Girls Write Out
Friday, March 18, 2011
After talking about beauty secrets on our deserted island last week, I've been thinking about travel and vacation. Once temptation is there, it's hard to resist. I know we've discussed vacation destinations on this blog before, but I'd like to discuss it for another reason this time.

In a few months, the first new Hannah Alexander novel in over two years will hit the stores and ebook publishing. The title is The Wedding Kiss, an historical suspense novel set near Eureka Springs, Arkansas in the year 1901. It has been suggested that in order to publicize this novel, we might consider running a contest. We could give away copies of our books, or we could give away e-readers with our books already loaded onto it. Those would be fun prizes.

I thought, however, that some people might be more interested in a vacation for two. I'm not sure about this, so I thought I'd ask for suggestions. If you won a contest like this, and just happened to be offered a Monday-through-Friday stay at a resort condo in either Arizona, Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Missouri, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan or Tennessee, which would you choose, and when would you want to stay there? Would you prefer a place you could drive to, or would you prefer to fly across country? Or would you give the prize to a friend?

I could use some suggestions, because we'll have to start plans for the contest before long.
Any thoughts?

Labels: , ,

Hannah Alexander  
posted at 12:07 AM  
  Comments (33)
 
 
Delicious Delicious
33 Comments:
At 8:55 AM, Blogger Sabrina L. Fox said...

How fun. :) Hmmm, New Hampshire in the fall, North Carolina summer or fall. Michigan summer and Tennessee anytime. Notice I left out Florida and Colleen's beloved Arizona. It's too hot and dry there. LOL.

And I think it would be fun to offer a weekend getaway that you could drive too. Sometimes flying is so hectic. But then that's just me.

Maybe you could just offer one of those travel gift certificates that people could use towards their own favorite location. That way if someone on the west coast won you wouldn't have to worry about their traveling distance. That could get costly.

Congrats on your new release, Cheryl. Looking forward to reading it.

 
At 9:13 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach Florida!!! While Florida would be my first choice; I have never been to Arizona so that might be nice also. I live in Tennessee so that doesn't excite me.;)
I would definitely not give the trip to someone else... my daughter is getting married in June and I need a vaca!! =)

 
At 9:26 AM, Blogger jel said...

oh Man, aVacation, it's sounds fun

I don't like contest, I would bee temptat , too intern that, :)

and if won, it would have to be Ark, cause there no way I would fly!

Looking Forward to your new book! :)

 
At 9:32 AM, Blogger Carla said...

I would definately say New Hampshire in the fall. A flight and a week there would be awesome.

Or a Kindle or Nook with your book on it would be totally awesome!

 
At 9:46 AM, Blogger Colleen Coble said...

It's not hot and dry in Florida! Of course, I hate Florida too, Sabrina. And you would love Arizona at any season other than summer. :)

I'm planning a trip to North Carolina right now to research my new series. I think we'll go the first week of April.

 
At 9:57 AM, Blogger SheilaG @ Plum Doodles said...

A vacation sounds wonderful! Wisconsin would be a definite letdown since my m-i-l lives there- ha! New Hampshire in the fall, Arizona in winter or North Carolina any time sound good to me!

 
At 10:21 AM, Blogger Sabrina L. Fox said...

No, C, I left out Florida just because. But I left out Arizona because it's hot and dry. LOL. I looked like a lobster when I was there. I couldn't get away from the blinding sun. I burn so bad, I'm sooo not a desert lover. I need trees and grass and cool breezes. I did like Flagstaff though. It was lovely. And cool.

 
At 11:15 AM, Blogger Kirsten said...

I would say no to Missouri and Wisconsin. Tennessee only in the Winter in the mountains (but, it might be nice at other times). I am partial to coasts. New England is gorgeous, Florida is wonderful (so many areas of beach. I would suggest avoiding the theme parks.), Lake Michigan coastline is beautiful, the mountains of North Carolina are some of my favorites (Black Mountain, NC is one of my favorite places on earth), Georgia (eh, it has it's nice cities but is boiling hot).

My top three choices would be New Hampshire, Michigan, and Florida.

I would keep it. Well, probably.

