~Wordsmithy Giveaway~

Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life by Douglas Wilson

Canon Press 2011

Mandatory Entry 

1. Leave a comment describing why you write and/or think writing is important. 

Additional Entries 

2. Follow the Erratic Muse.

3. Share the news on Facebook or your blog with a link back to The Erratic Muse. 

4. Share the single most important thing you've learned while writing.

5. Share the title of your favorite book on writing. 

Be sure to leave a comment for each individual entry!

This giveaway will end on May 29th.

My rough draft deadline of my current writing struggle.

See Wordsmithy review. 

This is a writing book for anyone who uses words and language. :-)

2012 Wordsmithy Conference

Moscow, Idaho

Why Christians must write and what they must write about.

A lecture from Doug Wilson

from the 2011 Wordsmithy.

The Anonymous Antagonist: Giveaway and other Fun Stuff

If you have not discovered The Anonymous Antagonist, the time has come.

Daniel is currently doing a series of interviews with young people interested in the arts. There are some very thought provoking questions.
Thinking through the answers is a good exercise...and trying to make the answers intelligible is an even better one. :-) I'm realizing more and more, that this is the best thing about blogging for me. Actually thinking through something enough to write it out in an understandable manner.

Consider my post for last week this interview.  Thank you, Daniel, for including me in this!

The Anonymous Antagonist is also having a very exciting giveaway which includes such awesomeness as Amazon giftcards, artwork, and books. Check it out. 

Historical Fiction Giveaway

Road from the West by Rosanne Lortz


This promises to be another amazing book. Enter Rosanne's giveaway to get a chance  to win a copy before the book releases!

Watch for Road from the West's release on September 2nd. I am excited!



I've never allowed myself to get lost in historical fiction...and I want to read more. How about you? What are some of your favorites?

Random Updates and House Cleaning

Giveaway

Even the Darkest Night by Zavalick Designs on Etsy was won by Cassie! Congratulations!

Thank you so much Zavalick Designs for hosting this awesome giveaway and thank you to all who entered. Cassie, email me so we can get this shipped out to you!

Contest

You all have until 4pm to send in your essays for the contest! Email me at pickwickian.forever(at)gmail(dot)com.

Last Week

-My younger sister graduated and my older brother got engaged! Crazy, awesome week.

-I have until June 10th to finish my book. Insanity!

-After June 12th, I will be taking a more relaxed view of blogging for a month while I have a blast at our Church camp and spend two weeks in Poland. Right now I'm struggling to keep posts interesting, timely, and lively. After I return full force in July, I want to give the Erratic Muse some rethinking and possible reorganizing.

-I'm terribly excited about Les Miserables week and I hope I can come up with some intelligent posts. With last week, I had no time to prepare and this morning I woke up at 3am with the flu...again. Unpleasant surprise.

-I'm currently trying to work on/help with some other blog projects including our farm blog and a blog with info about our Poland trip. I'll be posting more about that soon.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

24 Hours for your Entries!

Welcome Les Miserables Week! Link up on the event page and let the miserableness begin!

For you who are still trying to send your Les Miz essays in you are now beginning the 24 hr grace period. By 4pm tomorrow all entries will be closed.

To add to your motivation (or anticipation if you are one who has already submitted their entry) look at these following amazing prizes. It has been a pleasure to work with different artists, etsy shops, and others who have helped donate or give input to this event.

First prize will be Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert DVD!

Runner up prizes will include Les Miz themed jewelry, artwork, books, and posters.

If we more than 100 essays are submitted a recording of Les Miz will go to the second prize winner.

Picture coming soon!

Book of Les Miz themed photo art along with phrases from the lyrics.

"There is a flame that never dies."

Bracelet by Foxwise

"24601: Chains will never bind me"

Ring by Foxwise

Say it Sweet
has a beautiful collection of Les Miserables themed posters full of awesome Victor Hugo quotes. The winner will be able to choose their favorite quote as well as background, colors, etc.

Coming Soon!
Original Les Miz artwork!

Charm Necklace

by Rustic Charm

Charms could be worn together or alone. I think Rustic Charm did an awesome job combining different themes and phrases from Les Miz.

Thanks for reading! I am excited about the upcoming week.

Miss Pickwickian

Les Miserables Giveaway

Even the Darkest Night

by Zavalick Designs on Etsy

The deadline for your Les Miserables Essays is one week away! We have some amazing, wonderful prizes lined up including posters, books, jewelry, and original artwork. Enter away. :-)

To start the Les Miserables week hype, I'm hosting this giveaway! If you're planning on posting about Les Miz, please read about the event and link up here . Spread the word!

To Enter-

-Tell me about your favorite part, song, and/or phrase of Les Miz.

