chaikovskiy

When cynical addict Rodion Popov makes a deal with the Devil and wagers his soul, his life takes a turn for the demonically surreal. Thrust into a city of shapeshifting sinners and chaos spirits, he must complete five tasks at the Devil's behest in order to escape the despairing world he lives in.And the Devil? He just so happens to be hell-bent on making sure Rodion fails.Thankfully one of the Devil's minions, Shutka, is not. Out of pity, she joins Rodion, serving him as something between companion and counselor. But as the tasks escalate and the strain on his body and mind intensifies, Rodion finds himself seeking an answer to the question at the heart of his deal, a question Shutka can't possibly help him answer: is it possible to redeem a soul?Honors/Awards:ONC 2024 Honorable MentionONC 2024 Ambassadors' Pick (Round One)"THE DEVIL COMES TO ANGELOVSK" is featured on:@humor's "dark humor" reading list@humor's "ambassadors' monthly pick" reading list@opennovellacontest's "2024 honorable mentions" list and "2024 ambassadors' picks" Copyright © 2024 Elle ChaikaOpen Novella Contest VII (2024) | Prompt No. 32…

chaikovskiy

Everyone knows Zenith, but nobody knows how the band managed to rock Zerkovkia's youth into starting a revolution... until now.Tolya Viktov is coming of age in the 1980s to the tune of spinning records, cheap liquor, and Zerkovkia's nine year war with neighboring Blivdova. The perms and denim jackets are hip, but it's the underground music he's most excited about. By the time he enters university, his lyrics and his talent have helped him break through on the student musician scene.Tolya, a duo of genius guitarists, and a bandless drummer soon come together when a producer realizes the key to achieving radical change in Zerkovkia is getting them to make music. What happens next is the stuff of legend and a whole lot of love, revolution, and rock and roll.Honors/Awards:ONC 2023 Honorable MentionONC 2023 Ambassadors' Pick (Round One)"VIKTOV LIVES!" is featured on@music's "mighty drumset" reading list@storiesundiscovered's "feast on fiction" reading list@flexiblebookexchange's "read these gems!" reading list@opennovellacontest's "2023 honorable mentions" list and "2023 ambassadors' picks" Copyright © 2023 Elle ChaikaOpen Novella Contest VI (2023) | Prompt No. 44…

chaikovskiy

A HEIST GONE WRONG.A GANG SHATTERED.Volya Angelov, known by the public as the Priest for his cult-like following, knows how to cut a deal and take what's rightfully his. He and his criminal prodigies have siphoned Gorod Krestov's wealth for years and are slowly draining the city's slums with their profits.Yet when he is arrested and shipped off to an island prison, his empire is left to his closest ally, Mysh, a girl who stands a mere five feet. It's up to her to manage what he's left behind and decide whether or not the syndicate should be risked for his life.But with demons from a haunting past and sinister characters converging all around her: can Mysh pull it off?"SIX OF CROWS" meets "PEAKY BLINDERS" in this twisty, 1920s-set novella with enough suspense to keep you reading until the church bells chime.Honors/Awards:ONC 2021 Top 5 Winner (4th place)ONC 2021 Ambassador's Pick (Round Two)"NOVYYE SAINTS" is 6x featured on:@shortstory's "another time, another place" reading list@action's "thriller" reading list@historicalfiction's "decade fiction" reading list@badassreads's "the ruffians" reading list@storiesundiscovered's "historically inaccurate" reading list for the month of august@opennovellacontest's "2021 top five winners" list and "2021 ambassador picks" Copyright © 2021 Elle ChaikaOpen Novella IV (2021) | Prompt No. 29…

chaikovskiy

WHAT'S MORE COMMON IN WAR: LOYALTY OR BETRAYAL?April 1944. Amidst the chaos of war-torn Ukraine, Taras Savaryn, an apathetic cavalry captain, gets roped-in to stealing morphine for his unit commander. Out of spite, he decides to bring along Vika Yeryomenko, a quick-witted sniper, with the secret hope she'll be able to restore his faith in Ukraine's fight for freedom.But soon enough, the mission reveals itself to be simply suicidal and Taras finds himself trying to reverse his decision... and atoning for all others.Honors/Awards:1st Place Winner in the 2022 Historical Awards hosted by @historicalfiction@historicalfiction "War & Military" Reading List@militaryfiction "Modern Wars" Reading ListComplete 22 February 2022 ✓Copyright © 2022 Elle Chaika…

chaikovskiy

Mavra Kedrovna is a corpsewitch and nobody knows.Cursed with the ability to control blood and reanimate corpses into upyrs, she's been confined to a convent alongside other young women for their protection amidst the Happenings; a series of disappearances and attacks plaguing Roz's villages. On the eve of mass hysteria, famed and feared upyr hunter, Nikandr Rokodin, betroths himself to Darya, a girl from Mavra's convent, in the name of strengthening himself before the magical genocide set to be waged against corpseswitches.Only when Mavra inserts herself into Nikandr's inner circle disguised as Darya's male mercenary does she realize the power she wields over both the living and dead can be used to protect Roz's women from a femicidal fate.But magic like hers often has a witching way of its own...Copyright © 2022 Elle Chaika…

chaikovskiy

Whether it's your first time or your sixth time, writing a novella in 12 weeks isn't easy.As a 2021 ONC Winner and two-time Honorable Mention (2023/2024), I would know. After years of participation and reflection, I have lots of advice to share on how I did it. Inside this guide, you can find everything from insider tips to craft chats. So grab a cup, get your notebook, and settle in; it's time to start writing!Copyright © 2022 Elle Chaika…