2020 Online Novella Contest III
9 stories
The Mystery of the Lakeshore Ltd - An Eleanor and Lydia Mystery by eacomiskey
eacomiskey
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Eleanor and Lydia, Book 2 When Eleanor's great-granddaughter, Lydia, shows up seeking her help, the "retired" detective knows she has no choice but to spring into action once again. Lydia has been attending classes at a local university and has great admiration for one of the teaching assistants who has been doing cutting edge research. On a trip to Washington DC to start on a new, ground-breaking project, the woman and her work disappeared. The local police aren't taking the case seriously, but Lydia believes her friend is in real trouble. With a solid history of sleuthing together in the past, the unlikely team confidently heads out in search of clues. Soon, they find themselves knee-deep in corporate intrigue and murderous greed with nothing more than their wits and the contents of Eleanor's enormous handbag to save themselves. My entry for the 2020 Open Novella Contest.
The Plague Doctor's Daughter by rskovach
rskovach
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[2021 WATTYS Winner] Giovanna joins a handsome nobleman to save a friend from an arranged marriage, but they discover a plot that may have victims of Venice's Black Death rising from their graves. * * * As a child, Giovanna Visconti learned the arts of bloodletting and elixir brewing from her father with an intent to simply support his work, not take it over. But when he falls ill from the pestilence that's been ravaging Venice for months, she reluctantly dons the beaked mask of the plague doctor. Vowing to protect her father however she can, Giovanna hides him away and sees her first patient--the handsome, but alarmingly feverish Matteo Barozzi. Although she successfully treats this son of a high-ranking official, in a careless moment Giovanna fails to properly conceal her identity. The only reason she isn't tossed into a dank jail cell is thanks to the young man's honor and feelings of indebtedness. The association between the charming aristocrat and the clever commoner should end there, but when Giovanna's dearest friend goes missing right after her betrothal to the Doge's son and amid strange reports of nighttime attacks, violent commotions, and inexplicable behaviors in the community, the only person Giovanna can turn to for help is Matteo. Together, they must carefully navigate Venice's increasingly deadly canals to uncover a sect peddling false cures and a smuggling plot involving the highest levels of government or risk the entire Republic falling victim to something even worse than the plague: the risen dead. Historical Fiction with Fantasy Elements THE BORGIAS X FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH * * * WATTYS 2021 winner for Historical Fiction and special HQ prize for "Catchiest Hook" AMBYS 2022 winner for Best Zombie story Content Warning for adult situations including assault and death.
The Memory Thief | ONC2020 [AMBASSADOR PICK] by NDeMeer
NDeMeer
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While the city is tormented by the Memory Thief, Liliya is struggling to keep her job when the government issues yet another law further restricting the use of magic. Desperate, she finds herself looking for new ways to support her ailing mother and pay the growing pile of hospital bills. One day, during a not-entirely-legal endeavor, something goes awfully wrong, but she's saved by charming barkeeper Nyron. As her world collapses around her and pushes her under, Nyron is there to keep her from drowning. When Liliya learns the identity of the nefarious Memory Thief, she finds herself entangled in a web even Nyron can't get her out of. Especially since he's just as tied up as she is. ONC2020 entry! Thank you SO MUCH @SophieHellberg for this amazing cover! :)
Lustral  || Complete by Space_Queen_Q
Space_Queen_Q
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Two aliens on the run, manage to bump into each other on a distant planet at just the right time. ✨~✨~✨ Liri Delaney, the only child of Dubrovn planetary moguls, is accused of murder. Scouring several solar systems to find the true murderer, she runs into trouble in New Seattle. Ardon Rowe, a sweet-talking High-Draconian hybrid, sees her plight and offers his unconventional services. The two find more trouble than they ever bargained for with wrongfully imprisoned Shape Shifters, military battleship chases, and needy lovers. Lustral: rite of purification. ✨ ONC 2020 Shortlister! ✨ ✨ Featured on: ✨ @ScienceFiction ~ Intergalactic Reads (Space Opera). @YAMystery ~ Can Somebody Get This Walking Carpet Out of My Way. @SpeculativeFiction ~ Breaking the Space Time Continuum. @BeyondSol ~ Andromeda Action/adventure @Readers Choice Awards 2020 winner. @Winter Rose awards 2nd place winner. @PrettyInPunkBC 2022 third place winner. @TheAmbys ~ Space Opera winner '22. 👽 Lustral is the type of SciFi I adore. Strong characters, creative worlds and species, and a plot that keeps you at the edge of the seat and so many twists that will leave you dizzy. ~ @SallyMason1
