J.V. Jones...News!

This is designed to be a quick reference page for those of you who like your information fast. (Note I didn't promise interesting, just fast!). Here you'll find all sorts of odd details about projects I'm currently working on and other things that take my fancy. As this page is new there isn't a lot here yet. But have no fear I'll be filling in the blanks...and if there's no news for a couple of months then I'll do as Grift taught me: make some up!

December 8th, 1998
Zelda is in the building! Ha! I now have in my hot little hands my very own copy of Zelda, Ocarina of Time (or something like that!). Don't expect much updating over the next few days! (-; Wish me luck in the dark and dangerous byways of Hyrule...

December 3rd, 1998

I've put most of the reader/reviewers reviews online this morning. I'm pleased (and more than a wee bit relieved!) to report that everyone seemed to enjoy the book, and you can read some of their comments on the readers' page.

This month I'm giving away four signed UK paperback editions of The Barbed Coil. All you have to do is email me saying, "I want that book!" Please include your name and email address. All the messages will go into the virtual hat (dark, obscure file on my hard drive!) and the prize winners will be drawn on Jan 1st, 1999 (hangovers permitting!).

A quick word about email: I try to respond to everyone who leaves a message at my site. I think it's only fair that if someone has taken the time to write to me, that I should take the time to reply. Sometimes, however, folks leave incorrect email addresses and I get the dreaded Mail Returned: User Unknown message when I reply to them (don't you just hate that remote mailing software!). Other times, I'm a bit bogged down with work and can't get to all my mail as quickly as I'd like, but I always get around to it in the end. So now you know the vagaries of my emailing system...and can now rest easy in your sleep! (-:
Another quick word about competitions: Any competitions or giveaways I run are open to everyone, regardless what country they live in. Folks in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands regularly win prizes, along with the usual suspects (Americans, Canadians and Brits). Of course you might get your prize a wee bit slower if you live in Antartica...but what's a 3 month wait compared to reading a signed copy of one of my books! <g>
Here you can read the transcript of an online interview I did last weekend.
I think that's all for now. Happy Holidays everyone, and be sure to stop by and receive some Holiday Cheer from Grift!

November 15th, 1998
Okay, it's not even close to Christmas yet, but I already know what I want: the new Zelda! Yes, Ocarina of Time (or something like that). I've seen the adverts: November 23rd!! When I first began playing electronic games, many years ago now, the two games that were responsible for turning me into a gaming nerd were Dragon Warrior and Zelda. My one and only claim to gaming fame came when I became one of the first people in the US to finish Zelda II. Thinking that, as with Zelda I, there might be a second game on the cartridge that only winners of the first game could access, I phoned the Nintendo Hotline, wanting to learn the access code. The folks at the Nintendo Hotline said, "Sorry, but no one here has finished the game yet, so we don't know. And by the way, would you like to send us your photo to feature in our Nintendo Power mag, as you're the first person we've heard from who's finished the entire thing." Impressed, eh? (-;
I've just finished reading Orson Scott Card's marvelous Ender's Game. I'm not really sure how I managed to miss reading this classic, as I was well aware of how well-loved and acclaimed it is (it won both the Hugo and Nebula awards), but somehow I never got around to it. I'm glad I did. It's a truly wonderful book. I think I'm developing quite a fondness for military SF. David Feintuch's marvelous Hope series set me off, now I'm moving into David Weber's and Elizabeth Moon's series. I blame it all on Patrick O'Brian, of course. His Aubrey-Maturin series has instilled a love of naval lore in many a land lubber like me.
November 1st, 1998
Not much news this month, I'm afraid. I've been pretty busy writing and organizing the reader/reviewer Cavern of Black Ice giveaway. The books went out last week to the twelve reader/reviewers. So far I've heard back from two people who have finished the book (no mean feat as the book is looooong!), and I'm pleased to report that both people enjoyed it. I'm more than a bit relieved! I'll post the reviews here at the beginning of next month.
I've spent a good portion of today scanning book covers. If you'd like to see how different countries deal with marketing and packaging books, stop by the JVJ cover sampler and take a look. Warning: this page is image intensive and may take a bit of downloading.

I've completed an article for Writer's Digest, entitled "How To Create Memorable Fantasy Characters" that will be featured in their special "Genre Writing Edition" in March 1999. In it I try to give a few pointers to writers who want to create believable, well-rounded characters. I'm a bit nervous of giving advice, but I hope it helps some up-and-coming writers.

The Barbed Coil is now available in the UK in mass paperback. SFX magazine in Britain called it "the best fantasy of the year". I only hope my check clears! (-: Little Brown, my UK publisher, has sent me a box of books, and I'll be giving some of these away later in the month. Stay tuned for more details.

I just received the finished cover flat to the US paperback of the Barbed Coil. My publisher, Warner Aspect, decided to go with new artwork. The small crown graphic on the book's spine was designed by my brother, Paul. The Barbed Coil will be published in April, 1999.

I think that's about it for now. I'm running out of time today (the pesky scanning took longer than I thought!), so I'll try and update this page later in the month, maybe even put up something interesting for a change! (-: Many thanks, JV.

Archived Newsheets

August-October 98 Newsheet
May-July 98 Newsheet