Saturday, June 23, 2012

Week 6 Contest: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?


School’s out for the summer, so naturally Magnificent Hope headed for the beach. She found a couple of friends to share the joy with her.

This beach is a popular family destination where kids can find lots of things to do when they get tired of the sun and miles of warm water and sandy beach.

This little carnival is just one of the many attractions found in this beach town. 

Families have their choice of mini-golf courses, water parks, museums and shows. In the evening there are free concerts and fireworks where celebrities like Elvis Presley might show up.

And when you just need something refreshing, there’s always ice cream.





So, readers, can you guess where Magnificent Hope is this week? 

Answer the question correctly to be entered to win a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet.

Here's how to play:


Each week, we’ll post a photo of Magnificent Hope near a landmark. If you know “Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?” send us an e-mail with the subject line CONTEST WEEK 1, CONTEST WEEK 2, CONTEST WEEK 3, etc. The person with the MOST correct entries and bonus entries at the end of the contest will win their choice of either a Kindle Fire or a Nook Tablet, a $100 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card (depending on which reader your choose), and a copy of all our WIP and PNP books published any time during this year!


Bonus entries may be earned three ways:
  1.  By “liking” all three Facebook pages – Write IntegrityPix-N-Pens, and Magnificent Hope – just be sure to let us know you liked us in your first contest entry, and we’ll add the bonus points.
  2. Bonus entries will also be given for anyone submitting by e-mail one or more photos taken with Magnificent Hope AND at least one of our books anywhere on her journey. One photo per location, please. (For example, if you bump into Magnificent Hope at a Jennifer Fromke event in North Carolina and take ten photos with her at that same event, only one photo will count. But if you bump into Magnificent Hope at Jennifer’s event, and then again at an event with Dianne E. Butts, you can take photos both places and get two bonus entries!) Send your photos in .jpeg format, attached to an email, and we may use them in blog posts or perhaps even a book.
  3. Telling your family and friends about Magnificent Hope, Hope Tour 2012, and our books and authors – through Facebook, Twitter, blog posts, interviews with our authors or Magnificent Hope, or other ways. One share per week gets you an extra entry, so send us your links by e-mail so we can tally your points.

(If you have trouble using the links, the e-mail address to send entries to is: magnificenthope [at] yahoo [dot] com.)

For those of you coming on board in the middle of the contest, you can go back and enter the previous weeks whenever you wish. Just find the "Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?" contest links in the list below and submit your best guess for each week. 

Read more about Magnificent Hope's Journey:





Friday, June 22, 2012

Magnificent Hope Celebrates Father's Day in Colorado



Hi! Dianne E. Butts here again. Magnificent Hope surprised us again when she attended church with my husband and me in Lamar, Colorado. She heard my husband, Hal, had been asked to fill in on Father’s Day for the Pastor (who was out of town to perform a wedding of one of our church’s kids!)


Hal preached on a timeless “father’s” story Jesus told: the Prodigal Son. Hal talked about how the Father in the story, whose son left and squandered all his money, ran to welcome his son back home when he saw him off in the distance coming down the road, and that’s how God welcomes each of us home when we decide to return to Him.

Hal also talked about how, when we see Jesus coming on the clouds, riding a white horse, at His second coming, He will have His arms straight out, palms out, nail prints in His hands and feet showing, ready to embrace us, and He will say, “It’s time, children. Come on home!”

Oh my. What a sight He will be! Hope and I talked about whether that day is very far off. Seems like a lot is going on in our world today, and that’s why people need hope. And that’s why Magnificent Hope is on tour, taking magnificent hope in Jesus to people everywhere.

Hal and I rode our motorcycles to the church in Lamar where we used to live. It’s a two and a half hour ride…one way. The ride home was in wind and 100+ degree heat. Magnificent Hope decided not to ride with us under those conditions. (I think she feared she might spontaneously combust.) So she headed off to visit the next author on her Hope Tour at her next destination. We asked where that was, but she wouldn’t reveal that top secret information.

Meanwhile, Hal and I soaked our skill caps in water for a little air conditioning on the road. We got home safely, and spent the rest of the afternoon soaking in air conditioning and sucking down H2O!

So long, Hope! See you next time.




