THREE DRAWINGS TODAY

1) Match the guest authors and facts (enter by noon PST; drawing will be held at 1:00 p.m. PST).
2) Day 12 daily drawing (enter by 6:00 p.m. PST; drawing will be held immediately after).
3) Grand Prize drawing of a fully decorated Christmas tree (post a comment by 8:00 p.m. PST; drawing will be immediately after).

Friday, December 12, 2008

THANK YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Wow--what a wonderful two weeks it has been!

I have so many people to thank who have helped me celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas countdown to the release of my second book, FEATHERS ON THE FLOOR, on December 12. 

Thank you to the guest authors who spent part of their valuable time here on the blog: Terri Reed, Nickie Fleming, C. L. Kraemer, Christina F. York, Christine Young, Minnette Meador, Paty Jager, Teri Brown, Delle Jacobs, and Elisabeth Naughton

Thanks also to everyone who stopped by to say hello and chat for awhile. It's so nice to meet new friends!

And congratulations to all the contest winners:
Day 1: Donna B.
Day 2: Tammy G.
Day 3: Samantha W.
Day 4: Paty J.
Day 5: Paula H.
Day 6: Pam R.
Day 7: Wanda
Day 8: Eliza K.
Day 9: Delle J.
Day 10: LuAnn
Day 11: Sarah M.
Day 12: Delilah M.
Bonus contest winner: Wanda
Grand Prize winner: Julie R. 

If I don't yet have your snail mail address, please e-mail that to me at **genene@genenevalleau.com**.

I will leave the blog open through December if you want to stop by again.

I will also be offering the special buys on my books and book bags through December with $1.00 of each purchase going to help build the spay/neuter clinic at Willamette Humane Society in Salem, Oregon. And, please, if you are thinking about adopting a pet, consider a shelter animal. (You can also meet my fur babies at www.quantumcanines.com.)

Many thanks to everyone. I hope to talk to you again soon!

AND THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER IS...

S. Claus, are you ready? 

We've double-checked our list of entrants for the grand prize drawing for a fully decorated Christmas tree. This includes everyone who has commented on the Twelve Days of Christmas blog, entered the bonus contest, as well as those who entered the Sept. 12, Oct. 12, and Nov. 12 contests promoting FEATHERS ON THE FLOOR. 

I'm glad you agreed to draw the winning name, Santa, because I want everyone to win! 

Twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one...

JULIE R., YOU ARE THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF A FULLY DECORATED CHRISTMAS TREE!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!


(Please contact our blog host at **genene@genenevalleau.com** for an address to deliver your grand prize!)

AND THE WINNER OF THE DAY 12 PRIZE IS...

DELILAH!

Ho, ho, ho, Delilah, and CONGRATULATIONS! If you send your snail mail address to our blog host, Genene, at **genene@genenevalleau.com** she'll make sure your package arrives soon!

We'll be back in less than two hours to announce the Grand Prize winner of a fully decorated Christmas tree. Remember, you can enter right up until 8:00 p.m. PST. Pesky timelines!

Ho, ho, ho!

S. Claus

AND THE WINNER OF THE BONUS CONTEST IS...

WANDA! 

Ho, ho, ho, Wanda! And congratulations from the time-challenged S. Claus!

All of your answers to the "match the authors and facts" bonus contest were correct and your name was drawn as the winner!

For those of you playing along, here are the correct answers:
A) Writes under two different pseudonyms: Chris Kraemer
B) Operates her own e-publishing company: Christine Young
C) Will celebrate her birthday on the day she guest blogs: Minette Meador
D) Her debut cover was designed by a well-known artist: Elisabeth Naughton
E) Writes inspirational suspense: Terri Reed
F) Has won the RWA Golden Heart three times: Delle Jacobs
G) Her horse was the model for one of her book covers: Paty Jager
H) Celebrates her 20th wedding anniversary this month: Teri Brown
I) Lives in Belgium and knows several different languages: Nickie Fleming
J) Drives a Volkswagen "Beetle": Christina F. York

Thanks to all who entered!

S. Claus

DAY 12: OPEN PROMOTION FOR AUTHORS AND THREE CONTEST DRAWINGS!!!


Author: Genene Valleau

Web site: www.genenevalleau.com

Special events: This blog :) and special buys earn $1.00 to help build the spay/neuter clinic at Willamette Humane Society in Salem, Oregon. Visit my Web site at www.genenevalleau.com for more details.

Latest release: FEATHERS ON THE FLOOR--A woman running from violence and a hero running from the past race a kidnapper to create a Christmas miracle for two children who believe in angels.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

AND THE DAY 11 WINNER IS...

Sarah McD!

CONGRATULATIONS, Sarah! Please contact me at **genene@genenevalleau.com** with your snail mail address and I'll send you a bag of goodies as soon as possible!

DAY 11 GUEST AUTHOR: ELISABETH NAUGHTON

Current release: STOLEN FURY

Web site: www.elisabethnaughton.com

Blog: www.elisabethnaughton.blogspot.com

What's on your wish list for Christmas: For my book to do really well. Other than that, just for my hubby's back to continue to improve after surgery. (I'm easy to please.)


