The third week winner is...

I can't believe publication day is so close now... just one more week! I'm thrilled with all the requests for bookmarks, stickers and postcards. I still have a few left, so e-mail me your request at deanna[at] deanna[dot]com if you'd like me to mail you some...

And the prize up for grabs this week is a belly dance necklace and earrings set, purchased from Artemis Imports at Raqs L.A. You probably know the drill by now, so here it goes:

Entries:

Winner:

Melody, I'm sending you an e-mail confirmation now...

Again, thanks to everyone who entered and if you didn't win this week, you'll automatically be included in next week's contest for a belly dance hip scarf [black shown, but other colors available].

Don't forget -- if you're planning to buy THE BELLY DANCER, Amazon and Barnes & Noble are offering a great discounts on the $14 retail price ($10.29 and $10.08, respectively) and are taking pre-orders that will ship on Tuesday.

A great review in The Chronicles

I was so delighted to open the summer issue of the popular belly dance magazine The Chronicles to find a wonderful two-page review of THE BELLY DANCER, by reviewer Karyana. The novel grew out of my love for belly dancing, which makes these accolades especially sweet.

Here are some highlights:

Ms. Cameron does a wonderful job of setting the tone of the book in late Victorian America. Her descriptions of the ornate houses, city streets, gas lamps, and even the smells of old Chicago, make the history of this particular era in America palpable.

[skip]

But what about the belly dancers, you ask? This is where Ms. Cameron shines – you hear the drums, oud and ney as they accompany the troupe of Ghawazee dancers playing their zills. You see the hip drops, should shimmies and hip circles ...

[skip]

Whew, this book has it all! ... As young women, as experienced women, as a dancer – you will love this book!

The second week winner is...

We had a lot of new entries this week for the Countdown to Publication contest for THE BELLY DANCER, so the competition was a little tougher. I'm not surprised, though. Who wouldn't want a free copy of the Bellydance Superstars' "The Art of Bellydance"? So, once again, here is my ultra-scientific random drawing process:

Entries:

Winner:

Diana Lindsay

Diana, I'm sending you an e-mail confirmation now...

Thank you to everyone who entered. Remember, if you didn't win this week, you'll automatically be included in next week's contest for this belly dance necklace and earrings set, purchased from Artemis Imports at Raqs L.A.

More on Cairo Caravan

Here's a pic of my friend Ed Lee (left) playing the frame drum for an impromptu performance by Rachel Brice at the Cairo Caravan drumming tent. Also drumming is, from left, Josh Fint and Donavon Lerman, while Andy DesChenes looks on.

You can also see a bunch of really great photos from the event at Lee Corkett's Weathervane Images site. Here's a peek at the gallery with a link at the bottom (thanks, Lee!):


090615-Cairo-#Highlights - Images by Lee Corkett

Cairo Caravan 2009

Cairo Caravan -- formerly known as Cairo Carnival -- made its debut at the Queen Mary in Long Beach this weekend after spending the past few years at the Santa Anita Racetrack (and before that at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, and before that at Rio Hondo College in Whittier... which to me is still the best venue ever). It's the biggest and best-known local belly dance festival, and this is the first time in years I've missed it. Having a newborn at home took precedence, though (BTW, Chloe turns 1 month old today! Yay!)

Anyway, I was disappointed to miss the event, but I received this great photo from my friend, the fabulous dancer Marlena Shaw, who performed a duet with Taji, another fabulous dancer, on Sunday just before 1 p.m. on the Luxor stage.

I asked her to share her thoughts on the new venue:

Well, the positive comments I have is that because it was on three levels, you weren't so tired at the end of the day from walking. However, it seemed like the vendors on the top floor got the most business. The bottom floor did great too - possibly because these floors had a stage. The middle floor didn't have a stage and it seemed not too many people were walking about that level. The stages were nice, the MCs were great. The dancing was great, good variety of styles.

The price to get in for non-members was too high. I think it was $18 as opposed to $5 for MECDA members. The food was bad, really bad. Sandwiches and salads. The dressing rooms were okay except the carpet was so gross your feet stuck to the floor - ugh! We just kept our sandals on until just before our time to dance. Also, the escalators were down and people who had any physical limitations were have difficulty.

I guess on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 6 or 7.

I've heard from a couple of other people who attended that they thought the price was a bit high, too, considering people had to pony up something like $8 to park in addition to the entry fee. But everyone said they were impressed with the stages and general set-up. All in all, it sounds like it was mostly a success for its first time in the new location -- with maybe some room for improvement if MECDA decides to stay there next year.

And I'll be there next year no matter what. (Maybe Chloe will even be able to shimmy by then!)

Week 2: Countdown to Publication contest

Only 20 days to go till publication day for THE BELLY DANCER...

This week's prize is a copy of the Bellydance Superstars' "The Art of Bellydance" CD, featuring 13 tracks that include Oojami's "Chicky," Beats Antique's "Rabat," Issam Houshan's "Mumbai Revisted," and Turbo Tabla's "Saidi Song." It's a great album for listening and dancing.

And of course the winner will also receive an assortment of bookmarks, stickers, postcards and two signed bookplates for THE BELLY DANCER for yourself and to share with friends :-)

If you haven't already entered, pop over to http://www.deannacameron.com/ and click on Enter the Contest...


Good luck!

The first week winner is...

Thanks to everyone who entered to win the first week prize for the Countdown to Publication contest for THE BELLY DANCER! Here is my very official and scientific drawing process:

The entries:

The winner:

Desdemona

Desdemona, I'm sending you an e-mail now to get your mailing address and your preferences on the T-shirt...

Remember, if you didn't win this week, you will automatically be entered in next week's contest. If you haven't entered yet, visit http://www.deannacameron.com/ and follow the link dubbed Enter the Contest.

I'll post more about that prize tomorrow :-)

The Countdown to Publication Contest

With the publication date for THE BELLY DANCER less than a month away and positive reviews already rolling in, I’m in the mood to celebrate. And what better way to do that than to give away free stuff?

For the next four weeks, I’ll be holding a “Countdown to Publication” drawing on Tuesday afternoons to give away one of four prize packages. The first drawing will be held the afternoon of June 16, and up for grabs is a belly dance screened shirt, as well as THE BELLY DANCER postcards, stickers and book plates.

The T-shirt is a 100% cotton crew neck shirt from Dancing Rahana belly dance boutique, and the winner can choose from several colors and sizes: white and with pink accents (see photo) in small and extra large; hot pink with black accents in small and medium; white with black accents in small, medium, large and extra large; gray with black accents in small, medium, large and extra large; and black with white accents in small and medium.

To enter, visit http://www.deannacameron.com/, and click on “Enter the Contest.” A winner will be randomly selected, and all entrants will automatically be entered in the subsequent contests, with the exception of the winner. Limit of one weekly prize per person.

Good luck!

Interviewed about THE BELLY DANCER

Here's a video that a couple of Orange Coast College students did in conjunction with the school's newspaper on the upcoming release of my novel, THE BELLY DANCER, with some footage from Angelika Nemeth's OCC belly dance class thrown in because she has been a tremendous influence on me.

Next time I'm interviewed -- if there's a next time :-) -- I have a long list of things I would do differently. But it was a great learning experience, that's for sure.

http://www.coastreportonline.com/articles/2009/05/28/video/news05belly.txt