In a world where superpowers make you either a celebrity or a criminal, Aether chose a long time ago where she stands. A metahuman who can change her appearance, Aether is currently on top of the game, the public face of government-sponsored superheroes in United America. She does have her share of problems: petty criminals, annoying coworkers, supervillains who have escaped justice for far too long... and the growing sense that being on top of the game just means having a target on her back. At the other end of the scale, the villain Lucid has just been forced out of hiding and back into the game - by a reporter who paid for her nosiness with her life. Lucid reluctantly joins up with the other supervillains and is immediately sucked into a convoluted scheme that could change the definition of superhumanity. Aether is having trouble trusting her teammates as they scramble to keep innocent civilians out of the crossfire. The question is: if Lucid just wants to quit the game, why is she so hell-bent on taking Aether out with her?

Beatrix Cagliostro, a starving Doctor in Letters, is hired as a Ghostwriter by Athanasius Finch, an eccentric and megalomaniac P.I, and together they will solve the biggest mystery there is: how to pay rent and not die trying. ***** Beatrix Cagliostro(pen name) thought she had hit rock bottom as a starving artist in New York with an art degree that only qualified her to be a Subway's Sandwich Artist®, but when she finds an Ad for a live-in ghostwriter/sidekick, she jumps at the opportunity. What she couldn't predict was that her new employer, the self-proclaimed "World's Third Best Detective" Athanasius Finch, would flip her world upside-down as he peels back the fat upperbelly of New York's society in a conspiracy involving evil personal care products, secret American royalty, and oddly watery Clamato. But the biggest mystery of all, one that will take their whole, undivided attention, is how to make it to next month without starving in the process. ***** My entry for the #OpenNovellaContest using prompt #58 "If we are assigning blame, then this is your fault for leaving me alone with explosives in the first place."

In Annapolis, self-appointed heroes and villains battle for control, a war that often leads to casualties for the people caught in the middle. One villain, sick of the eternal game, threatens to clear the board entirely, removing both heroes and villains alike and seizing control of the city for himself. He succeeds. Now, eight years later, the cryokinetic Jonathan Shard is one of the few remaining people with powers left in Annapolis. Having given up the hero life altogether after having his worst fears come to life, can a woman tied to the most tragic moment of Jonathan's life, something he's worked so hard to forget, finally convince him to fight back...before there's no one left at all?

Chuck Colt, a cowardly and highly neurotic ghost, must find a way to reunite his soul to his newly zombified body before dawn, lest his (un)death becomes permanent. ***** When Chuck Colt, a neurotic Movie Critic, inexplicably sees his own corpse hanging from a ceiling fan, he comes to the sudden realization that he is somehow a ghost. To make matters worse, his body seems to be moving on its own, and it doesn't like to follow Chuck's instructions. Now, both Ghost and Zombie Chuck must work together in order to find a cure for their undead curse before sundown, lest they get stuck like that for eternity - if one of the city's weird assortment of characters doesn't get to them first. The pair must comb through the magical city of New Orleans, facing multiple obstacles along the way - including but not limited to: werepugs, suicidal vampires, and trigger-happy priests - but the biggest obstacle they face is time. Can Chuck Colt beat the clock to be whole again, or will the Big Easy prove to be too hard to handle? For what is Tragedy, but Comedy - Time? TW: Mentions of self-harm, suicide. Cover by @IAmRodneyVSmith

Diagnosed with a terminal illness, Peter Katz hires a hitman to take him out. But when a cure is discovered, Peter's got to outrun the assassin to stay alive! ***** When douchebag lawyer Peter Katz gets diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wants to die painlessly. Still, death seems to elude his every attempt, so he hires an assassin to kill him at a random time and place within the month. Unfortunately for Peter, right after he orders the hit, a treatment is discovered that would add decades to his life. Now Peter Katz has to start running, until the month-long deadline ends. Desperate to survive, he has to deal with tall-dwarves, unionized suicide workers, art terrorism and all the insanity that being alive has to offer. Will he make it to the end of the month? Or will Peter Katz live a life's worth of craziness in however many days he has left? For what is Comedy, but Tragedy + Time? [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

[CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE] Want an honest review of your superhero/supervillain story? Want to find your next great read? If so, take a look inside.

" insert aesthetic, motivational, art-related quote here " [ ☾ ] volume II of my cover shop. currently closed. copyright (c) -wanderes

In the city famous for having an excess of superheroes, Jackson can travel to the place they are created. Afraid someone will use his power for evil, Jackson keeps to himself, hiding his extraordinary abilities. That is, until his high school learns he has powers. They may not know what they are, but his life is still turned upside down. Superpowers are always connected to a place, either in our world or outside it. And Jackson's world, both in and out, is getting more complicated. A shadowy society schemes in the background from the highest levels of Vera City's government. A locked door appears in the Library of Powers. The Writing Well sends a message. And someone is watching, perhaps even orchestrating it all. Jackson, however, has bigger problems to deal with, like pop quizzes, parties, and a snooping Principal. And even for the first time in his life, friends. Maybe, just maybe, his powers being revealed was a good thing. --- Originally called: The Writing Well, The Library of Powers, and Jackson.

Barbie........

An aging engineer must force his ailing body to work on one final project. The program that got him suspended might alter the concept of sentience forever, and more importantly, save his life. Feeble and disgruntled, paranoid and defamed, Nathaniel Racter will sink to any drastic low for a chance to live on.