J.C. Lovero

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2021

Stories (21)

21 Stories

1623 karma pts

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“Sprouting Magic” by J.C. Lovero

Princess Noelle pressed her betrothed’s hand to her heart. “Where I come from, people get married for love.”Beside her, Monty laid with his eyes shut, his alabaster skin almost shimmering in the moonlight. “What was it like on Earth?” They laid silently for some time. Their hearts beat in unison with breaths matched to one another. The flowers glowed about them, their sweet smell twined around her. The iridescent air—full of Everlandia’s magic—wavered, then faded. You’re going to wake up as a version of ...

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“Darker Than Red Velvet” by J.C. Lovero

“Death by chocolate?” Dimitri asked.I sighed at the phone pressed against my cheek. “I’m afraid so. Activate ‘Quinn-is-a-jerk’ protocol.”“Text me the address.”#“Nice place, love,” Dimitri said. His head swiveled around the restaurant with sparkling eyes. Best friends for years, Dimitri was made for the cover of GQ. About six foot two, handsome in a winsome way, muscular, and tan. Born into money, Dimitri had blond hair that was meticulously cut and carefully combed. He was a striki...

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“Betwixt Worlds” by J.C. Lovero

This must be what fairy tales are like.Dawn broke crisp and clear, winking at me through the small window opposite the foot of the bed. The cottage evoked memories of my attic back home: from the exposed wood of the floors and walls, to the dust that hung in the air. I rolled over, yanking the covers over me.“Krissy?” “Five more minutes,” I said. It was a luxury to sleep in on the weekends after another late night in the lab. Plus, with many scientists redeployed to the field, the Vraxed threat left us s...

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“Man Wearing a Garrison Beret” by J.C. Lovero

TW: contains themes of deathEvery night, it was the same dream. Motes of magic drifted through the surrounding air, casting everything in shades of blue and green. Vining flowers I did not recognize hung like curtains from the willow tree’s leafy boughs, and the earth underneath my feet radiated a love untamed, waiting to bloom.Margot laughed, then followed with a shout. “Come play with me!”Miles turned to me, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You up for it?”I shook my head, lips pursed. “S...

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“How to Disrupt Inertia” by J.C. Lovero

Out of all the people in class, he was the LAST one I wanted to be paired with for the semester.I raised my hand.Coach Campbell’s feet rested on top of his desk. He raised an eyebrow, maintaining his focus on the Sports Illustrated magazine. “Yes, Miss Lawson?”“Can I be reassigned to a different partner?” I cast a sidelong glance in Nathan’s direction. “If I’m going to keep my spot as head cheerleader, I really can’t fail physics.”After our breakup last summer, I’d rather work alone.Coa...

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“A Heart Upon Stolen Eyes” by J.C. Lovero

*** The Oracle ***I can’t see. It wasn't always like this, but every vision has a price. To the outside world, my shop is a refuge. In the far reaches of Everlandia, the power of my cards has forged legendary queens and the mightiest of warlords. But if anyone had told me I’d spend my days sitting with a blindfold, well—It might have been harder to get me into this cage.*** The Warrior ***I sheathe a dagger into the leather baldric across my chest with the chime of the shop’s be...

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“Marshmallows and Toilet Paper” by J.C. Lovero

The attack was over in seconds.↽⇀↼⇁I woke with a snort—confused—and groaned as a sharp, hot sensation lanced through my head. Floating automaton bots displayed flashing screens around me. After a sequence of scans around my body, the virtual messages disappeared, and the machines navigated to the corner of the room.Dr. Kristina Abbott sat in a stainless steel chair with her legs crossed, scribbling onto a clipboard. The glint of fluorescent lights reflected on her glasses as she pressed ...

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“Galaxies Without Walls” by J.C. Lovero

They can build walls all the way to the sky, and it’s up to us to fly above them. The Council can pin us down with the might of a thousand Regulators, but we will fight back. How many are out there? The Defectives who refuse to stop believing. Who… love in galaxies without walls. ◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣Five days before chipping procedureI tied up my shoelaces as I straddled the bench ...

