Diversity Stories

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION. It only takes one moment to change your life forever . . . After her mother's deportation last year, all Soledad "Sol" Gutierrez wants is for her life to go back to normal. Everything's changed-new apartment, new school, new family dynamic-and Sol desperately wants to fit in. When she joins her community college's history club, it comes with an odd initiation process: break into Westray's oldest house and steal . . . a fork? There's just one problem: while the owners of the house aren't home, their grandson Ethan is, and when he catches Sol with her hand in the kitchen drawer, she barely escapes with the fork intact. This one chance encounter irrevocably alters her life, and Sol soon learns that sometimes fitting in isn't as important as being yourself-even if that's the hardest thing she's ever had to do.

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION. You have to step off the trail to find your path . . . When her mother unceremoniously dumps her at Camp Mapplewood for the summer, Emma Lane's hopes of repairing their fractured relationship are gone with the wind. Now she's stuck in the wilderness facing her worst fears. Trees? Terrifying. Spiders? Even worse. And don't even get Emma started on how she feels about camp activities. But Emma's got a plan, and she will do anything in her power to get kicked out of camp, from sleeping in to playing practical jokes on her fellow campers. Yet when Emma draws the attention of her illusive and attractive camp counselor Vivian Black, she has to come to terms with the fact that how her summer starts isn't necessarily how it might end. Will Vivian be the key to unlocking Emma's fears once and for all?

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION Finished high school, Emma's forced to spend her summer at a camp. But a striking counsellor, Vivian, changes her plans from escape to together forever. ***** Seventeen-year-old Emma Lane usually lives with her dad, but she's once again being forced to spend the summer with her homophobic mom. This time, however, instead of spending a summer on the beach, her mom drops her off at Camp Mapplewood while she heads off on a cruise with her new husband. Emma hates the camp and tries to escape, but she is caught by a camp counsellor Vivian. She's drawn to Vivian's voice and her charm, while Vivian is fascinated by Emma's instinct to protect others and to feel with her whole heart. The two grow close, but the end of the summer looms. Can they find a way to stay together when they have to return to their normal lives? (Has a sequel: My Pretend Summer.) [[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION When Elliot Goldman meets his sweet and charming new lab partner, Jordan Hughes, suddenly high school doesn't seem so bad. For the first time ever, Elliot can't wait to get to chemistry class... ***** Smart, good looking and charismatic, Jordan opens Elliot's eyes to the possibilities around him and gives him butterflies like nobody else does. Jordan isn't exactly the kind of person Elliot's used to having as a lab partner, but when they start acing their assignments, life is suddenly about more than boring lectures, bad cafeteria nachos, or relentless bullying. And then one night, the butterflies start to make sense - the trouble is, now nothing else does. As Elliot begins to figure out how he really feels about Jordan, he realizes that sometimes the last thing you are expecting is the one thing you need the most. [[word count: 40,000-50,000 words]]

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION When her initiation into her college's History Club goes awry, Sol has to come face to face with Ethan-the cute guy whose house she just broke into. ***** Soledad Gutierrez, or Sol to her friends, decides to join the History Club at her Community college. However, this club is not like other clubs: they have an initiation process and a slew of other 'extracurricular activities.' In order to join the club, Sol must break into the oldest house in her small Californian town and steal one of their forks. The club members provide all the materials to break in; she just needs to take the utensil, take a selfie in the kitchen, and get out undetected-with the fork, of course. The problem is: Ethan Winston spots Sol in his grandparent's house, and he's determined to uncover the reason behind the break-in. However, both he and Sol are thrown for a loop when feelings begin to develop between them. And as Ethan becomes suspicious of the History Club, he and Sol get tangled in an adventure none of them were expecting. [[word count: 90,000-100,000 words]] [[Wattys 2019 Winner for Young Adult + Being Published by Wattpad Books in Fall 2020]]

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION The nightmare continues when Ryan, the gay wizard, comes face to face with the most unexpected nemeses yet. He will have to figure out if love truly is the most powerful magic of all. ***** After the events of I'M A GAY WIZARD, Ryan wakes up to a startling scene--his father is driving him to begin a brand new life in a small, idyllic town called Misthaven. The dream-like memory of being trapped at the Marduk Institute relentlessly haunts Ryan's new life. In the night, Ryan comes face to face with a nightmarish force who warns him that he and his friends are, in fact, trapped in a magical dream prison created by the Institute to quell its most troublesome wizards. Ryan and his friends must immediately escape this prison for a chance at survival. Little do they know that this is only the beginning of a harrowing adventure where the limits of love and friendship will be tested and the age-old question will return--is love truly the greatest magic of all? [This is the sequel to I'm A Gay Wizard, the Wattpad Original edition.] Content and/or Trigger Warning: This book contains scenes depicting self-harm and violence, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]

