Paige green

AUTHOR | STORYTELLER | NOVELIST

HEART TO SHELF

About Me

“Stories About Who We Are — and Why It Matters”

Paige Green writes speculative fiction grounded in character psychology and emotional tension. She is drawn to stories that explore identity, vulnerability, and the moments that reveal who we really are.
Her debut novel, Contingents: What We Become, reflects her interest in free will, societal structure, and the quiet consequences of obedience and rebellion. Through layered characters and immersive world-building, Paige explores how people respond to loss, authority, and the pressure to conform.Even in the most controlled worlds, humanity still finds a way to surface.

CONTINGENTS

PART I: WHAT WE BECOME

She trusted the wrong person.
He’s hiding the truth.
Choosing wrong could be fatal.

In a future society where every citizen’s role and value are assigned by a centralized system, order is maintained through control, and questioning authority is dangerous.
When Kate –a leader marked by betrayal– crosses paths with Axel –a burdened outlier scarred by reality– they must walk a line where loyalty is a liability, and exposure can be lethal. When their paths collide, the truth begins to fracture the world around them. In a system built on obedience and quiet compliance, survival demands impossible choices, and freedom always comes at a price.
Contingents: What We Become is a dark, character-driven dystopian thriller exploring identity, control, and the cost of becoming something you never chose.

Chapter 1: Everything feels controlled, until the ground beneath starts to shift.

On the day the system decides her future, Kate believes she knows where she belongs. That her life will finally carry the purpose she’s always been told it would.
She’s wrong, and she doesn’t even know it yet.

Chapter 2: Silence protects through the splitting of fault lines.

Axel survives by carrying more than his share, shielding the people he loves from the weight of a system that doesn’t bend. But when something fractures beneath the surface, he faces a choice he never wanted to make:
Truth? Or freedom?

Chapter 3: Not all betrayals are loud.

When trust fractures, the damage is quieter and far more dangerous. Kate must decide whichvoices to believe… and which ones are designed to keep her compliant.

Chapter 4: Some systems don’t break; they expose.

What once looked like order begins to reveal something else: fear. Manipulation. Control.
And as tensions tighten, the line between enemy and ally grows thinner than ever.

Updates

When Does a Story Stop Belonging to the Writer?

28 Sep 2026

There is something mildly terrifying about publishing a book. Not because people might dislike it. Not because they might leave a bad review. Not even because they might find the typo you somehow…

The Story Behind the Story

28 Sep 2026

There is a strange period in the life of a story when it belongs completely to you. Before the cover Before the title is finalized Before someone can search for it online or hold it in their hands…

Publishing Announcement

28 Sep 2026

The Story Behind the Story, When Does a Story Stop Belonging to the Writer? Five years ago, Contingents existed as a messy first draft on my computer. Today, it exists as a real book you can hold in…

Three Stories That Shaped the Way I Think About Storytelling

28 Sep 2026

I think every writer has stories they can point to and say, “That one changed something for me.” Not necessarily because we want to write like that author. Not because the book was technically…

Voices on CONTINGENTS

“I love a good dystopian story! Contingents kept me on my toes every step of the way! And of course it had me falling in love with our brave heroine Kate and our underdog Axel! I can’t wait to see what happens next in their story. A deeply interesting, wonderfully subversive, and intricately woven story. It leads you to question the society around you: its rules, both spoken and unspoken, and whether those rules stand to be broken.”

anonymous reader

“absolutely loved the tension and twists and am on the edge of my seat waiting for book 2!”

anonymous reader

“Contingents is an incredibly strong debut novel! The dystopian world is compelling and well-paced, and kept me consistently engaged. What stood out most to me were the characters: they were dynamic and genuinely enjoyable to follow, which made the story impactful and entertaining. I was hooked from the start and found it difficult to put down! It’s a captivating read that never loses momentum, and I’m excited to see where the story goes from here!”

anonymous reader

“A deeply interesting, wonderfully subversive, and intricately woven story. It leads you to question the society around you: its rules, both spoken and unspoken, and whether those rules stand to be broken.”

anonymous reader

“This story grabs you in the very beginning and won’t let you go. All the way to the end…twists and shocks. I thought I knew what was going to happen but I was wrong. And I got invested in the characters, which usually doesn’t happen for me. Wow! This was a great read that packs in suspense, romance, and mystery. The characters are well developed and coming of age in a world not like our own. The reader can easily jump inside the minds of the characters and feel the tension of choices and the potential fallout of these choices. I literally gasped at a pivotal point near the end and I cannot wait to see what happens in book 2.”

— Jason G

“Enraptured by the storyline and captured by the characters, Paige Green's debut dystopian novel grasps the reader by the hand with an urgency that causes middle-of-the-night reading sessions pursuing intel of what is to come. one more: I really loved the different view points between Kate and Axel!”

— Elizabeth L

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FAQs

What genre is Contingents?

Contingents is a character-driven dystopian thriller with elements of speculative fiction. It explores themes of control, free will, identity, betrayal, and the cost of rebellion in a society where every person’s role is assigned by a centralized system.

Contingents is a dark, character-driven dystopian thriller that deals with themes of control, betrayal, and moral complexity. It’s best suited for mature young adult readers and adult audiences who enjoy thoughtful, emotionally layered speculative fiction.

Paige Green is drawn to stories that explore identity, vulnerability, and the moments that reveal who we really are. Contingents was inspired by questions about free will, societal structure, and how people respond to loss, authority, and the pressure to conform—even in the most controlled worlds.