Read more about Magnificent Hope's Journey:




Thursday, June 21, 2012

Magnificent Hope Attends Book Signing with Elsi Dodge and Dianne E. Butts


Magnificent Hope certainly had fun Saturday, June 16, in southwest Denver, Colorado (Littleton). She’s been in several Christian bookstores, but Mardel Christian and Educational Supply is simply enormous! She wandered the aisles, finding all sorts of books … gadgets … shirts … cards … dust-catchers … gifts … “What a delightful place!” she kept telling us.

“Us” is Elsi Dodge and Dianne Butts, who were throwing a book signing at Mardel. The focus of the signing was Life Lessons from Dads (Write Integrity Press); Elsi has a story in it—along with a picture of her father in the 1960s, holding a baby beaver. Between them, Elsi and Dianne had over 20 different titles they were offering: “Here’s your chance to get an autographed first edition!” Books for children, for women, for fathers, for mothers … devotionals, compilations, self-help … how to enjoy an RV vacation, how to deal with an unexpected pregnancy …

Even more than selling books, a book signing provides so many opportunities for both networking and ministry. Elsi met several people who had heard her on KPOF (AM91.org), and Dianne reconnected with a biker friend. Then there was the lady trying to deal with panic attacks—both Dianne and Elsi have experience with that. A man who talked knowledgeably about making movies, which Dianne is venturing into (and her short The Choice makes a powerful statement beautifully). A family with several disabled children. A teacher from Truth Christian Academy in Littleton.

Dana Oswalt, the manager of Mardel, welcomes local authors and was glad to meet Magnificent Hope, inviting her back in August for Grandparents Day and the release of Dianne’s Grandparenting through Obstacles (which includes one of Elsi’s stories).


Read more about Magnificent Hope's Journey:



Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Magnificent Hope Learns that Book Signings are Not Just About Selling Books



Hi! Dianne E. Butts here. I was so surprised when Magnificent Hope made an unannounced appearance last Saturday! There I was with author Elsi Dodge signing books at Mardel Christian Bookstore in Littleton, Colorado, when suddenly Maggie Hope’s head popped up out of nowhere!


Elsi and I were so pleased Magnificent Hope chose to make an appearance at our book signing. We took the opportunity to get our photo taken with Maggie and Dana, the store manager.

Elsi and I signed our books in the store from 10:00 to 2:00 and really kept busy. The store was in constant motion with activity and we not only signed books, but we talked with lots of people about a lot of different topics and you know what? It was all ministry. Elsi said it, and Magnificent Hope agreed, “We ministered to a lot of people. It’s not just about selling books; it’s about ministry.” I so agree. That’s the value of a book signing. We did pretty well selling books, too, but the opportunity to talk with people about Jesus was so wonderful.

For example, I got to talk with a customer about filmmaking and how I made a short film last February based on a true story in Deliver Me. You can see the film on YouTube if you want to. It runs 10 minutes: The Choice film. I talked with others about the story I wrote for Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul 2, which is also in Chicken Soup’s 101 Best Stories of Faith. The story is about how my husband and I tried to tell his Dad about Jesus and he just wouldn’t hear it. But then we learned a year after Dad died that a neighbor had visited him and told him about Jesus and Dad accepted Christ literally hours before he died! And we didn’t even know the Lord answered our fervent prayers for a whole year.

Another thing that happened was a lady walked in and said, “Dianne! You have another book out?!” It was Victoria, who I’ve ridden motorcycles with through Christian Motorcyclists Association! I hadn’t seen her for a long time! (So long she didn’t know about my Deliver Me book.) That was so fun!

Both Elsi and I had numerous books on our table. Elsi had her books about her traveling adventures in her RV with her cat friend, Dolphin. She also has two books from her trip to Israel. (I brought one of those home!)

I signed my latest book, Deliver Me, which just won a “Book of the Year” award from Christian Small Publisher’s Association and is now a finalist for the 2012 Golden Scroll Nonfiction Book of the Year (winner announced July 15). I also signed my first book Dear America, plus several other books I’ve contributed to, including the just-released, brand new Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Goodbye to Stress.