53 comments 53 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“Double-Edged Serenade” by J.C. Lovero

(TW: mentions of death, dying, drowning, murder, infidelity, and loss of pregnancy)Your thoughts float like wandering flotsam as you’re dunked under icy water. Being trapped in a cage, where the sea is just out of reach, would be a mercy to this feeling. There is no pain, no hunger, no humiliation. And though he strips you of your will, freedom, and humanity, you are not broken.No, on this day, your voice becomes a song in the storm.◜◝◡◠◟◞The sun crept lower in the sky, sending streaks of pi...

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“Like Clockwork” by J.C. Lovero

If you would have told me a year ago that I’d fall in love with the noisy neighbor in Apt. 2704-110B after he had me poisoned, I wouldn’t have believed you.Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s go back to the beginning. Me: Professor Clive Hargraves of Gaslight City’s School of Magic. A refined gent and one of the last remaining practicing magicians in London. In fact, magic had fallen so out of favor that the scholars of our time, the likes of Darwin and Huxley, suggested that humans were evolving past it! Poppycock, I say!<...

34 comments 34 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“A Week in the Life of a Reedsy Writer” by J.C. Lovero

(TW: swearing, sassiness, and schadenfreude)FridayYou read over the story one more time, checking for any rogue adverbs, split infinitives, comma splices, or anything that could violate the terms of service. Clock check: 10:59 PMCrap. One more hour, and you blink rapidly at the cursor on the screen. Does this even fit the prompt for this week? Too late to change. You’ve never been one of those prodigies that could whip out a story in the same day like Last-Minute Lacey. Whi...

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“Fragments of Spencer” by J.C. Lovero

(TW: contains themes of death and dying)I sat on crinkly paper in the exam room while the blood pressure cuff deflated. This table was not like the others I had sat on before for physicals or blood tests; it was softer and more comfortable, almost like a recliner. Designed for the procedure I was about to do.Dr. Kristina Abbott pressed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose. “One hundred twenty over sixty,” she said after reading my blood pressure. They always said that like you were supposed to know what the numb...

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“Princess Noelle” by J.C. Lovero

My chest rattled like a clogged toilet as I breathed, but the IV painkillers kept me numb enough to tolerate it. After three days of infection with ultimavirus (UV-47), most of my body’s organs shut down, abandoning me the way kids on the playground used to run away, as if they’d seen the Bogeyman. It wasn’t my mother’s fault that the candle caught fire while I was asleep. The burns, though severe, were limited to the bottom right side of my face, tracing a path from my cheek down to the edge of my collarbone. I liked to believe that I wo...

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“Wounds as Old as Time” by J.C. Lovero

Happily ever after was overrated.The children clapped as Belle waved her wand in the air. Shimmering motes of magic danced around the three little pigs before transporting them back through the Fade. With a full cart of books yet to be re-shelved, she purposefully chose a shorter tale for tonight’s reading. “Can we read another one, Miss Belle?” a little boy asked.“Pretty please?” a little girl begged, her pigtails bobbing up and down with her.She tucked her wand into an oversized pocket of her cerulean bl...

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“The Bad Best Friend's Diary” by J.C. Lovero

Thursday, April 21stBack home after falling for her tricks AGAIN.Elena asked me to skip eighth period to hang out at the coffeehouse. Ordered my usual: venti caramel macchiato, extra shot, extra hot, extra whip, and sugar-free. Barista rolled her eyes as she scribbled on the cup—hope she didn’t add extra ingredients. When Elena offered to pay, I should have known she was up to something.“You should try tea sometime,” she said as she wrapped her palms around her cup, raising it to her face. “The...

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Author bio

MM romance writer (he/him/his) Want to get to know me? Check out my interview on Deidra and Russell's podcast! Ep. 38 readlotswritelots.com Social Media: Instagram @jc_lovero FB Page @AuthorJCLovero Twitter @jc_lovero Email jc.lovero.author@gmail.com Copyright © 2022 J.C. Lovero All Rights Reserved. Using content without written permission is prohibited.

Shortlisted 4 stories ⭐️

Contest #150

Galaxies Without Walls – read story

Contest #148

Like Clockwork – read story

Contest #132

Our Father – read story

Contest #128

Mango Tango Tea – read story