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November 6, 2012

The Halloweensie Contest Finalists - Vote For Your Favorite!!!

The time has come, the walrus said, for the Halloweensie Contest Finalists to be revealed!!!

I can just feel the very air quivering with excitement!!!

Let me just say that I was bowled over - by both the number and the quality of the entries!!!  I NEVER expected a turnout like this!  I was so happy at the response and enthusiasm - really it was just wonderful!  I had SO much fun going around to read each new entry as it was added to the list - each better than the last.  I hope you all had as much fun with it as I did.

Now, I realize I said I'd try to narrow the field down to 3 finalists, but you all know I can pretty much never do that anyway :) and that was before I knew there were 38 entries!  And in this case there were so many great entries that cutting any of them was brutal!  So after much hemming and hawing and gnashing of teeth and consulting with my lovely assistant, I have ruthlessly done away with more than 75% of the competition - much as it pained me! - and have left you less than a quarter to choose from (and that's just as close as we're going to get to correct percentages because math is not my thing!)  And I'd like to say right up front that many of the entries that were cut I was EXTREMELY nitpicky about because I had to cut something!  They were all excellent!

I also decided that since there were so many entries I should give a couple more prizes.  So while the winner will still receive the fabulous 5 signed picture books, 2nd place will receive a $25 Amazon gift certificate, and 3rd place will receive a $15 Amazon gift certificate (which was the best I could think up on short notice!  If anyone has a better idea, let me know :))

So, with GREAT FANFARE, here are the finalists!  They were chosen on the basis of kid appeal and quality of story within 100 words - tough criteria.  Please read through and then vote for your favorite by Thursday November 8 at 6 PM EST.  In the interest of trying to help you be objective they are listed by title only - no author names for now (though of course if you have photographic memories and remember who wrote what I can't help with the objectivity :))

I would also like to add that, for spookiness/creepiness, Renee ('round the moonlit town) and Sidney (The Last House) should receive honorable mention.  And for the other 2 stories that I finally cut because I decided 10 finalists was just too many and these were a little more like character sketches than stories but still really, really good, honorable mention to Cathy (The Halloween Queen) and Lauri (No Trick-orTreating For Jack).  But really - excellent job EVERYONE, and thank you all for providing us with such fantastic Halloween entertainment!

#1 Sneak-a-Sweet


There was a little witch
who kept a little bat
high upon the top
of her little pointy hat.

Every Halloween
when she would trick-or-treat,
the little bat would swoop right down
and grab an extra sweet.

The bat knew this was sneaky,
impolite and , yes, uncouth—
But when your home’s a witch‘s hat
you MUST tend her sweet tooth!

#2 The Witches of Fairy Top Hill


On Halloween eve up on Fairy Top Hill,
A trio of witches, Pam, Tamsin and Lil,
Were practicing magic and chanting out loud,
“Bat-candy, bat-candy…rain down from that cloud!”
“Kaput! and Kabob!” Pam invoked with a shout
The sky quickly filled with a hover of trout.
“Kibosh! and Pish-posh!” Tamsin yelled with finesse.
A chorus of frogs joined the fish-slippy mess.
Then bold Lil spoke up, “This is Trick-or-Treat night,
And children get candy and Turkish delight.”
Costumed as young children…with treat bags to fill,
The trio went guising, Pam, Tamsin and Lil.

#3 The Little Scaredy Witch


Chloe was a scaredy witch. She was scared of bats, jack-o-lanterns, and most of all, costumed trick-or-treaters. Her sister Mavis told her, “Don’t be a scaredy witch! You’re supposed to be the one scaring people on Halloween.” With Halloween days away, Chloe worried about the trick-or-treaters who would visit. Maybe she would hide until Halloween was over. She found a sheet, and draped it over her head. Mavis walked in and screamed. "You frightened me!" said Mavis. Chloe suddenly felt braver with her sheet. So on Halloween night, she wore the sheet and happily greeted trick-or-treaters at the door. “Boo!”


#4 Witch Party


The wee witch is very excited,
her pointed toes quiver with glee.
Today is the day
all the ghouls come to play.
This night will be super spooky. 

Bent tree branches scratch at the windows,
carved pumpkins do flicker and scowl.
Dry leaves fly and swirl
as the bats start to whirl,
cold wind swoops around with a howl.

