Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another batch of intros! This time we're going back to the core categories to tackle some of these. We're relatively close to being done with the contest, so I hope you're excited (though fair warning that SOTY will take time to judge).

Here are the books & participants of the Rock category:

Oblivion, A Timeless Void by Aster_Rae27. Aster Rae (which is a cool name) is a writer with seven works available right now ranging from the one submitted here to memes and quotes, making for a pretty diverse profile. Oblivion, A Timeless Void is a dark fantasy journey all about adventure and discovery. If you're looking for a fantastical adventure, then I'd recommend checking out Oblivion! I especially recommend it since Rae has side stories and concepts for Oblivion available as well, which I think is a really cool idea. I hope you guys check it out!

Succinct Tales by Seamlesslove. Seamlesslove, or simply An, is a talented writer and graphic designer, and the specific short submitted here was Cruor, which I have read and enjoyed in the past! As a fun fact, An did my lovely theme that I've had on for like ever now. It's absolutely ✨iconic✨, and she did a great job with it. Though moving back to her writing, Succinct Tales is one I often cite in my reviews for short story collections because it has such an awesome title, and beyond that, it's an awesome collection of short stories with vastly different topics. They're all well-written, and An deserves the support, so I hope you guys give Succinct Tales a shot! 

Unromantic by Inao357. Inao is here with Unromantic, a story about a psychologist and a CBI agent in an arranged marriage; however, things take a turn as they begin to investigate a case together, and as sparks fly, what will happen in the midst of all the chaos? I've reviewed Can I call it a love story? before, so this is the next entry from Inao I'm reading, and I'm excited to post my thoughts! Inao is a very kind person who is passionate about writing, so if you guys have a second, I'd appreciate it if you could check out Inao's profile! Maybe you can read Unromantic with me and give Inao some love!

The Celebrity Slaughter by Pulchra_Aurum. Pulchra_Aurum, or simply Evie, is back in another one of my contests! As always, it's great to see you, Evie. Here, The Celebrity Slaughter was submitted, and, as the title implies, it's a work about celebrity murders, and a movie queen, Donnie Ramos, is next on the hit list. It's a mystery/thriller full of angst, so if you're looking for a gritty mystery, this is perfect for you! Evie always nails concepts, so you guys are going to have a blast with this one, trust me. I'm excited to post my thoughts on this one! Thank you for signing up!

Racing Hearts by Artemis_223. Artemis has two works available: the one submitted here, and Perfectly Imperfect - Life in Little Phrases. Perfectly Imperfect is a collection of life quotes, so if you're ever looking for motivation, this is perfect for you! Racing Hearts follows new college student Melissa Drake attending her dream school. She's there on a scholarship and receives pressure from her mother to keep it, though a mysterious playboy, Jake Williams, is distracting her, and it all starts with his car. If you're looking for a college romance-drama, then you may want to give Racing Hearts a try!

December 4 by dyingfrominside. dyingfrominside (relatable), or Mei, is a writer with two works available so far: the one submitted here, and Heart Break. Heart Break is a poetry collection with six poems so far, and they have common themes of tragedy and, as the name implies, heart break. It's a very personal and emotional collection, so if you're looking for something powerful, that's the collection for you! December 4 is a mystery/thriller with sprinkles of a love story throughout, and it's an entertaining, tense journey, so I recommend it if you're looking for your next mystery/thriller read!

Inferno of Desire by ProseTemple1. ProseTemple1, or Timmy A., has three works currently: Inferno of Desire, UNRAVELING FATES, and "Hear Screams and Hide," showing a diverse portfolio. Inferno of Desire is a demon/angel fic that's fast-paced and full of action. UNRAVELING FATES is a mystery/thriller dark romance involving billionaires and investigative journalism. "Hear Screams and Hide" is a horror/thriller novella featuring ghosts and scary stories. Pretty diverse profile, right? I hope you guys go give Timmy's profile a look! There's a lot to love on there!

Searching for my beloved by Shetu15. Shetu15, or Sharmin (SSS), has one work available as of now, and that work is Searching for my beloved, and this work is a wild ride. It's about Merry, a woman labeled as a "mediocre angel," as she jumps between different worlds to find fragments of her spirit. This is a fantasy adventure featuring demons, angels, and environments you've never seen before, especially later in the novel. Along with that, there's also a mysterious male figure following Merry, but will sparks fly, or is there too much darkness within the man to warrant being with him? If you're looking for a demon-angel story, then Searching for my beloved may be exactly what you're looking for!

Arcadia by EsmeraldaDryden. Esmeralda is a poet and writer with almost 20 works to offer! The one submitted here is Arcadia, which is a flash fiction about a nameless and genderless narrator reading a book when an unwanted visitor comes in. However, as this visitor starts to disturb the narrator more and more, the narrative descends into wildness. All of the works on Esmeralda's profile are quick reads, so I'd recommend giving her profile a look if you have a few minutes to spare! You'll have a lot of content to choose from, and you won't regret it. Arcadia is a great flash fiction, so I strongly recommend checking it out! Thank you for signing up, Esmeralda!

Total Participants: 9.

Since there are less participants than normal, I am deciding what to do winner-wise, so I'll let you know when results drop what I decide to go with. Results will be out before I start the Birthday Bash Awards again, so within likely a week or so.

This is a really difficult contest to judge due to the amount of work that goes into every participant. It's not simply reading and reviewing, it's also designing scorecards and playlists, so it does take more work. I appreciate your patience as I continue to judge this contest.

I'll see you soon for results! After that is Experimental, which is currently in-progress along with Disco.