This week I will be celebrating my double-nickel birthday. Yes, I will be a grand 55 years old! I sure don't feel or act that old, and I'm very grateful for my good health that allows me to do such things as hiking, biking, sliding down water slides, and dancing the chicken dance--all of which I enjoyed lately (see my blog). As they say, you're only as old as you feel. And, you only have one life to live, so you might as well live it up!
I definitely have an attitude of gratitude because I know I'm very lucky to not only have my health, but also a loving family and to live in an affluent country that allows its citizens freedoms. Traveling internationally, especially to repressed countries like Myanmar (Burma) has hammered home how lucky I am to be a US citizen. Being grateful for our blessings is the key to happiness, I think. Of course, presents help, too. :)
And our publisher, Midnight Ink, gave me a doozy of a gift this week--acquisition editor Terri Bischoff said she'd be sending a contract for the third book in my RM Outdoor Adventures mystery series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner! The first book, Deadly Currents, was released to great reviews in May of this year, the second, Wicked Eddies, is scheduled for May of 2012. This third one, tentatively titled Cataract Canyon, hopefully will be scheduled for a year later in May of 2013.
To celebrate my birthday and my good fortune, I am going to give away a copy of Deadly Currents. To enter the contest, leave a comment here on how you helped spread the word about the first book in the RM Outdoor Adventure series. Some ideas include:
- recommending it to a mystery-reading friend or friends,
- posting a review somewhere,
- adding the book to your to-read list on Goodreads, LibraryThing or Shelfari,
- posting a link to the Amazon or B&N page or this blog post on Twitter, Facebook or Google+,
- filling out a patron request form at your local library asking them to buy a copy,
- scheduling a discussion of the book with your book club (you can ask me to participate via speakerphone, chat room, Skype or whatever, too!),
- putting a sign on your car to "Read Deadly Currents!",
- tattooing the cover art on your forehead.
Wait, I got carried away on those last two! You get the idea, though. Be creative, have fun, and think of your own way to help keep that "word of mouth" going for Deadly Currents. Spread the word, leave a comment here, and you're entered. I think there's no more fun way to celebrate a birthday or good fortune than by giving something away yourself.
Now, here's a question. How do you celebrate "milestone" birthdays? How else do you think I should celebrate mine (besides the book giveaway contest)? Any party-down suggestions for me?
37 comments:
Happy Birthday, Beth! Birthdays are usually pretty low key around here, but this year I asked for a trip--and got one! Hope your day is fabulous!
I like my birthdays to be a blend of quiet time and reflection and all out celebration with family and friends. After a certain age, they all start seeming like milestnes, right?
Happy Birthday, Beth!
Happy birthday, Beth! At a certain point I decided to ignore birthdays. I have this philosophy that if you don't recognize the day, you don't grow a year older. That's why I'm still 29. ;-D
I'll wish you happy birthday again, Beth. And you're a brave, confident woman to announce your age on the Internet! (And in the spirit of full disclosure, I'll let you know that I'm three years older than you.) Big congratulations on the new contract!
Thanks for the birthday wishes Lisa, Vicki, and Lois!
And I don't believe it, Michael! I always thought you were younger than me.
Happy Birthday to a fellow Leo! I celebrate milestone events by either doing something on my bucket list or pampering myself (that is super hard for me). Anytime I can include family and friends makes them even better!
Happy Birthday! I celebrate milestones with family, friends and food.
I added Deadly Currents to my Goodread to-read list, by the way.
carolsnoteobok at yahoo dot com
Thanks, Thea and Carol, and Carol, you are the first entry in the contest!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Wonderful news!!! I would love to win a copy and would write a review and post it everywhere and even invite you to guest post on my blog!
dollycas79@gmail.com
Happy Birthday, and that's awesome news from your editor. I may not have done much direct mention of Deadly Current, but I do know that I've mentioned it when discussing Kayaking--and even because it was part of why I was inspired to try it for the first time. I've also mentioned you to other author friends in person online.
I will say this--contest or no--seeing your posts online, about your book and what has inspired it--has had a direct impact on my life. I started to live again, and do things I could aim for. My kids might not want to go kayaking on the river, perhaps rafting, though. I had never considered it till I saw your posts, and was inspired by what I'd heard of your book and it's focus. Thank you for that!
Maria
Wishing you a wonderful birthday! Sounds like you are all set with "pre-birthday" presents and some really really good book-news! Looking forward to reading Deadly Currents, Wicked Eddies, Cataract Canyon, and all the rest. Ride that river!
Hey, I've told my mystery-reading friends about your set-in-Salida books (and the others, too)... does that count??
Happy Birthday, Beth! I've had way too many birthdays already, so I choose to pretend they're not happening these days.
Thanks for sharing your great spirit, Beth!
