He gave her his heart... and now he wants it back. Delilah is running for her life. And from it. Six days ago, she made a terrible choice, one that has endangered every person she loves. Her only chance to protect them is to stay as far away as she can, with only the pulsing shard of crystal in her pocket as dreadful company. And for six days, her plan has been working. But that could all be ruined by one nosy, arrogant, stubbornly chivalrous earl. Frederick Ascott never forgets a face, and yet he can't figure out where he's met Delilah before. And that mystery is the only reason he can't stop thinking about her. It has nothing to do with the haunted look in her eyes, or the fearful glances she tosses over her shoulder. And it especially has nothing to do with the way her face lights up when she smiles at him. As Delilah and Frederick are thrown together, Delilah's past grows ever closer, threatening the safety she's found within the earl's walls. As the red crystal warns of her enemy's approach, she is left with a terrible decision: to run and save the man she might be falling in love with, or to fight and risk shattering them both. ~~~ This is my 2024 Open Novella Contest (ONC) entry, based on prompt #33 - A broken heart beats with all its pieces. And it still wants the same person. It's a gothic, historical romance with a touch of sorcery and the paranormal. I hope you consider giving it a read, and if you're also writing for the ONC this year drop me a message and we can give each other some feedback!

In a twisted game of truth and lies, Yuki Kobayashi schemes to win the heart of her academic rival, Rhett Tudor, and the college scholarship with it. But if he sees through her deception, it's game over. *** Yuki Kobayashi is the pretty, popular girl at school who's always one wrong move away from having her crystal castle in the sky come crashing down. If her wealthy classmates find out that her parents died bankrupt, Yuki's reputation at Zenith High will be shredded to tatters. With lies as her foundation, Yuki is determined to make it through the next three years with her past safely buried and her future secure. When Era Wang, the queen of Zenith, offers a college scholarship and the coveted presidency of her club as the prizes for winning a simple game, it's an opportunity Yuki can't refuse. But sparks fly when Rhett Tudor, her childhood friend turned enemy threatens to defeat her in the game and expose her web of lies. As the lines between truth and fiction blur and the distance closes between her and Rhett, Yuki must decide whether the end justifies the means, even if she'll lose her only true friend and his trust again--this time forever. ✧ Rivals to Lovers ✧ Academia ✧ GrumpyxSunshine ✧ For fans of K-Dramas like Doona! or highschool anime such as Kaguya-Sama: Love is War. ─────────────────────────────────── Ongoing Word Count: 25.1k

Jade is on the run. To escape her old coven, she pretends to be normal. Just some run-off-the-mill witch. Certainly not someone powerful and especially not a life weaver. Taking on the position of the town witch in a seemingly idyllic, quiet, and desolate town seemed like the perfect plan to lay low for a while until she meets Paxton--shifter, Supernatural Security Division agent, and worst of all: witch hunter. When a dark ritual is performed just outside of town, all signs point to the works of a powerful witch. The only problem: Jade is the only witch. Now she has to work with Paxton to find the real culprit before her identity is exposed. The longer she stays, the harder it gets to leave. As the investigation unfolds, it becomes apparent that a high politician is not only behind the attacks, but after something specific. The town guards its own secret, one that forces Jade to compromise her carefully crafted identity or risk the safety of her new home. When her past and present collide, Jade needs to finally face those who have been after her powers all this time without losing everything she's built in her new home. *** Cover made by @allrenwrote

𝐎𝐍𝐂 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 - When Eventyr spirals into war, three young foxes from its divided kingdoms must discover themselves and their united purpose if they wish to save their home from being destroyed. -❈- A reluctant heir. A living mistake. A misguided ambition. One knows nothing but violence, one knows nothing but deceit, and the last is blissfully ignorant to the war that draws them all together. They all strive to be part of something bigger. And each has their secrets. Colborn is next in line for a role he isn't sure he can take. The burden he bears-and the sacrifice he must make to stoke his father's embers of pride-is all too much to handle. Skadi is scorned and broken. She was never meant to be born, much less, to live. All she wants is to belong, even if it means going against everything she believes in. Trygve just wants to make something of himself, to prove to his family that he isn't just a kit anymore. With passion driven by curiosity and stubborn determination, he's bound to land in the paws of trouble. As pressures rise and the war reaches a breaking point, each fox must face a decision that's bound to weave their threads of fate closer together. Either they accept their role as a force to fuel the conflict-or risk their lives to save another. But there's only one key to stopping the war. They must find the truth before Eventyr is destroyed. -❈- Entry for the Open Novella Contest 2024 Based on prompt 20: Three strangers, two secrets, one key. Final Word-count: ~38,000 Cover by: @avadel