Smalltown Stories

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION. There are some friends you never forget. It's the summer of 1955. For Ethan Harper, a biracial kid raised mostly by his white father, race has always been a distant conversation. When he's sent to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle in small-town Alabama, his blackness is suddenly front and center, and no one is shy about making it known he's not welcome there. Enter Juniper Jones. The town's resident oddball and free spirit, she's everything the townspeople aren't-open, kind, and accepting. Armed with two bikes and an unlimited supply of root beer floats, Ethan and Juniper set out to find their place in a town that's bent on rejecting them. As Ethan is confronted for the first time by what it means to be black in America, Juniper tries to help him see the beauty in even the ugliest reality, and that even the darkest days can give rise to an invincible summer . . .

Kennedy Mitchell has spent years secretly crushing on her best friend's older brother, Cade Foster. But after overhearing Cade tell his friends she's "not his type," Kennedy's heart shatters. To Cade, she's always been one of the guys-the tomboy who prefers basketball courts over shopping malls and hoodies over dresses. Determined to move on, Kennedy spends the summer finding confidence she never knew she had with the help of her older sister. But when a makeover turns heads and a new guy starts showing interest, Cade suddenly can't stop noticing the girl who's been right in front of him all along. The problem? Kennedy isn't sure she wants him anymore. Maybe being "not his type" was the best thing that ever happened to her.

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION When a summer of fun turns upside down, Olivia must figure out whether her paranoid imagination is playing tricks on her or if she's being followed - and by who. ***** It's been years since Olivia nearly drowned in Caldwell Beach, and after moving away, she's back for the summer to reconnect with old friends. However, not everything-or everyone-is the same. Her childhood best friend, Miles, is still sweet and carefree, but his older brother West is not. Disowned and working at the local garage, he's distanced himself from everyone, until Olivia accidentally uncovers the reason why. But as the two grow closer, strange things begin happening to Olivia. She can't stop seeing shadows and hearing voices, but as she slips into a downward spiral of obsessiveness and paranoia, she must fight to uncover the truth behind who is after her, and why. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION In 1955, mixed-race Ethan Harper leaves his progressive hometown for a summer in Alabama where he's not welcome, except by resident free spirit, Juniper Jones. ***** After getting himself into a bout of trouble, 16-year-old Ethan Harper's parents send him to Ellison, Alabama, to live with his aunt and uncle for the summer. But the year is 1955, and Alabama is a far cry from his beloved home of Arcadia, Washington. As much as it's hotter in temperature, it's colder in every other way, and Ethan learns the hard way that people see his mere existence as a threat. Amidst all the mayhem, a fiery, free-spirited, oddball walks into Ethan's life. Her name is Juniper Jones. She is the first person in Ellison who seems unfazed by their racial differences, and she promises to give Ethan a summer he will always remember, filled with endless adventure and discovery. With Juniper, Ethan can breathe, he can be, despite the incessant attention and bullying their newly formed friendship attracts. Can the two survive the summer, run in the light and block out the noise of the outside world? [Published version comes out June 16, 2020 with Wattpad Books!] [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION. The past always resurfaces . . . Five years after almost drowning, Olivia Cathart returns home to Caldwell Beach determined to face her fears and take some risks-not just by swimming but by opening her heart. Hoping to rekindle her friendships, she's excited about a carefree summer with her best friends Keely and Miles. But life in the sleepy town has changed, and no one and nothing is as it seems. When a series of startling crimes threaten Olivia's fragile state, she is plunged into a terrifying game of cat and mouse. Her only solace from the chaos is West, Miles's disowned and ruggedly handsome brother, but even he can't answer the question on everyone's minds-is Olivia really in danger or is it simply all in her head?

Kelly just wants her business to succeed, and getting involved with a bodyguard is not part of her plan - but he is the only one who can keep her safe... ***** Kelly Harris is determined to make her antiques business a success. She won't let Tanner, a bodyguard who likes first edition poetry books, interfere with her life. But winning a mystery box at an auction changes everything. With Tanner working alongside her, they decipher the code in a forgotten journal, uncovering a young girl's journey to freedom and a powerful family's secret. Working for a high-profile security company, Tanner has seen the worst that humanity can do. He doesn't believe in love. But when disaster strikes, he finds himself doing everything he can to keep Kelly safe - even if that means letting her into the most vulnerable part of who he is. Leeanna Morgan is a USA Today Bestselling Author.

