Another Winner and Another Contest!

We held a contest all through the month of November to give away a copy of Christmas Miracles. The winner of our November contest is:

Deborah Bolack

Congratulations, Deborah! We'll get your book out to you soon!


Pixels, we'll do the same thing again during December! Any one leaving a comment on any post during the month will receive an entry for a chance to win a copy of Christmas Miracles AND A Pixel-Perfect Christmas 2009 (I'll provide details about this book next week.) So just leave a comment on at least one other post (besides this one) for your chance to win!

We have a Winner!

Congratulations to MARIA MORGAN, winner of last week's contest. Maria, look for your copy of Christmas Miracles to arrive soon!

Tim and I are reading through these stories now - restraining ourselves to one per day - and decided we'll need to buy stock in some tissue! Each story makes us cry tears of joy!

We serve such an awesome God! He alone is worthy of all our praise.

We Have a Winner!

Last week's special guest judge, Adam Blumer, chose Seema Bagai's short story, "The Unexpected Ride," as winner of our contest.

Adam - thanks for judging the entries and providing comments to all the authors - we appreciate your time and effort very much!

Congratulations, Seema! You'll receive a copy of Adam's debut novel Fatal Illusions.

As promised, here is Seema's story, for your reading pleasure.

The Unexpected Ride
By Seema Bagai

The bang startled Katherine. “What was that?” As the car shook, she gripped the steering wheel and maneuvered to the side of Highway 1. Turning off the ignition, she stepped out to investigate. Her tan pumps crunched in the gravel.

Great. A flat tire. Not today. She slid back into the driver’s seat and reached for her phone. No bars. She folded her arms, and stared at the cloudless sky.

“I thought you wanted me to attend this thing. Now what?” The crashing ocean waves below the deserted highway provided the only reply. Bodega Bay was miles behind and Katherine was unsure of the distance to her destination. A glance at the printed directions inside the invitation offered no clues. She fingered the ivory envelope with her name and address printed in calligraphy.

Within seconds, a pick-up truck pulled up. From the rear view mirror, Katherine glimpsed a neatly dressed man approach. She reached over to make sure the doors were locked.

“Can I help you?” He smiled and pointed to the tire.

Katherine hesitated as she studied the stranger. He doesn’t look like a rapist. Then again, they look like everyone else.

“I can change the flat.”

Squeezing her phone, Katherine cracked open the window. “Thank you.”

“Sure. Pop the trunk and I’ll get the spare. Within seconds, he called out. “Bad news. The spare’s gone.” As he returned, he said, “Gualala is the next town. I could drop you off at a mechanic’s. Someone can bring you back with a tire.”

Katherine glanced at her watch. I’ll be late.

“Where are you headed?” He smiled.

“The lighthouse at Point Arena. A wedding.”

“Me, too. The Powell and Franklin wedding, right? How about if we attend the wedding and afterwards we can see about fixing your car?”

She flinched for a second and nodded. “I hope it’s no trouble.” She straightened her suit, followed the man to his truck, and climbed in.

“No trouble. My name’s Josh.”

She reached out to shake his extended hand and realized she was still gripping the phone, which she dropped into her lap before returning the greeting. “I’m Katherine. Thank you so much.” She smiled as she felt her shoulders relax. She looked past Josh at the gorgeous view of the ragged northern California coast.

“Have you been to the lighthouse before?” Josh asked.

“No. I'm from Illinois. I flew in to San Francisco last night. It's my first time in California.”

“I've been to lots of weddings up there. The place is beautiful. Tom and Chloe chose a great place to get married.”

“Are you on the bride or groom's side?”

“Both.” When she shot him a puzzled look, Josh added, “I'm their pastor and the one performing the ceremony. What about you?”

Katherine flipped her purse over and over in her lap and bit her lower lip. “Groom,” she whispered. “I haven’t seen him in a long time, though.”

“Tom never mentioned being in the Midwest, and you said you’ve never been to California.” Josh paused, hoping his passenger would fill in the blanks. After minutes of silence, he added, “I don’t mean to pry. I’m just curious how you know Tom. I’ve known him for years.”

“Um, well.” Katherine hoped to preserve her makeup from being smudged by the tears pooling beneath her closed eyelids. She fumbled in her bag for a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she blurted, “He’s my son.”

