✨On Hiatus✨ ONC 2023 Shortlister {HUNGER GAMES meets EMBER with a dab of 5TH WAVE vibes} From the moment Star drew her first breath, the unending conflict between humankind and extraterrestrial forces had been an inescapable reality. For as long as she could remember, she had called the subterranean depths home, honing her skills in the art of survival within the clutches of the dark. As the relentless war wages on above the earth's surface, Star finds herself ensconced within the underworld labyrinth of three distinct factions, each vying for power and influence. Amidst the ceaseless destruction that threatens to consume everything she has ever known, Star is confronted with a daunting choice: to participate in this Decades games, a ruthless and unforgiving competition that promises absolute dominion for the victor. With resources dwindling and time running out, Star finds herself faced with a harrowing choice. Will she take up the challenge and risk everything to participate in the legendary games? For the victors, the ultimate prize awaits: the power to rule over all. ✨Round One Qualifier in 2023 Open Novella Contest✨ ✨Round Two Qualifier in 2023 Open Novella Contest✨ ✨Round Three Longlist in 2023 Open Novella Contest✨ ✨Round Four Shortlist in 2023 Open Novella Contest✨ #ONC2023 | Prompt 67 | Prompt 6 ‼️ Content/Trigger Warning: Contains gore, violence, some strong language. All rights belong to the author and no reproductions are allowed without the permission of @Renaissance111. Please respect the author's copyright. 😊❤️ 2023 C.S. Marie

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

ONC 2023 Shortlister, An Ambys 2024 Favourite (Fright) & Fright Pride Month Feature 2025. *** Accomplished writer Ríone Embers' life takes a turn when she learns from the solicitor that her dead mother has left her their childhood home in Loutham. It unearths memories buried deep in her past, threatening to unravel the life she has made since leaving that place. Seeking the advice of her therapist, she decides to confront the demons of her past. Nestled by the ocean, Loutham is a quiet town with no discerning feature that might make it different from any other American small town. It's forgettable, a mere pointer on a map. Yet it has a chilling secret hidden in the very waters by which it is situated. And it is calling Ríone to come back home. *** Started: 1/02/2023 Ended: 15/04/2023 Cover Credits: @MoranaInDesign (a total magician!)

Born in a society where an AI ran the daily lives of every human being including deciding their spouse, Ava never questioned her role. However, the day the handsome stranger who had haunted her dreams manifested into the real world, she knew she would never be content with the life that had been planned for her by the Unity. To be with the one she truly cares for, Ava must join up with the resistance to fight to free humanity from the Unity's control.