EDIT: Sunday, March 20, 2011 8PM PST – THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS. WINNER ANNOUNCED MONDAY, MARCH 21.

Raise your hand if you’re tired of winter! (Or in the case of our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, tired of summer!)

Well, you’re in luck. Here it is, the time of year when the seasons (no matter what hemisphere you’re in) change. For us above the equator, the days are getting longer, the nights are getting shorter, and the temperatures are getting warmer.

For you all below the equator, the opposite is happening.

Now, me? Come on. You all know me. I mean, I live for autumn! I’m a freakin’ icon when it comes to wrapping up in blankies, sipping hot tea, warm fires, darkness for the majority of the time…that’s BLISS for me, people. BLISS, I SAY!

This time of year…this last gasp of winter…I mourn. The change of seasons means I’m going to have to hide from the daystar, slather my fair skin in sunscreen, find my big floppy hat…TOURISTS. *shudder*

It’s inevitable, I suppose. So…what will Dina do with more light and less cold? Well, besides making iced tea. That’s a given.

If winter’s going out, it’s going to go out in style. I’m going to give people one last hurrah with the season. I’m going to give my beloved blankie weather a good and proper send-off.

Welcome to the Last Gasp of Winter Blog or Curl Up With A Book Giveaway.

Today is Daylight Savings here in the US. Other parts of the world set their clocks back later or have already done so. Some states here don’t bother, but my state does, so last night we set our clocks ahead an hour to take advantage of more daylight. This, of course, means that my cats waking me up at dawn will actually be somewhat more correct with their timing. The ass-crack of dawn is NOT breakfast-time. As of today, however, it very nearly will be. *hiss*

This giveaway starts today, Sunday, March 13 in celebration of Daylight Savings Time (you should have already done so, but if you haven’t, set your clocks ahead an hour, for those participating states/countries) and goes through Sunday, March 20th (the Spring Equinox here, the Autumn Equinox to those below the equator, Ostara to those who celebrate it).

Here’s the deal:

In order to celebrate (or in my case, properly mourn) the change of seasons, I’m going to be having a fun little giveaway.

The first prize is just what this giveaway is about. Books, blankies and tea.

1st Prize includes:
TWO books, signed by me – The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance featuring my short story “Once a Demon” and The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2: Love Bites featuring my short story “Deliver Us From Evil”
A specially-procured box of a tea much-beloved by Dina
A big red mug and
A red fleece throw

The second prize is almost as nice as the first, only with it you have take your own book with you and get your own tea.

2nd Prize includes:
A special blue mug (you’ll see why it’s special if you win this prize)
A green fleece blankie and
A $15 gift card to that one place I won’t name but is everywhere, where you should buy TEA, not their horrid coffee

With the third prize, you pretty much have to make your own fun; you’ll make your own “tea” and write your own book. You’ll have to brew the tea-like beverage in your own cup too, but least you’ll be warm and the house will smell nice. Or the basement. Or the drafty attic. Or wherever you’re writing.

3rd Prize includes:
A depressing grey blankie
A pretty scented candle
Some writer’s supplies and
A Lipton knockoff that doesn’t even count as actual tea but is in theory better than not having any tea at all. (This is, however, just a theory and is best left unproven, IMHO.)

Plus those who have been lucky enough in the past to win stuff from the infrequent contesty things I have know I always throw in surprises, and fun random swag in your prize packages.

Never know what kind of evil I get up to with these things! Now for some basics:

This giveaway is open to all. (Parents, this means that you’re responsible for what your child is doing online, not me. If they win the books and you get upset that there’s sex and blood in them, that’s on you, not me!) Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere…if the Random Number Generator tells me that you’re the winner (because I’m letting that impartial bad boy make the decision for me on this one) and you’re in New Guinea, I’ll send you your prize parcel. My giveaway, my postage. I can send to wherever I choose to, and I’m not being exclusionary here.

So, what do you have to do enter this giveaway?

I’m going to make it hard on you. You may have to copy and paste.

There are four ways to enter this giveaway.

1 & 2 – You can enter by commenting this blog entry (here on the website or over on the mirror at Livejournal) with the words “Hey Dina, I’ve read the rules. Enter me in your Last Gasp of Winter giveaway” somewhere in the post. You can mix them up, insert your own creatively between them or just copy/paste the words between the quotes. Whatever. All I ask is that you leave the comment with those words and a way for me to get in touch with you.

– OR-

3 – You can enter by going to my Facebook fan page, hitting “like” AND leaving the comment “Hey Dina, I’ve read the rules. Enter me in your Last Gasp of Winter giveaway” on my wall. It MUST be on my fan page and there MUST be a like AND a comment. NOT my personal page where I have to friend you. Entries left on my personal page will be null and void. (That means they won’t count.) Look, I’ve even linked you above so you’ll have the right page. (I’m not saying you’re not welcome to friend my personal page if you want to bother finding it and sending me a friend request with “I’m not a psycho stalker” in the personal message box. It’s just that those won’t count toward this giveaway.)

– OR –

4 – You can enter by going over to Twitter and sending an @ reply to me with “@dinajames Hey Dina, I’ve read the rules. Enter me in your Last Gasp of Winter giveaway.”

Now for some rules/disclaimers:

1) I’m not going to hunt you down to give you your prize if you win. You want to enter, you leave me your e-mail or username or something so I can contact you, and respond if I do. If you win a prize, you’ll have one week to get me your contact information via my e-mail [dina {at} dinajames {dot} com] once I announce the winners on Monday, March 21. If I don’t hear from you in a week, the prize will go to the next winner on the list. If you leave me your e-mail in the comments or somewhere public, please type it out like I did above so that your e-mail address isn’t skimmed by a spammer bot. I hate spammers and don’t want them getting your stuff/crashing my party.

2) One entry per person. You can’t enter four different times by going to all four places and leaving comments to enter.

Got all that?

So that’s the giveaway!

Here’s the short and sweet for those who like it that way/may want to repost wherever:

What: Dina’s Last Gasp of Winter Blog or Curl Up With A Book Giveaway

When: Sunday, March 13 – Sunday, March 20

What’s Up For Grabs:

1st Prize: Dina’s good tea, red mug, red throw, two signed books – MBOPR, MBOVR2
2nd: blue mug, green blankie, coffee card
3rd: grey blankie, candle, Lipton knockoff, writer’s supplies

Possibly surprises and maybe random swag in the prize parcels upon sending. I make nice parcels. I am also modest.

How To Enter:

Do ONE of the following:

– Comment on this blog entry, here on the website or at the mirror on Livejournal with the words, “Hey Dina, I’ve read the rules. Enter me in your Last Gasp of Winter giveaway.”

– “Like” my fanpage over on Facebook AND comment on the wall with “Hey Dina, I’ve read the rules. Enter me in your Last Gasp of Winter giveaway.”

– @reply me on Twitter with “@dinajames “Hey Dina, I’ve read the rules. Enter me in your Last Gasp of Winter giveaway.”

When The Winners Will Be Announced: Monday, March 21.