if you could define life by color, life before Him was kinda pale. the days were pretty and pink, but there was no warmth to give it vibrancy or nothing. every day was basically the same and exhaustingly boring. His arrival brought not only new colors and vibrancy, but meaning to the ones i'd already known. i loved it, the months where things were good between us felt like he showed me a new way of life that was totally different from everything. he left, snatching the color back from me. i don't know how i'll find anything like that ever again, so i suppose i'll try suppressing the memories. even if it means i fade to gray.

"If I told you I was toxic, would you believe me?" Poison is strong; almost a force of it's own, and it's more than capable of inflicting pain, illness and even death. Some say poison is unassailable, but what if it actually isn't? What if there's a force that's just as strong, or stronger? Maybe even immune...

Vanity is the preacher's daughter, told she was born and raised in Nevada for most of her life but gets a sudden change when she's forced to move to Southern California. Adjusting to her new surroundings as well as new people; one in particular might prove to have brought more than she could handle while truths that were kept in the dark surface as she discovers a whole new side of herself.

Winner of the Watty's 2017 Awards ✿ Destruction is a form of creation; buildings crumbled as he walked past. Khari Spence, trapped in a city steeped in hatred, longs to embrace his true self even if it means risking everything. He finds a fragile refuge in an old apartment with peeling wallpaper and blank journal pages -- and hopefully in a girl. Milo Locke, disillusioned with the hollow lure of materialism, seeks to rid the ideologies her parents forced onto her. When their worlds collide, will they help each other heal from past wounds, or will their secrets tear them apart?

"we fell in love the way you fall in leaves." Juwan "Rocky" Rockwell has had a pretty hard life. Between trying to find a way to fend for himself and dealing with the normal hardships of teenage angst, he had nowhere to turn as an adolescent and no time for anything other than taking care of himself. Having been set on survival rather than love itself, Juwan, now twenty-four years old, is ready for a change. He just hasn't realized it yet. Quinn Campbell, a woman accustomed to the moderately luxurious lifestyle that her parents immersed her in, has been passive all of her life. Having been torn between parents who are both demanding and have been divorced since she was nine years old, trying to find her way in the world as an adult has proven to be challenging especially since her overbearing parents have been making decisions for her since birth. One morning, on a whim, she finally decides that it's time to take control of her life. The first step is finding a change in scenery. Who ever would've thought that the second step would be becoming smitten with a man who claimed to never have had a heart? [based on "falling in leaves" from my book of one shots.]

Bad boy, good girl, cliche happily ever after ending right? Well, not with Melissa and Jionni. One boy is free to do whatever he wants, while the other is sheltered and has her every move watched by her parents. At Baton Rouge High School, "hood boy" Jionni and his friends aren't too fond of the only girl in school who has money, referring to her as a "silver spoon child." But after Jionni has a change of heart, he and the rich girl decides to keep it a secret that they hang out on a regular. After hanging out for some time, the two starts to find interests in things that they never bothered with before. Once their friends and family start to wonder why they're changing and acting out of character, they start to do their own secret investigation to find out what's REALLY happening with the two. It all goes down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ;)

"Don't make homes out of people. This will leave you homesick and sad, missing arms that cannot hold roofs, hearts with shaky foundations." I made a home out of him. He was where I curled up and cried. He was where I felt most comfortable. He was where no makeup was worn. He was my foundation. He built me up, but I never felt like I was truly his home. I knew I was his true home, but I felt like nothing but his guest house, where he'd stay when he was drunk or just had a lot on his mind. Where he'd crash when he was on a downfall. Where he felt most comfortable, sometimes... Only sometimes. But, I still loved him... I had no place to judge him, seeing as though I wasn't even a halfway house when we met... I just wish my home was more welcoming sometimes. I wish my home had warm colors on his walls so I could feel more at ease sometimes. I wish my home had no doors so he wouldn't be able to shut me out so often. I wish my home was made out of something other than bricks and steel so he couldn't be so cold sometimes.. One night, he told me, "As long as I'm your home... You'll never need any other shelter." So, I stayed. And, I got adjusted to those black and white walls and those hard doors and that foundation made of bricks and steel. I made a home out of him, and I'm living comfortably sheltered from the world. And, I'm afraid I'll never be able to move out.

a tale of how miss mocha's world is turned upside down by a rather particular kind of stranger. right away, it's clear as day he's the one. one syllable leaves his lips and she's transfixed by the molasses in his speech - he isn't from around here, that's for damn sure - and the warm georgia sunshine in his eyes that could melt your icy facade when they meet yours. she has no clue that men as sweet as that have such potential to cause so much damage once things go sour, but she'll learn the hard way that anyone capable of making life glow so yellow can suddenly leave you so blue. (so this is what the blues are about.)

What happens in Vegas...stays in Vegas is the common belief when visiting a city so sinful. Sex, scandal, and heartbreak is the elements of which Hāna numbed herself to, but when Frank happens to take his own twist on how she perceives things, does it cause her to rethink her profession? Or will she remain stuck in a never ending loop of deceit? [Rated M for mild sexual themes, language, and drug usage]

Dreyah Washington & Kirk Vallei.