Music Monday and a Winner!

Pretty sure everyone knows this song but it just makes me happy. And since my Birthday Week has now concluded, I need all the happy I can get.

I can't include the lyrics since they're in Korean but here's a link to a version with English translation.

While you're enjoying the song, I will announce the winner of Derrolyn Anderson's book The Athena Effect along with the gorgeous necklace inspired by the book. I used Random.org to pick the winner and it selected comment #6:

Cherie Reich said...
Beautiful necklace! And the book sounds fantastic. I love how she has the blue and green eyes too. Very cool!

Congratulations, Cherie! Please email me so I can get your info.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have some dance moves to perfect.

Happy Monday

Happy Monday!

And why is it a happy day, despite being a Monday? Because it's the start of my Birthday Week!

Since I want my readers to be as happy this week as I will be, I'm kicking it off with a gorgeous giveaway. You're welcome.

If you've read my blog for any period of time, then you've most likely encountered my myth obsession. So when one of my favorite authors offers her new book, titled The Athena Effect, my interest was piqued.

And it's young adult. And a romance. AND the author is offering a copy of her new book to one of my readers. AND she's also giving away a stunning necklace inspired by the book.

Here's the book synopsis from GoodReads:

"Country girl Cal has been kept a secret her entire life, raised in isolation by two very troubled people. Despite her parent’s disturbing fits, Cal is perfectly content, living at one with the nature that surrounds her, and finding adventure inside the pages of her beloved books. When an awful tragedy tears her away from her remote cabin in the woods, nothing she’s ever read has prepared her for a world that she knows very little about. 

Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Cal’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago. 

Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity. 

He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past?"

Along with a copy of the book from Smashwords, Derrolyn Anderson is offering this beautiful necklace to one reader. Approximately 18’’ with a toggle closure, the necklace is a rainbow of gemstone chips, including : Citrine, Peridot, Green Adventurine, Malachite, Amazonite, Magnesite, Turquoise, Lapis, Howlite, Amethyst, Coral, Jasper. and Amber.

To enter, leave a comment about…anything, really. Birthdays, books, Mondays, jewelry…whatever. 

Only one comment per person, please. I know, I'm totally bucking the trend by not allowing for 19 other ways to get more entries but I'm getting lazy in my old age.

Contest runs for one week. I'll announce the winner next Monday, Oct. 1. So get your entries in by then!


(And come back later this week when I give away a box of birthday awesomeness! Spoiler: there will be at least two kinds of chocolate inside.)

Want a Free Book? Or Two?

If you are reading this, then you probably like to read. Would you like a free book? And just because I am awesome, I'll tell you how to get two free books. Please hold your applause until the end.

Remember how I interviewed the lovely and talented Derrolyn Anderson? Then I teased two of her books for Teaser Tuesday: Between the Land and the Sea and The Moon and the Tide. Both books are from her mermaid series. Well, she just released the fourth and final book in the series, The Turning Tides! To celebrate, she's offering free access to her first book, Between the Land and the Sea. This is an ebook, which means you can read it on your computer, download it to your reading device, or even print out for yourself. Just go here to claim yours and enter code FM28V at checkout.


AND…


Another author I interviewed and featured on Teaser Tuesday, James Hutchings is offering his book The New Death and others on the Kindle for free. This is a limited-time offer so make sure you hurry over to Amazon to get his fantastic collection of poems and story vignettes.

See? Sometimes it totally pays to read my blog.



* And just in case you're wondering, once upon a time, these authors let me read their books free of charge but this time around, I'm not getting anything for promoting them. They just happened to email me (within hours of each other) and offered my readers this opportunity. Pretty cool, right?

About That Giveaway

Hey, I bet you're wondering if you won the MyMemories giveaway!
Well, you're only wondering if you actually entered…
I used Random.org to find the winner. The winning comment is #10.

