The Secret Adventures of WriterGirl

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Ombra Mai Fu by Jackie Evancho.













Sometimes, it pays to be first.

Please please please email me (or, respond to the email I am about to send riiiigghhht... now). Because we truly do not want a fiasco like my last contest (here, here, here, here, here AND here). Hilarious, absurd, and so much fun to look back and laugh on now. :)







Thank you so much, everyone! You make it a joy to come back here.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now) Stars by Switchfoot.




So, um, more developments in Contest Epic. The second winner never claimed the prize either. You know, the big UBER prize with eleven books and a ton of swag? Yeah... this has never happened before. I'm in kind of a quandary about what to do. The form asked for your follower ID and email address, and I'm wondering if this made people think I was going to contact them directly if they won. The real reason behind the email address was so I could verify I had the right winner in case of a common name (I saw several names like "Misty" "Sarah" and the like as the followers started coming in) and most blogs have an email to contact them. Because I always wanted (and really hoped) the new followers would want to come back.
So.
I'm not sure what to do.


A couple of options:


Email the first winner (Stella - Ex Libris) and give her the prize?
Pick a new winner?
-but if so, how?



Any ideas would be welcome. I want this to be fair (and fun, goodness. Really, this is so weird). Good news I suppose, the Uber Prize pack is potentially back on the market. That's got to make a few people smile.





P.S All other prizes have been mailed and are now on their way. :)

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Don't Stop Believing by Journey.




First, my craziness. For the month of February I am going to write a short story every day for a month. Eat your heart out Scheherazade (okay, she has three years plus on me, so never mind). I chose February because HEY! It's the shortest month of the year! Woot. Is that cheating? Of course not. *glances around* Anyone who wants to participate is more than welcome to. In fact, I would seriously love it, and I would love to feature any short stories you write on my blog. I want to do this because I honestly feel that writing short stories can greatly help improve your craft (for you writers out there) and plus, they are a lot of fun to read, especially if you don't have time for a full novel (for all you readers out there). It's like a bite-sized morsel of joy. ^_^ I'm tentatively calling it: February Seems Empty so Short Stories Every Day (no exceptions!) Month, or FebSESSD (like obsessed) for short. If you have any other names, please tell me. Acronyms were never my strong suit. Am I hoping this gets as big as NaNoWriMo? Oh heavens no. That sounds absolutely terrifying. But I do think it's going to be a lot of fun and I would love the company on this venture. Why does this feel like the YA Fantasy Showdown all over again?...


But now onto the contest!

This is it. The moment you've all been waiting for. A contest so big, I am honestly a bit nervous for my postal bill. But that's okay, because I figure, if you're going to do something, might as well make it epic, right? Guts and glory! And all those inside tummy things.



I am giving away books. A LOT of books. Because as much as I love them, I have no where to put them (Literally. It is a dance to not knock things over in my room). So though we are parting, but I know they are going to good homes. Why? Because the book blogosphere has some of the most awesome people alive out there. Yes, better than lemon bars or sliced bread (oh, you know it). And the best part is, there are a couple of ways to win big.




All you have to do is get followers over here (because who doesn't like more friends?). :) You following? That totally counts. You refer someone else? Extra point for you. But it is not “ye who gets the most followers wins” Oh no. You can win as much as you want. I love lists, so we'll break it down thusly:


If you get -

10 followers over here = A poem or short story of your choice written for you. Anything you want.

25 followers = 1 book of your choice

40 followers = 3 books of your choice

60 followers = 5 books of your choice

75 followers = 7 books of your choice

100 followers = I don't know yet, but it is going to have to be something very epic.



I don't care how you get them over here (facebook and twitter are great resources. They're your friends, so they'll forgive you for bugging them, and plus, then they are automatically put into the running too. Thus the love spreads), but if they put your name/email address (or any way of identifying you so their point goes to you and not someone else) in the spreadsheet below -or email it directly to me (heatherzundel AT gmail [dot] com)- you are on your way to winning some very sweet prizes, all of your choosing.







