Thank you so much for participating in the awards. The entries all had something truly unique or special about them. However, there can only be one winner and just like a good steak, our judges must trim the fat.

Below, are the first round results for Horror and Paranormal.

Good luck to those continuing and thank you for your efforts to those who didn't make it through.

Judged by MermaidAriel13 and SarahQuinnMcGrath

ENTRIES NOT GOING THROUGH:

Blood Brothers by MelisandeScott
Judged by MermaidAriel13
Title: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Blurb: 5/10
Hook: 10/10
Total: 24/30
Title: very fitting for a vampire story.

Cover: beautiful, though I have to admit, I don't relate the full moon to vampires. If I hadn't read the blurb, I would've guessed this to be a werewolf story. Consider placing a vampiric element to the cover, like for example, bats flying across the moon (enlarge the moon first, if you can, so you clearly see the silhouettes) or maybe a litte dark red.

Blurb: I'm left wanting. You introduce the main characters but not much else. Remember that the blurb is what makes the reader check out your story. Give the inciting incident, give the stakes they have to overcome.

Hook: what a great intro to the main characters! You give enough background on Aidain without it feeling like info dump, and that meet-cute was just perfect, and very fitting for two vampires.

Alturon: Time of Darkness by elsewhither
Judged by SarahQuinnMcGrath
Title: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Blurb: 8/10
Hook: 7/10
Total: 23/30
Title: If it just said Time of Darkness, I think it would be a little too vague, so I like the addition of Alturon, which specifies things. However, in conjunction with the blurb, I don't know what Alturon refers to! It's not the village name. Hm.

Cover: I like the simplicity of the cover, with the flowers below and the black above. It gives the impression of darkness descending upon innocence. I don't know how I feel abnout the red font, though; it's very stark. That could be purposeful on your part, but it's a but jarring for my eye.

Blurb: There are definite ominous vibes, here, with the opening line and the diction: evils, horrors, desperation, etc. I am going to nitpick a little, here, but the verb "refrain" is used incorrectly (I think you want the noun, but you're using it as a verb), and there's something about the word "obscure" at the end that doesn't quite work for me . . .that might just be a preference, but the word has connotations of "murky" or "cloudy," and I just think there's a better word that could go there. I also don't feel quite like I understand the hook: I get that there's a town dealing with evil and a werewolf watching over it all . . . but there feels like it needs more conflict . . .

Hook: So, first of all, I love your vocabulary . . . and did I detect an interrobang in there? Fun stuff. The sense of foreboding is very intense; obviously there are a lot of eerie things going on with earthquakes and goblins and zealous villagers (and can I just say the night would be, like, pitch black without the moon, wouldn't it? I don't know how they can all see anything). If I have to critique, I would only mention that, for this reader, there was a lot going on, and as a relative non-reader of high (dark) fantasy, I struggled with that a little.

Daughters of Kalika by Shivran86
Judged by MermaidAriel13
Title: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
Blurb: 8/10
Hook: 6/10
Total: 23/30
Title: It's a bit of a cliché title, using 'daughters of', however, I do see it working in the context. I know Kali is a Hindu Goddess and very important one at that, so I think Kalika may be related, or possibly another name for her? I'm thus thinking a 'chosen one' trope, maybe?

Cover: this is a fantastic cover for a paranormal story. Keeping it dark, revealing details while shrouding in mystery. I get goosebumps everytime I look at it.

Blurb: well constructed and written, with the main character, the inciting incident and stakes clearly laid out. I'm just wondering about the Lucifer part. You only mention the character once in that 2nd pitch and then revert back to Maya, so you could either opt to leave that little bit out, or to include Lucifer in the rest of the blurb. Personally, I don't think you need to include Lucifer, as the blurb around Maya is already very solid, and would suggest to keep that presence a surprise for the reader to learn.

Hook: I see a good premise for the story here. You have strong and very intriguing prologue. The first chapter loses some of the edge and mystery you build up, though, mainly because it's going at quite a fast pace. We went through a few locations and met a few characters in a short amount of paragraphs. Take the time to build your world so it sticks with the reader. I know a little about India from my previous job, but others might not. For example, you mention some dishes - can you describe those? Spike the reader's interest.

Underneath by Queen_of_life_Heba
Judged by SarahQuinnMcGrath
Title: 3/5
Cover: 5/5
Blurb: 6/10
Hook: 8/10
Total: 22/30
Title: Even though it's simple, I think the title is effective . . . however, since the book seems to be about the ocean, I do think that the title alone could be confused with "below ground." I'm wondering if there is something more that could allude to the water.