 Cheryl said...
Way too many cute ones! I would have to say Dotty Girl. I haven't done much of anything for my poor girls! Sure are lots to choose from!
February 15, 2012 1:34 PM

Congratulations, Cheryl!
And thanks to everyone who entered! If you decide to purchase the software for yourself, remember you can still get 10% off by using the coupon code from the giveaway post.

Let The Memory Live Again

I am not a scrapbooker. For years, I tried to be. I went to all the parties, bought the paper, stamps, and whatnot, spending money on supplies that I sometimes never opened. However, I have created probably four pages. And? I paid a professional scrapbooker to make pages for my first child. (They were worth every penny.) Here, I am, living in the land of preserving your family heritage, with nothing to mark the passing years, out-growing of shoes, and copping of attitudes. What was wrong with me?

Simple: I was intimidated. Cutting paper was just so…final. And then I would horde those adorable stickers or ribbons for "something special," only to end up never using them. I lost count of how many pictures I ruined because I trimmed too much or it was crooked, and once the picture was wrong, the whole page would be, too. Hence, never finishing.

But all that has changed. I downloaded MyMemories Suite.

See that? I made that! Didn't even need to cut out a single thing! Woot! (And no glue sticking my fingers together, but that's another story.) And while I think it's already better than anything I put together previously, it's still kinda boring. So back I go to a spiffy digital scrapbooking software to turn up the awesomeness.

Okay. I added a few embellishments, captions, and a title. All of this is customized to fit what I want. Even the color and angle of the text. Now, I'm thinking I might have too much on here. But no worries. Just click and change it. Hey, if I can do this, you know you can.

And it's not just scrapbook pages. I can use layouts for calendars, post cards, or pretty much anything. Next year, I'll have no excuse not to get those Christmas cards out in the mail on time. There's a pretty good walkthrough on YouTube here.

And since tomorrow is Valentine's Day...

Just 'cuz he's my Valentine. And can't stop me from posting this.

Whether you're a scrapbooker with the magical ability to turn one photo, a sheet of paper, and whatever you can dig out of the bottom of your purse into a flawless layout or if you have problems not gluing yourself to the paper, this software is incredible. Would you like to get your own download completely for free? To celebrate all the great memories I've acquired since beginning this blog, I'm giving away MyMemories Suite to celebrate my blog's fifth anniversary! You lucky readers, you.

And? Just to show you how fabulous my readers are, if you decide to purchase the MyMemories Suite, they'll give you 10% off your purchase if you enter the code STMMMS46520  at checkout.

• To enter, visit MyMemories.com and tell me what scrapbook kit gives you all kinds of inspiration. (See how many free kits there are? So great!)

For additional entries, leave a separate comment for to claim each of the following:

• Become a DuckDuckCow follower (and if you already are, please let me know)
• "Like" MyMemories on Facebook. (Tell 'em I sent you!)
• Follow MyMemories on Twitter.
• Post about this giveaway on Facebook and link back here.
• Tweet about the giveaway with a link back to this post.
• Post about the contest on your own blog and link back here.

This contest will close Monday, February 20th, at midnight.

Good luck!

* I received MyMemories Suite free of charge for evaluation and review purposes but all opinions, grammar errors, and overloaded pages are entirely mine.

Valentine's Pre-Game Planning

I love Valentine's Day! Sure, it's a Hallmark-created holiday that obligates everyone to show their love/affection/tolerance of others in a materialistic and frequently gaudy manner…

Around here, we make it about the family, not just the married ones. The kids are completely involved and feeling downright smothered in love by the end of it. But the best part? Dinner.

Dinner on Valentine's Day takes days of planning, searching, and prepping. See, I get a little obsessive about having everything heart-shaped and in the appropriate color range. I try things a little differently each year because I be crazy just for fun but some items stay on the table, like my soaked pear halves and goblets with heart-shaped ice cubes. Also, if there isn't jell-o in some form, the kids tend to mutiny. However, I've given up on attempting to make carrot slices look like hearts instead of an orange Pac-Man and eating chicken hearts is a bit too literal for me.

