We are sharing entries from our second-annual Literary Lovers Mash-Up Writing Contest — which offered you the chance to combine two romantic heroics from different books. We’ll be featuring all of the qualifying stories over the next few days, so check back periodically for all of these great submissions! Participants will also be receiving a set of Novel Novice bookmarks!
Today we have Heather D.’s story, featuring Catherine Morland from Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and Eric Northman from Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampire Series:
Catherine Morland closed her copy of The Mysteries of Udolpho. Her candle was nearly gone, it wouldn’t last another night. She blew it out hoping to save even the smallest bit for tomorrow. Settling into her favorite spot on her bed she closed her eyes hoping to continue last night’s dream. She’d been about to fall off a cliff edge into the vast ocean below when a handsome stranger had caught her just in time. She smiled to herself. The images were just forming in her head when Catherine jolted up in bed pulling the covers to her neck. What was that? Her eyes darted around in the dark. Was that a shadow that just danced across her window? No, it must just be the tree branches. Besides, she’d heard something in the house. Dare she get up and check? No, she was far too afraid. Not at night. Not when she was alone in her room. What if it were a murder come to take her away to his abandoned house in the woods. What if it were gypsies? She heard the noise again. In the second it took to muffle her scream a tall man with long blond hair was at her bed. She opened her mouth to scream for help but the man’s hand was on her mouth.
“Do not scream Catherine Morland.”
“Oh, please don’t kill me!”
“I’m not. Just don’t scream.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Eric Northman and I’m a vampire”
“You’re a vampire? I can believe that anything is real, but not vampires. Why must everyone tease me so?”
“There is a world of possibility out there if only one knows how to find it.”
“Well, if you are really a vampire how did you get in?”
“Why the servant maid did. She was quite drunk. I simply told her I was here to see your father on urgent business. She wanted to call down to him but I told her I knew the way. Wouldn’t want her actually waking him now would I? I also told her not to mention my visit to anyone.”
He grinned the most intoxicating grin Catherine had ever witnessed.
Catherine thought Eric was very handsome. She knew she must be dreaming and she intended to enjoy it.
Eric sat on her bed and ran his hand through her long dark hair.
Shivers ran through Catherine’s body.
His hand grazed her cheek and then his lips were unyielding against her own.
Her hands explored his hard lean body as he kissed her cheek, her collarbone, her stomach.
Catherine cried out in ecstasy the lower he went.
Their lips came together once more before his lips finally touched her neck.
Novel Novice 
There are so many comments I could leave, but none of them is appropriate for a YA site!
Austen + (book) Eric = SWOON!
I think there should be a mash-up with Bill and Snooki from the Jersey Shore. Then Bill can go “Snooooooki” instead.
Hahahaha! Yes!!!!
Goodness. What you can do in 500 words. One sentence actually, ahem. It’s hard to stay in one writing voice with these when the collision with the second universe throws the first a bit out of character. Great fun, though.