ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Without you, contestants, this event would not be possible. Hidden Gems Awards sincerely thank you for entrusting us to judge your book, as well as signing up to this small account in the first place.

In addition, utmost thanks and gratitude go out to the following three judges: Bluestorme, Wish_Upon and EPrescott and my sister, Jenny. Your time, dedication and efforts are invaluable.

DISCLAIMER

All logline included are derived from the story's blurb. If the author is not pleased with the derived version, please submit a new one via PM to be updated.

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THE CHAMPIONS

Luck, talent, hard-work and tireless behind-the-scene endeavour -- all aspects have been recognized and applauded for.

These individuals, aside from amazing writing, plotline and characters, also actively engage with the audience and build rapport daily.

The HGA are honoured to have them in our winning selection.

Please contact this account to claim your prizes.

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OF FANTASY/PARANORMAL

1. Tears of a Lost soul by lekro01

In young Bathe's village, elders spoke the tales of an undead evil sleeping deep inside the forests that must not be woken. It's upon Bathe who must realize the enormous powers contained inside him and dive deep into a mystical sinful past to uncover secrets hidden with utmost secrecy. If not, it will be the last time when humanity fails.

2. The Moonlight Boy by angelapoppe

Nobody knows how Ferry Donovan looks. His mother has been keeping him out of sight for over nine years. When the boy is finally going to school, the people are not only intrigued by his appearance, but also by the strange things taking place since he showed up.

3. Of Caverns and Casters by avadel

One run-away prince, two die-hard scientists, magic that may-or-may-not be real, and a land that wasn't supposed to exist. 

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OF FANFICTION

1. Killer Instinct: Carrie Unleashed by LunarAquarius

With opposing forces seeking Carrie White for her "cursed" abilities, and an impending apocalypse draws near, Carrie must learn to protect herself and face her inner demons or else she won't have a future.

2. The Harvest by sugarbabeniall

Each year, every young lady resident of the Kingdom of Adwick who was over twenty-one years old was summoned to The Harvest, where the Prince selected one of them and took her to his castle, only for her to never be seen again. 

3. Linger by xDRAG0N0VAx

Embracing the fact that she has become a character in The Lord of the Rings, Rowan Reed takes the quest of the Ring seriously. If she keeps the storyline moving in the right direction, nothing unexpected will happen. Wrong.

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OF ROMANCE/CHICKLIT

1. Wickedly Yours by queen_of_sass

When Blake Cavendish, the heir of the Marquess of Alton, asked Sophia Brighton for a place on her dance card, she never imagined that pencilling him in would change her life forever. What started as a respectful request ended in a scandalous affair that London simply can not forget. Just as the incident finally seems like a distant memory, Blake comes barreling back into her life. However, he's not there to sweep Sophia off her feet as he did once, oh so long ago. Instead, he's there to court her younger sister, Colette. 

2. Crossing the Line by KayeAnders

When Felicity proposes they become friends, Michael finds her hard to refuse. In fact, everything about Felicity is pretty hard to refuse, including when she offers him the most precious gift.
  

3. Gavin and Roxanne by wa02guy

It wasn't enough that Gavin McKee's longtime girlfriend dumped him for another man, his dog had to die unexpectedly a few days later. He tries to keep up some semblance of normalcy by attending a colleague's birthday party; it's there that he acquainted with violinist Roxanne Lively, in whom he finds a kindred spirit who's recently endured her own painful breakup. They end up at Gavin's place after the party and it quickly turns to something much more. The complication? Gavin's twenty-eight and Roxanne is fifty-four.

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OF TEEN FICTION/YA/NEWADULT

1. Hummingbird by sugarbabeniall

Often, Angels and Spirits choose hummingbirds to relay their messages.

2. Killer Queen: A Disasterpiece by TaylorBryant787

I'm finally over the embarrassment and ready to tell someone what happened. I wrote this to help anyone who might make the same mistakes I did; to stop them before it's too late. I thought I could cure my severe depression and anxiety on my own, during my senior year of high school. 

3. WILLOW AND THE WARLOCK by SarahBeth9009

Willow wants nothing more than to complete her eighth-grade year in peace, but instead she is tasked with stopping an evil warlock, hellbent on using the magic of the Salem witches to destroy the world.

