Hamburg, 1960. Willa and Elsie March are on the run, and they find safety at the Bambi Kino in the red light district of Hamburg with five cocky, sometimes maddening, usually drunk, and bloody talented boys--the Beatles. Willa has never met anyone quite like John Lennon. He's everything she didn't know she'd been missing. "I thought about John, about our interactions and our late-night chats. He was without a doubt intense, and most definitely moody. He made me feel so many things--confused, annoyed, relieved, comfortable, content, and bloody irritated--but not nervous." And there's more to Elsie's relationship with Paul McCartney than she's willing to admit. This is their story filled with trust, betrayal, secrets, love, lies, hope, and the Beatles. ** Achievements 2025 Grand Winner - Fanficiton Category (The Nano Watt Awards) ** •Part One: 1960 (Chp 0 - Chp 17) Started: March 5, 2023 Completed: June 27, 2023 •Part Two: 1961 (Chp 18 - Chp 36) Started: Sept 24, 2023 Completed: June 16, 2024 •Part Three: 1962 (Chp 37 - Chp 53) Started: Sept 29, 2024 Completed: March 23, 2025 ** Thank you so much to the amazing @strange_daisies for creating the cover! ** [Just Like] Starting Over is a work of fiction. While many characters of the story bear the names of actual people, they and their actions have been imagined by the author. Some events depicted in this story are based on reality, but there are also many that have been modified or created purely by the author. I (obviously) do not own The Beatles, but I do own my original characters. ** Warnings: This is a mature story and as such there is swearing, shagging, violence, angst, drug references and use, death, and explicit adult situations. ** Comments, feedback, and votes are always very much appreciated. I will reply to you as quickly as I can! Thank you so much for reading! x ** [Just Like] Starting Over © NikSzabo (2023)

An ONC shortlister! The long-forgotten god of chaos awakes when a small child drops a piece of candy onto his altar, unwittingly becoming the high priest of chaos. The god is beholden to his priest and his priest's people--AKA: his kindergarten classmates. The children are all-too-delighted to serve the whims of mayhem until the chaos becomes too much, even for them. They forbid the god from using his power. But when disaster strikes and the whole school is in danger, a bit of bedlam might be the only thing that can save the children, the town, and the god's budding romance with a schoolteacher. Based on the Open Novella Contest 2023 prompt: #73 - You are a long-forgotten god. A small kid leaves candy at your shrine and you awaken. Now, you must do everything to protect your High Priest/Priestess, the kid, and their entire kindergarten class, your worshippers. #ONC2023 #OpenNovellaContest

Three years ago, Ivelle Delaville poisoned her murderous git of a husband and ran away to start a new life. Now blissfully single, Ivelle is content with her carpentry business (apart from the crushing debt), and she's determined to live a life free of romance and villainy. Or so she thinks. Faced with the threat of foreclosure, Ivelle has a choice: poison the evil Prince Eirifold in exchange for a metric f*ckton of gold, or starve to death as her carpentry business goes bankrupt. It seems like a no-brainer... except for one problem. The prince she's been hired to poison may not be as evil as advertised. He's also a really good kisser. ~ Book 1 of The Murdery Marriages ~

**WATTYS 2025 SHORTLIST** Sixteen-year-old Cas is clever, sporty, and on the brink of a bright future at university. His best friend Vish has no such prospects. A painfully shy artist, Vish's future won't go further than his daily routine of pills, sensory issues and panicking parents. Cas and Vish celebrate what could be their final summer together by painting wildlife and swimming at a secret wetland that they've discovered hidden in the Fens. But something ancient and sinister lurks in the beautiful marsh that Cas and Vish have claimed as their summer retreat. Vish's childhood imaginary friend, Charlie, has returned, and this time Charlie wants Vish's body and soul. The only thing standing in Charlie's way is Cas, and he won't give up on his best friend, even if it means a fight to the death. --- WELCOME TO MY ONC 2025 STORY! This incorporates the following prompt: 105. Your childhood imaginary friend who disappeared years ago returns - only this time they're real. I'll add in some of the other prompts as I go along. Not sure if I'll make it to the end but we'll see how we go!

When Rosie's new husband ignores her, she begs the harlot next-door for lessons on seduction (1980s suburban dystopia with a spicy lesbian romance) *** It's 1982, and newlywed Rosie McGee has just moved into an idealistic suburban cul-de-sac called Windsor Lane. As a good Christian girl, this is Rosie's dream come true... or at least, it should be. However, next-door-neighbor Scarlett Everly doesn't fit in with the rest of the good Christian wives in their neighborhood (she drinks, she sleeps around, and she doesn't even attend church!). Worse, Rosie's new husband suddenly seems utterly uninterested in her. Has he already been seduced by Scarlett? Or is Rosie simply too boring? After a honeymoon more closely resembling a funeral, Rosie gathers her courage and marches right up to Scarlett's door with a plea: teach me your ways. Scarlett agrees, with one condition: Rosie must model for her next painting. When the agreement leads to unexpected attraction, Rosie begins to question her own priorities. The warmth she once felt when holding Thomas's hand is nothing compared to what she feels when Scarlett is painting her. But a good Christian girl should not think of such things. Especially not in Windsor Lane. Grand Winner for the Pride Awards 2025 Honorable Mention in ONC 2025 ONC 2025 prompt 53: On your honeymoon, you discover the most shocking truth about your spouse--one that could change everything. Also prompt 118: You're feeling trapped in your current relationship and can't shake the urge to break free.

