Tuesday, May 31, 2011

3rd Annual Summer Treasure Hunt: Dig for Clues and Win! Contest

3rd Annual Summer Treasure Hunt: Dig for Clues and Win! Contest

Welcome to our 3rd Annual “Summer Treasure Hunt: Dig for Clues and Win Contest!” This is becoming an exciting tradition, both for our sponsors and hopefully for all of you! 29 writer friends and I have banded together to present a month-long contest where we will give away a prize a day for the entire month of June. That’s right! 30 awesome prizes, running the gamut from books, books, and more books! (romances, fantasies, mystery/thrillers, inspirational, children’s books, and various non-fiction), as well as Amazon gift cards, a Mary Kay gift set, a vinyl lettering gift certificate, a hand-sewn weekly planner with ribbon bookmark, a crocheted book tote with matching cell phone case, and again for you aspiring authors, TWO free edit/critiques of a partial manuscript. Many of the giveaways are open to International entries; though always check to be sure before you enter for a particular prize.

And how exactly do you enter for these amazing prizes? By following these rules:

SUMMER TREASURE HUNT RULES: 
You can send in one entry for each day’s prize, or only for those prizes that strike your fancy. The rules are simple:
(1) Go to the website or blog indicated for each day; find the answer to the question for that day, then email the answer with your name and AND MAILING ADDRESS to jdipastena@yahoo.com. I promise you will not wind up on any mailing lists. This is only to facilitate the receipt of your prize. All entries will be deleted at the end of the contest.
(2) Please send a separate entry for each day and type the day you are entering in the subject line. (Such as: Summer Treasure Hunt, June 1; Summer Treasure Hunt, June 2, etc).
 (3) Deadline for each day: Midnight PST
 (4) The winner will be contacted and announced on the day following the deadline.
 All winners will be draw by www.random.org.
 You do not have to wait until the designated day to enter. You can start sending in your entries right now, or begin entering at any point along the way. And check back here each day between June 2nd – July 1st to read the names of the winners.
 If you have any questions, please email Joyce DiPastena at jdipastena@yahoo.com.
 And now…let the treasure hunt begin!
 June 1
SPONSOR: Canda Mortensen
PRIZE: A $25 Amazon gift certificate
QUESTION: What is the title and artist of the Princess song on Newbie's playlist? (HINT: Scroll to the bottom of the blog and read “Newbie Teaser”. Match the number of “Princess” with the same number on the Playlist box (you may have to scroll down the playlist to find this, too). It will give you the title and artist.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http:candamortensen.blogspot.com
OPEN TO USA ENTRIES
WINNER: Melissa Brockett of Utah
ANSWER: "With You", by Chris Brown

June 2
SPONSOR: Jennifer Griffith
PRIZE: Delicious Conversation (LDS romance, an adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion, set in a chocolate shop in Salt Lake City), by Jennifer Griffith
QUESTION: Name at least 5 kinds of candy I ate at the last writers' conference I attended AND share YOUR favorite candy. (HINT: Read the April 20, 2011 post. Click on April under the Blog Archive in the right hand sidebar.)
OPEN TO USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Crystal Dotson of West Virginia.

Answer:  Peanut brittle bar, a box of Good 'n Plenty, some Hot Tamales, a handful of mini-Mr. Goodbars, a few Hershey's Kisses, Starlight Mints, some Dr. Pepper (accidentally), and a bunch of mint flavored Three Musketeers  


June 3
SPONSOR: Peggy Urry
PRIZE: Choice of book: Villette by Charlotte Bronte (romance, paperback); Airframe by Michael Crichton (thriller, paperback); The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell (contemporary crime, paperback); OR The Mist of Quarry Harbor by Liz Adair (LDS romantic fiction, paperback); AND choice of Jelly Belly Gel Case for iPhone 3G/3GS or Jelly Belly Strawberry Cheesecake Gel Case for iPod Touch.
QUESTION: What is the name of my Work In Progress (WIP)? (Hint: It's the title of my March 12, 2011 post. Click on “March” under Blog Archive in the right hand sidebar.)
OPEN TO USA/CANADA ONLY
WINNER: Judy Cox of Louisiana  
ANSWER: Bound

June 4
SPONSOR: Danielle Thorne
PRIZE: Josette (sweet Regency romance, E-book) AND Southern Girl, Yankee Roots (poetry), both by Danielle Thorne
QUESTION: Danielle supports what wildlife conservancy organization? (HINT: See right hand column of website)
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER:  Rachel Rossano of Connecticut 
ANSWER: The Sea Turtle Conservancy

June 5
SPONSOR: Bonnie Harris
PRIZE: Mary Kay Microdermabrasion Set
QUESTION: What are the names of my two WIPs? (HINT: Scroll to the bottom of the blog and click on “Work in Progress” under Labels)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http:// www.bonnieharris.blogspot.com
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER:  Taffy Lovell of Utah
ANSWER: Encoded Secrets and Black Orchids

