The year is 2163, and the 700 Isles drift along seas blackened with secrets and scandals and the souls of men too wicked for damnation. A Nation bound by science and pride. A Nation that rose above. Denden is the only reality Zaharah has known since an accident left her and her sister orphaned. With graduation and her art degree within reach, she dreams of making a better life for her family. But when her primary caretaker is killed, her reality is turned on its head, and the people she once called family hunt for her head. She will have to choose between sacrificing herself for a better life for her sister, or challenging powers that be and being forced into a life of running and hiding.

**SAMPLE ONLY**A decade ago, Ellie was heartbroken when the love of her life chose his Hollywood party lifestyle over her. Can she forgive him and give love a second chance? ***** Thirteen years ago, Ellie Cooper struck gold. She secured a coveted movie role that sent her life spiraling out of control. Landing in the arms of Wyatt Burgess, her world-famous co-star with some hard-partying ways, she was enveloped into a world of clubs, romance, and drugs. But when one of Wyatt and Ellie's best friends overdoses outside a nightclub, Ellie gives Wyatt an ultimatum: the lifestyle or her. Wyatt makes the wrong choice. Now years later, Wyatt is out to set things right. But Ellie has moved on; she's in a committed relationship and has left the party life behind in exchange for something more stable. There's just something about Wyatt though that sets her heart on fire. And now Ellie is forced to choose between the new world she has carved out for herself and the passionate whirlwind that allowing Wyatt back into her life could bring. Content and/or trigger warning: This story contains scenes of drug use, including an overdose. There are mentions of sexual abuse and harassment, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] 2020 Watty Award Winner - Romance #1 Romance, NA, and ChickLit