Some free WorldCon-slated copies of _Cry of Justice_ need homes

[JasonPratt]

Once upon a time, I had set aside about 50 of these things for sending to the World Fantasy Convention to be put in random con-bags for guests. Printing-and-binding ran a little long, though (possibly also a billing gaffe), so poot on that plan.

This leaves (or left) me 50 copies slated for that promotion--out of which I have about about 20 left. (Sent 20 to a friend of mine to disburse as she wished among her friends; have sent others to people who asked about it in various forums where I'm leaving messages.)

So!--anyone interested in getting a free hardback epic fantasy novel with a nice dustjacket mailed to you at my expense (y'know, as if you found it in your goody bag at WorldCon {g}), can drop me a private email with a shipping address; and I'll make sure my distributor will disburse a book to you at my expense.

Forthwith occurs a Fraternally Expected Question set. {g} (Note: a lot of this is repeated info from when I was asking for art submissions for a website. I haven't gotten around to doing the website yet, but I do plan to buy some of the art that was submitted, incidentally. {s!})

DOES IT OBLIGATE US IN ANY WAY?

Well, I'd rather you not sell the thing yourself. Or if you do, send me a check for 50% of it (as if you were a retailer except they have to send in 60% and my distributor would take 14% of that.)

But of course I don't have any way of enforcing that.

DO WE HAVE TO DO A REVIEW SOMEWHERE?

No, though obviously I hope you do if you like it. {g} The whole point to promo copies is to build word-of-mouth.

CAN WE GET A PDF OR DOC VERSION?

Up until now I've been giving those out to people who ask for one, but I'd rather send a hard copy for two reasons. First, most people would rather read a hard copy anyway. Second, I really don't want excess digital copies floating around spawning and respawning. You can buy an eBook version from my distributor AtlasBooks if you really want one; a (probably less expensive but more proprietary) version will be available from Mobipocket/Amazon in a month or so, too.

WHAT IF WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN A DIGITAL COPY FROM YOU?

Then you already have a copy, and you got it earlier than other people. I may rethink it in a couple of cases, but my basic policy on this will be: if you already have a copy, and want a hard copy, buy it please. (Since Temulin has been commenting regularly on it as she goes through, I don't mind sending her a hard copy. Besides she asked for one earlier, when I couldn't send it yet. {g})

DO WE HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING?

Heck no, including freight. That's why they're promotional copies.

WILL THEY BE SIGNED?

No, they'll be disbursed straight from the warehouse, not from `my house'. {g}

WHAT WAS THE BOOK'S TITLE AGAIN?

_Cry of Justice_. Book 2 will be _Edge of Justice_. Not to be confused with _The Edge of Justice_, released a couple of years ago, which I understand to be a rockclimbing lawyer story. _Not_ at all the same thing. {g} ("Rock-climbing, Servo." "Rock-climbing, Joel.")

HOW LONG IS THE BOOK?

About 450 pages standard text. Not quite as large as some hardback fantasy tomes. And even that is misleadingly long, as I use lots of brief paragraphs along with occasional instances of what I call metaparagraphing (where paragraphs are set apart by an extra return.) Some chapters only run a page or two. Wordcount clocks in just over 154 thousand words. Again, about normal for (or even less than) most epic fantasy novels.

CAN YOU GIVE US A 10 WORD OR LESS DESCRIPTION?

Adventurers raid a wizard's tower. Action and romance ensue.

THAT MAY BE THE MOST GENERIC D&D-RIPOFF PLOT DESCRIPTION WE'VE EVER SEEN!

10 words or less. {shrug} {g}

OKAY, 25 WORDS OR LESS, THEN!

After a war, adventurers raid a wizard's tower to give their brigade a better chance of surviving; but then must defend themselves against another three brigades.

26 WORDS. CLOSE ENOUGH. OKAY, SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S MORE TO THE STORY: 75 WORDS OR LESS, THEN!

