【ＣＯＭＰＬＥＴＥＤ 】 ・An Inspiration Poetry People aren't inspired by doing the ordinary or by meeting expectations. They're inspired by the exertion, creativity, and sacrifice needed to exceed what they themselves thought possible. Motivation and inspiration are not the sole province of professional speakers and preachers. They're tools leaders use all the time - in one-on-one conversations, in meetings and in formal presentations - to bring out the best in their people. It's just a matter of knowing the right time and the right situation. When there's an immediate, short-term and specific goal that you want your people to achieve, you need to motivate them. When you want to shape people's identity and their long-term aspirations and commitments, you need to inspire them.

ORGINALLY A 'PAID' STORY. NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON/KU *** 4 CHAPTER SAMPLE HERE *** When Jake Bryant's daughter is kidnapped for ransom, he's forced to gamble with her life in order to discover which of his enemies has taken her hostage and to what end. ***** Jake Bryant's daughter, Sam, is in trouble. Her all-star quarterback boyfriend gave her pills to help her study for a test, but the pair are caught on school grounds with the unprescribed drugs. Since Sam's grandfather is a district court judge, she gets off with a slap on the wrist. Austin isn't as lucky. But with Austin's precious future at stake, his brother attempts a Hail-Mary pass by kidnapping Sam for his release. Can Jake rescue her before time runs out, or will they both pay for her mistake with their lives? [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]

Free to read! 19-year-old Jane, newly-single, moves to London to work for her friend, Kitty. But Kitty is hiding something about the café - and about Jane and Kitty's past. ***** If you looked at her Instagram, you'd think Jane had the perfect life. But a family tragedy and a big break up shatters that illusion, prompting Jane to drop out of university and move to London. She gets a room above a bookstore and a job as a barista, thanks to her childhood friend Kitty. Struggling with feelings of loneliness among the happy staff, Jane feels further ostracized when Kitty refuses to discuss Matt, who used to live in the bedroom Jane took over and who left under mysterious circumstances. As Jane struggles to find herself, and get the attention of the cute bartender, Harper, she discovers that the Brew Books café is brewing with dark secrets. [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]

Each day she wakes up in a different body, not knowing who she is, and each night that body dies. She is the Reaper Syndrome, and she's desperate to know why. ***** She doesn't know what's happening. Each day she wakes up in a new body, not knowing who she is. She has to pretend to be the person, and at the end of the day her new body dies. The media have a name for these deaths: the Reaper Syndrome. No one believes it's a person jumping from body to body, until Joe. He's a conspiracy theorist, but she can make him listen. He trusts her, and he can also see the mysterious man, Samael, that's following her. Why is this happening to her? Who can she trust? Every day it takes her to end the Reaper Syndrome, another person dies. She doesn't want the last victim to be her. *2021 Wattys Shortlisted*

This is the completely rewritten second edition of Unbecoming Humans. It's bigger, it's gayer, it's everything the first edition deserved to be. Please note that this rewrite is currently in progress. The end of the current rewritten chapters will be marked. With civilization on the brink of collapse, Aria's parents built Eden to be the cradle of the next evolution of humanity, but survival at Eden is far from guaranteed. Aria has been little more than a puppet in her parents' games of genetic experimentation and control over the next iteration of humanity for almost as long as she can remember. When Aria meets Nima, the latest in a long line of victims lured to Eden by the promise of safety, a spark rekindles her cold heart. Aria can't sit idly by while Nima becomes her parents' next prey. The two must find a way to survive Eden's deadly experiments, or risk the greatest love they've ever known.

Storie Sovany is used to being dismissed as the fat friend, until she moves from New York City to rural Ohio for college and the charming frat boy Liam Alexander approaches her. Torn between disbelief and flattery, Storie hopes her luck may have finally changed - but is it too good to be true? [author's note: this is not a romance!]

FBI agent Jack Rhodes and Doctor V.C. Coldwater team up to solve a murder involving treason, secret government research, and the Uzbekistani black market. ***** Commander Jack Rhodes was kicked out of the Navy SEALs after a mission went wrong, but he continues to serve the public as an agent of the FBI. After a woman is murdered, he's forced to team up with the unconventional and flagrantly disrespectful Doctor V.C. Coldwater. What looks like a simple case turns out to extend deep into government research, nuclear fission, and the global criminal underworld. Jack's forced to rely on a woman he thought he'd despise, because in a case this complicated, she's the only person he can trust. [[word count: 200,000-250,000 words]]

***THIS STORY WILL BECOME FREE ON JULY 15t!*** Kelsey Harris, a young chef moving to LA, struggles with work, the glamour of the hollywood scene, and a new romance with mega-celebrity Ethan Glenn. ***** Kelsey Harris is heading to LA to begin her new career as a sous chef, and she's excited to work under a prestigious mentor and feed fabulous celebrities. She also meets Ethan Glenn, a movie star with doubts about his career, on the plane. But when she settles in, she learns that her new job is more intense than she expected, and her roommate is acting strange. When they happen to be on the same movie set, Ethan and Kelsey begin to grow close, though their friendship is immediately put under scrutiny by friends and the media. A romance begins, but the delicate facade of Hollywood is slipping, and Kelsey has to decide if she wants to escape the photographers and screaming fans, or if she wants to be with Ethan and put up with the consequences. [[Wattys 2018 Shortlist]] [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]]

In 2045, Psychwatch treats the mentally ill or cages them. Margo wants to bring empathy to every patient but a killer pushes her, and the system, to the limits ***** In a dark future, more than a third of the United States population suffers from mental illness and violent crime is on the rise. In response, Psychwatch is formed - an organization intended to combine mental healthcare and law enforcement - creating monitored areas and neglected ones known as the Psycho Slums. Margo Sandoval is the latest recruit to Psychwatch, bringing a new level of empathy to the controversial agency known for its unforgiving methods. Margo spends her days as an Empath treating everyone possible, until the arrival of a new serial killer upends her life and forces her to confront the evils of the human mind and the system that claims to be the solution.

Alison's sister disappeared filming a reality show, so she goes undercover as a contestant, discovering that in some cases reality tv is all too real. ***** Alison's sister disappeared while shooting a Survivor-style reality series, so when the show gets a reboot, Alison gets herself cast as a contestant. Arriving on the island, none of the organizers seem to be giving her straight answers. Forced to manipulate the situation to stay on the show, she starts an uneasy alliance with the handsome and physically capable Travis. They even act like they're falling in love, hoping their romantic appeal will keep them on the show. But as more challenges take place, and contestants go from being injured to dying in front of the camera, Alison and Travis realize that something is wrong. They have to win this game, or they won't make it off the island alive. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]