Contests and Winners

Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless. ~Bill Watterson

First off, Chrystal is the winner of "Kiss Me Before I Sleep"! Chrystal, email me your mailing address at authormariannearkins AT gmail DOT com and I'll get that out for you.

Next, there are some cool contests going on that I thought you might like to know about.

Eloisa James is giving away a Nook on her Facebook fan page. She needs 1700 more fans for her publisher to give one away, so go forth and "like" her!

Speaking of Nooks -- The Long and the Short of It is giving away THREE starting next week!! The general info for our Third Anniversary Party is here, with more info coming on August 2nd.

The very talented, very funny Dee Tenorio is guest blogging on Whipped Cream Erotic Romance and is giving away a copy of her book "All or Nothing" to one person who comments today. How easy is THAT?

There are probably more, but it's early and I'm still on my first cup of coffee...

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We had a quiet weekend, which was nice. My DH had to work some ridiculous hours (overnight on Friday and then a good chunk of Sunday). It's so frustrating because it makes him a very grumpy man. Weekends are his down time, his unwind and turn back into Dr. Jekyll from the Mr. Hyde he becomes during the week.

I'm truly grateful he has a job, but I sure wish he had one he actually LIKED.

DD is starting to hit the "I'm Bored" portion of the summer. If it wasn't so blasted hot we'd be doing a lot more. I promised her miniature golf (but not in 100 degree weather), I'd like to take the dog down to the park for walks and let DD play on the equipment, a road trip to Trader Joe's in Tyngsboro (but we'd want to take the dog and she'd cook in the car), a road trip to one of the other libraries that actually carries romance books, practicing agility with the dog outside (though I may set that up today).

This weather is killing us.

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You Are an Astronaut

You are not normal at all, and you could never do well is a typical office job. You are too brilliant for that! You have a strong sense of adventure. You really want to see the world... especially from space. You don't just dream big - you also do big. You are willing to work hard to get the career of your dreams. You are a very talented and special person. You seem to succeed at every project you undertake.

What Popular Career Are You?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

Um .... 50/50, I guess. Mostly the last part.

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Six Truths and a Lie - Revealed!

There is no truth. There is only perception. ~Gustave Flaubert

Okay, the day you've all been waiting for... it's time for the reveal of the truth behind my post on Tuesday. First off, all names have gone into the virtual hat over at www.random.org and the winner of the $5 GC to either The Wild Rose Press, Samhain Publishing, Amazon.com or BN.com is:

JAIME!!!!!!!!!!

Jaime, email me which GC you'd like to have.

Jaime didn't guess correctly, however. The honor of THAT goes to Keri Mikulski, who got the right answer and it behooves me to offer her something as a prize -- so, Keri, you get your choice of any of my stories in PDF format. Email me your choice to authormariannearkins AT gmail DOT com, and I'll get that to you.

Now, let's talk about me. *G*

Here is the list I posted on Tuesday, with explanations:

1. I've handled a rattlesnake with my bare hands.

True. However, I didn't REALIZE it was a rattlesnake at the time. I was eight years-old and collecting critters for my reptile zoo that I was keeping in the goat pen, and found the cutest little bitty snake.... yep, a baby rattler w/o rattles. I scooped him up, put him in his new house and then showed him to my step-father who, despite the panic he must have been feeling, chopped off his head with a shovel

End of snake that could have been the end of me.

2. I've belly-danced in front of an audience.

True. Of course, I was a toddler and the audience was my mother -- she says I did a pretty good job!

3. I bought a pony with a bag of nickels and pennies.

True. My dad used to toss his change into a box at night, and when I went to visit, he'd tell me to leave him the quarters and dimes for laundry and take the rest. Eventually, I saved up $25 -- the cost of my neighbors pony -- and got my first horse. And it didn't occur to me to take the change to the bank and get him bills... I was only in fifth grade.

4. I've never broken a bone.

False. I broke my wrist in a fall from the back of the pony referenced above! LOL... he was a feisty little bugger -- and made me realize that ponies aren't always the best animal for kids. We had the gentlest horse in the world, too, a leopard spot appaloosa called Hombre who was so sweet, you could ride him without tack. Maybe I should have claimed him as my own instead!

5. I've walked to the bus stop, two miles in the snow (though it was only uphill one way).

True. We lived in the boonies and I walked a mile or two to the bus stop every day, depending on whether I took the dirt road or the woods. Rain or shine, snow or sun, I walked it every day.

