It is with the greatest pleasure that I announce an Editor’s Pick Award for Noise, a sordid tale about passion, death and what drives people’s minds to insane decisions.

This fast-paced Molotov cocktail of intense conflicting emotions is a prime example of how to enthrall the reader’s attention in a narrative that flows so easily and effortlessly despite its breakneck speed. The sex happens so naturally like an inherent part of the story that we are just taken along on an erotic tale of blood, murder and razor-sharp phrases. A thriller seldom felt so exciting.

Please join me in congratulating Katherine for her well-deserved exploit.

Fashionably late to the party as so often LOL

Anyone still standing?

A huge congrats to all the winners and top 10!

I must admit I didn't read that many stories this time but from the few I read, I could tell this comp was gonna be one of the most ferocious ones I've ever participated in. I was right. I am truly delighted to see the top-ranks filled with authors I've never even heard of before. So great to see new faces up there.

There's so much reading I have to catch up with!

So, where's the party?

Huge congrats to all the winners and to everyone who participated. So great to see some new faces in the top 10 as well! I didn't read all of them but those that I did were simply breathtaking. Very much deserved ranking, all of you.

From all the comps I participated in, this surely was one of the most interesting and ferocious.

Quote by kistinspencil

I thought you gave up smoking

Sadly, not me on the picture.

Love the idea!

Indeed an excellent story. Well-deserved EP. Captures the psychology of edge play perfectly.

Just read the story. Highly recommendable. An excellent display of what BDSM is like and how a good mentor teaches their student. Many of us can learn from this. And scorching hot at that!

Me logging into Lush five minutes ago:

Holy shiiiiiiet! Third place! Whoop whoop!

Congrats to all the top ten and thank you, everyone, for participating and judging. What a great tribute to an amazing poet. Y'all made that possible.

This was an outstanding read indeed. Huge congrats to both of you!

Wooohooo! Huge congrats!

You come back from a writing hiatus just to show all of us our place. I'm so proud of you. So well-deserved!

Woop woop!

Congratulations to the extended top 10 and super congrats to the top 3. So well-deserved! I'm stoked and chuffed to see I ranked too! ...despite my story being the literal opposite of the theme *giggles* I'm such a rebel LOL

Thank you, everyone, for your participation, help and support. The comps would be dull without so many authors sweating blood and tears or the readers cheering for us.

I see there are a handful top stories that slipped my attention. I'll have to catch up with those!

When I logged in this morning, I was like:

Six messages in my inbox? For real? Where's the fire?

When I read this thread:

Five seconds (and half a bottle of vodka) later:

Holy fuuuuuuck!

Has everyone lost their mind?

I never saw that coming!

Holy shit! I can't believe it!

Thank you so much, everyone. That's beyond amazing! Un-fucking-believable!

And huge congrats to everyone who participated! There are quite a few I'll have to catch up on, it seems.

Fashionably late for the party... had stuff on my plate and, well, missed the gala, I guess -- and that I had hit the top ten! 😱

Thank you, everyone, for participating and huge congrats to the well-deserved top 3 as well as the top 9. Must have been a hell of a comp to rank with such outstanding entries.

Late beer's on me.

There were so many outstanding stories in this competition. Alas, there are only so much ranks for the top 10. Huge congratulations to y'all!

And here's a shout to a few stories that pleased me a lot:

The Atomic Slut by dronette56 -- Ever thought of using sex for warfare and 'hysteria' as a weapon of mass domestication? Here you go!

Never Mind The Bollocks: What's Love Got To Do With It by CuriousAnnie -- A feminist and cynic take on Bladerunner with lots of middle fingers against our society. Put a huge grin on my face with every line.

Pretty Vacant by deviantsusie -- The true essence of '77 Punk with a wee lyrical gem well embedded in it. Don't ever let money take over!

Porb By Northwest by joe71 -- I can't see it get more punk than that. 'nuff sed.

Whoa, what's happening here? How's this even possible? Collective loss of sanity? Me don't compute.

Thank you, everyone, for your support. The ride wouldn't be half as funny without y'all.

But now for some real talk, eh?

No idea if he did that on purpose, but WW up there must be after one of my notorious spankings as he left out the important part of the author's notes: I deserve none of that award. I may have typed a half-assed, semi-coherent string of consciousness in a handful of pseudo-nice-sounding (obnoxiously blokey) lines but there was one person very dear to me who sacrificed their time and mental health to polish my trite musings and turn them into the shining story they are now. Without this help, my story would have landed on my ever-growing 'plot graveyard' pile. My friend, if anyone deserves the award it's you, not silly ol' Henks.

I bow to thee, o, great slinger of words beyond my humble capabilities.

Just read the story. Hugely deserved award! Congrats!

Late to the party as always

Huge congrats on the award. Have a tight hug!

Huge congrats to all of you!!

500 stories? Five-zero-zero?

Huge congrats to you both for this hugely deserved award!!

Quote by Jaymal

Thank you, Hanke. You're very kind. And she's very foxy.

She's got more biceps than I do 🤣 Love her facial expression. She's cute.

Fuck yeah! So well-deserved! Every line of the entire series was a master class!

I woke up at 5 this morning with my inbox overflowing with congratulatory messages. I didn't understand what they meant. I didn't understand what I had missed. A suspicion dawned on me, so I checked those forums... and almost dropped my phone.

For years, I've been pouring everything I have into every story I write, stretching myself, pushing myself to get better, to improve, to reach for the stars... I can't even put my joy over this award in words. Thank you so much, everyone who read, rated and commented on my story. Thank you, Laura, for modding and for the RR. And thank you, Chris, for forwarding it to the panel. I'm deeply honored.

There are two people who deserve my deepest gratitude. When I wrote this story, despite my love for the piece, I had little faith in it. It just didn't feel right. I sent the first version to AC and LL for honest feedback and the feedback they gave me was both honest and devastating. "Dude, you can't be serious. You can do better." Without their help and their unadorned honesty, I wouldn't have given the story the careful overhaul it so desperately needed. Thank you so much for your honesty and for reminding me how to 'rite gud'.

Footage of me this morning (mild exaggeration):

Congrats to everyone!

Late to the party as always... I should write a mental note to check these forums more often.

Huge congrats on this well-deserved award and tight, squishy hugs.

A truly amazing story with such strong emotions. Truly worthy of the award!

Totally missed that one, ugh!

Congrats on this well-deserved award!

I'm not the least bit surprised. A truly stellar member of the squad. Very much deserved award! Thank you for all you do.

Huge congrats!!

Awesome! Congrats and thank you so much for your hard work!