You may know it already, but in case you don’t my coauthor Renee Gray-Wilburn and I have a new book with Pix-N-Pens Publishing coming out in August titled, Grandparenting Through Obstacles: Overcoming Family Challenges to Reach Your Grandchildren for Christ. It’s a compilation of twenty incredible stories of grandparents going the extra mile and creating really neat opportunities to tell their grandkids about Jesus. Elsi Dodge is one of our writers with a story in that book.

Elsi and I were thrilled when Dana, the manager at Mardel’s invited us, plus co-author Renee, back in September to sign our new Grandparenting Through Obstacles book, just in time for Grandparents Day! But you don’t have to wait—you can pre-order your copy. Pre-order Grandparenting Through Obstacles here now. We just unveiled the book’s cover on Tuesday, June 19, on our new grandparenting blog.

A funny thing happened on the way to the book signing! It was a two-hour drive for me from my home in Pueblo through Colorado Springs to the Mardel store in Littleton. I was listening to the radio, but of course the stations I usually listen to were fading as I got farther away from my home. So I went searching for another station to listen to. I heard a familiar voice—that of a host of a radio show in Colorado Springs I’m sort of familiar with. But the thing is, that day he wasn’t in Colorado Springs. He was broadcasting live from Las Vegas, Nevada. So I listened to that station to see what in the world he was doing in Las Vegas. While I was listening, he took a call from a man named Derrick back home in Colorado Springs. Hey! I know a Derrick in Colorado Springs. Could it possibly be? Yes! It was! And if you think Derrick Wilburn’s name sounds familiar but you can’t quite place it, it’s because he’s the husband of my Grandparenting Through Obstacles coauthor, Renee Gray-Wilburn! How do ya figure that? A hundred miles away from home on my way to a book signing and I catch my coauthor’s husband on a radio station I never listen to broadcasting from Las Vegas! At that moment, I knew it was going to be a blessed day.

When I told Hope about it, she just smiled. She doesn’t believe in coincidences—only God-incidents, she said.

I would like to give a hearty thanks to Dana, Heidi, Mary, and all the staff (that I’m forgetting to name!) at Mardel Christian Bookstore in Littleton, Colorado. They were so gracious in supporting me and Elsi and Magnificent Hope. They were a real blessing to us. I pray we were a blessing to them and to the store, and I believe we were.



EDITOR'S NOTE: Dianne received notice after she submitted this article that she is a DOUBLE finalist in Write Integrity's Books of Hope Contest - she finaled in both the fiction and nonfiction categories! 



A Special Treat from Jennifer Fromke (and a huge hint for the Week 2 photo!)














Books of Hope Contest Finalists Announced

Write Integrity Press is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2012 Books of Hope contest. Finalists now have until November 30th to submit a full-length manuscript for Book One of their proposed series of three books.

Due to the limited number of entries in the nonfiction category, only two entries were chosen to move forward, and we are awarding contracts for both series.

Congratulations to the Nonfiction Finalists:

Dianne E. Butts, for her nonfiction series entitled Days of Hope.

Jontie Hays, LCSW & Sarah Ulmer, for their nonfiction series entitled Monkey in the Middle. (DISQUALIFIED - 6/19/12)

We'll share more details in the coming weeks. We're thrilled to be publishing these books - they are life-changing!

Choosing the finalists in the Fiction category proved difficult due to the number of entries. But we prevailed and are excited to see the outcome.

Congratulations to the Fiction Finalists (in no particular order):

Bonnie Engstrom, Desert Dreams Series
Dianne E. Butts, Springs Eternal Series (yes, Dianne is a double-finalist!)
Joan Campbell, The Poison Tree Path Chronicles
Lillian Duncan, The Minton Family Mystery Series
Lisa Keck, Shadow of the Steeples Series (WITHDRAWN 7/20/12)
Marie Coutu, Mended Vessels Series
Nancy Lee Bethea, Word Counts Series
Melanie Ironstand, Jeremiah's Journals
Brenda W. McIntyre and Jan Powell, Travelin' Teens Adventures
Jerusha Agen, Sisters Redeemed Series
Mary Annslee Urban, Faithful Counsel Chronicles
Traci Hilton, Plain Jane Mystery Series
Mishael Witty, Sunset's Hope Series
Valerie Goree, Stolen Lives Series

Retyping this list reminded me of the wonderful quality of these submissions - our readers are going to be thrilled! As you can probably guess from the series titles, we received submissions in many different genres, so some may cause you to laugh out loud, others to shed a few tears, some keep you guessing, some will help you grow, and others just make you sigh with contentment. I can't WAIT!!