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION Griffin Tomlin is dead. And Clara's sister killed him . . . Four months after the murder, the entire town of Shiloh is still in shock. For Clara Porterfield, the normal world has crumbled around her in a million chaotic pieces. Now Clara lives in a new reality, where her sister awaits trial for murder, her mother obsessively digs in a dead, frozen garden, and her father lives and breathes denial. At school, Clara is haunted by her classmates' morbid curiosity-and all of the unspoken questions they won't ask. But none of them knows what she knows . . . Now Clara's sister wants something from her-the one thing in all of this that Clara isn't ready to face: the truth about what really happened that night. Because this story didn't die with Griffin Tomlin. There's another story that needs to be told. And sometimes, the lies we're told are nowhere near as deadly as the lies we tell ourselves . . .

When Hayley falls for a bodyguard whose secret is more dangerous than her own, she must decide how much she is willing to risk for love. ***** Tank has spent his life protecting people. He works for one of the most successful security companies in the world, makes more money than most people see in a lifetime, and has a past that no one can ever know about. Hayley Elliott will do anything to keep her mom safe. Her sister has found a cure for Alzheimer's and their mom is living proof that the supplement works - but hiding from the people looking for the supplement's formula is impossible. When the threat to their lives becomes deadly, she has no option but to trust a man who's living with a secret more dangerous than her own. With more at stake than their own lives, Tank and Hayley have to decide what is more important: protecting the past or risking everything for love. Leeanna Morgan is a USA Today Bestselling Author.

A guarded single mom moves to a small town for a fresh start, determined to keep her world small and safe for her and her son. But her plans unravel when she unexpectedly comes face-to-face with a man from her past-a steady, quietly intense police officer she once shared a one-night stand with-who now becomes part of their everyday lives. What begins as awkward encounters and undeniable tension slowly deepens into something neither of them planned for. As her son grows attached to him and the town begins to take notice, she's forced to confront her fear of things falling apart, while he proves, again and again, that he's not someone who walks away. Their relationship doesn't unfold perfectly-it's messy, realistic, and shaped by miscommunication, vulnerability, and growth. They learn each other slowly, through small moments: shared mornings, difficult conversations, quiet support, and showing up when it matters most. As her past resurfaces and challenges their stability, they must decide if what they're building is worth the risk. At its core, the story is about healing, trust, and the kind of love that isn't loud or dramatic, but steady-one that grows through everyday choices and ultimately creates a found family that feels like home.

"Yeah, it's scary." He paused. "But it doesn't mean we quit." One pact. One lie. One fake relationship that sends the school's gossip mill into overdrive. Cecilia Hart has spent her whole life as the sibling no one pays attention to - the one people look past until she finally decides she's done being ignored. With Blake, the superstar quarterback, and Viola, the adored student body president, Cecilia has always been the Hart pushed aside. After a messy breakup with her ex‑girlfriend Melanie, who is suddenly around far more than she wants, she's determined to stop being the background character in her own life. Then a rumor hits the school like a spark in a dry field: a cheating scandal that leaves wide receiver Dalton Wright scrambling to clean up the mess. To make things even more fun, his ex‑girlfriend Lydia just made the varsity volleyball team - the same team Cecilia's on - and she's carrying a grudge that's impossible to miss. What starts as a simple deal quickly turns chaotic. Cecilia's panic attacks are getting harder to hide, Melanie keeps showing up at the worst moments, Lydia is watching her like a hawk, and not everyone is thrilled about the new "relationship." Dalton's secrets aren't dangerous, just complicated, and nothing like the rumors. And somewhere between pretending and late‑night conversations, Cecilia starts discovering parts of herself she never let anyone see. Suddenly, she isn't just fighting for her identity - she's navigating locker‑room tension, hallway whispers, a very irritated ex‑girlfriend, and a boy who was never supposed to matter. In a school where everyone thinks they already know who she is, Cecilia Hart is ready to prove them wrong, even if it means stirring up a little chaos and risking her heart along the way.