June 6
SPONSOR: Susan Kaye Quinn
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Life, Liberty, and Pursuit (YA love story), by Susan Kaye Quinn
QUESTION: How many days do David and Eliza have on the cruise together, before they’re forced to go their separate ways? (HINT: Click on the “About Me and My Books” tab and read the blurb for Life, Liberty, and Pursuit)
OPEN TO USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: LuAnn Morgan of Washington
ANSWER: Four

June 7:
SPONSOR: Anne Bradshaw
PRIZE: True Miracles with Genealogy: Help from Beyond the Veil (non-fiction), by Anne Bradshaw – 1 print and 1 eBook – Print copy can be autographed. (Yes, there will be TWO winners drawn for this prize)
QUESTION: Which TV station interviewed Anne? (HINT: Answer is a short way down the middle column.)
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES; PLEASE NOTE YOUR PREFERENCE FOR PRINT OR EBOOK, ALTHOUGH I CAN’T GUARANTEE YOU WILL WIN YOUR PREFERENCE.

WINNER: Dee Bibb from Mississippi and Cynthia Peck from Arizona
ANSWER:  KCSG

June 8
SPONSOR: Cheri Schmidit
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Fateful (YA paranormal romance), by Cheri Schmidt
QUESTION: Who is the prince of darkness? (HINT: Click on “April” under Blog Archive in the left hand sidebar and read the April 12, 2011 post)
OPEN TO USA ONLY
WINNER:  Kristen Tucker of Arizona
ANSWER: Lucas

June 9
SPONSOR: Mary Fremont Schoenecker
PRIZE: Moonglade (a sweet cozy mystery, Book Two in the Maine Shore Chronicles series), by Mary Fremont Schoenecker The prize is an autographed First Edition hard cover print book.
QUESTION: What special skill does character Tante Margaret use that puts her in danger during Remi's murder investigation? (HINT: Click on the “About Her Books” tab and read the Publisher’s Weekly Review.
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.maryschoenecker.com
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER: Monica Knoll of New York
ANSWER: Tante Margaret is clairvoyant

June 10
SPONSOR: Shaunna Gonzales
PRIZE: FREE edit and/or critique of first 50 pages
QUESTION: What do his lips taste like? (Hint: click on “Sizzling Kiss” under Post Subjects in the left hand sidebar)
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER:  Nicole Zoltack of Pennsylvania
  ANSWER: : gingerbread and milk



June 11
SPONSOR: Donna Hatch
PRIZE: The Stranger She Married (Regency romance), by Donna Hatch
QUESTION: What poses the greatest danger to Alicia’s heart? (HINT: Scroll down underneath the book cover of The Stranger She Married, and read the paragraph directly below.
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES FOR E-BOOK VERSION; US/CANADA FOR PRINT BOOK OR PAPEBACK VERSION
WINNER:  Amy Wheelwright of Washington
  ANSWER: learning to love the stranger she married

June 12
SPONSOR: Cindy R. Williams & Planet Play Productions, LLC.
PRIZE: Award winning glossy cover children’s snuggle, giggle picture book, Chase McKay Didn’t Get Up Today, signed by the author and the real Chase McKay.
QUESTION: What is the name of the dragon in the upcoming fantasy, Thundertail’s Tale: The Legend? (HINT: click on the Blog tab)
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER:  Andrea Melton of Kentucky
  ANSWER:   Sparkin


June 13
SPONSOR: Larry Hammersley
PRIZE: Motorcycle Woman (sweet contemporary romance, E-book), by Larry Hammersley
QUESTION: What kind of motorcycle does Tess, the motorcycle woman, ride? (HINT: Read the blog post “Motorcycle Woman from Red Rose Publishing”, May 5, 2011)
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Shannon Johnson of Illinois
ANSWER: Harley Davidson Sportster

June 14
SPONSOR: Cheryl Cory
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Must've Done Something Good (romantic comedy), by Cheryl Cory
QUESTION: What is Sylvie's all-time favorite movie? (HINT: Click on the "Info" link in the left-hand column)
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER:  Tarrah Montgomery of Arizona
 ANSWER: The Sound of Music


June 15
SPONSOR: Valerie Ipson
PRIZE: $15 Gift Certificate for Vinyl Lettering  (http://vinylsignsanddesigns.blogspot.com)
QUESTION: What is Valerie's writing goal for 2011?  (HINT: Look in the right hand sidebar)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http:// valerieipson.blogspot.com 
OPEN TO USA
WINNER:Kristen Tucker of Arizona
ANSWER: To pitch the book

