My Sister’s Last Game (Women Fiction) *Third Place Winner

Jasmine hasn’t been coping well since her sister, Kayla, passed. They had a strained relationship, and Jasmine believed it was her fault. She had always dreamed of fixing it and now she can’t. 

Weeks later, Kayla’s best friend takes Jasmine out to lift her spirits. But when Jasmine loses her wallet that contained the last photo she had taken with her sister, she panics. Eventually, she finds her wallet, but the photo is missing. In it’s place is a note starting Jasmine on her sister’s last game. 

Throughout the short story, Jasmine is faced with learning how her sister always felt about her. It’s a touching and moving story of getting to see Kayla’s feelings about having a sister who is neurodivergent.

The Dress Thief (Young Adult Fiction) 

The day before prom, Ivy walks into her fashion class and finds a note in the place of her dress. The dress is thirty percent of their final grade. But not only that, prom is tomorrow, and scouts from the prestigious fashion schools will be there. Her mom prematurely already made invitations to a congratulations party for Ivy getting accepted. She has no idea what to do, especially when the note makes it clear that Ivy deserves to learn a lesson.

Imperfect Pair (New Adult Fantasy)

Sophomore year in college is your last chance to match with a dragon; if you don’t, you’re sent to the outskirts to die. Since necha’s are half-souls, without finding their dragon—their other half—they can’t handle their magic or survive.

Last year, Skylar was the first freshman to not have a single dragon select her name. She’s tempted to run this year and admit her defeat instead of being shamed at the matching ceremony. Everyone keeps telling her to give up, so why shouldn’t she? Even her therapist doubts her determination to fight for her survival. He claims that until she sees herself as worthy, no one will match her. But how can she do that when she finds her neurodivergent brain as a hindrance, not the extraordinary gift it is?

Will Skylar’s opinion change about herself before it’s too late?

Join or Die (Adult Speculative Horror)

Until venturing to the themed event at a local bar, Jude finally thought his past was behind him. But he couldn’t be so lucky. After all, if it weren’t for Jude, the police would’ve never captured the famous serial killer. Now, the killer escaped and is hunting down Jude.

Will Jude make it out a second time? Or will the killer get his revenge?

A Curse Left Unbroken (Genre Mashup) 

Nylax is destined to die tomorrow. Every witch in her bloodline is cursed to die at the age of thirty-five. No one has ever been able to break this curse. Just attempting to destroy it could kill them. But since Nylax is dying tomorrow anyway, she’s willing to take the risk, even if that means that she might have to accept help from a vampire, her mortal enemy.

Take My Hand(Adult Speculative Fiction) 

This piece was chosen to be part of TREAD LIGHTLY, SPEAK GENTLY, an anthology on death and grief. Anthologist: Lindsay Schraad Keeling. Editor: Brittany McMunn

Flying Free (Adult Fiction) - Anxiety Rep.

This piece was chosen to be part of Kaleidoscopic Quill, an anthology on the meaning of butterflies. Anthologist: Demi Michelle Schwartz. Editor: Andie Smith