Dr. Hortense Gray practices experimental psychology on an uninhabited island off the coast of California where people go wanting to die and leave fighting to live. Seventeen-year-old Daphne Janus is her newest patient. Watch a 40-sec trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMt5fO1xtHw

Legend has it that "sluts" are lurking all around. You might encounter one on a shadowy street corner or posing in a magazine. But those tricksters also blend in easily at school, at church functions, and even in your own home. Constant vigilance is required. Without it, you might accidentally become one yourself. Except... there's no such thing as a "slut." It's just a myth. So is the "slut's" invented opposite, the "good girl." What's the deal with these lingering stereotypes and around female sexuality? Why do they still bear so much control over our cultural and personal expectations? These chapters are collected/edited from my Teen Vogue column. I want to share them with you here, where we can discuss them together, because the Wattpad community was so crucial to establishing The UnSlut Project as an international movement. I hope your comments on these essays will grow into conversations, and that we can keep inspiring and learning from each other!

The Golden Queen, Book 1 When GallenO'Day is hired as a bodyguard to escort a young woman through the woods to the forbidden ruins at Geata Na Chruinn, it seems like an ordinary job-but all too soon, he finds himself fleeing for his life from creatures that seem like escapees from a nightmare-the alien dronon, led by their golden queen. With his best friend, a genetically engineered talking bear named Orick, and his girlfriend Maggie, Gallen soon finds himself tangled in an interstellar war that he never knew existed, racing across a host of worlds, confronted by a future unlike any that he had ever imagined.

When seventeen-year-old Natalie Porter finds a treasure chest belonging to her dead mother hidden away in the attic, she follows the clues inside and discovers her mother's death was never actually confirmed. Ten years ago she simply disappeared, leaving behind a mysterious charm necklace. Longing to learn more about her mother, and finding herself fascinated by the odd charm, Natalie claims the necklace. It quickly becomes apparent she's not the only one interested in her mother's disappearance. When Natalie finds herself pursued she hides, still clutching the charm, and is shocked to find herself transported to a place called Brookland. Brookland, once a lush, green land full of magic, has been drained of life and turned into a blackened wasteland by Queen Casias, a woman obsessed only with her own wealth and power. To Natalie's horror, not only does the queen know she's here, but she's been searching for the necklace for the past ten years. And now she knows who has it. If Natalie doesn't keep the charm out of the queen's grasp, she'll use it to spread her twisted darkness into the human world, destroying everything in her path.

Born with a damaged heart, Leanna Weston has lived a sheltered life with little chance at adventure. When she hears that Finvarra's Circus is coming to her small town, she sneaks off to witness the magic first hand, sure that this is her only chance at experiencing true magic-even if the frightening rumors about the heartless Ringmaster, Finvarra, are true. Caught by Finvarra, Leanna is given one chance at survival: she must join the circus. As slowly she becomes part of the strange family, Leanna learns that there is more than magic to this circus, but an ancient curse that has tied Finvarra's life to its rings. If the circus fails, he dies. Leanna vows to save the circus, but when a ruthless enemy emerges, set on destroying it and Finvarra, will Leanna be able to save them both, or will her broken heart fail her just when she needs it most? Cover Artist: Lisa Rhodes

Two childhood best friends. One accidental kiss. A summer that changes everything. *** Felipe Rivera has a problem. Several problems, really; as if his anxiety disorder and his strained relationship with his father weren't enough, he's also been in love with his best friend for as long as he can remember. Now that it's their last summer together before they go to separate colleges and leave the suburb they grew up in behind, he's determined to keep his feelings for Aaron bottled up. However, things quickly move beyond his control, and what was supposed to be a summer like every other turns out to be something that might just put their friendship to the ultimate test. Content warnings for themes of anxiety/mental health issues and recreational drug use

[2021 WATTYS Winner] Giovanna joins a handsome nobleman to save a friend from an arranged marriage, but they discover a plot that may have victims of Venice's Black Death rising from their graves. * * * As a child, Giovanna Visconti learned the arts of bloodletting and elixir brewing from her father with an intent to simply support his work, not take it over. But when he falls ill from the pestilence that's been ravaging Venice for months, she reluctantly dons the beaked mask of the plague doctor. Vowing to protect her father however she can, Giovanna hides him away and sees her first patient--the handsome, but alarmingly feverish Matteo Barozzi. Although she successfully treats this son of a high-ranking official, in a careless moment Giovanna fails to properly conceal her identity. The only reason she isn't tossed into a dank jail cell is thanks to the young man's honor and feelings of indebtedness. The association between the charming aristocrat and the clever commoner should end there, but when Giovanna's dearest friend goes missing right after her betrothal to the Doge's son and amid strange reports of nighttime attacks, violent commotions, and inexplicable behaviors in the community, the only person Giovanna can turn to for help is Matteo. Together, they must carefully navigate Venice's increasingly deadly canals to uncover a sect peddling false cures and a smuggling plot involving the highest levels of government or risk the entire Republic falling victim to something even worse than the plague: the risen dead. Historical Fiction with Fantasy Elements THE BORGIAS X FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH * * * WATTYS 2021 winner for Historical Fiction and special HQ prize for "Catchiest Hook" AMBYS 2022 winner for Best Zombie story Content Warning for adult situations including assault and death.

A homeless thief breaks into a house that has nothing worth stealing - except for the heart of a lonely man who is obsessed with time. ***** Blake has been living on the streets for his entire life. He never went to school, and never had a job, except for one: he is a thief, and a pretty good one at that. His new plan is to break into a rich house, steal everything he can, and move on. Everything goes well during the night of robbery right until he discovers the family secret: there is nothing worth stealing. Disappointed, he is ready to leave empty-handed, but then he stumbles on something he never thought he could possibly want, and moving on isn't an option anymore. Risking his freedom, he is now set to steal something from Time itself. || Gay || BxB || MxM || LGBT || Romance ||

Nandini Varma owns the only bookstore in town and is content with hiding her awkward self behind bestsellers. What she doesn't know is that her favorite author has moved near her, and that perhaps she could finally have a love story of her own, even if it's an awkward one. ***** Ryan Callahan wants to move on from his writing career and just work for the police. It's hard though, when the town's book lady happens to be a huge fan of his. She's smart, funny, beautiful, and kind - a lethal combination. He wants to get to know her more, but something seems to be holding her back. Who is this mysterious woman that Ryan can't stop thinking about? Content/trigger warning: This story contains themes of sexism and verbal abuse. [[word count: 70,000 - 80,000]] Cover designed by Joe Resch

Amid the vastness of the universe, a human is found-fragile, out of place, and wholly unprepared for the dangers of an unforgiving world. A single act sets events into motion, binding predator and prey in ways neither can fully comprehend. As alliances shift and hidden truths unravel, the line between myth and reality begins to blur. The tale of The First Hunter is whispered-a story within a story, holding answers that could reshape everything. But some legends are not meant to be uncovered, and the greatest mysteries hide in plain sight.