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ShelteredShadows · Sep 9, 2018 6:59 PM

First off, thank you so much, Lallyhop, for mentioning this event. I've been kicking around so many story ideas for years, without any real motivation to finish any of them. Hopefully, this will help me get my ass in gear for once and I'll be able to scratch off at least one of my ideas. And, hey, maybe even get a book published for a change. The problem is that I have way too many ideas. I managed to narrow it down to seven that I am very serious about, but beyond that...yeah. So, I thought I'd turn to the community for help since you are all so amazing. Basically, I'm going to make a post for each story that will include the name of the story, the official summary, the general story summary, and short scene from the story. It would mean a lot to me if people would read the ideas and tell me which story they think I should work on for NaNoWriMo. The story with the most votes wins. So thank you in advance for anyone that actually reads. Hope you all have an amazing week!

ShelteredShadows · Sep 9, 2018 6:59 PM

Silver Legacy
-Single Story
-Official Summary: Sometimes, you are born into a fate that you cannot escape. There is no shame in that. At least you know that your life has a purpose; that you are alive for a reason and not simply to live and die. And if your fate isn’t what you wanted, oh well. Be happy that you have a fate at all.
…or you can fight for the fate you want.
-Story Summary: Silver is an assassin who was born into a family of assassins. The family used to be the royal family of the kingdom, but they had been overthrown nearly 500 years ago by a foreign army. According to the laws of their religion, if the family cannot regain the throne within 500 years, the gods would no longer support them, so Silver’s father uses Silver to hunt down and kill every member of the foreign royal family. However, he doesn’t know that Silver has a connection to the youngest prince, and decides to betray the family to protect the prince. The story is written in first person and Silver’s gender is never revealed.

-Story Snippet: “Silver!” Grinding my teeth in irritation, I wondered what the odds were that he would finally give up and let me go. “Silver, wait!” Alright, not that good.
“Don’t you have anyone else to bother?!” I snapped, finally stopping so that I could turn to glare. There had been a time when his wide eyes would have made me feel guilty, but Father had beaten that out of me long ago. Now, the only emotion I felt was frustration. “I’m not sure if you noticed, but I have a schedule I need to keep.”
Blue fidgeted for a moment, looking so much like a small and nervous child I almost couldn’t believe we were the same age. “I just wanted to make sure you would be coming back,” he finally mumbled, gaze low. “You didn’t even say goodbye.”
“Gods above, what has gotten into you? You’re acting like this is the first time I’ve left to kill someone. Don’t I always come back?”
“No.” Despite my resolve to be angry, I had to wince at that answer. So much for the hope that he wouldn’t bring up that time again. And if he knew my plans for this trip…
Sighing, I reached out and pulled him into a surprise hug. “You worry too much,” I huffed into his hair. “I’ll be back before you can get used to me being gone. I mean, come on, the prince is what? Eight? If I can kill his mother and siblings, there is no way one child will keep me from coming home.” Not sure if he believed me, but his arms finally wrapped around me and squeezed lightly. Sometimes it was so hard to remember that Blue was far more innocent than I was. Maybe I’d protected him too well.
We didn’t speak when he finally let me go. And we didn’t speak as I swung onto my horse’s back to ride away. Hell, we barely waved as I disappeared into the forest. But I tried to memorize the sight and sear it into my mind, because I knew that things would never be the same between us.
I’m sorry for lying, brother mine, but I will not fight Father’s war for him anymore. I will not take another life and add it to the blood that stains my hands. I will not break my promise to the one man I ever loved as much as I love you.
I will not be coming back.

