Acknowledgements

~Yells at the sky~
HotA is finiiiiished!
Well, not *finished* finished. This baby still needs a lot of rewriting. Like, a lot.
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This has been a three-month journey. It started all because of a scam posting on Indeed for “Freelance Fiction Prose Writer (Werewolf).” (Check out HotA on Wattpad for the screenshot). The qualifications were:
• Ability to write fast-paced scenes and concise but powerful dialogue
• - Ability to write in a commercial and dramatic style
• - Interest in Romantic Fiction (Experience in Werewolf or Omegaverse will be preferred)
• - Ability to write spicy and high-heat scenes
• - Availability to write a minimum of 10 chapters (each 1,500 words) weekly is a requirement
I looked up AnyStories, saw it was legit, wrote a sample, and sent in my application. I was really excited about it, as I was searching for a full-time job as a graphic designer and wasn’t having much luck, feeling hopeless after being scammed a few times already.
A week or so later, I found that I wasn’t selected and the job was taken down. Then another week after, it was back up and I applied again with a different sample. I even messaged them saying how passionate I was about an opportunity like this.
I got an email saying I’d been selected. But it was a bogus email address to me and other people who apparently were selected as well. That was a red flag. The second was a few attached documents that had hella spelling and grammar mistakes.
I was heartbroken to be scammed yet again. I’ll admit I hid up in my room and cried for a good while. Life was really getting me down.
But good things come to those who persevere.
Reading the job description, I had no idea what Omegaverse was. I looked it up and was honestly a little grossed out. Not because it’s usually male-male relationships, but I’m not very comfy with mpreg and extremely altered anatomy. And my asexual sex-repulsed ass just doesn’t like even writing about d!cks. I don’t have experience writing a “subgenre of speculative erotic fiction, and originally a subgenre of erotic slash fan fiction.” I’ve never even read anything more explicit than Chapter 55 of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
So literally no experience in anything sex-related whatsoever.
Even after researching more and formulating ideas simply for a sample chapter, I was too hesitant to write too explicitly. But I got used to it. While HotA doesn’t seem to fit the typical stories on AnyStories and I took the werewolf concept literally, I think I remained true to t east part of the root of the Omegaverse.
Anyway, I just started writing. Wrote and wrote and wrote, filling two five-subject notebooks and going through at least five pens. I started mid-August and “finished” Nov. 25th!
When I reached so many words, I applied for a contract, only to be rejected. I edited and readjusted a chapter or two and apple again. And got rejected. I was writing just to write, but I also really wanted to earn money off of it. So after two rejections I just said, Oh well, I’ll still enjoy the story for fun.
Good things come to those who wait.
At the end of September, Lacie from AnyStories emails me asking if I wanted to sign a contract!! I was hesitant, again because I’d been scammed so many times, but my weak spot (not checking to see if the email address is legitimate), Lacie’s was an official AS one. So I gladly accepted and signed.
My “Hot” rating shot up from 2k to 10k overnight, doubling in Adds! On the second or third day of being contracted, I made $16. Not much, obviously, but the whole thing of my story getting recognition was a bit thrilling.
When I signed, there was also the option to sign up for the Forbidden Romance contest. HotA is definitely romance, but I knew there were other stories probably more focused on that, and honestly I forgot about it lol. So when Lacie emailed me that I won third place, my jaw dropped. Hell yeah!
My writing method is “write and don’t look back,” which only leads to plot holes and inconstancies like wrong ages. But that’s fixable in the major rewrite hahah. So now I get to deal with that and the constant cringe, *why tf did I write that?!*
I also had so much fun developing characters with personalities I’ve never tried before as well as ~sexy~ scenes. There was a lot of confusion on Selene’s anatomy, which I feel like I could have explained better or put a reminder at the top of each chapter explaining… Should I reconsider that whole thing???
I definitely gave more love to certain characters over others, so that is something I need to adjust, and use as a lesson I’ll use to make my writing better in the future.
Also, I made a timeline which was super fun and frustrating to do! (Check out HotA on Wattpad!)
