Talk Like A Pirate Contest

Most pirates routinely plunder and pillage and all that nasty stuff, and have earned the reputation of being an overall mean and grumpy lot with bad teeth. However, pirates are people, too!

Harvest House is pleased to announce the Talk Like A Pirate Contest—Reach Out to a Pirate and Win! Winners will receive copies of The Trophy Chase Trilogy by George Bryan Polivka, and other pirate-related books! Arrgghh! *The rules are simple me hearties! Write a short essay/message (200 words or less) on how you would positively impact a pirate’s life through one or more of the following actions:

a) Friendship/Fellowship (invite a pirate to an activity, outing, concert, church)
b) Prayer
c) Persuasion (as in persuading them to consider another line of work altogether!)

Arrgghh! All you have to do is write up yer message, and submit it between August 20 and Sept. 17 to: talklikeapiratecontest@harvesthousepublishers.com. Make sure to include yer email address and a good phone number (for verification and contact purposes only). Savvy?! We’ll make ye walk the plank if ye submit more than one entry, so if ye wants to avoid an untimely visit to Davey Jones’ Locker, pay attention ye land lubbers and follow the orders o’ yer fearless captain!

To effectively reach a pirate, you need to speak their language. So, your essay must be written in Pirate-speak! (hint: humor is good!) You can even choose a character from George Bryan Polivka’s Trophy Chase Trilogy to write about, or make someone up! Characters include: Fishbait McGee, Skewer Uttley, Conch Imbry, and/or Belisar the Whale—all notorious pirate captains of Nearing Vast (for ideas on pirate-speak, look up National Talk Like A Pirate Day, which is September 19).

Three winners will be selected, with the three winning essays to be posted on author George Bryan Polivka’s blogsite www.nearingvast.com/capspub on September 19. The winners (chosen by a scurvy band of judges whose honor and character are questionable) will receive a veritable pirate’s treasure chest of plunder, including: The Trophy Chase Trilogy (The Legend of the Firefish and The Hand That Bears the Sword, as well as the third book in the series, **The Battle for Vast Dominion). Other titles include When It's Fourth and Long by Josh Bidwell (punter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arrgghh!), and Captives and Kings by Craig and Janet Parshall.

*Official Rules (NOT just guidelines):
One entry per contestant. Three winning essays will be chosen by a panel of judges based on humor, level of persuasion, and overall creative writing skills. The three winning essays will be posted on author George Bryan Polivka’s blogsite on Sept. 19, 2007. No purchase, entry fee, donation or any other type of payment necessary. Must be a resident of the lower 48 Continental United States to enter (residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada or elsewhere not eligible). Employees and/or family members of Harvest House Publishers not eligible. Must be 14 years or older to enter contest and be able to provide proof of age. Retail value of winning entry: $67.95. **(The Battle for Vast Dominion by George Bryan Polivka releases in January, 2008, and will be shipped to the winning contestants at that time).