Her cauldron glows green as it bubbles,
the wild creatures party all night.
No one on this street
dares to come trick or treat.
They're all in a shivering fright.

#5 The Scariest Halloween


     Ghost heard an eerie sound. 
     Hee-hee-hee-hee!
     He trembled beneath his sheets.
     Ding-dong-ding-dong
     Ghost froze. "It's probably just a bat," he said.
     He hid behind the curtain and peeked out his window. 
     Princesses, fairies, and superheroes roamed the streets singing, "Trick or treat!"
     "How could I forget?" said Ghost.
     He called Mummy, Skeleton, and Witch.
     "It's Halloween!"
     They dashed out of their house.
     "Boooo," wailed Ghost.
     "Muahahahaha," cried Mummy.
     "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!" chattered Skeleton.
     "Ack-yak-yak-yak," shrieked Witch.
     They scurried to the streets, running amuck until they reached their hiding place.
     A banana whizzed by them.  "This is the scariest Halloween ever!" said Ghost.

#6 Hallow's Eve


#7 Halloween Drives Me Batty


Winifred stared at the calendar, “It’s Halloween!
Unimpressed, her black cat, Ebony, turned away and returned to slumber.
“I know witches are supposed to like Halloween.  But I don’t.  Halloween drives me batty.  I never want to hear  “trick-or-treat” again.” 
Winifred grabbed her Spell Book and turned pages, “No . . . No . . . Not a chance . . . Hmm . . . Maybe . . . No . . . YES!” 
Winifred chanted as she tossed ingredients into her cauldron: 
Eye of Newt, Hair of Dog, Wing of Bat

Just for today . . . turn me into a Cat!
*POOF*
Winifred padded over to join Ebony for a cat nap, and purred, “Better catty, than batty.”


#8 JACK O'LANTERN


Jack O’Lantern was an orange-headed kid
With a very round face, a stem on his lid.

On Halloween night, Jack met an old witch.
He begged for a spell and presented his pitch.

“I want to trick-or-treat like a regular boy
In spooky attire.  I love Almond Joys.”

Jack guzzled her brew, full of bat wings
And all sorts of other odd, horrible things.

“Jack?” Joe asked.  “You’re as white as a ghost.”
"A witch threw a pumpkin. I thought you were toast!”

“My pumpkin head’s gone! I feel….BOO!” Jack haunted.
“Turning into a ghost was not what I wanted.”


I know!  Tough choice, right?  We need all the votes we can get!  Ready, go!



66 comments:

  1. Oh the wonderful talent on display with these Halloweensie finalists. I voted, but it was certainly a difficult task :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. delores @ thefeatherednestNovember 6, 2012 at 8:57 AM

    Congratulations and good luck to the finalists. If you have a chance I'm running a Christmas Give-A-Way on thefeatherednest. Thanks Susanna, for the opportunity to partiipate in your contest.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank YOU, Delores, for participating, and for a great story! Please tell me more about your Christmas Giveaway when you get a chance! And I will tell you that I'm going to run the Holiday Contest again this year since everyone seemed to enjoy it last year... probably around Dec. 19... so put on your thinking cap for that :)

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  4. Thanks for checking in, Erik! And plan ahead... Holiday Contest around Dec. 19 :)

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  5. Susannah ~ Thanks for including all 8 posts in ONE place so we can contrast and compare and vote for our favorite with "one stop shopping." And thanks for tossing extra TREATS into the prize bin. You rock.

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  6. I know! Really hard, wasn't it? Everyone is so talented! Thanks for voting!!!

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  7. Well, I DO want you to enjoy your time here and want to come back, so I try to make things easy... and always have free donuts and/or chocolate on hand for anyone who needs a sustaining snack :) Congratulations to you for being a finalist, Nancy! :)

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  8. I cannot even begin to imagine how you managed to cut it down to 8 finalists, the entries were so amazing! Good luck to all of the finalists and thank you for holding another fantastic contest, Susanna!!

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  9. Tricky! But what a treat this competition has been. Well done y'all!

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  10. Voted. This was a tough one. It was such a fun contest, Susanna!