Congratulations, writers. Time to get busy! We look forward to seeing your full manuscripts in a few months.

Readers - see any on the list that catch your eye already?



Don't forget, Hope Tour 2012 continues all summer - you still have a chance to win a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet. Magnificent Hope's last stop was with a few young writers - be sure to check out the blog and follow the "Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?" links for a chance to win.



A Special Treat from Jennifer Fromke (and a huge hint for the Week 2 photo!)















Sunday, June 17, 2012

Tips to Help You Win Writing Contests

At the in-between stage of ending one writing contest and starting two others, I decided it might be a good idea to share a few thoughts about entering contests, and provide a few tips on making the most use of your time, talents, and money. Competition is good for everyone, but by following these tips, your chances of success increase dramatically.

Contests offer writers an opportunity to hone their skills: skills of the actual craft of writing, of course, but also on your skills as a professional writer. I'll divide my tips into these two categories.

Writing Craft Tips to Help You Win Contests

  • Read your entire contest entry aloud to someone - anyone, even if it's the dog, hamster, parakeet, or blank wall. Reading it aloud gives you an opportunity to insert missing words, correct verb tenses, or complete sentences that you left hanging. Be sure to read your cover letter, synopsis, sample chapters, bio, blurbs - whatever elements are required read them all, then read them again.




Professional Writing Tips to Help You Win Contests

  • Follow the contest directions. It truly surprises me how many writers shoot themselves in the foot by not following directions. The competition is fierce and when some writers follow directions precisely and others do not, it makes me wonder what part they didn't understand, or even bother to read. Yes, some folks submit without even reading the rules. Judges notice and disqualify those who don't follow directions, to keep it fair for the ones who did.


  • Ask questions if you don't understand, but check the FAQs first.


  • Study the publisher's guidelines. You'll usually get an idea of what kinds of stories they want to publish, and maybe even what they don't want to publish. Sending us a  paranormal vampire werewolf princess erotica story would be a waste of your entry fee - we don't publish those kinds of stories, contest or not.


  • Follow the contest directions. Yes, it bears repeating a few times, because it costs people a chance to get their work read. Someone told me our contest had too many instructions - yet daily, I answered e-mails asking for more. Winning a writing contest is not done by random drawing. Most writers work tirelessly to polish their entries and most appreciate having specific instructions. 


  • Show passion and enthusiasm for your story. Some of the most delightful entries in the Books of Hope contest were submitted by writers who were passionate about their submission and it rang through loud and clear from the first word of their cover letter. Publishers like writers who believe in their own work.


  • Unless the directions state otherwise, put all elements of your entry into one document. The Books of Hope contest asked for four elements - the cover letter, synopsis, blurbs, and first chapter. Sending those as four separate files didn't disqualify anyone - because we didn't specify in our rules - but it sure makes sharing the entries with judges more cumbersome.


  • I hesitate to state this next tip, because it could label me as being harsh. But after receiving more than one entry that left me shaking my head, I must share this one final tip. Please use common sense when entering contests. Seriously. For example, even though our guidelines state that final manuscripts will be a certain word length, I had one writer ask if she could submit a 2,000 word essay, and another writer actually submitted a 250,000 word finished manuscript. Other folks thought the publisher might be the one person who could teach them the mechanics of Word. I'm not kidding.


I'm not sharing these tips because I'm heartless, cruel, or a perfectionist. I WANT writers to succeed - my goal in life is to help others achieve their dreams. But I can't help them without a little cooperation.

Read and follow the directions and you may end up a finalist in the next contest!









Saturday, June 16, 2012

Christmas Book Contest

The Books of Hope Contest ended last night and judging begins Monday. We're so excited, we're announcing two new contests TODAY!

You'll find details of the One Hope contest in the previous post, and now we're announcing a special Christmas contest.

For our "Christmas Hope" contest, we're looking for Christmas-themed books - fiction or nonfiction - to publish THIS YEAR! So if you have a Christmas manuscript ready, or if you write quickly, check out the details.

This contest only has ONE round of judging.

One FICTION winner will receive $250 and our standard publishing contract.