“Wow. I should have figured it out. Tom said his birth mother’s name was Katie. He’s talked about you before, but didn’t say you were coming.”

“It’s a surprise. I’ve kept in touch with Josephine and Marcus over the years. They would send pictures and I’ve even talked to Tom on the phone and sent cards. He asked me to come to his graduations. They wanted me to meet him in person, but I always made excuses. Then I received the wedding invitation, and, after a lot of thinking and praying, I felt like it was time.”

“Why have you waited so long?”

“I was sixteen when I met Tom’s biological father. He was performing card tricks on a street corner in Chicago. One afternoon, he took me to get a pop and we talked and talked. He said he wanted to become the next Houdini. After that day, I would watch him every day after school. Sometimes we’d go to his apartment. He told me he loved me, but one day he forced me to…”

She dug her fingernails into the leather purse and turned to look out her window. Her voice cracked as she continued. “When I found out I was pregnant, I told him and he vanished a week later. The first time I held my baby, I saw his father’s face. Each picture of Tom reminds me of the man who abandoned me.”

“Have you forgiven him? The magician, I mean.”

Katherine nodded. “I have and I’ve asked God’s forgiveness, too.”

“I’m sure Tom and Chloe will be thrilled to finally meet you, and to have you celebrate this day with them.”

“I was going to slip in and out and not tell anyone. But now I don’t have a car, so…”

“Have you also forgiven yourself?”

“What?”

“You’ve flown halfway across the country to attend your son’s wedding and you aren’t even going to tell him you’re there. God has forgiven you, so what makes you think you can hide in shame? Besides, how do you think Tom will feel when he finds out you came and didn’t introduce yourself?”

The remaining miles passed in silence. The lighthouse appeared on the horizon and Josh steered off the highway. Katherine finally said, “You’re right. I need to face everyone and show my happiness for the couple. I’m kind of glad I got the flat tire.”

“It was a God thing,” Josh said as he parked the truck and they headed for the ceremony site.

About the Author:

Seema Bagai is an elementary school teacher and writer in Southern California. She is currently working on a historical fiction novel. Visit her blog.

We have WINNERS and a Review

Before I announce the winners of The Renewal contest, I must share with you about the book.

I finished reading The Renewal by Terri Kraus this weekend. The first evening, I read all the way to Chapter 18 - could not put it down. At 1 a.m. I FORCED myself because I had to get up at 4:30 the next morning. (Overslept, but we still made our destination in time. Whew!) Then I finished the book the next night.

Terri knows how to torment her characters. The book was riveting - a definite page-turner. I found myself either really liking and loving the characters, and really hating other ones. I cheered for the heroine, and kept hoping things would work out with the hero. The setting was fantastic, and the secondary characters were memorable and unique.

I became a HUGE Terri Kraus fan overnight, and hope you'll seek out her books. You'll become a fan, too.

Now - we have WINNERS!!

The winner of the first $25 amazon gift card is Bunny. She will be awarded the gift card and an autographed copy of The Renewal. Sometime this week, she'll hold a contest on HER website, and the winner there will receive the second $25 amazon gift card and a copy of the book.

The winner of the autographed copy of The Renewal is Cindy Wilson.

And I couldn't leave out Lynda Schab, who helped promote Terri's books, so we're also sending her a copy of The Renewal, too!

I'll announce Bunny's winner when she has one.

Thanks for participating, and thanks for reading along.

Go get a copy of The Renewal, or The Restoration, or any of Terri's other books!!! More great summertime reading!

We Have a Winner - Let it Snow!

Our special guest judge, Virginia Smith, sent the following e-mail about our Snow Description Contest:

I'm so impressed with every one of these entries! Pixels are a talented group of writers. Mary, Ava, Pat, and Stephanie, thank you so much for entering the contest. I love the images each one of you created in my mind. You made me smile and ponder and feel nostalgic. Selecting a winner from among such creative pieces is nearly impossible, but I had to chose one. So I chose Ava Pennington's essay because it made me think of snow in a way I've never before considered.

Great job, all of you!

Congratulations, Ava!!

