Crusade Biz(ness) - Winners of the First Crusader Challenge + Crusader Notice-Board

Crusader Notice-Board

Check out these great blogfests, contests, and other announcements:

1. If you haven't already visited, we have a Yahoo Group for Crusaders to chat, network, critique, and get to know each other. Simply go to the link and click on "Join the Group". If you aren't a Crusader and want to join a writing group, check out the Writers on Writing group in (2) below
2. Lynnette Labelle's writing group "Writers on Writing" would welcome anyone (Crusader or not) who is interested in writing and getting to know other writers. Simply go to the link and click on "Join the Group"
3. J.C. Martin is holding her Race to 200 Blog Contest from March 4 to March 6
4. Rachele Alpine is giving away an ARC of Divergent, ending March 6
5. Susannah Leonard Hill is holding a "guess the picture book" contest, from now until 5pm EST on March 6
6. Elizabeth Twist is holding a Buffy Season 8 Give-away, ending March 6
7. Kristina Fugate is holding her Catch Me If You Can blogfest on March 7 & 8
8. Megan Bickel is holding her My Favorite Picture Book blogfest on March 10
9. Sari Webb is holding her Share The Birthday Love Blogfest from March 11-13
10. Hart Johnson (The Naked Tart) is holding her Delusional Doom Blogfest on March 15
11. LB Diamond (and Tessa Conte) are holding their The Nature of Magic blogfest on March 26

I'm going to be running this as a regular Friday feature during my Crusade. So if you have a blogfest, a contest, or a something-or-other you want me to let people know about, drop me an email and I'll run it in the following Friday's post. Please include all the relevant details in your email, including links, name, and when it runs/ends, so I don't have to chase them down.  

First Crusader Challenge - The Winners (woot!!!)

Wow, that was such a fantastic First Crusader Challenge!!! We had a total of 126 entries (awesome!), which means 504 random words were used, somewhere under 37,800 words were written, and 126 lies were told *grins*.

I didn't manage to make it around to all your posts, though I wish I could have, but I loved reading the ones I did. And I had a posse of fabulous judges who did a splendid job judging all your entries. So a huge thanks goes to:

Michael

L'Aussie Denise

Catherine Johnson

Mask

Margo Berendsen

J.C. Martin

Amanda Milner

Lisa Potts

None of the judges were responsible for judging their own entries, and because of this they were able to take part in the Challenge. The judges also didn't know who the other judges were. I asked each judge to prepare a list of their five favorite entries, and then narrow it down to two finalists in the judging round. Here are the names they gave me (in no particular order), and congratulations to all these Crusaders for such stand-out posts:

Susan Fields
Donna Hole
Brian H
Amanda Milner
LA Colvin
Susannah Leonard Hill
The Blogger Formally Known As
Madeleine
Cherie Reich
Donea Lee
LauraJMoss
Margo Benson
Alberta's Sefuty Chronicles
Project Fraeya
Aimee L. Slater
Zan Marie
Shannon O'Donnell
Faith

As you can imagine, I had a terribly hard time picking one winner and one runner-up out of these fabulous entries! But...*pauses*...I've managed to do it! Well, almost. See, I ended up with two runners-up in the end. But that's all-right *grins*

Here are the final results...

Runner-up: Alberta Ross (interview on Rach Writes...)

Runner-up: Cherie Reich (interview on Rach Writes... OR Lynnette Labelle's critique, depending on the winner's choice)

Winner: Project Fraeya (choice of: interview on Rach Writes... OR Lynnette Labelle's 500 words/query critique PLUS the winner's badge in your color choice)

A huge congratulations to all three of you!!! Email me to claim your prize :)

But...I haven't finished yet. Just 'cause I love you guys, I had a chat with Mr. Random.org, and he picked one awesome Crusader from the list of Challenge entrants to win a first chapter critique from yours truly. So congratulations go to:

Michelle Merrill

Woot! Shoot me an email Michelle, and we'll talk deets :)

Second Crusader Challenge

I'm counting down the days to the Second Crusader Challenge! The post will go up on Friday, March 18, and you'll have a week to post your entry and add it to the link, just like this last time. Can't wait to see you all there.