6. I owned Mork & Mindy rainbow suspenders and wore them with pride.

True. We didn't have much money when I was young... I could tell you stories about owning two pairs of pants, and having to wear one pair for two or three days in a row, while I washed the other one by hand and waited for them to dry... but I won't. *G* So, when everyone who was anyone had those suspenders, I wanted them in the worst way ... and I got them! I wore them constantly.



7. I'm afraid of chihuahuas.

True. When I was very young ... third grade... one of my friends had this seriously nasty chihuahua, and when I visited her, she'd keep it locked up. Once, her siblings apparently thought it would be funny to let it out. I was in the backyard, it charged out barking and chasing me. I ran (as an aside... running from a dog is the worst thing you can do) and it cornered me by the gate before I could get out. And, it bit me. Only dog that ever has. And, I've never quite gotten over that fear.

Thankfully, in junior high, my best friend also had chihuahuas and helped me realize that not ALL of them were nasty, biting little things. But even so, my heart goes in my throat whenever I have to deal with them. As an adult, I don't run screaming on the outside, but I do on the inside.

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In other news, because apparently the five squash and nine cucumbers weren't enough, my SIL brought me SIX more squash and FOUR more cucumber plants. The cucs are easy enough to find a home for .... but squash? They are space HOGS. Oy.

Good thing I have a freezer, because I suspect I'm going to be doing a lot of canning and freezing this year.

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We have our bi-annual agility competition tomorrow. Hopefully my camera won't crap out on me and I'll have some good video. DD is determined to get a gold medal for Dakota, but she's also running two other dogs. The instructor is having DD run her Papillion, Missy and there's a mini-Australian Shepherd named Riley whose dad recently had back surgery. He's having DD run the dog for him.

She's an awesome handler and it's fun to see that other folks appreciate her too.

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Contest Winner!

I keep forgetting to post this... sorry!!

My June contest winner was:

Ceri!!!

She won with her comment on my post: Yay for Monday!

Ceri, you get your choice of any of my eBooks OR a $5 Gift Certificate to The Wild Rose Press. Email me with your choice.

A new contest will be coming in August.

Thanks!

OH! Congratulations to...

I forgot: I did the drawing for my monthly contest, and this month's winner was DRU!!!

She chose an eBook copy of "The Sweetheart Dance" by Patti Ann Colt.

I'll get this month's contest up and running at some point today.

Thanks!

Congratulations!

It's hard to detect good luck - it looks so much like something you've earned. ~Frank A. Clark

Congratulations -- Jennifer Shirk won my contest this month. She chose a copy of "No Greater Loss" by Diane Craver.

For May, I'll be giving away either any of my book in eFormat or one of the following:





I've read all of these books, and they're fantastic. I think you'll enjoy any and all of them. Just leave a comment and you're entered into the contest!

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I've been fighting pretty massive headaches the past few days, so haven't been blog hopping, since I need to use my limited good times to work. If I eer get them under control, I'll be back. Sorry folks... I miss you!!

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You Are a Lizard

You are intuitive and sensitive. You pay close attention to your subconscious and your dreams. You embrace your fears and the darker side of life. It's easy for you to be detached and objective when you need to be. You are able to let go easily. You don't get attached to much. And considering how often you change course, people shouldn't get too attached to you.

What Reptile Are You?

Um... yes and no.

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And the Winner Is....

My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather. ~Loire Hartwould

I ran all last months comments through Random.org and the winner of this month's contest is: LYNN REYNOLDS!!!

Lynn, email me at authormariannearkins AT gmail DOT com and tell me which prize you'd like to win from this page here.

Thanks to everyone for commenting... a new contest will start later today, when I've had a chance to peruse recently read stories and decide which one I want to share with someone.

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This weekend was absolutely lovely. Warm! Okay, warm for NH -- in the 40s. Sunny! The snow is melting like crazy -- almost my entire front lawn is exposed. Of course, we get brutal, full sun all day long there. My crocus are coming up like CRAZY. I'd forgotten how many bulbs I planted last fall -- I hope they all bloom at the same time. It'll be amazing. There must be 150 little plants all over the place.

Even better? The birds are beginning to sing up the sun. I LOVE that! It's such a happy way to start the day -- just as the sun begins to lighten the sky, the air fills with song. Yep... spring and summer are the best times of year.

