A graphic short story by Angela and Sylvia Marley - Innocent Victim (Owner: Angela)
Tigger - Booknapper #1 (Owner: Angela)
Goliath - Booknapper #2 (Owner: Sylvia)
Rajah - Police #1 (Owner: Angela)
Sunani - Police #2 (Owner: Sylvia)
The Sword from Red Ice - Playing as itself (Creator: J.V. Jones)
Mistress - The Big Cheese behind the Whole Booknapping (??)

You're looking at our latest brave knight, the Magnificent Mike. Making the unusual choice not to wear shoes when battling an Endlord, Mike's feet spit in the face of danger. Someone send shoes.

And a sweater. Heck, just send some decent clothes.

This is the fabulous Sister Junipa Melliandra Melicusa Aura Anima, catching up on her reading before heading out to join her fellow Sisters of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence. Their mission? To promulgate universal joy, expiate stigmatic guilt and serve the community. Follow the link to your right to learn more.

Here we have the beautiful Sara, bundled up for the frigid cold of Chapter 14. Unable to lay her hands on snow goggles, she wisely donned sunglasses instead.

We have a plan: to form the Knights of the Red Ice. Here's our second recruit, Guy the Good. No tinfoil armor for Guy, instead he relies on the legendary protective powers of the checked shirt.

If you'd like to join our Order (and win Big Contest prizes at the same time) send us a photo of you equipped in your battlefield best. Armor, swords, crowns, kilts, cowboy hats, chainmail: if it enhances your chances on the battlefield, wear it. If your shirt/pants/socks etc look normal but have secret protective powers let us know about them.

After a relatively brisk eight hours in flight, I'm back in San Diego. Driving to the airport in the morning the temperature was 24F. On arrival at noon it was 75F.

Here is the lovely Brittany, baring her shoulders and her poetic tattoo. The words come from an Anglo-Saxon poem, The Wanderer, and can be loosely translated as “Fated is wholly decided.”

By the time you read this, I should be back in San Diego. My first duty, after switching on the hot water heater, is to send the most patient Quixoticfruit the copy of Sword from Red Ice that she won several months ago for telling us about her home town Walvis Bay. Q, if you’re reading this, please send your snail mail address.

Ayame enters the library. The boy she likes is across the room in PHILOSOPHY. Ayame makes a left into FICTION. Quickly she finds the Js. If she's going to hide behind a book it'd better be a good one.

I'm off to San Diego tomorrow, escaping 20F for 80F. Luckily the winds have died down a little and the wildfires are in the process of being contained. As someone who was evacuated last year, I know just how scary the fires can be. Our thoughts go out to those who have lost loved ones and homes.

Clad in tin foil armor and Burger King crown, our brave knight rides his trusty steed into the dark and uncharted territory of Basementland. We can only hope that he finds the stairs.

Thanks to everyone who's entered the The Big Contest so far. The photos have been amazing, fun, heart-touching, goofy, lovely and inexplicable. Every day I open my inbox with anticipation and delight. I'm relearning what I already knew: We have good people here.

If you're thinking of entering: Please go ahead and do so. If you're nervous about showing a photo of yourself, take a photo of the book doing something instead. All are welcome.

Here’s the lovely Sylvia R, doing an excellent job of book placement. Sylvia also sent in photos of her kitty Sunani--which have gone mysteriously missing from my laptop. I went out for a few hours yesterday to do some grocery shopping and when I returned the images were gone. Black and white hairs lay in piles on the keyboard. A single character blinked ominously on the screen: the letter “B”.

Pour yourself a cocktail, put a 45 on the turntable and join the groove. Today's Big Contest entry is from Morgan W, a man who knows how to do cool in red, green, black and blue.

What's a family of seven to do when sitting on a giant bed with a grass mattress? Read books by J.V. Jones of course. This truly splendid entry comes courtesy of Sylvie and her lovely extended family. Is it just me or do you think the back row is taking their reading more seriously than the front row?

It's midnight down under and Christi, the good and lovely witch, is ready to enchant you. Step into her garden at your peril. Some of the The Big Contest entries can now be viewed here on flickr. We'll be putting up additional photos, larger versions of existing photos, and (best of all) you can leave comments. This page will probably be updated daily, ahead of the journal, so be sure to check it out.

And Biggie's not very happy about it. Here are two photos from the wonderful Angela W. The first is of the adorable (and rather studious) Rajah. The second is of the adorable (and speedy) Leon. Leon is very wise. Obey him.

Also, I wanted to let you know the paperback edition of A Sword From Red Ice is now available in the UK. Go forth, enjoy, and then send the photo.

Finally we have the answer to the question “What tops reading a book by J.V.Jones?” Being kissed by a bobcat should do it. Here’s a photo sent in by Angela W of her boyfriend Jonathan and his aunt’s bobcat. More photos tomorrow. BTW, my brother Paul, in his capacity as Grand Judge of All Things, requests that I inform you that you don’t actually have to be in your own photo. Snap the book being eaten by the dog, leaving on a roadtrip, sunning itself in the yard. Just snap right away.

As there’s nothing in the The Big Contest rules about me entering my own contest, here’s my entry. I’m in the hallway, wearing my favorite penguin t-shirt. Paul has told me in no uncertain terms that, and I quote, “There’s no way in hell you’re going to get my vote.” So I guess that means I won’t be winning. That’s really too bad, as I’d really like that signed Master & Fool poster. It’s by Darrell Sweet and therefore extremely cool.

One final thing: we’ll be choosing more than one winner and spreading the prizes around. So if you miss out on “Most Artistic” you still stand a chance with “Most Arthritic.” Good luck.

The Big Contest is under way. We'll be posting photos on a regular basis and setting up a special page for them. In the meantime here are a couple of the first entries. The wonderful Sylvie and her lovely daughter Jessica dress up against the winter chill as they prepare to enter the Known Lands. Mark T. gives us something else entirely. If you're familiar with the story of Biggie it speaks for itself. If not, go right ahead and scratch your head. It's allowed. Keep sending photos. Beautiful. Dumb. Artistic. Goofy. Inexplicable (the judges especially like inexplicable). This is fun.

Here it is, the chance to win all sorts of goodies: a complete set of signed J.V. Jones books (seven and counting), artwork, cover flats, collectible (and extremely rare) galley copies, etc. You get the idea: extremely cool prizes will be given. All you have to do is take a photo of yourself and A Sword From Red Ice. Mug it up for the camera, dress up, dress down, use experimental media, commandeer family and friends, get outside, stay inside, reenact a scene from the book, eat a sandwich, go on location to the bookstore or the woods. Whatever you do: Take a photo. Then send that photo here. We'll post it on the website, everyone can have their say, and may the best photo win.

This most excellent contest comes with very few rules. Anyone, anywhere can enter, using any edition of SWORD (UK/US/paperback/hardback etc). You can enter as many times as you like. Send photos in jpeg format. Be aware that they may be published on this site. All entries should be received by December 31st. Although feedback will be taken into consideration the final decision rests in the hands of the judges (Paul and me). Judges cannot be swayed by bribery. Honest.

Our mystery location of the month is pictured above. I was there yesterday and if ever a sign demanded to have its photo taken it’s this one. Pay attention to the sign. Where would a sign like this exist outside of Star Trek? There are no prizes for correctly guessing the location. You’ll just have to enjoy the fact that you are right. Prizes *will* be up for grabs later in the week when I was unveil “The Big Contest.” Think of this as a warm up.

Halloween marked the return of ghost deer, this year decked out in poncho and top hat. Later, there was a trip to the theatre to see the stage show Mamma Mia.