In a land of swordsmanship and myth, three English children are about to change the course of history... ~~~ Colin, Madeline, and Brian Evans have always sought adventure. But try as they might to find intrigues and escapades at their ailing grandfather's estate, their quest continues to prove fruitless. Until one day, a misplaced door leading to a misplaced stairway takes them to a foreign world of warriors and legends. At last, an adventure seems within their grasp. In the beautiful and mysterious land of Makoto, the Evans children meet a pair of young samurai - siblings Shin and Min Kazuo - who show the children that Makoto's peaceful beauty is nothing but a façade. The country is plagued by unpredictable raids, a clan of merciless bounty hunters, and a faction of sinister Shōgun. When Min is captured and taken to the Shōgun's palace, Shin teaches the art of swordsmanship to the Evans children, and they begin a perilous journey toward freeing Makoto. However, the origin of the Shōgun's rule is far darker than the Makotan people know. Evil forces are at work. And amidst the war for freedom, the Evans children discover that no adventure comes without danger or cost. {For fans of Narnia, Oz, Wonderland, Neverland, and Japanese history & culture.}

A young girl must rely on her estranged father to help her return an Orisha's heart, but as she taps into its power, she finds herself drawn to its dangerous magic. *** Sparrow Winslow discovers an old picture of her late mother with a crooked businessman. Convinced the man is her biological father, she tracks him down and learns more than she bargains for. Not only is he her father, but a vampire, which means she'll be coming into her fangs any day. But complications arise when he also explains her witchy mother stole the heart of an African goddess, enabling her life. Armed with a reincarnated bestie and a ruggedly strict, but dashing Guardian, Sparrow is forced on the run as every supernatural overlord seeks to take the goddess's heart for themselves. The only way to escape this nightmare is to return what her mother stole...her very heart. But that means Sparrow will have to remain a drab and medicated vampire and relinquish her divinely witch nature to the Orisha. Each time she casts a spell, Sparrow tastes her newfound abilities and it's secretly delicious. It isn't long before she fears becoming just like the monsters who are chasing after her heart. Will she sacrifice her ancient power to restore balance? Or will magic consume her good intentions the same way it did her mother?

When visiting Canada for a wedding, a commitment-averse dive instructor must pretend to date her Australian seatmate to avoid conflict with her ex and judgmental mother. *** Audrey Clarke rarely felt like other women her age. Not as a teen who'd never gushed about gorgeous celebrities, nor at almost thirty, with no desire to marry, have kids, or settle down. She would much rather explore reefs in Southeast Asia and adventure around exciting places. Even when she meets travellers with similar dreams, none are the right romantic match. Until Caleb. When flying home to Canada for her friend's wedding, Audrey dreads confronting the pain she caused her ex and facing her judgemental mother. It drives her to connect with her seatmate, Australian environmental scientist, Caleb, who also craves a distraction. Despite his charm, he is enigmatic about the cause of his stress. They agree to fake a relationship to make their lives easier. The more time they spend together, the more real their act feels. Will Audrey be brave enough to share her true feelings before the trip is over? *** Featured on - Ambassador's recommendations "Aces! Bows and Aros" chapter (Nov 2024) - Chicklit's "Rom-Com" reading list (August 2024) - Romance's "Slow Burn" and "Fake and Arranged Relations" reading lists (June 2024) Winner - Grand Winner Aro/Ace Awards by the TripleACommunity and FreetheLGBT communities (Dec 2024) - First Place Harvest Festival Astania Awards Wild Card category (Nov 2024) by the Asatnia Community - Honourable Mention, Romance Awards, Romance category by the Romance profile (Oct 2024)

WATTYS 2024 SHORTLIST (Formally titled a Mischievous Tale of Magical Mayhem) In a world of magic and mayhem, where ferrets fly and trees talk, three unlikely heroes find their fates entangled with a deadly mystery. ***** Tallon is a scoundrel-an elf/human hybrid ranger who leaves a trail of chaos in his wake. With only his wingerret as his companion, Tallon travels the realms at his leisure while living life on a whim with no concept of consequences. Ben is a natural-born thief with more magical talent than the typical human. He lives and works in a rundown inn owned by the man who raised him and dreams of adventure while doing his best to avoid serious trouble. When Lord Colbert of Sagehand sends his wayward son to Ballsdeep on a trade and reconnaissance mission, Tallon is miserable. The backwater town is located in a remote section of the world in the seediest of bad locales, and no one wants him there. But when a dangerous, illegal crate falls into the bay and interrupts a heist, a deadly and wide-ranging conspiracy is uncovered. As Tallon and Ben cross paths, they are forced to work together if they wish to safely escape Ballsdeep while investigating the clandestine operations behind the evil Coconut Conglomerate. During their travels, they gain allies and enemies while fighting their initial attraction and learning to trust one another in this epic fantasy adventure. ** Cover by @Kaiddance using Canva Pro

A fierce warrior seduces a mysterious rebel to protect the king. --- Epsa proudly defends the nation as a member of King Makapu's Royal Guard. When a resistance movement threatens the kingdom from within, Makapu calls on Epsa for a task requiring more than just combat skills. Epsa must seduce Izra, a mysterious and magnetic rebel leader, and extract information to help the Royal Guard smother the rebellion. As she works to gain Izra's trust, Epsa finds herself developing unsettling feelings and reassessing everything she has ever known. Embroiled in a dangerous game of politics, Epsa must decide who to trust. Who to protect. And who must die. Prequel to "The Claimed: A Clash of Copper and Gold" (also works as a stand-alone novel) |2022 Wattys Shortlist| Trigger warning: This story contains descriptions of abuse and references to sexual assault