Diverse Stories

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]]

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]]

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.

Mira finds herself stuck in the city of love with Jake, the playboy athlete she can't stand. What she doesn't expect is for major sparks to fly on their 24-hour adventure. But can this newly-found love last beyond the magic of Paris? ***** 24 Hours in Paris is now published as a Paperback & E-book by W by Wattpad Books As a Wattpad reader, you can now access both the Original Edition and the W by Wattpad Books Published Edition here upon purchase (PS: a review on Amazon (and also Goodreads) would be very much appreciated, to help get this POC rom com in front of more readers! All the review page links are on my Wattpad profile page :-) ) In the new Published Edition of the book, the characters of Mira and Jake will be older and wiser co-workers in the corporate world, who miss their flight and get stuck spending an extra 24 hours in Paris. They'll start off annoyed with each other, but you know how the story goes... "Adorably sweet and a brilliant read! It made me feel like I was roaming the streets of Paris without having to leave my couch." - Grace @HQ ***** On the last day of their class's college trip to Paris, Mira and Jake get tangled up in a debacle that causes them to miss their flight home to New York. Which means they're stuck in Paris until the next available flight that's 24 hours away! Mira is witty and a lover of art history and good cheese. Jake, on the other hand, is your All-American frat boy with a killer smile. Translation: they can't stand each other. As they visit places they could never have imagined, Mira and Jake go from mortal enemies to star-crossed lovers with sizzling chemistry. But can their spark last without Paris' cheese and charm to keep it going? [[word count: 50,000-60,000 words]] Cover designed by Ray Gardener

In 1942, James 'Jamie' Ross's life seems perfect-he has a promising career, an approved engagement to a beautiful woman, and his parents' blessings. However, after a fight leaves him injured, he finds himself under the care of Olivia Townsend, a nurse at the only colored hospital in their small Alabama town. Despite societal norms, Jamie and Olivia form a deep connection that transcends racial boundaries. As their friendship blossoms into a forbidden romance, both must confront the prejudices of their time and decide whether their love is worth risking everything they've ever known for.

The Di Lorenzo mafia embarks on a final mission to take down their enemy Garcia once and for all to free the kidnapped children of five years ago, who are now ruthlessly trained assassins. During their absence at the penthouse, Ana is met with an eye-widening terror as a female assassin makes her move to take her captive.

Charity Matthews is set to marry. She should feel elated, right? After all, she's finally meeting society's expectations, even if it took longer than expected. But when Charity catches her fiancé, Evan, in the arms of another woman on their wedding day, she bolts from the church in a whirlwind of heartbreak and..relief? Before she knows it, she's on a train bound for anywhere but home-only to land at the door of her aunt, Ada and John Murray, the man she vowed to never see or speak of again.

As the cruel, uncompromising, and terrifyingly brilliant CEO of Bloom Press, Roman Alvarez terrifies everyone-including her new assistant editor, Kaalia Amoretta. But on a work trip to the tropical coast of South Asia, under Kerala's storm-soaked skies, professional distance dissolves into something more dangerous. What should have stayed strictly business becomes intimate, charged, and impossible to forget. *** [LONGER VERSION] Roman Alvarez is infamous in the publishing world: cruel, uncompromising, and brilliant enough to get away with it. As the first Black and female CEO of Bloom Press, she has built her career on steel walls and impossible standards. Kaalia Amoretta, the new assistant editor hired to support her, expects a tyrant. What she doesn't expect is the quiet softness beneath Roman's sharp edges ... or the spark that flares every time their eyes meet. When Bloom's newest release hinges on securing a reclusive poet's anthology, Roman and Kaalia go on a "working vacation" to India. But what should have been a straightforward business trip unravels into something far more dangerous: monsoon-soaked nights, shared secrets, and a slow-burning tension neither woman can ignore. Under tropical skies and an old woman's poetry on love and colonialism, their professional boundaries blur, their walls crack, and a tender, terrifying love begins to take shape. But as they return to New York-with media storms rising, a billion-dollar lawsuit looming, and family expectations closing in-the real question emerges: Can a love born far from reality survive the world waiting for them? *** A sweeping, sapphic, slow-burn romance and the kind of love worth risking everything.

This novel is a mashup of Snow White and The Little Mermaid, with a dash of Beauty and the Beast. Adriana is a lovely mermaid princess in an undersea kingdom that values physical beauty above all else. Jacob is a reluctant apprentice to a human apothecary on the island of Avalonia.

