[ROUGH DRAFT] In the land of gods and monsters, humanity ravaged Malcea with endless wars. Their insatiable hunger for treasure, pleasure, and power led them to forsake the gods who had once guided them. For thousands of years, the gods remained silent, watching with grief and fury as their creations spiraled into chaos. But when humans stood on the brink of war with the ancient dragons, the gods finally chose to intervene. Their return, however, was far from merciful-for the Gods of Malcea had darker, more sinister designs for their wayward children. Karos, a soldier of Asalph, is one such pawn in their game. Trained to hunt dragons, his beliefs are shaken when he forms an unexpected bond with Ake, a dragon desperate to return home. As Karos questions the gods' motives, he must decide whether to uphold the laws of his homeland or fight for a future shaped by his own choices-and the fragile, growing bond with Ake who challenges everything he thought he knew. _______________________ @Haylee for this gorgeous cover!

Part one of two. In 1967, George was the legendary Georgina Monroe, the best Marilyn Monroe drag impersonator New York City had ever seen. But in 1994, George is a recluse who is scared of everyone and everything. Enter Ruiz, a young Latina pageant drag queen known as Audrey the Ritz, famous for her Audrey Hepburn impersonation. Since she was fourteen, she had admired Georgina Monroe's career obsessively, always wondering about why she disappeared so suddenly. During a chance encounter, Ruiz gets to meet George, and through a gentle friendship and a strong bond, Ruiz starts to uncover a story she never could have imagined in her worst nightmares. Stories of the mob, glamour, love, heartbreak, addiction, murder,and intensely dangerous secrets abound in this lgbt novel about ever present issues that pervade throughout time. Told through voices young and old, we follow the story of Georgina and Ruiz as witnesses to truths that are rarely told.

**Only the bonus chapter is paid, the rest of the story is (and will stay) free!!** Libby Marks-Whelan is decidedly not a lady. Kicked out of nearly every finishing school in the country, she's shocked when her demure, straight-laced cousin Ella invites her to the royal court as attendant during her debutante season. What Ella fails to realize, however, is that Libby's brand of mischief is exactly the kind of distraction Prince Andrew is looking for during his inaugural season as an eligible bachelor. Cover designed by Adam Budny

**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

[FREE STORY with exclusive chapters] Tragedy has struck the kingdom of Iride. The crown prince has disappeared and rumors claim pirates have taken him. But, even if the news is tragic, Kat Devieux has other, much more urgent things on her plate. Her financial troubles and the unrealistic expectations of her father has her family on the brink of starvation and her only way out seems to be marriage to a man who sees her as nothing more than a pretty face. When in order to save her father, she becomes the unwilling prisoner of a cursed beast, the running of the kingdom becomes even less important to her. Until she finds herself entangled in rogue politics and magic use. Because the Beast is guilty of more than misuse of magic in a kingdom that has expressly forbidden it. He holds a secret that could be the undoing of the entire country. And for Kat, knowledge opens a door to a life where she is so much more than just another bystander. A life she never thought could be. 🥀 Book 1 of the Fairy's Gambit series *Beauty and the Beast retelling* Fantastic cover by @pennywithaney

For students of the Wynter Academy, the virtual world of Cytronica is the perfect after-school hangout. A private realm just for them and the local bots-no teachers, no parents. Tired of its boring ways, five students find a way to tweak its code, altering the world as creatively as they see fit. The realm has limitless potential and possibilities; letting it go to waste would be a crime. But rewriting the rules has consequences-what starts off as a fun experiment quickly becomes a dangerous situation as the once-safe world transforms into a lawless dystopia. They need to make a decision: reset the realm before the school finds out, or push its boundaries and embrace the carnage. But not all agree, and the students are forced to choose a side. And as the chaos intensifies, an all-out virtual war looms, where only the strongest can survive. A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR READING AND VOTING! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! IF YOU HAVE A SECOND, I'D ALSO LOVE FOR YOU TO RATE IT ON SWOONREADS TOO. THEY OFFER PUBLISHING CONTRACTS TO A CHOSEN FEW BOOKS, AND I'D BE HONORED TO JOIN THEM! YOU CAN VOTE HERE: https://www.swoonreads.com/m/cytronica/

"Pharoah's love is unpredictable; Pharaoh's love can change in the blink of an eye, The flash of a fox's tail. One moment you are his greatest treasure, The next you become a mere speck of dust - Pharaoh's love comes and goes like each beat of a butterfly's wing... With Pharaoh's love you are the only woman in Egypt - Yet once he deems you undesirable... His love can break your heart into a thousand bloody shards. Perhaps his love is naught but a myth; Perhaps his love holds aught of value. But the one thing you must always remember and NEVER forget is that Pharaoh's love is faithless, Indeed - fickle beyond anything else you've ever known." Pharaoh's royal harem is the place where your closest friends become your greatest enemies, the place where even your most loyal slaves can betray you. Beware of the women who pour poison in your goblet, whisper lies into your ear. They will do whatever it takes to break your spirit, and you shall cower with fear in the face of their power. But you must never succumb, because the rivalry amongst Pharaoh's women will intensify to bounds that have never been reached, the jealousy they feel for each other will give rise to their destruction, as they do things of the unthinkable to win the fight for Pharaoh's heart, sacrifice their souls to survive in the horrible competition for the place of Chief Wife. And in the mist of it all lies Neferu, Pharaoh's Beloved, destined to do the impossible...

(On hold). A tale in which an assassin in danger of losing his family's legacy tries to keep his bloodied empire from disappearing, vowing to destroy anyone who stands in his way. ♚ *A Queen of Thieves spinoff. Contains massive QoT spoilers.* Logan Black is a prodigy - by the time he was six, he was playing the piano better than those five times his age, an award-winning violinist, and an expert in killing people. Logan grows up to take over the Sect Inferni, a secret society of assassins, and his rule is a messy one. Uproar follows the moment he becomes king, escalating to a civil war in which all those who are loyal to him are being brutally murdered. With no way to find tell who among them are traitors, his empire is in peril. And there is nothing he won't do, and nobody he won't sacrifice to save it from crumbling. •Trigger Warning: This book delves into a darker side of human nature (violence, assault, abusive relationships) •

*IF YOU ENJOYED THE KING TRIALS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I LOVE HEARING FROM YA'LL* The king of Elthare is dead. Invitations have been sent out to the noble families to put forth a Champion to participate in the 43rd King Trials, a grueling competition that has left former competitors permanently injured, disabled or dead. Who will be king? Grantham Sinero, a man skilled in hand-to-hand combat and armed with the ability of telekinesis. Andalen Amadon who can inflict pain and suffering with a single touch and is a highly trained archer. Khett Pedgram, the former prince of Elthare, able to control the four natural elements and has an immense knowledge of the kingdom's history. Ikar Dominikov who holds no special powers, but is a great hunter and tracker. A kingdom at war. When soldiers from the empire of Mezerah invade Elthare, the Trials are cut short, and the Eltharians must prepare for a war no one ever saw coming. Many lives are lost, but with the help from their allies to the north, Elthare may have a fighting chance against the Mezerans. At the end of the Ten Day Battle one Champion will be crowned the new monarch of the now fractured kingdom. But who will be left alive to claim the throne? Book 2, The Dawn of Serpents, now available!