Cover: I really love the cover; it looks professional. I like the way the female figure is being pulled into the depths, and I even like the way "neath" is under "under." At first, I thought that was weird, but then I realized it's sort of a play on the title. It's very eerie and graphically appealing.

Blurb: While there's definite ominous overtones, I honestly don't really understand what the story is about from the blurb. I get that a woman returns to her hometown and the sea is calling . . . but then the last line is "The decision is hers." What is this referring to? What decision? The decision to go into the water? I don't like too much in a blurb, but I do feel like this one needed more clarification.

Hook: I love this "returns to strange childhood home" thing going on, and the description of the sea with its mist and seaweed and smell is so atmospheric. As far as hook, you've got me--what happened to her family? Why is she so drawn to this place? My only complaint is that there were some moments of confusion due to word choice!

Quiet by JonLeePeto
Judged by MermaidAriel13
Title: 4/5
Cover: 2/5
Blurb: 7/10
Hook: 5/10
Total: 18/30
Title: to the point and sinister. You don't need much else for a paranormal tale sometimes.

Cover: it's very dark. I'm not sure what's hanging by the rope, other than it seems to be a red tablet or sigil of some sort. If you want to keep that image, see if you can make it pop out. It's obviously an important element if placed on the cover, so make sure the reader gets that right of the bat. The quote above gives more insight to the title, which I love, but I would suggest to place it closer to the title, and away from the beige rope. Don't be afraid to use a font that gives that paranormal dread sensation either. We are talking about a story involving a demon and Yakuza, after all.

Blurb: I'm not quite certain how it relates to the story after reading the blurb. Is it meant to allude to Makiko not speaking her mind about her father, which puzzles me since that doesn't seem to be the inciting incident, or is it more a warning, signaling that one shouldn't speak to demons (keeping the quote on the cover in mind here now)

Hook; Makiko is introduced very well. You really take the time to lay her character out to the reader, which is great. Upon reading, though, it doesn't feel like a paranormal story, but more like coming of age. I see how you're leading up to what is described in the blurb, but don't see how or when the supernatural element will fit in.

Phantom Assassin by apagado
Judged by SarahQuinnMcGrath
Title: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Blurb: 4/10
Hook: 7/10
Total: 18/30
Title: I like the title enough. It seems slightly "done" before. I mean, there are lots of titles with "assassin" and "phantom" in them. In conjunction with the blurb, I think it's nice because the word "phantom" almost seems a play on words, a ghost-like figure but also somehow connects to Phantom (whatever that might be).

Cover: I'm a fan, in general! I like the mystery figure, and the title is visually appealing in its large, chunky font. I like the subtle difference between the font of each word. It's eerie and enigmatic.

Blurb: I am all for a concise blurb, but this says almost too little! I am really confused. What is Phantom? Is it the bad guy or the good guy? The Association, by the definition, seems like the evil . . . a system that wants perfect soldiers. So Phantom is good? Who is Phantom assassinating? And in the second part, the pronouns are unclear--"can it last". . . What's "it"? Can what last? Phantom?--"immune to their control" . . . Whose is "their"? Whose control? I don't know if this boy is immune to Phantom or the Association, and I don't know which he joined . . . I am sorry. I just can't make a lot of sense of it!

Hook: There're definitely things to love, here, but I have to admit that I'm left with confusion. This mysticism of the well, the boy's intense desperation to save his sister, the ominous voice and later the figure with the scythe and the gun . . . there are many elements I appreciate, but there's something with the layout--present, recent past, present--that lends to confusion, and the numerous elements in this opener, while piquing my interest, also kind of frustrate me because I don't quite feel like I understand time and place. There's definite potential, and maybe reading on would clarify things!

Crossing Over by KatherineCosette
Judged by SarahQuinnMcGrath
Title: 3/5
Cover: 2/5
Blurb: 7/10
Hook: 5/10
Total: 17/30
Title: The title is fine. It seems to refer to a ghost, perhaps, crossing over? I think it's a little non-specific for my taste, but it's not a bad title.

Cover: I have to admit I am not personally drawn to the cover. There's an intensity in the eye, the creepy half-covered figure, but it just looks like an old paperback I'd pick up at a thrift store. I don't think the cover does the work justice!