But that's not all.


In conjunction with this contest, there is going to be a separate, UBER prize pack, filled with books, signed book posters, and swag galore. Every time my followers jumps up to a certain level, another book and/or some awesome book-like treat will be added to the stockpile. How will I determine what each new “level” will be? (Are you ready for my total nerd to break out?) :) … The Fibonacci Sequence, baby.

You've never heard of Fibonacci's Sequence? *jaw drops* It's only my favorite part in all mathematics (and I'm none too fond of math, by the way). Simply put, you add one number with the previous number to get the new number. So it starts out 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13.... (1+1=2, 1+2=3, 2+3=5,... and it can go on forever. Sooooooooo cool) Fine, you don't have to geek out with me, but I sure am. It's random like pi, but makes total sense! And it also shows perfection/order in nature. See?










Okay, geekie rant done.



But how it relates to you is every time my follower box reaches a Fibonacci milestone, something new is added to the mix. So you are gonna get a lot of stuff right out of the gate (I mean, I get one follower and there's already two books into the booty. You can't get much more sweet than that). But as the numbers go up, the prizes get bigger. Like, I have an exclusive Catching Fire t-shirt and pin that were released only for the promotion of the second book, completely new and waiting for you. I also have several signed books and book posters I'm throwing in as well (and other awesome swag). Plus there may or may not be a Dr. Seuss plush involved. Epic doesn't even begin to cover this.

Here is the Fibonacci milestone breakdown


1
1
2
3
5
13
21
34
55
89
144
233
377
610
...


So remember, that is for overall followers. So working together gets you to prizes of awesome too (Yay teamwork!). But I will put in the caveat that the referenced followers get first pick of the books, so if you want a guaranteed prize, that is definitely the way to go.


Go forth! And good luck everyone! I honestly have never been more excited for a contest in my life. And hopefully this month of me floundering for a short story a day will bring great amusement to you. There may be cartoons involved.





Contest ends February 28th Midnight PST.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Perfect Day by Hoku.





Yes, you heard that right. Plural. There were so many wonderful comments and such excitement for these books, I couldn't help myself. So instead of one, there are three winners today (but oh how I wish I could give you all books. You don't know how this pains me just to have three).












And no, I won't hold you in suspense.





















Much. ;)



















The first winner is Onge wanting a copy of whatever I pick out (bwa ha ha ha!)







The second winner is Em with a brand spankin' new copy of Silver Phoenix!








And the third winner is Kasey with a copy of Showdown winner, The Thief!









It's kinda nice how it worked out and how everyone gets a different book. Let the love of YA Fantasy spread! And don't let not winning stop you, these are some really great books that were featured throughout the showdown. And keep coming back. You have pulled at my heartstrings. I may just have to pull from this list again on a rainy day and award another book most randomly. :) Congratulations everyone! Thank you for everything, truly.






P.S All winners contact me within the next 48 hours or I will have to pick new winners. I'm sure everyone else here won't mind if you're late though. :)

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now) Antebellum by Vienna Teng.





Alright, I know anyone who is reading this blog this week is waiting for my answer of whether or not there will be another YA Fantasy Showdown. That is coming tomorrow, I promise.


But if you have to wait, this is a pretty good day to wait, because it is time for a contest.


I was so dumbfounded by the response to the showdown. You guys really were the ones that made it so incredible (did you realize there were 33,000 hits the first day alone?). I could not stop reading the comments you left because you guys were just so awesome. I was humbled and in awe, really. And I would like to give a fraction of my gratitude back to you, if I can. So here's the deal:


I'm giving away one of those books.


The winner will get to pick a book from the tournament that they'd never heard before but are now curious about/itching to read. I'll buy it and lickety-split it over to you. :)



So what will it be?


The cool, soul-tormented Daniel?












The mysterious, but often hilarious shape-shifter Goranu?












The fashionable, nine-lived sorcerer, Christopher Chant?












The insanely powerful but oh-so-awesome Katsa or Alanna?













The pale-skinned girl who can travel into death, Sabriel?












