9th Annual Twelfth Night Giveaway: The Rules

Oh my word, guys, I can’t believe it’s that time again.

I can’t believe I’m doing this again.

I need to start blogging again, because when I wait (almost) a year, WordPress changes everything.

I’m sorry to have been absent for so long. I can’t really blame it on Covid. I can blame it on work (new position, more hours), a book contract (February deadline, I’m dying here), getting my oldest off for college, and laundry.

To be honest, there were a few times this year that I seriously considered closing down this blog and its Facebook page. There are only so many hours in the day, and so many things I would like to fill them with. And sometimes, it’s very easy to get caught up in, and exhausted by, the whole “Sherlockian” part of being a Sherlockian, so much so that you forget that you’re supposed to be having fun. But when it came to actually sending The Well-Read Sherlockian to its Reichenbach, I could never quite do it. Because I know I would miss it very much, and come to regret letting it go. Hopefully, this coming year will see more posting activity, on topics and books you’ll find interesting.

But enough of that. I know what you’re really here for!

THE RULES

• The quiz and giveaway will be conducted via this blog and FaceBook.
• The contest will begin on December 24th, 2020 and continue until January 6th, 2021. The last winner will be announced on January 7th. And yes, this is more than twelve nights. I am bad at math.
• In order to encourage people to answer more questions, people will be allowed to win TWICE during the regular phase of the give-away, and all will be eligible to try for the grand prize offered on January 6th, no matter how many times he or she has won previously. I have not been all that active this year, so if it turns out that only a few people are playing, then you will be able to win more than twice.
• I will post the questions every morning. The time will vary, but I will try to do so by 8 am, EST. Sometime during the day, as life permits, I will gather the names of those who answered the previous day’s question and place them in a box. One of my children will then draw from the correct answers to determine the day’s winner, and I will announce it on the blog and FaceBook sometime during that day. I am now working more hours than last year, and that makes consistency difficult.
• If I receive only one answer for a question and it’s wrong…ok, that person wins. But next time, do your research. If I am wrong–and this has happened–well, I will be very happy to have it pointed out!
• To answer a question, please leave a comment here on the blog or PM me on FaceBook,  either on the WRS FaceBook page, or on my personal FB page, if we are friends “in real life.”  I am no longer 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 more than one prize, 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.
• 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.
• If you win, I will ask you to give me your address privately in order to send you your prize. All addresses will be deleted once the Giveaway is over, and I know the prize has been received.
• 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 or awarded to someone else if unclaimed by February 12, 2017 (Mycroft’s birthday). I cannot tag some of you on Facebook, so PLEASE check back to see if you have won. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS!!!
• 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.
• Due to the absolute mess that is our postal system right now, I will ship prizes starting January 16th.  Be patient, because shipping might still be difficult, depending multiple factors. Sometimes it also depends on payday, but all prizes (excluding “book clubs” in which the book has yet to be published, or is specified as being delivered on a future date) should be shipped by mid-February. I will let you know when your prize is shipped, and supply a tracking number, if applicable. Please be aware that international shipments typically won’t have a tracking number.
• We’re not talking blue carbuncles, here, just small tokens. All decisions are final. If your prize is damaged in shipping, contact me privately, as most prizes are replaceable.
• If you’ve already won twice, 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, as always, no Napoleons of Crime.