ShelteredShadows · Sep 9, 2018 7:00 PM

Prehistoric Adventures
-Trilogy
-Into the Jungle
-Into the Ocean
-Into History
-Official Summary: Dinosaur parks. Once the subject of science fiction, now scattered across the globe. Children grow up seeing a T-rex in a park like their parents grew up seeing lions in zoos. The parks are places of fun and adventure and learning. Unless you’re Amanda Trail, in which case dinosaur parks are simply a very unique headache. But hey, anyone would have a headache when they are in charge of a large park, six-hundred dinosaurs, a petulant billionaire, and a medical organization that seems determined to destroy everything she’s ever worked to protect. Oh, and the seven raptors that think she is their mother.
Anyone have some Advil?
-Story Summary: Amanda Trail was an Army engineer and didn’t want to be put in charge of the dinosaur park, but when she came for consultation she impressed the owner of the park so much that he used his money and influence to force her reassignment. Soon after, she is trapped in the hatchery during a hurricane when seven raptors hatch and imprint on her. The stories basically cover Amanda running the park, raising her raptors, and trying to prevent a medical company from using dinosaurs as lab rats for very cruel experiments.

-Story Snippet: Scowling at the door, Amanda debated, for the millionth time, if she should just burn down her entire office and take a tax loss. Romando kept insisting she have a central place where people could find her if they had questions or concerns about the park, but surely he would understand if she explained it calmly enough? For Christ sake, he hired her to take care of his dinosaurs! Not to listen to yet another worker complain about getting burned by grease at a restaurant because they didn’t follow the safety instructions she’d already made them!
“Come in,” she finally called, unable to keep the irritation fully out of her voice. However, she had to smile when it was Michael that poked his head in, grinning widely. “Thank the gods of chocolate and ice cream; I thought you were another whining new-hire.”
“I can go get you one, if it would make you feel better,” her friend joked, fully entering and closing the door. “In fact, I came here to talk about a potential hire.”
“Didn’t I leave you in charge of that?” Amanda had to ask. “The less I have to deal with the human variable in this damn equation, the happier I will be.”
“This is one that you need to see for yourself. It’s for a new Chief of Security, and you’re going to have to work with him quite a bit. Especially considering your-”-a loud screech came from downstairs before the entire building shook with a loud crash-“-children.”
“Chicken!” the blonde bellowed, surging to her feet and racing for the door. “How many times have I told you not to bite Slowpoke?!” Distantly, she was aware that her oldest friend was laughing his ass off, but there was no time to give him a piece of her mind. Hopefully, whomever he was considering for the position of Security Chief was okay with her large, scaly headache inducers. If so, she would get him a gallon jar of Advil. If not…
…well, then he really shouldn’t be at her park in the first place.

ShelteredShadows · Sep 9, 2018 7:00 PM

Fallen Angel Wings
-Two Part Story
-Fallen Angel
-Rising Dragon
-Official Summary: There is a Heaven. There is a Hell. There are Angels and Demons. They are bitter enemies. Everyone knows these facts, and no one will dispute them. For Archangel Michael, they go beyond simple facts and evolve into the foundation of her entire life. As the Warrior of Heaven, she knows that it is her duty to protect everyone from the constant threat of the demons. Because of this, she never listens when the foul creatures tell her the lies of their people. But…what is an angel to do when she discovers that it is a demon that is telling her truths, and her fellow angels that are lying. If that fact turns out to be false…then what else could be wrong?
-Story Summary: Michael is the youngest of the Archangels, and only achieved her rank because of her actions against the demon Forcas during a great battle where the old Michael was killed. Because of her young age, most of the other Archangels do not take her seriously, but she does her job well and is good friends with Archangel Gabriel. When Forcas returns from the dead, everyone looks to Michael to stop him. However, the more the two battle, the more Forcas is able to sow the seeds of doubt in her mind. Eventually, Michael is confronted with the tapestry of lies that surrounds Heaven and is forced to make a decision that will affect Heaven and Hell forever more.

