{"id":8094,"date":"2011-09-15T01:00:18","date_gmt":"2011-09-14T13:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/?p=8094"},"modified":"2011-09-14T22:04:15","modified_gmt":"2011-09-14T10:04:15","slug":"fun-with-thornspell-we-have-a-result","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2011\/09\/15\/fun-with-thornspell-we-have-a-result\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Fun With Thornspell&#8221;: We Have A Result!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-7163\" href=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2011\/08\/04\/fun-with-thornspell\/thornspell-cover-illustration-2\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7163\" title=\"Thornspell cover illustration\" src=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Thornspell-cover-illustration-211x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"211\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Thornspell-cover-illustration-211x300.jpg 211w, https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Thornspell-cover-illustration-105x150.jpg 105w, https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Thornspell-cover-illustration-723x1024.jpg 723w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 211px) 100vw, 211px\" \/><\/a>On <a href=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2011\/08\/04\/fun-with-thornspell\/\"><strong>August 1<\/strong><\/a> I began <strong>&#8220;Fun with Thornspell&#8221;<\/strong>, in which I asked readers to tell me the <em><strong>Thornspell<\/strong><\/em> character they would  most like to have a standalone short story written for, or about\u2014as well as <em>why<\/em>, based on that character\u2019s exploits in the <strong><em>Thornspell<\/em><\/strong> story.<\/p>\n<p>And I asked <strong>three judges<\/strong>, introduced <a href=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2011\/08\/11\/fun-with-thornspell-introducing-the-judges-plus\/\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a>, to decide which character, from amongst the suggestions  you\u2019ve put forward, I would get to write a short story about\u2014to be  published here on the blog with a dedication to the selected commenter.<\/p>\n<p>The competition closed on <a href=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2011\/09\/01\/fun-with-thornspell-the-final-week\/\"><strong>September 1<\/strong><\/a> and the judges all went into a huddle (<em>coughs:<\/em> waited for me to get done with copyedit on <strong><em>The Gathering of the Lost<\/em><\/strong> and get my act together!) to decide which comment would be &#8220;the one.&#8221; Because as with <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Highlander_%28film%29\"><em><strong>Highlander<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (so long ago now, but so good: the Kurgan, serious claims to best badass ever!)&#8212;<em>&#8220;there can be only one!&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>But now we have a result and <strong>the winning comment is<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>from<\/em> <strong>Andrew<\/strong> on <strong>August 4<\/strong>, the first day of &#8220;Fun with Thornspell&#8221;:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>&#8220;Well I would like to see a short story about Rue.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>There is a lot that could be said about her struggle against the  Magravaine\u2019s spell, and her efforts to help Sigismund while her own  power (or most of it) remained bound and fettered by the 100 year sleep.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>That and her own relationship to Fae and Faierie could make for a really interesting story.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The comment ranked second came:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>from<\/em> <strong>June Young<\/strong>, again on <strong>August 4<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>\u201cFor a Thornspell short story, I\u2019d like to see something with the Margravine (Farisie) and her sister, Syrica, the Queen of Faerie. Before the Margravine came to this world and created the Sleeping Beauty. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Specifically Page 288-9 (hardback version)- an old sorrow. What got the Margravine started or helped her towards what she became? <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>She obviously didn\u2019t start out this way.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>And the following comments were ranked <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>third equal:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>from<\/em> <strong>Dru <\/strong>on <strong>August 11<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;What about Syrica?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Hers is an interesting story. Staying hidden for a hundred years. Thwarting the Magravine\u2019s plans despite the risk.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>There has to be a story or two there.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>And from <strong>Luke<\/strong> on <strong>August 25:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cYeah, Balisan\u2019s \u201cthe man\u201d, but I\u2019m going for a story about the good fae, because when you think about it she was staunch, countering the death spell and then hiding out for a hundred years to see things through.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Interesting that the two comments ranked 3rd equal were both for Syrica! And the overall top-ranked comments from our judges were for female characters.<\/p>\n<p>So there you have it: <strong>I shall be writing a short story about <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Rue<\/span><\/strong>, which I hope to bring to you within the next month to six weeks (as per my post of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2011\/09\/01\/fun-with-thornspell-the-final-week\/\">September 1<\/a><\/strong>.) I think it will need to be soon, before I get too wrapped up in writing <strong><em>Daughter of Blood <\/em>(The Wall of Night Book Three)<\/strong>, which I suspect may quickly become an all-absorbing project!