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  11. Thanks, Carrie, so glad you enjoyed it! It was a tough decision! And your entry was fabulous! I hope you'll consider entering the Holiday Contest in December :) Just wait til you see how awesome the prizes are for that one!!!

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  12. Seriously, Joanna, don't you think the quality of entries is going up with every contest? It's getting harder and harder to choose! Thanks for voting! :)

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  13. Well, Heather, I am currently bald :) Hopefully my hair will grow back in time for the Holiday Contest so I'll have something to tear out then :) So glad you enjoyed the contest, and thanks for a fantastic entry, and for voting! :)

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  14. delores @ thefeatherednestNovember 8, 2012 at 5:46 PM

    Just click on the reindeer top right and it will take you to the page that describes the contest.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, it's a contest? I will check! Will I conflict with you if I run my Holiday Contest on Dec. 19?





























    delores @ thefeatherednest (unregistered) wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:

    Just click on the reindeer top right and it will take you to the page that describes the contest.

    Link to comment
    IP address: 99.225.42.99

    ReplyDelete
  16. My husband voted, I couldn't decide :D I have a pretty shrewd guess about his choice, though.

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  17. delores @ thefeatherednestNovember 8, 2012 at 5:47 PM

    Not a contest...just a give-a-way...names in a hat.

    ReplyDelete
  18. oh, good! That's what I thought you said the first time. I'll come check it out :)





























    delores @ thefeatherednest (unregistered) wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:

    Not a contest...just a give-a-way...names in a hat.


    Link to comment
    IP address: 99.225.42.99

    ReplyDelete
  19. It IS hard to guess what he might have chosen... perhaps #1, 2, or 8??? :) Good luck! :)





























    Heather Newman wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:

    My husband voted, I couldn't decide :D I have a pretty shrewd guess about his choice, though.

    Link to comment
    IP address: 72.224.242.146

    ReplyDelete
  20. Aaah, too many good entires! I had to re-read them all just to make my decision. Thanks, Susanna, for such a fun contest!

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  21. So glad you enjoyed it, Larissa! I loved reading your entry :)

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  22. Good luck to all the finalists. Thanks for the 'ride' Susanna! When is the next one? lol

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  23. Well, since you asked... :) The next one will be the Holiday Contest around Dec. 19 - and boy are there GREAT prizes for that one!!! (I'm skipping the Thanksgiving Contest this year because I thought it would just be too much for everyone to have contests 3 months in a row... but I can be talked into holding it if people want :))

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  24. It would have to be a story with the word 'wig', as you have implied hair loss has been one of the consequences of this month's selection process!

    ReplyDelete
  25. heeheeheeheehee :)






























    Julie Rowan-Zoch (unregistered) wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:

    It would have to be a story with the word 'wig', as you have implied hair loss has been one of the consequences of this month's selection process!

    Link to comment
    IP address: 184.96.8.38

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hard choice! Good luck to the contestants.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Sorry you're bald :-( Maybe you could wear a Santa hat for the next few weeks! It would be festive....and if you shared a photo, it would really get us in the mood for the Christmas Contest. What'da ya say?

    Thanks for the fun! ALL the entries were awesome and it added so much to my Halloween. BOO hoo...it's over :-(

    Good luck to all!

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  28. Such creativity! It was so difficult to choose just one - I can understand, Suzanna, why you didn't stop at three!

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  29. Congrats to all of the finalists! There was such a wonderful assortment to choose from! Best of luck to everyone!

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  30. Voted! Looking forward to finding out the winners -- but all who participated are winners in my book!

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  31. Once again, you have hosted a really fun contest, Susanna. Good luck to all the talented folks who made it into the finals!

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  32. Thank you, Kerry! :) I'm glad you enjoyed it! (And maybe you'll ant to take a crack at the next one...??? :))

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  33. I truly have to agree with you, Beth! - on both counts! All fantastic entries and I was sorry to have to cut any of them!

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  34. Congrats to you too, Julie, for a wonderful and entertaining entry! Like Beth said, everyone who entered is a winner!

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  35. Thanks or you understanding, Patricia :) Narrowing the field is the only part of these contests I don't like! I love reading all the entries, and I love seeing who you all vote for, and I love giving out prizes... but I hate having to cut anyone!

