Grace was an ordinary girl... Sike. This isn't one of those stories. Meet Grace Belmonte, who belongs to one of the biggest gangs in Italy. She's well known for her smart mouth, racing, bad-ass fighting and now the target on her back... After killing three of the Italian Mafia's best men, she unintentionally caught the attention of Antonio Romero; the Mafia's ruthless leader. And now he wants her... - - - He let go of my hands to cup my ass and I kissed him once again, my hands tangled in his black hair. We finally broke apart, his forehead leaning on mine. "Vuoi tornare a casa mia? (Wanna go back to my place?)", he asked me with a smirk. "Sì. (Yes.)", I breathed. He let go of me and stepped back, giving me just enough time to punch him in the stomach and run back to my car. - Warning: Strong language and mature scenes!

[WINNER OF BEST HISTORICAL FICTION STORY IN THE FICTION AWARDS] There is a story that has been whispered into ear after ear across many countries. It's a sad but hopeful story, the story of The Lost Princess of Scotland. You should know that the story I am about to tell you is true. The horrific events within said story are real, however I should inform you that some details have been altered and exaggerated over the passing years so believe as much as you wish... ~~~ Seventeen years after the tragic attack on the Scottish Kingdom, Rosalie is leading a simple life with her Aunt and Uncle in England. Their lives are soon turned upside down when an unwelcome visitor calls upon their cottage. Running for her life Rose stumbles upon the help of Georgiana, Princess of England. Introduced to a whole new way of life, Rose finds herself falling for Georgiana's older brother, Alexander. Lust and power are a dangerous combination and Rose soon finds herself caught in the middle of a treacherous plot. The Kingdom may not be the safest place to stay after all. [[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]

**A Blue Beard retelling** Based on Charles Perrault's fairytale, this YA Historical Fantasy short story set in Victorian England mixes romance, magic and mystery. After agreeing to an arranged marriage to escape her greedy relatives, 18-year-old heiress Amelia moves into her husband's manor determined to start a new life. But the gothic mansion's forbidding surroundings, the servants' strange demeanour and her husband's mysterious past soon awaken her suspicions. If Amelia truly wants to become the lady of the house, she'll have to discover what secrets lie beyond closed doors and unravel the mystery of the old house's forbidden room. But sometimes secrets are kept for a good reason... HIGHEST RANKING IN HISTORICAL FICTION # 44 Copyright © 2017. All works posted here are the property of EM Castellan. Please do not use without permission. Any duplication or reproduction of all or part of the work without explicit permission by the author is illegal. Cover artist: @seventhstar