It's been quite some time since I gave stuff away. 
And since July 17 is my birthday (no, I'm not telling you which one, a lady never divulges such things) I figured it was about time.
So, first the gift.
I had a hard time deciding what it should be. But since I love getting books more than any other present in the world, I decided I'd give you what I love getting.
But which book?
Should it be a copy of the Rust Hills classic, Writing in General and The Short Story in Particular, which I just recommended to a client?
Or should it have an all-around motivational bent, like The Fire Starter Sessions by DanielleLaPorte?
I couldn't decide. So I wimped out. And decided not to decide. Thus, the present is a $20 gift card to Amazon, which ought to get you the book of your dreams.
Next, what do you have to do to win the present?
Well, now, that's a good question.
All you have to do is answer this in the comments:
If you could wave a magic wand and have anything in the whole wide world that you wanted for your next birthday, what would it be? Bear in mind, there's no limits here. You could have anything your little heart desires, such as a bestselling novel, world peace, the entire Amazon catalog in a wood-lined room, a Ferrari, a Grand Tour to Europe, and so on. I'm talking true, mad, deep desires.
You have until Friday the 20th to post a comment. I'll use a random selector to generate a winner and post the results this weekend. Good luck!
Photo by blueblitz.
Don
Happy, happy birthday Charlotte, and many, many more!
As for what I would want, well that is a tuffy. More-or-less, what I would want for myself would be to have Godly character, one that is totally seeking the welfare of others rather than my own. Of course, a new Mercedes SL 560 would be nice too, as well as a multi-million dollar mansion, a zillion dollars to go with it, and red hot wife to spend it all for me! Seriously, I will take the righteous character any-old-day.
Again, happy, happy birthday!
Charlotte Dixon
Thank you so much, Don! I treasure you as a reader. I also have a feeling you're already doing quite well with that whole Godly character thing. Now, if we can just manifest the mansion and the Mercedes!
Barbara Shallue
Happy birthday tomorrow!! Today is my daughter’s birthday (21!) so I’m in a celebratory mood. I hope you are having a great week and get to celebrate big!!
Great question for your giveaway… I think what I would want more than anything right now is to be able to pay off all of our bills tomorrow, down to a clean slate (without anyone dying and leaving us money, though.) Then I could afford to stay home and work on my book… and maybe take that dream trip to Venice!
Charlotte Dixon
Happy birthday to your daughter, Barbara! I feel I'm in good company with your daughter's day so close to mine. And I love the idea of a clean slate so that we could just write, write, write!
J.D.
Happy Birthday! Anything I want? I wish you hadn’t thrown in that world peace thing. What a nasty reminder that we shouldn’t be selfish. How about this: Even though literary is not my genre, I’d like to have best a selling novel that so inspires the populace that we not only achieve world peace but, as a planet, we end this perpetual distrust we have for each other and work as partners. I hope you have a great birthday. I always enjoy the blog, enjoy visiting here, and I enjoy your friendship.
Connie B. Dowell
Happy Birthday! Hope it’s a good one.
If I could wave a magic wand, at the moment I’d just wish for a break from the heat!
Charlotte Dixon
J.D., You managed to wrap it all up in one package, including world peace, so you don’t have to feel bad! Thanks for coming by, as always, I do treasure your loyal readership and our friendship!
Charlotte Dixon
Connie, That’s a nice, simple wish, and I hope it comes true for you! I hate the heat and am happy to report our summer weather has been mostly in the 80s here. I can’t imagine continuing to wither in that extreme heat–must be hard to write!
Carole Jane Treggett
Happiest of birthdays to you, Dear Charlotte! I guess you don’t have to wave a magic wand yourself this year, because I’m sure you’re getting a big wish realized already with the release of your novel in February 2013. I’m so excited for you.
In my heart of hearts,I’m wishing for a more peaceful life and the wisdom and strength to do what I can to achieve it,and a real breakthrough wind of positive and stable change,especially in regards to circumstances I’ve been going through for a very long time that are beyond my control and then dealing with all the stressful consequences afterwards. I have so many great creative goals I want to accomplish, and I’m longing to have more energy to devote towards getting them realized.
Charlotte Dixon
That's a really good wish, Carole Jane. Smart strategy to wish for the underlying conditions that will enable you to handle things in your life. I hope that your situation resolves itself easily and gracefully–I know you have many creative gifts to offer the world!
Fear of Writing
If I could wave a magic wand right now, I would suddenly understand deep down in my soul (but also in a conscious way that is not at all mysterious or rollercoaster-ish) how to balance my over-achiever side with my “I love my creativity and I love to have fun!” side while at the same time making the income I desire to make. Income from my writing and my creativity, just to be completely clear. :~)
Liz Taylor
Happy Birthday Charlotte! And many more!
If you could wave a magic wand and have anything in the whole wide world that you wanted for your next birthday, what would it be?
If I could have anything in the world for my next birthday, it would be a home back home in Virginia closer to family (but not too close). The more birthdays I have, the more I realize how important my loved ones are to me. Unfortunately, moving isn’t as simple as just waving that magic wand, so I’m working hard to make it happen. And it will!