Forced into an engagement with a man she doesn't love, Reyna must ignore her bond with her father's general in order to avoid a war and save her throne. ***** As the first female heir to one of the great Northern Kingdoms, Reyna panics when her claim to the throne is threatened by the discovery that her father's general is her soulbound partner. She forces herself to ignore their connection, determined to be more than a general's wife, only for her father to manipulate her into a political engagement with a man she could never love. So to forge her own path forward, keep her throne, and confront her feelings for the general who owns her heart, Reyna must find a way to refuse this arranged marriage without destroying her kingdom in the process. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] ---------- Cover designed by Ren Tachibana

After falling in love with a younger and much less successful man, can Yiwen convince herself and her parents to accept him into their wealthy family? ***** When Yiwen Wang suddenly finds herself 30 and single, she lets her well-meaning best friend talk her into a blind date with the handsome Zi'an Li. And not only is he plucked straight out of a movie screen, his witty banter over dinner also convinces Yiwen he's exactly the type to make her toes curl. Yet, by some wicked twist of fate, he's five years younger than her and has no house, car, or stable, high-paying job. So how is she ever going to convince herself and her parents that he's the right choice? Especially when her new, attractive boss makes it very clear that he's interested in her? [[1st Place, Flower Awards, Chicklit Category]] [[1st Place, The Golden Awards, Chicklit Category]] [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

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 . . .

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]]

A pacifist with a war god trapped in her bones must decide between stirring her demons or watching her allies and enemies unite against her. ***** When Queen Nomvula finds herself threatened by a reckless prince, she's cornered into navigating a battle that will devastate the region, and her clan, should it escalate. Worse, someone knows about her deadly secret, and where its bloody trail eventually ends. Staying ahead of her enemies means risking her land, her values, and even her children, all while keeping the war god inside her from takings matters into its own hands.

He just wants her booty, but she'll end up stealing his heart. ***** After pirates kidnap seventeen-year-old Ana in a case of mistaken identity, the orphaned housemaid prepares for the worst. Instead, between a shipwreck, mutiny, and her growing feelings for her captor -- the dashing Pirate King of the Caribbean, Alestair Kincade -- Ana soon realizes the secret she keeps is far from the most dangerous part of her new life. But playing the wholesome daughter of a Spanish admiral among rag-tag buccaneers isn't easy either, and to avoid both discovery and the gallows she'll have to learn to rely on more than just her wits and her charm. But is Alestair Kincade really on her side? Or will his protection and his love both disappear the moment he learns the truth? Book Two of The Pirate King Series is called SCUTTLE (formerly The Reluctant Pirate Queen) [Now an audiobook from Hachette, Powered by Wattpad] [word count: 90,000-100,000 words] PLUNDER (Book One in The Pirate King Series) © 2014 by R.S. Kovach. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced without the author's written permission. Cover designed by Ren T

A heartbroken fashion designer escapes to Tokyo to be an assistant on a movie set, only to get caught up in an illicit, whirlwind romance with the lead actor. ***** After discovering her fiance is cheating on her, heiress and fashion designer Lily Porter is whisked away to Tokyo to help a production company adapt one of her great-aunt's novels. She isn't thrilled about lying about being her aunt's assistant until it throws her into the path of the movie's lead actor, who is enough of a distraction to keep her mind off her ex for good. But can there really be a future for them when their relationship is built on lies, false identities, and a secret engagement? [[Wattys' Longlisted]] [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

[[a werewolf romance]] Deceived and abandoned by her moon chosen mate Lerato leaves and tries to start a new life or at least have a break from the aching in her chest. Hiding behind his flashy title and family her moon chosen mate chooses to be with someone else. Until Lerato bumps into his childhood friend turned enemy who turns out to be her second chance mate. Whose past is wrapped up with her moon chosen mate's. A past that evidently lead to his betrayal and her heartache. What will become of her heart now that she knows her second chance only exists because of his past transgressions that lead her moon chosen to leave her for someone else. What will her final decision be? To take what is rightfully hers, to stand by her moon chosen mate. Or to stand by her second chance? It is all up to her, it is all her call. Copyright © Mbalii 2018 ((promise it's not as typical as it sounds.)) * WARNING: this story is meant to take you on a heartbreak rollercoaster. so, buckle up! *** #6 in Romance #6 in Werewolf

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!]

