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The Open Novella Contest is back for 2026! Join fellow storytellers and plant the seed of a tale that will blossom into a 20,000+ word novella within 12 weeks! Your epic quest begins February 1st, 2026, so mark your calendars with this date!

The veil between realms is thinning. Rhiannon, last of the Star-born queens, carries a fire powerful enough to unmake worlds-and a secret that could destroy the man she loves. When an ancient hunger rises from the depths, she must descend into forgotten waters and face the ghosts of her bloodline. Loki, wounded and bound by love, will defy gods and fate alike to find her, even as the same darkness calls his name. Across broken kingdoms and drowned halls, light and shadow entwine, testing the fragile bond that once held the stars together. To save what remains, they must choose between burning the world clean or letting it fall to ruin. The Willow Maid: Crown of Embers-a story of love and loyalty, of fire meeting water, and of the cost of bearing a crown forged in flame. Sequel to The Willow Maid.

For the fae, magic is everything: status, power, wealth, honor. For Vera Reite, a fae born with no magic, it is a shameful reminder that she will never amount to anything. Whispers of a fae-killing monster begin to circulate the Moon Court. It lurks in the woods, feeding off the mana of its victims. Those that go missing and find themselves at the mercy of the beast are never seen or heard from again. Fear quickly takes hold of the fae court; it's only a matter of time before their whole world is destroyed by this creature. However, it offers Vera a glimmer of hope. When she learns of it, she ventures into the wood to kill the beast, believing that she will be able to absorb the magic it has stolen. But the woods are as dangerous as the beast, and Vera soon finds herself lost. In a stroke of luck, she comes across an old manor deep in the forest where a strange boy is sealed away. If Vera wishes to slay the beast, she will first have to uncover the secret of the manor and its prisoner before it's too late. 𝐀 𝐟𝐚𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜. 𝐀 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭. 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝. ||Completed: 8/15/24 Word count: 90,000 - 100,000|| Sample, getting published fall 2026!

(EDITORS PICK) In the bloody, ruthless, and decidedly uncouth world of 17th century pirates, can a woman deceive even those closest to her and survive? Bronte is forced to make some tough decisions about her life and livelihood at far too tender an age in a time and place when options for women are few. Port Royal, Jamaica, in the 17th century is only a good place to be if you're a pirate. And so, a pirate she is. A pirate's life is precarious enough without the added burden of hiding one's sex. But, if she is to survive, hide it she must. Lucien's father wishes him to take over the family merchant business but Lucien feels God has a different path; he longs to use his medical knowledge to help the less fortunate in the Caribbean. Just as he is about to embark on his God-given task, a certain pirate spoils his plans. Is he wrong about the path God has for him? Lucien is forced to work for his father and delay his plans until he can hunt down the pirate who thwarted him. He is sure he's a match for anything the pirates dish out but soon realizes he's gotten more than he bargained for and it just may cost him his life... ⭐️ Featured in Editors Pick 9/2020 Cover by @Azanthiel

Clare Beddor died screaming under the hands of the Fae. Her sister rose from the ashes determined to make them pay. Celeste Beddor entered Prythian as a human. She returned from the Cauldron as something else- something ancient, something burning, something the Fae were never meant to survive. A phoenix. Hidden in Velaris as a quiet refugee, Celeste waits. Watches. Learns every weakness the Night Court thinks it doesn't have. The day she finally strikes, the world burns. Feyre almost dies. Rhys is seconds from ash. And the two Illyrian warriors who leap between Celeste's fire and their High Lady feel something impossible snap into place. A mate bond. With the woman trying to kill them. Celeste is captured, but she does not break. She laughs in Rhysand's face when he questions her. Because she knows something he doesn't. "You think I'm the only one coming for you?" A new enemy rises beyond the horizon-older than the Cauldron itself. And the only creature powerful enough to stop it is the girl Rhysand should have killed... ...if killing her didn't mean losing Cassian and Azriel forever. Enemies. Lovers. Mates. And a vengeance bright enough to burn the world.

