Swishhhh-Swushhhhh-Swooooooo! That’s my impression of the windy end of autumn. Brilliant, isn’t it?
Ah, the year grows late, dusk draws in early, fallen leaves flail upon the chilly norwesterly, and ’tis time to toast one’s toes before the open fire, perhaps while enjoying a cup of mulled wine from the soft hand of a serving wench. What’s more, ’tis the final day of November, and therefore by the ancient laws made up on the spot by me seven weeks ago, the dice shall choose the second (extremely) lucky winner of a Signed, Lined, Dated proof of Last Argument of Kings.
Pray to whatever dark gods you worship that the dice favour you.
And the winner is:
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
The dice are rolling.
Wait for it.
The 112th entry to the competition, which was from …
Drum roll please …
PEDRO MARROQUIN!!!!
Who, apparently, deserves a proof of Last Argument of Kings because …
“…I’m in the middle of “Before they are Hanged”, and I don’t want to wait 5 months for the end of the story. You get so close to the characters such a long absence would be like being separated from your girlfriend for those 5 months.”
Ah, Pedro, far be it from me to stand between you and your lady love. A round of applause, Ladies and Gentlemen, for PEDRO MARROQUIN. Don’t hate him, hate the dice.
(Pedro, you should be in receipt of an e-mail from me requesting your postal address, and your choice of personalised inscription.)
I should point out that the proofs are now printed, and some of them already posted and in the sweaty hands of reviewers. So the winner should receive their proof within the next couple of weeks, just as soon as I get a response from Pedro, and can get to the publisher and sign the thing.
The dice have chosen the victor, but the unfortunate many should not despair as, on New Year’s Eve, I shall pick the entry that tickles my funny bone/plays upon my heart-strings/flatters my bloated ego the most to win the final proof. The competition remains open, and anyone who wishes to enter should follow the instructions HERE.
Once again, I am FAR TOO GOOD TO YOU.
16 comments so far
Pedro Marroquin?
That Sounds Spanish, too…
And I thought I was original…
Lucky bugger… maybe he lives near me and can lend me the book…
Qué suerte, Pedro!!!!
¿Madrid te pilla cerca?
vivo en Madrid!!!!!
Pues ya te lo dejaré leer cuando me lo acabe (como mucho una semana después de recibirlo)
This is getting very cosmopolitan here…
güay, güay!!!
No, en serio, muchas muchas muchas gracias.
Por si aca, mi email es jralconero$gmaildotcom
(and yes, Joe, anyway, I will buy your book, as my bookophilia won’t let me sleep if I don’t buy it…)
So, yesterday I recieved an Amazon confirmation of The Wire, Season 4 been shipped 4 days before the released date, and now this!
And Joe, one question, as every other writer who have included Fencing parts in their books usually are fencers themselves (Greg Keyes, kate Elliot, Perez Reverte), have you fenced?
have you fenced?
Shh… that’s a sideline he keeps quiet… *looks around for cops* but the cash he pays for hot ‘goods’ is excellent… mums the word…
uh??
you’ve lost me, Bob…
juan,
A fence is someone who receives and disposes of stolen goods, dual meaning 🙂
Or perhaps … duel meaning?
A ha ha ha.
poeple here is making parade-riposte faster verbally that any fencer (okey, good, practicioner of the noble art and sport of fencing) with his word…
And I can rememeber when in Dublin I went to the Irish Fencing Society and, instead of people in white wearing funny mask and playing with swords, were people, actually, building fences!!!! That’s for reading the yellow pages…
So it is not the first time I embarrased myself with that funny duel meaning…
joe abercrombie said…
This is getting very cosmopolitan here…
Joe, it’s just a couple of spanish fans of your books sharing the extreme luck I had.
Nice to see that you’re spreading the love.
Oh, and I’ve never fenced. Either using swords or building fences.
I make it up.
Well done Pedro, I’m not jealous (much)
Pick a lady next time!!! Pick meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:O)
You lucky, lucky Pedro, you!
Oh, if only………….sigh…
Juan, dame tu e-mail para que te avise cuando lo haya leído.
No, aún no me ha llegado.
El mío es mori_saiseki@yahoo.es