To all of you who read my review of Dorcas Smucker’s new book Tea and Trouble Brewing
To all of you who entered the drawing for a free copy of that book, thank you!
To Dorcas Smucker, who graciously commented on my review and who generously provided the book to give away, thank you!
To Research Randomizer, which provided the winning number, thank you! (Disclaimer: I didn’t properly vet that site. If it’s a bad one, I hope Zone Alarm and Microsoft Security Essentials did their jobs!)
Now, here’s the winning number!
Hang on a bit while I determine which of the excited entrants is Number (Twenty-)One in this drawing.
OK, I double counted and the answer was the same both times. If your count determines that I counted in error, my apologies. My count is final and so’s my choice, whose comment follows:
Please enter me in the drawing. I’ve read one earlier book by Dorcas and loved it!
Alas, I do not have any contact info for you, Denise. Please use this blog’s contact form to drop me a line. Update: I eventually remembered that I do have an email address for you, Denise, so I’ll drop you a line after I get my personal-emailing computer up for the day…
To the rest of you, I feel your pain. As a natural drawing-non-winner, I empathize. 
To secure your own copy of the book, two recommended courses of action…
Alternate Plan A: Buy the book directly from Dorcas Herself for $15 postage paid.
Dorcas Smucker
31148 Substation Drive
Harrisburg, OR 97446
This is only for purchases with a check. Right now, Dorcas has a special for US buyers only: Purchase all four of her books for $40 postage paid.
Alternate Plan B: Buy the book with a card through Amazon
That would be “sympathize” since you share the experience. “Empathize” is for when you feel into a situation that you do not share. ?(-???•?)?
Actually, I think you got it backwards. But since the correction came from you, I thought I better follow up on my own education by checking online. Both sources say I correctly used empathize. That said, I may have misread both online sources and/or both of those sources may be incorrect. I defer to fellow Grammar Grumps. 😉