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  36. yep it was fun voting twice today as someone said we would be doing if we voted for the Halloweensie story. It was tough, Susanna, I don't envy you and hope this voting does it for you.


    Thanks again for holding these contests. They are loads of fun. :)

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  37. Thanks for voting, Coleen! We need every one we can get! It's a tight contest!

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  38. I'm so glad you enjoy them, Clar! And thanks for voting!

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  39. Well, it's not QUITE over until we announce a winner :) Meanwhile, Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, and you might see Susanna in a Santa hat :)

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  40. That's why I'm leaving the final choice up to you! Mwah-hah-hah!

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  41. I did a post this evening to spread the word so more people will vote (and I didn't say which was mine...that wouldn't have been fair :)...but I'm honored to see mine there...the entries were all so much fun and really great!

    You are amazing, Susanna, to host these contests...I'm looking forward to the next one. :)

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  42. I voted! What a perfect post for election day.

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  43. YAY! I made it back to the blogosphere in time to vote! WHOOT! And the perfect day for it too!

    Great entries. It was really hard to pick,but I still voted. :D Good luck everyone!

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  44. Wasn't it though?! Thanks for voting, Rena!

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  45. Thanks for spreading the word, Vivian! And I'm glad you're looking forward to the next one... it's only a little over a month away! :)

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  46. Thank you, Kirsten! (And I confess, on Monday when I was deciding when to post it, other people had to point out the connection to election day - I was so focused on not overwhelming you guys with reading that I didn't even think about it :))

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  47. LEIGH!!! So happy to see you! And honored that you took the time to come over, read, and vote! Glad you're back :)

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  48. Ooh they are all so good! So much can be done with 100 words. Thank you for the honorable mention, that was a lovely surprise.

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  49. I'm excited to find out who the winner will be! This is so much fun! I voted yesterday, but wanted to come back and leave a comment. Thanks for adding a huge dose of fun to writing, Susanna. I am so thrilled with the number of entries you got!

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  50. So many to choose from. I wasn't able to cast my vote on election day afterall - traveling with a toddler kept me busy.

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  51. It really was an exceptional field of entries, and I was very sorry to relegate yours to HM - I really liked it! I too was really impressed by how well everyone did with such tough parameters!

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  52. Thank you for always being such an enthusiastic participant, Pam! I always wish everyone could win - it's so hard to cut good entries :( Thanks for voting and for coming back to comment :)

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  53. Well thanks for finding time to come and vote today, Stacy! Kind of an agonizing choice, isn't it? :)

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  54. Great reply! I'm laughing!!!!

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  55. :)






























    pennyklostermann wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:

    Great reply! I'm laughing!!!!


    Link to comment
    IP address: 50.26.233.223

    ReplyDelete
  56. I voted and I wish everyone the best of luck!!!!!!!!!! So many talented writers. Yahooiieeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  57. Thanks, Robyn!!!!! And Yahooiieeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to you too! :)

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  58. Thank YOU, Delores, for participating, and for a great story! Please tell me more about your Christmas Giveaway when you get a chance! And I will tell you that I'm going to run the Holiday Contest again this year since everyone seemed to enjoy it last year... probably around Dec. 19... so put on your thinking cap for that :)

    ReplyDelete
  59. Well, I DO want you to enjoy your time here and want to come back, so I try to make things easy... and always have free donuts and/or chocolate on hand for anyone who needs a sustaining snack :) Congratulations to you for being a finalist, Nancy! :)

    ReplyDelete
  60. Susannah ~ Thanks for including all 8 posts in ONE place so we can contrast and compare and vote for our favorite with "one stop shopping." And thanks for tossing extra TREATS into the prize bin. You rock.

    ReplyDelete
  61. I know! Really hard, wasn't it? Everyone is so talented! Thanks for voting!!!

    ReplyDelete
  62. Thanks for checking in, Erik! And plan ahead... Holiday Contest around Dec. 19 :)

    ReplyDelete
  63. delores @ thefeatherednestFebruary 21, 2013 at 6:12 PM

    Congratulations and good luck to the finalists. If you have a chance I'm running a Christmas Give-A-Way on thefeatherednest. Thanks Susanna, for the opportunity to partiipate in your contest.

    ReplyDelete

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