The girl who loves food and can throw herself into other's spirits, Ai Ling?












The unicorn killer (evil unicorns, mind you), Astrid?












The Viking girl with a foul mouth and an axe to match, Thorgil?











Or perhaps you just want to find out who this mysterious winner is, Eugenides.














All you have to do to enter is... tell me which book you want. No strings, no "must follow, must tell people" bits. That isn't what this is about. I love stories. And I love sharing great stories with people. That is why I did the showdown in the first place. Sure it was to celebrate Mockingjay and because I was going stir crazy waiting for it to come, but more than that, it was for the worlds undiscovered and the hopes someone might find something new and marvelous they hadn't known existed before. I love that, and I love sharing it.


So fire away. Tell me which book you want if you win (and a way to contact you, preferably. I'll post the winner, but in case you miss that day). Happy hunting, and I hope you find some place wonderful along the way.




Contest runs through September 25th (2010) at, oh for old time's sake, 9:00 PM EST. :) Thanks everyone, for making this whole thing such a joy to do!



EDIT: You can choose ANY book from the tournament. These were just a sampling to get your juices going. :) Good luck, everyone!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Crack the Shutters by Snow Patrol.




Hello everyone! I've got some exciting news for you. If you didn't guess from Feature Fun Friday's clue, I have a copy of the not-yet-released Linger by Maggie Stiefvater to give away (which I won from Jana's wonderful Milk and Cookies blog. You should really check it out. And she has like 30 followers, which is a crime against humanity because it is way good. Go help a girl out). Now this is going to be a quick contest since I want to mail it off as soon as possible so you can read it before its release date.

This is a hot item, but I am going to make it as simple as possible. Follow (and hopefully subscribe to) me, and then leave an email that I can contact you at if you win. That's it. Simple as pie (though I don't know what is "simple" about pie).

Spreading the word would help you be made of awesome, of course. Because I like to think this is a pretty cool spot on the web. I mean, I have the shag carpeting, the vampire hunting kit over there, and I have some pretty cool features going on (and you never know when a contest will pop up). Plus, you will always get to see my undercover capers as a crazy young adult and aspiring author. Always fun. So comment away!

Contest ends this Saturday, June 5th, and Midnight, PST.

(and if you want to make it more fun, in the comments, put in what kind of animal you would like to shapechange into if you could. Mine would be a fox, or something that flies. But not a flying fish. Those don't count).

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): The Call by Reinga Spektor.


It has been a while and since you all have been so incredible and a pure delight to blog for, in this Christmas season, I want to give you something special. Something that will really make your eyes shine. Taking a cue from Shannon Messenger, I am going to let YOU pick the prize. I have in my hands three very valuable signed books up for the taking.


Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and Nathan Hale (no relation). This is signed by ALL THREE of the authors/illustrators. That was not an easy feat to accomplish I'll tell you.
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.


Again, every one of these is SIGNED by the authors. And you get to pick which one you want. So, what do you have to do?

It is simple, really. You do a kind deed. It is the time when we really start to think of other people and I love this time of year for that. Do a conscious kind deed, put it up here what you did on this post and that counts as a point. It doesn't have to be big. Not tripping your sister in the hall could count for one. :) Even just smiling at someone that doesn't usually get a smile would be one (and it can be so huge). So you will be earning these books, but in very simple ways. You can get as many points as you want. I will be going off of the honor system here. [EDIT]: But make SURE you post what you've done here, especially if you've done the Tu Publishing link

One idea to earn points is to help spread the love about Tu Publishing, an independent publisher starting out. They want to publish multicultural sci-fi and fantasy for teens. You can learn more about them in my post here. I will be giving 5 points for posting an individual post about them, or if you make a direct donation. I really want to see them become a reality.

With these books, I really think I could get a lot of subscribers, but I don't feel offering more points for that is in the spirit of what I am asking for. It's about giving of yourself (but spreading word of this contest would greatly be appreciated. Kindness begets kindness I've discovered).

You all are more than fantastic, thank you. You rock.

