Congratulations to Romeo Kennedy, winner of THE SILVER BOUGH. It appears that Romeo’s wild strawberries left the competition stranded in a Bergmanesque void, and for that act of magical conquest alone the prize is highly well-deserved!
This week’s competition announcement falls on a Day of Cosmic Potency – well, my birthday – and to celebrate I am giving away two JFB novels: my own SEOUL SURVIVORS and Karen Lord’s award-winning debut REDEMPTION IN INDIGO.
I’ve blagged enough about SEOUL SURVIVORS on this blog for you all to know what a chillsome, thrillsome, jet-setting prize it is. REDEMPTION IN INDIGO is a marvellous strange world-conjuring fantasy from an author I can’t wait to meet one day. Karen Lord, now a writer and research consultant in Barbados, has also worked as a physics teacher, a diplomat, a part-time soldier and an academic at various times and in various countries. She’s already sounding like a guest to invite to your ideal dinner party, but meantime, her lavish debut novel awaits you:
Paama’s husband is a fool and a glutton. Bad enough that he followed her to her parents’ home in the village of Makendha, now he’s disgraced himself by murdering livestock and stealing corn. When Paama leaves him for good, she attracts the attention of the undying ones – the djombi – who present her with a gift: the Chaos Stick, which allows her to manipulate the subtle forces of the world. Unfortunately, not all the djombi are happy about this gift: the Indigo Lord believes this power should be his and his alone, and he sets about trying to persuade Paama to return the Chaos Stick. Chaos is about to reign supreme . . .
Bursting with humour and rich in fantastic detail, Redemption in Indigo is a clever, contemporary fairy tale from a dynamic new voice. Lord’s world of spider tricksters and indigo immortals, inspired in part by a Senegalese folk tale, is fresh, surprising, and utterly original.
Favorite would city would be San Francisco : bustling cosmopolitan melting pot of cultures, ideas, technology, nostalgia, outstanding natural beauty and sunshine !
Truro in Cornwall is my favourite city. Although small (the size of an average town) it has lots of hidden gems. Side streets with old bookshops and and general miscellany. The Cathedral is magnificent and a sight to behold. It is most special to me as it is the city where I married my beautiful Wife!
LucyFishwife gets an Honorary Entry, due to a sinister occult BlackBerry curse on her entry last week . . .
Ditto MoOne. Bleeding BB didn’t alert me to their Twitter entries!
Durham. It’s where I was born, where I went to university, is ancient and modern and beautiful and I miss it so badly.
Memory Scarlett writes: I love Auckland because it’s a surprisingly walkable place full of green space, great architecture, and vibrant culture. [Via Twitter]
That’s easy, my favourite city in the world is always the one I haven’t been yo yet!
Thanks to everyone for your enticing answers, and congratulations to Carol Salter, winner of SEOUL SURVIVORS, and Pranath Fernando, winner of REDEMPTION IN INDIGO! Winners were chosen by the time-honoured means of picking scrunchy bits of paper out of a hat!
Carol – I can’t find your contact details online, so could you get in touch with me at anothercountry@yahoo.com please? Ta!