A Belated March Guessing Game

Sorry for the silence!

I'm feverishly writing a proposal for a new series plus prepping to teach my upcoming UCLA workshop (this coming Saturday) --- AND working on a gazillion other things ... and then our water heater exploded this morning - so you could say I'm a tad stressed.

My day job is INSANE at the moment since we're doing a lot of new business stuff which means very long 10 hour days and of course, it's tax time (and I handle all that too). As my character Annabel Lake would say "Poor you! How awful to be you." Yes. Poor Me. Sigh.

However ... FINALLY I have a subject for the March competition.

Pictured here is the name of a pub ... The Nobody Inn (don't you just love that name) ... it really exists. The question is ... where?

Listed below are a few names of small towns and villages in England. Simply pick one at random and those who picked correctly, will enter a raffle for a great British prize. Clue: The Nobody Inn is mentioned in one of my books. 

Yaddlethorpe

Umberleigh

Totteridge

Doddiscombleigh

Brithembottom

Pott Shrigley

Haselbury Plucknett

Leave a comment here or contact me via email or on Facebook. The answer will be drawn at the end of March. 

A Curious Kind of Scam

About a month ago, as my sister and I were walking back to our car in the Wholefoods parking lot on 3rd Street, a woman asked for help. Apparently she was an Elementary school teacher and had car problems. She offered me $5 for my Triple A membership card so she could "call the breakdown service."

My husband is notoriously suspicious of everyone (he has a vivid imagination - oh wait, he's a writer, too). He shreds every scrap of paper that ever crosses his path and is obsessed with the prospect of having his identity stolen. Knowing he'd freak out, I said "sorry no." But - I felt terrible. Especially when it began to rain.

Last week I was shopping in Ralphs downtown and the same woman approached me! I couldn't believe it! This time she offered $60 for my Triple A membership card. This store is 9 miles from Wholefoods! She obviously has some kind of scam going. I pointed out that she'd already "asked me" and she scurried off.

I'm more annoyed by the fact that I wasted all that energy feeling guilty the first time. So for you gullible people out there - beware! On this occasion (just this one), it would seem my husband is right.

The Biggest Mushroom

Yes, I know I have been lackadaisical on this blog recently. It's been busy, busy, busy at the advertising agency with lots of new clients and lots of "stuff" swirling around. Since I write in the mornings and try to do promo/blog things in the evenings, I haven't had much time.

HOWEVER ... at least I am squeezing in this quick announcement. February's Guessing Game was to guess the diameter of this giant puffball mushroom.

The correct answer ... 9 and a 1/2 inches.

Congratulations to the wonderful Pamela Priest who came close with 10 inches. A fabulous prize is winging it's way to you.

Since the idea originated via one of my characters (yes, characters do talk to their creators), I am waiting for Barbara Meadows (the receptionist at the Gipping Gazette who started all this nonsense), to let me know what she has planned for March.

Stand by!