An ambitious maga, Portunista, leads a band of warriors in a struggle to survive the aftermath of a vicious international war. Vastly outnumbered, Portunista and her subcommander Seifas fight against ever more ruthless adversaries, while protecting the mystical Well at the End of the Wood and overcoming the challenges posed by the Tower of Qarfax. As their world collapses around them, Portunista finds herself irreconcilably drawn to Seifas' friend, the charismatic and hopeful stranger Jian.

OOOOOOOH! CHARACTERS! AND A ROMANTIC TRIANGLE PERHAPS? CARE TO TRY 100 WORDS OR LESS?

How about the original jacket flap copy? (Actual jacket-flap copy runs about twice as long. See the Amazon Product description.) Wordcount clocks this as 99 words. I'll place it between two sets of seven periods.

.......

Monsters wander the world of Mikon.

Caught in the aftermath of a vicious international war, thousands of refugees have fled the Coastal States, bringing their dangers with them into the wilderness bordering on the untamed Middlelands. But, in their increasingly desperate struggles-for food, for knowledge, for life itself-what will make the difference between a brigade and bands of brigands?

Join an ambitious maga seeking the path to Imperial glory; a dark and lethal hunter whose words are his tears; and other castaways from their imploding civilization as they fight to find and to understand the most dangerous of treasures...

.......

HEY! STARTING TO SOUND POETIC, TOO!

That's on purpose. The whole work is one giant piece of rhythmical prose. It's supposed to be kind of like reading Shakespeare, but with a more modern idiom. (That doesn't mean all the promo material will be written that way, however.)

CARE TO TRY FOR 145 WORDS OR LESS? WITHOUT JUST INFLATING A DITTO OF THE PREVIOUS MATERIAL?

This first book centers on an ambitious woman, Portunista, who is taking advantage of the security she can provide in the aftermath of an international war, to seek power for her own advancement. But the people who follow and serve her tend to take their ethics more seriously; and she herself does have the potential to be a better person. As she grows in power, though, she becomes increasingly tempted to use that power for self-protection at the expense of other people; and to be more resentful toward the people who help her. She's a difficult protagonist to write!--but there are many other characters, too, and her process of learning to be a better person does bear fruit eventually. As she puts it near the end of the book, "I did get better. But first I got worse. And that was my own fault."

AH-HM! SO, INCIDENTALLY, WOULD THIS BOOK BE SOME KIND OF POLITICAL ALLEGORY OF OUR CURRENT WAR SITUATION?

Some analogies could be drawn (technically the book is not an allegory). I wrote it, however, originally in late 2000 and early 2001, months before 9/11; the overarching story is one I've been working on for over 25 years. But I was borrowing from some ancient story types, and I was working at illustrating certain perennial themes, so it isn't surprising that the book can be read as a contemplation on how we can honorably proceed under dubious leadership, for example. Anyone trying to use the book for political purposes, though, will be setting themselves up for embarrassing self-refutation. You've been warned. {g}

LET'S GET MORE AMBITIOUS ALONG WITH PORTUNISTA THEN! 400 WORDS OR LESS!

Now we're verging into serious spoiler territory. i.e., this is summary page length. Sorry.

KAY-O, ENOUGH WITH THE PROGRESSIVELY LARGER DESCRIPTIONS THEN. ANY NON SPOILERY REVIEWS UP ALREADY?

CeciM, who frequents the Amazon boards, has posted up a very balanced non-spoilery review at

http://cecimreads.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/cry-of-justice-by-jason-pratt/

Ceci's other reviews are well worth checking out for comparison: she's a voracious reader, and her site is a great place for picking up cues on books you may not have read yet (and comparing her tastes with books you _have_ read. {g})

Jason Pratt
Bittersea Publications

PS: oh, be sure to put CoJ or _Cry of Justice_ or something like that in the subject line. Otherwise I may delete it as spam.