I took LONG walks both days. One was 90 mins, the other an hour and my legs HURT today. I am so out of shape. It's so easy to turn into a blob in the winter. There's something about sunshine that begs you to go outside and DO something. Snow and clouds? Not so much.

I've finally talked DH into getting a treadmill for all of us (including Dakota!), but now I have to do my research and get the best bang for the buck. I'm looking for something with a wide enough track I'm not going to fall off with a misstep, something that inclines safely and will take a 200+ lb man running on it. I'd prefer something that folded, but that's optional. And I don't want something that's going to break down after a year. Anyone out there have any suggestions? I could use your help.

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I was going to do a test I found on a quiz site -- but I had some reservations as to its accuracy. The title? TEST HOW HIGH YOU'RE IQ IS.

So instead I give you:

You Are Fairly Skeptical

You're not the type of person who will fall for anything... But you do keep your mind open to all sorts of possibilities. You figure that anything could be true. After all, the world is a strange place. However, you're going to need some convincing before you can believe in aliens or reincarnation!

How Skeptical Are You?

Yep.. that's about right.

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A WINNER!!!!

I can't believe I nearly forgot to announce the winner of my contest.

This month, TORI LENNOX wins her choice of either any of my eBooks OR an eBook copy of "Best of Intentions" by Michelle Cary.

Tori... email me with your choice.

And, congratulations!!

I'll have a new contest posted shortly. Remember ALL COMMENTS earn an entry, so comment early and often *G*.

And the Winner Is...

Isn't it funny that at Christmas something in you gets so lonely for - I don't know what exactly, but it's something that you don't mind so much not having at other times. ~Kate L. Bosher

The winner of my "Win it Before You Can Buy it" contest to receive an autographed copy of "One Love For Liv" is....

((((drum roll here)))

Sylvia Dickey-Smith!!

Congrats to Syl and thanks to everyone who entered. By the way, I'm more than happy to offer autographed books to anyone who wants them for $11 plus shipping cost, or I'll send you an autographed book plate to affix to the inside of the book -- if you've already pre-ordered your copy, if you choose. Just email me (authormariannearkins AT gmail DOT com) and I'll take care of that for you.

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Can you believe it's a week until Christmas? Oy. Where did the time go?? DD and I still need to do our baking (we'll do that on Friday while it snows like crazy again and we're housebound anyway) and I need to shop for dinner (I may do that today, just so I don't have to fight crowds at the store next week). I'm giving serious thought to boycotting Christmas next year! It's just so crazy... it doesn't seem like this much stress should be associated with such a lovely holiday.

Are you ready for Christmas? What plans do you have? How do you feel about the busy-ness of the season?

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It snowed a few inches yesterday. Both DD and Dd had a blast playing! I wish I'd taken movies of the two of them sledding. DD would go down the hill, with Dd running alongside. Once, Dd jumped on the sled by herself and went down the hill -- I'm no sure she really enjoyed that! LOL...

Thankfully, we didn't lose power. But, more snow (and a bigger storm this time) is due on Friday and then again on Sunday! Seems winter is finally here.

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Thirteen more days until JaNoWriMo begins -- anyone is welcome to join us. It should be fun... low stress, and crazy (judging from the folks involved)! If you're interested in trying to write 50,000 words in a month on anything you choose, email me (authormariannearkins AT gmail DOT com) and I'll get you all set up.

It'll be good.

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Winners, Hardwood and a Very Unclever Title

The repose of sleep refreshes only the body. It rarely sets the soul at rest. The repose of the night does not belong to us. It is not the possession of our being. Sleep opens within us an inn for phantoms. In the morning we must sweep out the shadows. ~Gaston Bachelard

The winner of the drawing for a copy of Jeff Rivera's book from my blog post yesterday is.... (((drum roll))).... DRU!

Dru, would you email me (authormariannearkins AT gmail DOT com) your address, please? I'll have that sent out to you shortly.

Congratulations!

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DD woke me up the other night around 10pm... she opened the door to the bedroom and stood there, whispering. I kept saying, "What? What?" and then she walked away and went back to bed.

I followed and asked, "What were you saying?"

She replied, "Go to the belltower and wake me up."

Oooooooooh...kayyyyyyy....

The next morning, upon my questioning, she said she vaguley remembered doing that (but thought it was a dream) and said that she must have "Doomwyte" by Brian Jacques on the brain.

LOL

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Amy, I'm using Dynamic Learning Dreamweaver CS3 for my Dreamweaver tutorial. Judy is using the Photoshop equivalent, and we are both liking them. My DH (aka my Tech Support and computer nerd) always suggests using the O'Reilly books -- though some of them are absurdly complex if you're not a total techie.