Coincidentally, I'm the same age as my wonderful new agent, Lois Winston (comment #3) but I do allow friends to bake me special cakes!
Congratulations to you on many counts!
Congrats on the contract (love the title) and the milestone birthday, Beth! Celebrate by doing the chicken dance while sliding down a water slide.
I already have my copy, Beth, so I don't need to be in the drawing. But I do want to wish you a very Happy Birthday. At 55, you're still just a kid. :)
Congratulations on the new contract for the third book in the series.
I love Mandy and can't wait to read the next book in this series.
I reviewed it on my personal reading blog, goodreads, amazon and the Cozy Chicks.
Happy Birthday!
Oops! Congratulations on the new contract, too. That's great news.
Happy Birthday!!! Beth, I have to tell you I honestly thought you were in your 40s. The outdoor life is suiting you.
Happy birthday, and congratulations!
Happy Birthday!
I posted all of your books on my TBR list on Goodreads as soon as you sent me the friend request. I love a good cozy mystery and look forward to breaking into them. Congratulations on the contract for the third in the new series!
As for milestone birthdays... I am a fan of doing something out of the ordinary. Non-routine. Doesn't have to be extreme, just not the norm.
Happy birthday, Beth. I never would have guessed your age. Good for you. Age is only a number. My mother said her whole life she was "Twenty-more." I always thought that was cool.
Many congrats on your contract! What a wonderful birthday present. Enjoy it, you deserve it.
Happy birthday, Beth!! In addition to not acting or feeling 55, I would say you also don't look it! BIG congrats on the contract for your third!!
Happy birthday and congratulations! And I'll register my disbelief along with the others-- no way you're 55!
Thanks, Lori, Maria, and Ann! You're all entered into the contest, and Maria, your inspirational message touched my heart.
Thanks, Darrell, Camille, and Robin! What's this? Lois is an agent? And Robin, I love the way you think! :)
Thanks, Pat, Dru, and G. M! G.M., I'll take your compliment any day <>. And Dru, you're entered in the contest.
Thanks, Kathleen, Kelly, and Cocoihle! Kelly, you're entered in the contest.
Thanks, Jenny and Alan, for the congrats and the compliments. Clean mountain living can do a lot to keep your outlook on life young.
Now, here's why I was delayed in responding to comments. A cousin took me out to lunch for my birthday and we went to see the movie, The Help, together, figuring we wouldn't be able to convince our hubbies to go with us. It was EXCELLENT!!! I highly recommend seeing it, whether you've already read the book or not. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets some academy award nominations.
Wonderful news, Beth, just the right kind of birthday gift! I have a six-dimer coming up shortly and I want to go to England! But will probably settle for a family dinner~have a great one!!
Happy Birthday! I added all the books to my TBR in Good Reads. I also tweeted your blog post (@alaskanbookcafe). Would you be interested in being a guest on my blog? If so you can leave me a message on GR or at alsaknbookcafe at gmail.com
Now, that's a birthday present I'd like to have. What great news! On my birthday, I used to request that I be able to do whatever I wanted, but some years ago I realized that I mostly have that situation every day (pretty lucky, I know), so now I just want dinner at a nice restaurant. As for your birthday gift, I've just requested that our local library purchase Deadly Currents. Liz
Happy Birthday, Beth! I'm also celebrating my 55th in a week! Unfortunately, I'm also in the midst of a monster move, so the day will be spent amongst packers and movers, boxes, painting walls and general chaos...not my first choice of a party.
(Oh, and I've tweeted this post, and shared on facebook...)
Happy Birthday, Beth. The double nickle is still adolescence - believe it. And what a nice birthday present, too.
Thanks Marni, Cristina, Elizabeth, electicitee, and cttiger for your comments! Cristina, Elizabeth and electicitee, you are entered in the contest.
Good luck with your move, electicitee, and I hope you take time to celebrate your birthday after it's done. My husband and I are doing a gradual move one vanload at a time to our second home in Breckenridge (first home in CO Springs is up for sale), and we home to make the final big push this fall.
I'm going to let the contest run a little longer today while I take a morning hike before I pick a winner. That's so folks who get their yahoogroups on daily digest have a chance to enter.
Hi everyone,
I went to random.org to generate a random number to choose the winner of an autographed copy of Deadly Currents from this Inkspot contest, and Lori (dollycas) won! Her blog is http://dollycas.blogspot.com/ if you'd like to find out more about her and her reading. Congratulations to Lori, and thanks to everyone else who entered!
I would probably give myself a silent retreat to get away from noise. LOL. Or maybe a yoga retreat if I didn't want to be alone. Definitely something "reprieve-ish" though. Happy birthday, Beth! Oh, and I'd have chocolate!
It was crazy here with my son getting his MBA and relatives coming in. So belated Happy Birthday on your double-nickel. I've been there and you'll survive.
Post a Comment