You all are just too smart for me. Even when I’m trying to stop being Mr. Nice Guy and pull out all the stops to trick you with a mystery picture, most of you still come up with the answer. Some of you must have grown up on a farm the way I did. I thought sure you’d think they were flower petals or something. But you even knew the right word for the mystery picture. Rooster wattle. Some of you said rooster comb and that wasn’t exactly right, but very close.
Here is the mystery photo and the rest of the photo too. I was really hoping that little bit of the rooster’s beak might fool you, but the question is, did you even notice his beak? Oh well, us country folk have sharp eyes and know a rooster wattle when we see one. LOL. Maybe I should have done a close-up of the rooster’s tail feathers instead. You do have to admit he’s a handsome guy even if he does look like he might like to pe
ck me if I get any closer.
Now we’re down to the last mystery picture before I draw for the three winners and reveal the lucky ones on next Sunday’s post. Winners will get their choice of one of my books, including my new Hidden Springs mystery, Murder at the Courthouse. The reviews are beginning to show up on Amazon and other places. Most have been very nice, or at least the ones I’ve dared to read. Reading reviews can be an iffy thing for authors. It’s too late to change anything and the readers and reviewers either like your story or don’t. So sometimes I read them and sometimes I don’t.
I did spot one review unlike any I’d ever noticed for my other books. The reviewer listed all the things in the book that anyone might conceivably find offensive. And also gave the number of times each potentially offensive item was in the story. It was quite a list. I have to be honest. I had no idea some of those things the reviewer found worth noting would be any kind of problem to anyone. For example, the the reviewer noted that someone in the story scratched his backside. You know it had to be a he. Certainly none of my sweet female characters would do such a thing. lol. Actually, I can’t recall any of my characters scratching their posteriors in the story, but I suppose they did since the reviewer flagged it in the book. So if you’ve read Murder at the Courthouse and that offended you, I apologize. It’s not very polite to scratch your posterior in public. But one of my characters must not have been worried about being polite. Either that or he wasn’t aware readers were watching.
I guess that’s how I feel when I’m writing. I don’t think about the reader watching. The story just happens. But I did have to admire that reviewer’s careful assessment of the story. The disappointing part for me was that if the reviewer was counting all those things, that meant he or she wasn’t really into the story. As a writer, I want the words to disappear while the story plays out in the reader’s imagination.
So now it’s time for you to use your imagination and guess this last mystery picture. At least this time. I’m sure we’ll play mystery picture games again. Remember, even if you’ve already guessed on the other photos, you get a new entry guessing on this one. I know. Sigh. You’ll all figure this one out too. I tried three or four different pictures and finally decided I might as well give up. You guys are just so observant. I almost put two mystery pictures up just to try to confuse you. 🙂 But if you can’t figure it out, an “I don’t know” gets you an entry too. You do have to be 18 to enter, but you can let your kids and grandkids help you figure out the mystery. The winners will be chosen by random drawing and is open to all.
Thanks for reading and for playing my mystery photo game! Oh, and I really do appreciate those who read and review my books. If you’ve posted a review for me, I thank you so much.
Comments 46
This looks like the grain on a hardwod floor or table with sun reflecting on it from a window.
Author
That’s been a popular guess, Deanne. We’ll see if it’s right when I do the big picture reveal on Sunday. And pick the winners too. Good luck.
cedar grain background
light is from those old flash cameras
Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
(at first glance it looks like a flame ~ photo upside down and not seeing the candle?)
Author
Great guesses, Kathleen. Maybe right. Maybe not. But thanks for dropping by and imagining what it might be. Always fun to hear from you.
It looks like a beautiful sun reflection off of the water.
Author
Sounds beautiful anyway, doesn’t it, Lillian? Sunday will see the answer to the puzzle to tell if you’re right or wrong and which of you won books.
I think this is a sunbeam on a puddle or a birdbath.
Author
Nice guess, Patricia. Could be right. Could be wrong. We shall see when the mystery photo is revealed on Sunday. Thanks for playing my mystery puzzle game.
It looks like sun glaring off the ocean water in a cove where there is seaweed floating. Your pictures have been great. Thanks for the chance to win. Have a blessed day.
Author
Lovely descriptive guess, Deborah. Whether it’s right or wrong, it’s certainly given us a picture to imagine. Come back Sunday to see if you’re right and if you’re a winner. Glad you’ve enjoyed the picture mysteries.
I think it looks like the sun reflecting on beautiful wood floors. 😃
Author
Great guess, Ronda. Not saying it’s right. Not saying it’s wrong. Can’t reveal the mystery solution too soon. Thanks for dropping by. 🙂 Maybe you’ll win a book!
I know it looks like a wooden pattern; such as flooring and a reflection or something spilled. This is a mind puzzler; which makes you such a good writer. Thank you for always keeping your readers on their toes with your imagination. I enjoy your books and posts because it allows us to relax from all the negativity in the world.
Author
At last, someone says I’ve got a mind puzzler going with my mystery pictures, Susan. That’s making me smile. I worked hard on this one after almost everybody got that rooster picture. Of course, almost everybody could be getting this one too. We’ll see on Sunday.
So glad you’ve enjoyed my stories and my posts here too. Thanks for telling me that. I like to call the glass half full. Some people accuse me of being too optimistic. But why not?
Sun shining on a table.
Author
Thanks for dropping by with another guess, Ola. Always good to see your comments. I’ll show the rest of the picture on Sunday.
My first thought was sun reflecting off the water or ocean, but the yellowish brown part looks like it might have grain or straight lines, so I’ll say sun reflecting through a glass window or door on to a wooden floor. Or maybe a candle flame reflecting off of a table would be another guess. I seem to be saying what everyone else has said, but this is what it looks like to me too.
