A HEIST GONE WRONG. A GANG SHATTERED. Volya Angelov, known by the public as the Priest for his cult-like following, knows how to cut a deal and take what's rightfully his. He and his criminal prodigies have siphoned Gorod Krestov's wealth for years and are slowly draining the city's slums with their profits. Yet when he is arrested and shipped off to an island prison, his empire is left to his closest ally, Mysh, a girl who stands a mere five feet. It's up to her to manage what he's left behind and decide whether or not the syndicate should be risked for his life. But with demons from a haunting past and sinister characters converging all around her: can Mysh pull it off? "SIX OF CROWS" meets "PEAKY BLINDERS" in this twisty, 1920s-set novella with enough suspense to keep you reading until the church bells chime. Honors/Awards: ONC 2021 Top 5 Winner (4th place) ONC 2021 Ambassador's Pick (Round Two) "NOVYYE SAINTS" is 7x featured on: @shortstory's "another time, another place" reading list @action's "thriller" reading list @action's "action spotlight" reading list @historicalfiction's "decade fiction" reading list @badassreads's "the ruffians" reading list @storiesundiscovered's "historically inaccurate" reading list for august 2021 @opennovellacontest's "2021 top five winners" and "2021 ambassador picks" lists Copyright © 2021 Elle Chaika Open Novella 2021 | Prompt No. 29

"Even if only evil is left in the world, a small shred of virtue must remain or the evil has no definition." When Elisabeth's life is completely unrecognizable compared to how it once was, she uses her diary as a coping mechanism. Managing her way through the persecution, how will she figure out a way to survive the war? This book is taken from the perspective of a young girl during the Shoah, also known as the Holocaust. This book is based on real events, but any similarities to a real person are merely a coincidence. The inspiration for this book was the many diaries kept by young children during a time their life was surrounded by war. Completed 4/28/2021 Editing began 5/24/2021

WHAT'S MORE COMMON IN WAR: LOYALTY OR BETRAYAL? April 1944. Amidst the chaos of war-torn Ukraine, Taras Savaryn, an apathetic cavalry captain, gets roped-in to stealing morphine for his unit commander. Out of spite, he decides to bring along Vika Yeryomenko, a quick-witted sniper, with the secret hope she'll be able to restore his faith in Ukraine's fight for freedom. But soon enough, the mission reveals itself to be simply suicidal and Taras finds himself trying to reverse his decision... and atoning for all others. Honors/Awards: 1st Place Winner in the 2022 Historical Awards hosted by @historicalfiction @historicalfiction "War & Military" list @militaryfiction "Modern Wars" list Complete 22 February 2022 ✓ Copyright © 2022 Elle Chaika

Everyone knows the band Zenith, but nobody knows how they managed to rock Zerkovkia's youth into starting a revolution... until now. Tolya Viktov is coming of age in the 1980s to the tune of spinning records, cheap liquor, and Zerkovkia's nine year war with neighboring Blivdova. The perms and denim jackets are hip, but it's the underground music he's most excited about. By the time he enters university, his lyrics and his talent have helped him break through on the student musician scene. Tolya, a duo of genius guitarists, and a bandless drummer soon come together when a producer realizes the key to achieving radical change in Zerkovkia is getting them to make music. What happens next is the stuff of legend and a whole lot of love, revolution, and rock and roll. Honors/Awards: ONC 2023 Honorable Mention ONC 2023 Ambassadors' Pick (Round One) "VIKTOV LIVES!" is featured on @music's "mighty drumset" reading list @storiesundiscovered's "feast on fiction" reading list @flexiblebookexchange's "read these gems!" reading list @opennovellacontest's "2023 honorable mentions" and "2023 ambassadors' picks" lists Copyright © 2023 Elle Chaika Open Novella Contest 2023 | Prompt No. 44