VOTE! Gr8 Am. Txt Stry Contest - People's Choice Award Have a favorite? Now through October 10, 2008, you are invited to cast your vote and tell us which finalist's story you liked best. Click here to vote for the People's Choice Award. One vote per e-mail address. The People's Choice Award winner will receive a $50 iTunes gift certificate and a NEWTREE Mini Box Gift Pack. Please note, that votes for People's Choice Award will not influence the selection of the Gr8 Am. Txt Stry Contest Grand Prize Winner.

NEWTREE Chocolate Gr8 Am. Txt Stry Contest Finalists

NEWTREE Chocolate is proud to announce the top ten finalists in the first Gr8 Am. Txt Stry Contest.

Inspired by the popularity of cell phone text novels in Japan, this short story contest required that entries be submitted via cell phone text message. Creative writers with dexterous thumbs were asked to incorporate all 11 NEWTREE Chocolate flavors in a short story of no more than 1,500 words. The judging panel has selected the following top ten finalists in the Gr8 Am. Txt Stry Contest. The grand prize winner will be announced October 13, 2008.

Top ten finalists in no particular order.

He had bn my imaginary boyfriend 4 6 mths. Pursued w vigor, a gym membership I had 2 renew severl x's over & a cocoon of sexy new spandex, I wrkd the treadmill w pleasure. Sort of. I began 2 crave our "dates", rejoice in our chance mtgs, relish our accidental i-contact. Tranquility wld come once we actully spoke. "Hi" he said. Stunned, I tripped over a yoga mat, grabbed his shirt & heard it tear. Hit refresh? There r no do-overs in life. Just friends & chocolate 2 make it all better.	Debbie Mudd, 36
Bryer jumped down from the bleachers w/ vigor 2 retrieve a stray softball. As she flipped it back, the coach sed I think we'll need some forgiveness til we get better. She was hoping 2 make him blush by saying n a sexy tone, I think your looking good already. After practice ended, Bryer watched as the sweaty coach made his way 2 the dugout. They made eye contact, & he asked if she would join him 4 a drink. He pointed toward the ice chest & teasingly sed "what's your pleasure? What do you crave?" She slowly rose this time & sed, anything that will refresh & renew. The view as he removed his practice jersey & stood shirtless made her want 2 rejoice. They shared their drinks & asked, "what do you want 2 do now? She reached up and pushed the hair back out of his eye & sed, "I just want 2 go home, crawl n2 a cocoon & enjoy the tranquilty of being w/ my hot husband.	Jackie McCown, 47
"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine..." he turned his dark, sexy eyes away from me, stepped into the elevator and pushed the 3rd floor button. "i haven't seen u blush like that since highschool!" i turned 2 meet my girlfriend who was stepping thru the crowd, a cocoon of white collar madness. "refresh my memory" i said 2 her, "was he as tall dark and handsome as i remember?" we giggled with vigor, our eyes twinkling like the lights indicating the elevators position, (he had gotten to his floor), we started walkn. "i crave chocolate" i said to her, "one of those delicious bars they sell downstairs. I think i'll try rejoice today cuz i'm fairly excited about my handsome lunch time meetin." "sounds good!" she laughed "we can stop there on our way back to the office, AFTER i renew my cell phone contract" we turned the corner and the stairs down to ground level. "i can feel the tranquility evaporating from ur coy and happy smile. Feels good to b in the dating scene again doesn't it?" i looked at her laughing "maybe we should make a stop at church as well. I already know i'll b needing forgiveness for my actions!"	Jillian Broersma, 26
Ten miles to go and I'm falling to my knees. All i want is to stop the crave. I would beg for forgiveness, but I'm not sorry. The pleasure is worth this cocoon life has entrapped me in. Eight more miles and I'm getting week. Six miles and I'm longing for the vigor my last victim provided. Four miles and I'm starting to fade. Two more miles and my mind is lost in the tranquility starvation embodies. One more mile .... will I make it? Suddenly my veins begin to pump as the sexy smell of chocolate causes me to blush. I rejoice in a feast of tiny chocolate men. One meal was all it took to refresh my mind body and soul. Now off to the next "Little Chocolate Men Convention" to help renew me once again.	John Bishop, 22
