** Contest: ADDITIONAL PRIZE! **

Just a quick post about the contest that ends tonight at midnight CDT.

I have 10 Entrants so far: If you entered and you don't see your name here, than I didn't receive it. Please e-mail and resend.

And the rest of you out there....You've Got Plenty of Time!! Give It a Try!

AND, I'M ADDING ONE MORE ITEM TO THE PRIZE LIST! I WILL INCLUDE ONE OF THE BOOKS I PURCHASED AT BIG LOTS! ......The Small Print: If you don't mind waiting until I've read it! Whichever one is chosen, I will read right away and then send it, but the other prizes will be sent asap!! ☺
Barb H.
Donna V.
Nancy O.
Kathy M.
Myrna
Jennee T.
Janel G.
Sioux
OJ
Claudia

*Note: As of 11:00 pm, I have 2 more entrants: Susan W. and June Freaking Cleaver! Good luck to everyone, and if I receive any more before midnight, I'll post about them tomorrow.*

"So many books, so little time" -- Unknown

** It's Monday ... "Car 54, Where Are You?"

Don't ask me where THAT title came from because I have NO idea! It just popped into my head, the way most things do that I write about!  Yeah, I know... scary, isn't it?!

I completed another little task today pertaining to marketing of my book. (I'll be so glad when I won't feel like I'm doing everything backwards...and The Book is OUT THERE!) This was one of the things listed on the "Pre Published - Lay the Foundation" Parts 1 & 2 that I mentioned the other day. Gosh, I wish I could remember where I read that, because I'd love to thank the writer and give her/him recognition. This was #5 on the list: "Invest in a P.O. Box at your local Post Office. You will be mailing promotional items....."etc. I thought that was a great idea and would be much more professional, especially when those checks start rolling in! ☺

I told the clerk I probably won't be getting any mail in it for years and then added, "I guess I'll have to mail myself something", and she just cracked up. I also bought a page of the new Katherine Hepburn 44¢ stamp. What a fabulous actress she was!

Okay... I didn't mean to ramble on so much. NOW, I want to tell you about those 5 books I bought last week at Big Lots. I am so excited about them! Especially because the very first one I chose to read is SO good! I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I really, really do. It's called "The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times", by Jennifer Worth. I also discovered it's part of a series of three or four books, so Yippee! I'll have more to read by Jennifer.

The other books I bought that day are: "Hardly Knew Her", by Laura Lippman. This is a book of short stories.

"The Condition", by Jennifer Haigh. I'm familiar with this author. I read "Mrs. Kimble" a couple of years ago and really liked it, so I was thrilled to find this new novel.

This is "Homestead", by Jane Kirkpatrick. It's a memoir about "Modern Pioneers Pursuing the Edge of Possibility". Sounds intriguing!

And lastly, another memoir, "The End of the World As We Know It", by Robert Goolrick. It's about his life growing up in the 1950's. (Hmmm, that's one of my eras!)

You know what "they" say.....Writers should read the same genre that they write. Or something like that. I love memoirs anyway, so that certainly isn't a chore for me to do!

If I can get myself to part with any of these after I read them, I may include one or more in another contest. Would y'all mind reading used books? I'm pretty sure I know the answer to that!

"Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out." -- Michael Burke

** It's Tuesday & I'm Confused! **

As usual, when a holiday lands on a Monday, I'm really messed up the rest of the week. I'm sure that happens to many people, but I just thought I'd throw that little tidbit in, to begin this evening's post.....which is going to be a short one. (I totally forgot about Tea Cup Tuesday, but at least I remembered Coffee & Critique today!)

I didn't get much sleep last night, but not because of any aches, pains or Tiger issues! No, it was because after reading and commenting on blogs, replying to e-mails, and writing some in my book, my mind wasn't ready to shut down. I kept thinking about some of the things I'd just finished writing in my book and what the next few chapters will be, and what photos I want to include, etc.etc. It's hard to hang that "Be Back Tomorrow" sign when I'm not really ready to quit. The mind was willing, but the body wasn't!

One more thing: I stopped by our local Big Lots today. I hadn't been there in years, but I keep reading about all the wonderful decorating items some of my blog buddies find there....And find things, I did. Cha-ching! But, gosh, how could I pass up such fabulous bargains?! My most exciting "find" was the six hardcover books I bought that were only $3.00 each! I'll list them tomorrow and am considering maybe using one or more of them for my September Contest! Bet'cha thought I forgot about that, huh?!

Nighty Night Y'all. I'm going to bed early tonight, so I can begin to read one of my fabulous finds!

(photo courtesy capitolhillbooks - NOT my bath room, OR Big Lots!)

"Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say." ~ Sharon O'Brien