Twenty years ago, magic vanished from the world, presumed forever gone. Yet it still existed, tangled within its own domain, along with Naamah, its dark personification. Naamah schemes return to complete her desire for humanity's subjugation and to avenge her earlier defeat. But with a soul barren, Naamah needed another to complete herself. Psalm, a blind young woman pure of soul, enjoyed a simple life with a loving family. She had no idea of her heritage, nor her magical potential as a powerful Oracle, nor that Naamah would target her. When the magic burst back into the world, Psalm and Naamah found their souls bound by a destiny written ages ago. This story was written for the 2025 Open Novella Contest, using prompt #129: The ink of our souls binds us beyond the pages of time.

28. On a beach vacation, you dive into the water, but it turns purple and suddenly you're pulled under the sand. What's waiting for you beneath the surface? 34. Your new job requires an out of town overnight orientation, but when you check in, you run into someone from your past that you never thought you'd see again. Casey (Cas) Galanis doesn't know whether to say she is a burn victim, or was, as it had been over a decade. While her body bore the evidence of her past, she was more than ready to leave every bit of the trauma from recovery and society behind her. Unfortunately, anyone back home that was still cruel about her looks wasn't going to change. They didn't want to see her as capable of caring for herself. The lowest point was her sister refusing to have her in her wedding photos, citing aesthetics. The out she found was in the hospitality industry, specifically an older, privately owned hotel. True, people would continue to be cruel to her. Even if they brought up her looks, they would be more concerned that their room was clean, the TV worked, the pool was warm, and they made it in time for the complimentary breakfast. And most of that, as a maid, wouldn't be her problem. That, and it came with a room that they couldn't be rented out. Which was odd for a hotel a short walk from the beach. The first hurdle would be the Tuesday night orientation. The second would be if she could learn to love the beach and all it's exposure. But there would be more surprises in store-the doctor who helped heal her and the dead Egyptian god who consumed any free time she had. Because of the possibilities in two men, life wasn't lonely anymore. Cover Art: Photo by Austin J. Best from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-smoking-1205388/ Other elements are Wikicommons, mods are mine.

3. When the most powerful and evil wizard creates an army of metal warriors and casts them throughout the land, it's up to a group of retired heroes to save the day. Samantha Hansen (Haira) was a Nebraskan farm girl until she became The Chosen One in the lands of Driftwich and Everwoe. For a time she was a beloved hero, but after they beat the fearsome and demonic dragons, it turned out she didn't know enough about the people she saved to fit in. Her oldest companion-a young wizard named Brom-took on the name Majus and played the society he knew all too well into favoring him for kingship. He didn't mind if she became his queen or if she lived the life of a barbarian of the north, as long as she could serve as a reminder of past glory. At first, it was a forced retirement from saving the world when she turned 30. Then it was the realization that she was aging and her body was changing, in a land with no modernized healers. Healers were antiquated, few, and often vestal virgins like St. Murin. She quit her job as a figurehead right along with the title for hero to run off for the wild plains of the southeast. It was the only place that looked like an almost untouched Nebraska. Unfortunately, the rogue known as Ice followed her out and made his home close enough to be a nuisance. And he remained her only annoyance until the rustbuckets started building a train through her town, bringing the king's order to the wilds.

The prophecy had warned Princess Katyani that she would die at the hands of the man she grew to love. Unfortunately, it had failed to mention that a sexually transmitted infection might kill her first. Or that the fae responsible for said STI would turn out to be such a dick. ~ Book 2 of The Murdery Marriages ~ Standalone ~

A companion prequel novella for 'To Marry a Dragon'. When a mysterious thief steals a treasure from a reckless prince, his knights spring into action. They're hunting for the precious necklace intended for the prince's bride, but the prince knows better. His heart was stolen, and his heart is priceless. The only way he can recover from this loss is to find his thief before the knights. Only, he can't court the thief and still be the same prince he's always been.

𝑴𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓, 𝑴𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒍... **A mirror-wandering thief and a knight who has lived hundreds of lives try to return the most precious thing to the Queen of Ice and Snow: the Heart of Winter itself. ** "When leaves have fallen And skies turned to grey The night keeps closing in on the day A nightingale sings his song of farewell You better hide for her freezing hell" - Ice Queen, Within Temptation - Keir, a self-proclaimed master thief, finds himself in a very unfortunate situation after a failed robbery: in exchange for his life, he agrees to free the stolen daughter of the ice-cold Winter Queen from the hands of the Summer Court. However, Keir is anything but a shining hero. To succeed, the infamous 'Mirror Walker' must use his extraordinary abilities and join forces with the noblest soul under the sun: Ser Drustan, also known as the Iron Knight. The two unlikely companions must work together to brave the dangers on the journey to the Summer Court, especially since Keir is still wanted in the desert country for murdering his former master, a mighty sultan. When Keir finally manages to break into the Amber Palace amid the rust-red deserts, he discovers much more is at stake than his own life. Can a former slave, a heroic knight, and a stormy shieldmaiden change the fate of the Ringrealms? Or might dark intrigues and the war of the High Courts bring ruin to the mortal world? **** Cover by Thinkerling ONC2025 Start: 06.02.2025

🏆ONC 2025 || Round One Round Winner Cary Leong sees ghosts. Ever since his parents were brutally murdered by one, he's lived in the space between reality and the other world, mingling with humans and the supernatural alike in a desperate attempt to track down their killer. But there's only so much one boy can do---until Jackson Grey shows up on his doorstep. Jackson is desperate. His girlfriend, Sophia, is being haunted, and he needs Cary's assistance. Seizing the opportunity, Cary proposes a deal: he'll help Jackson...if Jackson helps him find his parents' murderer. Accompanied by Sophia and Sophia's overprotective, hot-tempered brother, Edmund, Cary and Jackson must tread the border between worlds in order to kill the ghosts of their pasts and presents---or die trying. Dead men tell no tales, but the other world has a lot to say.