SEMI-FINALIST – 7

Name: Rebekah L. PurdyTitle: The Fairy Godmother Files: Cinderella ComplexGenre: YA Fantasy/Romance “Oh. My. God. Maggie. There he is,” Taylor squealed, jerking on my arm. The prince rode up on his white steed like he’d fallen out of the pages of a fairytale. Golden hair, tanned skin, and a smile Read more…

SEMI-FINALIST – 8

NAME: Katy Upperman TITLE: Where Poppies BloomGENRE: YA Contemporary Ghost Story I never used to be the type of girl who hotboxes her bathroom. Sitting perched on the countertop next to the sink, I slip a joint between my lips and lose myself in a haze of pungent smoke that Read more…

SEMI-FINALIST – 9

Screen Name: Kalen O’Donnell TITLE:  Dust to Dust GENRE: YA Fantasy   For my sixteenth birthday, my oldest brother tried to kill me again.   I was at Starbuck’s getting a celebratory scone when the shadows peeled off the walls and came for me.  I cursed and dove for the Read more…

SEMI-FINALIST – 10

Name: Erica M. Chapman Title: Anomaly Genre: YA Science Fiction Mom’s craptastic advice is what I’m going to miss most. She always said, “Never fart in front of a boy. They’ll never look at you the same.”  She also said, “Make ‘em laugh on the first day or you’ll be Read more…

SEMI-FINALIST – 11

SCREEN NAME: Katharina GerlachTITLE: Terry and the Folding Rule of TimeGENRE: MG Fantasy (time travel) I slammed the door of my locker hard enough that it bounced open again. The magnetic name tag my Mom gave me fell off, but no one cared. They were all too busy trying to Read more…

SEMI-FINALIST – 12

Name: Ellen GoodlettTitle: StrayGenre: Young Adult Futuristic For the third time this week, someone has jacked my ride. I stand at the corner of Broadway and 17th, exactly where I know I tied it up. But there’s no gondola to be found. How desperate are these shitheads, to steal the Read more…

SEMI-FINALIST – 13

Name: Christie KoesterTitle: Wanted: Groom for My $100K WeddingGenre: Women’s Fiction/Contemporary Romance I rest my head against the bathroom’s mahogany door, inhaling freedom. The aroma of Ivory soap and sweet pea awaken memories of being a little girl, twirling in a wedding gown ten sizes too big in Gram’s pink powder room, Read more…

SEMI-FINALIST – 14

Name: Margay Leah Justice Title: The Goode Girl Genre: Contemporary YA I always knew my name would get me into trouble one day. I just didn’t think it’d take this long. Maybe I have a slow fuse or a short attention span or something, but, anyway, it finally happened – Read more…

SEMI-FINALIST – 15

Name: Mer Snow Title: Colors Like Memories Genre: YA UF   I greeted his tombstone the way I always did—with a swift kick. The release of frustration was more than worth the sharp pain in my toes. The polished marble tilted to the left because of all my visits; a Read more…

SEMI-FINALIST – 16

Name: Taffy Lovell Title: It’s Not Me Genre: YA Fiction  “Angelica!” Again with the yelling. My sister seriously doesn’t get the idea of sleeping in. Or how mornings should be enjoyed in peace and— “You said you’d drive today!” Yeah. Yeah. Glancing at the clock I’m annoyed to find I Read more…