Since the entries were posted in the comments this time, I'll post Ava's winning entry here:

Snow

by Ava Pennington

A snowflake is a picture of a Christian...

Snowflakes are unique, yet appear to look alike.

Christians are unique individuals, but are in the process of looking like Christ.

Snowflakes cover dirty streets with a white blanket reflecting the sun's light.

Christians cover a multitude of sins when they share Christ's love.

Snowflakes are pure refreshment on the tip of the tongue.

Christians bring refreshment as they encourage the weary and faint-hearted.

Snowflakes are fragile alone, but together can shut down a city.

Christians are vulnerable alone, but together, the Body of Christ prevails against the gates of hell!

Be sure to visit Ava online to learn more about her writing.

Thanks, Ginny, for joining us again. Pixels, be sure to get a copy of Murder at Eagle Summit - you'll love it! Visit Ginny online to learn about, and order, her books.

Another Pixel Wins Huge Gift Basket!

Yet another Pixel is a PRIZE WINNER!

Saturday, we posted information about Cheri Cowell's latest book Direction. Anyone leaving a comment was entered into a drawing - among many blogs - and one of our own Pixels won!

Congratulations, Stephanie Craig! You are winner of this huge gift basket!

Thanks for participating, Pixels. I love knowing that Pix-N-Pens is such a WINNING place! What a blessing!

Winners of the Write Integrity Editorial Services Grand Opening Contest!

We finally have winners! It took awhile to gather all the entries, choose the winners, and then get the bios of everyone, but we've almost made it! :-) I'm still waiting on one bio - I think the winner may be out of town at the moment, so I'll update this post when she replies.

The winners of the Write Integrity Editorial Services Grand Opening contest are:

Prize #1 - "The Works" edit:

Connie Brown

Connie Brown is a writer and Webmaster. She has worked as a technicaltrainer, analyst and tester on a Web development team. Connie'spublished work includes articles for faith-based periodicals as wellas for The Waterline, a newspaper that serves Naval DistrictWashington.

Visit Connie's two blogs:

Sequoia Thoughts

e-Salt and Light

Prize # 2 - "Conference Special" edit:

Terri Kraus

After eleven co-authored books with husband, Jim, Terri Kraus has added her award-winning interior designer’s eye to her world of fiction. She comes to her latest series, the Project Restoration series, naturally, having survived the remodel, renovation, and restoration of three separate personal residences, along with those of her clients. She makes her home in Wheaton, Illinois, USA, with her husband, son, Elliot, miniature schnauzer, Rufus, and Siberian cat, Petey.

Visit Terri Kraus at her website.

Prize #3 - Web site design:

Ann Knowles

Ann Knowles is a freelance writer/editor from NC. She has been writing since 1991 and editing since 2005. She is retired educator of thirty-three years and has taught all ages from kindergarten through community college. She also operated Carolina ESL Services, consulting and training teachers of English language learners. She believes that God has called and gifted her to do the work she is doing. Winning this contest confirms this calling for her. Her motto is "His glory...my joy."

Look for Ann on the internet after Tracy creates her Web site.

Prize #4 - Blog Tour Coordination:

Lynda Schab

Lynda is a freelance writer whose work has been published in greeting cards, articles, and several anthologies. She has been a finalist in several national contests, including the 2008 ACFW Genesis contest, 2007 RWA Get your Stiletto in the Door Contest, and the 2007 FaithWriters Page Turner. Lynda recently finished her first novel and is now in the editing stage.

Visit her online:

Lynda Schab

On the Write Track

Prize #5 - Free Web hosting:

Elizabeth Pina

Elizabeth says: "I live in Texas, am married, and have four children. The youngest is sixteen and the eldest thirty-something ; ) Which puts me in my VERY late twenties …

I have a full-time job plus a bunch of dogs, livestock, and 4-H projects. I’m always busy, but find as much time to write as possible.

Thanks to wonderful help from friends such as you, Tracy, my writing has improved dramatically over the last twelve months and I now have a full (Inspirational Contemporary Romance) out with an agent and editor.

Life is good, and God’s blessings often found in the strangest places.

Visit Elizabeth on the Web, and on her blog.

