MelissaRussell589's Reading List
12 stories
Sun in an Empty Room by apillarnamed
apillarnamed
  • WpView
    Reads 33
  • WpVote
    Votes 1
  • WpPart
    Parts 1
This is a poem I wrote for my poetry collection dedicated to the work of Edward Hopper. The title of the painting is the poem's name sake, "Sun in an Empty Room" (1963). https://www.edwardhopper.net/sun-in-an-empty-room.jsp
To the Wild Places Inside by ScottWhitaker
ScottWhitaker
  • WpView
    Reads 236
  • WpVote
    Votes 10
  • WpPart
    Parts 10
Ten poem chapbook for the Atty Awards, 2012.
The Painted Altar by bigimp
bigimp
  • WpView
    Reads 92,765
  • WpVote
    Votes 7,903
  • WpPart
    Parts 44
WATTYS WINNER 2020 Two interconnected murders, 64 years apart. One woman's search for truth and identity. Readers' comments: 'a masterpiece', 'impeccably written', 'amazing', 'superbly crafted page-turner', 'hauntingly beautiful', 'tremendous plot and character development', 'one of a kind', 'fantastic story telling', 'loved this book', 'a wonderful read", 'absolutely beautiful', 'brought tears to my eyes' and many more Wattys judging panel: 'This is VERY good. We were HOOKED from the beginning, and the writing and plot hold up throughout. This is a very unique, polished, well-written and well-researched piece.' Plot Set partly in rural England, partly on the sun-kissed coast of southerm Italy, The Painted Altar is a murder mystery mixed with romantic and historical elements (World War Two). Given away at two days old, Mary Rice has spent her life in the shadows. When discovering the suspicious circumstances surrounding her biological mother's death, she embarks on a journey which will shine a light not only on the truth but also on her own identity. Brief extract Suddenly, the door had inched open, half a wrinkled face visible behind the tautened chain. "Hello. Who is it?" The words I was going to say had of course been well-rehearsed, repeated over and over in my mind like a mantra, but now that the moment had arrived I found myself struggling to remember them. "Mrs Harvey... I think that you might... well, that you might be..." The door closed, then slowly opened once more, the chain this time unlatched. And there she was before me - half a metre away, within arm's reach. Thin lips gradually crooking upwards at each corner like the slow beatific kindling of a summer's dawn. "Oh yes love, I know who you are." Length: 70,000 words About the author: Originally from England but for the last 16 years I've been living in Italy. I hope therefore that the Italian aspects of the novel will have a certain gloss of authenticity.
Carnival Souls by RedasNight
RedasNight
  • WpView
    Reads 169,784
  • WpVote
    Votes 18,678
  • WpPart
    Parts 71
COMPLETED: 2019 Watty Award Winner in Fantasy Every night she plays...and every night they come... Lira is a violinist by nature and a performer by imprisonment. Stolen as a child by a malevolent wraith and trapped in the Spirit World, Lira now spends her days playing the very music that seduced her in the first place. She sees no escape from her existence under the sorceress Bebinn, until one day her music lures Owen who, at age 16, is supposed to be too old to succumb to its spell. Imprisoned alongside Lira and desperate to find a way back home, Owen vows to find a way to free them both. The only problem: no one has ever escaped Bebinn and the Spirit World alive. 1st Place Winner in Fantasy for the Undiscovered Writer Awards! 1st Place in Fantasy for the Hidden Author Awards! 1st Place in Fantasy for the Hot Dog Awards! Winner of @EventualElites "Hypnotized and Hooked" Award! 3rd Place in Fantasy for the Book Center's Summer Awards! Cover by: @Baneen121
Your Creative Well (How to Unlock Your Creativity and Reach Your True Potential) by jjwilbourne
jjwilbourne
  • WpView
    Reads 20,477
  • WpVote
    Votes 813
  • WpPart
    Parts 13
Do you struggle with coming up with ideas? Do you pause in the middle of a project, stuck and unsure what to do next? Do you have a hard time focusing your energy and staying productive? Your Creative Well is the guide that will help you unlock your creativity and reach your true potential! EVERYONE is capable of creativity. That includes YOU! It's time to take your creativity to the next level. Are you ready?
Absurd Haikus, an Autobiography by jimrileyenlight
jimrileyenlight
  • WpView
    Reads 7,612
  • WpVote
    Votes 1,519
  • WpPart
    Parts 89
Poems tug against the leash of the constraints of meaning. Words pull back. Highest ranks, #1 in Surrealism, #1 in Absurdity, #1 in Enlightening, #16 among all Poetry.
The Clockwork Conspiracy: A Steampunk Fairytale by lucwatson
lucwatson
  • WpView
    Reads 15,207
  • WpVote
    Votes 959
  • WpPart
    Parts 7
A hidden tower. A trapped servant. An evil enchantress. Sound familiar? In a bygone world of steam and airships, Alek builds singing automatons for the villainous Lady Elise, hoping that one day he can buy his freedom. Everything changes when a healer's apprentice happens upon the tower. With Felix's help, Alek learns of a whole new world beyond the boundaries of his tower. If they're lucky, he can escape the Lady's grasp once and for all. But to do so, they'll need allies, ingenuity, and a lot of courage. Read on for a tale rife with adventure, magic, and unexpected love, set against the backdrop of a familiar fairy tale. WINNER of LGBTQ/OnceUpon LGBT Fairytale Retelling Contest! https://www.wattpad.com/353142574-contests-contest-3-once-upon-a-time-results
Parasomnia by ErrantFuture
ErrantFuture
  • WpView
    Reads 36,059
  • WpVote
    Votes 788
  • WpPart
    Parts 4
Now a published novel and available worldwide! It is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Google Play Books, and many many others! [A 2020 Wattys award winning novel]. Something has changed inside of Leo Harr ever since the nightmares started. Only, he's not certain they're just dreams. Have you ever heard the color white? "This story is expertly written, with a mind-bending plot. The writing is reminiscent of Iain Reid's work (and talent)." - 2020 Watty Awards
Road to Arcadia by DreamerCail
DreamerCail
  • WpView
    Reads 73,500
  • WpVote
    Votes 3,629
  • WpPart
    Parts 27
Kai Gilling, a transgender wanderer traversing the American West, has to trek hundreds of miles in his beat up Jeep, in order to reach an urban legend rumored to be the only settlement still thriving. *********** It's a Wasteland, baby. In the uncomfortably not-so-distant future, the world has been ravaged by natural disasters, water shortages, and public apathy. People like Kai Gilling have flocked to the desert (once known as the American West) in hopes of finding a better life. After picking up a pair of siblings, the three come across a strange woman who claims to have a map to Arcadia, an urban legend rumored to be the only city thriving in the wreckage of the old world. Will they keep their hearts set on an oasis in the desert--even if it's just a mirage? Or will they be tempted by something else
The Last Elysian Oracle (Published under PSICOM) by mahriyumm
mahriyumm
  • WpView
    Reads 13,807,102
  • WpVote
    Votes 559,430
  • WpPart
    Parts 76
◤ SEMIDEUS SAGA #02 ◢ Elysian Oracle - the oracle of Elysium, the highest oracle of the realms. The Alphas know it isn't over. The Gods are constantly up on their sleeves, giving them missions, perhaps proving the Alphas' loyalty to their deities. What is it with the deities lately? The mortal realm is in for a big surprise after the demigods learn more about the war that has happened. Unfamiliar voices and faces will slowly reveal the truth about what the world will soon become: a battlefield. Our heroes will have to sacrifice something for the sake of their future... or is it a someone?