June 16
SPONSOR: Rachel Rager
PRIZE: Wednesday Romances - romance (obviously), ebook, by Rachel Rager. This is a compaliation of three different love stories, A Season for Love, The Tiger Unleashed, and The Feather Kiss. (All sweet romances)
QUESTION: Every week I have post a new chapter of a book on my blog. What are these posts called? (Hint: These posts are featured every Wednesday.)
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Susan Arroyo
ANSWER: Wednesday Romances


June 17
SPONSOR: Danyelle Ferguson
PRIZE: Autograhed copy of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel: How to Bring People with Special Needs Closer to Christ (non-fiction/self-help) by Danyelle Ferguson & Lynn Parsons, M.S.)
non-fiction/self-help, autographed book
QUESTION: What is the name of the non-profit Danyelle co-founded? (HINT: Check out Danyelle's author bio)
OPEN TO USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER:  Amber Nielson of Vermont
ANSWER:  Friends of GIANT Steps


June 18
SPONSOR: Teresa Thomas Bohannon
PRIZE: A Very Merry Chase (Regency Romance novel), by Teresa Thomas Bohannon. AND a $5 Amazon gift certificate. Winner's Choice: PDF with personalized dedication, or Ebook format for Kindle or Epub format for Nook. (HINT: Read “A Very Merry Chase Excerpt” under “A Very Merry Chase” in the right hand sidebar)
QUESTION: What did Lady Bethany do and why?
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Gayle Humpherys of Texas
ANSWER:  Lady Bethany, shocked absolutely to the core of her gentle soul, could take no more and swooned dead away...because Sabrina slapped the highwayman and cursed.


June 19
SPONSOR: Diane Daniels
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Over the Moon (YA fantasy romance, print copy), by Diane Daniels
QUESTION: Who is Andrew's evil x-girlfriend, Sonya, named after? (HINT: Read the May 14, 2011 blog entry)
OPEN TO USA
WINNER:  Megan Swanson of California
ANSWER: "Sonya is named after my wicked orange cat who died last summer."

June 20
SPONSOR: Margaret Larsen Turley
PRIZE: critique for up to 5000 words
QUESTION: Margaret Larsen Turley is administrator for ______________________________ group. They hold fund-raising events for Cancer Research. (HINT: You’ll find the answer in one of her website tabs)
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES/ENGLISH LANGUAGE ONLY
WINNER:  Rachel Rossano of Connecticut 
ANSWER: Writers Unite to Fight Cancer

June 21
SPONSOR: Anna Arnett
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Lolly's Yarn: a memoir (older YA to adult), by Anna Arnett, with a hand-crocheted bookmark
QUESTION: What was the verdict regarding Anna's radar photo speeding ticket? (HINT: Click on the Blogs tab and read “I Fought the Law and Guess Who Won?”
WEBSITE/BLOG: htt:www.annaarnett.com
OPEN TO USA
WINNER:  Debbie Roberts of Pennsylvania
ANSWER: No definition of "reasonable and prudent"  or "Case dismissed," or "You may go now."

June 22
SPONSOR: Joyce DiPastena
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Loyalty’s Web (sweet medieval romance), by Joyce DiPastena
QUESTION: How do people win Joyce’s “Light Bulb Award”? (HINT: Answer is found in the right hand column of the blog)
OPEN TO USA
WINNER:  Barbara Hightower of South Carolina
ANSWER:   By helping her solve a particularly knotty problem with her WIP

June 23
SPONSOR: C. Michelle Jefferies
PRIZE: 52 page hand-sewn weekly planner, with ribbon bookmark.
QUESTION: What rank is Michelle in martial arts? (HINT: Look in right hand sidebar under “MY TANG SOO DO PROGRESS”)
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER:  Jennifer Hernandez of North Carolina
ANSWER:  Red belt

June 24
SPONSOR: Valerie J. Steimle
PRIZE: Choice of two books:  Home Is Where The Learning Is (homeschool how-to book, non-fiction; autographed print copy) OR Dogs, Blogs and Hobbits: Writings from a Widows Perspective --(non-fiction articles about everything from being single and single moms to inspirational stories; autographed print copy), both by Valerie J. Steimle
QUESTION: How many children does Valerie have? (HINT: Look in the right hand column in "About Me")
                             http://www.strengthenyourhome.com  
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER:  Amy Lopez of Arizona
ANSWER: nine

June 25
SPONSOR: Karen Adair
PRIZE: Crocheted Book Tote with matching cell phone case.
QUESTION: What commenter recently called me (Karen) "The Queen of Sugar Land?" (HINT: Select “January 2011” under Archives and read the COMMENTS on Karen’s January 6, 2011 post on “The 20 Minute Sprint”)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.kbadair.com
OPEN TO USA
WINNER: Sheila Heather Martinez of California
ANSWER: Shannon Hale

