HOLIDAY BLOG HOP!!! Ho, ho, ho. (In a good way…)
Hello, I’m M. Edward McNally, and Welcome to the sablecity’s stop on the 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 three books: The Sable City, Death of a Kingdom, and The Wind from Miilark.
Book III, The Wind from Miilark, weighs in at a trim 119,738 words. My question for anyone interested is easy:
How many words was the first draft?
Feel free to leave a guess here as a comment, and at the conclusion of the blog hop, I will (using a careful process of addition and subtraction) calculate the three closest answers (guessing higher or lower doesn’t matter, so go nuts). The closest SINGLE guess will win e-copies of all three books in the series, while the next TWO closest will win e-copies of Book One (or any of the three). Copies will be provided by me in any of the normal ways’ either directly via Kindle “gift” or via Smashwords coupons for all other e-readers.
In addition, the “grand prize” winner from the blog will be entered to win the overall prize, as described on the main page of the Holiday Hop
Thanks again for taking part, Happy Holidays to you and yours, and as I always say: Thanks for reading.
Ed McNally
sablecity 
Natalie Cleary
December 15, 2011 at 11:16 am
My guess is 123,432 words.
The Sable City is 974 KB, Death of a Kingdom is 1054 KB, The Wind From Miilark is 816 KB so The Sable City isnt that much bigger. Im probably way off though!! Thanks for the chance. Ive added them to my wish list weather I win or not.
David W. Christian
December 15, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Im guessing your book weighed in at 133,940 word in the draft.
David W. Christian
December 15, 2011 at 2:43 pm
thanks
Julie Jansen
December 15, 2011 at 3:18 pm
Here’s my guess about the word count…102,786 (?) 🙂
So nice to meet you during the Holiday Hop! I wish you a wonderful holiday season!
Julie
julie.jansen(at)yahoo(dot)com
Cheryl Bradshaw (@cherylbradshaw)
December 15, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Love your hop contest, Ed…and lovely site, btw 🙂
Free Book Reviews (@arobbinsiii)
December 15, 2011 at 5:09 pm
Everyone needs to enter. Come on readers these are all great books by wonderful Indie Authors.
Reminder to all authors I list books on my forum so feel free to go to my blog and message me a link to your book.
CameliaMironSkiba
December 15, 2011 at 5:11 pm
I’m guessing about 250k… BTW, the photo with the snow and trees very lovely… is not in Phoenix for sure, but probably around Flagstaff or so… right?
Stepshep
December 15, 2011 at 6:55 pm
200k words
Ty Hutchinson
December 15, 2011 at 7:07 pm
The answer is 178,359 words. I might be off by one.
Kate
December 15, 2011 at 7:28 pm
Ooo! Has anyone claimed 125,000 words yet? * puts my money on the table *
Kelley Johnsen
December 15, 2011 at 7:43 pm
I am guessing…..187,178. 🙂 I know how a story can just run away with you and then you have to cut things out. I am looking forward to reading these stories they sound amazing! Thank you!
izaboe
December 15, 2011 at 7:53 pm
I’ll go with 121,342 (I had to put 42 in there somewhere).
medmcn
December 15, 2011 at 7:54 pm
Well, 42 *is* the answer to everything. 😉
Jesse Kimmel-Freeman
December 15, 2011 at 8:29 pm
136427 :0)
onipar
December 15, 2011 at 8:29 pm
225,000. Why the hell not. Happy hopping!
zanza
December 15, 2011 at 10:55 pm
I’m from blog hop and i think it was about 190,100 words.
Nick Wilford
December 15, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Came here from the holiday hop. I’ll say 154,723.
Penelope Crowe
December 16, 2011 at 12:26 am
OK–going for 97,000.
Very nice site and thanks for the contest! 🙂
Author Lynn Hubbard
December 16, 2011 at 1:17 am
hmmmm…………. 130,317
books4me
December 16, 2011 at 1:24 am
My guess is 120,000.
Thank you for participating in the giveaway!
books4me67 at ymail dot com
Kimberly
December 16, 2011 at 1:28 am
300,000
Gena Robertson
December 16, 2011 at 2:10 am
Hmm, I’m going to go with 163,759 words!
Thank you for participating in the giveaway – and this is really a fun way to give us a random chance to win. I love it!
ALAN NAYES
December 16, 2011 at 5:51 am
close to what The Sable City finished draft was–around 180,001!
linda
December 16, 2011 at 6:08 am
183,000?
Dawn Doyle
December 16, 2011 at 7:25 am
My guess is that the first draft of Book III, The Wind from Miilark was 161,459 words.
*Loves guessing*
-Dawn aka dawnmomoffour
SandyG265
December 16, 2011 at 1:06 pm
135,000 words
RG Porter
December 16, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Happy friday and holiday hop”!!” You write about as long as I do 🙂 Guess? 126750 I’m off to the next.
Kelli Spear (@ChiKelli1)
December 16, 2011 at 6:30 pm
My guess is 127,834! Happy Holidays!!