Prize #6 - One-Sheet Design:

Laurie Foston/Cheryl Haynes

Laurie Foston is the pen name for American science fiction author and author/illustrator of children's stories, Cheryl Haynes. She has also published under the name Cheryl Hodgetts Parker and Cheryl Henry Hodgetts. She resides in Southaven, MS at an angle from the house where John Grisham lived before his career blossomed. Cheryl says she didn't live there when he did but hopes that area will be as propitious for her as it was for him.

Cheryl is a beauty pageant judge for America's Most Beautiful Girls and is a member of the American Council of the Blind as well as being a member of several writers forums. She is also the founder of a web-based think tank called Authors' Crossroad and is a contributing editor of Wikipedia. She is willing to do freelance writing but only in special areas of interest.

Visit her on the Web.

Prize #7 - Image-Building Package:

Karri Compton

Karri Compton, wife and mother of three, devours Christian fiction whenever possible. Her favorite genre is suspense/thriller, especially Ted Dekker novels. Since promoting biblical worldview fiction is dear to her heart, she reviews on her blog, Fiction Fanatics Only! and is a staff reviewer and interviewer for such sites as Title Trakk and The Christian Suspense Zone. She also enjoys musical theater and mulling over ideas for her own novels. Her latest published works appear in Cross & Quill and Peculiar People’s novel collaboration, Struggle Creek.

CONGRATULATIONS and thanks so very much to all of our winners, and all of our participants. You helped make our Grand Opening a HUGE success, and I appreciate your promotion, referrals, encouragement, kind words, and your business with all my heart.

If you ever need editing, Web, or marketing services, I hope you'll consider Write Integrity.

We Have a Winner!

I used a Random Number Generator today to choose the winner for this week's contest, numbering the comments consecutively as they were posted.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:9
Timestamp: 2008-12-21 04:05:04 UTC

Congratulations, Susan! You are the winner of our $30 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Thanks to everyone for participating - there were several on all the lists I haven't read yet, but I'll be tackling them soon!

Monday, I'll post my own list so check back then to see if your favorites made the list!

Merry Christmas!

We Have a Winner!

Thanks for all the great comments on the Christmas Firsts post this past week. I enlisted my husband to draw numbers from a hat, and he pulled out #2, so congratulations go to:

Kathy Fuller!

You are the winner of A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts.

Special thanks to Brenda Nixon for being our guest this week! We appreciate getting acquainted with you!

Pixels - this season is always a busy one. Remember to take time with your loved ones to create new and precious memories - of Christmas firsts and of Christmas pasts. The secret isn't in the going and the doing and the buying and the shopping and the cooking. It's in the BEING - in the time spent BEING with each other, enjoying each other, cherishing each other. May the Lord grant each of you a special season filled with love and precious moments.

Don't forget to remind people that Jesus is THE reason for the season! You might even remind them with your actions, rather than your words.

We Have a Winner - Photo Contest!

Greetings, Pixels. I pray your holidays were filled with fun, frivolity, and plenty of delectable delights!

I wish I had enough books to give away to each of our contestants this week - each set of photos was unique and featured our theme beautifully. But I must choose only one.

The winner is:

Entry # 3 Submitted by B.J. Hamrick!

Congratulations, B.J.!

And thanks to all the contestants for participating - I look forward to seeing more of your photos in future contests!

We Have Winners!

Over the weekend, last week's special guest judge Molly G. Shane sent me an email, choosing winners of the contest:

I have determined a winner. Since there were only 4 entries and each had their significance to the question, I would like to send them all a free copy of one of my books for putting themselves 'out there.'

Some of them are new to writing and I want to give them encouragement, but one stood out amongst the rest. Entry #2 by Jean Kinsey is the winner of this competition. Her honesty in her self evaluation shows her growth. She also went a step further and added how others in her life changed for the positive or negative.

Congratulations to each of you:

Jean Kinsey

Samantha Rowlison

Meaghan Harrison

B.J. Hamrick

Thanks for sharing of yourself in such beautiful, touching ways. May the Lord continue to use you and your words to touch hearts and lives.

Special thanks to Molly G. Shane for being our guest judge - and for being so generous with our contestants. We appreciate you and hope you'll drop by again!

Readers - don't forget to check out Molly's books: My Glass Heart Can't Be Broken and Rumored Legacy.