Have a lovely day!
Charlotte Dixon
Yeah, that old clarity thing is important. Probably best just to embrace both sides of it and go for it!
Charlotte Dixon
I know, moving is never as simple as it should be. I hope that going back to Virginia happens for you some day soon, and thanks for the birthday wishes.
Heather Jenkins
Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you!
Hmm…my wand wish…since you asked so nicely, I shall divulge the inner-workings of my heart.
1. A cure for Meniere’s Disease (purely selfish since I’d kinda like to keep my hearing)
2. A week off (haven’t had one in almost two years!)
3. World peace? Nah, but whirled peas might be nice. Heh.
4. Harry Connick, Jr. sings me happy birthday, while Tyler Florence makes me dinner, Buddy Valastro makes my cake, and Billy Collins reads me his poetry. And if Jason Statham and Channing Tatum wanna kiss me on the cheek for luck, well, that would be nice, too. Just sayin’.
5. Quiet time to finish my novel.
Now, is that too much to ask?? :)
Charlotte Dixon
I'm voting for #1 and #4 for you! I love your list comments, they'd make great posts on their own. Thanks for the birthday wishes!
Zan Marie
Oh, happy birthday, Charlotte!
I have two things I can’t decide between. I do want to be a published author (best seller would be nice), but I’d also want an unlimited supply of $$$ to buy books with…even if I never have time to read them all because of the promotion of my next best seller. LOL!
Charlotte Dixon
Zan Marie, well how bout we combine those two things? You become a bestselling author and that allows you all the money you want for book buying. That's a pretty awesome wish!
Charlotte Dixon
Hey Leslie, It is so good to hear from you! I think you'll be very successful as a writer and I know you have a ton to say in your memoir. I hope things are going well for you in New Mexico! Thanks for the birthday wishes.
Leslie C. Dixon
Happy Birthday Charlotte! I hope we can work together on my memoir through the Writer’s Loft real soon. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.
My birthday wish would be to become a full time writer. That is my dream job, and I would love to be successful at it!
Beverly
Happy, happy birthday, Charlotte! I hope you’ve had a fantastic day! My birthday wish is always the same: to be healthy and strong and good. I keep trying to fulfill it!
Patty/Why Not Start Now?
Happy Birthday Charlotte! Such a big question you’ve posed here and one I would need to sit with. In the meantime, though, my heart immediately took me to a wish that was about you…I wish for you a fabulously successful novel and all that goes with that!
Charlotte Dixon
I had such a great day, Beverly, thanks. And you've got yourself a great wish there!
Charlotte Dixon
Oh Patty, thanks for the wonderful birthday wish for me. I second that wish!
Kate
Happy birthday, Charlotte.
If I had a magic wand, for my birthday, I would wish that both my husband and I were making sufficient income from our creative work that we could take the kids travelling around the world.
Kate
Charlotte Dixon
Oooh, that's a good one–get the income from the creative work in there and going around the world. I love it!
Natalia Sylvester
Happy birthday, Charlotte! I just got back from visiting family in Miami, and a lot of us happened to be visiting too, since our family has recently scattered quite a bit. We have such a wonderful time together and I miss them so much, that I think if I had a magical wand, I’d make it so that we all could live in the same place again, AND that everyone would have the job and environment there that would make them feel fulfilled. Because really, that’s why we’ve all moved away, to chase our dreams and passions and all that…but sometimes I feel that being together would complete it all. Sounds corny, but I’m in a totally corny mood today ;)
Jenni Gainsborough
Belated happy birthday! I’m glad your family celebrated you appropriately on your day.
I was thinking about the birthday gift I would want when I read your blog post today on commitment. And I realized that, of course, that was what I wanted for myself more than anything. Commitment to my writing so I can complete the novel I have been playing with for so long. Commitment to the causes I believe in so that I am working for change in the world instead of just bemoaning its current state. Commitment to support family, friends and others who need my help. And guess what? I don’t have to wait for someone else to give me this gift. I can just go ahead and claim it for myself.
Thanks for making me think about this.
Jenni
Charlotte Dixon
Doesn't sound corny at all, Natalia! I'm glad someone else shares my passion for family–it can be very grounding.
And, of course, chasing your dreams is very important, also!
Charlotte Dixon
That's damn great, Jenni, a present you can give yourself any time you want–commitment. I love it. I think that's a really good way to look at it, actually, that commitment is a gift you give yourself. I always say the comments are better than the post itself and yours proves that!
Hollymarie7
Charlotte,
What a wonderful prompt~
For my birthday next year it would be so exciting to collaborate with my friends and family on a big creative project that would culminate in a donation to charity – maybe an animal rescue. The project could be a musical or a party with a variety show. I know so many talented people – it would be the most splendid birthday ever!!
Charlotte Dixon
I love it! Let's do it!
Charlotte Dixon
Hmm, thought I’d replied to all the comments, but apparently I missed this one! That’s a great magic wand wish, Kate.