<\/p>\n<p>And thank you very much to everyone who participated&#8212;it was fabulous to get so many wonderful comments and suggestions. Who knows, <strong><em>Daughter of Blood <\/em><\/strong>allowing, there may even be a similar event for <em><strong>The Heir of Night<\/strong><\/em> in the not too distant future &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>Just to remind you, <strong>our three judges were:<\/strong> (in alphabetical order by first name):<\/p>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7300\" style=\"width: 111px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-7300\" href=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2011\/08\/11\/fun-with-thornspell-introducing-the-judges-plus\/beth-anne-miller-3-2\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7300\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-7300\" title=\"Beth Anne Miller-3\" src=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Beth-Anne-Miller-3-101x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"101\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Beth-Anne-Miller-3-101x150.jpg 101w, https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Beth-Anne-Miller-3-202x300.jpg 202w, https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Beth-Anne-Miller-3.jpg 229w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 101px) 100vw, 101px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7300\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beth <\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Beth Miller<\/strong>: Beth Miller works at Writers House  Literary Agency in New York, where she is the assistant to my agent,  Robin Rue\u2014and as such was amongst the first people out there to read and  love <em>Thornspell<\/em>. She is also a writer in her own right; her first novel, <em>Into the Scottish Mist, <\/em>was published by Wild Rose Press in 2010<em> <\/em>and you can read my interview with her <a href=\"..\/2011\/02\/04\/release-day-interview-with-beth-anne-miller\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7305\" style=\"width: 117px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><strong><strong><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-7305\" href=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2011\/08\/11\/fun-with-thornspell-introducing-the-judges-plus\/006a\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7305\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-7305\" title=\"006a\" src=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/006a-107x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"107\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/006a-107x150.jpg 107w, https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/006a-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/006a-731x1024.jpg 731w, https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/006a.jpg 1055w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 107px) 100vw, 107px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/strong><p id=\"caption-attachment-7305\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fitz<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Peter Fitzpatrick (Fitz): <\/strong>Fitz was another early reader of <em>Thornspell<\/em> and has been an integral part of my writing journey since he has designed both my <em>Helen Lowe on Anything, Really<\/em> and <em>Thornspell<\/em> websites, as well as designing the map for <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Wall of Night<\/span><strong> <\/strong>series\u2014for which he was nominated for a Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Professional Artwork earlier in the year.<\/p>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7306\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><strong><strong><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-7306\" href=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2011\/08\/11\/fun-with-thornspell-introducing-the-judges-plus\/sharon-s\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7306\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-7306\" title=\"Sharon S.\" src=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Sharon-S.-150x133.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"133\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Sharon-S.-150x133.jpg 150w, https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Sharon-S..jpg 220w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/strong><p id=\"caption-attachment-7306\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sharon<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Sharon Stogner:<\/strong> Sharon is an avid reader, follower of a number of blogs such as the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.supernaturalunderground.blogspot.com\/\">Supernatural Underground<\/a>, and a book blogger herself on the <a href=\"http:\/\/ismellsheep.blogspot.com\/\">ismellsheep<\/a> book and movie site.\u00a0 Sharon was also an early enthusiast for both <em>The Heir of Night<\/em> and <em>Thornspell<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-76\" href=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2010\/06\/09\/thornspell-here-in-paperback-july-2\/thornspellcover_small\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-76\" title=\"Thornspell\" src=\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/thornspellcover_small.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"84\" height=\"119\" \/><\/a>For the first chapter of <em><strong>Thornspell<\/strong><\/em>, click <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thornspell.info\/thornspell_ch1.html\">here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> <\/strong>To listen to a reading, click on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MaGagcO9rWA&amp;feature=player_embedded\"><strong>this link<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On August 1 I began &#8220;Fun with Thornspell&#8221;, in which I asked readers to tell me the Thornspell character they would most like to have a standalone short story written for, or about\u2014as well as why, based on that character\u2019s exploits in the Thornspell story. And I asked three judges, introduced here, to decide which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-about-my-books","category-funstuff"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8094"}],"version-history":[{"count":48,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8094\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8142,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8094\/revisions\/8142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}