Nova Jone's life changed dramatically upon discovery that she was the long-lost daughter of notorious pirate, Dahjlonica, and the former delinquent orphan became a pirate princess. She and her father made a profitable living raiding shipments between worlds, especially from the Hahn family, the most ruthless of warlords that rose after the Sol Commonwealth abandoned the Orion Outlands and consolidated within the inner worlds. Nova had a high price on her head. And as if that wasn't enough, the Commonwealth were coming back to reclaim the Outlands, and they had little regard for piracy. Elite Ranger Jake Barton led the way, with orders to eliminate Nova Jones. But as he tracked Nova, doubts grew in his mind. Who was the true villain?

Three women. Three tangled lives orbiting Mars aboard the Phobos Transit Space Station. Val loses her station operation engineer job under false pretenses, Exo-biologist Cassy is blackballed for doing the right thing, and ex-marine Kate suffers a broken heart. Fortunately, Mavis, the owner of the Starlight Tavern and rescuer of lost souls, is there to help, recruiting the women into her Quilters Guild. But when hostile forces invade the station, the stakes become far greater, and the Guild finds themselves embroiled in a multi-world conspiracy. And they are not about to just stand by and let it happen. Redemption comes stitch by stitch. *** Open Novella Contest Round Two Ambassador Pick *** *** Open Novella Contest Winner - Third Place ***

The first terraformed world, Tau Ceti Four, was now ready for colonization. Some called it Paradise, and it seemed a fitting name. The initial conditions before the terraforming began were perfect, too perfect for botanist Mora Torr. Something was not right. Engineer Gan Finn came over with the other colonists on the Ark Hope ship. He, like Mora, was as much running away from an anguished past as seeking Paradise. But twelve light-years distance itself does not cure broken hearts. "So, are there any alien jubjub birds, bandersnatches, or jabberwocks around here I should be worried about?" Laughter rolled from her mouth at the Alice in Wonderland reference. "Oh, nothing like that. It's not the big scary creatures we should worry about, besides other humans that is, but the tiny ones. History has shown us that things like bacteria, virus, and small parasites are the real killers. The deadliest creature in all the human history is a mosquito with a pathogen." ** Re-edited ** ** Open Novella II - Short List and Ambassador Pick ** ** Wattpad Editor's Choice (January 2020) **

Being a 'difficult woman', Oklahoma farm-gal Mavis wasn't having much luck with the local dating pool. Her Pa signed her up to emigrate to newly terraformed Mars, because 'Mars needs women'. Maybe there she could find a good man to marry. But Mavis had no intention of getting hitched, despite what the legal contract said. Walt, the son of successful Mars merchants, had no intention of going through with a forced arranged marriage. Finding a kindred spirit in Mavis, they chose their own path. A quirky sci-fi romance with a frontier vibe. **** Open Novella Contest Short List and Honorable Mention **** **** Open Novella Contest Round Two Ambassador Pick **** **** Novella Grand Winner - 2025 NanoWatt Awards ****

Araminta was called a witch. Now she's gone. And the last person who saw her is looking for answers. *** A Good Girl's Guide To Murder x Wednesday *** Two years ago, Araminta Green disappeared. Her neighbor and classmate Jordan Thompson was the last person who saw her, walking through a graveyard in the early morning hours. Jordan was intimidated by Araminta. With her pale-powdered face, black lips, spider-web eyeliner, and her love for tarot reading, it was no wonder that people speculated that Araminta was a witch. But Jordan was also intrigued by her dark aura, sensing that she may be as lonely as him. Maybe if he had reached out to her back then, she wouldn't be missing now. When Jordan is tasked with creating an investigative podcast for a college course, there is no question about which case he wants to delve into. With his cat Kiki as his co-pilot, Jordan sets off to answer the question of what happened to Araminta, even as his recordings constantly get disrupted by a cawing crow in the background. Following the trail of Araminta, Jordan discovers truths both about his missing classmate and himself, because while he hasn't vanished he is definitely lost as well. Will he be able to find both himself and Araminta? *** An ONC novella using prompt #81: The town's witch has gone missing and no one is looking for her but her two familiars - a crow and a black cat, plus the teen who has always been scared of her.

Tristan is a Quiz Bowl star. Vyrsa is from the stars. But is their interstellar romance written in the stars? *** Following a successful heist on a rival planet, Princess Vyrsa just needs to step through the Portal of Wishes to be brought straight back to her home planet Isola. But when Vyrsa steps through the portal, she finds herself on Earth, a primitive planet in a forgotten corner of the universe, with no means to return home. After having spent the night studying for an upcoming Astronomy test, galaxies, planets, and asteroids are on Tristan Conway's mind as he drifts into dreams. So he's unfazed when a strange glittering woman suddenly appears in his dorm room, convinced she's nothing but a figment of his imagination. When he finds her in his kitchen the next morning, eating his textbooks and befriending his cat, he's not so sure anymore. With no fancy alien tech at her disposal, Vyrsa will need Tristan's help to return to her faraway home planet. Ecstatic to be part of a plot reminiscent of the space movies he loves, Tristan throws himself wholeheartedly into the mission. After studies of possible fuel sources turn into Netflix binging beside her endearing host, Vyrsa's resolve to leave weakens. Maybe she'll just stay with Tristan a little bit longer... Surely nothing bad could come from it? Unless the owners of the artifact she stole figure out where she went and decides to obliterate the whole planet where she's hiding just to punish her, of course. *** This is an ONC Novella using prompt #18: You step through a magical portal thinking it's the way back home, but what you find isn't what you expected. This story is completed.