Marcello was raised with negligence disappointment and abuse. He was a kind child that wanted nothing but to be loved and adored by his mother. Unfortunately she didn't feel the same way and did nothing but reject and hurt him. He soon finds out that she wasn't who he thought she was after her death and she lied about a lot of things. One being that he wasn't an only child. #Foundfamily #Older siblings #Friendships.

[Mirror Me Series Book 1] Hope Martinez was taught to fear her reflection, but the magical world on the other side is too tempting. Descended from those who can use mirrors as weapons, Hope has many dangers to face if she wants to get home before an ancestral curse destroys everything she loves. _________________________________________________ After a frightening incident leaves her family shaken, Hope Martinez promises her mother to never look at a mirror again. Three years later, Hope stands between two worlds - the world of her mother, a contrived and constricted set of rules ignoring their family's Hispanic heritage and abolishing all things reflective from the home, and the world of her abuelita, which is said to contain a mysterious power that members of the family are fated to discover. When high school bullying and peer pressure start pushing Hope's limits, she finds no other choice but to gain normalcy and break her mother's promise. She soon discovers a hidden magical world beyond her reflection, one filled with strange beasts, enchanted cities, and flying walnuts. Why would such a wonderful place be kept from her? The reason - Hope's family has a terrible destiny waiting to be unleashed. Young Adult ■ Fantasy ■ Sci-Fi [COMPLETED] AWARDS: -First Place in Teen Fiction category for Chaos Awards 6 -First Place in Fantasy category for Ohana Awards 4 Copyright © by Jules Haigler No parts of this manuscript including black and white illustrations or content may be distributed, copied, or sold on any media without permission of the author. All names, places, and themes are a work of fiction.

Whether it's a deep dive into a spotlight on a hidden cultural gem or a collective echo of our week on Wattpad, this is where our shared journey is documented. It is a wonderful opportunity to keep track of all the activities happening here at identityandculture. Also, it is your opportunity to share your voices and learn from all the communities all over Wattpad.

In the bustling port city of Busan, seven-year-old Park Jeong-min is drowning in the silence of his father's death. Half a world away, in the emerald forests of the DRC, Kimya watches the horizon for the smoke of a civil war she is too young to understand. Linked by a simple pen-pal exchangeㅡ a pair of white sneakers for a wax cloth braceletㅡthe two children share a desperate, whispered wish: to be anyone else. ​Then, they wake up in each other's skin. ​The magical escape becomes a lifelong haunting. At seven, ten, and fourteen, the swap yanks them across continents into each other's trauma. Jeong-min learns survival in a war zone; Kimya navigates South Korea's academic pressures. ​When a violent spiritual intervention at age fifteen severs their connection. The swaps end. Jeong-min is left in Seoul, haunted by Kimya trapped in a conflict he can no longer see. ​Driven by a debt he cannot name, Jeong-min builds a life of cold, medical precision, hoping to find her through the very systems that keep them apart. From the high-stakes world of a Korean medical residency to the front lines of a global refugee crisis, he is looking for his phantom limb. ​Jeong Min doesn't know Kimya is searching for him, too. #onc 2026 main prompt: 29 prompt mix: 73 #blackhistory

​In high school, Eun Woo was the untouchable captain of the athletic team-until a split-second crash stole his leg and his future. The only person who stayed to help him pick up the pieces was Na Yeon, an awkward freshman with a past she never talked about. ​But just as Eun Woo began to see a new life through her eyes, Na Yeon disappeared. No goodbye. No explanation. Only a headline about a family tragedy too dark to survive. ​Now, years later, Na Yeon is gone. In her place is "Soo Yeon." ​A focused law student with a fake name and a fortress around her heart, Soo Yeon has done the impossible: she's erased her identity to escape her mother's crime. She's safe, she's invisible, and she's finally moving on. ​Until she sees him. ​Eun Woo is no longer the broken boy she left behind. He's stronger, faster on a prosthetic leg, and he's looking right at her with eyes that know exactly who she is. ​He wants the girl who saved him. She wants to stay a ghost. But as their past and present collide, they must decide if the feelings they have for one another are enough to bridge the gap between them. #JustWriteIt-8-chapter-challenge