DragonSky  |  ONC 2020 SHORTLIST by Kamiccola
Kamiccola
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What are wings for if not for flying with dragons in the realm where islands float in the sky? The life of order and monotony is not enough for a winged demon like Ansgarde. When society rules suffocate her, she escapes to fantastic dreams of dragons and epic quests. If only someone qualified took on the challenge to break the Dragon's Curse, her dream would come true - she would share the sky with a dragon. After all, the prophecy says that a demon like her would free the ancient race. But no one takes the legend seriously. No one but her. *** This book has been featured on the following Wattpad reading lists at one time or another: - Open Novella Contest: 2020 Shortlist, - Fantasy: Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, and Featured Fantasy Stories, - High Fantasy: Wonderland, - YA Fantasy: Magical Creatures, - Watt-Dragons: Legendary Creatures, - Magic: A Magical Journey, - Secret Treasures: Fantastical Realms, - Warrior Goddess: Fantastical Warriors, - Horns and Halos: Underworld - Demon stories. 2nd place winner in The Dream Awards 2021 hosted by @TeamOfDreams. *** No trigger warnings. Just a laid-back high-fantasy adventure. This novella is a standalone prequel to The TriRealm series.
Debbie's Vengeance  by Nablai
Nablai
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Fourteen-year-old Debbie isn't all that she seems. Her love for money is well-known in the neighbourhood. When she is arrested, accused and wrongly implicated in a drug deal gone awry, the law sentences her to a life in juvenile prison. Through her life in prison, Debbie learns that she is the long-lost heir of the kingdom of Karlynndwain. She gets details on her perpetrators and the crimes they committed. And now, she wants to take revenge from all those who wronged her. She will not stop until she has it! My story is a mix of prompts #7, #10 and #14 :) Cover made by the wonderful Jess @softyhartz :)
Señorita Pufferfish | ONC 2020 by LadySapphire2018
LadySapphire2018
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Sapphire's mournful howls of despair and grief pierced through the battlefield between her fits of hopeless sobbing. It was the sound of heart being shattered into a thousand, tiny bleeding pieces as the mermaid looked upwards. It was as if she was making a vow to the Heavens themselves. "I'll never love again." The words were so soft that Aphrodite almost convinced herself she hadn't heard them at all. They felt more like the echo of a whisper hidden within a half-forgotten dream, but the goddess of love heardthem all the same. "Well, that sounds like a challenge." Open Novella Contest 2020 Entry Based off Prompt #65. You declare to the Heavens that you will never fall in love again. Aphrodite takes that as a challenge.
The Egyptian Queen ONC2020 by whale_lover_157
whale_lover_157
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A goddess. A queen. A lover. In the times of ancient Egypt, where pharaohs ruled and gods and goddesses brought great gifts and curses, a young soldier comes to power. Commanding the armies of the great empire Modu finds himself drawn to the queen: Nehabet, the Pharaoh's favorite wife. During a celebration to honor the goddess of pleasure and god of entertainment the Pharaoh catches Madu staring at Nahebet and takes it as a sign of treason between the two. Furious, the Pharaoh declares that his wife and Madu be executed. What happens when the gods take pity on Nahebet? And what will happen to Madu, with a spell brewing under his skin? A mansion. A girl. A ghost. In the time of the 21st century, freshly-college-graduated Victoria Jackson is whisked into her Uncle's life when he leaves her his mansion upon death. His will rips tension between her cousins when she decides to move in and call the Jackson Manor her own. But she soon finds herself trapped by the feeling of deja vu the Egyptian relics and artifacts bring and a strange sense that she is being watched within the decaying walls. What happens when she discovers that someone else has been calling the manor home, or that her past is more than she knows? With this new knowledge will Victoria finally be able to live, or will another life be stained on her skin?