Bloggy Carnival Winners!

It took awhile to sort through all the comments, but we finally have WINNERS for our Bloggy Carnival giveaway!

The winner of the box of 15 Books is:

Jennifer Jesson

She says: I am a SAHM to three boys, 4, 3 and 3 months in Colorado. I have recently started updating my blog much more frequently at Professional Mommy.

I also love to craft and am a member of Craftster.org as lukenlarry. I quilt, sew, glue stuff and do various types of needlework. My relationship with Jesus is very important to me, although I am still very human and make tons of mistakes!

The winner of the $25 Amazon gift card is:

Tami Q.

She says: I'm a working wife & mom who loves the Lord. I have PCOS. My blog is Desires of Thine Heart.

Congratulations, ladies!

And a special THANKS to everyone who participated in this quarter's Bloggy Carnival.

I'll announce the winner of the Recipe Contest and share Ginny's Burgoo recipe in just a moment, so be sure to check it out.

We have winners!

We had two comments on the "Do You Trust Me?" post, so Melissa and Stephanie, you'll both receive a copy of Cheryl's tremendous book! Please send me your mailing addresses, and I'll ship the books to you.

Congratulations!!

We have WINNERS!

Special guest judge Mary Connealy struggled with choosing just one winner for the Western Hook contest this week, saying:

I can see the germ of a solid story in each of these, which is what an opening sentence is for, to let you know what's coming and hopefully do it in a way that hooks you in.I read them all a half dozen times trying to pick the best one and finally decided...even now I'm waffling and just changed my mind again.I'll pick #3...BUT, I also noticed they were by two people, each with two entries, so I'll send each a book.

So, congratulations to Stephanie Craig and Jean Kinsey!

Stephanie Craig is a freelance writer and mother of two toddler boys from Michigan. She recently rediscovered her passion for writing and is excited about all the possibilities ahead of her.

Jean Kinsey is a widow with six grandkids. She's had several short fictions and creative non-fictions published in periodicals. Her fourth Chicken Soup story will be out in December 08, and a story in Cup of Comfort will be published early in 09. She has just finished an inspiratioal historical novel and is looking for a publisher.

A very special thank you to Mary Connealy for joining us this week. If you ever want a great read - pick up one of her books. I promise you will not be disappointed!!

We Have a Winner!

The winner of this week's Drawing Near to God is:

Carolyn Kenney!

Eva Marie Everson sent me the following e-mail:

Miriam and I visited Pix-N-Pens this morning. And we have chosen!!! The one we liked was "Sunset over the Sea of Galilee" though to be honest with you, we loved them all. We both have such a love for the Sea of G. so, that helped in our decision a bit. But we thought they were all well done! Good submissions!

Congratulations, Carolyn!

A very special thank you to Eva and Miriam for being our guests this week. We appreciate you, and pray God's blessings on you both, and on this GORGEOUS book!

Pixels - we have a new contest, and new guest judge coming up Monday, so come on back for your chance to win!

The Poetry Contest Winner is...

Entry #5 - Prayer and Time by Vicki Buchhold

Congratulations, Vicki!!

Our special guest judge, Laura Evans, sent the following e-mail:

Dear Poets:

First I’d like to say I was delighted with the overall quality of the poems submitted for this contest. There were poems which reminded me of the beat of German protestant hymns, poems which had a strong ending, but needed to build a stronger foundation, and simply lovely poems with impeccable rhythms which are quite publishable. However, one of the criteria used in the literary world where poems are made art, is that a poem must stand up to re-reading. Upon each reading something new must catch the reader’s attention: sometimes it will be a surprise ending, or a play on words, or a surprising word choice, or a striking metaphor.