Contest is open until Sunday Dec 13th at 11:59 PST. (no international this time, sorry). Have at it, and Merry Pre-Christmas. :)

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Starlight by Muse.


Eee hee. This is just way too fun to not do this. Though desperately trying to keep it in check, you may be able to tell that I like Suzanne Collins/The Hunger Games/Catching Fire just a *tiny* bit. So when I saw the Catching Fire contest for the first time, I was stoked. But by the fifth one, I was laughing.

After seven or so that are already in my blog reader, I decided to see just how many I could find. I do not even know if I get extra "points" for linking (some I know I don't), but I wanted to do this, for pure entertainment value. It looks like I don't need to help promote this small, unknown, out-of-the-way book at all. *rolls eyes* It is catching fire all on its own. :)

The Story Siren

Green Bean Teen Queen

Presenting Lenore

Pop Culture Junkie

Reading Adventures

Booking Mama

The Book Smugglers

Frenetic Reader

Karin's Book Nook

Revolution Science Fiction

SciFiGuy

Library Lounge Lizard

Anna's Book Blog

Luxery Reading

5 Minutes For Books

YA Book Central

Alert Nerd

SciFiChick

Not Enough Books

Book Binge

The Discriminating Fangirl

Book Love Affair

Books For Sale

And of course, none other than the official Scholastic Blog (though I think this one is closed. And it was for a signed book too! *sob*)


Happy Hunting Everyone.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Schindler's List Main Theme by John Williams.


ElaineG! Congratulations. I can tell you were very excited about this contest. I loved seeing all the amazing entries, and I'm hoping something like this can be done again. Please contact me by email with your mailing address within 48 hours, or I will pick the next most-voted-for winner. Thanks you guys for making this such a great contest.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Stay With Me by LIBERA



Now we're onto the FINAL ROUND of voting. *cue fanfare* ^_^ Congratulations everyone, you have all done fantastic. I have been so excited for this contest and it seems you all were equally stoked. You made this contest and all of fairy tale month. Kudos and confetti to you all.

Here are the top 20 entries that made it into the final round, in no particular order. They're good. Some are more than a little hilarious. I don't think I need to describe too much. I trust you smart cookies to know what to do. All the basics are thus:

Voting begins: Now.

How many votes: Uno.

Voting ends: Saturday August 8th, 11:59 PM PST.

Should you vote?: Yes. Yes you should.


Good luck and I can't wait to see the winner!

Once there was... oh, forget it.

There was a beautiful princess that lived in a beautiful palace-- But this story is not about her it's about...

In a place between the light and dark...

Back before ninjas killed the fairies...

In and in-between...

It all started with a paper cut...

Frankly My Dear I don't give a Dam if you don't believe in Fairies...

If you're reading this now, it's probably too late...

When the land was still young and fresh...

Once upon a death...

According to your crazy Uncle Sal, God-rest-his-soul...

One day long ago...

It was a beautiful summer day and the zombies sat quietly decaying...

When you feel a soft touch on your skin or see a small babe smile then you have been near the faire...

The beginning of our tale started long ago...

When the days were old and the nights were cold and toilets were not yet invented...

Once upon a particular position in the space-time continuum...

Before silly girls threw themselves at bloodlusting vampires...

Hidden in the shadows of the earth...

In a world not unlike our own...

P.S Being just me, I mixed up my days again (I swear, it doesn't happen that often) ;) So there were actually 104 votes. Incredible. We broke the triple digits! This requires a Snoopy happy dance. You guys are so cool. Vote away!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Run by Snow Patrol.


98. That is how many choice you have. My eyes kind of went like this when I finally counted them up 0_o

You guys are absolutely unequivocally made of pure awesome.

And I had to work around a few snags, namely the fact that any free poll maker I could find would not let me put more than 20 answers in a single poll. So pretend those boxes are all one big happy box.

And to do this, I think we should have two rounds, one for paring down, and another for the final pick. So pick your top 20 favorite entries. Look through all of them before deciding. Some really good ones are farther down.

