Wayward Wildflower
Michele Harman
Type: Beta project
Genre: Young adult
Word count: 75,000
Warnings: Graphic violence, swearing
Wayward Wildflower is a coming-of-age novel about Bailey Morgan, a teenager longing for love, belonging, and a way out of her bleak life in southern Indiana. When a move to Portland offers a fresh start, Bailey instead spirals through toxic relationships, drugs, school failure, and juvenile detention—and must decide whether she can finally choose herself and a better future.
What's this?
Wayward Wildflower is a raw, darkly funny coming-of-age novel about Bailey Morgan, a teenage girl stuck in a bleak, unstable life in southern Indiana and searching for love, belonging, and a way out. When her mother abruptly moves her to Portland, Bailey sees the chance for a fresh start. Instead, she looks for the love and security she craves through new friendships, boyfriends, parties, and an increasingly reckless life. What begins as teenage rebellion gradually pulls her into drugs, school failure, an abusive relationship, and eventually the juvenile justice system.
But Bailey’s story is not simply about hitting bottom. As teachers, friends, and unexpected mentors offer her chances to begin again, she must wrestle with a harder question: how much of her life was shaped by what happened to her, and how much can she still change? After spending years looking for someone to love, choose, and save her, Bailey must decide whether she can finally choose herself, and a better future, before she slips through the cracks for good.
Michele Harman is a Pacific Northwest–based tech marketer who has spent more than a decade writing professionally about technology, products, and the people who use them. Outside of her day job, she finds spare moments to write fiction. She lives with her husband, three dogs, and cat, and enjoys hiking and exploring, experimenting in the kitchen, and getting absorbed in whatever creative project has most recently caught her attention.
Registration closed early due to high demand.
Only beta team members can give feedback.