The Official Authors Hangout Winter Holiday 2023 Contest Support Thread

[MelissaBaby]

Congrats to the winners!!! Their scores must have been phenomenal.

Thank you so much.

Winning this feels really special to me. All my life, I have heard the Christmas songs that were popular during World War Two, such as I’ll be Home for Christmas, and been struck by their melancholy beauty. But it was only when my husband, a veteran, pointed out the context of them being songs about the war, that I fully appreciated them. In our current war torn times, I sought to capture some of their essence in a story. I’m overjoyed at the thought that I may have,to some measure, acheived that desire.

 

[Devinter]

Many congratulations to the winners. Amazingly well done on your part.

I'd also like to thank everyone else that participated, just because you made the competition more fun, and gave me plenty of stories to read. Much obliged.

 

[EmilyMiller]

* 2023 Winter Holidays Contest Winners *

First Place ($150 Cash Prize Winner):
If Only In My Dreams
by MelissaBaby

Second Place ($100 Cash Prize Winner):
Andi's Dream - Joy To The World
by Duleigh

Third Place ($75 Cash Prize Winner):
Father Christmas
by Publius68

Well done all.

In particular @MelissaBaby and you are becoming the comp Queen and King .

Em

 

[Nellymcboatface]

Congratulations to the winners.
Well done.
Great entries again too, throughout.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

Congratulations to the winners.
A lot of great stories this years.
Congrats to everyone who entered, too!

 

[KeithD]

Congrats to the placers and all who participated.

Mine wound up H with more readers/voters than usual, so all is good.

 

[KeithD]

I don’t remember which contest it was but I had a story jump from the high 4.40s into the 4.70s after the last sweep.

One of mine this time jumped from 3.98 to 4.57.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Thank you so much.

Winning this feels really special to me. All my life, I have heard the Christmas songs that were popular during World War Two, such as I’ll be Home for Christmas, and been struck by their melancholy beauty. But it was only when my husband, a veteran, pointed out the context of them being songs about the war, that I fully appreciated them. In our current war torn times, I sought to capture some of their essence in a story. I’m overjoyed at the thought that I may have,to some measure, acheived that desire.

Well earned. Loved you story. Still think you should reach out to The Hallmark Channel.

 

[Duleigh]

Well earned. Loved you story. Still think you should reach out to The Hallmark Channel.

Believe it or not, Andi's Dream - Joy to the World was inspired by The Hallmark Channel. I got sick of their pablum and challenged myself to write something better.
I won.

 

[RainyDayPen]

Huh I actually thought Duleigh's Hogfather (reading this book right now for the first time) story was going to take it but his/her other story did. Either way congrats to all winners and all who participated!

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

Congratulations Melissa, Duleigh, and Publius on the wins, and congrats to all who completed their story(ies) on time (unlike some of us!). I'm not sure if mine will be completed in time as a late Christmas present to fans or if it will be completed later for next year's event.

 

[Duleigh]

Huh I actually thought Duleigh's Hogfather (reading this book right now for the first time) story was going to take it but his/her other story did. Either way congrats to all winners and all who participated!

And thank you and your loyalty to Happy Hogswatch shows that you are a kind, intelligent individual that appreciates the best in life.
Actually Happy Hogswatch was my highest scoring story but it was also had the fewest page views. Read the entire Enchantress Saga, I hope you enjoy it. (The final part, #8 should be published before year's end.)

 

[Duleigh]

Congratulations Melissa, Duleigh, and Publius on the wins, and congrats to all who completed their story(ies) on time (unlike some of us!). I'm not sure if mine will be completed in time as a late Christmas present to fans or if it will be completed later for next year's event.

Save it for next year's competition
I missed 2021's competition so I saved A Krissmas Karole for 2022. It didn't win in the 2022 contest, but something happened to make up for that...

What was it...

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Believe it or not, Andi's Dream - Joy to the World was inspired by The Hallmark Channel. I got sick of their pablum and challenged myself to write something better.
I won.

I’ll put that next on my list…
Congrats, btw.

 

[Trionyx]

Believe it or not, Andi's Dream - Joy to the World was inspired by The Hallmark Channel. I got sick of their pablum and challenged myself to write something better.
I won.

Hmm….the host of the thread is a winner? Coincidence, you say?

I’m only teasing. Your story was great and congrats. You deserve it.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Many congratulations to the winners. Amazingly well done on your part.

I'd also like to thank everyone else that participated, just because you made the competition more fun, and gave me plenty of stories to read. Much obliged.

Everyone involved should be congratulated, authors and readers alike. As you might imagine, I have been watching the scores very closely for the last few days. The competition was fierce. Personally, I thought that if I did not win, Wendy Trilby would. She had the second highest score before sweeps and deserves a shout out for her excellent effort.

 

[Duleigh]

Hmm….the host of the thread is a winner? Coincidence, you say?

I’m only teasing. Your story was great and congrats. You deserve it.

I ONLY host these threads because I love encouraging new writers and chatting with experienced writers, I really do. I must, I was hosting two threads at once when this one opened up
and nobody else would do it

 

[MelissaBaby]

Well done all.

In particular @MelissaBaby and you are becoming the comp Queen and King .

Em

You guys know that’s $150 from each of you, right?

 

[Duleigh]

You guys know that’s $150 from each of you, right?

I only get $100 from each of 'em. I'll take it, I just got a brand new keyboard to wear out (been through 3 this year so far)

 

[StillStunned]

I thought the bombing was supposed to stop now that contest is over. I just got a nice juicy 2 dropped on Fairytale.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

I thought the bombing was supposed to stop now that contest is over. I just got a nice juicy 2 dropped on Fairytale.

Unfortunately, that's all too common, with winners get bombed due to the additional attention winning brings them. Other stories also get that sometimes though. One of my entries on another recent event didn't win but got some "poor attention" right after that one ended. I'm not sure why but it was swept during the sweeps for this event and it's now, at least temporarily, my highest-rated story.

 

[Voboy]

I thought the bombing was supposed to stop now that contest is over. I just got a nice juicy 2 dropped on Fairytale.

Winning a contest guarantees an IMMEDIATE drop in scores just after the announcement, lol.

Congrats to all the well-deserved winners! Good contest, errybody.

 

[StillStunned]

Ah well, it's still .35 higher than before the sweep, so no complaints.

 

[Duleigh]

I thought the bombing was supposed to stop now that contest is over. I just got a nice juicy 2 dropped on Fairytale.

No, "The End" is just the word go for these trolls. I will be shocked if Andi's Dream, Joy to the World has a score that can be expressed in positive numbers when the knuckle dragging less than discerning readers are finished. These animals fine upstanding readers go crazy after a contest and assault anything that isn't what they wanted to win.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

No, "The End" is just the word go for these trolls. I will be shocked if Andi's Dream, Joy to the World has a score that can be expressed in positive numbers when the knuckle dragging less than discerning readers are finished. These animals fine upstanding readers go crazy after a contest and assault anything that isn't what they wanted to win.

They also have long memories. Everything I've published since I won a monthly contest has seen a significant drop about a week after it gets published.