A New Mystery Photo Game
A new book out on store shelves surely means a new mystery photo game here on One Writer’s Journal. What better contest could I have for a new mystery? Yes, Murder Comes by Mail, is now out and reviews are beginning to show up. I do so appreciate each and every one of you who reads my books, first and foremost. And then some of you take is the reading experience one step farther and post reviews.
In this internet age, reviews carry some weight. Have you ever not bought something because you read a bad review or perhaps felt better about buying something because all the reviews are glowing? I have to admit that I have passed on some products because of negative reviews. However, these weren’t books. I think with books, the reading experience can be so different for different people that I wouldn’t nix a book because of a few bad reviews. Not if I read the blurb and thought it sounded good. What one reader might dislike, I or another reader might think was just right.
Also, some of those low reviews aren’t always a fair rating. I have a one star review on one of my books because the reader must have gotten one of those “won’t you review your purchase” e-mails and the reader shot back with one pitiful little star with the message that he or she had never even read the book. So, if I’m going to be dissuaded by seeing a bad review, I want to see exactly what the reader based the review on.
Besides that, I’ve read a few books that it seems everybody out there loved – except me. But that’s okay. That’s how reading tastes are. So far most of the readers have liked my new Hidden Springs mystery. It’s sort of a cozy suspense small town mystery. I worried that putting cozy and suspense in the same story might upset some readers, but so far no reviewer or reader has bashed me too badly about that.
And now for the mystery contest.
We’ll do the contests the same as always. You leave a comment here with your best guess of the mystery picture. Right or wrong, that guess gets you entered in the drawing. I’ll announce three winners on June 12 and the winners will get their choice of one of my books. The winner could even choose my new Hidden Springs mystery, Murder Comes by Mail. You can enter once on each mystery picture. So guess on this one and be ready to give a new mystery photo a guess on Sunday’s post. Each guess on a new mystery photo gets you a new entry in the drawing to up your chances of winning.
You must be 18 to enter and the contest is open to everyone. But even better than the prizes is the fun of playing the game. I will warn you that if this picture is too easy and all of you guess it right off, I’ll pull out my “No more Mr. Nice Guy” and try harder to trick you. LOL. I have totally tricked all of you only once or twice with a mystery photo and a few of what I thought were mysterious photos didn’t fool any of you.
So, ready, set, play. And as always, thanks for reading.
Comments 55
I think they look like gooseberries. My grandmother raised them near her garden when I was a little girl.
Author
Did she make gooseberry pies, Cathy? I’ve heard they’re good but take a lot of sugar. I think you can also make gooseberry jelly or jam. Sounds pretty good.
Just to be different, I’ll try a closeup of a green mulberry.
Author
I like different guesses, Gin. And there have been several for this mystery picture. So it will be fun to see who’s right, or if anyone is, on Sunday.
My guess is bees. They are born full grown. They pollinate fruit trees, flowers, etc.
Author
Great guess, Betty. Not saying it’s right, but it is a great guess. Interesting about bees being born full grown and ready to start their role in nature of pollinating everything. We need to be extra kind to bees right now. Beekeepers in our area are losing all their hives.
Hmmmm. Green cherries…looks like cherry stems. Must be cherries 🙂
Author
You could be right, Loretta. The rest of the picture will be revealed Sunday night. I’m already thinking about the next mystery. We’ll see how mysterious I was this time and how mysterious I can be next time. Thanks for playing my mystery photo game. You’re in the drawing.
Don’t look like grapes, too small. I’m going to say gooseberries, even though I’ve never seen them.
Author
It’s hard to guess something you’ve never really see, isn’t it, Karen? I have another mystery picture in waiting that I’m not sure I’ll use or not because I doubt if very many people have seen this. But it’s such a great mystery puzzle and sometimes I just have to bumfuzzle everybody, or at least try to. 🙂
I’m thinking along the lines of fruit. My first thought was hairy grapes, then I thought maybe a close-up of an unripe raspberry.
