Carolyn_Hill

ONC 2024: In college, it was a case of wrong place/wrong time. Eight years later, they have a second chance. But will they take the leap?___Prompt 14: "My muse, believe me, waiting for you has been a form of freedom."___Excerpt: "Don't look back." Ian stares at me through the screen with his dark, intense gaze. "Don't long for all the things that might have been. Don't chastise yourself for the decisions you've made."For a moment, his words render me silent."Appreciate all those little indentations that make you who you are," he says with a tender expression. "And remember your superpower.""What superpower?""Let yourself dream again." A tender smile crosses his features. "Focus that intense drive of yours on the future like you used to do."He's right. For so long, I've been living in survival mode. One foot in front of the other. Stuck in this nightmare, I haven't been able to see any other way forward. Until now."You're free now," he says, "to make better choices that will make you truly happy." For a moment, I let my mind take me wherever it wants to go. Right now? It wants to be in Boston, beside him. But can I leave everything behind?…

Carolyn_Hill

In the late nineties asexuality is all but ignored as an orientation. Jess doesn't understand her complex array of emotions or why she finds it so hard to relate to her fellow classmates. Catholic high schools and churches simply don't address the issue, and the internet is still nascent. Jess can't tell anyone the truth. Not even her best friend Care. Instead, she hides behind the guise of faith. Behind a mask of celibacy.Until she meets Eric, that is. He lets slip that he's asexual, and Jess wants to learn more.---Watty Winner 2021 for best cover, best YA, and the Wattpad Books prize!---Status: completed and unedited Rating: PG-15 for moderate language and frank discussions about sexualityGenre: teen fiction romance featuring two heteroromantic ace characters---Cover designed using Canva Pro August 2020---Please note: This work is a teen fiction novelization of my multimedia novella "Mask of Celibacy".…

Carolyn_Hill

[Exciting news! This story is now 100% free!]A young sorceress, sworn to protect life at all costs, must choose whether to sacrifice her humanity or let an invading dragon army destroy her homeland. ***** Sorceress Liselle Alta has decided to put her troubled past behind her, and her first year at university has offered her the perfect chance to start with a clean slate. But after a terrorist attack on Induction Day, Liselle's dreams of having a normal life soon fall apart, and she must make a choice: Should she uphold her sacred Healer oath to protect life at all costs? Or should she fight in the upcoming war to help the Fireborn protect her homeland? With the invading dragon army on the march, Liselle has to decide before it's too late. [Fiction Awards Winner]#1 in love | 5 August 2022#1 in action-adventure | 11 August 2022…

Carolyn_Hill

In a land where dragons must split themselves into separate entities of Light and Shadow, silver dragon Magnus teams up with dwarf warrior Hilda and human wizard Kara to confront the angry Shadowfolk looking to reclaim the lives of their counterparts.___This is my entry for the ONC 2022 contest. Status: completed February 18, 2022 Grand Winner of the ONC 2022! Original cover created using CANVA PRO on February 1, 2022…

Carolyn_Hill

In this CINDERELLA retelling, a young gentlewoman flees from her rigid life disguised as a man in order to claim her rightful inheritance, study, and make her own living. Things get awkward when "Mister" Pearce begins to tutor a wealthy industrialist and they develop feelings for one another. Welcome to a fairytale where the "princess" takes matters into her own hands. Expect no fairy godmothers or anthropomorphic animals here.___Cover designed using CANVA PRO August 2020.…

Carolyn_Hill

After failed businesswoman Toria Bergwald discovers her husband has been cheating, she branches out on her own to rebuild her life with her best friend Emily. At a networking event Toria meets Neil Frost, an accountant who can help her get back on track. Though she feels a spark, it's one she must ignore. At least for now...___Written for the ONC contest 2022. Status: completeCover created using CANVA PRO on February 24, 2022.…

Carolyn_Hill

High school senior Jess Smith meets Ace of Spades, an online friend who helps her question her mask of celibacy and recognize her true asexuality. Except that their friendship begins to develop into something more.[Featured April and May 2020 under Love and Heartbreak and June 2020 under #PrideatWattpad]___It's the last year of high school. Everything's in full swing for academic awards, prom, and graduation. Everyone knows their place. Everyone fits in their neat little boxes. Everyone except for Jess Smith. Join Jess as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. In 1999, asexuality isn't widely known--even to her--or accepted as an orientation. With the help of Ace of Spades, she explores what asexuality means through her blog and conversations with family and friends. Can she embrace her true self, or will she keep wearing the mask of celibacy?___Status: completedHighest tag: #1 in blog | #1 in asexualCover created using CANVA PRO June 1, 2023…

