HOLIDAY BLOG HOP!!! Ho, ho, ho. (In a good way…)
Hello, I’m M. Edward McNally, but you can call me “Ed” (waves). Welcome to the sablecity’s stop on the 2012 Holiday Hop, and thanks much for hopping by. 
Here is how I am working my giveway, which will be very simple as befits my level of techological ineptitude. I’m the author of an epic, Musket & Magic fantasy series called The Norothian Cycle, presently consisting of four books, with the fifth out early next year. The series stars a feisty Guild-trained adventurer named Tilda Lanai, and I’m gratified to say even non-fantasy fans have thus far found her stories worth reading. So please don’t let the term “epic fantasy” worry you too much. 
Volume One, The Sable City, is always FREE for all e-book platforms. It weighs in at a robust 183,076 words and is the longest of the four books available at this time. So here is my simple “How many jellybeans in the jar?” style question:
<<< What is the total Word Count of the first four books of The Norothian Cycle? >>>
Feel free to leave a guess here as a comment, and a way you can be reached online (if you are not already posting as a facebook, wordpress, whatever profile). At the conclusion of the blog hop which runs December 10th to 14th, I will select a winner by a careful process of addition and subtraction to calculate the closest answer to the actual word count (guessing higher or lower doesn’t matter, so go nuts).
The closest guess will win something along the lines of A SUBSCRIPTION TO THE NOROTHIAN CYCLE. That is, I will get you e-copies of the existing books in the series ($4.99 each), provided in any of the normal ways: either directly via Kindle “gift,” Smashwords coupon, or just sending the apporpriate files for any kind of e-reader. Whatever works for you. In addition, as each subsequent volume is released, I will send you a copy of that one as well, beginning in early 2013 with Volume V: The Channel War.
That’s all there is to it, just leave a number as a guess, and do remember to check out the main page of the Holiday Hop to visit all the participating blogs, and enter for the Grand Prize packages including (drumroll) A KINDLE FIRE!
Thanks again for taking part, Happy Holidays to you and yours, and as I always say: Thanks for reading.
Ed McNally
Erika
December 10, 2012 at 1:13 pm
I’m guessing 185,000 words!
jenxbyron
December 10, 2012 at 1:22 pm
600,000!
Susana Rivera
December 10, 2012 at 2:57 pm
250,000
Corey Feldman
December 10, 2012 at 3:00 pm
175,000
tarawestauthor
December 10, 2012 at 3:09 pm
Raises pinky finger to face. “One million dollars!” Cue evil laugh.
Cheryl Bradshaw
December 10, 2012 at 3:15 pm
513,076!
mabledsoe
December 10, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Oh boy a guessing game.. Let’s see, I guess 650,000.
Michelle Bledsoe
koonie2888 at yahoo dot com
Erica Mullins
December 10, 2012 at 5:23 pm
My guess would be 540,076 and my email is Eri_12_03 at yahoo.com
Sarah M
December 10, 2012 at 5:31 pm
566608
Thanks for participating in this awesome giveaway!
Sarah M
December 11, 2012 at 4:24 pm
In case my email isn’t accessible for you – cmu(dot)smiles(at)gmail(dot)com
Stephanie Andrassy
December 10, 2012 at 5:41 pm
I am guessing 565,900!
Kate Policani
December 10, 2012 at 5:47 pm
700,000 is my guess. I added your first free ebook to my review list! http://katepolicanisreviews.wordpress.com/list-of-upcoming-reviews/
Melissa Smith
December 10, 2012 at 5:58 pm
I am going to guess 658,551 jellybeans. I mean, words
danielle
December 10, 2012 at 6:35 pm
My guess is going to be 655,555 words. Sorry about all the 5′s but that’s my favorite number so I figured, why not?
Sara M
December 10, 2012 at 7:23 pm
559,472 words
Crystal Craig
December 10, 2012 at 8:55 pm
My guess is 645,237 words.
Della Heideman
December 10, 2012 at 10:52 pm
526078 words
Jessica Crawford
December 11, 2012 at 1:07 am
582,947
SharynBL
December 11, 2012 at 1:20 am
I reckon it’s about 454,526. ;D
Stephani Aimone
December 11, 2012 at 1:41 am
603,722
Brandi Franklin
December 11, 2012 at 1:50 am
525,000 words
lisanicholasphd
December 11, 2012 at 3:30 am
562,419 words!
