Congratulations!

You’ve found the holiday ornament! (The winners have been selected as of Dec. 23, 2010. Thank you for participating!)

Christmas in the Tang Dynasty

Did you know that the first recorded Christian mission to China took place during the Tang Dynasty? The visit is documented on the Nestorian Stele which was erected in the 8th century. The tablet details the arrival of a group of Christians led by a man named Alopen. The missionaries arrived in 635 A.D. to the capital city of Changan. Subsequently, several Christian places of worship were erected in China.

The Nestorian Stele – Notice the cross at the top?

So even if you don’t win the giveaway, you received a little trivia for your efforts, n’est-ce pas?

Here’s the lovely prize:

If you know me, you know I love cats. The “Lucky Cat” is actually not Chinese. Maneki Neko is a Japanese icon and he’s beckoning with one paw. He’s believed to bring the owner luck. I’ll be sending the lucky winner the Maneki Neko cat in in an ornate red “take out” box along with a Butterfly Swords souvenir charm. Red is a color of celebration, happiness, and good fortune in Chinese culture, which is why you see it everywhere.

Along with the takeout box, I’ll also be sending an autographed copy of Butterfly Swords. If the winner has already read it, they can give it to someone they love as a gift for Christmas. 🙂

For the Grand Prize giveaway: I LOVE my new Kindle, so I’ll also be adding a Kindle copy of Butterfly Swords and The Taming of Mei Lin to the Grand Prize.

Thanks for visiting. Add a comment below to be entered for both giveaways!

If you would like to be added to my newsletter for news and updates on releases, please use the link on the sidebar. E-mails for this contest will not be automatically added to the newsletter.

241 Comments

  1. Ruth
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 01:07:48

    This is such a lovely site!!!

  2. Mary Preston
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 01:42:32

    A great way to make an entry. Fingers crossed now.

  3. infinitieh
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 02:55:02

    What fun! Cute cat, too!

  4. Kirsten
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 03:28:32

    Thanks for the scavenger hunt!

  5. Samantha L.
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 07:22:43

    I loved the virtual scavenger hunt!

  6. Laurie G
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 08:35:45

    This was my first visit to your site. Very interesting! Happy Holidays!

  7. Christine Dionne
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 08:42:57

    that was a fun search and even a bit of trivia… thanks Jeannie Lin!

  8. Deborah Hughes
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 09:49:27

    Would love to win this give-away! But, if not, thanks for participating! Will check out your books. Thanks!

  9. Kathi Sharp
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 11:54:26

    Your excerpt from Butterfly Swords intrigued me so much I bought the Kindle edition immediately.
    This contest has introduced me to a world of writers I might never have noticed otherwise. Thanks!

  10. Emma
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 12:24:58

    Thank you for the chance to win! Happy Holidays to everyone.

  11. JOYE
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 13:42:02

    First time visitor and thanks to the contest I have discovered a new author to read.

  12. JackieW
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 14:38:16

    Very interesting info today. Enjoyed the blog. I’d love to win the prize. Happy Holidays.

  13. Cathy Phillips
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 16:17:44

    It was very challenging and rewarding when I found the beautiful ornament. The cat is beautiful and the books sound like my kind of read.

    Thanks for the giveaway, Jeannie!

  14. Jeanne R. Miro
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 16:19:12

    I thought I was too late so I’m excited that I made it in time to still be enterred. Love your site and it was fun exploring!

  15. McDuffy
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 16:35:51

    Would make a great gift

  16. Donna Dalton
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 17:52:56

    I enjoyed the scavanger hunt through the wonderful pages of your website. Very informative and fun.

  17. Sabrina N.
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 18:31:20

    Cool prize! =D Happy holidays!

  18. Mary
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 18:45:51

    I loved the hunt!!!

    Thank you so much!

  19. Rita
    Dec 05, 2010 @ 21:08:29

    Huh, I could’ve sworn the heart ornament wasn’t on this page when I first checked. Lucky I tried again!

  20. Vicky CK
    Dec 06, 2010 @ 02:25:45

    I love the fact that you are giving both a paper-bound and an ebook copy of you book. I got a kindle for Christmas (hubby gave it to me on Thankgiving, the sweetie), but still love my paper-bound books! I love the kindle, but it cost enough that all I have on it so far are the free reads, LOL. Have to wait til after Christmas for anything else, hehe.

