Book 5 Dedication Winners!
Original Song
AVA and ABIGAIL
The narration was enchanting and set us up for a song that I just wanted to go on and on. The writing of both parts was superb and the video pulled everything together in such a beautiful way that I truly thought I was listening to something prepared in a professional studio. I want this entire piece on my personal playlist now!
Art
NIDA
I am always amazed when a single piece of art manages to convey so many complex emotions, and Nida does this incredibly well, showing Jaron’s worries, his loneliness, and yet his hope for a better future. His hand on the sword suggests he knows trouble is coming, but the stars looking down on him suggest he will have help in his times of need. It is obvious that Nida thought out every detail of this beautiful piece of artwork.
Fan Fiction
BROOKLYN
Brooklyn has done so much for the Ascendance series over the years. I believe on those merits alone, she qualified herself as a superfan, and she will always have my gratitude for all her hard work. However, the greatest thrill is to see her emerge as a talented and dedicated writer. I firmly believe the time is not far off when Brooklyn will be holding a book with her own name on the cover, and I will become a superfan of her! You can read her winning piece HERE!
Video
KATIE
From the first image of Katie’s video, I knew this belonged in the top three of her category. The artwork is jaw-dropping, the flow of the video is flawless, and then the fact that she combined it with the song that first inspired the series brought everything together so perfectly. I have no doubt that Katie’s name will be seen in other successful artistic ventures in the future.
Other
RUBI and LETICIA
When I first saw that a board game had been created for the series, I was intrigued, but nothing prepared me for the amount of effort Rubi and Leticia put in to create something that looked like something I might buy in the stores. The game concept is fabulous, and the execution is first rate. I am eagerly waiting to see a Go Fund Me started to put this game into production.
The Younger Crowd
ANNE, ISABELLA, BEN, and SAMANTHA
Any individual entry by this group would have been worthy of a win; however, the entirety of what these four young people created is mind-blowing. In total, they wrote 15 EPISODES of scripts (that’s two seasons, if this were television), and FIVE ORIGINAL SONGS as soundtracks for the scripts. Not only did they create them, but they are all really, really good. They truly proved themselves as superfans, and as multi-talented artists and writers who no doubt, have great futures ahead. Here are two more examples of their work.
SOME NOTES ON THE FINALISTS:
All finalist work can be viewed on the original blog post HERE.
Jocelyn
I absolutely adored the song she created, drawn in by its passion and raw emotion, and I was completely pulled into the scene for which she wrote it. This song is going on my personal playlist.
Elise and Sophie
I used to play the violin, but never like either of these young women, and certainly I could not have created original music the way they did, and THEN to perform it! Their settings and costumes were beautiful, but I also loved that I understood exactly what was happening in each scene. Such amazing talent!
Mayhlee
Mayhlee’s art was one of those pieces that spoke directly to my heart. It was so raw in its emotions and brilliantly depicted the weight Jaron has to carry, and both his need for his friends, and the reality that they do not always see the things he does. I look forward to seeing more of Mayhlee’s work.
Katie
The obvious question is, “Why is Katie not already a published graphic novelist?” Because honestly, her work is just that good. So much work clearly went into her creation, each panel so well chosen and perfectly framed to depict the scene that she did. If a graphic novel is ever created for my work, my first choice would be Katie to pick up right where she left off.
Valerie
Valerie is a proven superfan, having read the series more than twenty times, and because of the books, she has taken up fencing, rock climbing, horse riding, and expanded her talents in a wide variety of arenas. It is also amazing to note that English is not her first language, so to see her writing fan fiction as well as she does in a significant accomplishment.
Minea
Minea has written multiple fan fictions for the Ascendance series, and it was nearly impossible to choose among them for which one to feature. It is my sincerest hope that Minea will one day create original work. I believe with her talent, publishers will fight over her work, and I will certainly eagerly buy it.
Kayleigh
I loved the impact and flow of Kayleigh’s video – it is just as fun to watch the thirtieth time around as it was on the first, and showed a great deal of her talent and hard work and enthusiasm. She did a truly fantastic job!
Jenna
Jenna’s video was so jaw-dropping cool. The detail she put into every scene just brought the biggest smile to my face, and I’ve watched it more times than I can count, because each time I see something new and immensely clever. I loved this one so much!
Ameerah
From Ameerah’s first words, I was drawn in by her poise and intelligence, by the enthusiasm she showed for the series, but also for her personal grace. I have no doubt that great things are ahead for a young woman of her caliber.
Sarah and Josh
Those of you who have any experience with Minecraft know how complex this creation is – not only in laying out an entire mansion, but to determine the use and needs of each room and design them as such. I cannot begin to calculate how many hours this must have taken, and so much dedication. It is truly amazing!
Bonnie, Wesley, Gideon, Solomon, and Ivy
Anytime I see an all-family effort, I know I’m going to love it. I picture the creators huddled together to bounce ideas off each other, and building a synergy that results in a creative wonderland. Something great like that must have happened here to make a final result here.
Olivia
This young woman will go to great places, and is surely off to a wonderful start. I saw her intelligence and energy and a smile to light up a room, and I knew, this is a girl to watch! To think she is a fan of my books is an amazing honor.
Kara
This is another song that I could listen to over and over, and I truly believe it captures not only the essence of Carthya and of battle, but it is also wonderful work, especially for someone of Kara’s age. I am wildly impressed and happy to have this tune stuck in my head as often as possible.
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Congrats Ava and Abigail!
