Monday, December 5, 2011

Name That Author Contest Starts Today!

Oh my, Christmas nearly caught us by surprise! And we so want to express our appreciation--and have a little fun--with our readers for another great year of writer talk at Novel Matters. You've all become very dear to us and taught us so much about life, faith, and writing. It's definitely time for a contest.

All six of us have works in progress no one has read, except for a select few and certainly our mothers. You've been reading our posts for three years now, so we figure you must be getting familiar with our voices. How about our fictional voices?

Here's how the contest works: On our regular post days (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) for the next two weeks, we'll be posting a short excerpt from a work in progress, anonymously. That's right, your job is to guess which one of us wrote the passage, just from the sound of our voices. Give us your guess in the comments section. If you guess correctly, your name will be added to the prize drawing.

And what is the wonderful prize? Katy's husband, George, is a gifted sculptor. He has donated a $50 gift certificate toward one of his sculptures. You can see his work here. We can't promise the sculpture will be at your house for Christmas. That would have required much more forethought than six artist types could muster, but we can promise that you'll love George's work. Second and third places will win a hard copy of our cookbook, Novel Tips on Rice: What to Cook When You'd Rather be Writing.

Here are the rules:

1. One guess per post day. (You may play all six days. That's six chances to win a sculpture!)
2. Guesses will be accepted until 9:00 PM Pacific Time the day of the post.
3. Each correct guess wins you one chance in the drawing.
4. The winner will be announced on December 17, 2011.

Here is the first excerpt:

My keepers won’t let me out of their sight. If they think I’m going to fill my pockets with seashells like a wannabe Virginia Woolf and walk into the Pacific as if it were the River Ouse, they needn’t worry. That isn’t how I have it planned. Though they’ve pretty much crashed my site when it comes to the logistics of just how I’m going to pull this off now.

I hate women who meddle.

Okay, that’s a strong statement even for me. I just wish I’d forgone the request to borrow the beach house and come without anyone knowing. Broken in or something, a stealth trespasser. But I wanted them to know where to find me, when this is over, and I’m paying the price for it now.

I cast a glance at my red-polka-dotted stepmother, who stops every few feet to shake the sand off her flip flops, not caring how ungraceful she looks. A sand crane she’s not. But she is the organizer in all of this meddling, I’d bet my life on it. Ha. Not much of a bet. I bark out a laugh at my secret joke, and I swear I hear a seal bark back a reply.

Sissy turns her face my direction, and covers her eyes with a cupped hand against a sun that’s dipped past its zenith. "What’s that, Bristol love?"

I pretend her words get lost in the wind, like a kite sailing off without a string. Oops, there they go... As a diversionary tactic I reach down, pick up the remains of a starfish and hurl it Frisbee-like into the waves. My efforts are as lame as everything else in my life, as the very next breaker brings it back to my feet. I bend down and pick it up again, my boomerang starfish. And I’m pounded with the thought, where is my boomerang baby? Oh, God, where?

Name the author in the comments section for chance to win a beautiful sculpture!

17 comments:

Patti Hill said...

Be brave! You have a one in six chance of being correct. All of us hope to be mistaken for the other, so you can't insult us. Come on!

Bonnie Grove said...

You know, Patti, I was thinking yesterday that this contest is great because if someone mistakes my work for any of the other women, I would be thrilled!

BUT

I know this might feel tricky, so I'm willing to give a wee little hint for this first excerpt. This wonderful bit of writing isn't mine.

Now you guys only have to figure it down from 5 writers!

Patti Hill said...

Since it's the first day of the contest, I believe we can improve the odds without compromising the integrity of the contest. This beautiful piece isn't mine either. Sigh.

Marian said...

Sharon Souza.

Steve G said...

I read the first paragraph and it immediately reminded me of Debbie's Raising Rain. I know it ain't Bonnie's. Of course I tend to get Sharon and Debbie mixed up, so maybe it is Sharon's aka Every Good and Perfect Gift - there is something there under the surface that reminds me of that. My bet is one of those two. If I had to pick one, it would be... ummmmmm... Sharon, too.

Word verification - sessesi: What I think of my wife. She is sessesi!

Megan Sayer said...

Yeah I'm plumping with Sharon too.

Megan Sayer said...

...but my guess is only partly about voice, and partly memory of what she's described already as her opening scene!

Judy Gann said...

Sounds like Sharon's voice.

Great contest, ladies!

Sara said...

I will follow the crowd and guess Sharon Souza. Whoever it is has me wanting to read the next paragraph, and the next . . .

Kathleen Popa said...

Great guesses! Can't wait to see who will win.

By the way, you will get one entry in the drawing for each correct guess over the course of the promotion.

Oh, and yes, that's one of George's sculptures in the picture. Check his website to see what that $50 gift certificate can buy. He even does custom work. I've got to say, my husband is brilliant!

Ariel Allison Lawhon said...

I'm late to the party. And not to sound like a repeat, but this is Sharon all the way.

Anonymous said...

Hmm. Interesting guesses.

Henrietta Frankensee said...

I though it was Patti but by her own words she is eliminated. I am going to buck the trend. I don't think it is Sharon. I do not know the voices of Debbie or Kathleen so I'll shoot in the dark.
Put my vote as Kathleen.

Cynthia Ruchti said...

I too thought Patti, then immediately thought of Sharon. And it's true. If it's beautiful writing and a compelling story, it could be any one of these great authors!

Karen @ a house full of sunshine said...

I'm too late to guess, but just for fun, I would have picked Kathleen.

sadie crandle said...

Sharon Souza.

Lane Hill House said...

I would like the dragonfly. Would that leave me the balance to buy books??
I am going with the flow and guess Sharon K. Souza!
lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net