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HARSH : Choose Your Own Adventure on Financial Wellness
What would you do if you were handed $20,000 at sixteen?
For Alex, that fantasy just became a reality. After his grandfather’s funeral, he inherits a life-changing sum of money and the keys to his first car. Suddenly, the world is wide open. The flashy sports car he’s always dreamed of is within reach, and with it, a chance to win the attention of Jessica, the most popular girl in school.
But his grandfather’s advice about being wise with money echoes in his head. His best friend, Leo, is pushing him to spend big and live for the moment , while a quiet girl from the diner seems to see a value in him that has nothing to do with his bank account.
From the driver's seat of a brand-new sports car to the humbling reality of a part-time job, from the temptations of a get-rich-quick scheme to the quiet power of long-term investing, every decision Alex faces is a crossroads. And every outcome has a consequence.
This is not a story you just read. It's an adventure you control.
Guided by the tough-love financial expert RNTROOPER, you will make the choices for Alex. Your decisions will teach you powerful, real-world lessons
Assets vs. Liabilities, and why a cool car isn't always a smart purchase .
The crushing weight of high-interest debt and credit card traps .
How your credit score works and how easily it can be ruined .
Budgeting, saving, and the surprising rewards of a humbling job .
Lifestyle inflation and the danger of trying to finance a relationship.
The difference between long-term investing and risky gambling.
Will you help Alex build a future of wealth and security, or will your choices lead him down a path of financial ruin? His fate is in your hands.
Choose wisely, because sometimes the lessons life teaches you can be HARSH.
For Alex, that fantasy just became a reality. After his grandfather’s funeral, he inherits a life-changing sum of money and the keys to his first car. Suddenly, the world is wide open. The flashy sports car he’s always dreamed of is within reach, and with it, a chance to win the attention of Jessica, the most popular girl in school.
But his grandfather’s advice about being wise with money echoes in his head. His best friend, Leo, is pushing him to spend big and live for the moment , while a quiet girl from the diner seems to see a value in him that has nothing to do with his bank account.
From the driver's seat of a brand-new sports car to the humbling reality of a part-time job, from the temptations of a get-rich-quick scheme to the quiet power of long-term investing, every decision Alex faces is a crossroads. And every outcome has a consequence.
This is not a story you just read. It's an adventure you control.
Guided by the tough-love financial expert RNTROOPER, you will make the choices for Alex. Your decisions will teach you powerful, real-world lessons
Assets vs. Liabilities, and why a cool car isn't always a smart purchase .
The crushing weight of high-interest debt and credit card traps .
How your credit score works and how easily it can be ruined .
Budgeting, saving, and the surprising rewards of a humbling job .
Lifestyle inflation and the danger of trying to finance a relationship.
The difference between long-term investing and risky gambling.
Will you help Alex build a future of wealth and security, or will your choices lead him down a path of financial ruin? His fate is in your hands.
Choose wisely, because sometimes the lessons life teaches you can be HARSH.
60 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2025
About the author
Deanna LaForce
7 books4 followersHi, I'm Deanna. By day, I'm a registered nurse, usually in the chaos of an ER. By night, and in just about every moment in between, I'm a writer.
To be honest, I feel like a bit of an unlikely author. My stories aren't born in a quiet study; they're born from the front lines. They come from the thousands of hours I’ve spent witnessing the real, human cost of the crises we often only talk about in whispers... addiction, trauma, and the ways our systems can fail the most vulnerable. Writing became my way of processing the things I couldn't leave at the hospital.
That's where my first series, The Lotus Mark, came from. It's a dark, gritty thriller series that explores the underbelly of drug trafficking and exploitation. It was my attempt to make sense of the nightmares I've seen. At the end of each book, I've included "Nurses Notes," which is my way of stepping out of the story to provide real, science-backed information and resources on the topics in the novels.
On the other end of the spectrum is my HARSH series. I loved "Choose Your Own Adventure" books when I was young, and I wanted to create that same fun experience to help teens navigate the tough lessons our parents sometimes don't tell us. These interactive books tackle everything from financial literacy... like credit scores and interest fees... to the pressures of social media, giving young readers a safe place to make mistakes and learn from them.
All of this comes together under my persona, RNTROOPER. It's my way of blending my life as a nurse with my passion for education. My big, slightly crazy dream is to eventually cosplay as RNTROOPER at conventions and hospitals, giving away free educational books to kids.
Ultimately, I'm just a nurse who believes in the power of stories. Whether it's through a dark thriller or a fun adventure, my goal is the same: to start a conversation, to share a little bit of what I've learned from the front lines, and to maybe, just maybe, help someone out there feel a little less alone.
Thank you so much for being here and taking the time to read
To be honest, I feel like a bit of an unlikely author. My stories aren't born in a quiet study; they're born from the front lines. They come from the thousands of hours I’ve spent witnessing the real, human cost of the crises we often only talk about in whispers... addiction, trauma, and the ways our systems can fail the most vulnerable. Writing became my way of processing the things I couldn't leave at the hospital.
That's where my first series, The Lotus Mark, came from. It's a dark, gritty thriller series that explores the underbelly of drug trafficking and exploitation. It was my attempt to make sense of the nightmares I've seen. At the end of each book, I've included "Nurses Notes," which is my way of stepping out of the story to provide real, science-backed information and resources on the topics in the novels.
On the other end of the spectrum is my HARSH series. I loved "Choose Your Own Adventure" books when I was young, and I wanted to create that same fun experience to help teens navigate the tough lessons our parents sometimes don't tell us. These interactive books tackle everything from financial literacy... like credit scores and interest fees... to the pressures of social media, giving young readers a safe place to make mistakes and learn from them.
All of this comes together under my persona, RNTROOPER. It's my way of blending my life as a nurse with my passion for education. My big, slightly crazy dream is to eventually cosplay as RNTROOPER at conventions and hospitals, giving away free educational books to kids.
Ultimately, I'm just a nurse who believes in the power of stories. Whether it's through a dark thriller or a fun adventure, my goal is the same: to start a conversation, to share a little bit of what I've learned from the front lines, and to maybe, just maybe, help someone out there feel a little less alone.
Thank you so much for being here and taking the time to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 18, 2025
fun and engaging
I’ve always loved choose your own adventure stories and this was entertaining and well written. Some of the titles for the choices were a bit obvious as to which one to choose and several had no options just one click thru link. Either way, it was a fun hour of reading and enjoyment.
I’ve always loved choose your own adventure stories and this was entertaining and well written. Some of the titles for the choices were a bit obvious as to which one to choose and several had no options just one click thru link. Either way, it was a fun hour of reading and enjoyment.
Displaying 1 of 1 review