Book Touching

[Contest ended - will still post photos if you want to join in!]

A mini-contest for you.

Grand Prize - One signed doodled first edition hardback copy of Prince of Fools (UK or US)

(this sort of thing)

+ Two other prizes of signed first edition hardcover Prince of Fools!

The two un-doodled books are to be randomly awarded (weighted by the entries as described below).

All you need do is send me a photo of you touching one of my books. If there are two people touching the book then your chance of winning is doubled, three people triple it etc etc.

The picture with the most people touching a single one of my books wins the grand prize! Animals count in the case of a tie-breaker!

I'm at empire_of_thorns@yahoo.co.uk

Go!

Contest closed Sunday 24th August 10pm GMT

Grand prize = #23
Random Prizes = #14 & #25

Entries (ordered by number!)

#23 Ms Burkhead + children and staff! I'm told there are 29 touchers here! Sadly the under-ring of weeny children is all but invisible. By looking closely I can see 20 people (plus the baby) so we're calling it 20. 29 or 20 it's still winning!

#27 Meg & a heroic effort at a karaoke party (when you take the mike you own the crowd) I will call this 19. A more intelligible singleton of Meg included below.

#22 Wonder-Claire and the pub quiz crew! 18!

#25 Mark and approximately half of Texas - number actually touching? Looks like 15

#21 TJ and employees! 13!

#19 Ed and students! 11 in total, learning through touching. (10 in this shot - there's an 11 with Ed our photographer in, but this is a much nicer shot so I'm showing it!)

#26 Aleksandra and family, including a 96 year old birthday-lady to make 9! (and below a slightly suspect 21)

#20 Charlie, 8 and a dog! (I'm assured the finger under the plant leaf is a whole new person!)

#18 Janine & workmates! (ruling the roost with 8)

#19 Holly & chums. After discussion this is a 7, the bump isn't touching the book and even if it were the imminent arrival's little fingers aren't in the shot... I'll give cross baby a pass and let her/him count!

#14 Josh & Co

#5 Glen, employing mini-minions. I'm sure they've all read the book!

#4 Fiona, Patient Cat is patient while Patient Cat's pillow is re-purposed.

#17 Dogancan, Dogancan's dad, Dogancan's mum! From Turkey!

#15 Naiky, Nairy, and David - it should be the _same_ book they're touching but in a fit of generosity I will call this THREE as they could so easily be and I wouldn't be good at reading rules in Brazilian Portuguese so why should Naiky be good at reading rules in English!

#11 Jordan, and friends

#6 Adam & Rachel - few in number but big on style!

#24 James, and son, and swords

#1 Michael - Jorg comes between husband and wife...

#10 Lisa (& minions!)

#13 Gemma .... somehow this is turning into pets' corner...

#28 Alicia, touching many books ... with her spine.

#16 Anthony - he may only have 1 person but he's really TOUCHING the hell out of that book. A panacea to cute kiddies and bunny wunnies!

#2 Angela - You'd be a fool not to read your toddler this book at bedtime.

#3 TJ, giving us the bird!

#12 Nick

#8 Daniel, from Germany (still only counts as 1 person ... if we get someone from Outer Mongolia I'll count that as 2 though!)

#9 Tom

#7 Malin, rules are meant to be tested! I think in this case though I'm counting it as a 1 person touch.