Now, I don't know how this is going to work exactly. You may have to remember which ones from each section were your favorite and reload and push "submit" for each box. I don't know. Please just be patient and know that I spent three hours trying to find a poll creator that would let me do this is one go - but alas. No go.

So again - you do NOT have to pick from every single box if you do not want to. Heck, you could pick them all from the same box if you wanted. Just pretend all these boxes are one box, all zen-like and all that good stuff. ^_^

This is only open until SUNDAY at 11:59 PM PST. Then Round 2 goes into effect for the finalists. If there are not enough votes, I will just pick my top 20 favorites. I hope that is fair. So what are you waiting for? Go pick the most awesome variation for Once upon a time that you've ever heard. :) Good luck everyone.

Back before ninjas killed the fairies...

In the long, long ago...

According to your crazy Uncle Sal, God-rest-his-soul...

It happened once...

When the days were old and the nights were cold and toilets were not yet invented...

Long, long ago, in a far away land...

This tale begins...

At the beginning of this tale...

Once, long ago, in a faraway place...

In a place that is of this earth and yet not of this eart, of a people who were once considered to be our kin, there lived a princess of a long forgotten land called Eden, in a universe that was once connected to our lands on earth, but these connections were forgotten long ago, and the memory of these people became legends.

Back in the day of cassette tapes and disco balls...

here once was a tale from (enter city in story)...

The beginning of our tale started long ago...

All was lovely until...

In a day before horcruxes...

Once upon your mom...

Once upon a death...

During the war (said in old grandad voice)...

In a land of chalk and cheese...

According to Voldermort the pixie...

Here are the wise words of an alcoholic...

In a land where Ricky Gervais is funny...

Phew! She woke and realised it was all just a dream. What was? Oh, she recalled it so vividly...

During a time when elves didn't bully goblins because of their height...

Before silly girls threw themselves at bloodlusting vampires...

In a world where books are given away for fairytale openings, a girl called Katie really hoped and prayed...

When zombies attack...

When President Bush came into office...

It all started with a paper cut...

Once upon a coffin...

In the moonlit night...

By the sea of the sewer water...

You probably never would have guessed it but...

When you ran out of things to say you say this...

I was bored one day so I...

So you want to be a vampire? (or any other supernatural being)...

Once upon the last time...

Once upon the universe...

One day long ago...

In a land far far away...

In and in-between...

Hidden in the shadows of the earth...

Floating on the mist...

In a place between the light and dark...

Taken by the queen...

Magic only starts in the morning...

In a land not far from here...

Those who walk in the sun...

In and amongst us live the fairy...

When an eyelash drops from a cheek...

When you feel a soft touch on your skin or see a small babe smile then you have been near the faire...

Did you know when a baby laughs their first laugh there are the winged ones...

In that time between dusk and night...

When the land was still young and fresh...

Drink milk

They rule mist, fire, land and the earth...

When you die there is a place full of Wonderous things...

In a world not unlike our own...

In the time and place of the small ones...

When upon the Lake you look and see lights around thee the faire folk will be...

They live in and amongst us. All hiding in the seams of the hall. But every now and then they come out to cause mischief to all...

After the Mall was raided and everyone was Screaming did they show their true flying winged colors...

Taken as a Babe by the Forest Queen in the month of May...

If you nap outside on a summers day you can hear them play as the branches sway...

Some are Light at heart while others are dreadfully dark. Some shine and sparkle in the Sun while others come out to glow in the dark. Some have Muddy hair and and are Very Grupy.While Some are pink and smell like the fresh pear. There are no 2 alike they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. They my friend are the Fairy Kind.

If your baloon pops for no good reason.I you trip on your own feet. If your hair is a mess and your clothes are rumpled. then you have been jinks by the fairy...

Down in the deep dark drier vent with Downey in the air lives the house fairy...

Under the floor of the earth when it rumbles to and fro the fairy are dancing the midnight jig...

On the Hogworts train for only a dime you can buy a chocolate fairy for thine...

While our dog ate them out of the sky they still come back for the the Milk I set aside...

