Awhile back I went out in search of crime writers' favorite mugs. I thought it would be a great topic for a winter blog post, only we didn't really get much of a winter, did we? I'm not complaining, maybe I'll ask every year from now on.
Anyway, I thought it would make for a fun contest. And since I had some fun mugs made up for the blog, I have the perfect prizes for this contest. So here's how this will work. Each picture is labeled with a number and a brief explanation from the author about his/her mug. I'm going to give you a list of the authors that participated PLUS one who didn't just to make it more fun. You fill in the form at the end with your guesses of who belongs to what mug. One entry per person, so take your time and figure who you think belongs to each mug. I'm going out of town until March 5th, so you have through that Monday to submit your answers.
I have three prizes to give away, so the three people with the most correct answers win! If there's more than three, we'll draw from the pool of great guessers. O.k. here are the authors you can choose from:
1. Duane Swierczynski
2. Rosemary Harris
3. Chris Grabenstein
4. Alafair Burke
5. Brad Parks
6. Craig Johnson
7. Kelli Stanley
8. Carla Buckley
9. Meredith Cole
10. Bill Cameron
11. Gabriella Herkert
12. Tom Schreck
13. Christa Faust
And here are the mugs and their short explanations (I've edited a few so you cannot determine the author's gender by their explanation):
1. This first mug was appropriate because the author sent me a picture late. This author said, "Hey! Deadlines DO amuse me."
2. Next author has TWO entries. Here's why: "I was strictly a Diet-Coke-in-the-morning [person] until my [significant other] lobbied me to kick the habit. I still need my caffeine, though, and I don't like hot drinks, so now I have an iced coffee ritual. I fill up my huge Top Chef mug, pour the coffee over ice in my handy dandy iced coffee cup, and then I'm out the door with my cold caffeine."
3. This one may be easy peasy for some of you who read the blog often."It's my favorite mug because it says Schlitz, I like the irreverence of drinking out of Schlitz mug during my day job but mostly because it was a gift from my bud Jon Jordan."
4. "My favorite mug changes season to season, but for now, it's my Wordstock mug. Wordstock is an annual literary festival, a marvelous chance to see a wide variety of authors. This year is the first time I picked up swag, and I love it. The mug is nice and heavy, perfect for coffee or cocoa. At home, my drink of choice: coffee with cream. Or, after a hard day, coffee with a splash of bourbon. Mmmmmm."
5. "I don't drink coffee, but I do have a favorite beer mug. I stole it from my favorite bar, McGlinchey's, back in 1993. Since then I've used it to hold pens, markers, scissors, X-acto knives and other stabby things." Yessiree, a real crime writer here! :-)
6. "My favorite mug is my [significant other's] but that's not what you meant, is it? This is a close second. I like that it says Believe in Yourself and I love that the words are crooked! I bought it at a TJ Maxx so it's probably considered damaged or irregular - but perfect is so boring. There's also a star at the bottom of the cup as if I deserve a star for finishing my tea. And my brew of choice (for this vessel anyway) is Constant Comment tea with a little honey. Yum."
7. "My favorite mug is the first thing I reach for in the morning. I drink strong, black coffee and lots of it. My children have learned not to attempt talking to me until I'm on my second cup.
I found my favorite mug at the Smithsonian gift shop in Washington DC. I didn't know it was going to be my favorite mug. I just loved the cheerful pattern, but it turned out to be the perfect sipping and handling size. When a friend saw how much I loved it, she got me five more, so now I have a total of six. My six mugs have seen me through twenty years of marriage, three children, and two dogs, but they've learned to keep quiet about what they've witnessed. It's proven to be the perfect relationship."
8." This is my Quatermass 2 (AKA Enemy from Space) mug, a gift from...Martyn Waites, one of the few people in Crime
Fiction nerdy enough to love this movie as much as I do. It's full of
strong coffee, "regular" as we New Yorkers like to say, meaning milk and
sugar."
9. "One of the best book gatherings in the universe is the Mystery Lovers Bookshop Festival of Mystery, held each May in Oakmont, Pa. Organized by Richard and Mary Alice Gorman, the owners of Mystery Lovers Bookshop, it's a great time and a marvelous event -- well-run, well-publicized and well-attended. Mystery fans literally line up around the block to get inside. Afterward, all the authors crowd back into the store, drink beer and eat pizza. Any mug that reminds me of books, beer and pizza -- three of my favorite things -- has to be my favorite mug.
"As for what's inside it? Never coffee. I'm a tea drinker. I believe I was drinking Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Spice when this picture was snapped."
10. "In the morning, coffee. Always coffee. I switch to tea in the afternoon.
This
mug was given to me by the Library of Rutherford book group, who
invited me to come and speak to them. We had a lively discussion about [my book]. The mug reminds me of all the lovely and generous
readers out there, and the terrific people I've met on the road."
The last two came sans explanation. One is super easy and the other you may have some challenges with - so it's a trade-off.
11.
12.
If y'all don't get #12, I'm giving you a reading assignment for homework! ;-) O.k. now you get to enter your guesses. Just complete the form below and you are entered. And I'm going to break my piggy bank if I need to for postage, and allow this contest to be open to anyone. Remember, deadline is March 5th. Then the owners of these mugs will have their mugs unveiled.
