Thursday, October 7, 2010

Making Wishes

[EDIT: Thanks for all the wonderful guesses. This was a lot of fun for me and hopefully some fun for you! Sorry it has taken me so long to post the winners but yesterday was extremely busy in New York. So, officially, I am 33 years old. The first three people to guess officially guess that age were Hannah, Cylver, and Midnight Princess. Email me your name and shipping address to Jocelynn DOT drake AT gmail DOT com to claim your prize.]


My monthly blog posting has managed to sneak up on me amid revisions to the sixth book in the Dark Days series and preparations for my trip to the New York Comic Con. I find myself struggling for a topic so I'm going to divulge a dark secret. Something that I have generally guarded closely from all but my closest of friends and family.

Today is my birthday. Yep, I unwittingly chose the seventh of every month to write my blog post for Supernatural Underground simply because it seemed rare for me to be traveling at that time. For some reason, all conferences and out-of-town appointments tended to fall in the middle or the end of the month. It honestly didn't occur to me that I had chosen the date of my birth to be one of my blog entries.

So, today I'm going to talk about birthday wishes. These are something that I take very seriously. Every year for as long as I can remember, my mother has baked me a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. My family gathers around and sings "Happy Birthday" as badly as possible. And trust me, they are getting really good at being really bad. And then I make a wish before blowing out the growing numbers of candles.

I look back and I remember that there were some years that I simply wished to be happy, but then those were some dark years. However, most the time, it was the same wish over and over again -- I wished to be published. Writing has been my heart and soul for so much of my life that I wished on candles, shooting stars, and pennies in a fountain that my words would one day be read by others. That's not to say that I didn't also work my butt off to also make it happen, but I like to think that all that hard wishing also helped to add a special magical aspect to it all.

Now that I've accomplished that mean feat, I have to come up with a new wish. I think I've got one, but I obviously can't share it or it may never happen. However, I will share with you an impossible wish that I have. I wish I could sit down and have a long dinner with my main characters Mira and Danaus. (Perferrably when they are both in a good mood and not fighting with each other.) Both creatures are not only something other than human, but also centuries old. I would love to hear from their mouths their thoughts on the world, humanity, and the struggles they've been through, including the people they have loved and lost. I want to hear about their dreams and fears. And for reason, something in me yearns to actually hear their laughter and see them in person as they gaze across the table at each other as they share a private joke. In them are deep layers of love and loss and desperation and hope. I only wish I could see it in person, because I think it would truly be a beautiful thing.

It may be my birthday, but I am happy to to give away the gifts. The first person to guess my correct age as of October 7, 2010 will receive a signed copy of Pray for Dawn and Wait for Dusk. To be fair, I have included a picture of myself that was taken within the last year with minimal photoshopping involved. Leave an guess of my age and a name for the entry. I will announce the winner in this blog entry as soon as I see the right age pop up. I AM TRUSTING YOU TO MAKE AN ACTUAL GUESS AND NOT TRY RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET (AKA CHEATING). Good luck!

52 comments:

Mysteriousrose said...

Hi Jocelynn

Happy Birthday my guess is 32? sorry I really don't know.
I hope you have a great day.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to say 28 simply because it feels like the right answer.

Steven Gatlin

Jeremy said...

I'm going to guess 35.

I hope I didn't just ruin your birthday.

Happy Birthday!

Unknown said...

33

elaing8 said...

my guess 34

Happy Birthday!!!

susan said...

happy birthday!!! hopefully wont insult u but im gonna say 36 .... hope u have a good day

Unknown said...

37 like me?

Crystal @ RBtWBC said...

Happy Birthday and have fun in NY! I'm gonna guess 29. I went back to look at a picture from a signing. =)But I'm horrible at guessing ages.

Coast to Coast with Costina said...

Happy Birthday!!!
My guess is 30 :D.

Jocelynn Drake said...

No guess will insult me, I promise. This was just a little fun with my strange sense of humor. Have fun with it! Keep guessing and I'll try to dig up more than one set of books to give away.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!!

I will try 38? :-)

Mette Jensen

Terri Garey said...

First of all, Joce, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Second of all, I'm going to naturally assume that you're my age, which is 30. *cough*

(Forever. No matter what my driver's license says!)

Yep, 30. :-)

Lea @ The Yearning Mermaid said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sharon S. said...

I want to go with 43 cause that is my age;) But for some reason something in the back of my head is saying 41. so.......I flipped a coin .

41
have fun in NY!

Lea @ The Yearning Mermaid said...

I correct myself since the answer I gave is already there ;-)

My guess now: 31 :)

And again: have a nice day!

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday!!

I would guess you are 39

Cathy M said...

You look like you are still in your 30's Miss Jocelyn, so I will guess 36.

Happy a fabulous day.

caity_mack at yahoo dot com

CrystalGB said...

Happy Birthday. Hope you have a great day. My guess is 32. :)

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! You don't look it, but i will guess 46. Have a spectacular day!! :)

amandapanco@yahoo.com

Spav said...