In a home where love was a currency, she was always bankrupt. Her parents' affection was reserved for the twin who reflected their every hope, leaving her to inherit the hushed comparisons and soft dismissals. She was constantly reminded of her lesser worth, but she never imagined her marriage would be a cast-off from the twin who was truly desired. Offered as a consolation prize, she expects only disappointment in a loveless union. Yet, the journey of marriage becomes an unexpected path to self-discovery. The Color Of My Own Sky is a story of the invisible bruises that shape a soul, and the battle to finally find the courage to paint your own brilliant horizon. Nov. 3 ©deey_jah

Eve Taylor has escaped the jaws of slavery and must work to keep her secret safe. But what do you do when the one person who finds out is the one person you can't go to for protection because they're...forbidden?

In the ancient Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang was obsessed with immortality. He sent a mysterious army, known as the "Tangled Army", to find the mystery of immortality. However, their whereabouts and secrets disappeared as time passed. In the present, this mysterious story is suddenly revived. Scupltor Nie Jiu Luo is a descendant of the Tangled Army. She lives an ordinary life, but her identity makes it impossible for her to avoid entanglements with the past. At the same time, Yan Tuo, a wealthy young man, whose family is controlled by a woman named Lin Xi Rou, is looking for the truth. When Nie Jiu Luo and Yan Tuo meet, their destinies start to interwine. They begin to explore the secrets of the Tangled Army and the truth behind Lin Xi Rou, revealing a world beyond their imagination, the secret of earth owls, mysterious powers, and immortality.

Lady Eleanor Cantwell, daughter of the Marquess of Salford, is a proper young lady. With her golden complexion, raven-black hair, and manners befitting a princess, Lady Eleanor has always been deemed a belle. There is just one problem. Lady Eleanor Cantwell is Indian. Having been adopted from India when Lady Salford found herself unable to bear a child, Lady Eleanor is shunned by society, including her mother, on account of her true heritage. The ladies turn their noses at her and the gentlemen only wish for her virtue which she clings to dearly. They certainly have no wish to wed an Indian girl, no matter how pretty she is! Which is why the entire ton is incredulous when a young man - a duke, no less! - offers his hand in marriage to the young daughter of the Marquess of Salford. Lady Eleanor finds it quite hard to believe that any gentleman would wish to marry her and instead of feeling grateful, all she feels is remorse and anger. A husband would only bring with him a mountain of restrictions that were detrimental to her plans of travelling the world - the land of her ancestors, in particular. So, when her parents sell her off to the duke, she realises that she no longer cares for society, her beloved father, or her reputation. And when the duke makes her an enticing offer, she realises she would have to abandon all sense of propriety, manners, and rules to do what he asks of her. She would have to defy. . * 1st Place Winner in HISTORICAL FICTION of the HIDDEN GEMS AWARDS * Featured in the "Diverse Fiction" reading list by @Ambassadors * Featured in the "Historical Fiction" reading list by @AmbassadorsIN * Featured in the "Ambassador's Monthly Picks (Oct 2025)", "War & Military" and "Historical DiverseLit" reading lists by @HistoricalFiction * Featured in the "Historical Adventures" and "DiverseLit Adventures" reading lists by @adventure

💄He wiped the red from his lips. It wasn't 'Rouge' from her duty-free foreign cosmetics. It was his blood from her slap.' How your lip sticks to mine, sucks me dry.' He spoke quietly, eyes closed... Read more amore in the story 'First Kiss'! 💋

Riva was made for the stage-she just never realized it. Every smile, every achievement, every perfectly spoken "yes ma" had been a performance. And as long as people clapped, as long as they called her brilliant, good, responsible, she kept the act going. Because who was she without the applause? But now, the crowd has gone quiet. Excellence is expected. Her effort is invisible. The praise that once fueled her has dried up, leaving behind exhaustion she can't shake and a question she can't answer-why bother? The school play was supposed to be a distraction. Instead, it's another role she's trapped in. And Bascko is the worst part of it. He doesn't treat her like the smart girl, the reliable one, the golden child. No, Bascko watches her like he sees something underneath it all, like he's waiting for her to slip. And with the way he invades her space, plays with her hands like they're his to hold, whispers things between lines that don't belong in the script-Riva is afraid she already has. She should focus. On school. On home. On surviving the emptiness. But how does she keep pretending when the one person who shouldn't matter is the only one making her feel real? In a world that only values her shine, Riva must decide who she is when the spotlight fades-and whether she wants to keep playing the role they gave her, or finally step off the stage.