Carolyn_Hill

AVATAR meets Greek mythology in this fantasy parable in which a dryad reveals herself to protect her best friend from destruction. ___Dryads have one rule: Never reveal yourself to the enemy. Tied to the tree who loves and guards them until death parts them both, these dryads--or hidden hearts--breathe life and consciousness into the natural world. When humans arrive to destroy Cassie's forest home and threaten her childhood friend, she can no longer stay silent. She swallows her fear and stands up for her loved ones. But will it be enough?__Written July 20, 2021 for the "Of Monsters and Us" fantasy contestWord count: 999 wordsStatus: completedCover: made using CANVA PRO on July 20, 2021…

Carolyn_Hill

DRACULA meets INCEPTION in this short story about a female vampire vigilante who works with the local police to take down a criminal who preys off of young women. Not all vampires crave blood. Dream weavers can both manipulate and feed from dreams, daydreams, and nightmares. Only Sylvia has pledged to feed from criminals who seek to harm humans. Until they fall asleep forever in the realm of Limbo.___Status: completed | editing begins August 17, 2020___Cover designed using CANVA PRO August 2020…

Carolyn_Hill

When Tara Walters discovers the disturbing truth about a new virtual console called AfterLife™, she must risk everything in order to expose the enslavement of digital Sims.___Cover made using CANVA PRO.Status: complete but unedited. Editing begins July 1, 2021.Word count: 20,231/20,000…

Carolyn_Hill

"Love is beautiful in all its forms."Valerie Johnson has kept silent about her feelings for Adria Williams. In a regime that prohibits relationships between women, Valerie must broach the matter with caution. Five years later, Valerie meets Adria again in graduate school. What should be an emotional reunion turns sour when Adria claims not to remember her. Valerie decides to do everything in her power to find out what has happened, and she makes a shocking discovery.Short story | romance | 3K words | 6 chapters | short chapters…

Carolyn_Hill

"Never will I fall in love again." -- Ravella"They keep telling me to make the first move, but it's not that simple." -- Andrew___Drew has crippling social anxiety.Vella has scars that run deep.Two friends decide to give love another chance.___After a tragic incident, Ravella Bellini has eschewed any idea of romantic ties. When Ravella decides to rekindle her love for hiking, her longtime friend Andrew Berger begins to melt the icy walls around her heart.___Narrative Poem ¦ Romance ¦ ChicklitAverage chapter length: 36 wordsTotal length: approx. 2,750 wordsStatus: complete ¦ editing in progressHighest rank: 71 in Poetry Highest tags: #3 in Poem (out of 5.4K stories) / #1 in Narrative / #2 in free verse…

Carolyn_Hill

"Science is magic comprehended, and magic is science misunderstood."___ The evil kingdom of Gatál has conquered the peaceful kingdom of Halcía and has ruled the land with an iron fist for the past sixteen years. When an infamous Gatál press gang captures a young Halcían peasant, Helena de Grazia, she has to make a choice. Should she serve the enemy or resist? Little do the Gatál realize how vital her decision is. Helena can shift the balance of power and restore peace and justice to Halcía, or she can reinforce the Gatál Empire for decades to come.___ Genre: Dystopian Fantasy Adventure___ ☆ Official Wattys 2017 Shortlist☆ A Wattpad Featured Novel ☆ Highest Rank: #6 in Adventure☆ Highest tag: #1 in Dark Fantasy☆ Official Wattpad Fantastical Adventure ✔ Completed ¦ Editing in progress…

Carolyn_Hill

A fairy raised by mining dwarves, Gwella Runekeeper has never quite fit in with the rest of her folk.Now she travels the world of Paxus and records the stories she finds.Updates: When the muse strikes.Fable: "a supernatural story incorporating elements of myth and legend" (OED)…

Carolyn_Hill

Before Jess begins her new adventure to teach abroad in Europe for ten months, she promises to return to her beloved Eric and her best friend Care. But will Jess' perpetual wanderlust and deep love of her new homeland force her to leave America for good and give up on the prospect of true love?___[Sequel to MASK OF CELIBACY]___Cover created: November 21, 2022 using CANVA PROStory started: November 25, 2022Story completed: TBDStatus: ongoingUpdate schedule: first Friday of the monthGenre: chicklit/romanceRepresentation: asexualityChapter length: 2,000-2,500 wordsRated: PG-15 for strong language, frank discussions about (a)sexuality, and moderate intimacy…