NOTE: My week-long Kindness Contest has ended. But I hope to provide more opportunities for bookish freebies, so I hope you’ll check in here regularly!

Hello, friends. I’m still a bit high from all of yesterday’s book-birthday goodwill — thank you so much to everyone who voiced (and continues to voice) their congratulations and support for THE INFAMOUS RATSOS. Like Louie and Ralphie, you are all so nice and thoughtful and generous and helpful — I look forward to returning the favor someday.

And perhaps that “someday” is now. I know you’re all curious to know who won my Kindness Contest, so here’s who won…EVERYONE! That’s right. If you commented on my blog over the past week, whether it was to recount an example of your kindness, to praise my entries about my creative inspirations, or to congratulate me on the INFAMOUS RATSOS release, YOU WILL GET A SIGNED BOOK. Here are the names of the winners:

Lovie Howell

Patrice Jackson

Anna Craig

Rob McDonald

Michelle Perron

Cathy Ballou Mealey

Robin Arehart

Clara Gillow Clark

Rebecca Reynolds

Stanley and Connie Gorzelany

Claire Bobrow

Carolyn Davis

Tracy Abell

If you haven’t already, please be sure to email me at karalareau@me.com with your mailing address, so I can get the book (and the Ratsos swag) out to you ASAP. I feel a bit like Oprah — “You get a signed book, and you get a signed book, and YOOOUUU GET A SIIIGNED BOOOOOK!” That can only be a good thing, right?

Thanks again — for being kind, for being supportive, and for being YOU.