I am currently working on a book of crossword puzzles that pay tribute to some of the great crossword constructors of the past. These are new, modern puzzles with themes that either resemble memorable puzzles by a legendary constructor, or pay tribute to the person him or herself (career, personal interests, etc.).

For the winner of this prize [associated with the Enigma Variations Contest], I offer a choice of one of three Sunday size puzzles from this book. In each case, I have theme answers already chosen and placed into a fillable grid. I can work with the winner to customize the rest of the grid and clues, favoring types of entries and clues that the winner likes, and using fewer of the kinds the winner does not like. I probably can't work in a favorite word, unless it is rather short.

Now, let me tell you about the three puzzles.

#1 - CALENDAR GAL (Anne Fox)

This is a tribute to Anne Fox, who is famous for puzzles that use several long answers (often quotes from literature) that cross each other in several places. These puzzles usually had a holiday theme, most notably Christmas. My puzzle is a 23x23 grid with quotes from poems by well-known authors, all thematic and crossing in several places.

#2 - MORE OF THE SAME (Frances Hansen)

Frances Hansen was much loved for her poem puzzles: humorous verses that poked gentle fun at our foibles. As with Anne Fox, many of these puzzles had Christmas themes. My 21x21 puzzle has a four-line poem that pokes a similar sort of gentle fun ... though not specifically about Christmas.

#3 - ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK (Tap Osborn)

Tap Osborn made puzzles with a wide variety of themes, but among his best known puzzles are ones titled A Mother's Day and A Father's Day. These two puzzles had theme entries that were clued with specific times of day, the theme answers being related to what a mother/father would do at that time. My 21x21 puzzle has the same kind of clues, but with a rock music theme.

Once I get feedback from the winner about (1) which puzzle he or she would like and (2) preferences for fill and clues, I can get the finished puzzle to the winner either in printed form or as an Across Lite file. I will be happy to autograph the printed puzzle (with a short personal note). Of course, I can't "autograph" an Across Lite file, but I can include a brief notepad note, if the winner wishes.

I can also include a short biography of the constructor (Anne Fox, Frances Hansen, Tap Osborn) if this would be of interest to the winner.

Once I get all the information from the winner, it should take me about a week to finish the puzzle.

If you want to tell others about this particular page, refer them to http://tinyurl.com/toddgrossprize