-Story Snippet: Shoving the last set of doors open, Michael was greeted by a blast of chilled air and dust. Sneezing loudly, she had to cover her nose and mouth as her eyes began to water. Despite the librarian’s warning that no one had gone into the deepest levels of the Archive for centuries, she hadn’t been expecting to find it in such a deplorable state. Maybe she should assign a couple angels to clean this place for punishment duty?
But then Metatron would want to know why she was so interested in the Archives, and she’d have to tell him the truth. ‘The demon Forcas told me some things and I want to find out if he is speaking the truth.’ Yeah, because that would go over so well. More like she’d be sent to the Healing Circle for another round of treatment. Been there, done that, bought the tunic.
Stepping foot into the ninth level of the Archives was like walking into a new world. Despite the lit torches illuminating the room, the air was nearly frigid, and the dust as thick as snow. The entire cavern was also painfully silent, giving the space an eerie feeling. Hard to believe that the answer to all of her questions was buried deep in the ancient texts.
Truly, this was such a stupid endeavor! Forcas was a liar, as all of his kind was. They breathed and wove lies like the weavers wove cloth. To even entertain his words as possible fact was the height of idiocy and she should report herself. But…the words would not leave her alone. ‘We’re no different from you; just born into a different life. Tell me this, angel. If you aren’t a human, then why are your wings made of metal and implanted in your back? If you are above me, why do we bleed the same blood?’ There was no way he could be right. Heaven and Hell were separated long ago; angels and demons had no relation with each other, let alone the humans that she was sworn to protect and that he sought to destroy.
…but what if he was right?

ShelteredShadows · Sep 9, 2018 7:01 PM

The Egg
-Short Story
-Official Summary: Jason Arach wasn’t sure what to expect when he was called into his Captain’s tent, but learning that his Grandmother had died suddenly wasn’t even on the list. He didn’t think he would be granted leave to go to the funeral, but when it was granted, he couldn’t be upset. However, things only got stranger when he started packing up his Grandmother’s house and found a large stone under her bed. The note wrapped around it only said that the stone had to be taken to the ocean. Well, his Grandmother had asked to have her ashes scattered in the ocean, so he might as well take the stone along and fulfill her final wish.
How hard could it be?
-Story Summary: The world used to have dragons, but they were hunted to extinction a thousand years ago. At least, that’s what everyone believes. Jason is unaware that the large stone his Grandmother had was a dragon egg, and that she was entrusted with its care. Because all of the adult dragons were dead, the egg took a millenium to develop, and now will not hatch unless it is placed in the ocean. However, the government is aware that there are dragon eggs that still exist, and they are trying to hunt them all down before any dragons can hatch. So Jason is in a race against time to get the egg to the ocean before he is killed by the government and the egg is destroyed.

-Story Snippet: It’s interesting, Jason thinks dimly, how dying makes everything sharper. He can feel every beat of his heart, and how it is pumping the blood out of his body to soak deeper into the sand. He can hear the crunch of sand beneath boots as the damn agents walk towards him, confident in his defeat to the point that they aren’t trying to hide anymore. And he can see the stone, nearly white instead of the vibrant blue it had been when he’d first seen it, and covered in shadowy lines that almost look like veins. It’s so close, the tips of his fingers are brushing against it, chilled as it always was. Almost like it was dying as well.
Regret sat heavily in his gut as he realized that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his Grandmother’s wish. Her ashes and the stone would never be in the ocean. Instead, they would be buried in the sand beside his body.
What had he done wrong? What law had he broken, trying to honor his dead Grandmother? That’s what he wanted to ask the agents as his blood continued to flow out. Sure, he’d pissed off some people. What soldier didn’t have a list of enemies? But to hunt him down across the country, shooting him down…what had he done?
Anger at the injustice flared in his chest. He hadn’t done anything wrong! He never should have been stopped. And fuck it all, he wasn’t going to fail at everything. Pulling together the last of his strength, Jason managed to pull himself forward another couple of inches. Not enough to get away, never enough to get him to safety, but more than enough to reach the stone and give it a shove, rolling it down the dune. He could hear the agents yell in surprise, but his gaze was only for that piece of rock as it tumbled across the sand before finally slipping quietly into an oncoming wave.
Weak and bloody smile across his face, Jason closed his eyes for the last time.