Christine DeMaio-Rice
December 11, 2012 at 3:51 am
551,392
I will now accept my prize.
Kelly
December 11, 2012 at 2:11 pm
528,078 words
bbbaddict
December 11, 2012 at 2:52 pm
566,607 words
Rikki
December 11, 2012 at 4:06 pm
483,591 words.
Stacey Voss
December 11, 2012 at 5:17 pm
598,000 words!
Jennifer Martinez
December 11, 2012 at 5:22 pm
500,002
Donna B. McNicol [@dbmcnicol]
December 11, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Too many to count….LOL! Thanks for the giveaway!!
Linda Kwolek
December 11, 2012 at 6:29 pm
I think 619,670 for grand total for all four books
Richard Schiver
December 11, 2012 at 11:52 pm
How about 573,423. Just closed my eyes and pecked a few numbers on my keypad.
gaele1
December 12, 2012 at 12:14 am
Let’s see – I will guess 566,370 probably a few more… I love the idea of an All Indie blog hop! thank you for participating
glhince at gmail dot com
John Bohrman
December 12, 2012 at 3:39 am
635,174?
Maria D.
December 12, 2012 at 3:26 pm
Well, I’m going to guess 575,705 and my contact details are junegirl63 at gmail dot com
Thanks for the freebie book too – series looks really great
Kathy Doolittle Fuierer
December 12, 2012 at 11:05 pm
595753 is my guess
) My contact details are kathyfuierer (at) yahoo (dot) com Downloading the first volume Thank you!!!!
alice dellanova
December 13, 2012 at 12:57 am
645926 is my guess
Shelby Forbes
December 13, 2012 at 1:43 am
635,635.
But I could say, $1.00 Bob!
bubblesue
December 13, 2012 at 2:40 am
I think the number of words 635703, Matilda has been busy, wow, congrats. Happy Holidays and blog hopping is fun, Who would of thought a guessing game.
Lee Anne Knibb
December 13, 2012 at 4:48 am
623.023 is the lucky word count!
Olga Cabral (@olga_cabral)
December 13, 2012 at 11:52 am
569,743 words
Beckey
December 13, 2012 at 1:03 pm
About 183,000 would be my guess
Thanks for the link for the free ebook
Happy Holidays
BeckeyWhiteATgmailDOTcom
Lexie C
December 13, 2012 at 2:36 pm
I’m going to guess 674, 001! Thank you for The Sable City- looks great!!
lemongrassseeds at gmail dot com
ahthompson
December 13, 2012 at 5:44 pm
627,000 words.
tapestrywriter@gmail.com
Kathy867
December 13, 2012 at 9:46 pm
My guess is 564,888
medmcn
December 15, 2012 at 5:02 pm
CONGRATS KATHY!
Your answer was closest, however, I can’t figure out how to tell you so directly (when I click your name here it doesn;t go anywhere for me).
Feel free to e-mail me if you’d like to collect your winnings, my address is in the Conga Rats post: http://sablecity.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/congrats-2012-holiday-hop-winner/
- Ed
theauthorrwfoster
December 14, 2012 at 12:53 am
800K words.
Brenna
December 14, 2012 at 5:10 am
600,001
Lona Stringer
December 14, 2012 at 6:17 am
620,001, great contest. Thx
blinkysthebest at aol dot com
Gale Nelson
December 14, 2012 at 12:26 pm
I am guessing 566,374
pgan427@yahoo.com
Brittany C.
December 14, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Thank you for the amazing giveaway
I’m guessing 425,386 
S
December 14, 2012 at 8:14 pm
587,124
Alonna Shaw
December 14, 2012 at 10:17 pm
600,000 words! Fun. Happy Hop!
jonquil
December 14, 2012 at 11:16 pm
523,026
Kai W.
December 15, 2012 at 1:00 am
My guess: 589,879
medmcn
December 15, 2012 at 5:11 am
12:00 Midnight, EST – Saturday, 12/15 – Contest period expires.
Thanks very much to all who entered, and I will put together a post announcing the winner early tomorrow morning (so sleepy)
Be sure to check the main Hop page – http://holidaybloghop.blogspot.com/ – on Monday for the winners of all the Grand Prize packages, and thanks again for participating. Happy Holidays.
Ed McNally