[ROUND TWO ONC 2021 qualifier] Young Camille Kamdev is hoping on her sixteen birthday she'll magically wake up as a zit-less, sassy, grown-up goddess, one babes will fall in love with because she finally has it, whatever 'it' is. That or the God of Love will take mercy on her and send someone. Instead, Cammy welcomes her sixteenth scratching an itch she can't rid of, her parents stare at her as if she's grown horns and conspire in hushed whispers--clearly up to something--and her best friend, Becca-Banana, blurts, "Oh, my God, guess who just asked me out?" in the clichést of cliches teen-love scenes. Reggie Sanchez with his lopsided smile and a dimple to die for is now taken. And if that wasn't enough to send any teen screaming, an unexpected visitor rocks up with news-to-end-all-news, just in time to throw her life into utter chaos. ~~~ "I'm a what?" Cammy asked, blinking like a deer caught in the headlight, for that is exactly what she was. Her visitor smiled, a smile so sickly sweet she both wanted to punch him in the face and go 'Aww, aren't you a cutie!' at the same time. "You're a Cupid, Miss Kamdev. It's in your name. Now. Shall we begin?" ~~~ Prompt #67: "What? Why are you looking at me as if I grew horns?" With a twist on Prompt #4: "You're a weapon, and weapons don't weep."--> to "You're a God, and Gods don't weep." FEATURED on: Round Two Qualifier - ONC 2021 @WattpadStars - 'Tis the Season (Dec 2021) @mythandlegend - ONC2021 Mythmakers @YA - Animal House (Aug 2021) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (2021) Eva Acharya. No part of this novella may be copied, or translated without explicit permission from me.

Four bad boys, Ayden, Hayden, Brayden, and Okayden, try to form a school club to learn how to fight their bad boy instincts, or succumb to cliches trying. ******* When Ayden's six-pack appeared when he was nine, he realized that he was born to be a bad boy. Far for embracing it, he has dedicated his whole life to avoid every cliche in the book, from girls with mysterious pasts stumbling into him in the hallways, to always changing schools to be the "mysterious new kid," to ancient beings asking him to be a chosen one every other day. But a fated encounter with the captain of the football team makes him realized that he is not the only one cursed with being a bad boy. There are others like him. Alone, they are weak. Together, they are strong. Sort of. With the mission to finding others cursed with being bad boys, Ayden and his new friends will work together to make a school club where they can help each other avoid the trappings of cliche and finish the school year unscathed. That is, if they can convince the student council president to let them form the club in the first place. [SEASON 1 COMPLETED] [SEASON 2 COMPLETED] [SEASON 3 COMPLETED] Cover by @Feralshadow

A jaded executive needs to save a horse and ride a cowboy instead. * * * * * When a careless mistake forces Manhattan financier and champion show jumper Alejandra Barros into a posh Colorado rehab facility as a term of keeping her jet-setting job, the perfectly chiseled abs of a local cowboy might be intriguing enough to make the workaholic reassess her priorities. But Ali doesn't count on hot-as-hell ranch hand Hank Mathis being just as physically and emotionally damaged as she is, even if he's a lot better than her at hiding it. These polar opposites will first need to be honest with themselves - and then with each other - to not only start to heal, but to also forge a relationship outside of Pebble Creek Lodge that's worth fighting for. Otherwise, Ali and Hank will risk losing the one thing that could truly make them happy: each other. * * * * * This book was previously published by Pocket Star/Simon and Schuster under the title: THE LAST RESORT (2017). Content Warning for mature situations and discussions including sex, trauma, PTSD, hidden disabilities, addiction, and psychological/physical injury.

Suzi needs a date. Well actually, based on the bet she made with her two best friends, she needs thirty-one dates. Thirty one blind dates to be exact. She's doing well, this is number seventeen already. This time she'll be going retro. At the Oceanarium. Perhaps, she has been doing too well? When Suzi's date doesn't show up and the carnation they was meant to be wearing is swimming with the fishies, Suzi knows she's in real trouble. Lethal trouble. This one-shot is part of the 31 Blind Dates anthology from more than two dozen Wattpad writers including members of the Stars program, published authors, Ambassadors and Wattys winners. At the end of each story, you will find the link to the next chapter in the collection.