-Visit Zavalick Designs awesome shop and tell me what you like.

-Spread the word about Les Miz week on your blog, facebook, or other available means and link back to The Erratic Muse.

-Put the Les Miz sidebar button on your blog. (If you have already done this, I love you!)

<a href="http://theerraticmuse.blogspot.com/p/les-miserables-event.html"><img src="http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15/riversong14/LezMizsmall.jpg" /></a>

You can do one or all of the above, just make sure you tell me about it in separate comments.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Ring Giveaway Winner

Thank you so much Khalima for sponsoring this giveaway and for all of you who entered and gave encouraging or helpful comments.

If any of you still have any suggestions or opinions on improvements or posts for The Erratic Muse, please let me know. :-)

The winner is Edith F. Congratulations! Please contact me. :-)

Thank you, all you who participated.

Miss Pickwickian

Les Miserables Event, Contest, and Giveaway

<a href="http://theerraticmuse.blogspot.com/p/les-miserables-event.html"><img src="http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15/riversong14/lesMizLarge.jpg" /></a>
I am now officially ready to launch the Les Miserables project. :-)

I'm hoping this can be a fun event for us all. Please read more and link up if you're interested in participating by reading the event page.

The deadline for the essay contest is also the kickoff for Les Miserables week. Please submit your essays before May 23rd. There are going to be some truly amazing prizes (and they're not all girly, so guys, be motivated too).

I'll be hosting a Les Miserables giveaway to start the fun as soon as I get details figured out.

If you aren't familiar with Les Miz, you really should and it's not too late. Read this post for some ideas to get started.

Artwork for this amazing blog button was done by PolkaDot. Please appreciate her artistry by adorning your blog with it. :-)


<a href="http://theerraticmuse.blogspot.com/p/les-miserables-event.html"><img src="http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15/riversong14/LezMizsmall.jpg" /></a>
Post your link on the event page!
Let me know if you have any questions. I'm very excited about this. :-)
Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Ring Giveaway

Hand Crafted Hammered Copper Ring

This ring was very graciously donated for this giveaway by Khalima on Etsy. Please check out her shop! :-)

To Enter

Answer as many of these questions as you choose. Each one counts as an entry if it is posted in it's own comment. :-)

-What would you like to see more of on The Erratic Muse?

-Do you have any other ideas for ways to improve The Erratic Muse?

-How often do you read blogs per week?

-How many posts do you like to read every week?

Giveaway ends May 7th.

Thanks for entering,

Miss Pickwickian

Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations Ashley!

You can contact me at pickwickian.forever(at)gmail(dot)com

Thank you all who participated and spread the word.

Special thanks to Bookish Charm. You are amazing!

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Les Miserables Event!

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Les Miserables Musical, I will be hosting a week long event April 13th-22nd.

Before the event begins, there is an open essay contest for all those interested.

First prize will be the 25th Anniversary DVD and runner ups will be include amazing Les Miz themed jewelry, journals, and posters.

The first person to submit their essay receives a reward. ;-)

Read the details for the contest.

<a href="http://theerraticmuse.blogspot.com/p/les-miserables-event.html"><img src="http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15/riversong14/lesmiserablesbutton1.jpg" /></a>

Please help by spreading the word!

If you are not familiar with the musical, I strongly encourage you to do so. You do not have to be an expert to participate.

If you are completely lost in the story, watch one of the videos before you only listen to a recording.

And, of course, there are plenty of us eager to answer questions. ;-)

(Colm Wilkinson shows them how it's done.)

I look forward to doing this with all of you.

Thanks for reading,

Miss Pickwickian

~Inkwell Necklace and Gift Card Giveaway~

Inkwell necklace and $15 gift card to Bookish Charm.

1. Visit Bookish Charm and comment about your favorite item.

2. Follow The Erratic Muse

3. Like The Erratic Muse on Facebook.

4. Blog and/or Facebook about this giveaway.

And for fun...

5. Answer one or all of these questions-- How do you get inspired? How often do you write? What's your average word count?

Bookish Charm, you are an amazing shop (see "Write" necklace). Thank you so much for sponsoring this giveaway!

Thanks for entering,
Miss Pickwickian

Shakespeare Giveaway Winners!

Thank you everyone who entered and participated in the Shakespeare week! I had a lot of fun and I hope you did too. :-)

I was a little busier then expected and didn't get all the posts I wanted to done...so I'm sure you'll be seeing more Shakespeare on the Erratic Muse.

Here are the giveaway winners! Please contact me so we can get your correct mailing information. Congratulations!

Romeo and Juliet

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Scrabble Tile Pendent

Donated by Paisley Monday

Won by FarmGirl

The Tempest

"Miranda" by Waterhouse

Silver necklace.

