Christmas Contest!

I love this time of year. People I love have birthdays. (Happy Birthday to my sister Jody Lean and my friend Roxy Lebeau!) Plus it's time for Christmas shopping, and I like to get a half decent start. I'd tell you what I'm getting my loved ones, but some of them actually read this blog ;)

Which brings me to this picture. In order to celebrate the season and the fact that Thoeba has been out for six months, I'm giving away these three metal mugs with three e-book copies of Thoeba. You can't see it, but my signature is on the sides!

See...if I start a little early, the winners can give Thoeba AND/OR one of these lovely travel mugs to someone for Christmas...or treat yourself, of course.

The contest goes for a week, as usual. I'll announce three winners on the 30th. Here's the drill...You know when I ask you guys to post and tweet your hearts out? Same thing...I want to see Thoeba's name everywhere! Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, it's all good. Retweet the blog, or post a review, whatever your fancy.

But here's something else...I want to promote some very talented friends as well, who could give you MORE ideas for Christmas. Each time you tweet, post, blog any of the people or sites you found here, add a hashtag for #Thoeba or mention this blog otherwise. (i.e.- earthtothoeba was right...Jessica Frost rocks!) Or if that feels to much like advertising, use my name. (i.e.-I LOVE the Rocky Mountain Soap Company. Thanks for the heads up, Donna Milward.) You get the picture. This is just so I can see who is endorsing my friends because of this blog, and it counts as two entries. Trust me...these people are worth checking out!

First, meet COLLEEN SUNDBY at www.sundby-art-and-tile.com  To say that Colleen is creative is like saying, "Yeah...Michaelangelo paints." She's the person who made these great mugs for me, and besides crafting cool custom tiles, (by hand) and personalized gifts, she also makes gorgeous jewelry with natural stones. (See the above agate necklace she gave me.)

Also check out REBECCA BARTLETT's site at www.etsy.com/shop/MedievalMandrel This bracelet and necklace are the pieces I own. She started making chainmail to keep her hands occupied when she quit smoking. As you can see, she's an expert now. The photos on the site are better. Go look and see what she can do with pop-tabs.

Like Pottery? Go to Potterycove at http://30kellys.blogspot.com and visit KELLY MOEN.I've known Kelly for many years, and I'm really proud of his work. This is just a sample of the stunning stuff he does.

Of course there is a loooong list of books that would make great purchases for Christmas. At www.staccatopublishing.com we have HEATHER SAVAGE, JAY MIMS (The Five Santas would be perfect for Christmas) and JACINTA MAREE with more authors coming.

Got a teen reader on your list? Go to www.meggjensen.com to get a copy of Anathema from MEGG JENSEN. I've read it. It's a beautifully written original fantasy that's not to be missed.

For those who like it spicy, try JESSICA FROST erotica (Siren Publishing) and DEANNA WADSWORTH (Decadent Publishing) man on man erotica. Both can be found at Bookstrand.com

For intense poetry, no one does it better than JESSICA BELL. (www.jessicabellauthor.com) Her latest is called 'Fabric' and it's nominated for a Goodreads award.

If I forgot you, please feel free to advertise your novel in my comment section. Support your independent and small published authors!!

Here's a new twist on a gift idea I just learned about. If you go to compassion.com or oxfam.ca there are a multitude of truly helpful ways to give. These sites are designed to purchase necessary items overseas, such as mosquito nets and textbooks. You can donate these things in the name of your loved ones.  I wish I'd heard of this earlier!

And normally I wouldn't push a franchise, but I just wanted to tell you about my new favorite store...The ROCKY MOUNTAIN SOAP COMPANY. You can find them in Alberta--Edmonton, Calgary, Canmore, and Banff. In British Columbia--Victoria, Vancouver, Whistler and also Winnipeg, Manitoba. If you don't live near any of these cities, there's always on-line ordering.

Their products are handmade and environmentally friendly. They are comparably priced with Bodyshop and use no chemicals. Not to mention, every time I walk in there, they give me a free soap sample, and often my purchases lead to little gifts, like mini body butter sticks and lip balm...for being a good customer.

So Happy Shopping! I hope this list helps you find something for your family and friends, and don't forget to enter the contest!