In entry #5, the playing with words begins in the title: “Prayer and Time.” People are used to hearing the words: prayer time. Yet, “prayer and time” made me sit up and take notice. When I read the first three lines of this poem, I thought it was just describing energy and prayer. Upon re-reading I realized at the ending that the entire poem was an actual prayer of the poet. Nice surprise! The poet created a striking image in: “leaves light waves coughing up dust” which will stick with me for a long time. In the fourth to the last line, the poet maximizes the definition of the word “miss.” The line reads: “Time and forgetting, I miss it sometimes.” In the first reading, it seemed like the poet literally misses “time and forgetting.” In a second reading, it can appear as a play on words in that “forgetting” is a kind of “missing.” Upon a third reading it occurred to me what if the poet has made a transition into heaven and misses, or longs for, the earthly process of “time and forgetting?” Such perceptiveness and the poet’s willingness to take such risks far outweigh the slightly out-of-place tone of line 5: “The aimless meandering of a millisecond split.” The juxtaposition of “millisecond split” with “meandering”--which necessitates at least a little bit of time--far more than a “millisecond split” would supply, lends a comedic tone to this line. This is incongruent with the general tone of the poem. However, overall, this poem not only stood up to multiple readings, but gifted me with something new upon each reading. For these reasons entry #5 is the winner. Congratulations!


Tracy here: Thanks, Laura, for the great observations and comments. You've helped us all learn more about poetry. We appreciate your willingness to judge, and invite you to come back for another contest any time! Poets, be sure to check out Laura's awesome Web site!

Now, about our winner - Vicki Buchhold.

Vicki tells us: "I started writing poetry when I was six. I published several pieces and won a couple of awards a few years ago. Then I set it aside to write a novel. Yes, the novel is finished. No, I don't have a publisher. If fiction is the love of my life, then poetry must be my childhood sweetheart."

Vicki entered two poems into the contest - the winning Entry #5 Prayer and Time, and Entry #6 Too Much Religion.

After I post this announcement, I plan to add all the names to the entries, so all you Pixels can see who wrote what. I'll also enable comments again, so feel free to leave your comments about the poems.

I enjoyed this contest a great deal - hope all of you did too!

Later today, I'll be announcing another very different contest for all you fiction lovers, and it's going to be R~E~V~V~E~D up, so come on back to check it out!!

Winner of our Narnia Mania New World Contest

Our special guest judge, Cheryl Dunlop, sent the following e-mail this morning:

This was difficult! But entry #1, "The Strangers" by Richard Leonard is a creative, well-developed look at our world through another's eyes. It makes me want to read more--and to learn more about the visitor and his own world and culture.

Congratulations, Richard!

About our winner:

Richard C. Leonard earned the Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Boston University (1972) and has taught at the college and graduate level. He also served pastorates in New England and Illinois. Dr. Leonard was Scripture Editor for The Complete Library of Christian Worship (Hendrickson, 1993). He was the ghost writer of A Theological Miscellany by the fictitious T. J. McTavish (Thomas Nelson, 2005), and co-compiler of A Glimpse of Heaven (Simon & Schuster, 2007). His fiction writings include Silence of the Drums (Xulon, 2005) and Heart of the Highriders, co-written with his daughter Charity Silkebakken (Word Association, 2006). Richard Leonard's Rail Archive is popular with railroad fans. Dr. Leonard also publishes WestWard Quarterly, edited by his wife Shirley Anne. The Leonards live in northern Illinois and have 11 grown children and 25 grandchildren.

Thanks to everyone for your participation - we had some creative stories this week.

A very special thank you to Cheryl for being our guest judge. Be sure to check out her book: The Complete Idiot's Guide to The World of Narnia.

I'll see everyone back here Monday morning - a very unique prize and very unique guest judge. Be sure to tell all the poets you know - they'll be interested in this contest!

Happy weekend!

Winner of Hope for the Journey

Our special guest judge last week, Yvonne Ortega, chose Connie Stevens entry as the winner of the Family Experience with Cancer contest. She said, "The stories were gut-wrenching, and I wanted to give all of them a book."

Congratulations, Connie.

About our winner:

Connie lives in north Georgia with her husband and best friend of over 30 years, John. She and John are active in a variety of capacities in their home church. One cantankerous kitty, misnamed Sweet Pea, allows them to live in her home. (John calls her Crabby Tabby.) Some of Connie's favorite pastimes include reading, sewing, and gardening. She is particularly fond of her roses, hydrangeas, and azaleas. She also enjoys making quilts to send to the Cancer Treatment Center Of America. Since Connie will not have the opportunity to be a grandmother, she is grateful to her two sisters, Pam and Chris, for sharing their grandchildren with her.