Blurb: Looks good to me! It's got the character, the setting, the conflict . . . it's a haunted house story, but I like the addition that Andra is a medium and influencer; that hints at a potential twist.

Hook: There is nothing wrong with a good haunted house story, and while I do think the prologue had the elements of a solid haunting (I like the something moving within it bit at the end), it didn't stand out from a crowd of other haunted house prologues, to me. I know the story will develop, but just from this initial prologue, nothing jumped at me as particularly unique.

Project X by chocxlatelover
Judged by SarahQuinnMcGrath
Title: 2/5
Cover: 2/5
Blurb: 7/10
Hook: 5/10
Total: 16/30
Title: I don't see anything particularly wrong with the title except that it sounds somewhat used? I feel like similar titles are used in many sci-fi, thriller stories . . . (X-Files, Project- ____, Operation ____). It doesn't bring much to mind except an experiment gone wrong, and I just sort of feel like that's been done . . .?

Cover: This cover makes me think of the 90's show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you're going for that campy sort of vibe, I think it works, but as far as horror . . . I'm not exactly getting that. I also think the title on the cover is confusing. The way the word "Project" is split up around the "X" is difficult to read. (Also, is that Lara Croft, Tomb Raider on there?)

Blurb: The blurb has some fun bits. I like the description of characters, the little hook line at the beginning (although saying "one bite" immediately made me think of vampires, not zombies), and the rhetorical question at the end is a nice touch. There are some grammatically unclear pronouns in there--the "they" in the second-to-last part seems to refer to the zombies, and the "it" in the last part--"Is it worth surviving?"--is a little unclear as well . . . "Is the zombie apocalypse worth surviving?" would be better."

Hook: Anything that starts off with some creepy people injecting stuff into a victim is going to be freaky. I did start with the prologue, so as far as hook, it was short. I don't know who this guy was or what exactly this doctors are doing, but obviously it is some non-legal science experiments. While I think you do a nice job with the intensity of the prologue, the hook itself isn't entirely unique. I do wonder what the heck he became, though.

ENTRIES GOING THROUGH

Near Touch by Gauravaaditya
Judged by MermaidAriel13
Title: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Blurb: 10/10
Hook: 10/10
Total: 30/30
Title: I read the blurb and then the title, and I instantly though of that scene in the Casper movie, with Cristina Ricci, where she and Casper touch hands and he goes right through her. In other words - great pick and very fitting!

Cover: amazing! Everything is place just right, and it's so inviting. I love how the hands cover each other, alluding to that 'near touch' element. The blue shade beneath also gives a bit of an esothereal glow, which is perfect for a ghost story.

Blurb: wonderful! You have all the elements that a blurb needs and you reveal just enough to lure the reader in.

Hook: All right, can I just say that I love the mystery? You take a seemingly ordinary situation like walking to class and noticing someone in the hallway and smack us right with the intrigue. The descriptions of how Caleb is behaving and looking shows something is definitely going on, but by not adressing it directly, you keep the reader hooked. Well done!

Rooming with the Wicked by backto541
Judged by MermaidAriel13
Title: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Blurb: 10/10
Hook: 9/10
Total: 28/30

Title: Great choice. It fits the blurb and story you propose.

Cover: I'm loving the font, especially the one used for Wicked. Keeping it in white was a good call on the darker background. I would like to see the author name just a little bigger or clear, so play around with that if you can. Also, I'm wondering if you add some paranormal element to the door. Maybe something like clawmarks or something alike that will really show the genre.

Blurb: one word - flawless. This is exactly what I want to see in a blurb. A pitch, clear intro on main character(s), the inciting incident and stakes. Couldn't detect any grammer errors either.

Hook: I like where this is going. We get a good intro on Ariel and her roommates, a clear setting as well as we're shown almost all of them are supernatural creatures and students. 1st POV fits this story beautifully. It helps to bond instantly with Ariel. My sole comment would be that the elevator scene drags on for just a bit. We get the struggle, the fear, the bad luck vibes, so see if you can maybe skip a paragraph there and add a little something to that great first interaction with the roommates.

A Prayer for the Dead by GrimmInker
Judged by SarahQuinnMcGrath
Title: 5/5
Cover: 3/5
Blurb: 10/10
Hook: 9/10
Total: 27/30
Title: I do like the name. I like how Darkness is sort of personified, here, and I can't help by want to know what Darkness demands.