 
At 11:56 AM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Wow, I'm surprised by these answers! I guess I'd have thought Florida would appeal to most folks, hands down. No, it doesn't necessarily appeal to me. I'm thinking I'd do Arizona in winter. Or North Carolina. We've done Michigan and it was nice, but the place isn't right on the beach like many of those in Florida, and I love beach.

From these reports, then, it would probably need to be somewhere drivable, because we can't afford the cost of travel plus the condo--and these are condos with full kitchen facilities. If someone in the northwest won, that might be problematic.

I think a certificate would be best, but I'm still open to suggestions.

 
At 2:13 PM, Blogger jel said...

sitting a tent up on the bank of a river, and cooking breakfast over a open fire, would suite me :)

and MO. would be fine with me! :)

 
At 4:18 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Oh, jel, have you ever heard of Big Cedar? It's a wonderful place on Table Rock Lake, a ten minute drive from Branson--if you like the shows. There are paved walking trails all over the place, and the lodging is rustic but top-notch and modern, with Jacuzzi tub, full kitchen, fireplace. It's wonderful. And you can go fishing.

 
At 6:56 PM, Blogger jel said...

my sis~in~law use to work there, and her son works there,

to many people there!

ya know me the hermit!

 
At 7:12 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

I would prefer a cabin on the beach--or in the mountains--miles from the nearest neighbor. That's hard to find, though.

 
At 8:06 PM, Blogger Suzanne said...

Depends on what part of Tennessee. Nashville area, yes. Memphis, no. Michigan might be fun, I've never been there and I have several friends who live there, would be great to connect with them on their turf. New Hampshire would always be amazing. I love New England most of all. I'd keep the trip for me and my man <3

 
At 9:50 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Suzanne, I hadn't been to Michigan until last August, and it was so much cooler than it is here in Missouri. We loved the stay. The places in Tennessee are in the Smokey Mountains. Everyone needs a vacation every once in a while. We need one now.

 
At 4:06 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Since I grew up in North Carolina (Black Mountain, would you believe??) I can vouch for its beauty most any time. Each season has its own attractions. However, I'm rather partial to New Hampshire in particular and New England in general. But getting to either place from Indiana is another story.

Perhaps the e-reader with your book/books would be a better prize. And maybe cheaper,too!

Congrats on your new book, Cheryl!

 
At 9:21 AM, Blogger grammajlb said...

Cheryl, since your new book is identifying with Eureka Springs and the Ozarks, it just makes sense to have your weekend getaway in this area. God used his special paintbrush on that whole area which is centrally located to your readers. Congratulations on your upcoming books. Blessings to you and Mel.

 
At 12:59 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Wow, Ruthie, that amazes me. That someone would prefer an e-reader loaded with our books over a vacation. I suppose a choice should be offered. Of course, since we have timeshare points, we would be using those, and it wouldn't cost us cash because our points renew every year. The places I've mentioned are all on my timeshare list. Thanks for letting me know what you think.

 
At 1:04 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

I thought about that, grammajib. Eureka Springs is a beautiful and fun area, and it's less than an hour from Big Cedar on Table Rock Lake. There is also Dogwood Canyon, after which I based Dogwood Springs in the medical novels I wrote several years ago, which just came out in ebook format again. I've considered that. Thanks for the suggestion.

 
At 2:11 PM, Blogger Southern-fried Fiction said...

I'd take North Carolina. It's still in the South and close enough for me to drive to and enjoy the scenery, and there's great beaches in NC. :)

 
At 3:50 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

I love that area, Ane. Our timeshare has several condo resorts in the North and South Carolina areas near the beach and I want to go there someday.

 
At 8:29 PM, Blogger Crystal Laine said...

I'd want an iPad and you could put all of your books on it. LOL.

I've been many places around the country. I've gotten where I prefer driving. By far the best place for me is Brown County, Indiana in a remote cabin, but with conveniences (ha.) I liked seeing all those other places I've been, and there are both good and bad about any place.

But most people are not like me. jel, you can have your camping. I did that most of my growing up--the primitive kind along the banks of the Tennessee River. Ugh. LOL.

I did trapshooting competition in Phoenix AZ, Sabrina and Colleen, and while I liked it there in February, my hair cracked right off. (I'd need something for that.) I did the best trapshooting I've ever done there, though. I think it had to do with how clear it was and flat. The pullers and setters were wearing coats. I had on shorts and a tee shirt and I'm usually freezing, even in winter.

