Li Xiang is the Priestess of the Moon, she can see read the stars and fortune as well as misfortune to her people. However, the life of a Priestess consists of nothing but loneliness: she can neither leave the palace nor meet with anyone but the Emperor and his advisors. One day a mysterious servant boy named Rui sneaks into her room, daring her to go outside if he wins against her in a game. Upon meeting him, she also befriends a female warrior and a scholar, and realizes life is much more than the palace. When the day comes she can either choose to go down the road her heart truly desires but bring ruin to the kingdom, or ignore the one chance she will ever have to leave this life? *** "My fate has been decided for me." "There's no such thing as that," he said. "We all make our own fate." "But the stars tell me--" I stopped talking when he holds my face in his hands, warm hands cupping my cheeks, brown eyes looking into my eyes. "Then stop looking at the stars. Look at me." A love story about fate, finding one's identity, stepping out of your comfort zone, and, most of all, choosing between your happiness or the happiness of others... [[Word Count: 80,000-90,000]] Wattys Fantasy Winner 2021

A retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth, a story of fate, the struggle for power, and love found in the most unexpected places. ***** Persephone has been raised in Olympus all her life - her mother absent, her father a cruel king, with her siblings teaching her all they know. She has seen all of what the gods and goddesses do and she is sick of it. When she learns her safety is threatened by staying in Olympus, she flees to the Underworld. There she stays until she learns that her leaving has caused the world to wilt. But leaving behind her newfound friends and Lady of the Underworld is something she will not do willingly, no matter the consequences. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]] Cover designed by Regina Dionela Content Warning: Mentions of rape and incest