Proverbial Folly Book Giveaway Results!

So the dice have spoken, and the lucky recipients of a copy each of the UK edition of The Folly of the World are as follows:

-Kris, for "Don't keep a dog and bark yourself"

-Midori Monster, for "What you cannot avoid, welcome."

-Leon, for that old saw "Measure twice, cut once."

In addition, I spent some time pouring over the remaining entries, and, after much gnashing of teeth, have decided that my favorite remaining expression is Dylan Hathaway's. Doug's "Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness," Laurent's "Whoever wants to drown his dog accuses the beast of having rabies," Renee's "Never punch a gift-horse in the mouth," Lorainne's "acting the maggot," Gurujit's "If you're going to act like a turd, go lay in the yard," Nathan's collection of fourth-grader interpreted proverbs, and Joseph's "Go fuck the soup made with Jesus' bones" were all close contenders, but given the nature of the contest, "A wise man makes proverbs, but a fool repeats them" was the obvious victor. Congrats, Dylan, you'll receive the US edition of the book!

Once again, you lot spoiled me for choice when it came to new and wonderful turns of phrase, and I'm in your debt--now who says that fools always get the best cards?

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Folly Book Giveaway—The Dog’s, or Just Plain Old Bollocks?

I hate going to the post office, and I live in a shoe box. Thus, if I'm going to the PO anyway I damn well better make it worth my time, and since I can't buy any new books until I clear some room on my over-taxed shelves, it's time to give away some of my few remaining author copies. Contest time! Two copies of the UK edition and one copy of the US edition of The Folly of the World are on the block.

I obviously have a fondness for slang, cant, proverbs, and other such semi-ciphered language, with Folly perhaps taking the cake in this regard--it wasn't on a whim that I referenced Brueghel's Netherlandish Proverbs/The Blue Cloak so often in the text:



All you've got to do to win a free copy of the novel, then, is:

1) Leave a comment on this blog entry (either on my website or the LJ cross-post) naming a favorite proverb, idiom, or bit of slang/cant. It can be anything, really, from a brief but profound kōan to a bawdy euphemism.

2) That's it. I would also very, very much appreciate it if anyone who receives a copy of the novel agreed to review it once they were done (it takes all of a minute to set yourself up to review books on amazon, for example)--I'm only able to sell my work to publishers as long as people keep buying them, and maybe a brief review here or there will sway prospective readers (hopefully in the right direction!)...

At noon PST on Thursday I'll choose three winners through some peculiar system, solicit the addresses from these lucky ducks, and drop the books in the mail Friday morning. Everyone wins! Except for those who don't, but at the very least maybe we'll all pick up some new expressions to annoy our friends and family with.

Cheers!

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Folly! Readings! Award Noms! Soundtracks! ME ME ME!!! Also, a Review for Somebody Else.

Cats alive, if this year hasn't gotten off to a grand start. I've been informed that Folly has been nominated by the Kitschies for the 2012 Red Tentacle Award! Sponsored by the tasty Kraken rum, "The Red Tentacle is awarded annually to the novel containing speculative or fantastic elements that best fulfills the criteria of intelligent, progressive and entertaining," so obviously I'm chuffed beyond words. Last year Enterprise was nominated for the same award, and being up for this twice in a row is as thrilling as it is unexpected--last year I didn't take home the tentacle, of course, but I did receive a Kraken shower curtain as a runner-up prize, so even if I don''t swing a victory this time around I'll have a stylish barrier to keep my tears from getting onto the bathmat! In all seriousness, given the credentials of all involved with the Kitschies, it really is a vindication just to be nominated, and I can't tell you how happy I am to be thus honored--congratulations, and best of luck to all my fellow nominees!

Other Folly stuff:

• I made a soundtrack for the novel on Spotify while I was doing my final revisions, so if you're inclined: The Folly of the World Soundtrack.
• I'll be doing a reading at the Tattered Cover Bookstore on Colfax at 07:30 PM on Wednesday, February 6th.
• I'll be taking part in a group reading with Stephen Graham Jones, Molly Tanzer, Mike Hance, and J.L. Benet on Friday, March 8th at the Broadway Book Mall. More details as it comes together!

So yeah, everything's coming up roses. Also, my review for Nick Mamatas' Bullettime is now live at Strange Horizons. It's mostly plot synopsis, which is something they prioritize, so if you haven't read the book yet you'd be better served by just picking that up instead--it's good, and has some of the most painfully realistic visions of high school life I've read, so, you know, fun times.

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