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 second 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:

AFTER MIDNIGHT by K_Evans89
Character/s Introduction: 9/10
Genre Fit: 9/10
Grammar/Mechanics: 7/10
Details: 8/10
TOTAL: 33/40
Notes: You have a solid group of characters here. Star and Laura seem like really good friends, while Gage and his mates have mischief written all over them. I'm left a bit wanting on their physical descriptions, but appreciate you take a moment to focus on their eyes. It seems to be a recurring factor in the story, so pointing that out is a good thing. Having Gage and the other boys howl before jumping at the lake is a fun scene. To the 'normal' people, it just seems like a group of guys having fun, but with the premise of this being a werewolf story, we know what's up. You keep a good pace, but I do recommend putting a chapter break if you start a completely new scene and we don't see the character moving toward that scene, like for example with Star's first encounter with the wolves. It changed to the following morning quite abruptly and threw me off for a second. Grammar wise, I noticed you start a lot of your sentences with 'I'. Even though we're in a first person pov here, be conscious of this. Don't start more than two sentences with the same word or phrasing unless it's intentional to emphasize something. You tend to fall into repetition sometimes as well - for example, 'can't help but feel' was used a few times in only a few paragraphs apart. Consider rephrasing some of your sentences to take care of these two points, and then you have a good, easy read.

PALINGENESIS by DeathBlade__
Character/s Introduction: 8/10
Genre Fit: 10/10
Grammar/Mechanics: 7/10
Details: 8/10
TOTAL: 33/40
Notes: Though we get a good feel on how the characters are personality-wise, I am missing some descriptions on them. If you could add a few of those, it'll really help the reader envision them. With the elements of magic, witches, and werewolves, this story fits the paranormal genry really well, but I'm glad to see you also take on a bit of science. It's very close to magic after all, so I really like that element attributed to Valerie. Don't be afraid to set the scene - for example, when Hayden attacks her father, I'm left wanting. I expected quite the struggle since he is an alpha and was hoping for a fight, but it was over quickly and there were barely any descriptions. The same as with the characters, dive into the scene. Grammar wise, you have some minor issues like missing commas after or before a character's name in dialogue, as well as wrong tenses (example; if he wasn't going to give it to --> isn't), but you can clear that in a round of edits. I do notice you start a new paragraph for almost every new sentence. See if you can bundle some of those to make an actual paragraph, three to four or five sentences, for example. Also - and I know that this may be an artistic choice but I want to mention it anyway - if you don't mean to write in omniscient 3rd person pov, stick to one character before jumping to the next. When Valerie and Hayden meet, we get both their thoughts, same as when Hayden faces her father. One of the advantages of following the thoughts and actions of one character before the chapter break is that you can add more emotions. This will help the reader connect to that character, especially in a story that focuses on several.

UNDER THEIR MOON by onlinewings
Character/s Introduction: 7/10
Genre Fit: 10/10
Grammar/Mechanics: 9/10
Details: 6/10
TOTAL: 32/40
Notes: I am admittedly not knowledgeable of werewolf fiction, so I do take into account that there may be certain elements of the genre that are standard but that I just don't know about. However, I struggled a little with comprehending the world you are building. There was a lot of information about the various wolves and how their packs operate / smell / look, etc. The lock concept is obviously important, but I still didn't quite feel as if I understood it. I don't have a real visual of their homes, their lands, the world around them, the characters themselves. The genre is obviously a fit, and the grammar was overall quite good, but for this reader, while the information is intriguing for sure (and chapter four ended on a captivating note), it is not quite creating a detailed, comprehensible picture quite yet.

THE PASSING BELL by JaneQuill28
Character/s Introduction: 7/10
Genre Fit: 8/10
Grammar/Mechanics: 7/10
Details: 7/10
TOTAL: 29/40
Notes: The first chapter was so intense that the three after it felt like taking a breath! I know you're building back up to the action of the prologue. Chapters one through three were mostly character introduction and exposition about how April got the house. I think that the transition between calling Ben "Ben" and then calling him "Drew" and thinking about things from Drew's perspective could've been smoother. The grammar was mostly good, although there were a few unclear pronouns and moments I needed to reread for clarity. I know this will continue toward some more paranormal activity, but these three chapters rather than amp up that sense of foreboding and intrigue sort of dialed it down for me.

