2019 WATTY AWARD WINNER | TO BE PUBLISHED BY 'W BY WATTPAD' IN FALL 2024 Jessie is a twenty first century kinda gal stuck in the Regency Era. Armed with a new university degree and a plane ticket to Paris, the plan was to celebrate graduation in the City of Love, kissing as many drunk French girls (or boys, she's not picky) as she can. Only, she never makes it. Mid-Atlantic, a mysterious accident sends Jessie hurtling to what should be a watery grave. Rescued from the ocean, Jessie is lucky to be alive. Only problem? The crew of the ship she's on is convinced it's a sailing vessel that just narrowly missed out on participating in the Battle of Trafalgar. Stuck in Regency-era England, Jessie is left with no choice but to enter into the services of as a maid and companion in return for what shelter her new employer can provide, and resign herself to a life of quiet servitude and forever hiding her sexuality. What she didn't count on was that her new boss would be Margaret Goodenough - the world famous authoress whose yet-to-be-completed novel was the first lesbian kiss in the history of British Literature, and a clever woman. Clever enough to know her new servant has a secret. Now Jessie is caught. Margaret's own perception of her place in society is transforming, the text of her novel is slowly changing, and Margaret herself is finally unafraid to embrace her own Sapphic desires. Margaret - and her main characters - are turning into irresistibly headstrong and modern women. Jessie must tread the tenuous line between finding her own happiness in a world where she is alone, and accidentally changing the course of history. Should Jessie suppress the manuscript, or is her duty to the woman she's learning to love? What is a twenty first century gal to do? * Cover Photo: Jenn LeBlanc & Getty Images Original Cover by: @RodneyVSmith

"Oh my darling, when you smile, it is like a song" - "Obviously," She started. There was a nervous shake in her voice that made me tilt my head in her hands. "Obviously you don't understand the agreement." She repeated after quickly composing herself. I rolled my eyes, but let her continue. "Where you go, I go. Where I go, you go." She told me sternly. Her thumbs grazed my cheeks and heat rose on my skin where she touched. I couldn't tell if this was just Sophia being caring or if she was maybe feeling more. My brain told me that this was all a friendly gesture, but my body and it's stupid hormones were telling me that it was something more. And your brain can never really overcome true instincts. I moved closer towards her, shrinking the already limited space between us. This time it was Sophia's turn to blush which only made my smile grow larger. All I could think about was her lips meeting mine. (a new and improved skmw xx)

My body began to curl itself into a ball and sounds of pain helplessly escaped from my throat. The startled animal sounds began to project from my body as it continued to go into shut down mode. It's like the walls have begun to collapse and all of the rubble is falling on top of me and only me. I can hear people screaming and shouting, but for some reason, I feel like I am the only one who can hear them. They are screaming for me to leave, to just run away. They are all so scared of this catastrophic earthquake. Because everything that they know is falling apart. - Book 1 in "Born to Die" series #236 in Teen Fiction