Gwendolyn is living the fairy-tale life. She's a princess. She lives in a castle with her father the king and her loving siblings. Everything is perfect. Or it was. One day, Gwen overhears a visiting prince commenting on her appearance in the harshest of terms and her world is upended. She's always known she didn't look like your typical princess, but her family thinks she's beautiful. No one has ever been so mean. Devastated, Gwen runs into the Haunted Forest and there she meets the Cursed Princesses, a group of outcasts and misfits who band together to show Gwen that she really is a princess. Based on the hit WEBTOON and adapted by best-selling author Michelle Knudsen, these novels will take readers deep into the world of the Cursed Princess Club. *** New parts drop every Thursday.

Twenty-nine-year-old spinster Laura Pendleton is known to be a talented matchmaker in London society. When she's asked to find a wife for the eligible bachelor Ian Dalton, she believes it will be an easy task-until she meets the gorgeous yet blunt and aloof Mr. Dalton in person. Although Miss Pendleton introduces him to several beautiful young ladies, the cynical Mr. Dalton appears to have eyes only for his matchmaker. But Miss Pendleton has no interest in marriage, especially not to such a wealthy nobleman, due to her shameful past. Instead, Miss Pendleton makes arrangements to become a governess and thereby escape her abusive uncle on her own. But Mr. Dalton is nothing if not persistent. When Miss Pendleton faces unexpected troubles, he offers her the governess position for his young nephews in order to get closer to her. Mr. Dalton's love, bordering obsession, for Miss Pendleton means that he won't give up until he can convince her to become his-despite all that is at stake. All Rights Reserved Written by Yu Hyemin.

{ ᴏɴᴄ ʜᴏɴᴏʀᴀʙʟᴇ ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ & ᴀᴍʙᴀꜱꜱᴀᴅᴏʀꜱ' ᴘɪᴄᴋ } Tate has been the bartender at The Imp's Bottle for years. The dive bar attracts a trickling array of unusual patrons, but due to his social anxiety, Tate avoids conversation and interaction. ...Until a random encounter with a beautiful girl causes Tate to open up in a way he never imagined possible. Unbeknownst to Tate, the girl's kindness plants a seed, inspiring him to abandon his wallflower nature. The changes are subtle at first, but rather than hyperfocus on his beloved retro music and impulsive need to clean, Tate begins to converse and interact with the bar's patrons. He becomes more outspoken, engaged, and confident. And his positive changes inspire changes in those around him. However, not everyone is thrilled with Tate's newfound confidence. Ali, the bar's prickly lone waitress, has a bone to pick with Tate. And she plans to come out on top of their little workplace rivalry, no matter the cost to her coworker. || A story about how the tiniest pebble can create the biggest ripples, this is my entry for ONC 2023. ||

2. Platz ONC 2024 | Abgeschlossen | Erst waren es die Künstliche Intelligenzen, dann die Klone: im Chicago des Jahres 2093 ist es nicht unüblich, sich selbst über den Weg zu laufen. Nachdem der CECI, der Chicago Enterprise for Clone Integration, vor 17 Jahren der große Durchbruch gelang, sind Klone nicht mehr vom Markt wegzudenken. Sie werden in allen Lebenslagen genutzt; als Organ- und Stammzellenspender, als Unterstützung am Arbeitsplatz oder sogar als Ersatz eines geliebten Menschen. Dennoch fehlt ihnen eine wichtige Sache: Rechte. Einen Klon zu verletzen oder gar zu töten, gilt lediglich als Sachbeschädigung. Ohne Erlaubnis dürfen sie nicht arbeiten, ärztliche Hilfe aufsuchen oder allein leben. Allein die Tatsache, dass sie in einem Labor hergestellt und nicht wie Originale - die "echten" Menschen - natürlich auf die Welt kommen, beraubt sie ihrer Menschenrechte. Schon lange unterwerfen sich nicht mehr alle Klone diesem Schicksal. Immer mehr von ihnen gehen auf die Straße, wehren sich gegen die Unterdrückung - und niemand ahnt, wie viele von ihnen bereits unbemerkt unter den Originalen leben.

When Marissa's poodle, Thor is snatched, the police can do nothing, so she goes to a private investigator. Their initial encounter leaves her shaken and wondering whether it's time to review her decision to avoid men. Graham gave up on women after a series of disastrous relationships, but something about Marissa stirs him. Dog? Oh, yes, there's a dognapping to solve. Written for ONC 2024 in response to the prompt: Sometimes words speak louder than actions. This story was named a Winner in both Round One and Round Two.

Straight out of uni, Lynn is glad to have secured a job as a replacement in a library. But soon she finds out the place is haunted, and not only by a blue cat. Juggling the upcoming vernissage of a photo exhibition and the trouble with her coworker, she has to learn fast - to trust her instinct-and the magic of the stories. Once 2024, prompt #15: "Why are you glowing blue?"

|CROSSROADS x LEAP YEAR | Eighteen-year-old April Lewis flees her troubled home, desperate to escape her emotionally distant, controlling mom, and seek out her dad. Little does she know a chance encounter with her classmate will take her on a cross-country ride: a journey that will change April's life forever. A venture that will lead her down a path of self-discovery and unexpected love. *** When eighteen-year-old April Lewis' mom walks around like a zombie, evades all attempts to talk and controls her every move, April decides she's had enough. She leaves home one warm summer evening with nothing but a yellow backpack filled with her coveted dad's letters he's been sending her for the past months, and some bare necessities. She's determined to seek him out and go live with him down on the West Coast, where he has a temporary job. The last thing April expects is almost being hit by a car. The owner of the vehicle? Her classmate, Dave Rivera, a troubled boy whom she almost never talked to before, and who can't be more different than her. After making sure April is just a little banged-up, Dave strikes a deal with her: he'll help her get to the West Coast free of charge, as long as she doesn't report him to the cops. The two embark upon a road trip from NY to LA, navigating through stunning landscapes and meeting a colorful cast of characters. While sharing life stories and exchanging experiences, armed with the wisdom from her Dad's letters, April and Dave discover that they are a lot more alike than they originally thought. The journey slowly becomes more important than the destination, and their path takes an unexpected turn when a shocking secret comes to light. © 2024 EvelynHail Exclusively on Wattpad Based on prompt 4! Which is (I shan't leave ye hanging :P): "When life gives you balloons, you fly up into the sky."