Single and heartbroken, Tala Flores decides to spend this Christmas alone, but life has other plans. chicklit 24 21.12.2017 - 02/03/2018

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.

***Published in the US with Wattpad Books and in the UK under the title 'LOVE, LOCKED DOWN' -- out now in ebook and paperback, and also audiobook in the UK!*** When the London Lane apartment block is put on lockdown, its residents are in for a whirlwind week. Imogen's stuck living with a one-night-stand in Number 14, and has to face the reality that maybe it's time to grow up. Upstairs, Isla and Danny are still in their honeymoon period, and this could make or break their new relationship; meanwhile, Zach and Serena's steady relationship is on tenterhooks, and pineapple on pizza might actually be the last straw. At Number 22, Olivia's Maid of Honour duties are really pushing her to the edge as a wedding-planning weekend has turned into an entire week... And speaking of weddings, this whole thing has made Ethan realise he wants to spend the rest of his life with Charlotte - if only he can surprise her with the perfect proposal. Follow these five stories of twenty-somethings through their week of quarantine, where romances will blossom, friendships fracture, and relationships are forged that could last a lifetime. Disclaimer: This is a fictionalised and dramatised story inspired by real events that are happening right now. For the most up-to-date FACTS on Covid, you can check out https://support.wattpad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040903132-A-message-about-COVID-19

"It was love at first sight. Until reality struck like lightning and burnt up everything, leaving me with nothing but scars." The story of Death, the change of fate, and the fall from grace.

Hadley Jamison doesn't know what to think when she hears that her classmate, Archer Morales, committed suicide. She didn't exactly know him, but that doesn't stop her from feeling like there was something she could have done to help him. So to Hadley's surprise, on the very night of Archer's funeral, she has a run in with Death himself and is offered the chance to go back in time to stop Archer from ending his life. The catch? She only has twenty-seven days to do it. And if Hadley doesn't succeed? Well, she doesn't want to think about that.

"No matter where I go or who I meet, I will always be uncontrollably, helplessly, foolishly in love with you."

"You meet a lot of temporary people in this lifetime, I don't want you to be one of them."

"There's no such thing as soul mates. I mean just because someone is perfect for you doesn't mean you're meant to be with them. The thing about love is that it's unexpected - the best kind anyway."