ShelteredShadows · Sep 9, 2018 7:01 PM

Lone Wolf
-Single Story
-Official Summary: Everyone knows that humans aren’t capable of surviving in the world alone. They’re too weak, and too fragile. That’s why the spirits stepped in. When a child is born, a spirit adopts them and guides them through their life, though they do not reveal themselves until the child is ten. Any child not chosen by a spirit must be evil and is left to die on the Isle.
Well, except the Captain of the Guard. No one really knows what happened to her Guide.
-Story Summary: Solaris Darkwing was born a commoner in a tiny village, so no one expected much from her. She wasn’t beautiful, she wasn’t good at following orders, and she was always getting into fights. When her Spirit Guide didn’t appear on her tenth birthday, her village decided she was evil and kicked her out. However, Solaris didn’t let her lack of a Guide stop her and she went to the capital where she trained to become a knight, and eventually the Captain of the Guard. When the Crown Princess is threatened by unknown forces, Solaris is the only one that can escort her to Spirit Isle to find her Spirit Guide early. Too bad Solaris doesn’t like the Princess at all.

-Story Snippet: “I thought your Spirit ran away.” Grinding her teeth in irritation, Solaris tried to remember why she couldn’t just drop the annoyance down the cliff. “Everyone says you must have done something horrible to make a Guide abandon you.”
“Everyone are fucking morons and should keep their collective mouths shut.” With only a few feet left, she released the rock and dropped, taking far too much pleasure in the terrified scream from the annoyance on her back before they landed safely on solid ground. “I can’t be abandoned by a Guide I never had. Now get off.”
“What do you mean, you never had a Guide? Everyone has a Guide.” Snarling, the knight reached up and pulled the Princess’s hands away from her armor before dropping her in the dirt, ignoring her outraged squawk.
“For your information, not everything is as perfect as they tell you it is in that stone monstrosity that you call a castle. Babies starve to death, murderers walk free, children are raped in the open, mothers are beaten, and no one does a damn thing to stop them. And sometimes, people don’t have Guides. That’s just how it is. But because one of your priests decided that wasn’t acceptable, Guideless people are persecuted against, banished from their homes, and left to die. And you want to know why? It’s because people like you are scared of people like me. You think that without your Guide, you are nothing, so when you see someone that is Guideless, you fear that we are stronger than you. Strong enough to not need a Spirit. Well guess what. Someday you will sit in that castle and you will never know what real pain is and you’ll look down on everyone else from that perfect gold throne, but I’ll be the one bleeding in the mud to keep you there. And you will have to live with the fact that someone with no Guide is stronger than you will ever be.”

ShelteredShadows · Sep 9, 2018 7:01 PM

Unnamed series
-Trilogy
-The Sword
-The Crown
-The Promise
-Official Summary: Centuries ago, King Arthur had died. Passed into the land of legends without even a simple goodbye. And with his passing, everyone close to him also faded into obscurity. His queen, his knights, his enemies, and his wizard. They became the stories told to children, no more real than monsters under the bed. But prophesies do not cease to exist simply because they are forgotten, and Arthur is the Once and Future King. He will return when he is needed, and his kingdom will rise from the ashes. Someday. For now, Kenton would be perfectly content with the Once and Future King getting her arse out of bed before she was late for school again.
-Story Summary: After Arthur’s death, Merlin cast a spell that would put all of Arthur’s closest friends into a reincarnation cycle while they wait for his return. No two people will be alive at the same time, allowing their spirits to rest; Merlin is currently alive as a young man named Kenton. Memories of past lives are returned when the current person reaches the age of 18; Kenton is 24. He doesn’t really want to be a father, but when he meets an abused American child, he feels like he has to take her in and give her a good home. But as he raises her, he starts to wonder if she is more than he originally thought. In many ways, she reminds him of Arthur, but that can’t possibly be true. Could it?

