NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  To become eligible to win in the It Happened One Season Contest, complete the form on the page at www.ithappenedoneseason.com. Multiple entries are automatically disqualified, and only the first submission will be considered.

To enter submit three sample plot lines for the new anthology.  Plot lines must not exceed 30 words.   The story you suggest must take place during the Regency social season. And you must include three specific plot points, such as these used for the anthology IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT: (1) a couple meets at an inn 2) they had met before but not within the past ten years 3) the whole story takes place within a 24 hour period.

The Contest is open to all legal residents of the United States, 18 years of age and older by 1/25/2010, excluding employees and immediate family members of HarperCollins, and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, assigns, advertising, promotional and fulfillment agents, attorneys, and other representatives and the persons with whom each of the above are domiciled. Offer void outside the United States and wherever prohibited or restricted by law.

Each entrant in the Sweepstakes must be the rightful owner or have authorized use of the e-mail account indicated by the entrant’s e-mail address. In the event of a dispute concerning the identity of the winner submitting an entry, the winner will be deemed to be the person in whose name the e-mail account is opened. The e-mail account must be opened prior to 9:00 a.m. (EST) on 1/25/2010.

ENTRY PERIOD

The Contest will commence on 1/25/2010 (9 a.m. EST). The last entry will be accepted on 2/14/2010 (5:00 p.m. EST).

SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNER

The winner will ultimately be selected by fan voting. After the entry period closes, the four (4) authors will select four (4) finalists, based on the orignality and creativity of their three plot lines. The four finalists’ plot lines will be posted on 2/25/2010 (9 a.m. EST). Voters will choose their favorite plot line and results will be tallied in real time.

The Grand Prize winner will be selected by visitors to the site in a poll format. When the voting ends on 3/13/2010 (5 p.m. EST), the finalist with the most tallied votes wins. The Grand Prize winner will be announced on 3/14/2010. All finalists will be notified by e-mail. Finalists may be required to sign and return to HarperCollins an affidavit of eligibility and release of liability (the “Affidavit”), and, if the Affidavit is not returned within 14 days of notification, the potential winner will be deemed to have forfeited the prize, and an alternate potential winner will be chosen.

By participating, entrants agree to release, discharge, and hold harmless HarperCollins, its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates and assigns, and their respective advertising and promotion agencies from any and all liability or damages associated with acceptance, use or misuse of any prize received in the Sweepstakes.

PRIZE

One (1) grand prize winner will be awarded a $1,000 American Express gift card, a copy of It Happened One Season signed by all four authors, and have their plotlines included in the novel. Estimated retail price of this prize package is $1,050. Three (3) runner-up winners will be awarded a $100 gift card and a set of personalized books. Estimated retail value of this prize package is $200.

Only one prize will be awarded per individual, family, or household. All prizes are non-transferable and cannot be sold or redeemed for cash. HarperCollins may substitute a cash payment of equal or greater value for the prize. Any federal, state, local, or provincial taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner.

CONDITIONS

By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the judge, which shall be final, and waive any right to claim ambiguity in the Sweepstakes and/or these Official Rules.

Each Participant agrees that the submission shall  become the sole and exclusive property of Sponsor, that Sponsor shall own all right, title and interest in and to such submission and that Sponsor  shall have the right, throughout the world and in perpetuity to use, publish, edit, adapt, modify, distribute or otherwise exploit the submission in any manner  or media it shall elect, and to copyright the submission in Sponsor’s name or the names of the authors, without additional compensation to Participant. Participant agrees to execute such documents as may be requested by Sponsor to  effectuate the intent and purpose of this paragraph and to accomplish evidence and perfect the rights granted to Sponsor pursuant to this paragraph.

Acceptance of prizes constitutes permission to use the winner’s name, likeness, biography, and prize won for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without additional compensation, except where prohibited or restricted by law.

The entrants release, discharge, and hold harmless HarperCollins, its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, and assigns, and their respective employees, attorneys, representatives and agents, including advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies, from any and all liability or damages arising from the administration of the Sweepstakes and the use or misuse of any prize received in the Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, the following: (i) late, lost, incomplete, delayed, misdirected or unintelligible entries, (ii) any printing, typographical, administrative or technological errors in any materials associated with the Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, entry materials and prize notifications, and (iii) any damage to the entrant’s computer and related equipment and software resulting from entrant’s downloading of information regarding the Sweepstakes or participation in the Sweepstakes. Entry materials and prize notifications that have been tampered with, altered, or do not comply with these Official Rules are void. HarperCollins may only use the personally identifiable information obtained from the entrants in accordance with these Rules and its privacy policy.

HarperCollins reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend this Sweepstakes should a virus, bug, computer problem or other causes beyond its control corrupt the administration, security or proper operation of the Sweepstakes. HarperCollins may prohibit you from participating in the Sweepstakes or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that you are attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes by cheating, hacking or employing other unfair practices or by abusing other entrants or the representatives of HarperCollins.

ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND, IN SUCH EVENT, HARPERCOLLINS RESERVES THE RIGHT TO PURSUE THEIR REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING COSTS AND ATTORNEY’S FEES) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW.

Any dispute arising from the Sweepstakes will be determined according to the laws of the State of New York, without reference to its conflict of laws principles, and the entrants consent to the personal jurisdiction of the State and Federal Courts located in the State and County of New York over them and agree that such courts have exclusive jurisdiction over all such disputes.

THE ODDS OF WINNING DEPEND UPON THE NUMBER OF ENTRIES.

For the names of prize winners, e-mail your request to morrowmarketing@harpercollins.com after 3/14/2010 or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Online Marketing, It Happened One Season sweepstakes, c/o HarperCollins Publishers 10 E. 53rd Street, 5th floor, New York, NY 10022. All requests for a list of winners must be received by 12/31/2010.

Sponsor:  HarperCollins Publishers