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Yesterday was demo day upstairs. All the old carpet and edging (it's called something else, but for the life of me I can't remember the right word) was pulled up and the boxes of hardwood moved upstairs in preparation for today.

Today is the day it will be put down. We have 200 sq feet of wood. We have 164 sq feet of area. Please, please, please let us not mess up any of the cuts, because that is really cutting it close. (((fingers crossed)))

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It's freezing here. I know, it's the stupid frozen north, but this is ridiculous. Actually, it would probably be at least bearable if we didn't have frigid, gale force winds whipping through.

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What Your Cupcake Says About You

At parties, you tend to be laid back and even a bit shy. You are an observer. You have lots of restraint in your life. You never are victim to your desires. The most important thing in your life is passion. You are dominant, vain, and a bit of a show off. To know you is to worship you.

The Cupcake Test

HAHAHA.... approach me, oh minions, and bow down! **snort**

Okay, so the party part is right, but the rest? HAHAHA...

Sue me. I like chocolate... lol...

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And the Winnah is....

"There is one thing more exasperating than a wife who can cook and won't and that's a wife who can't cook and will." - Robert Frost

First prize of a free PDF copy of "Kitchen Matches" is: NUMBER TWO - Anita!

GRAND PRIZE of a free PDF copy of "Kitchen Matches" & a $5 Amazon.com gift certificate is: NUMBER SEVEN - Dru!

Email me (authormariannearkins AT gmail DOT com) from the email address you'd like to receive your prizes at, and I'll get them out to you.

Funny thing was, nearly every vote said something like -- I've done things like that... so, why didn't you SEND THEM IN?? You could be reading my story right now.

Remember, though, if you didn't win, "Kitchen Matches" is on sale tomorrow from Samhain Publishing.

YAY!

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1. What is the last thing you attempted to quit? How did you do it and were you successful?

I tried to quit being a lazy slug and overeating... I failed miserably. I'm still working on it...

2. Are you a roller coaster sort of person (impulsive, takes chances, likes to live in the fast lane), or a merry-go-round sort of person (slow, steady, predictable, peaceful)? This is an excellent excuse to do a little self-analysis!

Okay... this one is tough. I am NOT impulsive, I do NOT like to take chances (much)... but... I don't think I'm predictable and peaceful either. So, maybe I'm the Tilt-o-Whirl? Or the Scrambler?

3. Have you ever worn your slippers, or pajamas, in public? If so, when and why? If not, would you ever consider leaving your house looking less than your best? What do you think of people who do so? (Be honest, we all judge on some level).

When I was in high school, all of us drama students would meet at Dennys restaurant every few weeks, at night, and share cheese fries and coffee (because that was back before there were free refills on soda -- blame Dennys for my coffee habit). We always wore pajamas. In fact, when we went to Anaheim for the thespian festival, there was a Dennys next door to our hotel, and we all went in our jammies -- except the teacher (party pooper, lol).

And, I absolutely leave the house looking less than my best. OTOH, I try not to look like too much of a slob (except once, I was gardening, and I needed something -- and I didn't want to shower and change, go get it, come back and get filthy again... so I went to Agway looking a mess). I do think that today's society has gotten a little lackadaisical in their public appearance. Pajamas aren't a joke, they're regular daywear. Ironing? Never... who cares if your clothes look like they were wadded up wet and shoved in a corner.

It's a shame that folks don't seem to care AT ALL how they look anymore.

4. If you could go back and tell your 13-year-old self one thing about the future, what would you say?

Don't be stupid and move out of state. Stay in California. Forever.

Okay, there are other things I'd say, but if you think I'm confessing all on my public blog, you're nuts. Sorry.

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In Pillar Place 2008:

We hatched two butterflies yesterday, but one of them was NOT right. He was behaving in very odd ways and eventually just flopped to the ground and stuck his behind up in the air and laid there. Guess who ended up in the freezer? Again. DD was distraught.

Today, weather permitting, we will have another butterfly funeral. Our milkweed garden is going to look like Flanders Field at this rate.

Still, we did have one healthy one and will release him today -- it rained all yesterday afternoon, so he had to stay in the box. He was NOT a happy butterfly, but he would have been less happy going out in the pouring rain.

Only four or five more to go.

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Congratulations!!

