Hosted by taetaeginger. 

The contest is still ongoing as I type this. So far, I have taken two prizes, both of them second place awards. 

SECOND PLACE - BEST FIRST CHAPTER

I actually thought I'd made it clear that "Beginning" was just a prologue, and the chapter I considered the first chapter to start it all off was "The Magus." Apparently I hadn't. Derp. (Oh, and if my judge is reading this - if you noticed, I did take your suggestion and made it clear in the chapter titles that "Beginning" is a prologue).

I am over the moon with this prize.

Why?

Because the chapter I knew was my very weakest chapter won second prize, and only missed first prize by a hair. 

Oh, that is flattery. That is deep flattery.

SECOND PLACE - BEST MALE MAIN CHARACTER

And as anyone who has read through the "Binah" chapter knows - yes, "Magister" has hidden depths. 

MAIN CATEGORY: THE EROTIC DARK HARLEQUIN (DARK ROMANCE)

SECOND RUNNER-UP

I've had much worse reviews (the IndieReader professional review I paid $350 for, as part of entering Ancilla in a contest that I of course won nothing in - total cost $500, all of it wasted. The review is later in this portfolio for anyone who wants to see what bad reviews look like in the real world, off Wattpad) but this one had me a little salty because the same judge gave first prize to an author I have a permanent ongoing feud with, almost rivaling my feelings for E L James, another wildly popular author who I think writes absolute drek, nothing at all like the perfectly brilliant literary masterpieces* that I create; and whose book I found to have serious flaws, flaws that our judge probably would not agree with me that it possesses. 

*Of course, I'm being sarcastic, at least about Ancilla being a literary masterpiece, ditto for my poetry. 

Ordinarily, I'm delighted to simply get feedback when I participate in a contest - feedback, plus sometimes I also get a read-for-read that introduces me to something interesting that I never would have found a chance to read otherwise. If I win or place in the contest, it's a bonus. This time was different only because it got personal. 

However, I have nothing against my judge, nor do I disagree with the feedback I got. The feedback was fair. The only salt here is what landed in my open sores from Author vs Author. But what would literary life be without nasty personal melodrama? It's all part of being a writer. If you don't believe me, read:

https://lithub.com/25-legendary-literary-feuds-ranked/

(You'll have to make an inline comment, or at least pretend to, to get a URL that you can copy and paste. Because Wattpad. Sorry)

Great authors have great feuds! Why? Because I said so.