Cover: I love your various covers, but this one was kind of dark and difficult to make out. I like the rose before the crumbling castle, but the leaves and stem in particular blended right into the background, and the font was difficult to read where the stem and leaves came over it.

Blurb: The blurb was solid. You laid out the protagonist, the setting, and the conflict all in one go, and you built the tension within quite nicely. The only point of confusion I had was when I read that "he begins his life . . . with another death"--that threw me off, and I had to reread a few times. I think that the way its written makes it sound as if he is somehow responsible for the death? I don't know. I see what you were going for with the juxtaposition of "life" and "death," but maybe it could be a subtle change--"His life begins with another death." That's simple, but I think it's the placement of "begins" that throws me.

Hook: While some might not like a slower start, I loved the atmosphere you build in this chapter. The Gothic elements are so strong--the weather, the isolation, the castle, the hints about a curse. There's just enough here to push me to want to know more. your exposition is excellent.

Of the Blood by Monrosey
Judged by SarahQuinnMcGrath
Title: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Blurb: 7/10
Hook: 10/10
Total: 27/30
Title: I like the title; it's lyrical and immediately goes to the vampire element while simultaneously making readers ask what exactly it means--WHO exactly is "of the blood"?

Cover: I like the gloomy, windswept image of the girl; the bats and tombstones hint at the vampire aspect. Me personally, I like covers that are a little more graphic, but that's just my preference. I do think this cover expresses the mood you're going for!

Blurb: I enjoy the rhyming tagline, and I while I definitely think you get the point across with the pitch, it's just that--a pitch not really a blurb! I do see where it says there's a longer explanation inside, but my understanding is the blurb is supposed to be the first thing we see.

Hook: What an awesome first chapter! The build-up of all of them sitting in this room and then the horror of the sick boy's actions at the end . . . you build up a small and frightening world around these characters in such a short amount of writing, and I am freaked out already. The ONLY tiny complaint I have is that, if anything, I wanted a little more detail about the house, the narrator's apperance, the other adults (I did briefly wonder why the narrator, whose age I don't know though I assume she's a teen, was kind of dealing with this wild boy at the end--why the grown pople didn't jump in).

Under Their Moon by onlinewings
Judged by MermaidAriel13
Title: 5/5
Cover: 3/5
Blurb: 10/10
Hook: 9/10
Total: 27/30
Title: for a werewolf story, this is a very appropriate title. Using 'their' also gives a small hint to it possibly being a romance tale as well, so that's nicely done.

Cover: I adore the lettering. And that moon instead the letter O is brilliant. Consider adding something that shows it's a werewolf story, if you can. If I saw the cover, without reading the blurb, I would guess it's a forbidden romance tale. My first thought isn't werewolf. That's only after reading the blurb.

Blurb: Excellent. It's concise, holding all the elements a blurb need, and just invites to read

Hook: the opening line and your final paragraph are what instantly draw the reader in and makes them continue. Brilliantly constructed. Also, despite not having any dialogue, the chapter is well constructed. You give some top notch worldbuilding so readers instantly know what they're getting into. I wonder if perhaps this chapter may be better as a prologue, but that's completely up to you. You have some very minor errors (there's an odd sentence in the paragraph about the older sister, for example) but nothing that stands out.

The Passing Bell by JaneQuill28
Judged by MermaidAriel13
Title: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Blurb: 8/10
Hook: 10/10
Total: 27/30
Title: very well researched to opt for such a title for a paranormal story.

Cover: I love the black and white used, as it fits the genre and the tone I get after reading the blurb, but I'm a bit iffy on those animals in bright yellow. I don't think you need them, and I can't really make out what the one on the right is. My first thought was a sheep because it's so fluffy but maybe it's a dog or wolf? Consider removing the animals and playing more with the bell itself, like with shading or contrast. This will also allow you to move the title down, should you feel inclined to do so, but you don't have to if you don't want to.

Blurb: you have the info about the ONC prompts and the bells in your author note, so consider removing them from the blurb. As to the blurb itself, you set it up very nicely, but I'm left wanting. What is at stake here if she fails to follow any or all of the conditions? Condense the conditions where you can - you have your story to go into details after all - and wrap the blurb up with a dangerous tone.

Hook: starting a story of with a druid ritual, a sacrifice, and a devilish deal - yep, I'm hooked. You take the time to walk through the scene and build tension throughout a very smooth text, just drawing the reader in. As a (former)Wiccan myself, I'm very curious to see where you're taking this and how it'll all play out.