One NONFICTION winner will receive $250 and our standard publishing contract.

To enter the Christmas Hope contest:

  • Submit cover page with Name, Address, Phone, E-mail, Website, Book Title and Paypal Transaction  ID#.
  • 100-word description of the book (back cover blurb)
  • Full Manuscript, 40,000-90,000 words, any genre, fiction or nonfiction.

Now for the nitty-gritty details (and these have been deal-breakers in the past, so please follow the guidelines - they're here for a reason):

  • Use Times New Roman font, size 12.
  • Use double-line spacing, except for the synopsis and blurbs.
  • Pages should have 1" margins all around.
  • Use black ink.
  • Include a header on each page (except the cover page) that includes your last name and page number in top right corner.
  • In the subject line of the e-mail entry, please indicate - CHRISTMAS HOPE: Fiction or CHRISTMAS HOPE: Nonfiction, so the manuscripts are routed properly.
  • Entries should be submitted in a Word document, attached to the e-mail (editor [at] writeintegrity [dot] com).
  • The e-mail itself should serve as an introduction - tell us who you are and a little about you. Nothing formal, fancy, or lengthy - just let us get to know you a little.
  • This contest is open to published and unpublished authors. 
  • Previously published books are not considered. UPDATE 6/19/12: To clarify, this means books do not qualify if they have been published by or through any publisher - traditional, self-published, or hybrid.
  • You may enter more than one book, but each much be submitted as a separate entry and entry fee.


Manuscripts may be submitted by July 31st.

Pay Entry Fee below, and then submit entry by e-mail.





PLEASE NOTE: We have learned that the Chrome browser does not play well with Paypal, so if you use Chrome and have problems submitting your entry free, you may want to either try another browser, or just send payment directly through Paypal, using editor [at] writeintegrity [dot] com as the recipient address. If you choose to do it that way, just make sure to put your Series Title and whether your submission is Fiction or Nonfiction in the "Notes" section when you send payment.

You will receive a confirmation of receipt within 24 hours of payment. (48 hours on weekends.)

Thanks!

New Writing Contest Announcements

Writers, the Books of Hope Contest is now over, and judging will begin on Monday! We had a wide variety of entries in both the fiction and nonfiction categories, and we look forward to discovering the winning entries.

Some of the comments I received during the contest, from numerous folks, was that the idea of pitching a series, rather than a single book, was "too daunting" or "intimidating." We listened. We heard.

Today, we announce two NEW contests - and both are for single books! (If it's part of a series, you can still enter - just let us know when you submit.)

For the "One Hope" contest:

One Fiction winner will receive $250 and our standard publishing contract of his or her book.

One Nonfiction winner will receive $250 and our standard publishing contract for his or her book.


We are also announcing a special Christmas Hope Contest today, too, so be sure to check out that page if you have a Christmas manuscript ready to go!

Now for the details of the "One Hope" contest. Books for this contest may be fiction or nonfiction, any genre, but they must offer hope to the reader in some way.

There will be two rounds of judging.

For Round One:

1) Entries must include ALL of the following and be submitted by deadline of July 20, 2012. (These are just the basics - see the Nitty-Gritty details at the bottom of the post.)
  • Submit a one-page synopsis for the book.
  • Submit a 100-word blurb for the book.
  • Submit the first chapter of the book.
  • Entry fees: $25 Entry Fee. Fees must be paid through Paypal, using the links or e-mail address method below. Be sure to write down the PayPal Transaction ID# because the Paypal Transaction ID# must be placed on the Cover Page of your entry, along with your Name, Address, Phone, E-mail, Website, Contest Category, and Book Title.


2) Finalists will be selected from these entries and notified by August 31st. 


In Round Two:
  • Finalists will be required to submit a completed manuscript by December 31st. Full manuscripts should not be submitted prior to your being notified as a finalist.
  • Instructions for submitting final manuscript will be sent with finalist notification.


Final Winners will be notified in February 2013.

