A contest (in which I celebrate a win)

Hi folks,

In the spirit of supporting indie bookstores – and celebrating my recent Muse Medaillion win – I'm offering a contest. Buy any one of my books at an indie bookstore* between now and Dec. 15, and you will be entered to win a CD audiobook of Dogs Don't Lie. Runner-up prizes will include a signed Shades of Grey cover flat, and various other miscellany. Win and I will personalize your prize (to you or to anyone you choose) and make sure you get it before Christmas and/or the end of Chanukah! (I'll try for Kwanzaa, too, but I'll have to look up when that is this year.)

How can you let me know you've bought one of my books at an indie bookstore? Well, if you order one of my books from Harvard Book Store or Porter Square Books, you can email me – and I'll go down to the store and personalize your book before they send it off to you (you have to do this by phone and let them know that I'll be in to sign the book before they ship it!). If you buy from any one of a hundred other fine indies, like Mystery Lovers Bookstore, Brookline Booksmith, Booked for Murder, or M is for Mystery, please either email me the order confirmation or a copy of the receipt – and you're in! Want to find an indie close to you? Click on the link on my home page, plug in your zip code, and you'll see some brick-and-mortar options.

Do your bit to support those little corner bookstores we all know and love, and get some of your gift shopping done, too. Maybe treat yourself... after all, what are the holidays for?

All best – and GOOD LUCK!
Clea

"Probable Claws" ARC WINNERS!!

Drumroll, please....

The winners of advance, uncorrected reading copies of my April mystery, "Probable Claws," are Gina Teh, Krista Schnee, and Debbie Bogenschutz! My good friend and fellow author Vicki Croke ("The Lady and the Panda," among other books) drew three names at random for me. These three advance readers will be getting their copies soon. Everyone else will have to wait till April ... but thank you for playing!

(Note to the winners: This pretty cover is NOT on the advance edition yet. Sorry!)

PROBABLE CLAWS contest!

Probable Claws is coming out this spring! I've got a great cover and the book is now available for pre-ordering on Amazon, BN.com, and through the Poisoned Pen Press website. I've also got some advance copies and would love to offer them to readers. So here's the deal: If you can answer the following question (answer can be found on my home site) and you will commit to sharing your opinion of "Probable Claws" in a chat group, blog, or on Amazon by April 1, you could win an advance copy! (Note: These advance copies only have a plain cover, and they still have lots of typos.) I'll choose three winners at random from everyone who emails me beween now and Nov. 27.

QUESTION: What was the name of my "eminence grisé"?

Email me your answer – and your pledge to read and review the book by April 1 – and best of luck!