June 26
SPONSOR: Jaimey Grant (www.jaimeygrant.com) and/or Treasure Line Books & Publishing (www.treasurelinebooks.com)
PRIZE: Winner's choice of 1 of 5 Regency romance eBooks by Jaimey Grant (Honor, Betrayal, Deception, Spellbound, or Redemption. Please note: Honor contains some marital "heat".)
QUESTION: Which of Jaimey's previously self-published titles has recently been picked up by a publisher? (HINT: Click the "Purchasing Options" tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http:// www.jaimeygrant.com
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER:   Dara Roberts of Pennsylvania
ANSWER: Heartless

June 27
SPONSOR: Heidi Murphy
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Small Deceptions (sweet Regency/Georgian romance), by H. Linn Murphy
QUESTION: In what country is the bridge found over which 'we' were fighting? (HINT: Find “Blog Archive” in the right hand sidebar, click on April and read the post titled: “The Far Bridge”)
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER:  Brenda Child of Utah
ANSWER: France

June 28
SPONSOR: Kenneth Rosenberg
PRIZE: One e-book copy of my new romantic comedy, Sweet Ophelia and the Tinseltown Blues, any format
QUESTION: What instrument does the character Warren August play? (HINT: Click on the cover image for Sweet Ophelia and the Tinseltown Blues.  Read the first few paragraphs of the excerpt.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http:// www.kennethrosenberg.com
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER:  Susan G. Haws of Arizona
ANSWER: Saxophone

June 29
SPONSOR: Michael Young 
PRIZE: Autographed copy of The Last Archangel (YA Urban Fantasy, print copy - Release date July 14th)
QUESTION: What is the name of the fallen angel who is the main character in "The Last Archangel"? (HINT: Click on the Reviews tab. Frank Cole thinks this character “rocks!”
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER:  Marie Kacerosky of Florida
ANSWER:  Xandir

June 30
SPONSOR: Joan Sowards
PRIZE: The Star Prophecy: a Book of Mormon Adventure (LDS novel), by Joan Sowards
QUESTION: Why do Enoch and his friends sail to Jerusalem? (HINT: Read the blurb under The Star Prophecy book cover in the right hand column of the blog)
OPEN TO USA
WINNER:  Jessica Tidd of California
ANSWER:  To find the Christ child

Saturday, May 28, 2011

A Memorial Day Reminder

As this past Monday was Memorial Day, we are reminded of the sacrifices of those who came before us. We are reminded of what our true liberties are and that we are free to take care of our families, live in our own home, work at a place of employment without harm and participate in leisure activities. Americans are resourceful and resilient.

Reading The Declaration of Independence reminds me of how the earlier delegates of our nation felt about true liberty.  One of the world’s best-known statements from this declaration stated that “all men are created equal… endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” We need to remember the words of our forefathers and respect and revere those military people who fought to defend it.

Reports of our rights being stripped away a little at a time over the last few years is devastating because slowly but surely there will be little left of our great country.  When all is said and done, the privileges we have been enjoying in the past will be gone, true liberty will no longer exist and our Happiness will be gone forever.

From one of our ecclesiastical leaders in the past, David O. McKay said: “True liberty in individuals consist of the enjoying of every right that will contribute to one’s peace and happiness, so long as the exercise of such a privilege does not interfere with the same privilege in others.  It consists not in doing what one likes to do but in doing what one ought to do.  It is the right of each individual to be master of his own time and actions consistent with fairness and justice to his fellow men and with harmony with the laws of God.  It is freedom of choice, a divine gift, and an essential virtue in a peaceful society.”

The fight to keep our liberties is a strong one and those who gave their life so we can live ours should be remembered.  We have to be vigilant in watching what national leaders’ intend to do with our freedoms. We need to watch what bills are passed. We need to make our voice known to Congress that we will not accept any laws passed which are unconstitutional and take our liberties away. This is what we ought to do.

We have so much to fight for living in this free nation. We owe it to those who came before us.  Just as Thomas Jefferson wrote in his closing statement of our Declaration, I leave you these words: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” Remember these words and those who fought for them.




Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Down to one child for a week!!!!

Wow....it is so weird.  Henry--our youngest---is the only one home for a whole week.  In one month's time, Eliot left for the MTC, Caleb and Lydia drove to Mesa, Arizona to help their oldest sister for a month, and Moses unexpectedly went to Disney World with a church friend and his parents.

It's just Jim, Henry and me and we are learning what it is like to have empty nest syndrome.  It's very quiet at home with only one.  He plays with his neighborhood friends most of the time.  We eat dinner together and maybe watch a movie in the evening but all and all it is very different.

By Friday, Moses will be back and then we will have Lydia with us after Girls' Camp in June.  Not many dishes to do.  Not much cleaning in the bathroom either.  Very interesting.