From a land far from here. The Fairy Broker catches and sells the fairy to the highest bidder...

They only wear black. They are able to leap high in the air. They can jump over buildings in a single leap. They are the M.I.B. (Muses in black)...

Over the mountain and through the woods...

Follow the yellow brick road to the land of the Fairy...

Toto I believe in fairies but I just want to go home...

Look Boss it's a fairy Boss a fairy...

On the Love Boat fairies can be bought and sold...

Frankly My Dear I don't give a Dam if you don't believe in Fairies...

Do you believe in fairies Peter Pan?

Watch out it's a plane it's a Sparkle, IT'S SUPER FAIRY!!

When the morning air is only dew then fairy is at it's happiest!!

In the time of the flesh-eating fairies...

Once, when the world was younger than the dinosaurs...

When the rainbow still held a door...

When humans were still young and fae folk ruled the realm...

Once there was... oh, forget it.

Once upon a particular position in the space-time continuum...

It was a (insert adjective here) night and the the faerie eyes were glowing in the woods...

If I tell you this tale I'll have to kill you, or at least leave you badly dismembered...

These words are powerful, so listen well...

Beware the cunning people who live where humans dare not go...

Blood and guts. If this makes you feel squeamish, do not read on...

It was a beautiful summer day and the zombies sat quietly decaying...

If you're reading this now, it's probably too late...

When the naiads had forgotten how to swim and the metal towers scraped the sky...

If the fae folk touch you, call the priest and not the police...

Once, before the sparkly glitter faeries attacked...

Once the wind whispered to me of...

At a very specific date and time...

Far far away in the land of...

After the knight slayed the dragon the faeries...

There was a beautiful princess that lived in a beautiful palace-- But this story is not about her it's about...

In the typical fashion of the faeries, the day started off with a dance party with...

It was the 2nd time today that Braden found himself being shot at while...

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): American Dream by Switchfoot.


I think it is high time for another contest, and I have a treat for you. I hold in my possession a first edition, first printing signed copy of Wings, a New York Times bestselling novel by Aprilynne Pike. And guess what? She's a debut author. That is just sweet beans in my book. This particular book has been all over the blogosphere it seems, and for good reason. She is trying to reinvent and breathe new life into the word "fairy." I will not say anything more to keep from spoiling anything, but it is pretty darn cool. Since her book is about fairies, I'm expanding this contest to fairy tales. In fact this entire month you will see posts related to fairy tales. I may even make it the official theme for this month. ^_^ Why? Because I love fairy tales.

So! For the contest, it's simple. All you have to do is answer one thing. We all know all fairy tales begin with "Once upon a time...," but what if they didn't? Your challenge to win this month's contest is to invent what fairy tales should start out as, if it hadn't been "once upon a time." Get your thinking caps on, this is going to be a fantastically fun contest. I can just imagine what some of them might be. Silly or sweet, just start saying them. And say as many as you like, there is no limit to the number of entries on this one. You have the most control out of this contest than any other. There will be no random number chosen. The best will win. And best of all, I'm going to let you guys choose the winner. I'm so excited, so start commenting and spread the word. I really want to know what you guys can come up with. :D


Oh, and I've marked who are my followers up to this point. You will get a survivor advantage in the next contest, no worries. ;)


[EDIT]: Hahaha. Contest ends July 31st. ^_^ Should probably include that tiny bit of information.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Along the Perimeter by Preston Reed.