There's a fundamental difference between the kind of person who still goes out for a run despite a cold rain, and the kind that sits inside with a cup of hot tea and watches. That difference is motivation, and I did not have it. I was wrapped up in a cocoon of blankets in my favorite oversized chair; and I was pondering the kind of vigor it must take for the woman outside my window to run in such horrific conditions. She couldn't possibly find pleasure in such an activity, could she? I've heard running can be like a drug to those who do it religiously. They crave it, the way I crave chocolate. And yet their craving seemed much more noble. This woman will finish her run and feel refreshed and renewed. I longed to feel those things, and yet was having a hard time convincing myself that a cold jog in the rain would actually bring me either of those things. After all she didn't exactly look sexy with her hair plastered to her face and her mouth gaping open as she sucked in each painful breath. I hunkered down deeper into my chair and decided to grant the woman forgiveness for her well-meaning stupidity. My moment of tranquility didn't last long however, as I heard cries pick up on the baby monitor. I heaved off my blankets and shuffled off to the nursery. I peeked inside and found that my baby had misplaced her pacifier. I gently brushed her cheek and popped it back into her mouth. I sang her a little song as she drifted back to sleep, now content. I felt myself blush with pride. I may not be out running in the rain, but I could rejoice in the fact that there is more than one form of motivation. And I had the kind that mattered most to me.	Kelly Koster, 29
Once upon a time in Belgium, there lived a dark chocolate nugget named Sabastian. Sabastian lived in a cocoon of sadness because he had been unable to find true Love's bliss with another chocolate. Sabastian was a successful stock broker on Walnut St., but still was not satisfied. One day, while having lunch at Crave Cafe, a swanky spot for 73% cacao chocolate, he noticed a sexy chocolate morsel sitting across the room. Sabastian began to blush, when she looked up and Caught him staring. Usually a timid chocolate, a sense of courage overcame him. He approached her and said, " I beg your forgiveness, but you are the most Beautiful creature extracted from the cacao bean that I have ever seen. It would be my pleasure if you would accompany me to the Peanut Premiere of 'No Country for Old Mints' ". "I'd be delighted to accompany you! My name is Razzie ", she replied. Sabastian and Razzie exchanged numbers and as she turned To walk away, he rejoiced with vigor! Later that evening as he got into his milk bath to refresh himself, he felt a glimpse of hope that he may be able to renew His love life. As the young chocolate couple strolled down the cream carpet hand-in-hang at the premiere, they both were overcome with tranquility because they Knew they had finally found thier wrapper-mates. The end.	Laura Cumbridge, 21
"I beg forgiveness," she murmured to him over their dessert of rich Newtree chocolates and espresso. "For what?" He paused mid-sip, puzzled. Their marriage itself had been tranquility itself, like the silver moon-bathed evening. Or so he had thought. He wondered why she might need to apologize, and his mind jumped to the worst possible scenario--she had lost pleasure in him and sought another. Could he have missed the warning signs? Had he been in denial, living in a cocoon all this time? He had come to crave her companionship with a vigor that surpassed even his desire for coffee in the morning or his need for sleep at night. He felt panic seep from the pit of his stomach through his bones, stealing his breath and turning his blood to ice. "Sweetie?" she asked. "Are you okay? I only meant to apologize for not telling you how sexy you look tonight." She eyed him with concern as she poured from the Moka pot to refresh his cup. "Oh!" He felt the blush redden his cheeks. Speechless, he could only rejoice in the moment -- "She still loves me!""Of course I do, silly," she responded, and until then he hadn't realized he had spoken aloud. "Let's go into the bedroom to, hmm, renew our vows..."	Lauren Leach-Steffans, 44
