Esme and Matt can't stand each other, even if they have to play nice for the cameras. As public speculation about their chemistry heats up, they're forced to confront what's real versus what's just for show. ***** Esme Mendoza is everything Matt Crain isn't--polished, optimistic, and proud of her golden girl image. He's brooding, arrogant, and impossible to work with. As co-stars in an indie romance film, they're forced to act like soulmates on screen while barely tolerating each other behind the scenes. When their banter and lingering stares spark fan speculation during the press tour, their PR teams jump on the opportunity, but Esme and Matt aren't too thrilled. Suddenly, they're everywhere--public appearances, exchanging snarky remarks in interviews, and fueling endless rumors. As their forced chemistry starts to feel a little too real, Esme and Matt are left questioning: are they just playing a role, or could this be end game? ***** WARM HANDS #1 Open Novella Contest -- prompts 45 & 127 [[OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 ROUND 2 AMBASSADORS' PICK]] © 2025 caterina george // all rights reserved

Lorelei Engel is at the peak of her career. Her songs are performed by dozens of popular artists, but her own versions top them all. A meeting with a top city bureaucrat pays unexpected dividends when she discovers a second set of documents hiding unethical and illegal contracts. She takes the folder of files with her, leaving hastily to meet her private jet at the airport. In the limo, another unexpected passenger complicates her life. Meeting Taron, her pilot they take off. But life is never what you expect, and her personal mission must succeed at any cost.

Genevieve Miller, an aspiring professional ballerina, is on the verge of achieving her dreams when a chance encounter with a charming photographer at a grocery store turns her world upside down. Chase Coleman needs a fake girlfriend to keep his clingy ex at bay. Genevieve needs to impress the prestigious ballet company where his mother holds influence. It's the perfect arrangement on paper. But as their staged dates blur into stolen moments and unspoken feelings, Genevieve finds herself questioning everything-especially the undeniable pull between them. With her ballet future hanging in the balance and a man she was never supposed to fall for, Genevieve must walk the fine line between pretense and reality. Because when love is just an act... falling might be inevitable. ••• Prompt 22: When a renowned ballet dancer and an up-and-coming illustrator meet, their lives take an unexpected turn. ••• FEATURED ON THE ONC2025 LONG LIST!

This is a story of two 18-year-olds who vow to unravel the truth behind Officer John's murder and bring his killer to justice. Along the way they stumble upon tangled webs of mysteries and numerous questions: Do doppelgangers exist? How did a mafia gang mysteriously vanish? How on earth did a dead man come back to life?! And more. Join them on their journey as they solve cases that have remained baffling mysteries for far too long. [ Updates on Fridays.] .............................................................. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, companies, organizations, places and events used are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual companies or organizations, or actual places and events is fully coincidental.

SHORTLISTER + ROUND 1 WINNER ONC25 || Running from a war-torn world, Aulka and her pack find refuge in a Dream where there is no suffering, no pain, and no death. It's a well-needed reprieve...until Aulka is attacked by the very creatures that killed her family. She is rescued by the mysterious, Dream-dubbed "hero", Kaone, who tells her that the Maikai is dying and the Dream along with it. And she, the Dream-dubbed "healer", is the only one who can heal him. But there are things in the Dream that will do anything to stop her, and Aulka quickly finds herself caught in a Coren's Challenge, her own grief, and a desperate race to where the star weeps before she's eaten, Kaone's killed, or Maikai dies. There's one thing for certain: she must finish what she started. -||-||-||- ONLY ON WATTPAD. If you're reading this anywhere else, your device is liable to malware! NO AI TRAINING || ONC 2025 ROUND ONE WINNER 11/3/2025 || ONC LONLISTER 21/5/2025 || ONC SHORTLISTER 1/6/2025

FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘦-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘺. 𝘈 𝘵𝘺𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯. 𝘈 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳. Xanthiene Vivenca's life drones on in a cycle of finding her next meal, ensuring the house won't collapse, and surviving until the next day. Then, a boy with cloud-white hair ruins it all by crashing through her roof, along with a set of problems tying her to the fate of the island. With the Human Queen terrorizing the kingdom, friends to save after falling victim to a wicked system, and a power she could barely understand, let alone control, Xanthy finds herself working with complete strangers to bring down a regime. Secrets unfold. Certain truths are revealed. A war beneath the island's surface finally bares its fangs. Now, Xanthy has to save her friends and herself before it's too late. ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2018 (First Edition) © 2021 (Second Edition) [90,000 - 95,000 words] [Cover by @Moxartx ; Text & Graphics by @Exequinne]

When Ben's secret boyfriend, Mickey, forgets he exists, he discovers an underground world of wizards and teams up with Mickey's impostor to save him. ***** After a whirlwind affair during junior year, Ben didn't hear a word from Mickey over the summer. So, on the first day of school, Ben confronted his secret boyfriend. Only Mickey had no idea what Ben was talking about. Something was deeply wrong, and soon Ben learns it involves a world of wizards, Mickey's family, and a sleeping curse! The only way for Ben to save Mickey is to journey into a realm of magic with a man who looks just like Mickey, and as spells start flying so do feelings. Ben has to save Mickey, survive the coming battles and stay true to his heart, or he'll lose everything. [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]

Abandoned by the man she thought loved her, Claire Denham is left with very few options as she faces the prospect of being disgraced for falling pregnant out of wedlock. In fact, she is left with one. Lord Jack Beresford, the younger son of the late Duke of Ashwood, and often considered "the spare" in comparison to his older brother, has long held a torch for the pretty Claire Denham. When fate throws them together, Jack extends a favour to Claire, and she takes it, turning the lives of their families upside down. As they navigate a marriage of convenience, jealousy, betrayal, old lovers, and the fear of being second best all pose dangerous threats to an already shaky relationship ...

Born a slave, made an heiress, Annabelle must battle a society unwilling to accept her and a love that threatens to ruin her in order to keep her freedom. ***** Born a slave, Annabelle soon finds that fate has other plans when she's purchased by a man named Elijah Finley, who not only rescues her from an abusive master, but also gives her her freedom. However, her new life comes at the cost of another: Elijah has made Annabelle the heiress to his estate, in spite of having a son. So Henry Finley, unwilling to accept his father's will, is determined to regain his rightful fortune at any cost -- even if that means seducing his father's former slave... Content and/or Trigger Warning: This story contains some racist and sexist language that reflects the historical time period when it's set. [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]]

A battle trading card company creates the ultimate battle game, and people of all ages flock to play the new, immersive game of monsters and tactics. When Charli finds her new game board and limited edition card set destroyed by bullies, a friend steps in to help her out. Only, he can only give her a beta test version of the battle board and a children's card set. With the inaugural battle competition set to begin, Charli must use her wits to make her weak card set work well enough to enter the competition, but she faces people with more experience, more cards and better battle boards. Can Charli make her way through the stages with only a children's card set and a basic battle board, or will the competition prove too much? An ONC novella, based on Prompt 67: "A trading card game company creates real-life versions of their creatures. What started as fun and games quickly spirals into something far more dangerous."