"Going Deep" drawing will now be held Thursday morning

Hi, everyone. Thanks so much for the massive amount of interest my small giveaway has generated (read the previous blog for more about that if you're not clear what I'm talking about here). I've had more than 100 e-mails today from readers wanting to enter my free drawing for a copy of Gary Smith's "Going Deep" -- the new book from the wonderful Sports Illustrated writer that contains 20 of his classic sports stories.

Here's my problem. In Tuesday's Charlotte Observer, I announced this giveaway in a column. In the print version of the column, my e-mail address was accidentally deleted -- in two separate places! I don't know how this happened. But it basically read: "E-mail me at by..." In other words, my e-mail address was nowhere to be found.

Now more than 100 people figured out my e-mail address anyway. But I also heard from some who were confused or frustrated that they were trying to e-mail into a contest and didn't know where to send their entry.

So, here's a compromise that hopefully works for everyone: I'm extending the deadline to e-mail for a free copy of Gary Smith's book until THURSDAY OCT.23 AT 9 A.M. Then, by 10 A.M. THURSDAY, I'LL ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS ON THIS BLOG ONLY.

Did I say "winners?" Yes. I'm now going to give away two copies of "Going Deep," rather than one, as a make-good gesture for those of you inconvenienced.

Now if you already e-mailed me at sfowler@charlotteobserver.com to enter, there is NO NEED to e-mail me again. You're good. You'll be in the drawing for BOTH books. The two winners will hear from me via e-mail by 10 a.m. Thursday, too, so if you haven't heard by then, you were in the 99 percent of folks who didn't win, and I'm sorry.

Thanks to all of those who have already entered, and since I've had so much response to this giveaway, I'll try to do some more of this sort of stuff in the future.