been so afraid of colour. In a twisted world where fate is inevitable, there are those who cause destruction, and those who end it. Those whose lives are brief and those who live long by concluding others'. But is reality all that simple? On encountering each other once agin, two teenagers who have secrets to hide and pasts left untouched, find themselves delving deeper into the truth behind their lives and that- despite their contrasting personalities- they are more alike than they'd ever imagined possible. As they embark on a journey filled with adventure, love and loss, they are left with one question. Are they really who they thought they were?

Expiration Date is coming in print, audio, and ebook from Podium on April 6, 2027 and is available to preorder now! ✨ The Society knows when we're going to die. They imprint it on our arms at birth. I was supposed to die yesterday. I'm the girl who's Expired. Winner of the 2020 Readers Choice Awards Cover by @Forcade

Life has never been easy and it holds no promise to be. Kimberly has always been faced with the harsh realities of life as if losing her parents and her memories weren't enough. Strong difficulties threatens to sweep her off her feet. Never did she imagine that there were connections to all her problems. Now the real question is what are these connections and who are those set out to make her life a leaving hell admit all of that keeping her alive to make sure she never escapes any of them. With the help of certain Positive Agents like Jason Neville The extraordinary business tycoon, she learns to be strong and unveil every darkness behind her past.