2007  2008  2009  2010  2011

For six years, we've done this. The first year, I made a heart-shaped meatloaf (and I didn't have a blog then, so no pictures). While it was easy and tasty, it didn't look so great. Ever since then, we've gotten into a pizza rut, which I managed to change last year, but might pay homage to this year with a Stromboli. I'll have the pears, jell-o, and ice cubes, maybe even the salad with heart strawberries. But where I'm really stuck is dessert. I wanted to make a cake with a heart in the center but the pan is backordered and I don't think I can manage to do it myself. My second choice is to bring out the chocolate fountain again, but alas…it has gone missing. (And I'm offering amnesty for it's safe returned! Really, I'm not mad. I just want it back.)

Any suggestions for dessert?

Also? Valentine's Day was when I first started this blog! And since my blog will be turning five years old, I thought a giveaway was in order. So be sure to check back on Monday, Feb 13th. I'll post a review of a pretty snazzy piece of software along with the chance to win it for yourself.

Interview with James Hutchings and a Giveaway!

Since I'm currently writing away like a madwoman (see my flagging word count??? ARRGGGG!!!), I've been talking to different authors and experiences writers, picking their brains about the writing process. My latest victim subject is James Hutchings, author of The New Death and others.

Me: What does your favorite writing spot look like? Completely bare desk or one cluttered with inspiration objects? Comfy couch with your laptop? On a beach with only a bottle of sunscreen and your notepad?

J.H.: I'm pretty indifferent to my surroundings when I write. I carry a notebook around with me when I leave the house, but I do most of my writing on the computer using Notepad.


Me: Are you one of the lucky few who focuses on writing as your full-time job or do you have a mild-mannered alter-ego and a day job?
J.H.: I make some extra money from acting, using the stage name 'Brad Pitt'.

Me: I once pulled an interesting storyline from an encounter in a fast food drive-thru. Where's the oddest place or moment where inspiration hit you?

J.H.: A while ago I found three injured birds in the space of a few weeks. I took all of them to the local vet. As I was carrying one of them, I thought that the woman at reception might wonder where I was finding all these injured birds, and that was the inspiration for my story 'Lost, Feral or Stray'.

Me: With a serious case of writer's block, I've been baking cookies all evening and I think I finally have an idea that will work out. What do you do to overcome a blank page?

J.H.: I usually have several things that I'm working on at the same time. This helps with running out of ideas, because I can leave what I'm working on and do something else instead. The danger with this is that starting something can be more fun than finishing it, and so you run the risk of having lots of half-written pieces that you never finish.

I also make a point of writing every day, even when I don't feel like it. This helps get through temporary slumps. I think if you wait for inspiration to strike it never will. Often I start with the attitude that "I'm really tired and I can't think of anything. I'll just write a token amount so I can say I did something today," and actually end up having a good idea and getting a lot done.


Me: After reading The New Death and others with all the different stories and poems, I certainly have my favorites. Which one(s) are your favorite?

J.H.: I like 'The God of the Poor'. I also like one particular part from 'Under the Pyramids':

Down in the dark, down in the dark
down through the rock and slime
away from light and human sight
and sanity and time.

Me: Have you begun your next project? Can you give us any hints?


J.H.: I'm working on a verse version of 'A Princess of Mars'. This is a science fiction adventure story, now in the public domain, written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who's more famous for Tarzan. Disney is also doing a movie of it, called 'John Carter', but that's not why I chose it. I generally work on several things at the same time, so I'm also in the middle of a few short stories and poems. I've been encouraged to write a novel set in the fantasy city of Telelee, which is the setting of a few of the stories in 'The New Death and others'. I have a lot of background for this world, because I blog every day and most of it is setting detail. I also have a half-finished novel called 'All-American Detectives', which is a combination of a detective story and a story about superheroes, which I'll probably come back to in the future.

Me: Finally, what advice do you have for new writers? Did anyone ever give you completely awesome (or spectacularly awful) advice? 


