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Contest is Closed!

Well Quirk fans, the holidays are here. And as we get ready to close up shop for the Winter, I'm going to run one giveaway a day up until we leave on break this Friday. So… welcome to Five Days of Quirkmas.

First up? A whole bunch of Smarts Co. card games.

Now, Quirk didn't make these cute games. We distributed them a few years ago, and we still have some around the office. Nicely packaged and cleverly designed, these quiz games dish out trivia on an array of subjects, and I've got copies of Sex Smarts, Wine Smarts, Baby Smarts, Paris Smarts, Chocolate Smarts and Coffee Smarts up for grabs. Each comes with 60 to 100 question and answer cards, a score pad, and a handy little guide on whatever topic the game covers.

How can you enter to win one? Just leave a comment (feel free to mention which game you'd prefer) or tweet this post while mentioning @quirkbooks. I'll select ten of you at random at the end of the week. Be sure to leave your email address in the comments, or I won't be able to contact you.

Check back tomorrow for another giveaway! Happy Holidays!

A few weeks ago, Neil Gaiman made a hilarious appearance on an episode of the Simpsons (pictured above, and as of this post, you can still watch it on Hulu). When Homer and his Ocean’s 11-esque assembled crew decide to team up and write a Young Adult novel, Gaiman jumps in to help make it happen. Unfortunately, the publisher tries to alter the story, and the gang of would-be-novelists (and a multiple award winning one) plan a heist to get it back and put the original in stores.

Quote of the episode? Gaiman exclaiming “I’ve heisted my way to the bestseller list once again. And the most brilliant part is… I don’t even know how to read!” Well, either that or Homer hoping they remember to “put in enough steampunk. Whatever that is.”

Anyhow, the episode got me thinking about other awesome authors cameos I’ve caught on the Simpsons. Lisa being dismissed by Amy Tan, Alan Moore with rippling muscles, Michael Chabon and Jonathan Franzen getting into a fight… ah, so many brilliant moments. I’ve rounded up my Top 10 here (in no particular order), though there are certainly many more. If I missed a favorite of yours, leave it in the comments!

Image via the Lisa Simpson Book Club Tumblr

1. Amy Tan: The celebrated author of The Joy Luck Club makes an appearance in the ‘Insane Clown Poppy’ episode, speaking at the Springfield Festival of Books.

Lisa tries to compliment Tan on her work, to which Tan hilariously responds “no, no, that’s not what I meant at all. I can’t believe how wrong you got it. Just sit down, I’m embarrassed for both of us.”

Stephen King also makes an appearance in this episode, cackling madly about a supposedly non-horror title he’s hard at work on.

2. Thomas Pynchon: This notoriously reclusive author actually made TWO appearances on the Simpsons. He pops up in the episodes Diatribe of a Mad Housewife (clip above), in which Marge writes a romance novel and he “provides” a quote, and All’s Fair in Oven War.

3. J.K. Rowling: I won’t lie to you, Quirk fans. I didn’t get into Harry Potter until fairly recently, when Broetry author Brian McGackin threatened not to speak to me until I read the entire series. I’m about halfway through Order of the Phoenix as of this posting, and thankfully, Brian and I are on speaking terms once again.

As a result though, this is probably my favorite author appearance on the Simpsons. I rediscovered it while looking up author cameos, and thanks to Brian, I can finally appreciate how funny it is.

Tempt your friends with this tantalizing spicy, sweet- sour sauce, perfect for dipping crispy Asian-inspired wontons. The zing in the tangy sauce compliments the scrumptious little treats packed with ground meat goodness. Make them ahead, pop them in the freezer and when the party starts, drop them in a hot pan for a quick, tempestuous treat.

What better way to get on everyone’s “nice” list for the holidays!

On a chilly Winter afternoon, a bunch of us at the Quirk Books HQ decided it was time to show our support for the Taft 2012 movement. We spent some time decorating our office with posters, bunting, and campaign signs. 

Oh, and we also shot a video! 

Want to decorate YOUR office with Taft 2012 decor? Visit the Taft 2012 website and learn how you can start your own local Taft party. 

Edgar Allan Bro by Joseph Toschlog

Back in July we announced a Broetry contest, asking broets and broettes in training to submit their own broems to our esteemed Broet Laurette, Brian McGackin.

Stacey Graham (soon to be a Quirk author with her upcoming Zombie Tarot) sent in a piece entitled Hello, My Name Is. “Dedicated to all the boys [she] dated with their hats turned backwards and unfortunate tribal arm tattoos,” this was Brian’s favorite of the bunch. So here it is.

Well done Stacey.

On Small Business Saturday, I spent a few hours in a very large business, a Barnes & Noble to be exact!

But in the spirit of “small,” I was there to facilitate some crafting sessions in support of Microcrafts, your go-to guide for teeny tiny DIY-ing. Barnes & Noble had set us up with some basic supplies and we came ready with a makeshift Christmas “tree” (lots of branches inside a vase) from which we hung many of the book’s crafts, including mini books, owls, houseplant macramé holders, quilled ornaments, and bottle caps.

After signing all of the store’s copies of Microcrafts, we got down to our small business: making one of the book’s projects, little greeting cards and envelopes by paper-pro Larissa Holland. Only 2 inches in size, these cards and envelopes are perfect for adorning your Christmas gifts or for slipping notes of the non-text-message variety.

All you need are some cardstock or wrapping paper and a little creativity! Well, and scissors and glue. Adults and kids alike enjoyed getting crafty amidst their book-shopping and Starbucks-sipping. Now if only the U.S. Post Office would let us mail these diminutive Christmas cards…

Check out some more pictures from the event on the Quirk Books Flickr page!