Donated by Pretty Shiny Things

Won by Elisa

As You Like It

"All the World's a Stage"

Bottle Cap

Donated by Ellacuz

Won by Miss Raquel

Leather Ophelia Bookmark

Donated by Immortal Longings
Fine Shakespeare Gifts and Illustrations

Won by Odd Fish

Shakespeare Himself

Donated by Funky Goods by Mad World Productions

Won by His Handmaiden

Comedy and Tragedy Mask Necklace

Donated by Kooky Kangaroo

Won by Polka Dot

Hamlet

Ophelia by Waterhouse

Glass Pendent

Donated by BELLSPEAL

Won by Elizabeth

Leather Tempest Bookmark

Donated by Immortal Longings

Won by Laura

You can email me at pickwickian.forever(at)gmail(dot)com. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks so much for participating.

And thank you so much to all the amazing shops that donated to this giveaway! I really appreciate it!

Does anyone else have an event or themed giveaway that would interest them? Give me ideas. :-)

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Multiple Prize Shakespeare Giveaway

A huge thank you to the sponsoring Esty shops on this giveaway! You are all wonderful and unique.

There is a rather wide variety of styles in this giveaway, so feel free to comment on what you like best. Eight random winners will be selected, but if you let me know what you're hoping for I might be able to match you up with your favorite item. ;-)

Romeo and Juliet

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Scrabble Tile Pendent

Donated by Paisley Monday

If you are a Bronte, Austen, or cupcake fan, you will love this shop!

The Tempest

"Miranda" by Waterhouse

Silver necklace.

Donated by Pretty Shiny Things

Beautiful artwork on boxes and necklaces. Love the shop name. :-)

As You Like It

"All the World's a Stage"

Bottle Cap

Donated by Ellacuz

If you are very creative and love to recycle you will love this shop. :-)

Leather Ophelia Bookmark

Donated by Immortal Longings
Fine Shakespeare Gifts and Illustrations

Shakespeare Himself

Donated by Funky Goods by Mad World Productions

Comedy and Tragedy Mask Necklace

Donated by Kooky Kangaroo

Hamlet

Ophelia by Waterhouse

Glass Pendent

Donated by BELLSPEAL

BELLSPEAL uses gorgeous art and has some amazing stuff. This necklace came all the way from Spain. :-)

Leather Tempest Bookmark

Donated by Immortal Longings
Fine Shakespeare Gifts and Illustrations

Entries

1. Visit up to two of the sponsoring Etsy shops and post what you like best here at the Erratic Muse. (Each shop counts as one entry if posted separately.)

2. Post about this giveaway on your blog.

3. Post my giveaway button on your sidebar.

4. Comment and tell me one of your favorite lines or characters from Shakespeare and why.

5. Write a Shakespeare themed post and link back to me. (Linked to here.)

<a href="http://theerraticmuse.blogspot.com/2011/02/shakespeare-giveaway.html"><img src="http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15/riversong14/ShakespeareGiveaway.jpg" /></a>

This button ended up a bit small, but that means it should fit comfortably on all your sidebars! :-)

Thanks so much,

Miss Pickwickian

Various Shakespeareish Things

#1. I have this matchbook from Hesed Books and Gifts that I love.

I keep it in my purse and scribble the inspiration of the moment in it. Every wannabe writer should have something in their purse they can do this on. This is so compact it would even fit in a wallet.

(Writing on the back of receipts is not a good long term plan. You'll loose it. Trust me. I know.)

Product Description:

• Cover made from 100% recycled content matte cardstock • Measures approximately 2″ wide by 3″ high • Includes 10 pages • Inside pages measure approximately 1.75″ wide by 2.75″ high • Eyelet can be used to attach gift tags, ribbon, or lanyard to outside

And their less than a dollar. :-)

I'll be doing two journal giveaways from Hesed Books and Gifts later on that are paired with gift-certificates. Meanwhile, you should go look at their amazing store!

#2. I've been reading and watching a lot of Shakespeare recently.

This morning I told Mama, "Your Hamlet was really good...uh...I mean omelet." :-P

#3. I've grown up around Shakespeare, but I'm no expert and I want to be better acquainted.

#4. I'm going to have a whole week that is dedicated to Shakespearean things on The Erratic Muse.

This will include the following-

A multiple prize giveaway.

Posts on various Shakespeare plays.

Reviews on movie adaptations of Shakespeare's plays.

Reviews on books on Shakespeare.

Possible squibs on the theater, the time period, and various related issues.

Cooperation with other blogs to make this a bigger event.

Starting date is scheduled for February 28th. If you'd like to join in and link up email me or comment and let me email you. You don't need to post all week long about Shakespeare, just review a movie or talk about your favorite play for a day. This could be a wonderful group event.

