Or How I came to devise what appears to be one of the toughest mystery quizzes on earth in an apparently misguided effort to promote my latest and greatest novel.
Okay, it's not quite THAT bad, but it is surprising that out of 67 contest entries only three people managed to get a perfect score on Contest #1. Let me just say here and now that it wasn't much of a drawing!
So we are now on Contest #2.
I don't think the questions are quite as difficult this time, but then I didn't think the questions were that difficult last week! I mean, I knew they were challenging, and I'll be the first to admit that it's not like I know all this stuff off the top of my head. This is not a quiz that most people--even most mystery fans--could pass without doing some...detective work. That's the whole idea! But almost every single answer is to be found on the web.
Most people missed the first question right off the bat.
Who among the following does NOT qualify as a spinster sleuth?
A – Maud Silver
B – Emily Pollifax
C- Jane Marple
D – Hildegard Withers
Nearly everyone thought Hildegard Withers was the non-spinster sleuth, but Withers is most definitely a spinster sleuth. She's the creation of Stuart Palmer (who also created John J. Malone). She is, in fact, one of THE quintessential snoopy, middleaged spinster busybodies (American to boot, which makes a change). I think I even refer to her in VERSE OF THE VAMPYRE (but maybe it's SONNET OF THE SPHINX).
No, the non-spinster sleuth is Emily Pollifax. She's a widow. Half her books have the name "Mrs. Pollifax" in the title.
See, it's THAT kind of a contest. Not super easy, but not certainly impossible. I tried to make sure it wasn't boring, that's all. I thought it was a good thing!
So anyway, I only had three people successfully complete the quiz, and I felt so bad that I drew two of their names for prizes. The winners are:
Shelley McKibbon & Gwendolyn Gwin
I sent congratulatory emails off to both of them. Shelley, of course, I know from Wicked Company She's got a really amusing blog over at...I think it's Live Journal, but I'm not sure.
Anyway, now we're off again with Contest #2 and another ARC of SONNET OF THE SPHINX to give away, not to mention a very kooky little mummy case with letter opener. I'm hoping that this week enough people will get the questions right so that we can have a REAL drawing next Saturday.
We still have about 19 weeks of contests to go! And so far the odds are definitely in YOUR favor.
6 comments:
I thought it was a fun contest! There was definitely one question I wasn't sure about, no matter how hard I tried to find the answer. I managed to narrow it down to two possible answers and then just had to guess between them. :)
I nearly got the first question wrong myself, just because I didn't know who Hildegard Withers was. And then I thought, "Wait... Mrs Pollifax!" and felt mighty stupid. Hurray for having to look up all the answers--that made me slow down and think!
I'm just sad that I don't get a sarcophagus. Stupid postal regulations that prohibit sending daggers acros the border! ;)
Shelley
Great quiz...even tho I did get tripped up on the spinster question and boy do I feel foolish!
Really got me working and searching!
I thought it was so terrific that you all took part! And NOBODY should feel foolish for missing my fiendishly clever questions!
Shelley, are you going to Bloody Words? Mr. Thrilling was saying he'd transport a mummy case over the border for you--of course that probably means that I'll celebrating next year's wedding anniversary by baking a cake with a file in it.
I'm afraid I hadn't planned to go to Bloody Words--I've got to start going to conferences but I had better pay my horse trainer first. So please tell Mr Thrilling not to risk it.
Of course, if it was legal to ship the sarcophagus without the dagger, that would be lovely because I am nervous about daggers. But really, the ARC and the knowledge I'm not quite as stupid as I thought I was are prize enough. :)
Well, Shelley, that's not a bad idea! I think I just might be able to swing a dagger-less mummy case for you.
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