Now for the Nitty-Gritty details (and these have been deal-breakers in the past, so please follow the guidelines - they're here for a reason):

  • Use Times New Roman font, size 12.
  • Use double-line spacing, except for the synopsis and blurbs.
  • Pages should have 1" margins all around.
  • Use black ink.
  • Include a header on each page (except the cover page) that includes your last name and page number in top right corner.
  • In the subject line of the e-mail entry, please indicate - ONE HOPE: Fiction or ONE HOPE: Nonfiction, so the manuscripts are routed properly.
  • Entries should be submitted in a Word document, attached to the e-mail (editor [at] writeintegrity [dot] com).
  • The e-mail itself should serve as an introduction - tell us who you are and a little about you. Nothing formal, fancy, or lengthy - just let us get to know you a little.

Your attached entry should include:

  • Cover page with Name, Address, Phone, E-mail, Website, Book Title and Category and Paypal Transaction  ID#.
  • One page, single-spaced synopsis of the book. Give us the ending, don't leave us guessing.
  • One 100-word description of the book.
  • The first chapter (approximately 2500-5000 words in length, not precise - we'll give a leeway of 10% either way.) If your book has a prologue before Chapter One, please send it with the first chapter, but it will not be counted in the word count guidelines.

Final manuscripts should be in the 40,000-90,000 word range. We are trying to keep all of these books uniform in size, so please follow the word count guidelines.

  • This contest is open to published and unpublished authors. 
  • Previously published books are not considered. UPDATE 6/19/12: To clarify, this means books do not qualify if they have been published by or through any publisher - traditional, self-published, or hybrid.
  • You may enter more than one manuscript into the contest (in either or both categories), but a separate entry and entry fee must be made for each book.
  • Your book may be a stand-alone or it may be part of a series - you can let us know in the cover letter if it's part of a series.

Be sure to check our FAQ page for other questions, but if you can't find the answer, drop me an e-mail.




Submit your Entry Fee below.






PLEASE NOTE: We have learned that the Chrome browser does not play well with Paypal, so if you use Chrome and have problems submitting your entry free, you may want to either try another browser, or just send payment directly through Paypal, using editor [at] writeintegrity [dot] com as the recipient address. If you choose to do it that way, just make sure to put your Book Title and whether your submission is Fiction or Nonfiction in the "Notes" section when you send payment.

You will receive a confirmation of receipt within 24 hours of payment. (48 hours on weekends.)

Thanks!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Future Writers: Passing the Mantel


Hope Tour 2012 consists of three aspects: promotion for our authors, involvement in missions, and contests. This week, Ruth O'Neil involves us in all three areas. Today's post is from the Missions aspect.


Aspiring writer Alexis entertains
Magnificent Hope
The very first ministry my husband and I worked with together as a couple was working with the junior high youth group at our church. They were a group of kids no one wanted, but we fell in love with them. Twenty-six years later, my husband and I still enjoy ministering together to young people of all ages. While we will probably never go away to the mission field, we consider the kids we interact with every day our personal mission field. Young people are near and dear to my heart personally as well.

As Christian writers, there are many ways to minister to others. One of those ways, besides writing for Christian publications is to pass the mantel on to the next generation. There are many young people who love to put words to paper and create stories. Those young people need two main things: Guidance and Encouragement.

Young writers need guidance to produce quality writing. Future generation will read what future writers will write. Will it be writing that brings people down morally or will it be writing that lifts people up and glorifies God? These young writers need to be taught what quality writing is and that it takes work to achieve it.

Young people also need encouragement. If a teenager only hears negative comments about his writing, he will only quit writing all together. Teach them what you know and gently give them constructive criticism. Work on a writing project together if possible. Show them that not all writing has to be religious, but it should be free from the things that go against Him.
Aspiring writer Brooke meets with
Magnificent Hope, too!

The next time you hear of a young person that wants to be a writer, help them to reach their goals and achieve their dreams. Encourage them by asking about current writing projects. Read their stories if they ask you to. Teach them to write with integrity and not compromise their beliefs.

Be missions minded at home. Sponsor a young writer to take writing classes or bring them along to a writer’s conference with you. Sponsor him for a summer camp especially for young writers. In this way you can change the future world for the better.

Be a missionary. Pass on the writing mantel.


About the Author: Ruth O’Neil has been writing for over 20 years. She has published hundreds of articles in numerous publications. She homeschools her three children. In her spare time she enjoys quilting, crafting, and reading.

Visit Ruth's website and blog.



A Special Treat from Jennifer Fromke (and a huge hint for the Week 2 photo!)