Kissproof World

American Writing Awards finalist –
Neva Bell attempts to help six troubled teenagers at a halfway house as her own demons lead her down a dangerous path.
Kissproof World tells the story of Neva Bell, a young therapist, who grapples with her past as she tries to help six troubled teens living at a halfway house on the Texas coast. The teens have been committed to Morning House for a variety of reasons, but they all share a lack of trust for a world they feel has betrayed them. As Neva scratches the surface of their problems, she quickly feels the intensity of their lives.
When Alec arrives at Morning House from a psychiatric hospital, Neva believes that her dead twin brother has come back through Alec, and she begins to see her own life being played out as Alec develops a relationship with Emily, another teen at Morning House. Neva tries to protect them from the same fate that lead to her brother’s death, but her efforts meet resistance from Alex’s mother, a self-proclaimed witch, and Dr. Mueller, the psychiatrist in charge, each with their own agenda. Life at Morning House begins to unravel with deception, revenge and murder, causing the unresolved issues in Neva’s past to lead her down a dangerous path.
Kissproof World searches through the complexities of teenage angst, lingering issues of abuse, and a social system which is not always capable of fixing the problems.