Four years ago, Juliette Bennett walked away from Mason Brooks, the golden boy of college hockey and the only person she ever truly let in, and never looked back. She rebuilt her life in silence, burying heartbreak under long nights, hospital shifts, and the one secret she swore would never see the light again: her daughter, Maisey. Mason Brooks has spent years becoming everything he was supposed to be, star forward, team leader, the future of professional hockey, without knowing the biggest piece of his life was already missing. When fate drags Juliette back into his world, the past doesn't stay buried for long. Old sparks don't just flicker, they ignite. And the truth doesn't just hurt... it changes everything. Now there's a four-year-old girl with Mason's eyes, a love that never really died, and a history built on a misunderstanding neither of them knew they were living in. Juliette wants to protect the life she fought so hard to build. Mason refuses to walk away from the one thing he never knew he had. And when a daughter becomes the center of everything between them, one question remains- Do you forgive the past... or does it destroy the future you never got to live?

Naina Verma never imagined her first job posting would bring her to the unfamiliar streets of Haryana. Far away from her small town, family, and comfort, she struggles to adjust to a place filled with silence, fear, and strangers who never feel safe. But everything changes when she crosses paths with Daksh Lohchab - Daksh is exactly the kind of person Naina should stay away from. Yet behind his rough exterior lies an unexpected calm... a strange sense of protection she cannot explain. In a city that scares her every day, Daksh slowly becomes the only thing that feels safe. A story of fear, loneliness, protection, and a love that begins where comfort ends.

Hareame hasn't seen the sun in eleven years. Souta Hinami delivers the mail through the endless rain - carrying everyone else's joy and grief, but never his own. ---- Then one night, a letter arrives addressed to no one: "To: The Girl Who Listens to Rain." It leads him to Mio Tsukishiro, a quiet new girl who lost her ability to hear certain sounds, and grows flowers that only bloom in real rain. ---- What begins as one anonymous letter becomes many - until the line between strangers and something more disappears completely. ---- A slow-burn romance about letters, rain, and finding the right person at exactly the right moment. 🌧️📮

When career-driven, commitment-phobic Nia is named guardian of her late sister's two children, she must choose between returning to her carefully constructed life or staying in a small town to raise them, a decision complicated by a charming neighbor who threatens to derail both her exit strategy and her heart. *** Sharp-tongued, unapologetically ambitious Nia Sinclair has spent her life building walls and a wildly successful marketing agency in New York City. Nia treats relationships like business deals: strategic, temporary, and never too close. Her boyfriend-an older, wealthy media executive-is no exception. But Nia's carefully curated life unravels when her estranged sister dies in a car accident and Nia is named as legal guardian to her two children. Nia plans to drive upstate, sort things out, and be back in the city by Monday. But things go sideways fast. She struggles to connect with the grief-stricken kids-sassy teenager, Mimi, and her autistic little brother, AJ. The paternal grandparents are completely unsuitable guardians. Everyone in the small town is in everyone else's business. And then there's Jack-the tall, charming neighbor with a Southern drawl, calloused hands, and the annoying habit of always being helpful. Nia suddenly finds herself picturing a life completely different from the one she's known. Now she has to choose: go back to the life she built with care and calculation, or stay in the town that dismantled her walls-one kid, and one neighbor, at a time.

Stretched along the water, the town was built on bitter rocks, and the ocean swallowed everyone's secrets. But every now and then, the tide returns, delivering salt to press into open wounds.