I crave enlightenment. Sometimes it is simple; I refresh my mind by focusing on the pleasure and tranquility that can surround us. Sometimes I lack the vigor to be able to contemplate the good in life and it is all too easy to wrap myself in a cocoon of safety and doubt. But when I remember what is good, sexy or amusing I can start to rejoice (and perhaps even blush). It is only then that I have practiced forgiveness in this world. I renew myself everyday by focusing on the good and I am satisfied. Heck, chocolate doesn't hurt either.	Sara Rothenberger, 33
"The Lovers" by Tara L. Craig. Are you sure you want this? Edward asked, waving the decanter before her. Lately it's the only way I can find pleasure, Lila Retorted, tight lipped. That's not fair, Lila. Edward poured the clear liquid into the two waiting Reidel glasses. You know I want nothing more than your Forgiveness. My forgiveness? Lila challenged. You were to have me give up everything, so we could renew our love after all these years and then you just expect- Lila slumped back into the camel chaise lounge. She was wearing a whisper of an evening gown in a faint blush tone. Edward noted how it accentuated her paleness Even in the warmth exuded by the hotel suite's fireplace. I don't know what I was thinking, Edward acknowledged with a solid throwback of his drink. I just Couldn't forget your youthfulness, your vigor...I suppose I had hoped to wrap myself in your passion. Christ, Edward, who doesn't crave their youth? But we Don't all go around destroying entire lives to get a glimpse of the past. Edward dangled the full glass before her. Drink, he insisted. It will refresh you. Lila grudgingly took the glass and put it to her lips. Even in this horrid moment, after all these years, Edward was still the sexy wreck she had met on the Island. Before they had to leave. Lila gulped the drink, the bitterness going unnoticed by her wandering mind. I suppose everyone would rejoice knowing what Fools we are. They all wanted so badly for us to fail. What do you want, Lila? Assurances? I can't give them to you. Before- You always talk of before, what Of now? Uninhibited, Edward continued: Before when we - you - were so young, I wanted to protect you, to put you away in a cocoon where noone could get at you. Jade you. It's a bit late for that, Lila quipped with a biting tone. So what of now? What are we going to do? It's already done. Edward sat his glass on the Sill, noticing how it distorted the azure blue of the sea below. He placed his wide brimmed hat on his head and turned toward the door. Goodbye, Lila. Lila Stopped sipping long enough to stare up at him. Goodbye? That's it? It is for you. Edward tipped his hat and exited briskly through the double French doors. Lila blinked once. Then looking down at her goblet, a glimmer of recognition crossed her face. She lied back in the lounge and finally found what she sought - Tranquility.	Tara Craig, 33
The cacao beans are drying in the brick courtyard, sunlight falling like golden hammers on the sexy curves. The air is full of the sounds of stone pestles, grinding, pounding, in time to the rhythm of your heart. They stop for a moment, and in that tranquility, the seductive scent of chocolate renews your senses. You feel the weight of the leathery cocoon in your hands, heavy with the promise of pleasure. Whispering a brief prayer of forgiveness, you pry the cacao pod apart with your thumbs, the pulp oozing out in thick milky clots. These seeds will need to be fermented and dried before they can be used. You scrape the pulp into a bowl, your palms sticky, and reach for another pod. The heat from the ovens is a pleasant tingle across your back, tightening your skin, trickles of sweat breaking and running down your spine. The beans roasting in there will be ground tomorrow, filling the room with that luxurious smell, one step closer to becoming the silken bars you crave. You take a drink of water to refresh yourself. The bloom of cold fills your chest and belly, creeps up your neck like a blush. Attacking a new pod with renewed vigor, you rejoice in the sensation of the pulpy seeds between your fingers. Oozing juices cover your arms to the elbow, sticky and slick, as you split pod after pod, gouging the insides out. The scent of chocolate lingers.	Thejus Chakravarthy, 28