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OF MYSTERY/THRILLER

Strake Woods by Mirage112

From the moment they could walk, the kids at Edgewater are taught this simple rule: Anyone that goes to Strake Woods disappears. Anyone.  However, Marayah pushes deeper into a buried past that the whole town wants to know about. And as she gets closer to the mystery surrounding the disappearing children of Edgewater, she realizes that someone is coming after her.

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OF SHORT STORY

Something Wicked by JEHallows

Something Wicked is a collection of seven popular fairytales retold as you've never seen before. A French revolution Cinderella with the glint of the guillotine, a genderswap Bluebeard featuring seductress Lucrezia Borgia, a Rapunzel with an unstable conscience - just some of the grim tales you'll encounter. Both experimental yet familiar, these fairytales explore classic fables with more than a hint of humanity's darker desires.

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OF POETRY

From the North Coast by Fayesther

Take a look into these small windows that I have created into my mind. Witness the way a girl like me sees the world.

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OF SCIENCE FICTION 

Saurian Chronicles #1 by SpinyKyverna

Inside of modern-day Egypt, there exists a small yet highly advanced nation. A place where intelligent dinosaurs and humans descending from all races live in harmony and peace, worshiping the Creator. But the young king, Akanthodis "Spiny" Kyverna leads his army across the vastness of space, intent on finding answers for a past horrific event that changed his nation's history and left him deeply marked.

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OF ACTION/ADVENTURE/HUMOUR 

Among the Fallen by thesongist

Abused by his father, bullied by his peers, and cursed by the gods, Lucian Roux's only chance of survival is to lie low and not to succumb to his inherent nature: one of death and destruction. . . until a fatal misunderstanding forces him to flee his village. However, he discovers that the path to freedom isn't what he had originally envisioned. Instead, it is a road littered with illusions, deception, and betrayal. 

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OF HISTORICAL FICTION

The Kuru War, by DevanshMaheshwari

A new king of Mathura that is burdened of bring peace among the belligerent factions or burn their strife forever in the flames of war. A fisherboy exceptional with the bow, yet bound by the shackles of an archaic philosophy, prohibited by society to study the arts and sciences of combat.  A great warrior and also the rightful heir to the kingdom of Hastinapur guilty of unspeakable mistakes committed in his youth. "The Kuru War" isn't another story of a battle between good and evil, instead, it narrates a struggle that defined the morals and norms of an age-old society. It is a thrilling story of beings that had the power to shape the future, a fantastical tale of the rise and fall of the Kuru clan told as an action-packed reimagination of a timeless Sanskrit epic, Mahabharata.

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HONOURABLE MENTIONS

These books, although didn't make it to the final rounds, are recognized for their plot, writing styles, characters.

They only short on luck, this time around. Best of all wishes, moving forward.

Please contact this account to claim your prizes.

1. You Made Us by avadel

This book takes you through the minds of people whose thoughts blur the lines of social norms and lets you see what they see, live their actions, breathe their justifications. The characters will challenge your definition of right and wrong, normal and strange, sane and insane. Come see what it's like to be a little 'off.'

2. Love Him Like He's Yours by midnight_morsels

A pre-Riverdale Story, featuring the Jones family.

3. What the Morning Brings by infIorescent

Accepting an acrobat's invitation to join the Cirque de Reverie, Ori is swept up in a whirlwind of wonder. Unbeknownst to him, the circus is not what it seems, and something dark lurks beneath its golden surface.

4. Oren by Kepleky

Oren is a collection of mass political corruption and vast lands full of magnificent creatures. Where humans are the minority, and ogres and elves alike share their distaste for the world order, pirates of all races rule over the sea. The story surrounds Evie and Myles, two young pirates who both have to deal with their difficult pasts. In a whole world of fantasy, fun, plunder, and greed, the pirates must confront the unknown enemy infiltrated amongst themselves.

