We Have A Winner...

September 6th, 2012...my nine month anniversary and the day I announce the winners of my latest blog contest.  Just to give everyone an update on where my stats are as of today:

1.  103,271 page views

2.  261 published blog posts

3.  read by people in 21 different countries

4.  281 followers that I can see and not sure how many might be lurking through email...lol...

5.  4319 comments made on my posts so far

No matter how you look at those stats, they are impressive.  And I'm humbled by the fact so many lovely people in this blogging world choose to come hang out with ME each day.  I'm thinking about making some small scheduling changes with the upcoming year but I will always strive to provide entertaining, informative, and inspirational posts for as long as I have someone interested in reading them!

Now to announce the winners of my blog contest...drum roll please....

Winner of prize pack number one is...MICHELLE WALLACE!  Michelle's prizes include the following:

1.  The Complete Idiot's Guide To Creative Writing

2.  The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing A Novel

3.  Scholastic Guides: Writing Stories

4.  Writer's Digest Handbook Of Magazine Article Writing

5.  The Way To Write For Children

Winner of prize pack number two is...ERIK THE GREAT!  Erik's prizes include the following:

1.  The Adventures Of Ook And Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen From The Future by Geeorge Beard and Harold Hutchins (creators of the Captain Underpants series)

2.  Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

3.  Trouble Twisters by Garth Nix and Sean Williams

4.   Flawed Dogs by Berkeley Breathed

The winners of my latest blog contest need to send me an email to donasdays (at) gmail (dot) com with their mailing address so I can get their prizes to them.  

Thanks to all who entered my contest and became new followers through the GUTGAA event.  I would not be the writer I am today without the love and support of the blog world and the writing community so I must say THANK YOU for all that you do to keep things special!

This & That

Now that GUTGAA is almost here, I've been blessed with a few more followers who might not know about the Blog Contest I have going on until September 6th.  You can read all about it here...http://donasdays.blogspot.com/2012/08/its-that-time-again.html,,,there's still time to give a shout-out for my blog and have a chance to win some great prizes!

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Inside every fat book is a thin book trying to get out. - Unknown

The long-lived books of tomorrow are concealed somewhere amongst the so-far unpublished MSS of today. - Philip Unwin

The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. - Mary Heaton Vorse

A story isn't about a moment in time, a story is about the moment in time. - W. D. Wetherell

I never want to see anyone, and I never want to go anywhere or do anything. I just want to write. - P. G. Wodehouse

I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done. - Stephen Wright

It is my contention that a really great novel is made with a knife and not a pen. A novelist must have the intestinal fortitude to cut out even the most brilliant passage so long as it doesn't advance the story. - Frank Yerby

Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up. - Jane Yolen

Movin' On Up...

As a child growing up in 70's, I got a chance to watch some shows with a pretty interesting twist on the lives of the sitcom characters.  Shows like Movin' On Up might not play so well to today's viewers, but back then it was amusing to see how one African American family adjusted to life in the fast, well-to-do lane of upper middle class society.

For myself,  I'm thinking of a different twist on the Movin' On Up theme...one which will expand my support system and give me a chance to continue to give back to this wonderful writing community.  I have had some more lovely people decide they would like to follow this post, and I am now only 39 people away from hitting my 300-follower mark.  While it amazes me to think these many people like my posts, it keeps me humble and focused on trying to provide the most inspiring, entertaining, fun posts that I can.

There is still time to join the fun of my latest blog contest (for details, hop over here... http://donasdays.blogspot.com/2012/08/its-that-time-again.html) where you can get your name added to the hat to win a bevy of books for either the writer or reader in you.  I will be drawing the winning names on Thursday, September 6th.  As I get closer and closer to that magic number I wonder if I will make it?  December 6th is still a few months away and maybe I will be blessed with being able to add a new badge to my blog wall...

It's That Time Again...

It's been a while since I've given away anything and I think it's time for another BLOG CONTEST!

Almost nine months ago I started this blogging journey, not knowing where it would lead me, and I have been amazed by all the new experiences and new friends I have made along the way.  I have worked hard to make this blog a place people can come to ...not just writers... and maybe find something which will resonate within themselves and lift their spirits, even if just for a moment.

So, as my way of saying thank you for all the love and support of the past nine months (and to maybe help my goal of trying to obtain 300 followers by my one year anniversary), I have two giveaways for you.

Here is how my blog contest will work...

1.  If you are not following my blog yet, please consider joining the fun to  earn one entry to the contest.

2.  If you mention my blog (www.donasdays.blogspot.com) and my website (www.donnalmartin.com) and link back to this post in some type of post of your own (blog, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc),  you will earn two more entries to the contest.

3.  If one of your friends becomes one of my blog followers and posts a comment HERE while mentioning your name, then they AND you will both receive an entry to the contest.

That's up to four chances to win the prizes of this contest.  There will be two prize packs given away and the winners' names will be announced on Thursday, September 6th...the nine month anniversary of my blog!

Bet you're wondering what the prizes will be, aren't you?  Well, I will be giving away TWO prize packs.  One for the writers out there and one for the readers...

PRIZE PACK ONE includes:

1.  The Complete Idiot's Guide To Creative Writing

2.  The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing A Novel

3.  Scholastic Guides: Writing Stories

4.  Writer's Digest Handbook Of Magazine Article Writing

5.  The Way To Write For Children

PRIZE PACK TWO includes:

1.  The Adventures Of Ook And Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen From The Future by Geeorge Beard and Harold Hutchins (creators of the Captain Underpants series)

2.  Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

3.  Trouble Twisters by Garth Nix and Sean Williams

4.   Flawed Dogs by Berkeley Breathed

There you have it...hopefully there is something in those prize packs to entice you to get the word out about this contest. Doesn't it just make you wonder what I will do in December for my next big milestone?