ONC season is upon us, which is hands-down the best competition that WP has to offer (yes, even better than the Wattys!). So what is the ONC? ONC stands for the Open Novella Contest and challenges authors to write a novella between 20k and 40k words – in 90 days. The story has to be brand new (though it can build on an already existing universe) and incorporate one of the prompts published on the ONC profile. It's a cool concept and a fun challenge.

Participants who hit certain milestones get prizes, like stickers and shout-outs. However, that's not the best part of the ONC. For me, this is the sixth time participating, and every year, I make new friends and discover the most amazing stories. The actual competition is only secondary because the camaraderie found during ONC season is what makes this contest so special.

Are you interested to hear which prompts I chose this year?

Here they are:

Prompt #7: You are the barkeeper, the owner and operator of the resting point between life and the afterlife, being a kind ear to those who have passed on.

Prompt #25: Soulmates are real and dangerous. They hold the power to bring you back from the brink of death or tear your soul in half. And a devil with no heart is the soulmate that awaits you.

Prompt #32: A drunk dare and the biggest mistake of your life. A sin you can't wash off your hands. After all, blood leaves its traces and so does the taking of a soul.

My story is called Between. Check out the blurb:

Anchor Morningstar owns and operates the Resting Point, a hole-in-the-wall tavern sitting right on the border between life and the afterlife where travelers catch a brief respite before passing through a portal for judgment day. For years, Anchor has lend a kind ear to those desperate souls and has offered words of encouragement as he polishes glasses and serves drinks.

All this changes the second Cass stumbles into the bar. Carrying with her a tremendous amount of guilt and remorse, she begs Anchor to let her stay, so he offers her a warm bed and some tender loving care for the night. The outcome is not as expected.

In hell, they say that soulmates are real and dangerous. They hold the power to bring someone back from the brink of death or tear their soul in half. Only the devil has no heart, and he has already claimed Cass as his soulmate.

Warnings:
🌶️ High Heat Level
🤬 Swearing
☠️ Touch Her & Die
🦸🏽‍♂️ Anti-Hero
💓 Dangerous Love
💋 Two domineering, broody love interests who is hot and larger than life (but might deserve love)
😈 Dark Humor

Read with caution!

If this piqued your interest, just click"Continue to next part," to accompany Anchor and Cass on their journey. Tissues, gum, popcorn, and booze optional but recommended 😋

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© Sal Mason/Fire Rose 2024
This work is protected by copyright and should not be copied, downloaded, translated or used in any way without my expressed consent. It is currently only available on Wattpad. If you read this on any other platform, please note that this site could give you malware. You can always read this story free on Wattpad where your computer/mobile device is protected.