J.H.: Nowdays anyone can self-publish. If you can make a Word document, you can have an ebook on Smashwords or Amazon. However that means that if your work is no good, no one's going to stop you. I'd recommend that people get onto Critique Circle and/or Scribophile, put their work up, and listen to what people tell you. Don't 'defend' your work against people's 'attacks'. They aren't attacks, they're helping you. I've found that the people who defend their work have a strong tendency to have the worst writing, I suppose because they're not making the changes they need to make.

My next point doesn't matter if you're going to self-publish, but it is important if you want to be published by a regular publisher, or if you want to submit stories to magazines. Most places won't publish work that's already been published. And most places count putting a story on the internet as publishing it. In my opinion that's silly, but that's what they do. Scribophile and Critique Circle are exceptions, because google doesn't index them and you can't see any stories without logging on. However there are writing group websites out there where, if you put a story on the site, that counts as the story being published. That seems like a really terrible way to set things up, but they're out there.

I'd also say that getting a book out isn't the final step. It's just the start of the work of self-promotion. This is true even if you're not  self-publishing: I'm told that authors are expected to pretty much arrange their own book signings and so on (if you just want to have a book out to show family and friends then this doesn't matter, of course).

There are a lot of sharks out there, who make their money from authors and not from readers. They will make all sorts of promises about how they're going to promote you and help you, but these are lies. Authors do not pay publishers, ever, and if they're asking you to pay then it's a scam. Of course if you're self-publishing you might end up paying someone to design a cover for you, or you might pay for internet advertising, but those are different things. You might also pay a printer to print your books if you want to get physical books rather than ebooks - but in this age of the kindle and print-on-demand I don't know why you'd want to. Preditors and Editors is a good website to look at, and you can get good advice at the forums of Critique Circle.

Finally, I'd suggest learning to touch-type if you can't already. You're going to be doing a lot of typing, and every hour you spend getting faster at typing will save you ten in the long run.

Me: Also, if you have a preferred playlist, I'd love to include a few of the songs and artists. 


J.H.: My favourite bands are probably The Smiths and The Cure. Of bands that are roughly around now I like The Dresden Dolls and The Killers.

________________

Thanks to James Hutchings for the excellent advice and tips! Now for the fun part: enter to win a free copy of The New Death and others!


This book is available through Smashwords, so you won't be receiving a printed book, but access to an ebook. These can be read on your Kindle, Nook, or on your computer. 

To enter, leave a comment about your preferred writing space (or if you don't write, then your favorite reading spot).

For additional entries:

• Follow DuckDuckCow.
• Post about this contest on Facebook.
• Post about this interview and contest on your blog, including a link back here.

Please leave me one comment per entry. Contest closes at Sunday, Dec. 4th at midnight MDT.

Good luck!

The Envelope, Please...

Thanks to everyone the entered to win the books by Derrolyn Anderson! Using Random.org, I selected a winner:

Comment #4 from Miss Angie from My So-Called Chaos!

Congrats, Angie! I'll pass along your info to Derrolyn and she'll tell you how to access those books. If you didn't win but still want to take a look at Marina's Tales, check out her listings on Smashwords.

And one more thing…

I entered another swap! It's one hosted by the absolutely fabulous Mamarazzi from Dandelion Wishes. She's a got a lot of rules to follow but I've yet to be disappointed with the partners I've gotten. The lady knows her stuff! Also? Autumn is my favorite time year.

What would you include in an Autumn package?

Interview with Derrolyn Anderson and a Giveaway!

I got to interview the author of Marina's Tales, a series of stories about a teenage girl dealing with her newly discovered mermaid heritage, Derrolyn Anderson. She let me pester her with all kinds of questions and then didn't seem the least bit annoyed. And? She's offering her ebook as a prize for one of my readers. I think I may just have a new imaginary BFF.

On to the interview!

Me: You are an accomplished artist! What inspired you switch to novels? (And did you design your own covers?)

Derrolyn: Thank you! I’m not exactly sure what inspired me to start writing, but now that I have, it’s become something of an obsession. Art is something I’ve always done, and will continue to do, but for now it’s definitely taken a back seat to writing.