Congrats to Joye -- this month's winner of my website contest! She receives a $5 Wild Rose Press gift certificate, just for commenting on my blog.

:-)

I'm putting my contest on hiatus for a month, but will have one up and running for August--just in time to celebrate my release of "Kitchen Matches" (did I mention you can read an excerpt of it from that link? Let me know what you think, k?)!

But if you're hungry for a contest, go to Allie's blog and enter hers-- you could win a free download of her next release, "One Night in Memphis" AND an autographed book! Woot!

Have a great night. No post from me tomorrow, it's guest blogger day, so I'll see you on Thursday, bright and early.

Monday Morning Meme, Contest Winner and New Contest

There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast. ~Author Unknown

Ah, yes. The cat... who comes knocking on my door at the crack of dawn. THAT'S why I can't sleep in. Now I remember.

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First off... the winner of May's contest (Your choice of a copy of either "One Night in Boston" or "Lost In Paradise" both by Allie Boniface) is... CHARITY!!!! Woo hoo!!!

Charity, just tell me which one you'd prefer, and it will be winging it's way westward to you.

Speaking of Allie, she's in the spotlight at The Long and the Short of It -- and it giving away an autographed copy of either of her books -OR- a free download of her upcoming book, "One Night In Memphis".

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My June contest prize is a free download of ANY The Wild Rose Press miniature rose or rosette!!! Of course, if you haven't already gotten all of MY books from them, I can highly suggest them all. But if you have, it'll be time to go shopping.

Just leave a comment and be entered to win.

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1. What kind of water do you drink? Bottled water, tap water, sparkling water….? How MUCH water do you drink in a day? If you’re not drinking water, what ARE you drinking?

Mostly I drink tap water (was that a gasp I heard?). We have well water, it's yummy enough, and since they've shown that much bottled water comes from municipal taps, I figure I'm doing just fine. I have a 32 oz water bottle, and I drink two or so a day. I also drink a pot of coffee in the morning (with soy milk) and typically have one diet Coke with lime during the day.

2. Would you rather be Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, or Belle? Why?

Belle!!! Oh my word, have you SEEN the library at the castle? Sheesh. And, she doesn't have evil stepmothers or wicked fairies bothering her. Gaston is dead. The beast is a prince and her father is adorable.

There is NO question.

3. Are you an urban dweller, a suburbanite, or a country person? Are you happy where you live? Without giving too many details, tell us about the place where you live. What makes it different than other places? What do you like the most? The least?

To be honest, I think I could live anywhere. If I were single, I'd probably be back in the city. Not so much that I prefer it, but taking care of a lot of property alone would be more than I could handle. Where we live right now is just about perfect -- we have a nice house on almost 5 acres, but live only a few minutes from town. I have all the amenities I could want, easily accessible, but I don't have my neighbors sitting on top of me. The only thing I don't like is the fact that folks assume because we're on a cul-de-sac they can do things they normally wouldn't do -- like let their dogs roam free on the street. Or drive dirt bikes and ATVs up and down the road.

I suppose there are good and bad things about anywhere.

4. What little annoying thing does someone (pick any person) do that drives you absolutely crazy? Have you told this person this? Why or why not? What do you think this person would say is the most annoying thing about you?

My DH has this weird, hacking way of clearing his throat. It's really disgusting. And, no... I haven't told him. And no, he doesn't read my blog. Although today he'll probably start! LOL... I haven't told him because, in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter.

Annoying about me? I'm a creature of habit. And when my routine is messed with, I get REALLY cranky. I like things in the same place all the time. When I was single, I could have found anything in my house with my eyes closed. I literally knew where I put everything. And, yes, I alphabetize my CD collection. Nothing wrong with a little attention to detail, is there?

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The True You

You want your girlfriend or boyfriend to be more relaxed, calm, and composed. With respect to money, you spend as little as possible. You think good luck doesn't exist - reality is built on practicalities. The hidden side of your personality tends to be satisfied to care for things with a minimal amount of effort. You are tend to think about others' feelings a lot, perhaps because you are so eager to be liked. When it comes to finding a romantic partner, you base your search on information from your friends.

Who's The True You?

Hmmm... very little of this is right. What? You mean these aren't scientific? *GASP*

Congratulations!!

Congratulations to DENA -- the winner of this month's contest! She chose a copy of "No Greater Loss" by Diane Craver.

I'll have a new contest beginning on May 1st -- don't forget to check back then.

Thanks to everyone for playing :-)