Paradise | ONC 2023

"If I cannot move Heaven, then I will raise Hell. And I will do it for you. Again, again, and again."
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Iris Irai, a half-demon of wrath, is living in anything but paradise. She works as a cleaning lady at the Paradise Resort, a hotel in the Florida Keys that is catered to retiree demons who vacation from Hell...and divulge in their sins on Earth. It's full of debauchery, depravity, and death. Iris doesn't want to be there; demons make the worst customers. She's paying off a debt for a virtue she committed years ago--and is still haunted by.

Something is wrong. The tides are turning. The customers are getting rowdier. The sea, colder. Dead bodies becoming more frequent. Abilities going haywire. A hurricane is forming offshore, literally and metaphorically, and it will destroy everything Iris knows.

...And then there's the mysterious angel, Riel, who tries to kill Iris and shut down the hotel.
She must work with him, exploring a strange hotel and equally strange Florida Keys, to find answers and dissipate the oncoming storm.

Together, they learn that there is more than good and bad, angels and demons--and they maybe even fall in love along the way.
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For ONC 2023! The prompts used are: "Hell is empty and all the devils are here." - William Shakespeare (#63) and "An attractive and mysterious stranger moves into town. While everyone is desperate to make an impression, only you notice something odd about them." (#50)
(Cover is drawn by me!)
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1st Place Winner (Best Cover) for the Ambrosia Awards!
1st Place Winner (Best Protagonist) for the Ambrosia Awards!