To be blunt, I was a little surprised at how few people entered my draw for free books or a candle. It’s not that the post didn’t get hits. I suspect I made it too difficult to enter by a). Making it a two-step process b). Asking something of others that makes them uncomfortable.
If it’s the latter, I’m now very curious about why that would be. I only have to open any news website, Twitter, FaceBook to see someone sounding off about another person who annoys them. Heck, that’s even been me a time or two hundred. Why, as a society, are we so uncomfortable with showing gratitude? I’d really love your thoughts on this.
Nevertheless, despite a difficult challenge, eight brave souls stuck their necks out and went through the exercise, some even pre-emptively. Thank you, both for being the kind of people who inhabit my world and for making another writer’s day a little brighter.
Without further ado, the three winners, as drawn by RNG, are as follows:
kellion
Magdalen
Anna Stusser
Will you please contact me with the prize of your choice and address so I can get them off to you ASAP? Just hit the envelope icon to the right and it’ll take you to the form. Congratulations!
Now, a video which made me actually chortle. The best part’s towards the end. 😀 Enjoy.
Hahaha!
That’s a good one!
I loved the clip — too funny! And I’ll take boxer dude as my prize. . . 🙂
I just watched that – GMR sent it to me – lawd! Once again, humor can hit things so dead on!
PS – since you so graciously and nicely offered TG as one of the prizes, I’d be glad to send the winner a signed bookplate. Also, if you do not have Secret Graces, I’ll send you a signed copy for including me in your give away –if you already have a copy, I’ll send one then that you can use for another contest – if you like – just let me know. Appreciate what you have done *smiling*
Donna and Donna C, it fun, isn’t it? I don’t know why, but the straw part made my day. 😀
Kat, wow, how generous of you! *boggles* I didn’t anticipate that. Let me talk with you on FB, if I may. The terms of this contest are slightly different than you might have understood. Also, I have a counter-proposal. 😉
I totally missed the contest. Oh well! But I love that video! I just saw it linked somewhere else and have been busily sharing it around my little corner of the Interwebz.
Lisa, I figured that would be your cup of tea.
I’m a Tarty winner? Wow!
I will pass on Kat Magendie’s book simply because I get woefully depressed by the work of better writers than I. 🙂 Instead, may I have one of the books on how to be a better writer, so that I might aspire next year to be a Tarty winner able to handle really good writing? Thanks.
I’ll send you my address, Jan — and happy anniversary again. Ooh, and I’d like once more to mention how good Carolyn Crane’s book, Mind Games is. Yes, even in a gracious comment on my win, I’m still pimping her out. I am such a brazen hussy.
I love brazen hussies, but then you knew that.
And I’m sure Kat will understand about Imposter Syndrome invocation. I know I have to be careful to protect my muse from the same beastie.
*hides head guiltily*
I LOVED the CONCEPT, but it was actually sort of hard to THINK OF who I would show my gratitude to… and now that I say it, it smacks me up side the head DUH… JK Rowling… in fact I am going to NOW do it… it just was a… foreign idea?
But I guess I also am not a frequent contest entrant… there is something about them that seems commercial, and while I GET that this process is part of us ALL wanting to succeed commercially, I have a past life in advertising, so anything blatently commercial feels a little dirty… I don’t enter many contests… some that are straight luck I do–gambling is a-okay…
I know I need to get over this… in fact I am giving extra chances in my Tartiversary blog (today by the time you get there, probably) that encourage sharing… but the relationship is a very skeptical one, NOT because I am skeptical about it working… more because I am skeptical whether I can stomach it…
THAT SAID–the showing gratitude piece I LOVED. This was NOT normal, and had NO adverse feel… just the ‘win’ part of it wasn’t really ‘me’. I might email Stephen King too… JK made me a writer, but Stephen made me a reader. Sadly, Ayn Rand is dead… she would be the third writer on my list…
Hart, I know exactly what you’re saying. That’s why I had to make:
1. The contest about gratitude rather than me
2. The decision to follow me optional rather than a condition
3. The RNG in charge of who won
Next year, I will not do #2. It’s not me. But that’s sometimes how I learn about integrity — by trying things and realizing they make me squirm. So lesson learned, eight happy authors, and three people who will read beautiful prose or be stronger as writers. All in all, not bad, but I’ll do better next time.