I’m finding the two disciplines have a lot in common, in that you’re trying to create an image – to paint a picture using either words or brushstrokes. They can also be equally frustrating! The picture you hold in your mind can be maddeningly difficult to realize, and you find yourself constantly slamming up against your own limitations. It’s a constant struggle to improve; the very best painting/paragraph is always the elusive “next one”.

My painting style doesn’t really scream YA, so I messed around with some stock photos on Photoshop for the covers. Book #3 is actually a picture of one of my three daughters, taken by her twin!

Me: How did you start writing Marina's tales? What was the first thing you put down on paper/computer screen?

Derrolyn: I’ve always read a lot, but checking out my daughter’s YA books (and revisiting the charms of first love) was probably what triggered me to start thinking about writing my own stories. I lived in the beachy little seaside town of Aptos for the first ten years of my marriage, and the cement ship in the story actually exists. I’m nostalgic for those foggy morning walks along the sand, so it seemed like a perfect setting for a paranormal romance.

I sold a painting and decided to use the money to buy myself a laptop of my own. So, armed with a loose idea and a few pages of notes, I just dove in, writing sequentially, and let the story take me wherever it went. I had absolutely no idea how it would end when I began, so I can’t imagine writing without a word-processing program. I’m in awe of anyone who wrote before the computer came along.

Me: The most terrifying thing to me is a blank page. How do you get past the debilitating paralyses of Writer's Block?

Derrolyn: When I first began writing, I was too stupid to be intimidated, and no one expected anything of me. I’m glad I didn’t give it too much thought, because now that I have a better grasp on how difficult the process really is, I might have found a way to avoid getting started!

Me: My Muse is powered by dark chocolate and Diet Pepsi. What foods tempt your muse?

Derrolyn: Coffee, dark chocolate and red wine. Three things I require pretty much daily, which coincidentally, have now all been deemed as good for you!

Me: Sometimes writers can get as superstitious as baseball players. I simply cannot write without music playing  (absolute silence results in no flow) and it seems like my best work is done when I'm wearing my favorite shoes.  Do you have lucky talismans, special pens, or any other item that you MUST HAVE in order to get to work?

Derrolyn: I like music too, and I’ve got a nice moody mix on my iPod I put on while I curl up on my bed with my laptop and notepads. The only other thing I require is peace and quiet, and that’s not too easy to come by with three teenage girls and a husband banging around the house and barging in on me every ten minutes.


Songs from the playlist include: Nick Drake – From The Morning, Keane - Somewhere Only We Know, John Lennon – Mind Games, and Matt Nathanson – Come On Get Higher.

Me: Some authors have to be in the mood to write, while others can only make progress when on a set schedule, regardless of inspiration. What kind of writer are you?

Derrolyn: I try to steal away when I can, usually after the workday ends and while my husband makes dinner for everyone. I’m a lucky woman- he’s cute and he cooks too!

Me: Do you have an advice you'd like to offer an aspiring writer?

Derrolyn: JUST DO IT! Ignore all the naysayers with their condescension and negativity; the only thing that matters is the feeling you get when you know you’re on the right track. Above all, remember, you can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself!


Thanks, Derrolyn! And just to show you what an awesome tale of foggy, ocean inspired fantasy she's created, Derrolyn is offering Marina's tales in ebook format to one lucky reader.


To enter, leave a comment on this post about your own writing misadventures. Or if you don't write, tell me about the worst or best book you've ever read.
For additional entries:

• Follow my blog (or let me know if you already do).
• Visit Derrolyn.com and tell me which of her pieces you like the most.
• Blog about this interview and contest and include a link back here.

Leave one comment per entry. Contest closes Sunday, Oct. 23rd, at midnight MST.

Good luck!

The Complexities of Winning

And no, my veins aren't pulsing with tiger blood. Although that is a rather tasty sno cone flavor...

So...this has been an interesting past week. I've had several professional-type persons tell me that I am "complex." I'm still trying to decide if that's a good thing. At this point, maybe not so much. As if the Man didn't have enough problems figuring me out.