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Anyway, I’d like to first thank whoever posted the scam job on Indeed! Thanks, dude, whoever you are, for sending me on this journey to write a story that I’ll put on the internet but never let my parents read.
Thank you Lacie, my editor, for giving HotA a chance and the opportunity to earn money for my passion project.
Thank you Jennah_63074 for lending me “spicy sexual encounters” and being excited about the story’s completion!
Thank you Skylyn Gordon for your cute comments and emojis!
Thanks lexxZales on Wattpad for bingeing the whole story in less than two days! She commented on a lot of chapters and voted on all of them, and I consider her my number one fan. I can’t thank you enough for your singular support on Wattpad!
Props to Velvelyami on Wattpad for The Unofficial Guide to the Omegaverse for supplying the root and reference for the plot and characters.
And of course thank you to all my readers. The comments of “I love this story!” gave me such a rush of appreciation and the will to continue HotA.
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For the sake of the Upspree Challenge and the unfortunate timing that my story is complete lol, I’m gonna add a few “extras” to keep in the game, so look forward to deleted scenes, character bios, and playlists!
So what do I write for the next 500 words…?
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Here’s “Kiran’s Confession” taken out from Chapter 32. Soulmates! It ended up not being relevant.
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“My offspring tell me you don’t eat enough. They were the ones to tell me what your favorite food was, no threats involved.”
She swallowed and her heart skipped a beat. Kiran didn’t let his spark of suspicion show. “I’m grateful for their protection. Thank you.”
“They’re good,” he admitted.
Seff’s eyebrow perked, her lips twitching toward a smirk. She leaned back on her hands. “Why do you do that? Refuse to call them your pups?”
Kiran cocked his head. “Hm? I just did.”
“No, you don’t claim them as your blood. You never call them by ‘son’ or ‘daughter,’ and you don’t let them call you ‘father.’ Why?”
It was a question Kiran anticipated eventually, but one he didn’t want to explain to her.
“If you want me to at least *like* you,” Seff challenged casually, “you’ll tell me *some* truths.”
Kiran’s growl was more an appreciative purr. “You sly bitch.”
Her smirk was full-fledged and she shrugged. “When I want to be.”
It wasn’t Zinnia’s humor, but it was on the cusp, like potential. Kiran leaned forward on his elbows and held her gaze. She was being oddly amicable as she mirrored him.
“You are granted my honesty, Seff. The Contest between Selene and I is real.”
She blinked, not expecting that.
“But as you’ve figured out, us immortals are selfish, bored bastards. We’re only immortal because we’re each born from two Alphas? We’re not related at all,” he added quickly. “We thought, let’s just have a friendly competition.” Seff’s amicability was shot by opposition, but Kiran rested a hand over hers, making her stay. “*She* was the one to suggest it.”
Kiran wasn’t a hindbrain enough to miss the flash of hurt in her eyes. It made room for more satisfaction in his heart.
“The objective isn’t to just bear as many as possible,” Kiran continued, feeling each word drive the wedge between Seff and Selene wider. “It’s to reach *fifty* in the span of the three years. Also her suggestion.”
“And…and the…prize?” Seff rasped, tears in her eyes and in her throat.
“Well, that was my suggestion. Simple, really. We stop Choosing. No more taking little girls and boys from the Magnolia pack.”
She sucked in a little gasp. “Really?”
Kiran nodded placatingly. “Really. But the other day? When I returned so bloody, it was because I tried to stop her from changing that prize.”
Her sliver of hope wilted. Realizing it or not, she squeezed Kiran’s hand. Realizing it or not, Kiran shoved aside his sliver of guilt. “To…what?”
Kiran said solemnly, “Selene tried to make the prize *you*.”
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Unfortunately links don’t work on AnyStories, so I’ll just try and leave directions lol
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Wattpad: Harems of the Alphas by misc_Alyss
Pinterest: HotA by @alyssaturo42 (includes timeline)
Spotify: HotA by wolfheart42

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Again, thank you all so, so much, and goodbye for now!