In a twist of fate, Ariah Martin's world flips upside down when she receives an invitation to a Christian summer camp. Little does she know that the charming guy she's been texting on a dating app, specifically made for trans people, is none other than the pastor's son. Step 1: Avoid him at all costs. Step 2: Repeat Step 1. But just when she thinks she's got it under control, Bryan Nguyen enters the scene, leaving her heart in chaos, but she hasn't disclosed to him yet. Caught between love and war, Ariah must navigate the unpredictable waters of summer romance, where keeping secrets might be her downfall or her saving grace. Highest ranks: #1 - Diversebooks 08.25.23 #1 - TransWoman 12.01.2025

This is not a love story. This is the story of Ruqayya-a girl who loved with a heart so pure, it bruised silently for 1,277 days. She loved Hashim in whispers, in tahajjud, and in the unseen tears of sujood. Her love was patient. Stubborn. Sincere. Like a dua that never stopped. But this journey wasn't blessed with a fairytale ending. Instead, it led her to heartbreak so deep, it silenced the joyful teen she once was, replacing her with a girl who had to rebuild herself from the ashes of betrayal. When love turned into longing, and longing into pain, she didn't retaliate with rage-but with a quiet vengeance only a wounded woman can understand. After more than three years of holding back, of hope, of prioritizing the unprioritizable, Ruqayya finally lets go not of love, but of illusion. She vanishes, not to escape, but to find herself again. To pray not from hate, but from pain: "May his daughter be treated as he treated me." This is a story of grief and growth. Of how a girl can break, beg Allah for justice, and still rise.

When Nokkland found himself setting off with the inn's barmaid to track down an ice-dragon, he hadn't realized that he would be thrust into the center of a prophecy he knew nothing about. Nor that he would become part of an undercover group of revolutionaries, determined to keep each of Sissera's five races from annihilating the others. He won't survive alone... A vagabond destined to be a dead king. A wayward elf with a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A lover attempting to play a game of chess with lives. A hot-tempered cupbearer who avoids mirrors at all cost. An architect who designs something much greater than a building. Together, they must play a treacherous game of truths and lies for peace assuming they don't cave into their own fears and split ways first. Note: this story is archived because I've decided to rework elements of it into another book I'm writing ⭐️ Winter Rose Awards 2020 Second Place Winner ⭐️ 💫 Red Cloak Awards 2020 Second Place Winner 💫 ✨ Bloodstone Awards 2021 First Place Winner ✨ 🌟 @YAFantasy, @Fantasy, & @SecretTreasures Featured Book 🌟 ⭐️ Kirrukan Awards Semi-Finalist ⭐️ Cover by me :) Season Dividers by the fabulous @cosmiicstaar

𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐲𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟖 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 || Fire isn't all that brings light in the darkness. || When an advanced alien race appeared and stormed the skies, the world learned that it wasn't alone among the stars. And when celestial dragons slid across the heavens to defend the planet, the world finally believed that gods existed. Only twenty years have passed since the aliens were forced to retreat. The dragon gods have since disintegrated to dust. In their absence, Maeyune Ereni strives to continue their responsibility--to protect all life as the moon dragon's chosen warrior. Trained to fight since the first days she could walk, nothing will stop her from defeating her next enemy. But succeeding will prove rather difficult if her supposed ally--the dangerous and defiant sun warrior--kills her first. -----☽☼----- An original and epic tale of the moon and sun. [FIRST DRAFT EVER | ✔ Completed April 19, 2019 | New Revision in Progress] [ S I D E N O T E S ] Final Fantasy meets The Legend of Korra meets aliens. To clarify the tags, this is a diverse, action-packed, sci-fi/fantasy novel, and features interracial romance. ***Please note that this story contains graphic violence (blood), as well as emotional stressors that may leave some readers upset (death of loved ones, the sense of feeling lost). ☞Wattys 2018 Shortlister ☜ ☞ Wattpad Featured Story: Oct/Nov 2017 ☜ ☞ 1st Place Winner in Sci-fi/Fantasy Genre in the Rose Awards 2017 ☜ Do NOT steal, copy or translate my work without my written permission. This is your only warning. This story can only be found safely at Wattpad.com.