Every solution to every problem is simple. It’s the distance between the two where the mystery lies.” ― Derek Landy, Skulduggery Pleasant
Are you ready for a new giveaway? A new book meant a newsletter giveaway but also a giveaway here on One Writers Journal. The odds of winning are much better here on my online journal than in my newsletter giveaway although I am happy to hear from readers here, there, and everywhere.
Anyway, I do have some books to giveaway. The prize will be the winners’ choice of one of my books, including the new one A Chance for Kallie Mae. I enjoy giving away a books. The last few years, I have been doing a Mystery Photo Game to celebrate a new release. I tried to talk myself out of that this year since it’s not easy finding a true mystery photo although I haven’t done too badly over the years of doing this.
I looked in my archives to see if I could find when I did my first Mystery Photo game. I couldn’t find the first ones, but I was doing them in 2013. I had thought I probably started them when my Hidden Springs Mysteries were published, but I think I had done some even before that. But mysteries are fun. A new Hidden Springs mystery is the book most asked for by readers when I’m at a book event. Maybe someday I’ll get that mystery written.
Back to the drawing board, I’m talking about a different kind of mystery here. A light-hearted and nobody gets stabbed, shot, poisoned or shoved off a cliff mystery. No characters are to be harmed in anyway by this mystery photo game. Just some perfectly fine photos manipulated a bit (no AI though) to see if I can make them a mysterious guessing game. I kept some of my old mystery photos in a special file on my computer. Some of them I didn’t pair with the original photo at the time, and they are now a mystery to me!
Not only my Hidden Springs mysteries, but some of my other historical stories also have a mystery thread in them. Even one of my Shaker books, The Innocent. Then In the Shadow of the River begins with a mysterious happening and more mysterious events are sprinkled throughout the story.
However, A Chance for Kallie Mae, doesn’t have that mystery thread. Well, unless you count a feud between the two families or what actually happened to Kallie Mae’s grandmother that day when she went out digging ginseng roots and ended up at the bottom of a cliff. Accident? Or part of the feud?
Then there is the mystery of those words that Kallie Mae so wants to learn to read. That’s a mystery I would want to solve if I couldn’t read. I can and did imagine Kallie Mae not being able to read, but I have to be honest. I can’t imagine me not knowing how to read. What a different life I would have had!
Anyway, while I’m not sure I can come up with photos mysterious enough to trick any of you and it will be hard to top last year’s Mystery Photo Game where I tricked all of you on a couple of my mystery photos. But we’ll see. Up top is the first mystery photo in this year’s game. Right now I’m saying I will post five mystery pictures in the next couple of week here on One Writer’s Journal. If I can find those mysterious photos. The pressure is on for me!
The last mystery picture will be posted on June 7th. The deadline to enter will be midnight EST June 9, 2026. I will pick two winners by random drawing and contact them by email. Then I will share the winners’ first name and last name initial on my Wednesday post on June 10th.
To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on the post with your guess about what the picture is. It’s more fun if you don’t read everybody’s guesses until after you make your guess. Besides, they might be wrong. Besides again, you will be entered in the drawing whether you’re right or wrong. The guessing is just for fun.
You must be at least 18 years old to enter, but in the past, some of you have let your kids or grandkids help you figure out the mysteries of the photos. Each time I post a new mystery photo and you make a guess, right or wrong, about what it might be, you will get another entry in the drawing. Besides it’s fun to guess.
I will share the rest of the picture on the next blog post after I post a new mystery photo.
Comments 32
I think that looks like a dried hydrangea bloom. They look like that after a hard winter. 🙂
Author
You got it, Susan. I’ve already revealed the rest of the picture in Wednesday’s post along with the next mystery photo.
Author
Love it. Thanks for all the great guesses. Now for the rest of the story.
Fabric or pet hair
Looks like coral to me
That bottom left makes me think of a ground cherry.
It looks like burlap fibers to me, but then I’m always wrong . Blessings!
I think it looks like a dried flower or weed.
Author
I love seeing all of your thoughts about the mystery photo. My daughter actually sent me this picture some time ago to tell me to use it in my mystery photo game. Sometimes I’ll test one of my mystery photos out on them to see if it’s too easy. I don’t worry about it being too hard. LOL.
I’m glad you all are glad I decided to give the game another go and that you think it’s fun whether you get the right answers or not. Since we have a variety of answers this time, some of them are not going to be right. And I’m not ready to say whether any of them are right. You have to wait for Wednesday find that out.
I like your guesses, and Lavon, you definitely must have been hungry. 🙂 A toasted marshmallow. That took a little imagination. The spun sugar not as much. Not saying it’s right or wrong.
And Lee, I like your guess of frost flower. Sometimes I do use a picture that I have previously posted on my FB page. So we’ll see if you are on the right trail come Wednesday.
The rest of you are guessing various insect wings, spiderwebs, plants, flowers, dandelion puff, bows, tulle. All great guesses and some of you might even be right. Check back Wednesday to see the rest of the photo.