University friends Luisa and Kay reunite in Nairobi after a year apart to do some feel good volunteering but their friendship and the trip begin to unravel the moment they meet a strikingly handsome British philanthropist and a Ghanaian entrepreneur. In short order the donor funding the project that has brought them together is revealed to be rich and cruel, her interest in coming to Kenya to "help" routed in deeply disturbing ideology. Meanwhile, Luisa must confront her reasons for maintaining her friendship with Kay, her status as heir to a nearly incalculable fortune, her feelings for a man who seems a little too good to be true and the tragedy she left behind back in California. ** A/N This story is a work of fiction, but it's based on things I saw and heard while working in international development for five years. It's my attempt to find the complicated middle ground between those who would idealize international development and those who would condemn it. It's also a place for me to deal with a difficult friendship I had with a friend who was suffering from mental illness. She's since passed away and I'm not sure I ever really got over it. The story isn't at all done so as I'm writing I'm figuring it out too. I've set the story Nairobi and in Kisumu, which is far west of Nairobi. I've picked the title partly because of what Nairobi represents. Nairobi is a throbbing, innovative metropolis situated in a continent that is still viewed very narrowly as a place in need of help.

A thirty-seven-year-old woman who never breaks the rules finds herself facing unexpected consequences after a one night stand with a younger man. * * * ☆ FEATURED ON @WattpadStars reading list (stars did NaNo), @Romance (Romance spotlight: Featured stories), @AmbassadorsNG reading list, @Wattpad reading lists (escape through stories) (strong female leads), @WattpadExplorer reading lists (#CelebrateBlackStories), (Black girl magic) (April, Editor's pick) and @ContemporaryLit reading lists (Hot picks) (contemporary romance) (celebrate women's history month)☆ Genevieve Ukaji is a successful banker still single at thirty-seven-years-old. Her mother continues to remind her to find a husband. Her colleagues gossip about her behind her back, and to make matters worse, she wakes up one morning in a stranger's bed. Regardless, she decided to push the experience to the back of her mind until the stranger unexpectedly walks into her parents' home, and she realises the big age difference between them. Genevieve is too ashamed and embarrassed of herself. She wants nothing to do with him, but it's not the same for the cute stranger. He tries his hardest to bring her out of her shell. Amidst all this, Genevieve finds out she's expecting. For the first time in her life, she would have to decide if this glimmer of happiness is enough to face the fear of what others might say about her. THIS WAS A NaNoWriMo2020 PROJECT. THIS BOOK IS COMPLETE Started: 06/11/20 Completed: 29/11/20 Edited with the help of @SabaUmmeSalma

After a long year of studying, seventeen-year-old Victoria decides to spend her summer holiday in the countryside. Not happy with the decision at first, she is surprised to find out how charming her aunt, the village, and its people could be. Also, meeting a young boy her age makes things even more interesting. Things start to change when she discovers that the old mirror her aunt bought from an antique store is actually a dark and dangerous portal to another realm. Yet, what lies beyond that mirror is alluring, a call she cannot resist. And when she reaches the other side, everything changes for the worst... What started as a boring holiday in the countryside turns out to be an exciting journey, full of mysteries, danger, and the unexpected. Will Victoria manage to come back home? Or will she remain captive in that strange world forever? Set in the 19th century, this story will make you think twice before you look in a mirror... Beyond is the second story of The Whispered Tales novellas, a collection of five stories about magic, mysteries, and the unknown. © All Rights Reserved

A young man moves into an abandoned house from a small village to run away from the lost love of his life. He lives secluded, far from the curious, jolly people in the valley, thinking this is the perfect time and place to become a writer. Until strange things begin to happen, and a presence becomes more and more oppressive. A story about love, loss, and the regret of the most important things in life left unsaid... Beneath Ivory Skies is the third story of The Whispered Tales, a collection of stories about magic, mysteries, and the unknown. © All Rights Reserved

Maria and George have known each other since childhood. And since childhood, they've been warned about the Eddies, the mysterious, hidden faeries that inhabited the woods near their village. But as George grows up, he becomes obsessed with the faeries' treasure, said to be buried deep in the woods. When the young lad decides to search for the forbidden treasure, he also unleashes unknown forces that will change his and Maria's life forever. A story about wrong choices, hidden passions, and the memory of a love that could never fade...

Ever since she was born, Eliza has been watched. By someone. Or something. A fainted shadow lurking in the forest near her home. Waiting... Eliza is the miller's daughter. More than anything in the world, she's dreaming of becoming a princess. One day she meets Mara, the real princess. Unfortunately, Mara is to be married to the Dark Prince, a fearless young man who doesn't think twice when it comes to starting a war against other people. Furthermore, Mara is gifted with a voice like no other, while Eliza completely lacks this amazing gift. Nevertheless, the two girls decide to take each other's place. Mara's dream is to live happily ever after... Not with a prince, but with Adrian, a simple boy, with a big heart. And then evil strikes and the shadow comes to light, accompanied by dark forces. Eliza is forced to ally with those forces to gain the gift of singing so she could keep her real identity hidden. But everything has a price... The Hidden Princess is the first of Whispered Tales, a collection of five stories about the unknown, magic, and wonder. © All Rights Reserved

Every Paragon is one of a pair. When one is lost, the other is diminished. Holden lost his second before he could even remember her. Now that he's found her, he'll finally be complete. Katia Yazykova hides her darkest and most dangerous self, fearing the day she loses grip again. Intent on concealing her own violent history, Katia doesn't know that she's being hidden from something much worse. She doesn't know that if she's found, her makers will turn her into everything she fears. Nothing ever ends as it should, and everything comes at a cost. Cover by the talented @soundthealarm

When a deadly disease ravages the town of Holmsley, Frankie and her friends find themselves trapped inside a military-blockaded quarantine zone. ***** A story that was first published in 2014 and feels more relevant than ever. Fifteen-year-old Frankie and her friends must find their way out of quarantine if they want to survive. As the body count rises, Frankie realizes that this is no ordinary quarantine and no one is coming to help. Once infected, the sick become crazed and violent, while fear turns other survivors to savages. And who or what are the mysterious figures Frankie keeps seeing around town? It seems she'll have to unravel the dark truth behind it all if she wants to get out alive... Content and/or trigger warning: This story describes disease outbreaks and contains scenes of violence, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

In the spirit of great Space Opera by Peter F Hamilton, Jack Campbell, and Larry Niven comes Aeon 14. If you love strong heroines like Kris Longknife, then you're going to love Tanis Richards. Major Richards needs to get out of the Sol System Demoted by the military and hung out to dry, the media labels her the Butcher of Toro. Despite her soiled record, Tanis still one of the best military counter-insurgency officers in the Terran Space Force. And they need her to find the terrorists responsible for trying to destroy the GSS Intrepid, a massive interstellar colony ship in the final phases of construction at the Mars Outer Shipyards. It'll be her ticket out of the Sol system, but Tanis discovers she is up against more than mercenaries and assassins. Major corporations and governments have a vested interest in ensuring the Intrepid never leaves Sol, ultimately pitting Tanis against factions inside her own military. With few friends left, Tanis will need to fight for her life to get outsystem. Contains violence and some foul language. 17+ recommended.