5. The Portrait Of Evienne by JadedElegance

Sixteen-year-old Evienne de Roussel has dreamed of one thing since she was a little girl. More than anything, she wants to be a part of the glittering court of Versailles, flirt, dance, and wear beautiful clothing. However, when family shame and tragedy bring her a new name, a new husband, and a place in Versailles, she quickly learns every dream has a dark side. Evienne meets Pierre de Ailiot, a widower with piercing blue eyes, a dimpled smile, and the most macabre job at Court. Monsieur de Ailiot paints those who are condemned to die, finding beauty and humanity in their final moments. He tries to mitigate the difficulties of his work and his broken heart with his other passion: painting beautiful women.

6. The HOPES Project by avadel

Jason Stark always thought his family was normal.

They're not.

Rachel Carson just wanted a life away from violence.

She won't find it.

7. The Dance House by MarinaM56

Mariella dances for a living on the streets of post apocalypse London. Life is hard, and she is desperate. Then along comes the enigmatic, Sophie, an older woman with a horrific secret. Sophie offers Mariella refuge from her poverty and hardship, but the price paid is terrible as she becomes the victim of an unspeakable horror.

8. Ipseity by hcwilhelm

The last thing you'd imagine earth's general having is an identity crisis, let alone in the middle of an interstellar war, but for Avalyn Concerto she begs to differ. Ever since the last battle against primordial--earth's immortal alien foe--Ava has been living in a constant nightmare. For she will never forget how heavy the sword felt in her palm and how her abilities took over. She will never forget the moment she killed her best friend--the moment before she lost control. Out of desperation, Ava ventures off into the demon-infested world in search of her missing birth record. And she will do whatever it takes to find it--to fix herself--even if that means breaking the laws and committing treasonous acts. But once Ava is caught, she quickly finds out it will take more than thievery and violence to stitch herself back together.

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THE HOST'S FAVOURITE

Can you stand out from the 40-books selection and be the only favourite?

Congratulation to: The Forgotten One by Silverhand19

Broken seemingly beyond repair, Údar is weighed down by the guilt of what he's brought to his beloved world. Haunted by the past that he's been trying to outrun, Údar finds that he can only run so long before it catches up.

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READERS' VOTE

Readers love your work, and they don't hesitate to make that clear.

Books listed in no specific order.

1. Painless by ddignity

Raven was dying. Heart cancer and coughing up blood was normal for her. The sound of her pain could've destroyed a monster. A monster that hadn't moved a muscle in centuries, was now hell-bent on saving her.

2. It's Not Like The Movie by emtheadvocate

When Freya Liu-Hampton moved to America and enrolled in Mary Madison High, she didn't expect to become best friends with Dale Sampson. Dale is already searching for The One at age of seventeen, and after another relationship fails, he decides to ask Freya for an impossible favour: to help him find his soulmate.

3. The Harvest by sugarbabeniall

Each year, every young lady resident of the Kingdom of Adwick who was over twenty-one years old was summoned to The Harvest, where the Prince selected one of them and took her to his castle, only for her to never be seen again. 

4. Magic's Minister by Ellowyne

Feared by his enemies and tolerated by his allies, Sedgewick Alverdyne, the cynical Minister of Magic, was content with living an attachment-free life whilst striking fear into the hearts of witches, sorceresses, and wizards everywhere. But when a mysterious curse starts wreaking havoc on his powers, his stable existence is pulled out from under him.

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(LAST MINUTE) FUN FACTS AND STATS

1. There are a total of 102 entrants, this year and 21 Awards giving out in total (18 actually claimed, due to repetition), meaning each contestant coming in has an equal 20-25% chance of winning.

2. Teen Fiction/YA and Romance/Chicklit are the most bloody field, compared to the other 2 categories. Coincidentally, the most successful genre is Teen Fiction and Romance with most books had over 1K of reads and authors over 200 followers (it's a pattern!)

3. Majority of Fanfiction entrants that made it through Round 2 and dominated top Chart are Tolkiens-fanfiction (Thanks for Silverhand19 for pointing this out).

5. The infamous password incident is an accidental mistake. Eva just kind of forget about the password question. (none of you lot will say a thing about it, hear me? I want to troll the next Cycle participants, too.)

DID YOU NOTICE SOMETHING ELSE FUNNY? TELL US!