I have something unique and exciting to offer all my readers on my blog. Not quite a contest, not quite a shoutout, but something in between. Like a secret handshake, just for you current readers. ;)

I'm going to a book festival this Saturday. It's big. And there will be authors there. LOTS of authors. And so I'm offering you guys a chance to say what YOU want to get in my next contest. :) I will be buying one book there for my blog. And it will be signed. By the author of your choice. You just have to comment and tell me who. Ye who gives the most (or loudest) shoutouts wins. So actually, you may want to get your friends in on this. Here are some of the big name authors who will be there:


Carol Lynch Williams - author of The Chosen One
Shannon Hale - author of The Goose Girl, Princess Academy, Book of a Thousand Days, and too many others to name.
Jessica Day George - author of Princess of the Midnight Ball, Sun & Moon, Ice and Snow, and Dragon Slippers
Aprilynne Pike - author of Wings
James Dashner - author of the 13th Reality
Mette Ivy Harrison - author of The Princess and the Hound
Nathan Hale - author of Yellowbelly and Plum Go to School


Here is the link for any others I may have missed that you might want. Good luck! You have until Friday night (since the event's on Saturday) :)

[EDIT]: ACK!!! How Could I forget Brandon Mull and Brandon Sanderson!?

Brandon Mull - author of the Fablehaven series
Brandon Sanderson - author of the Mistborn series and he is also " The Chosen One" picked to finish the Wheel of Time series.

How could I be so stupid?! Those aren't small names! *banging head on wall*

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Starlight by Muse.


PJ Hoover! Congratulations!!!

Rather than hold you in suspense, I thought I would tell you right out. But now the story of how I came to pick the winner. First, an exchange between my family while we are driving home in the car:


[Me]: How should I pick?

[Twin *turning around from front seat*]: I think you should take all the names and throw them up in the air and see which one sticks in your eye.

[Me]: But what if none of them stick in my eye?

[Twin]: Keep throwing until they do. *smiles*


So I did that - sort of. I adapted. First I cut all 124 entries (can you believe that?! That's awesome) and put them in a handy red bowl that had recently been holding Cheese Nips. ^_^





And then I threw them up in the air!




And mixed them all around (thank you to all my cousins who taught me 52 card pick-up when I was seven).




Then I put them in my graduation hat. Right now it is by far the coolest hat in my house :D







One last funny anecdote, when I threw them all up in the air (first of all, they twisted really cool as they fell down), they scattered everywhere. I had to check under the couch and all the furniture to make sure no one got left out. And the funniest one I found was PJ's, just hangin' out on my shoe rack. She totally wanted to win. :) Good job PJ! Go ahead and email me your address and which book you want and we'll get that sent to you lickety-split. Keep a look-out for the next contest guys!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Turn of a Friendly Card, Part 2 by Alan Parsons Project

Now here it is, front and center: my first contest ever. And it’s big. And I mean BIG. And it is so easy. I tried to think of every possible way you could win. The prize? Simply any book you want in the entire world. No joke. One book, under $50, no questions asked. It doesn’t even have to be in print. Yes, I have my diabolical ways. It’s all a part of being Writer-Girl (though if it is out of print, an ISBN number helps immensely). If I were to win – definitely Diana Wynn Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle, first edition, hardcover (I’m a sucker for hardcovers). Or The Arrival by Shaun Tan. But I can’t win, lucky you. So, comment away, there are about a million ways you can get “points” – entries with your name on it. It’s all in your court. Let’s get this party started! Contest closes Saturday May 2nd, on the digital turn of midnight.

3 points: become a follower (and you can see yourself over on that side bar. So cute)
1 point: Commenting, even saying “yo.” (note: “yo” comment only works once. Of course, this would be a perfect time to tell which book you want me to send you)
1 point: Commenting with email address and/blog address: (2 potential points).
1 point: Giving favorite blogs/websites. You have to say why.
3 points: Mentioning this on your blog: (an extra point if you tell everyone to add it too. 4 potential points).
2 points: Comment and say what superhero you are (because you are whether you see it or not).
Uh… (trying to think of more ways you can rack up points)…
1 point: Adding me in Google Reader or similar RSS feeder
2 points: Telling me what else I can give you points for.
10 points for whoever can get me mentioned on Nathan Bransford’s blog ;) (If you can do that, I’ll buy you a book outright). ^_^

To those twelve subscribers who followed my previous version of this blog: 2 extra points to you. Thanks for sticking around from the beginning. I know who most of you are, but you have to comment to get the point! And those lurkers I don’t know had better come forward. I’m looking at you, wherever you are.