Earlier this month, Kenny Brechner was typing titles of the Pretty Little Liars series into the computer at his store, DDG Booksellers in Farmington, Maine. He found himself using those PLL titles conversationally, to answer questions from his staff: "Yes, call Jim Bubier about his book, it would be wicked not to notify him of the delay." Then he had an idea, and the Pretty Little Liars Word Game Contest was born. The store would give a prize for the best single, complete sentence using all eight titles in the Pretty Little Liars series (Wanted, Killer, Heartless, Unbelievable, Flawless, Wicked, Perfect, and Pretty Little Liars).
In all, DDG received 38 entries. The Grand Prize winner: Al Diamon, of Carrabassett Valley, Maine, who submitted this entry:
Among the Maine gubernatorial candidates, there are no pretty little liars, not because this year's contenders are flawless, not because any among them comes close to being perfect—none is likely to escape, on occasion, being thought wicked or heartless or just plain unbelievable, a common consequence for politicians possessing that killer instinct often found in those who have wanted something so much, they would do anything to obtain it —but simply because none of them is either pretty or little.
Diamon won a $25 gift certificate to the store. His comment in acceptance, to Brechner: “I want to thank my high school English teacher, Mrs. Perry; my wife, Lou Ann, and my dogs for their unwavering support.”
DDG also gave out two Honorable Mentions. The first went to Woody Hanstein of Farmington, Maine, for Most Unanticipated:
This is unbelievable, but last Saturday night Wicked Pete wanted some killer weed, so he pries this perfect, flawless diamond off his fiance's wedding ring while she's at yoga and goes to see Big Bertha Jones, because he's heard from a bunch of those pretty little liars turning tricks down on Mumford Street that Bertha's holding some serious weight, but that heartless cow had actually been wearing a wire for the DEA for weeks so now Pete's back in jail and his old lady isn't too happy with him either.
And the second Honorable Mention went to Molly Reed of Farmington, Maine, for Most Compact:
"Pretty little liars," the heartless killer whispered, his perfect—no, flawless—nay, unbelievable white lips parted in a wicked smile—oh, how he wanted them!
There was also a prize for DDG's Official Store Sentence, picked from staff entries. The winner was Amy Graham:
Gaah, it was truly unbelievable, Richard thought in disgust, that those pretty little liars with their killer looks and perfect masks of sweetness had succeeded in such a flawless execution of what, in hindsight, must have been their heartless plan all along to drink him into a stupor and relieve him of his poker winnings when all he'd wanted was to drink a few Pete's Wicked Ales and enjoy a bit of harmless fun.
