Raffles, Rifles and Contests...Oh My!

Up until a few years ago, I’d never won anything. Not even at a Tupperware party. No raffles, no cakewalks, nada. Not sure what it was, bad karma or what. But my number just never seemed to come up.

Not so my brother. He seemed to win everything. Raffles at school fundraisers, charity dinners. You name it. If he bought a ticket, you might as well not because he was going to win. He once walked into a charity dinner, bought a raffle ticket at the last minute and won the grand prize hunting rifle. (We’re from Mississippi-what can I say? Those are our kind of raffles.)

During this remarkable “run” of luck, he was also always getting called for jury duty. Like every five-six months. I was convinced somehow these events were related. You win raffles or contests, you get called for jury duty….often. Little did I know.

A few years ago my own luck changed and I started winning “things.” Nothing huge (feel free to snicker as your read) but at a kitchen accessory party my name got pulled for an orange peeler, then a recipe book. Quite a thrill when you’ve NEVER won anything. And at a writer’s convention a couple of years ago, a number was taped to the bottom of my chair to win out of hundreds of other folks. Granted, the prize was a box of Hot Tamales, the candy. But still, woo-hoo! Wild stuff for a girl who’d never landed on the right number in a cake walk. And yes, you guessed it. I started getting “the call” for jury duty. All the time.

Is there a correlation or have I just lived in one place long enough for my name to be on the city jury duty rolls? Could be, but I like to think my luck has turned.

Now, I don’t have a hunting rifle to give away (I think the laws might prohibit that nowadays.) But I do have a contest to announce this month for my new April release, BULLETPROOF TEXAS. It’s a Bulletproof Sighting Contest called "Have You Seen This Man?" For folks who see my book on store shelves and snap a picture, you could win a gift card to Barnes and Noble. I’m posting the rules below. But you can also check them out here. Feel free to forward this contest link or the rules anywhere you’d like. The more the merrier and there are three chances to win.

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Bulletproof Sighting Contest Rules

“Have You Seen This Man?”

Spot my April Intrigue, BULLETPROOF TEXAS, on store shelves and be eligible to win a gift card to Barnes & Noble for $15, $10 or $5.

Here’s how it works:

1. You see my book, BULLETPROOF TEXAS, on the shelf at: Barnes & Noble, Borders, an Independent bookseller, Books A Million, Target, Wal-Mart, Kmart, the grocery — wherever Harlequin Intrigues are sold retail in the US. (Sorry, no resale allowed in this particular contest.)

2. Snap a picture with your phone or digital camera. Make sure I can tell the book is in the bookstore from your picture. Take the shot of the book on the shelf, at the checkout etc. Put yourself in the pic, too! (I’ll be posting the winners names and photos here on my website.)

3. Send the picture to: contest@kaythomas.net

If you are sending from your phone, be sure to include your email address. Don’t forget to include the store’s name and location with the picture:

Store Name
Your town, USA

4. If you are my first “in store” Bulletproof sighting, you win a $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble. I’ll randomly draw from the rest of the entries for a $10 gift card winner and a $5 gift card winner.

Can’t snap a picture? You can still enter:
Email me the store name, the store’s physical address and the store phone number.

Contest starts April 6. Official release day is April 14. (Many times books are put on the shelves several days early, so keep an eye out!) Entry into contest puts you on my newsletter mailing list. Contest ends and winners will be announced May 11. Questions? Email me at:

contest@kaythomas.net

Good luck!

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Now for our question of the day...What’s the coolest thing you ever won in a contest? (I’m sure you can beat my Hot Tamales and orange peeler!)

Kay

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Kay Thomas
Bulletproof Texas 4/09
4 stars Romantic Times ~ 4 ½ stars Cataromance reviews
KayThomas.net