to the semi-final round will all receive a certificate as well as a collector’s edition copy of The Trilunium Chronicles.”
Polite applause filled the room.
Joss watched Minnie shift slightly in her seat. He had a feeling her hands were clenched tightly.
“The ten semi-finalists are here today. They weren’t aware of why they were asked to join us, though I’m sure they suspected.” Kari smiled toward those sitting in the front row. “The seven semi-finalists will receive an award, a pin, a certificate, the collector’s edition, and first notice if other opportunities become available at a later date.”
She listed the seven names, inviting each of them up to receive their prize pack and taking photos with them. A small Sofós Voskós statue must be the award.
Minnie wasn’t one of them.
Kari went back to her notes. “The other two finalists will receive a different award, a pin, a certificate, the collector’s edition, full admission to this year’s TriluniCon, and first notice of later opportunities when they arise. Should the winning entrant be unable to fulfill the contract, they will be the first ones contacted.”
She read off two more names.
Were there any other people Joss didn’t recognize seated in the same area? Could it be Minnie? Or had she not been one of the top ten?
Joss didn’t believe that for a minute.
Or had she been eliminated due to her relationship with him? If she wasn’t the winner, Joss would ask Kari about it later.
“One of the specific things we looked for in our entries was how a particular bit of text was interpreted. Without going into detail, the way it could be interpreted in the contest information is different from how a particular portion of Maze of the Silver Moons has been interpreted for decades. All ten of our semi-finalists interpreted it this new way based on the information they were given, but only one took it even further and put a new spin on it - a spin mentioned in M. Karson’s notes that weren’t made public.”
Was that a huge grin hiding on Kari’s face as she looked at her notes?
“As mentioned earlier, we had no idea who wrote each entry until after the final decision was made.”
It had to be Minnie. Didn’t it?
Joss watched her. She seemed to be trying to keep herself calm and not jump to conclusions.
“The winning entrant will receive an award, a certificate, a pin, five years of entries to TriluniCon, a collector’s edition of the series, and, of course, a contract to write this book with options for more.”
Joss found his knees bouncing and his fingers on both hands crossed tightly. Cale smirked at him.
“The winning entrant was submitted by...” Kari paused for dramatic effect. “...Lady Minerva Waterford, Princess of New Sargasso.”
Minnie gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she turned to an equally surprised Rosie and hugged her tightly. She stood and found Joss in the back of the room, kissing the tips of her fingers as she looked at him.
Joss realized he’d stood as he clapped, the grin on his face the largest he remembered having.
Ever.
Minnie met Kari near the podium for a hug and the largest Sofós Voskós statue there. She stood at the microphones with tears streaming down her cheeks.
“I’m nearly speechless,” she started. “Anyone who knows me, knows that while I don’t necessarily talk all the time, I’m rarely at a loss for words when I need them. While I’m not going to reveal my username right now, I’ve been an active participant in the TriluniMunity for many years and have written more than my fair share of fanfic. Some of them have even won TriluniMunity awards.”
She stared at the statue. “I knew I would write an entry. I was in hiding for several weeks and spent much of that time working on this. Joss, that is Joshua, edited and brainstormed and argued over my interpretation of the information Kari talked about a few minutes ago. But I also know how many amazing authors there are in the TriluniMunity, and I’m simply gobsmacked to have made the top fifty, much less the top ten.”
A tearful smile covered her face. “Over the last few months, I’ve chosen different organizations to work with, including ones that help women who have suffered from mental and emotional abuse, something I’m all too familiar with. From the moment I entered the contest, I said that were I to be awarded the contract, the monies would go to those organizations, and I’m grateful for this opportunity for that