Author
Fun guess, Amy. At least it’s different from everybody else’s. We’ll see if any of you are right on Sunday. Right or wrong, you get an entry in the drawing and Sunday will have a chance to guess on a new photo.
oh goodness i am going to say huckleberry i guess due to i used to pick them all the time and i still can’t find the jam anywhere around here even at farmers market . Now that i said that they are individual so i am going to now say some type of cactus . Yes they are a cluster i am not sure but cactus is my final answer. I have been waiting for this contest so excited have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day we are going to hang home as the weather is going to be bad and also we don’t really leave home much.
Author
My mom and dad picked some huckleberries when they visited relatives out in Oregon years ago, Peggy. Mom brought some home and made some huckleberry wine. She was sort of playing with how to make little dabs of wine from different fruits then. Somebody even gave her a recipe for dandelion wine, but I don’t think she ever tried it. I did find that recipe the other day. Don’t plan to try it either. 🙂 Cactus is a really good guess. Not saying it’s right or wrong, but a really fun guess. Glad you enjoy my mystery picture contests. I have fun with them too. I’ll probably just work on Memorial Day or maybe go shopping for my June bug granddaughter’s birthday.
not for sure…so I’ll guess…Ribes uva-crispa
Author
I like the way you educated me on the scientific name of gooseberries, Mary. Made your guess stand out and made me have to go give Google some business. Thanks for guessing. You’re name is in the drawing. I’ll show the rest of the picture on Sunday and post a new mystery picture for a new guess.
Since my first thought was white grapes I know that’s not right ! You wouldn’t post a photo so easy . 😉
Author
You never can tell about me, Faye. Sometimes I’ve put up mystery photos that were no mystery at all to you all. So we shall see if I was mysterious enough this time or not.
At first I thought grapes, too, but then I realized that they are gooseberries! Thanks for the chance to win one of your books 🙂
Author
You sound really sure, Susan. I like a guesser who knows what she thinks. Guess we’ll see if all of you are right with these gooseberries on Sunday. Thanks for guessing and getting an entry in the drawing. A new mystery picture will be on the way Sunday. Already trying to think of something really, really hard. 🙂
My first thought was some kind of grapes. I had to google gooseberries to find out what they looked like, I don’t think we have any in our area. They really do look a lot like the gooseberries but I don’t want to take another person’s answer, so I am going to say, I just don’t know for sure, ha!
Author
You’re playing fair, Connie, wanting to figure out your own guess. My mom said they used to have gooseberries so they do grow around here. Or could. I don’t know is a fair answer and get you an entry in the drawing.
I’m guessing gooseberries…….wet from rainwater.
Author
Great guess, Marji. I like the added wet from rainwater. Not saying it’s right, but a fun guess. Sunday will be the big reveal.
I think they are Ground Cherries, and if they are they are so good
Author
I’d say I didn’t know what ground cherries are but then you’d know the mystery photo isn’t that, wouldn’t you, Lois? Thanks for stopping by with a guess.
Green grapes that have ice/snow on them.
Author
You’re siding with Margaret on those frozen grapes, Pat. I do like eating frozen grapes. Have you tried them? One year we did that in Bible School for the kids. We also dipped banana pieces in chocolate and froze them. Now that was good. Of course, none of that has the first thing to do with my mystery picture. It’s obvious the picture isn’t chocolate covered frozen bananas. LOL.
Looks like it may be a cluster of dates.
Author
Glad to have another fruit heard from, Linda. A cluster of dates. Thanks for your guess. Come back Sunday to see if you’re right.
Author
Hi, guys. Thanks for stopping by with your mystery photo guesses. Looks like we have two different opinions here. Deana and Margaret are going for grapes with Margaret freezing hers. Kathleen and Sunnie have gooseberries in mind. I like your guesses. I’m not saying they’re right or wrong, just that I like them. It could still be a mystery or the mystery could have been solved. That’s for you to decide, but hurry and get your guess in before Sunday when I’ll show the rest of the picture and come up with something else mysterious. 🙂
I say gooseberries
They look like frozen grapes to me!
gooseberries
Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
It looks like a bunch of grapes