Ein Jahr nach dem Krieg versucht Hermine, in eine Normalität zurückzufinden, die sich fremd anfühlt. In der Stille einer alten Bibliothek fern von Hogwarts stößt sie mit Draco auf eine Vergangenheit, die fast vergessen war - und auf Wunden, die sich vielleicht niemals ganz heilen lassen.

Based on the hit WEBTOON comic by Ingrid Ochoa, The Kiss Bet follows Sara Lin on her quest to experience her first kiss. Told from multiple points of view, including Sara's and three boys, The Kiss Bet shows that life-and love-can be messy and complicated, but it sure can be fun. Read it on WEBTOON, Wattpad, or get the full published version adapted by Farrah Penn in book stores today! *** It's senior year and Sara Lin just turned eighteen. She's got great friends, a cool dad (or so he thinks), and a whole lot ahead of her. She understands that her first kiss is a rite of passage, one that she takes very seriously, even if everyone around her doesn't. She wants it to be special-true love's kiss-and wants to fall for someone she really cares about, not just get it over with. Then her best friend Patrick challenges Sara to a bet that will either lead to love or heartbreak. Or maybe embarrassment? Maybe all three. And the more he teases her, the more she wants to prove him wrong . . . that maybe her first kiss can be memorable and special and fun and life changing.

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.

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't help, so she goes to a private investigator. Their initial encounter leaves her shaken and questioning her decision to avoid men. Graham gave up on women after a long series of failed relationships, but something about Marissa stirs him. What begins as a search for a stolen dog quickly opens old secrets, stumbles on identity confusion, and uncovers a stalker from a dark past. As Graham and Marissa unravel the deepening mystery, they realise how well they fit together. This is a seductive romantic thriller about trauma, trust, and finding the kind of intimacy they both thought was impossible. 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?"