It's time to pick a winner for the Savanna Hill jewelry giveaway!

Drumroll, please...
.
.
.
.
.
According to Random.org, the winner is comment #10, from the Lady of Perpetual Chaos.

Lady of Perpetual Chaos said...

And of course I follow you!

JUNE 24, 2011 4:49 PM



See? It pays to follow me! If you didn't win but still want one of Jenine's lovely pieces, you can still use the coupon code duckduckcow for 20% off when ordering. Congratulations to the winner and thanks to everyone who entered!

(And I'll be updating The Cake Cow with a few pictures later one. One of them might just be my new favorite cake!)

Hint Hint Hint

After nearly 12 blissful years of marriage, I've learned many things. The Man will eat just about anything I put in front of him. He is way more ticklish than I am. And subtlety just doesn't work. If I want something, I have to a) make sure his computer and phone are no where in eyesight and b) just tell it to him straight without mincing words. And if I can send him a direct link, or just go ahead and buy it myself, that makes our little exchange even better.

Mother's Day is coming up. And I would really, really like a pretty mother's necklace with birthstones for all three of my littles. Unfortunately, there are some pretty tacky ones out there, especially around this time of year. So when Trying To Stay Calm announced a giveaway featuring a gorgeous locket, I immediately started this post. I know The Man pretends he doesn't read my blog but I've tricked him into admitting that he does so here goes:

Dear The Man,

You are a wonderful father and I'm sure you will admit that I'm a pretty awesome mom. So please go to the Pretty Peacock and get me one their birthstone necklaces. I'm thinking either this one or this one.

Sincerely,

Jessica G.

P.S.

Their birthstones are topaz, diamond, and blue garnet. Just in case.

$45 Resolution

Wanna know who won the $45 CSN stores gift certificate? Yeah, me, too!

Random.org gave it to comment #38, which was from Debbie.

Debbie said...

Tweeted: http://twitter.com/suburbsanity/status/25924890183864320
http://twitter.com/suburbsanity/status/25924890183864320
entry 1

January 14, 2011 7:39 AM

She was also my 100th follower so that's pretty cool. Makes me grin like a fool thinking that more than 100 people might read my blog...at some point...if there's nothing good on youtube. Congrats, Debbie! Check your email.

In the meantime, the kids don't have school tomorrow. This would actually be pretty fun if a) they weren't grounded from playing with the Wii and b) the Man wasn't gone the entire day. Looks like I'll be investing in Benedryl and duck tape...

Keeping Up With The Joneses Giveaway

What is the one upgrade you'd like to make this year? Maybe it's time to give up the diaper bag and carry around a fashionable purse instead. Perhaps that discount dining set needs to be replaced with modern dining furniture. Could be time to stop wearing the ring you got in high school that turns your finger green and find something made of a more precious metal.

Have you heard of CSN stores? There's over 200 of 'em, filled with all sorts of things that could make your life just a little bit more luxe. The good people of CSN stores have offered one lucky reader a $45 gift certificate to their assortment of stores. It won't cover the entire cost of the flat-top range you've had your eye on but it will get you closer to it. I've coveted half the stock at their cooking site but you might be more in the mood for purse-shopping or updating the kitchen chandelier. The sky is very nearly the limit here.

To enter, leave me a comment on this post saying what one thing you'd like to improve this year. (As for me, I'd like to get my butt down to a more sensible chair size but I don't think they have a store for that.)

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave me an additional comment for each one.

• Follow DuckDuckCow. 1 Entry.
• Follow The Cake Cow. 1 Entry.
• Mention this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. 2 Entries.
• Blog about the giveaway with a link back to this post. 5 Entries.

Contest closes Saturday, January 15th, at midnight MST. Good luck!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner! (Or Rather, English Toffee...)