    Thanks for the great giveawy!

    vickykerr[at]sbcglobal.net

  21. Marie
    Dec 06, 2010 @ 13:59:00

    The mixing of Chinese and western culture really intrigue me!

  22. CrystalGB
    Dec 06, 2010 @ 15:23:49

    What a fun scavenger hunt. Your books sound good.

  23. Cheryl Lloyd
    Dec 06, 2010 @ 15:53:03

    Good times!!

  24. Suzi Love
    Dec 06, 2010 @ 17:28:16

    So excited about entered in your ‘Good Luck’part of the scavenger hunt.
    I love the waving cats but alwasy thought they were Chinese, so thanks for letting me know they are Japanese.
    Suzi

  25. Kimberly K.
    Dec 07, 2010 @ 01:30:50

    I so love a scavenger hunt. What a neat prize! I can use some good luck for sure.

  26. Gabrielle
    Dec 07, 2010 @ 04:11:16

    Love your website, excerpts and the period. Thanks!

  27. Lindsay Below
    Dec 07, 2010 @ 11:57:14

    Hi Jeannie,

    I have to admit, I love that you’ve taken me to a new place and time period. I’ve just found you, but your books seem really interesting and fresh. I look forward to being swept away by them sometime in the near future. Thank you for writing them and happy holidays 🙂

    L. K. Below/Lindsay Below
    whatever your flavor

  28. Katie D
    Dec 07, 2010 @ 13:53:41

    My favorite color is red. This is such a cute cat too. I loved looking at your site.

  29. Cathy P
    Dec 07, 2010 @ 14:59:03

    The scavenger hunt was fun. You have a lot of informative information on your website. I enjoyed it!

  30. Rosie Nguy
    Dec 07, 2010 @ 16:40:48

    Yay! I found it!

  31. Lindsey Ekland
    Dec 08, 2010 @ 08:28:57

    Interesting facts that I did not know. Website was easy to navigate.

  32. Cherie J
    Dec 08, 2010 @ 10:21:09

    That was fun! Love learning new cultural facts.

  33. Vicki
    Dec 08, 2010 @ 12:06:33

    Nice site, Jeannie!

  34. Dina
    Dec 11, 2010 @ 12:09:18

    this was a fun way to enter, thanks!

  35. Kristi Lea
    Dec 12, 2010 @ 18:15:59

    Merry Christmas 🙂

  36. Donna Durnell
    Dec 15, 2010 @ 12:24:48

    I have enjoyed looking thru your web site and reading much of the interesting items.

    Altho I have not yet read any of your books, I will be looking for them. A different culture, but people are really the same.

    Thanks for the fun. And I love Red — wearing a red blouse as I write this.

    Merry Christmas to you and yours.

  37. angel Graham
    Dec 15, 2010 @ 13:21:52

    Merry Christmas Jeannie. I found my way here. I love the beckoning cat. I have one on Farmville. I also love the Chinese store you linked to in your newsletter. I’d love to be able to afford those!

  38. Linda F
    Dec 16, 2010 @ 00:07:46

    Thanks for the hunt!

  39. Cassandra R, USA
    Dec 16, 2010 @ 07:52:32

    Hi Jennie,
    Hope i can win I love all things from the East. There culture looks so beautiful The arts there always seemed more gorgeous to me than Ancient Rome or Italy. Fingers crossed.
    Thanks for the hunt. Your whole giveaway looks so amazing.
    – Cassandra R

  40. Jeannie Lin
    Dec 17, 2010 @ 00:13:08

    Congrats everyone! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the hunt and the website. Also a big thanks to everyone who decided to purchase a book. I hope you enjoy the read!

    The contest remains open for one more week! I’m looking forward to drawing the winner for my daily prize and am crossing my fingers that our day will be chosen for the Kindle 3G. Happy Holidays!

  41. Robyn Aldridge
    Dec 17, 2010 @ 00:30:16

    Hello there,
    Your site’s a wealth of information. You never know you may have encouraged me to get a certain ms, with a bilingual heroine, out of the bottom drawer… I think I’m destined to stick around, just in case. The Kindle 3G might be at the end of the road but look at all the people we’re meeting along the road.
    I hope you have a happy Festive Season.