Roses of the Arena | ONGOING

ABOUT

Roses of the Arena started out as a NaNoWriMo story back in 2017. In fact, it was the very first NaNoWriMo I ever completed and reached the intended 50k! Back then, it was under the title Second Chances.

Sixteen-year-old me thought it was possibly the greatest story I had ever written. It was, actually, the only novel-length story I had ever written. Before Second Chances came the novella trilogy I had written, inspired by my obsessions at the time, X-Files and The Redwall Chronicles by Brian Jacques. Those are stories for another time to be delved into at a later date. What you need to know is that sixteen-year-old me was very proud of myself that I had managed to reach 50k, and I wanted to publish this book.

It had everything that I thought a good book needed. Angst, death, and a little bit of hope. It was the first draft. It had plot bunnies that burrowed plot holes, questionable motives from our MC and her companions, and a whole slew of loose ends.

I published it. Self-published, I should say.

Now some seven years later, I stare back at my sixteen-year-old self and shake my head. She was excited.

Twenty-two-year-old me stares into the draft, knowing I was dealing with a lot of teen angst at the time. Sometimes, I feel like I still am. An angry MC who felt like the world was against her, taking away her family and any friends. Isolated in a strange place. Anger. A lot of anger.

I've dusted off the old manuscript with tender hands, knowing I'm handling something that was very precious to a younger version of myself. Something that was healing for a teenage girl going through mental health issues, who thought no one cared, who found solace in her own little world where she could control everything.

The main outline of the story is the same, but I hope that the characters have matured just as their author has. You'll still find an angry MC struggling with a heavy loss and an overwhelming change in her life. This time, though, I hope the changes in her choices reflect a change in me.

With that being said, welcome to Roses of the Arena.

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Lily Bellator is living a normal life—or at least, as normal as life can be in a small town—until the night her world shatters.

Witnessing her father's brutal murder by the ruthless Centurion Atticus, Lily is thrust into captivity and destined for the gladiator's arena. Desperate to uphold her family's honor, she grapples with the realization that survival demands transformation. 

Amidst the violence of the Colosseum, questions arise about her father's death: was it truly an accident or part of a darker conspiracy? With only the enigmatic Centurion Markum offering any hope of assistance, Lily must navigate treachery and uncover the truth, all while fighting for her life and her family's legacy.