It’s time to celebrate!

Well, if I’m being honest, it was time to celebrate two months ago, but better late than never, right?

I’d planned to do a contest of some sort when ethandezotelle.com got its 400^th subscriber. That happened near the end of the November, and that was a real wild time in my life. The pandemic surge, trying to manage that with the holidays at home and at work, and a nice bit of depression made it tough to stay on top of things. 

But I promised myself that this would happen at the start of the new year. Now it’s Jan. 21, which technically is still the start of the new year, right? Right. Except now the blog is up to nearly 600 subscribers, so I figured I needed to ramp the stakes up a bit more to match my astonishment. 

What I’ve got for you is this: three $25 gift cards to Phoenix Books, one of my favorite independent bookstores here in Vermont. I bought two of the cards, and Phoenix Books was kind enough to donate the third. Their support is beyond appreciated.

So how do you win?

Below are 12 questions, and their answers can be found in my blog posts. There are two ways to go about finding those answers:

A. There are over 1,200 posts on ethandezotelle.com, and you’re more than welcome to sift your way through them to figure everything out. 

B. OR you can use my blog’s search function. Every question has clues that you can enter in the search bar to find answers. (Except for the first question. That one’s a gimme.) The search bar is your friend.

Please note that a few of the questions require looking for more than one post.

Anyone can join this scavenger hunt, whether you’re a subscriber or not. However, if you’ve subscribed to my blog or decide to before the contest ends on Feb. 28, 2021, you’ll have a chance to win all three gift cards. If you’re not subscribed and win a gift card, your name gets removed from the other two drawings. But if you’re subscribed and win a gift card, your name goes back in for the other drawings.

Here are the questions, and be sure to keep reading below to find out how to send me your answers and learn a bit more about how all this will work

ETHANDEZOTELLE.COM SCAVENGER HUNT QUESTIONS

1. What is my name?

2. What were the names of my two Pekingese?

3. What classic pop-rock song was in the Top Ten on Friday, June 22, 1984?

4. What is the name of the main character in The Comfort Rock Chronicles, and what cartoon character did she dress as on Halloween?

5. In the letter I wrote to my late grandfather – entitled Dear Grandpa, what did I recall hearing his voice telling me?

6. Name 5 books that I have written about in my annual Thanksreading series.

7. List 3 Alan Watts quotes I have shared on the blog.

8. What is the pasta-based name of the pit bull/pointer mix my family adopted this past September?

9. Who was my editor at The Stowe Reporter?

10. Name two Trinity College writers/professors who were influential in my development as a writer.

11. What are the 8 pieces of advice that I shared with my daughter and other readers in An Unsolicited Commencement Address To the Graduating Class of 2020?

12. What is the quote from the very first Care Package I put together on March 1, 2019, and what are two categories I had back then that I don’t use in the current version of the Care Package?

After you’ve completed the scavenger hunt, you can send your answers to me by going to https://ethandezotelle.com/contact/ and submitting them. And that’s it.

I’ll pick and notify winners by March 31, 2021. It’ll be earlier than that, most likely. If I get a ton of responses, though, it’ll take a little time. I’m a one-man show here, and I’m running for a select board seat that’s up for vote in early March, so the month might be a bit busier than usual if things work out.

I’m aware that Phoenix Books gift certificates cannot be used through their website, so if you win and aren’t nearby, I’ll work out details with you for picking out books and getting them to you. Geography isn’t an issue. I’ll make it work for you.

And I think that’s it. I’ll keep this post tagged at the top of the homepage through Feb. 28, and if you have any questions, just let me know through the Contact page.

Thanks, and have fun!