At Last – A Mystery Photo Game

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 45 Comments

“The less you reveal, the more people can wonder.” ~Emma Watson

A few years ago, maybe when I published my first Hidden Spring mystery, Murder at the Courthouse, I decided to celebrate writing a mystery by having a mystery photo game. You all enjoyed it so much (and I had fun too) that I’ve done a new Mystery Photo Game every time I’ve released a new book and sometimes other times too.

I did have a new book come out the first of May, When the Meadow Blooms. Some of you have already grabbed it up and given it a read. Thank you! Some of you have been great and posted reviews. You have no idea how much I appreciate that, so I’ll tell you. I really, really, really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts on the story. I could go on with the reallys but my editor tells me I shouldn’t be redundant. 🙂

Anyway, I hit my deadline and finished next year’s book. I’ve had my first booksigning for When the Meadow Blooms. I sent out my new book newsletter and gave away some books there and here too. It’s fun to give away books. I’ve been doing my best to keep the post office in business. I like getting mail if it isn’t bills. I like getting emails too and love your comments here, but there’s something extra nice about getting a card or letter in the mail every once in a while. That’s what these posts are to you. A letter, but I don’t have enough stamps to actually mail all these “letters” out to you. So electronic it is.

On to the game. For those who haven’t played before, it’s easy. You look at my mystery picture and leave a comment here on the post of what you think it is. I’ll publish the rest of the picture on Wednesday night along with a new mystery picture for you to guess. Each time you guess on a new picture (or tell me what you know it is!), you get a new entry in a giveaway of guess what? Books, of course. Winners (three of them) will get their choice of an autographed copy of one of my books. The giveaway is open to all interested guessers over the age of 18. You need to be at least that old to enter, but feel free to ask your kids for advice on what you should guess. Oh, and if you can’t think of anything to guess and “I don’t know” will get you an entry too. We’ll play the game until the end of the month which means I’ll have to come up with five mystery photos. Five! Yikes! I hope I’ll be able to come up with that many. I would love to bumfuzzle you on one of them, at least. Deadline for entries is midnight EST on May 31, 2022.

Here is one of the pictures from last time we played. I think two or three of you got this one right. One of the right guessers had a mechanic husband. But it’s a closeup of the headlight of my Jeep. I’ll be honest. I would have never figured that out.

I have a feeling you all will get this first mystery photo, but I tried it out on my son. He said he had no idea, but he’s a busy guy. He probably didn’t give it much thought. My kids and grandkids do sometimes get into this game and send me pictures they think I can use for this mystery game.

So now it’s your turn.

What is the picture up top? 

I look forward to your answers and I hope you don’t all  get it right.

When the Meadow Blooms release news:

If you like podcasts, I’ve had fun doing a few. The latest is for Historical Bookworms. KyLee and Darcy were great interviewers and while I haven’t listened to the podcast yet, (I might get up the nerve to listen to myself talk someday), I think you’ll enjoy them.  Here’s the link if you want to listen and tell me if I did okay. 🙂

Comments 45

  1. I’m slow getting into the mystery photo game, but I’d love a chance to win one of your books! I loved These Healing Hills! If I was lucky enough to win a book I’d pick, Along the Storied Trails! Thanks for entering me.

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  2. Picture of morning dew on leaf… Almost looks hard kinda like bamboo… Also lol looks like a carrot or leek

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      Fun that you came by to guess on my mystery photo number 1, Susan. If you look at the next post, you’ll see the rest of the picture of the dandelion fluff with the heavy dew. But your guess still gets your name in my giveaway hat to have a chance to win a copy of one of my books.

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  4. I just read Murder at the Courthouse for the second time, and I enjoyed it as much as the first time. I ordered the follow up books from the library to read again as well. So good!!!!! 🙂

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      How fun, Marjorie. I’m hoping to do the narration for the audio versions this summer. I did the audio for Murder at the Courthouse last year but had to take a pause to write my new book. But I’m glad you enjoyed visiting Hidden Springs all over again.

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  6. Dew drops on a dandelion after the bloom has turned to seeds. Love your books. I’m one of your avid fans! And ready for another mystery series.

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      Avid fan is always a good thing for me to see, Maria. Thanks so much for reading my stories. Maybe I’ll get to write that other mystery book someday. Threaded a little mystery into my latest historical that might make it out next spring. We’ll see.

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    Author

    Love all the guesses, everyone. There are either a lot of you right or a lot of you wrong. I’m not saying which until Wednesday.

    I’m so glad you enjoy the mystery photo game. I’ll have to strain my brain to try to come up with four more pictures to try to trick you into seeing something it isn’t. I guess that’s what I’m trying to do.

    Can’t wait until I get to post the next piture and reveal this “mystery.”

    Thanks for playing. You are all entered in the book giveaway.

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  15. Dewdrops on a leaf. Thanks for the bookmarks and Scripture verses. I really appreciate all you sent me, Ann!

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