ENTRIES GOING THROUGH:

OF THE BLOOD by Monrosey
Character/s Introduction:8/10
Genre Fit: 10/10
Grammar/Mechanics: 9/10
Details: 8/10
TOTAL: 35/40
Notes: I enjoy the ominous elements stacking up: the death of the ENTIRE Milton family, the way Agnes though her brother was visiting her, the deer. There's nothing cheerful, here. Grammar is really quite solid minus small things, like the wrong everyday or a plural that wants to be possessive, but honestly, those are very nitpicky. I am slightly torn on characters and details because on the one hand, you have a talent for packing a lot in a short amount of writing--four chapters in and a few months have already passed. On the other hand, I am a sucker for more info, for a lot of buildup around the events. The characters are many, and I don't feel like I know much about them except for their basic info; the events move quickly, and while it definitely keeps my attention, I feel like I overall just want . . . more.

A PRAYER FOR THE DEAD by GrimmInker
Character/s Introduction: 10/10
Genre Fit: 9/10
Grammar/Mechanics: 8/10
Details: 10/10
TOTAL: 37/40
Notes: The various brothers are all well-introduced, their personalities and idiosyncrasies giving each a clear character. I love the way they play off one another and how mystery is developing around several of them. I know as far as genre fit the horror is not overt yet, but the gloom and foreboding are building with the irreverent villagers and whatever keeps Rosario awake at night as well as the deaths we know have and will occur. The style of writing is usually good (and in fact the syntax and vocabulary are advanced), although there were a couple of parts I hard to re-read for the clarity, and I think Father Horatian was referred to as Father Horan once. Details about the surrounding countryside and the interior of the creepy castle are rife.

NEAR TOUCH by Gauravaaditya
Character/s Introduction: 10/10
Genre Fit: 10/10
Grammar/Mechanics: 9/10
Details: 8/10
TOTAL: 37/40
Notes: Amy and Caleb are great main characters. From the way you introduced them, we can tell that they are opposites, and yet they work well together to solve the mystery around Caleb's situation. The more they'll interact with each other, the more we'll see their relation grow, be it to genuine friends or something more (and the more could be fun to write, considering Caleb is a spectre). I'm curious if we'll stay in Amy's pov or if you have a few champters in Caleb's pov as well. It would be interesting to read things from his perspective. I love how you let Amy dive into the science of what could've happened and let her approach it like a real investigator. It gave me such Supernatural vibes, which is great for a ghost story. I was a bit surprised at her initial reaction after going into the hallway with Caleb, though. She is after all the only one who can apparently see him, so I would assume that would freak her out, but she was remarkably calm. Also, it's peculiar that there isn't more of a buzz going on at school or in town about Caleb's disappearance. If he hasn't been seen in two days and it's a small town as you propose from the paragraph about rumors going around, I would've guessed it was a hot topic, but that's not the case. Maybe that's deliberate and part of the mystery, but it's still something that struck me. Grammar wise, I couldn't find any error, and the text reads smoothly, but I do have a suggestion. You tend to write out your words - I cannot, I will not etc. - which gives the story a classic tone. Considering the story is set in modern times, in Atlanta, and we're dealing with teens, you can adapt more to their speech, particularly in dialogue.

DANGEROUS, DIABOLICAL by TheTravellersloft
Character/s Introduction: 10/10
Genre Fit: 10/10
Grammar/Mechanics: 9/10
Details: 9/10
TOTAL: 38/40
Notes: I am very intrigued by the names of your characters. They somehow fit each one so perfectly, and are great for a paranormal story. You take the time to introduce each one with ample descriptions so they stick with the reader. Aside from that, the thing that strikes me most about this story is the worldbuilding. It's amazingly well done. So far, you've done a great job at avoiding infodump, but remain mindful that you don't give too much info in, for example, the midst of a scene between characters. You want to avoid pulling your readers from the scene and the moment. Your grammar and text is on point. There are a few wayward capital letters in chapter 2, but apart from those, I couldn't find any immediate errors.

ROOMING WITH THE WICKED by backto541
Character/s Introduction: 10/10
Genre Fit: 10 /10
Grammar/Mechanics: 10/10
Details: 8/10
TOTAL: 38/40
Notes: We're off to a really great start here. You take the time to set the scene every time and help immerse the reader into the story. Ariel is a very likable character, and I'm compelled to share her thoughts of the other characters by the way we see them through her eyes. I'm very curious to learn more about the supernaturals, especially Haze. I feel he will be very important to the story. I sometimes got Harry Potter vibes while reading, like in the alchemy class with Professor Flamel - excellent use of that particular character btw. Your eye for details and description is amazing on people and creatures, but I'm left a bit wanting on surrounding - for example, the part about the debris where the elevator was. I'm still not sure what exactly happened, as you didn't go further into the incident. If you can add a paragraph or two there, combined with Ariel's thoughts, the reader will be able to follow that bit better. Grammar is flawless, I couldn't detect any errors.

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

Good luck as you progress!