Fascinating facts about the number eleven: 
Well, according to the famous Christmas poem, the eleventh day of Christmas saw eleven pipers piping. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a piper, and I’m not entirely sure I know what one looks like ‘piping’, but I can say I’m fascinated with the number eleven. It’s rumored to bring both good luck and bad. So I did a little research on this elusive number, and here’s what I found (you may be surprised...I sure was):

•Eleven is the smallest positive integer requiring three syllables in the English language.

•In astrology and basic numerology, the number eleven possesses the qualities of intuition, patience, honesty, sensitivity, and spirituality, and is often considered idealistic. Others tend to turn to people who are ‘Elevens’ for teaching and inspiration, and are usually uplifted by the experience.

•In a 12 Step Program, step eleven is a step of meditation and courage.

•A rocket must travel at over 11km per second to escape the Earth’s gravity.

•The deepest point of the ocean floor is 11km at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

•The average adult male heart weighs 11 ounces.

•11% of Japan is devoted to rice farming - enough to fulfill its own needs.

•A rugby ball is 11 inches long.

•World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

•The television show Cheers ran for 11 seasons with 11 main characters.

•The television show MASH ran for 11 seasons with 11 main characters.

•The space shuttle went up on its 11th mission, weighing 11 tons and fixed an errant satellite on the 11th day of the 11th month.

•The first lunar landing was made by Apollo 11.

•The record number of Oscar awards for any one movie is 11 - achieved by both “Titanic” and “Ben-Hur”.

•A major eclipse was observed throughout Europe on August 11, 1999 at 11:11 a.m.  

•The winter solstice of the last day of the Mayan calendar is at 11:11 am on 21 December 2012. 21December 2012 = 21/12/2012 = 2+1+1+2+2+0+1+2 = 11

•Aquarius is the eleventh sun sign of the zodiac system.

•The sunspot cycle or the solar cycle lasts for 11 years. The next solar cycle starts in 2012.

•September 11 is the 254 day of a year: 2+5+4 = 11
•There are 111 days from September 11 to December 31.
•The World Trade Center mirrored the number eleven: 11.
•The plane that hit the World Trade Center first was “Flight 11”
•The total number of crew on “Flight 11” was eleven.
•New York is the eleventh state of the US Constitution.
•It took eleven years to build the World Trade Center (1966 – 1977).

•In England, the decoration of the Easter cakes sometimes has eleven flowers or almond paste to represent the eleven good apostles of Jesus Christ. The treacherous Judas is excluded.

•The largest cat in the world is the Siberian tiger, measuring 11 feet long.

And…

•In astrology, the eleventh house is the segment that rules one’s friendship, hopes, social relations and desires.

Intriguing, isn’t it?

Of course, I still don’t have a clue what eleven pipers piping looks like (any suggestions???), but I now know a bunch of fun facts about the number eleven. And personally, I tend to find the time 11:11 to be very lucky. (But then, I’m one of those ‘the glass is half full’ kind of girls.)

So what does this tell you about me? Not much except for the fact I LOVE to do research (I can waste hours on research), and scientific facts – explained or not – fascinate me. You’ll find several in my upcoming debut – STOLEN FURY - (along with a good dose of spine-tingling adventure and lots of steamy romance), which releases December 30. And the coolest fact about my release?

The word December has 8 letters. If we use 8 to represent the word December, then add it to the numbers in 30, we get:

8 + 3 + 0 = 11

Weird, huh?

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

REMINDER OF BONUS CONTEST DRAWING ON DEC. 12

Please also remember the Bonus Contest drawing on December 12. To enter, match the names of the guest authors since December 2 with a fact about them. Details about the contest as well as the authors' names and facts can be found on my Web site at http://www.genenevalleau.com/contests4.html.

Guest authors have donated prizes for this drawing, which so far include a book from C. L. Kraemer,a download of Nickie Fleming's Feb. 1 book, a copy of SONGS OF THE HEART from me, as well as chocolate (of course) and two angel bells. 

Your answers must be received by noon on Friday, Dec. 12 to be entered in the drawing!

AND THE DAY 10 WINNER IS...

LUANN!

Congratulations, LuAnn! If you contact me at **genene@genenevalleau.com** with your snail mail address, I'll send your bag of goodies!

Thanks to all who have been commenting on the Twelve Days of Christmas contest blog. Just two more days until the grand prize drawing for a fully decorated Christmas Tree. Keep commenting and entering!

WE HAVE UPDATED INFORMATION FROM DELLE JACOBS!



SINS OF THE HEART available now in ebook
coming in print April 28, 2009
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/sins-of-the-heart

APHRODITE'S BREW available now in ebook
coming in print January 27, 2009
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/aphrodites-brew

Check out my videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wM2rJo1F5Y&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQSRV2mmsgc&feature=related


Web site: www.dellejacobs.com

Blog site: After the holidays and before I get too busy with the Royal Ascot, I plan to re-start my blog as In Search of Heroes. In the meantime I blog regularly with the Wet Noodle Posse at www.wetnoodleposse.blogspot.com and Rose City Romance Writers at www.rosecityromancewriters,blogspot.com

Favorite holiday books: There's no question my favorite holiday book of all time will always be Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I've read it many times and seen it over and over. Its message is timeless, that we all have a common duty to each other, and only together can we bring joy and happiness, peace to all mankind.

But if you're looking for something more current, the one I love is Sandy Blair's A Highlander for Christmas. Check it out. It's a great story!