Selfactualization Stories

Every young girl dreams of becoming a princess someday, right? Wrong! That wasn't my dream- far from it! I dreamt of a day where, upon reaching my eighteenth birthday, I could finally escape my neglectful "parents" who only acknowledged me when it suited them. But all that changed when I learned my 'parents' had been arrested on drug charges, and an unknown side of my 'family' had been looking for me since before I had even been born. Enter Mr. Castellucci and his seven sons, and I quickly understood why Maria had never mentioned a previous marriage or her other 'children.' These men were not the dashing princes riding white horses; they were dark, imposing, and intimidating figures. And Mr. Castellucci was determined to take me back with him to his lavish home somewhere in Italy -so far from my comparatively uncomplicated life in New Haven, Connecticut - and begin building my new life there with them. Although wary that these men had a more nefarious and sinister reason for taking a sudden interest in me than being a 'long-lost family member', they were doing an excellent job of easing me into a false sense of security by treating me like their long-awaited 'Principessa'. Desperate for their love and approval, while struggling with my inadequacies and haunted past, I was naïvely unaware of their ruthless nature and sheer power. I did not realise the scope of their 'charm' until it was too late. Far too late. Until I was precisely where they wanted me: under their thumb and control, with no prospects of ever escaping them as Maria had done before me, I was nothing more than a bird locked in a gilded cage, that they had deviously led me to believe was the price of love and safety. Let it be said once and for all: The Italian mafia did not ask; they took what they deemed as theirs to take. And I was THEIRS. _______________ This is my dark, twisted take on the popular Mafia, Older Brothers/Younger Sister, and Lost/Found Daughter/Sister tropes.

The guardian deities of wind, fire, water, and earth. Although it was a blessed but summary births, they will become great and to continue their long journey together; a grand coming of age story.

Story of my awkwardness and my lack of social skills. Join me, let's be awkward together. You might relate to few chapters or you can think I am psychopath with obviously twisted mind. Give it a try, you won't regret my fellow human being. Things can be too dark and heavy to handle. Wild to understand. Let's fight against all the things that people call normal in this world.

Here comes part where we all claim ourselves, In ways that don't cast a shadow. Ahh ! Privacy... How I adore your presence and admire your subtlety. How I just want to snuggle in your warm blankets and write odes about myself. As fickle and selfish it may sound, I need your blank sheet to express myself. You guide our filthy habits to solitude and stretch your canvas to things not quite ready for the world. Underrated and cynical beings will haunt you and paint your beautiful familiarity with fallen aspirations and jaded thoughts. But believe in me for I am not a monotonous being of daydreams and hard liquor. Peace.

This isn't exactly a book but sort of a journal filled with lessons and experiences that I learned in my life. All of this is based on my past but the point is not to dwell on my past but look at them as memories made and experiences felt . Every emotion and experience the bitterest of the bitter has made us who we are that , who we are is the only constant in our life. Beauty, status , intelligence , appearance, and money will eventually fade away but who we are is the only thing that will stay with us till our last and final breath. I write in a flow so kindly excuse all my grammatical errors I don't exactly check them and if I do notice them I don't change them.

Present: Riley Jones's life has never been perfect and she knows it. But Fate takes her to her best friend's party where her brother is there, Axle, someone she has hated since something happened to her during freshman year. After a series of events, the two go for a ride recalling the events that led to that incident where everything went wrong. Three years prior: Christian Axle Thompson was never a typical teen, but he tried hard to fit in with his friends. However, he started falling for his sister's best friend, Riley. Their private meetings leading up to a moment of pain where he'd have to decide whether he wanted to choose love or if he wanted to choose popularity and someone he considered family. A story of young love, heartbreak, and family in 2 perspectives that lead to the answer of the true question: what happened to Riley Jones that night?

This is a compilation volume of various essays & prose exploring such topics as Psychology, Mysticism, Theology, Philosophy, The Sciences, Apologetics, as well as various musings upon the human condition & experience. https://www.lulu.com/shop/valerie-stephens/collected-essays-of-valerie-lynn-stephens/paperback/product-w4v9pv2.html?page=1&pageSize=4

A dying boy comes to peace with death after meeting a man who had just lost his immortality.

This is a compilation volume of various essays & prose exploring such topics as Psychology, Mysticism, Theology, Philosophy, The Sciences, Apologetics, as well as various musings upon the human condition & experience. https://www.lulu.com/shop/valerie-stephens/collected-essays-of-valerie-lynn-stephens/paperback/product-w4v9pv2.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Brayden thinks his life is going nowhere. Twenty-four and gay, living in LA with a roommate he rarely sees, and working at a coffee shop. Recently single and has no contact with his parents. With almost nothing left, he begins on a journey to rebuild himself.

The content contains short paragraphs which I wrote over years on the different feelings and experience of life I had and inspirations out of nowhere.

A young woman's romanticized journey towards self-discovery, comfort in solitude, and the progression of her own character development. Put on your rose colored glasses, and relax with me as I navigate life, following the journey towards my self actualization.

Since her teenage days Mia has always felt like she was somewhere she didn't belong, once she did meet someone who she thought was the one; but instead she once again gets drifted off to an unknown land. Will she ever feel loved?

This is a compilation volume of various essays & prose exploring such topics as Psychology, Mysticism, Theology, Philosophy, The Sciences, Apologetics, as well as various musings upon the human condition & experience. https://www.lulu.com/shop/valerie-stephens/collected-essays-of-valerie-lynn-stephens/paperback/product-w4v9pv2.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Coffee and life

The daughter of two celebrities, Vera Beckett craved to make a mark on the world, to be someone other than a famous couple's child. Equipped with dry sarcasm and a nearly miraculous set of pipes, she sets out to become someone great, all while staying attached to her roots. Can she fill the enormous shoes she had been burdened with, or has the apple fallen too far from the tree?