Author
You’re supposed to guess what you think, Connie. We’ll see if you and everybody else that has said a similar answer are right come Sunday when you’ll see the rest of the picture.
I sent the book you won on Michael’s interview on Margaret’s blog. At least, I’m guessing you are the same Connie.
Yes I am the same one, thank you so much, I can’t wait to start reading it!
Author
Hope you enjoy the story!
A mirage on a desert or sandy beach?
I want to read the ‘negative’ reviewer’s comments. What are y’all talking about ?
(I”m so nosy)
Author
A mirage. I like the say you think, Nancy. Not saying you’re thinking right or wrong, but just that you’ve got some good thinking going on. I don’t really remember where I saw the review. Maybe Goodreads. Maybe Amazon. Maybe Christianbook.com. If you read it, you might decide there are way too many iffy things in my book. I about decided that myself after reading it. LOL. But what is written is written. I’ll guarantee I’ll never have another character scratching where he maybe shouldn’t without thinking about that review.
Looks like oil painting of a sunset or reflection on the water.
Author
Great guess, Darlene. Could be right. Could not be right. I’ll reveal the rest of the picture on Sunday. Thanks for stopping by with a comment. You have another entry in the drawing.
I think this is the ocean viewed through a yellow prism.
OR, a linoleum floor with the sun shining through, lol.
Author
Hi, Loretta. I like your guesses. I’ve had some interesting linoleum floors in my time. Sunshine would have helped them.
It’s the sun setting reflected off a wet beach 🙂
Don’t worry about that reviewer – some people just have to find fault with everything.
Author
Thanks for your guess on the mystery picture, Flora. And I’m not worried about the reviewer. I appreciate her careful study of my book. She or he was just trying to help out readers by letting them know there might be something in the book that would bother a gentle reader. And the reviewer did it well. Found things in the book that I forgot I wrote. But I appreciate your encouraging words.
Sunrise or sunset on the ocean is my guess for this picture. I had never heard of a Rooster waddle. I had never really thought of that part having a name. I did know the topknot was called his comb.
Nope I think I figured it out. Light reflecting on a wooden ceiling .
Author
Great guesses, Barbara. You’ll have to wait until Sunday to see if they were right guesses. LOL.
I just looked up the definition for “wattle.” It is that part of the bird or chicken hanging down as in my picture. It’s also poles woven together to make a framework for a building or for a roof to hold up the thatch. Learn something new every day.
I’m guessing candle light reflecting on a wooden table.
Author
Great guess, Lucy. Come Sunday you can find out if it is also a right guess. 🙂 Till then we have to keep the mystery going.
This is one of the hardest ones and first i thought was water and then sun coming off it . No the coloring is all wrong so then i thought it was as you look outside of a window no I am going with taking a picture of your floor and the sun coming in thru the window.
That is so sad that people leave very negative reviews i have left a review that says the few chapters were slow but after that it was great or something like that but in all the years i have left reviews mine have been 99% nice its the way people should be since an author takes so much time in writing and some may feel diff and love the book so but to leave a bad review they should mess the author and discuss the problems i guess would be the nice way.
Author
Hi, Peggy. Good guess. Maybe right. Maybe not. The mystery has to be unsolved for a few more days. LOL.
The review wasn’t really negative. Well, not completely anyway. Just very detailed. I don’t mind the negative reviews. It’s impossible to write a book that everybody likes. Impossible for me, at least. I see some authors that get nothing but 5 star great reviews. I try not to be envious. But a reviewer is supposed to give his or her honest opinion. So, really, I’m just grateful for each favorable review I do get and very thankful for reading friends like you who read my books and play my guessing games.
It looks like a hardwood flooring with a white light reflecting on it from the sun maybe?
Author
Great guess, Janet. Not revealing the mystery yet to say it’s right or wrong, but I’m glad you came by and left a guess. Sunday is the big reveal! I may also have another big reveal that night besides the winners and the rest of the photo.
The sun reflecting into the water turning it into a Golden Pond.
Author
Wonderful guess, Juanita. Not saying it’s right or wrong, but love the poetic sound of your guess. Sunday the mystery will be solved and the winners picked. Thanks for playing my guessing game.
I think, this looks like a bright light reflecting off a piece of cedar wood….maybe a cedar chest with a keyhole (the white part)
Actually, you have stumped me 😊
The negative ‘reviewer’ is not to be taken seriously…..one of the things I like about your books, is how you make the characters so real….flaws included…..nothing offensive in any of your books.
MURDER at the COURT HOUSE is no exception….loved the characters and story!
Author
Thanks, Marji. I appreciate your vote of confidence that nothing offensive was in my books. But as the old saying goes, different strokes for different folks. So glad you enjoyed my mystery and hope you’ll enjoy the two upcoming Hidden Springs stories too.
That’s an interesting guess on the mystery picture. Can’t reveal if it’s right or wrong until Sunday! But the guess gets you entered again in the drawing.
Oh no, this doesn’t seem easy to me. Sunshine on water but water isn’t yellow! Didn’t know the correct term for the rooster thingy, they’re too scary. Still laughing about the posterior reference, must have been Lester. It is sad the reviewer (can’t be called a reader) missed a great story. Blessings!
Author
Glad to finally get one you didn’t think was easy, Linda. I spent way too much time searching for a photo that might finally be a big mystery!
That rooster looked like he could make you think twice about getting too close, that’s for sure. As for the scratching reference, I may have to do a word search on my manuscript to see who was the actual culprit. 🙂