I'll be posting more details.

Thanks for reading,

Miss Pickwickian

Journal Giveaway Winner!

Sorry for the delay. Life has been crazy...and good. But you can hear more about that later.

For now, we have a giveaway winner!

Random.org picked number 14 today. How appropriate. :-)

Congratulations

Miss Raquel

Thank you everyone who entered or helped spread the word. I have some more amazing giveaways lined up, but for now--visit my sister's giveaway at Life's too Short not to Wear Red Shoes

Thank you everyone. Special thanks to Design and Create for sponsoring this giveaway!

Miss Pickwickian

Journal Giveaway

Design and Create donated this beautiful journal for a giveaway.

Journal Description:

FAITH
Journal, Diary, or Notebook

Notebook has been painted, on both back and front cover. As well as the insides of each cover. Hand stamp embossed gold. Has a grunge, worn and weathered feel to it. Then sealed to provide durability.

It is 4 inches wide x 6 inches long x less than 1/2 inch thick. Inside sheets are 3.5 x 5.75. 16 lines per sheet. Approx. 100 sheets of paper.

For those of you who like to feel things, this journal is for you. :-)

How to Enter

Comment with at least one of the following. Each entry must be in a unique comment.

-Check out Design and Create shop and come back and comment on what you like best.

-Be a follower of The Erratic Muse

-Post about it on your blog and comment with the link.

This giveaway will end February 12th.

Thanks for entering,

Miss Pickwickian

Amazing Giveaway Winner!

Thank you so much everyone who entered the giveaway and spread the word.

And, of course, thank you so much Zbet Designs for sponsoring this giveaway!

If you haven't checked out her stuff, you really should. It's totally amazing!

I wish you could all win, but only one of you did. :-) Sorry about that.

Congratulations

Rebekah Unger

I'll be posting a new giveaway this week, so all of you who didn't win have a chance at something else awesome. :-)

Thanks for entering all of you!

Miss Pickwickian

Amazing Giveaway :-)

A very big thank you to Zbet who custom made this beautiful necklace!

It is proper for the Christian to use symbols and reminders in daily life. (Many of the commands given to the Law are representations and reminders of something greater.)

This necklace is made of three "symbols"--

The cross was a sign of suffering and shame and it has been turned into a sign of hope and triumph-- the burial marker of Death.

The cross is a reminder of Jesus love, suffering, death, and resurrection.

We were dead sinners but Christ took those sins upon Himself and we are now alive in His resurrection. Although we will die, it is in that turning page that Death proves it's powerlessness. It can not hold those claimed by the Living God.

It is also a reminder of the words of Christ-

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Matthew 16:24

That cross is real, but we know that it is conquered. May we carry it joyfully and may these words be true of us--

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Galatians 6:14

The Pearl is used as a symbol of the Church of Christ. It is a sign of value, purity, unity, and growth.

It is created through suffering. An impurity enters the oyster side and the oyster uses itself to create the pearl. The pearl, at first something useless and impure becomes something beautiful reflecting the beauty of the inside of the oyster's shell. Read this review...

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

Matthew 13:45-46

The pearl is a reminder of the beauty and glory, that someday will be fully true, of the unified Church through Christ.

It is also a common sign of purity and holiness.

The oval stamped with "Hold Fast" is a reminder of our only purpose and goal. To hold fast to our faith. To press on toward the goal of the upward call in Christ Jesus.

You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.

Deuteronomy 13:4

He taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth."
Proverbs 4:4-5

To Paul, "holding fast" is a pretty intense action--

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:9-12

Necklace Description:
High quality oval charm hand stamped with "Hold Fast", complimented by a double sided cross, and wire wrapped, fresh water pearl on a 16" sterling silver chain.

This amazing piece was custom made for this giveaway!

Zbet uses high quality materials, beautiful designs, and an eye for carefully crafted artistry. Besides already-made creations, this shop hand stamps and custom makes art and jewelry especially for you!

I am certainly going to be commissioning some work here. :-) It's going to be difficult to part with this necklace.

Zbet has been wonderful to work with and has very graciously sponsored this giveaway.

You must check out the shop! It is so cool!

How to Enter

1. Visit Zbet's Designs.
Discover how amazing it is and come back and let me know what you like best.

2. Follow me.

3. Post about it on your blog (or facebook or both).

4. Put my giveaway button on your sidebar.

You must comment once for every entry. Giveaway ends January 30th.

Note: Sorry for previous link that didn't work. This one does! :-)

<a href="http://theerraticmuse.blogspot.com/2011/01/high-quality-oval-charm-hand-stamped.html"><img src="http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15/riversong14/TheErraticMuseGiveaway.jpg" /></a>

Thank you for entering!Miss Pickwickian