Standing in line at the post office to mail the books to my book giveaway contest winners, I reflected on contests I’ve entered throughout my life and that, with two exceptions, I hadn’t won. I still buy the occasional Mega-Millions lottery ticket, but doubt I’ll get rich from it. Still, it doesn’t hurt to dream. And, while you’re at it, dream big.
When I was a junior in high school, I won third prize in a state-wide poetry contest. I was over the moon, and it fueled my ambition to become a professional writer.
The other contest I won was at a county fair in Novato, CA. I was eight or nine years old. First prize was a bag of groceries. When I won, the thrill was the win itself, not so much the groceries, though I do recall a package of Oreos, which were forbidden in our house and all the sweeter for it. It made up for the sting of humiliation I’d suffered earlier in the evening when,riding one of the baby tractors around the hay ring, I took a wrong turn and…well, you can imagine. My sisters and cousins still tease me about it to this day.
Nowadays it’s all about winning in my daily life. Ten reasons to feel like I won the lottery on any given day:
1) I wake up next to my dear husband, Sandy.
2) My body is free of aches or pains
3) My work-in-progress is just that, as in progressing rather than stalled
4) I have nothing on my calendar to impede #3
5)My Amazon rankings are higher than the numbers for the national debt
6) I find an email from a friend in my Inbox, shining brightly amid the sludge of spam and merchandiser pitches
7) I can say “I worked out at the gym” as opposed to “I need to work out”
8) I have an evening alone with my hubby, film critic at large–he’s out most evenings because he has, like, a gazillion screenings to attend–to look forward to.
9) When said hubby offers to give me a foot rub. (Not one I would ever decline).
10) Snuggling under the covers with my Kindle, hubby at my side, for an hour of uninterrupted reading pleasure before lights-out
I would an add 11th reason – that I have a new book coming out – but 10 is such a nice round number, so we’ll leave it that. Speaking of my new book, I hope you’ll check it out on my website. The release date for BONES AND ROSES, the first book in my Cypress Bay mystery series, is August 5th. It’s available now for pre-order. (digital format only at this time – my apologies to those of you who don’t use an e-reader!)
Last but not least, here are the names of the lucky winners of my first book-giveaway contest:
Bunny Salomon
Karen Sarsfield
Sandy Sinnett
Peggy Branson
Margarette Mills
Jayne Jageler
Yolanda Sifonte Meyers
Tammy Lio
Eileen Laperle
Congratulations, y’all. May your lucky streak continue.