-Story Snippet: Sure enough, he heard the door open promptly at four o’clock, only to then slam shut. Not a good day, then. If she followed her usual pattern, she’d escape to her room at the first opportunity, so if he wanted to hear anything about her day, he’d have to catch her quickly. “How was the first day of club?” he asked, stepping out of his office as his ward finished climbing the stairs. From the look of her, the safer option would have been to stay hidden.
“Just peachy,” Arden snarled, eyes flashing in a way that accented the green flecks. “I spent two hours getting yelled at by a French midget grandmother while she whacked me with a wooden pole a couple hundred times. Three of the kids quit before the session was even over!” It took quite a bit of control to stop the smile that wanted to spread across his face, but Kenton persevered.
“And you? Did you quit?”
“And give that old lady the satisfaction?! Hell no. I’m going back every day until I can finally beat her ass with a sword.” Those words shouldn’t make him proud, but they did. For a moment, despite her small stature and wrong gender, she sounded so much like Arthur, it was like being in his presence once more. Even as nothing but a placebo, the sensation made him relax.
“Just make sure to finish your chores and take your dogs for a run before you go back to train,” he reminded her mildly, enjoying the flash of happiness as she remembered the pups, before returning to the office. He never forgot his purpose in life and what he was waiting for, but he was willing to admit that no life was better than the one he was living now. Arden wasn’t Arthur and would never replace his dearest friend, but she was exactly what a lonely wizard needed to remember why life was so wonderful and amazing.

ShelteredShadows · Sep 9, 2018 7:02 PM

Children of Flame
-Single Story
-Official Summary: How far would you go to win? What lines would you be willing to cross? What would you be willing to sacrifice? More importantly, who are you willing you to sacrifice? If world peace was the end result of your actions, is there anything you wouldn’t do?
And what will you do if those people you sacrifice resent being sacrificed?
-Story Summary: Kaine Faldon isn’t that different from every other sixteen-year-old girl. She is smart, funny, likes to run in track, and speaks sarcasm like a second language. Her foster parents have no complaints about her, even though she doesn’t like to just hang out at home very often. If she isn’t at school or with friends, she’s out hiking in the forest. At least, that’s what they think. No one knows that Kaine is actually a rogue Black Wolf; a member of the elite and genetically enhanced military unit that the government won’t admit to. Honestly, Kaine doesn’t mind being a soldier, but when the government crossed the line, she escaped. Now she’s trying to build a life free of bloodshed and battle, but people like her can’t stay hidden forever. And when her past comes after her, it comes with a vengeance.

Story Snippet: Her footsteps slowed as she turned the last bend in the road. The house was clear and as welcoming as ever, but the black SUV parked outside made her blood run cold. Every instinct she had was screaming that she turn and run as quickly as she could, escaping the fate that she knew was reserved for her. At best, she would be shot on sight. At worst, she would be forced to go back to the fields. The mere thought was enough to make her gag. For the barest of moments, she was almost convinced she could smell the gunpowder and blood soaked dirt yet again.
It would be so easy to go back to that life. After all, it wasn’t like she’d ever managed to forget what it was like to snap bones. The eyes of those she had killed still floated through her dreams, reminding her of the monster that she truly was inside. And in her times of weakness, she could admit that sometimes she missed the power she’d once wielded. When students shoved past her in line or when coach was being sexist, she longed for the times when she could inspire fear and terror with a mere word. It was human nature to covet strength and power, and enhancements or no, she was human at heart.
But that wasn’t the person she was anymore. Maybe they weren’t at the house for her. With all the work her father did, it was entirely possible that it was an innocent visit. Running wouldn’t accomplish anything other than planting the seeds of suspicion. So, though it hurt to do so, Kaine resumed moving forward. Her body was tensed in preparation for a battle, but she managed to force a genuine looking smile on her face as she stepped through the front door. “Mom, dad! I’m home.” And come hellfire or high water, she was staying.

HollowbetheInk · Sep 9, 2018 7:13 PM

I think Lone Wolf would catch my interest first.

RoseFlute · Sep 9, 2018 7:41 PM

I agree, Lone Wolf sounds best. :D the unnamed trilogy of the recurring Arthur sounds like a lot of fun too, but it reminds me of another series I read ages ago. Yeah, the Dragons In Our Midst series. :)
https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Dragons-Our-Midst-Book/dp/0899571700

ShelteredShadows · Sep 9, 2018 8:16 PM

@RoseFlute, I love that series. It is a little similar, but reincarnated Arthur is hardly new, so it's going to be similar to a lot of stories. Still, surprised people like Lone Wolf. Solaris is probably the grumpiest character I have, lol.

RoseFlute · Sep 9, 2018 10:20 PM

That's okay, grumpy is fun. I don't like writing characters I don't like, so it's more interesting when there's more tension. :D

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