Compliments of the Season!

I want the Cumberbatch one!

It’s that time of year again!

And whether you’re trying to figure out where you hid the gifts you bought last August, standing in line after line after line, wondering why people brought the Plague to the family reunion, or staring at your credit card statement in complete denial…or even if this is not your holiday at all.., John the Elf and I want to provide you with a little Sherlockian joy with the 2nd Annual Twelfth Night Trivia Giveaway.

Last year was a lot of fun, but it kind of happened on the spur of the moment after Carrie-Ann convinced me that it was, indeed a doable thing. This year, however, I’ve had time to prepare, and to make a few (small) changes–changes which are described in this motto: Harder Questions–Better Prizes. 

So. Harder Questions. Last year, I made sure that the answers to each question were available on the first page of a reasonably accurate Google search. This year, there are no guarantees. You might have to look a little harder, or do a bit of reading. I looked at less popular stories, chose some questions about Conan Doyle’s life, and (taking the hint from one reader last year) used more than one episode of a television series. Still, you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to find the answers. After all, the Giveaway’s the thing.

Which segues nicely into the Better Prizes. I had so much fun picking these out! It was honestly hard to stop. This year, in celebration of Sherlock’s return to the BBC, there are quite a few related to that show. But, because not all of you are fans, there are other types of prizes as well. Usually, if there’s a BBC fandom prize, there will be another (non-BBC) prize along with it. Which means, of course, two winners!

Yeah, it’s pretty exciting.

There are some rules, however. And here they are:

• The quiz and giveaway will be conducted via this blog and FaceBook only, although I will also refer people to the question once per day via Twitter.
• The questions will (obviously) have to do with Sherlock Holmes.  Every answer will be internet-searchable, so don’t worry if you’ve not seen or read everything, or have a mind like a sieve.
• The contest will begin on December 24th, 2012 and continue until January 6th, 2013, when the last winner will be announced. And yes, this is more than twelve nights.
• With the exception of the two grand prizes, you can only win once. I know, I know, but we must be fair.
• If I have only one answer for a question and it’s wrong…ok, that person wins. But next time, do your research.
• I will post the questions before 12 pm EST every morning. One of my children will then draw names from the correct answers to determine the day’s winner, and I will announce it on the blog and FaceBook sometime during that day.
• To answer a question, please leave a comment here on the blog, PM me on FaceBook, or DM me on Twitter. Blog comment answers will be kept private. In this way, I hope to avoid concerns some might have with others simply “copying” answers. 
• For questions with two winners, you must specify which prize you want when you submit your answer. This keeps me from having two winners who want the same prize. If you do not specify a prize on your entry, I cannot place you in the drawing. I know that might be harsh, but hunting everyone down to see which prize they want before the drawing would be time-consuming, and allow for a greater chance of error.
• If you win, I will ask you to message me privately  with your mailing address. After I mail your prize, I will delete the address. Please let me know if you do not receive your prize.
• The daily prize will be announced, so that you can decide if it’s something that appeals to you.
• If a prize has no takers, I will use it for a future giveaway.
• I will do my best to contact winners. If, however, I do not hear from a winner, that prize will be used for a future giveaway if unclaimed by February 12, 2013 (Mycroft’s birthday).
• At this point, I can’t see that geography will be a factor in anyone’s ability to participate. However, unless otherwise specified, videos are all Region 1 only, so please make sure your DVD player is either Region 1, or an All Region model.
• I will ship prizes starting the week of December 29th. Be patient, because shipping can take time, depending on where you live.
• We’re not talking blue carbuncles, here, just small tokens. All decisions are final. If your prize is damaged in shipping, contact me privately.
• If you’ve already won, you can, of course, continue to answer questions. You can also answer questions and specify that you don’t want the prize on offer, or that you never want a prize. This happened a lot last year, and it was fun!
• Brett and Mom–sorry, immediately family are not eligible. Also, no Napoleons of Crime.

“Napoleons” in training….