Christmas cards, school programs, class parties, teacher gifts, neighbor gifts, co-worker gifts, church parties, shopping for kids, shopping for the Man, shopping for family, wrapping, wrapping again after I got more ribbon, sending out more Christmas cards to the people I forgot the first time around because I'm an airhead, decorating cakes, decorating the house, getting the lights to stop blinking, chugging eggnog straight from the carton, and just generally preparing for Christmas. I just want to know when I get my Christmas vacation.

In the midst of the holiday madness, it's nice to give away a fun prize.

Random.org helped me pick the winner: Comment #18.

Tim and Angie said...

I want...some jewelry! Can you help me with that?

December 13, 2010 3:13 PM

Yes, Angie, there is a Santa Claus.

What are you looking forward to next week?

My Kind of Presents (A Giveaway!)

When it comes to selecting presents to give me, I am pretty easy to please. Is it covered in chocolate? I will love it! Does it sparkle? Perfect! Is it handmade? Awesome choice! Is it a handmade chocolate that sparkles? We are soul mates.

So following the adage that it is better to give than to receive, I'm giving you a whole bunch of things that I would love to have. (If you keep them or pass them on to other cake-obsessed friends, that's entirely up to you.)

First, I'm starting with my new favorite book:

Autographed by the author, of course. Remember, we're totally BFFs.

What if an awesome cookbook isn't enough? Okay.

I'll give ya a one pound box of Wendy Sue's English Toffee. Warning: Product is highly addictive.

Then I've got some great jewelry from Shookaloot:

A lovely tile pendant necklace and two ceramic rings.

Have a new holiday dress but it could use some sparkle? How about a pair of long, dangly, sparkly red earrings? (Sorry, couldn't find a picture for ya but they're Vera Wang.)

Need something to hold all that fabulous jewelry?

Here's a handmade decorative trinket dish from Pajego Art House.

Now that you've got chocolate, snazzy jewelry, an artsy dish, all you need are some good tunes to set the mood.

I've tucked in a $15 iTunes gift card. Now, I'm not gonna wrap these and I might be shipping it while on the road (so don't be surprised if it's postmarked from someplace weird, like Omaha) but you should get it in time for Christmas.

Leave a comment for each entry (multiple entries = multiple comments):

• Comment on this post telling me one thing you'd really like for Christmas. One entry.
• Follow Duck Duck Cow (or tell me you're already following). One entry.
• Follow The Cake Cow (or tell me you're already following). One entry.
• Update your Facebook status with a link to this contest (might need to "friend" me on this one). Worth 3 entries.
• Tweet about this contest with a link. Worth 3 entries.
• Blog about My Kind of Presents giveaway and link to this post. Worth 5 entries.

Giveaway closes at Midnight on Thursday, Dec. 16. I'll announce the winner either a few minutes after midnight (because I never go to bed early unless I'm dying or out of chocolate) or early Friday. The winner will need to email me their address ASAP or risk not getting the goods until after the holidays (and by then, I might have eaten all the toffee). Good luck!

Chocolate-Covered Winner!

Okay, time to pick a winner for the scrumptious "Chocolate Never Faileth" by the equally as tempting, Annette Lyon.

As usual, Random.org helped me out.

And the winner is...

Comment #29: Cheryl!

Cheryl said...

I follow you on Cake Cow already

October 19, 2010 10:40 AM

Congrats, my friend!

Giveaways are fun. I need to do another one soon...any suggestions on what you'd want to win? Jewelry is always fun. Maybe another cookbook? Gift certificate to The Chocolate? What do you think?

Cookbook Giveaway!

Since I haven't been posting, I figured it was going to take some serious bribery to get you back here to my blog. So here it is:

The scrumptious cookbook from Annette Lyon! "Chocolate Never Faileth." I've had my copy for a week now and can't stop drooling over it...

Sure, it's a chocolate cookbook - which is completely awesome - but for someone not as chocolate obsessed as myself, what's so great about it? Well, let me tell ya!

