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I have to finish reading the BTS fanfic this weekend. Also, I think I'm going to have to listen to the group's music - I've heard the band members are extremely talented.

Looks like I entered Ancilla in The Erotic Dark Harlequin (Dark Romance main category), and in the mini categories, Fumes of Desire (best steamy seduction), Best Heartbreaking Chapter, Best Smut, Best Couple, Best First Time Meet-Up, Best Male Protagonist, Best Aesthetics, Best First Chapter, and Best Chapter Titles.

I entered Excavations in Veiled Verse. 

UPDATE (6/5/2024) - Ancilla took SECOND PLACE - with what I felt was the weakest chapter in the entire novel! My judge mistook the prologue for the first chapter, and judged "Beginning," not "The Magus." 

Let me say that again, loudly, for the people at the back of the room: My weakest chapter took a second place prize. And not even the entire prologue - just the first part, the part that I knew desperately needed a professional editor. Holy smokes. That is high praise. Seriously. 

(Oh, and if my judge is reading this, I did tweak the titles to show that "Beginning" is the prologue, as you advised).

Oh, and I also won Second Place for Best Male Protagonist/Male Main Character. 

The review I got for Best First Chapter was useful, since I have to be my own editor. (Not for Ancilla. I worked for ten years on Ancilla and I am done with it. The advice will help me write the sequel, Soror Mystica). 

The review I got for Best Male Main Character, though, was just simply awesome and flattering. It also looks like I was ONE POINT away from tying for first place. 

WOW! 

And yes, "Magister" does have hidden depths. You get to see them in more detail in the "Binah" chapter.

I placed dead last in the Aesthetics mini-category. I was not mentioned in Best Chapter Titles; I think Ancilla may have been "lost in the sauce" in that contest. I am still waiting for results for other mini-contests and for the majors. 

UPDATE (6/22/2024) - DARK ROMANCE MAIN CATEGORY

I placed a rather embarrassing and weak 83/100 2nd runner up (3rd place) in a category that only had five entries in it, that I could see. Or maybe there were four entries... Worse, my arch-rival took first place with an almost perfect score. Okay, fine, that was the only part about placing next-to-last that I didn't like. I'm usually fine with getting a low runner-up position, or nothing at all.

To be fair, my judge had to endure the prologue, and anybody who reads through the messy prologue and still has the fortitude to keep on reading anyway probably deserves a medal. 

UPDATE (7/11/2024) - POETRY CATEGORY

SECOND RUNNER-UP

We don't talk about Bruno.