A renowned captain plagued by a mysterious curse. A Mage with a long-held secret. A royal with something to prove. A celebrity who leads a double life. Who can be trusted to protect Karvoth? *** Twenty years following the momentous Battle of Magira, the Seas have lost their deadly touch, ushering in a new age of trade between the kingdoms of Karvoth and Magus Opté. No one is more familiar with the Seas than Ash--expert Sea captain and infamous thief--or his childhood best friend and trusty accomplice, Lane. So when King Markus invites them to the castle to serve as his eyes and ears during the week-long King's Gala celebration, they jump at the chance to escape their lives of drudgery and debauchery. However, the Gala turns out to be much more than they bargained for when they start to suspect that a murderer has infiltrated the castle. Ash, Lane, and their friends--including a famous pub musician and the King's alluring niece--race against time to weed out the killer, and in so doing accidentally unearth a chilling conspiracy that turns everything upside down . Based on the award-winning Shadow Witch trilogy, Nights of Salt and Shadow blends both old characters and new in a brand new, nail-biting story that will keep you guessing up until the last page. (Book Four of the Skyelorn Chronicles trilogy) Content and/or Trigger Warning: Some scenes contain violence that may upset sensitive readers [[Word Count: 50,000-60,000]]

❖ QUEENKILLER, KINGMAKER Book 2 ❖ A year has passed since Isla rescued Tam Mai from the dungeons, but her sister's mind is still trapped and broken. There is only one person Isla knows can help her. Meanwhile across the sea, a prince seeks justice for the murder of his mother. Their search may soon be over, but their war is yet to begin. Now they must work together to bring a new age to the realms and put a new king on the throne. But how long can their alliance hold, when one is keeping a vital secret from the other? ↝ this work contains violence, coarse language, and sexual references. content warnings also apply for ableism -- please see the opening author's note for details ↜ ↝ Wattys 2023 Ongoing Stories shortlist

Aelira is 20 years old and grew up isolated in a cabin, surrounded only by the worlds of her books, under the care of her uncle, who insists they are in the middle of the Arctic. Aelira has never known the world beyond the cabin, but one day, driven by a surge of courage, she crosses a portal and discovers that her destiny is far greater than she ever imagined. Now, in a new and magical world, Aelira must face creatures pulled straight from her nightmares and most fantastic dreams, while also learning about the power of the magic that pulses around her. But it's not just the unknown that haunts her-a mysterious figure calling itself Her Shadow begins to follow her, challenging everything she thought she knew about herself. In a journey filled with danger and wonder, Aelira will need to discover whether she is capable of saving herself or if she will be consumed by the mysteries of this new world... And as if that weren't enough, the unicorns in this world are far from gentle-they are predators with a ravenous appetite for anything that moves.

After moving to a new city, high school senior Caitlin Paine is thrust into a world of supernatural danger while she navigates forbidden romances and seeks answers about the strange new power that plagues her. ***** In TURNED (Book #1 of the Vampire Journals), 18-year-old Caitlin Paine finds herself uprooted from her nice suburb by her mother to attend an inner city New York City high school. The one ray of light in her new surroundings is Jonah, a classmate who takes an instant liking to her. But before their romance can blossom, Caitlin finds herself changing, overcome by feelings she does not understand: superhuman strength, a sensitivity to light, and a desire to feed... Seeking answers, her cravings lead her to the wrong place at the wrong time, opening her eyes to a hidden world where two dangerous covens are fighting a vampire war. After she's rescued from the dark forces by Caleb, a mysterious and powerful vampire, Caitlin becomes caught between two men - and two worlds - on a journey to discover who she truly is. [[Word count: 50,000 - 55,000 words]] TURNED is book #1 in the #1 Bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, which includes eleven books (and counting). "TURNED is an ideal story for young readers. Morgan Rice did a good job spinning an interesting twist on what could have been a typical vampire tale. Refreshing and unique, TURNED has the classic elements found in many Young Adult paranormal stories. Book #1 of the Vampire Journals Series focuses around one girl...one extraordinary girl!...TURNED is easy to read but extremely fast-paced....Recommended for anyone who likes to read soft paranormal romances. Rated PG." --The Romance Reviews