Nova Jone's life changed dramatically upon discovery that she was the long-lost daughter of notorious pirate, Dahjlonica, and the former delinquent orphan became a pirate princess. She and her father made a profitable living raiding shipments between worlds, especially from the Hahn family, the most ruthless of warlords that rose after the Sol Commonwealth abandoned the Orion Outlands and consolidated within the inner worlds. Nova had a high price on her head. And as if that wasn't enough, the Commonwealth were coming back to reclaim the Outlands, and they had little regard for piracy. Elite Ranger Jake Barton led the way, with orders to eliminate Nova Jones. But as he tracked Nova, doubts grew in his mind. Who was the true villain?

An earlier version made the ONC 2025 Long List. This is the longer, revised version for the Wattys. Scott an insecure idealistic young man gets his girlfriend Zelda new virtual reality goggles that control one's senses and thoughts. The complete immersion in the MMORPG adventure cannot be distinguished from reality and raises the question will their love survive virtual realities with dream lovers and none of the inhibitions of actual reality. An exploration of ideas on love, sexuality, reality and the impact of future mind-altering technologies. Hopefully thought provoking and entertaining.

ONC 2026 In a world woven with secrets, silence can be deafening. Eighteen-year-old Luca Kant has never known the sound of her own voice; born deaf and raised under the suffocating grip of her controlling father, she is haunted by the shadow of her mother's mysterious disappearance. Did she flee from the clutches of a man who could be a monster, or did something more sinister happen? Nineteen-year-old Boy Harrison lives at the wrecking yard. He can speak, but hasn't spoken since he was four. He is haunted by nightmares that echo a woman's voice warning him that to remain safe, he must remain silent. Fate draws Luca and Boy together. Long-buried memories and cryptic connections between their lives begin to unravel. As they delve deeper into their entwined pasts, eerie parallels unfold-did Luca's father play a role in the dark mystery surrounding her mother's fate? Does he hold the key to both their truths? How is Boy connected, and who is the woman he dreams of? In a gripping tale of identity, resilience, and the haunting weight of silence, Luca and Boy must confront their monsters and uncover the chilling revelations that bind them on a riveting journey where silence speaks volumes and whispers could change the course of their lives. PROMPT 80 - Monsters don't live under our beds. They live in the recesses of our minds. (Variation of Edgar Allen Poe's famous quote.) My interpretation - Monsters didn't live under your bed. They sat at your table.

ONC 2023 Shortlist Astrid, the Princess of Eurovea, a country existing several centuries in the future, had led a happy and sheltered life in the castle ruled by Regent Arcturus, her uncle. Only on reaching the age of ascension when, according to an ancient tradition, all future queens must face a trial, she realised that there were great gaps in her knowledge of the world around her, her uncle, and even the people she thought she knew well. In a world where love doesn't exist, a young girl who understands old novels better than her reality is sent on a dangerous quest to save her country from creatures who, just like love, were not supposed to be true... Mystery, romance, adventure, and magic combine in this tale, in which a young princess who had grown up surrounded by an impenetrable web of lies, has to find her true identity, and free her kingdom from suffering. A young-adult, dystopian, paranormal fantasy-romance. The wonderful cover created by @WakeWriteWrath

@YARomance Undiscovered Book of the Month, December 2022 Multiple times featured. The magic of first love, set against the backdrop of a small island hidden beneath a mysterious fog. At first sight, the tiny Foggy Island promises Liam an uneventful summer, with the haunting prospect of starting a new school at the end of it. But does this magical, sleepy place hide something else? Is there something, someone lurking beneath the fog, expecting him? Maybe an old mystery waiting to be solved? Trigger warning: An old case of suicide is mentioned in the story. It is a part of the unsolved mystery from the Victorian Era and doesn't directly affect any of the main characters. This story was crafted around three short words : a broken key, an old book, a smell of rain.

Celtic mythology inspired short story. When Neil finds an outlandish girl who had been washed ashore during a storm, he decides to take care of her. Once he falls in love with her, he hopes that the Sea will never claim her back... Will his love be strong enough to keep her with him? Will it be strong enough to let her go back home...?

Finding her grandma's diary in the stuff that her mother wanted to donate to the Salvation Army made Beth really sad. She hid in one of her drawers with the intention to read it later and was surprised at what she found inside.

A collection of short stories written in the style of my original genre impressionistic melodrama. The featured stories will mostly have traits of historical fiction, romance, crime fiction, thriller or horror. List of stories: Life Rarely Ends Well On the Way to Town The Rejected Lover's Grief Cover made by @LynaForge

A desperate movie director, a suspicious bodyguard, an extravagant mafia boss, a capricious actress, an inexperienced drug dealer and an unhappy assassin. What do these people have in common? Nothing. Or so they all wish... However, life decides to bring them all together in one day full of unfortunate events and terrible bad luck. An ONC story based on prompts 4, 49 and 73