• Lots of chocolate quotes and anecdotes! Every recipe has one. Makes my chocolate quote calendar unnecessary.
• Annette doesn't just give you the "what" for a recipe but also the "why." This is one of the reason why I love Alton Brown's Good Eats, because it explains the reasons behind doing things a certain way, not just bossing me around and leaving me uninformed.
• There are the classic recipes (like a basic chocolate cake - several, actually) but some new twists on old favorites (I'm dying to try to chocolate pavlova).
• Not only are you getting over 125 recipes to recreate heaven on earth, but the one I'm giving away is signed by the author. 'Cuz we're, like, totally tight and stuff. Seriously, we are! I've even been to her house (of course, I bribed my way in the door with cupcakes...).

Are you chomping at the bit now, dying to win this cookbook? Well, you should be! Here's how to enter:

1. Leave me a comment here saying something about chocolate. Anything. Except that you hate the stuff because then I'll have to block your access to my blog and blot your name out of the records.
2. Visit Annette's blog and tell her I sent you (I will verify this because I'm all about promoting me).
3. Follow me (or let me know that you already do).
4. Follow The Cake Cow.
5. Share this giveaway on Facebook (helps if you're also my friend so I can verify this).
6. Blog about my giveaway with a link here.

Now, you must leave an additional comment for EACH entry. Doesn't count as multiples when ya lump 'em all together. I will leave it to Random.org to pick the winner next Sunday at...let's say 8 pm MDT. Sound good? Okay, then, leave me some comments, people!

AND IF YOU'RE PARTICIPATING IN MY TRUE COLORS SWAP...How is everything going? Are you finding some good items to send to your partner? Need any suggestions or tips? Shoot me an email. Deadline is this weekend!

You Guys Know Me So Well

Remember my little giveaway? Where I asked you to pick which item you though I got: the cookie press, rose-shaped pan, or the set of circle cutters.

Finals Statistics

Cookie Press: 3

Bundt Pan: 4

Circle Cutters: 12

I guess it wasn't as tricky a decision as it seemed at the time. Yes, I got the circle cutters! They've already arrived (seriously fast shipping!) and I've got big plans for them. Check my cake blog after the weekend for polka dot cupcakes.

I asked Random.org to find me a winner. The first pick was someone who thought I got the bundt pan so I asked again and behold! Kristie won! Congrats, my friend!

I Want I Want

So I'm doing another giveaway. 'Cuz nothing says "I love my readers" like free stuff! (Or maybe I should just provide interesting content that has redeeming value...)

There's this incredible website that I love to go coveting: Bakeware.com. I could not only spend days on that site but also my husband's entire salary. I had a gift certificate burning a hole in my laptop and that just made it all the more difficult to narrow down the choices. Looking at baking supplies for me is like looking at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue would be for teenage boys.

Do I go with the automatic cookie press? I've had my eye on one of those for years...

Maybe that really fun rose-shaped bundt pan. Oh, so pretty.

Or does the practical side of me win out and I go for the stacked set of circle cutters that would really make my life easier?

What do you think?

Tell you what...I'll give a $25 gift certificate for csnstores.com to one of my readers that picks the correct answer. Sound good? All you have to do is leave a comment stating which one of the above three items you think I ordered. From the correct entries, I will randomly select a winner. The contest will close one week from now, so Monday, August 16, at 9 pm.

Good luck!

Come and Get It!

Just got back from looking up a winning comment from Random.org! Wanna know who was selected -- randomly -- as the winner? There were the 45 posted comments + the 15 additional entries for jumping through all my hoops. Random.org selected comment #7, which was from my buddy nikki:

nikki said...
I just want a girls day out, movie and a nice dinner! or maybe a massage. Hope you are feeling better soon, and I am glad you posted this link. I lost my old computer and along with it all my blog sites.
May 24, 2010 3:24 PM

Congratulations, nikki! Maybe you can get some massage accessories and recruit your husband while you watch a cheesy girl movie! (Email me your address, just in case I have an old one.)

While I was being a shrinking flower at the Casual Blogger Conference, I picked up some pretty cool stuff. Amongst my hoard were several business cards from companies who love to sponsor contests and giveaways on blogs. That could be fun! I'll be posting about my experience here shortly.