But my favorite destination of all was Savannah, Ga.

 
At 9:51 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

I'd like to try trapshooting, Crystal, though not competitive. I'm not a competitive person. I stink at it.
That remote cabin sounds perfect. Tried the camping, not for me. I'd never be able to sleep on the ground now. I can barely sleep on a bed if it isn't just right. We plan to take a vacation to Colorado in a few weeks, and we'll drive. I hope the trees aren't still dying there.

 
At 1:29 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

My DH once found a magazine ad for that "convenience-laden" remote cabin in Brown County, IN. I tried to find it today but couldn't, so don't know if it still exists. A good travel agent may be able to help. Wouldn't work for me, though, since it requires entering via stairs and I'm in a wheelchair. *sigh*

And I, too, am NOT a fan of camping! My idea of a camp site is my room at the local Hilton! LOL

 
At 2:20 AM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

Then, Ruthie, you'd be a great candidate for Big Cedar, since they have elevators in their lodges.

 
At 5:06 AM, Blogger jel said...

Crystal,
I did my camping as a kid too good memorys, I'm getting to old to sleep on the ground, it would kill my back! :(

 
At 8:15 AM, Blogger Christine Long said...

I think a remote cabin in any woods sounds wonderful. Since I live in the Northeast, I'm partial to the New England states, especially in the summer or fall.

I also like the Kindle idea loaded with books. That would be a great prize!

 
At 11:14 AM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

You know, there actually are some remote cabins in the hills of Arkansas. A friend of mine has stayed there and cannot talk enough about how wonderful they are. But maybe a second place would be a Kindle with all of our books that are Kindlized. (I don't think that's a word yet.)

 
At 11:04 AM, Blogger Chris Jager - Baker Book House-fiction buyer said...

Arizona and Florida in Jan or Feb. I live in Michigan. North Carolina - well that depends on where. Outer banks in the spring or fall, Mountians -summer. New Hampshire just about anytime would be lovely.

Am I no help?

 
At 12:45 PM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

LOL, Chris. I've seen lots of people say they love New Hampshire, and I've never been there. If nothing else, I've discovered that the next time we fly to New York, we'll probably take a little trip on to New Hampshire. It sounds beautiful.

 
At 12:58 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Hannah,
My name is Jane and I'm with Dwellable.
I was looking for blog posts about the Edgewater Beach to share on our site and I came across your post...If you're open to it, shoot me an email at jane(at)dwellable(dot)com.
Hope to hear from you :)
Jane

 
At 2:13 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Hannah,
My name is Jane and I'm with Dwellable.
I was looking for blog posts about Edgewater to share on our site and I came across your post...If you're open to it, shoot me an email at jane(at)dwellable(dot)com.
Hope to hear from you :)
Jane

 
At 9:32 AM, Blogger Hannah Alexander said...

I'm so sorry, Jane. I wish I knew about Edgewater. Maybe someone else here will know.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home



The Authors
Kristin Billerbeck
Kristin Billerbeck is a proud Californian, wife, mother of four, and connoisseur of the irrelevant. She writes Christian Chick Lit; where she finds need for most of the useless facts lulling about in her head.

www.KristinBillerbeck.com

Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble writes romantic suspense with a strong atmospheric element. A lovable animal of some kind--usually a dog--always populates her novels. She can be bribed with DeBrand mocha truffles.

www.ColleenCoble.com

Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter writes women's fiction and love stories with a strong emotional element. Her husband says he provides her with all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too.

www.DeniseHunterBooks.com

Diann Hunt

Diann Hunt writes romantic comedy and humorous women's fiction. She has been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, chocolate, her dog, and well, chocolate.

www.DiannHunt.com

Hannah Alexander

Cheryl Hodde writes romantic medical suspense under the pen name of Hannah Alexander, using all the input she can get from her husband, Mel, for the medical expertise. For fun she hikes and reads. Out of guilt, she rescues discarded cats. She and Mel are presently taking orders from four pampered strays.

www.HannahAlexander.com

 
Subscribe
Enter your Email


Powered by FeedBlitz