We Have a Winner!

Yesterday I printed out and cut up all the entries for the cover contest. Then my grandson folded all the little strips up. I put them in a bowl, and he drew out one name. Ready? Drum-roll:
The winner is Felicia Straley!
Congratulations, Felicia! I will send you The Trouble with Treasure next February 2010, when it is released, along with a vial of real gold flakes.

Thanks, everyone, for playing along. I sent my publisher a summary of your feedback. As soon as Kregel decides on the cover (yes, they get the final decision), I'll post the cover here.

Again, I hope you had as much fun entering as I had reading your responses!

Book 5--Cover Contest!

The draft covers for Circle C Adventures Book 5- Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure are here. You can vote for you favorite cover by leaving a comment. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a random drawing to win a copy of the new book when it is released late next fall. The lucky winner will also receive a small vial of REAL gold flakes. Why gold flakes? Well, Andi's friend Cory gets hold of an old survey map of the mountains, which shows gold diggings. Together with Andi's older brother Mitch, Andi, her new friend Jenny, and Cory head for the hills. But instead of finding gold, they find a heap of trouble!

Take a look at the covers, and then read the "Rules" below to enter:





Cover #1 (map)





Cover #2 (horse)












~ Leave a comment with your "vote" and why you picked it, along with your E-MAIL address, so I can find you if you win.
~ Invite your friends to join the fun!
That's it! Have fun. Contest ends April 20th.

My Brother Chad

My big brother Chad has one ambition: to run the Circle C ranch. He loves horses and is the best horseman in the entire Valley. He's a year younger than Justin, but he's the one who's definitely in charge of the ranch (Justin likes to do his lawyer stuff more than rope cattle). Chad was really upset when Father died, because he looked up to him. He wanted to have many more years working alongside him before having to shoulder all the responsibility. Luckily, our long-time foreman, Sid McCoy, helped Chad through the transition from a son to being in charge.

Chad has black hair and blue eyes, and he's pretty tall--about six feet. He thinks he knows everything, and tries to tell me what to do all the time. That makes him bossy, and I don't like it at all. He's got himself a temper, and I've been on the receiving end of it more than once. I sometimes feel that I can't do anything right. He's got no patience for work sloppily done or not done at all, and a cowhand caught mistreating a horse is sent packing, along with a few scorching words from the "boss."

But Chad has his secret, kind side. Behind his quick tongue, he really does have a tender heart. After all, he went out of his way to give me Taffy, and he was mighty patient when we were raising her. I've seen him carry a newborn calf just as tenderly as a mother would hold her baby. And he is funny, too. He knows how to make me laugh when I'm feeling down.


All in all, I wouldn't trade him for any other brother. I know it's partly my fault for getting him riled up on occasion. I guess we're too much alike. I think he yells at me sometimes because he's just downright worried about me getting into another fix. I love him a lot!