After Midnight by K_Evans89
Judged by MermaidAriel13
Title: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Blurb: 9/10
Hook: 8/10
Total: 26/30
Title: intriguing and fitting with the blurb.

Cover: this is exactly the type of cover I expect in a werewolf story. The fierce Alpha, the howling wolf, the full moon. That faded graphic inside the moon is simply to die for, I love it so much. My only remark on the cover is the color for the lettering.. Since the background is quite dark and neutral with those blue tones, I feel like the grey isn't doing the title justice. Play around with some lighter shades or add an affect like a light shadow so that it pops out.

Blurb: had I not seen the cover and were the pitch not included, I would have picked this to be a mystery thriller and dangerous romance. I'm missing the paranormal element a bit in the actual blurb, but since you added the pitch before, and with that beautiful cover, it does show it. The intro of the characters, especially, is very nicely crafted.

Hook: You have a great start. The prologue slips a little break of the 4th wall, so unless you mean for that, be careful and see if you can rephrase that beginning of the prologue. Actually, I'm not sure you need the prologue to be honest (though it is intriguing). Chapter 1 sets of strong enough to be a great beginning for the story. I love that you give us the meet-cute so soon, with that little bit of mystery surrounding Gage, but I was left wanting. That interacting was somewhat short. I feel like there may be a little tension because of that reaction Gage gave, but I'm not sure. See if you can amp the scene. Maybe have Star notice something else about him, or delve deeper into her thoughts.

Dangerous, Diabolical by TheTravellersloft
Judged by MermaidAriel13
Title: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Blurb: 9/10
Hook: 9/10
Total: 26/30
Title: great title, immediately hinting that this is going to be a dark story. I do wonder why it's not 'Dangerously Diabolical', but I could see this is for artistic purposes. Having read the blurb then, I feel like it could have played more with that last sentence, about it being delisciously delightful - 'Deliciously Diabolical' 'Delightfully Diabolical'

Cover: the figure in the woods is great. It's giving more fantasy vibes than paranormal though, but if one looks closely at the wings, they can indeed be seen as demon wings (or a similar creature). I like the font used but 'diabolical' is a bit hard to read. Try bold (if the font allows) or making that word a little bigger maybe. Same for the author name. Let the people know who wrote this.

Blurb: You have everything a blurb requires and I absolutely love that closing line. I would suggest cutting that first sentence up, to maintain a good flow in your syntax.

Hook: I'm intrigued about your main character. It's clear that we're in a world where supernatural beings live hidden among humans, and that there is a system in place for the supernaturals to remain hidden - showing some great worldbuilding btw - but you don't quite introduce the main character. With the narrative being in 1st POV, that doesn't really allow for the mention there, but neither is her name mentioned in dialogue with Willow. This keeps a little from bonding with her, but at the same time, it draw in because I want to know (having read the blurb, I obviously do, but regrettably not all readers do)

Palingenesis by DeathBlade__
Judged by MermaidAriel13
Title: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Blurb: 9/10
Hook: 8/10
Total: 25/30
Title: Love it. It just speaks paranormal, possibly mystery as well.

Cover: the lettering is very had to make out. The author name is so small, especially compared to the title, while the title isn't easy to read, particularly the first part with 'Palin'. Consider either another font or another color scheme. I like the element of the clawmarks going through the letters, just make sure it's still readable. As to cover itself, it's very busy. You have a lot going on, and the wolf seems pasted on it last-minute iso actually being part of the cover. My suggestion here would be to see if you really need the wolf - considering you also use clawmarks, you can allude to the werewolf element through that - and focus on the ladies on the cover.

Blurb: it's intriguing and invites to read. Just make sure all parts flow together. For example, Isla's intro feels like you're introducing a story within a story. See if you can rephrase her bit so that it follows Valerie's. Introduce the ally and the foe in one go, as it were.

Hook: After reading the blurb, I find it interesting to see that Cameron seems to play a big part as well. We can instantly sense there's a lot of resentment from Hayden towards him, so I'm curious to the role he'll play against his sister. The prologue is amazing and so very tense, right of the bat, and you keep the tension - albeit in a lesser degree - in the first chapter that seems to be taking place before the conflict in the prologue.

Once again, congratulations to all who made it to the second round!

Good luck as you progress!