Award-winning author
Unusual times, remarkable places

The "Standard of Ur" from ancient Mesopotamia

The "Standard of Ur" from ancient Mesopotamia

17 September 2008

Birthday blast contest


48th birthday: spent on evacuation from Hurricane Ivan

49th birthday: spent on evacuation from Hurricane Katrina

50th birthday: spent putting our house and lives back together after Hurricane Katrina

51st birthday: spent in an empty house in California, where we moved to get away from hurricanes

52nd birthday: furnished house! no hurricane! hurrah!

To celebrate the unusual event of having a normal birthday, I’m taking the day off to refill my well (for you non-writers, that means relaxing and reading) and to rejoice in the benefits of being 52: no need to look for Prince Charming (already found him), no angst over what to do with my life (write), and toughened up enough by life to withstand whatever the future brings.

Now for the contest: Just comment on today’s post by 11 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday, 20 September, and you’ll be entered. Two posters will be chosen at random to win a book of their choice (must be available at Amazon.com) by any author I’ve interviewed:


historical fiction author Mingmei Yip:
coming soon

historical romance writer Jade Lee:
coming soon

fiction writer Amy MacKinnon:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2008/09/interview-with-debut-author-amy.html

historical romance writer Lynna Banning:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2008/08/interview-with-historical-romance.html

mystery writer Ed Lynskey:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2008/07/interview-with-mystery-novelist-ed.html

mystery writer June Shaw:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2008/05/interview-with-first-time-mystery.html

fiction writer Carleen Brice:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2008/03/interview-with-debut-novelist-carleen.html

fiction writer Therese Fowler:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2008/02/interview-with-first-time-author.html

historical romance writer Jennifer Blake:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2008/01/interview-with-multi-award-winning.html

romance writer Hailey North:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2007/12/interview-with-best-selling-romance_12.html

historical mystery writer Laura Joh Rowland:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2007/12/interview-with-historical-mystery.html

humorist Christee Gabour Atwood:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2007/11/interview-with-humor-writer-christee.html

historical mystery writer Candice Proctor:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2007/11/interview-with-historic-mystery-writer.html

speculative fiction writer Charles Gramlich:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2007/05/interview-with-speculative-fiction.html

romance writer Farrah Rochon:
http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/2007/05/interview-with-debut-author-farrah.html

Want to win a book? Ask a question. Answer a question. Tell me what you think about getting older. Tell me why you like (or dislike) your current age. Even type your name. Any comment will enter you in the contest.

And now, please excuse me while I retire to my reading nook with a cup of tea and a book.

21 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

In some ways I'm glad to be older. Nice to not worry so much about teenage angst and all that emotional stuff that used to keep me wound up tight. On the other hand, I don't like the steady accumulation of aches and pains that seem to have come my way in the last few years.

WordVixen said...

Happy birthday! It's funny- ever since I got married, I've noticed a huge increase in productivity. Like, now that there's no interest in finding someone, all that brain space is freed up. :) Not so much an age issue as it is a phase of life issue.

28? Very annoying. Too old to be young and wild, too young to be taken seriously. Since I can't go back, I'm looking forward to 30. :)

Yogamum said...

Happy birthday! Normal is good -- so is being in a good, "settled" phase of life!

Carleen Brice said...

Happy Birthday and what a wonderful contest! You're a class act, Shauna!!

This is the 1st year I've really begun to feel my age, but I still can't say I don't like getting older. It just whips the hell out of the alternative.

Travis Erwin said...

Happy birthday and congrats on actually getting to celebrate it.

Steve Malley said...

Happy Birthday, Shauna!

I'm off to listen to the Wireless and tell young people stories about the days when beer was served in a bucket.

Michele said...

Happy Birthday!!! Here's to refilling the well! (And many, many, many more!)

Glad to have you out here in California... :-)

Rae Ann Parker said...

Happy Birthday Shauna! I hope you are having a wonderful, relaxing day.

Lisa said...

A very Happy Birthday to you! I turned 47 in July and life just gets better all the time. Since I still feel somewhere around 30 in my head, my body continues to surprise and amuse me with evidence to the contrary. Some days I feel like I'm in one of those body swapping Disney movies. Now let me go find those new drugstore reading glasses I just bought so I can curl up with a good book ;)

steve on the slow train said...

I'll turn 57 on November 30 and will once again get to be reminded that Mark Twain, Jonathan Swift, Winston Churchill, Sir Philip Sidney, L.M Montgomery--the list goes on--were all Nov. 30 babies. While I'll never join their ranks (execpt as one who shares their birthday), at least I'm still writing.

All the best on your 52nd.

Shauna Roberts said...

CHARLES, yes, isn't it amazing what one considered a big deal as a teenager?

WORD VIXEN, I found 28 a very annoying age, too, for the same reason of not being taken seriously. It didn't help that I looked a lot younger than 28, either.

YOGAMUM, CARLEEN, TRAVIS, STEVE M., MICHELE, RAE ANN, LISA,, and STEVE, thanks for the birthday wishes. I had a wonderful, relaxing birthday.

STEVE M., don't forget to tell the part about walking five miles to school in the snow uphill in both directions.

57-year-old STEVE, everyone leaves a mark in their own way. With your writing, you can touch people who never will read the "antique guys" and will think you're the greatest. Hope your 57th year is productive and fulfilling.

Lana Gramlich said...

Happy birthday! (Please discount me from the contest, as I'm already wayyy behind in reading & doubt I'll even catch up any time soon. Just too much art stuff going on these days!)

Shauna Roberts said...

Thanks, LANA! Glad to hear you are finding lots of time to spend on your art.

Beth Yarnall said...

Holy cow! I NEVER would have guessed your age. It must be all that good hurricane air. Hope you have a great day!

WordVixen said...

Congratulations, Shauna! On your birthday, and on winning a book. :)

http://questtowrite.blogspot.com/2008/09/winner-of-goddess-for-hire.html

If you email your mailing address, I'll send the book out Saturday.

(And I get you on the looking younger- I used to look older, but since I married a man 12 years older than me, I look even younger by comparison.)

Farrah Rochon said...

Happy belated birthday, Shauan! I saw it on my fabulous calendar before packing it, and still forgot to send you birthday greetings.

Many of my friends told me I'd love turning 30, but I didn't believe them, being such a kid a heart. I've discovered at 31 that I can still be a kid, but I no longer care about what others think or say about me. :)

The one thing I dislike is that any weight I put on seems to go straight to my stomach.

Shauna Roberts said...

Thanks, BETH! At least all that humidity in Louisiana is good for something.

Double thanks, WORDVIXEN! And I hope looking younger wasn't the reason you married your husband. ;-)

FARRAH, if you think that pounds-on-the-stomach is bad after 30, just wait 15 years! I'm glad you're enjoying your thirties.

Sidney said...

Glad you didn't have to deal with another hurricane. They just keep building them bigger and stronger it seems.

Shauna Roberts said...

That's for sure, SIDNEY! I never thought I'd see the day when my family in Ohio would be hit by a hurricane.

Shauna Roberts said...

Congratulations, CONTEST WINNERS!

The winners of my birthday blast contest are MICHELLE CWIERTY and RAE ANN PARKER. Congratulations!

Choose any book (not just the featured book) available at Amazon.com by any of the authors I've posted interviews with or will post one with soon (see list), and I'll get it out to you this week.

Shauna said...

Shauna.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Belated of course, but I am so glad to hear that you had a wonderful one sweetie!

I am getting this page connected correctly on my page.

Gentle Hugs,

Shauna