Happy Birthday!

My guess is 42.

Sullivan McPig said...

my guess would be 27
Happy birthday btw!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!!! (",)

I'm going to say, um, 40 :)

Book Chatter Cath said...

Happy Birthday from NZ
I'm going to guess...er, um, 35??
You look great anyway, and I'm jealous of the hair colour...much better than blah brown.
Thanks for the blog and contest=)

Giada M. said...

Happy Birthday! :D
You look very young like my mother, so my guess is 50. :)

fabgiada (at) gmail (dot) com

Cylver said...

Normally, I would never attempt to guess a woman's age. I mean, if there were a book called How Not to Win Friends and Influence People, that would be at the top of the list! However, since you're asking, I'll guess...33?

Jessica @ a GREAT read said...

Oh I hate this game! Of course people sorely underestimate my own age, so I'll take a stab at it.

...37?

Regardless...

Happy Birthday!

Patricia Lynne said...

I was going to say 33 but after staring at your pic (yes i really did stare closely) I'm gonna say 26. I can't see you being over 35 but all the thirties have been guessed and I know very well that ppl don't always look their age (i get mistaken for early twenties all the time and I'm in my late twenties)

Karen said...

Since my birthday is in 13 days & I'm going to be 48, I'll guess....48! (Not that you look 48 for goodness sake!)

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

I'll guess what I always say. 21. I only have anniversaries of my 21st... so I'm always 21. ;)

*yadkny* said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maritza De La Luz said...

I'm guessing 33 years of age.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Barbara E. said...

My guess is 35, 'cause that's the first number that popped into my head so I'm going with it. Whatever your age, I'd like to wish you a very Happy Birthday.

Steven said...

Ok, someone must have guessed by now! I think she's just torturing us by delaying the answer.

Of course, it IS her birthday, so she's entitled.

Van Pham said...

Happy birthday!

My guess is 44.

Helen Lowe said...

Happy Birthday, Jocelynn (no guessing for me!)

TracyW said...

Happy birthday! I will be 34 on October 11 so that is my guess for your age to.

Wenj said...

I would guess about 36...I definitely don't see you being any older then that and I completely suck when it comes to guessing ages LOL But, that's how old my friend is and she has the same looks as you, red hair and all.

Happy birthday though, regardless of the number...it's how old you feel, not the actual age!! :D

Casey H said...

I don't think anyone has said my guess yet which is 39!

c4caseyATcomcastDOTnet

Justine R said...

Could it be 47?

Justine.Rychlik[AT]gmail[DOT]come

GB said...

Happy birthday!

With your fabulous skin, and the itty laugh lines, I'd go with 38.

Hope you had a great day!

*yadkny* said...

How about...
33?

Bella@BeguileThySorrow said...

Happy Birthday Jocelynn :D
I'm gonna go with 37, though from that pic it looks like u could be anywhere in the spectrum of 28-40 lol

Onge said...

Happy Birthday!! You don't look it, but I am going to guess 45.

Onge

Sweet Rachel! said...

I want to say 31. You have no Laugh lines, I do not see any grays, or crows feet, which do not usually show up in mid 30's. Happy Birthday!

mariska said...

Happy Birthday !!

my guess will be 40 ?

Katherine Hazen said...

Hmmm...somebody's already guessed it, but I think 31.

Brenda Hyde said...

Happy Birthday! Sorry I missed saying it yesterday-- I hear you on those wishes, and how some years the wish can be simple as wanting to be happy:) I'm glad those years have passed for you-- and for me too.

Guessing your age-- I'm 50, and I know you aren't that old. LOL I was going to say 29 because my mom was that age for a long time-- I guess it stalls there for a bit:)

Cherry said...

Happy birthday Jocelyn!!!!

Numbers 27 to 48 has basically been mentioned so it ought to hit it there somewhere... that means I am too late to win. But, I still want a shot at that Pray For Dawn and Wait For Dusk, so I am going to make a guess. And I will cheat a little bit... I made the crazy effort of tallying the guesses and the most guess was 33 with five people mentioning it so far... Logically, I ought to guess 33 too because if most people think that then there must be something 33-ish they saw in it, right? But... I honestly don't think Jocelyn looks 33. She's more like 36 to me. And I would be the 4th person to say that... *there goes Pray For Dawn and Wait For Dusk winging away from me*....

Re-posted your contest at: http://contests-freebies.blogspot.com/2010/10/win-pray-for-dawn-wait-for-dusk-at.html

Cherry Mischievous
cherrymischif-warrior [at] yahoo [dot] com

Unknown said...

Happy birthday Jocelyn! Sorry I'm tardy!
Heather

nymfaux said...

Happy Birthday!!!! My best friend's B-Day is the 7th, too!!! And mine is the 9th--I've been a little worried about 30--but you make 33 look awesome!!!!

Mel Teshco said...

Happy Birthday,
I'm going to have a stab and say 42, I sooo hope I'm right!!!

Cherry said...

Yay! Congratulations to the winners!!! Happy reading!!