Contest: Where in the World is The Spymaster's Lady?

UPDATE! CONTEST DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 29th FEBRUARY!

OK! Let's get this thing on the road.

The Spymaster's Lady is a recent release from author Joanna Bourne, and one of the best reads you'll find anywhere. There are plenty of reviews around, but suffice to say it's the story of Annique Villiers, one of the most dangerous spies in 19th century France, and her English nemesis, the spymaster Robert Gray. Filled with intrigue, romance, thrills, spills and occasional chills, the book is a riveting ride through a tumultuous time in history.

It also happens to be some of the best writing craft you'll ever see on paper (yes, I know there's beefcake on the cover, but you'll just have to pick up a copy and see what I mean). Plus the author is a wonderful and giving lady who deserves all the attention we can give her.

The contest:

We want to know where in the world your copy of Spymaster's Lady happens to be. Remember, I'm in Australia, so pretty much anything is going to impress me :) I want you to go out with your copy of The Spymaster's Lady (and if you don't have one, you'll need to head on down to the store pronto and grab a copy) and take a photo of it (with yourself, if you like) in an interesting location.

We're looking for a nice bit of scenery, or something unique to your hometown. It can be your main street, or at a well-known landmark; on the beach, or up in the mountains; out in the fields, or in front of the local fast food store, if that happens to be the most interesting thing where you live! Anywhere- as long your picture gives us a sense of place.

How to enter:

You can email your pic to me at clairesgregory@gmail.com, and I'll post them up as I receive them. Please try to keep photos under 500kb, and make 'em .jpg if you can. Let me know if you don't want your photo in public and we can keep it under wraps. Let me know where your photo is (and also let me know if you want *that* in the public domain) and why it's a special location to you.

I'm also investigating whether you can just stick a photo in a comment box for this, but I suspect not. If anyone gives it a shot and finds that it works, let me know!

What are the judging criteria?

At the moment, they're a bit arbitrary. The lovely Ms. Joanna Bourne herself will look at the photos and decide which one she likes best. If it so happens that she's torn by too many wonderful entries (and I think we're expecting this will be a given) we'll turn to the old random draw. I'll keep you updated, anyway.

What's the prize?

Well, you get your very own signed copy of The Spymaster's Lady, which means you can hand your photographed copy to a very grateful friend or family member and tell them to keep spreading the word. You also get an exclusive, one-of-a-kind, handmade Firefly Designs book thong bookmark, made with rose quartz, amethyst and mookiate semi-precious stones, Czech and Brazilian glass, Swarovski crystal and sterling silver wire. Here's a really terrible photo (because my camera is just now missing in action), soon to be replaced with a fabulous photo:


Trust me, it's gorgeous- all lilac, fuchsia and peach colours. You really want it. It's worth AU$20, or about US $15, and nobody else has one just like this.

So, go to it, people! Go get a copy of The Spymaster's Lady, and start snapping your photos. The contest is officially open as of... now, and finishes on Friday 29th February, about two-and-a-half weeks from now. Please link your blogs to this contest if you're so inclined, too, and spread the word. Anyone can win.