Thanks, Malakhi for taking the time to run the contest! It is an honor to have placed above *so many* entries!

And I hope ORB there isn't taking a shot at me. Though it has been brought to my attention more than once *sigh*, Skeeta is NOT named or modeled after Rita Skeeter from Harry Potter, and it honest to gawd didn't even cross my mind when making the character.

Of course, now that it has been pointed out, I sure wish I had picked a different name. There is another completely-NON-fantasy book ("The Help") that had an aspiring edgy journalist with the nickname of Skeeter that I got the name idea from. I thought the author had the notion about the diminutive of mosquito - a buzz in the ear, being a fun name for a journalist character, and I agreed (especially one with wings!) but I altered it to make it sound more feminine. Rita Skeeter was not on my radar, but wouldn't surprise me if Rowling had the same notion about mosquitoes given her naming conventions.

Anyways, my role certainly wasn't based on any book.

I'm glad you found it to be a good read, Malakhi. Thanks again for running the contest!