Bridget Bowers
December 17, 2011 at 3:28 am
I’m going to guess 124,284
Christina F. Busby (@Christynjosh04)
December 17, 2011 at 7:18 am
My guess will be 90,000 words. Most authors go up in word count not down.
Melissa Smith
December 17, 2011 at 2:47 pm
Ha! Love it! Want to join in a scavenger hunt? Then follow me to my Holiday Hop! http://wp.me/P1tm4H-bc Come on! Let’s have some hoppin’ good fun!
Stephanie Abbott
December 17, 2011 at 3:17 pm
400,000 … plus.
Rachel Strong (@RM_Strong)
December 17, 2011 at 3:45 pm
I would have to say…. 145, 271 (the word count for my own novel). 🙂
medmcn
December 26, 2011 at 5:01 am
Congrats Rachel, your guess was closest to the actual answer of 144,122, my novel was just a bit shorter than yours. 🙂 I will hit your twitter with my e-mail, and if you’d like to let me know your preferred method of e-book delivery, I’ll be getting you copies of all three volumes of the Norothian Cycle. 🙂
Carli Spurr
December 17, 2011 at 5:58 pm
289,003 is my word count guess…odd number but then it’s been my experience that the weird guesser on Price Is Right is always the winner. 🙂
Janel
December 18, 2011 at 12:54 am
I’ll guess 134,973. What a fun giveaway for the blog hop!
Kathryn
December 18, 2011 at 2:24 am
An interesting trivia question for us to answer. My best guess would be 147,861 words.
medmcn
December 26, 2011 at 5:22 am
Good news/bad news situation, Kathryn. The good news, your guess was third closest, and so you won an ebook!
Bad news, I have no idea how to tell you so. If you can read this, please contact me here or via e-mail at medwardmcnally (at) cox (dot) net, and I will certainly get your prize to you.
– Ed
Craig Smith (@CraigWFSmith)
December 18, 2011 at 3:42 pm
My guess is 127,348
JeanP
December 18, 2011 at 5:01 pm
What a great trivia question. My guess is 152,345
jennifer gruenberg
December 18, 2011 at 5:26 pm
My guess is 134124.
Sonia Remo Ait
December 20, 2011 at 5:38 am
138,694
Happy holidays to you and yours!
Sonia
mamaelk1113 at gmail dot com
Jolea M. Harrison
December 20, 2011 at 2:32 pm
My guess is 132,358
Happy Holidays to you
Jolea
Heather Cox
December 20, 2011 at 6:48 pm
im guessing 152,438!
Chaille Bos
December 21, 2011 at 11:21 am
I am going to guess that you decided to chop your book in half 🙂
so my guess is 239,476.
Kitty Sutton
December 21, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Here is my entry for the Blog Hop, 183365.
Kate
December 21, 2011 at 8:50 pm
150,000… maybe?
stef shortridge
December 22, 2011 at 12:18 pm
219,000
Linda Henderson
December 22, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Boy, thats a tough one. I’d say around 175,050
seriousreader at live dot com
Meghan Page
December 22, 2011 at 4:05 pm
My guess is 200,001 Bob! (wait, we are playing price is right, right??)
hee hee Thanks for the Giveaway!!! Here’s hoping!
meghan_L_P at hotmail dot com
Sara M
December 22, 2011 at 4:11 pm
189,848
busticatedbanana@hotmail.com
Cayce
December 22, 2011 at 8:25 pm
I’m saying 220,000 😀
cayce006 at yahoo dot com
Suzy Thompson
December 23, 2011 at 12:16 am
157,230
Joder
December 23, 2011 at 4:03 am
Alrighty, I’ll guess 179,055
joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
Krysykat
December 23, 2011 at 8:31 am
Hmmmmm *taps chin in thought* my guess is 150,636 🙂
Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com
teressaoliver@gmail.com
December 23, 2011 at 3:24 pm
I am going to guess 141, 795
teressaoliver at gmail dot com
Arthur Caudill
December 24, 2011 at 12:29 am
My guess is 136,202. Thanks
C. Martinez
December 24, 2011 at 6:31 am
Am guessing 195000 words. Cheshireink at gmail dot com
voraciousreader
December 24, 2011 at 6:41 am
I’ll guess 201,453.
Happy Holidays to all!!
thewildtwo {@} sbcglobal {DOT} net
Shadow
December 24, 2011 at 9:15 pm
Hi! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway! Very fun! My guess: 136,459. Thank you for the fun!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
Pamela Jo
December 26, 2011 at 12:20 am
Okay , if it was me it would have been about 175,092., before I relived I have put in a couple of chapters twice and repeated the words the, and and if at least 2 times in every 10th paragraph.
Pamela Jo
medmcn
December 26, 2011 at 4:39 am
Thanks to all who entered, the number picking IS NOW CLOSED. I will be posting the winners here on the blog shortly as soon as I get my slide rule fired up. 🙂
BTW, the first draft of The Wind from Miilark was 144,122 words.