Visit Connie on the Web. Some of her favorite links:

Cancer Treatment Centers Of America

Our Journey Of Hope

A special thank you to our guest judge this week. Yvonne is a bit under the weather, so if you would all keep her in your prayers, I'm sure she would appreciate it.

I inadvertently left off Yvonne's picture last week when I posted the contest announcement, so I'll post it here so everyone can put a name to a face. I'm sorry for the oversight - it was not intentional. I didn't catch it until this morning when her smiling face greeted me on my computer desktop - a post-it note had been covering her photo! (Maybe now that it's not, she'll start feeling better! :-) )

Learn more about Yvonne's books and her ministry on her Web site.

We Have a Winner!

Our guest judge this week, Virginia Smith, sent the following announcement by email:

Tracy, this was a wonderful contest. Thank you for taking part in the blog tour for Sincerely, Mayla. And congratulations to all the writers for the most creative bunch of contest entries and stories I’ve ever read! I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a contest so much. The way everyone tackled the challenge of spinning a tale that seamlessly wove those words together is an inspiration!

Selecting a winner from among these entertaining entries is nearly impossible. Karri Compton’s “In All Things” demonstrates a great lesson with compelling characters and situations. Jim Cook’s “Dolphin Link” gave me a fascinating glimpse into a future that is both scary and easy to imagine. In “A Time to Dance,” Maxine Thomas painted a poignant picture of a much-loved grandmother. I love the friendship depicted in Jessica Nelson’s “ Maui ”. Donald James Parker’s essay, “The Ego has Landed” really spoke to me—I’ve struggled with some of the same issues. The lady Mary describes in “My Trip to New York ” sounds like someone I’d like to meet. The story Debbie Roome created, “Time for a Change” drew me right in and made me want to live in that cottage, walk along that beach. Sally Chambers’ “River Reverie” is a beautiful story with a profound message. And Katie’s “Dear Diary” made me long to swim with the dolphins in the Bahamas .

But I have to select only one. It is a tough choice, and I’ve read several of the entries three or four times each. In the end, I kept coming back to “Dolphin Link” by Jim Cook. He successfully transported me into a future setting that was both fascinating and thought-provoking. That holographic monitor is an awesome gadget. To quote Will Smith in the movie Independence Day, “I got to get me one of them!” I loved the message – God is sovereign in ALL time periods.

Thanks to everyone for participating. I’m entering all of you into the drawing I’m conducting on May 19th. (For details, see Tracy ’s post below entitled “Attn Pixels: Shhhh! Another Way to Win!”) You’re an absolutely awesome bunch of writers. May God bless you as you pursue your writing endeavors.


Congratulations, Jim!

About our winner:

Jim Cook is 64-years-old. He has been married for 43 years, has one married daughter and two grandsons (Elijah and Jonah, of course!).

The son of a pioneer missionary to Utah and the Navajo Nation, Jim attended Moody Bible Institute, is active in his church, where he teaches Adult Sunday School and Bible Study from time to time. He also preaches occasionally and participates in services at the Rescue Mission of SaltLake.

Jim is an active member of the Utah Christian Writers Fellowship. He has a completed young adult novel seeking a publisher. You can read the first chapter online.

For more information, visit Jim's Web site.

Special thanks to Virginia Smith for judging this contest - I know your job was difficult choosing just one winner! Pixels - get a copy of Sincerely, Mayla - or any of Ginny's books - you'll soon have a favorite author to recommend to all your friends.

And special thanks to all participants - you are what makes Pix-N-Pens so special!

More contests and books coming up next week - and don't forget about the house essay contest! Get your entry in now - deadline for entry and fee is MAY 30th. You could win a HOUSE!

We have a winner...

Special Guest Judge Camy Tang sends the following email:

I pick number 6, because it makes me go, Why in the world is this person keeping someone's ashes on his kitchen table? If he loved her, wouldn't he have buried her? If he didn't, that promises an interesting story.

Congratulations, Debbie Roome. You are the winner of an autographed copy of Only Uni.

Great job to the other contestants - you made Camy's job difficult to choose this week! We appreciate your participation - may God bless your efforts and your writing.

Another contest announced momentarily, so stick around.

Thanks, Camy, for being our guest this week - you're always a blast!