Every July, someone disappears. For years, the small town of Ashridge has buried its secrets alongside its victims. Missing person cases pile up, families are left with unanswered questions, and every summer the town pretends nothing happened. Until this year. When Investigator Loriah Griego's best friend, Hannah, is found murdered, everything changes. The department refuses to let Loriah lead the investigation. They say she's too close to the victim. Too emotional. Too blinded by grief. They're wrong. Because no one knew Hannah like Loriah did. Ignoring every warning and risking her badge, her career, and even her own life, Loriah begins uncovering secrets the town has spent decades hiding. Every clue leads to another lie. Every suspect has something to hide. And with every answer she finds, another person disappears. Someone is always watching. Someone knows she's getting closer. And they'll do anything to make sure Hannah's case stays buried forever. But Loriah has made one promise she refuses to break: Even if it takes my last breath... I will find the person who murdered my best friend. In a town where every July claims another victim, the biggest question isn't who did it... It's whether Loriah will survive long enough to uncover the truth.

Some love stories end. Some are never meant to. And some... begin only after your heart has forgotten how to love. Ishika Biswal had everything she once dreamed of-a family that adored her, a passion that gave her purpose, and a love she believed would last forever. But when the man she trusted walked away, calling their relationship nothing more than an infatuation, she learned that not every promise is meant to be kept. Years later, with her broken heart carefully hidden behind graceful smiles and the rhythm of her ghungroos, Ishika has accepted one truth-love is simply not written for her. Until an unexpected invitation changes everything. A two-month-long festival in the peaceful village of Rajkot, Odisha, brings the Biswal family to the magnificent Rajkot Haveli, where age-old traditions, unspoken destinies, and forgotten promises still live on. There she meets Ruvaan Chaturvedi. Calm. Reserved. A man who believes actions speak louder than words. He doesn't try to fix her. He doesn't ask her to forget her past. Instead, he quietly becomes the reason she starts believing in tomorrow. As two hearts learn to trust again, hidden truths begin to surface, old wounds reopen, and destiny slowly weaves their lives together in ways neither of them ever imagined. Because sometimes... your first love teaches you what heartbreak feels like. Your second love teaches you what home feels like. A slow-burn romance filled with family, traditions, healing, festivals, heartfelt emotions, and a love that proves the right person never asks you to change-only to believe again.

Nora Quinn has always dreamed of leaving Cape Haven. Jamie Fisher has always dreamed of staying. They've spent their entire lives in the same small coastal town, but it isn't until the summer before senior year that they finally see each other. Nora has always looked toward the horizon, dreaming of becoming a marine biologist and discovering everything the ocean has to offer. Jamie has always belonged to the waves, planning to take over his family's surf shop and build a life in the only place he's ever called home. What begins as an unexpected friendship becomes the kind of love that changes everything. But when Nora's dream takes her across the country to California, they're forced to face the hardest truth about love: Sometimes the right person comes at the wrong time. And sometimes... the tide finds its way back.

𝑶𝑪𝑿𝑶𝑪 ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ When Voilet Lamonsoff finds herself stuck at a cabin with an obnoxious boy, surrounded by her fathers old basketball team mates. She realizes that maybe her life doesnt have to be just what she thought it was ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

After a breakup by her high school sweetheart, eighteen year old Eden Grimm leaves everything behind for the quiet coastal town of Driftwood, determined to start over. She keeps her head down, buries herself in work at a quirky toy store called The Memory Box, locks herself up in her room to draw, and convinces herself she's happier alone. Then River Fischer walks through the front door of the toy store as its newest employee, and Eden is assigned to train him. He's everything she expects to avoid: a surfer with an easy smile, sun-kissed curls, and a heart far kinder than she's willing to believe. Between toy-store shifts, beach sunsets, and late-night adventures, the two become unlikely friends. But as Eden slowly begins to heal, she realizes that opening her heart means risking another heartbreak, because some wounds are harder to leave behind than an entire hometown. She's the girl dressed in black with storm clouds in her eyes. He's all sunshine, saltwater, and smiles. Black cat and golden retriever. Moonlight and sunshine. Emo Girl and Surfer Boy. **This story includes a bonus chapter at the end! Keep an eye out for it!** A QUICK NOTE: When the Tide Found Me is still in its early stages, and this is just the first draft. There may be grammatical errors or parts that may change as the story grows. Thank you so much for taking a look and joining me on this journey! I'm excited to share this with you all!