Taylor Brown's Blog, page 3

Wilmington / Savannah Book Launches!

I’m thrilled to announce book launches for Wingwalkers in Savannah and Wilmington, NC. These are both ticketed events with limited spaces, so please reserve your spot today!

AN EVENING WITH TAYLOR BROWN
Wilmington, NC
Monday, April 18, 6:00pm
Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods, presented by Ghost Hill Press
202 Princess St, Wilmington, NC
Tickets Link

BOOK LAUNCH: WINGWALKERS
Savannah, GA
Sunday, April 24, 4:00pm
Starland Yard, presented by E. Shaver Booksellers
2411 De Soto Ave, Savannah, GA
Tickets Link

You can see the rest of the events on my book tour on my Events page. Hope to see you soon!

WINGWALKERS Book Tour Announced!

I’m thrilled to announce my book tour dates for Wingwalkers, which comes out April 19 from St. Martin’s Press! As many of you know, the book tour for Pride of Eden was canceled due to Covid, so I’m thrilled to be back on the road — I hope to see some of you along the way! You’ll find my tour dates on my Events page, or via the link below:

Wingwalkers Book Tour Dates

“Elegant and Thrilling…” Available for Preorder!

I’m happy to share our first trade review for Wingwalkers, which releases on April 19. It’s from Publishers Weekly, who calls the novel “elegant and thrilling.” Huzzah! What’s more, the book is now available for preorder — details below!

Wingwalkers is now available for preorder, which means that you can have the book arrive in your hands on publication day. I’d be so grateful if you considered preordering, as it’s a very important indicator for stores, retailers, and in-house marketing/publicity to get excited about the book.

For Signed Copies: E. Shaver BooksellersFor Signed Copies: The Book Lady Bookstore, (912) 233-3628Supports Indie Bookstores: bookshop.org/a/2809/9781250274595Large West Coast Indie: PowellsBarnes & NobleAmazon

 

Paperback Release Day!

It’s paperback release day for Pride of Eden, winner of the 2021 Georgia Author of the Year Award!  The perfect time to purchase the book for a friend or family member!

Buying OptionsE. Shaver Books (Local Savannah store)The Book Lady (Local Savannah store)Bookshop.org (Supports Indie stores)Barnes & Noble (We need B&N sales) Amazon More Buying Options

2021 Georgia Author of the Year!

I’m thrilled to announce that Pride of Eden has won the 2021 Georgia Author of the Year Award for Literary Fiction! Thank you to the Georgia Writers Association and all of the bookstores, booksellers, and readers who support my work!

Below, you can see what the Georgia Writers Association had to say about the book.

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WINGWALKERS: Cover Reveal!

I’m thrilled to reveal the cover for my new novel, Wingwalkers, coming April 19, 2022 from St. Martin’s Press! The book opens with a passage from Joseph Blotner’s Faulkner: A Biography, in which William Faulkner has been attending the opening festivities of the New Orleans Shushan Airport during Mardi Gras, 1934:

When [Faulkner] appeared at the Bradfords’ early Sunday morning, he looked ravenous and hung over. After he consumed a large breakfast, he launched into what seemed to Mary Rose a disjointed, nightmarish tale of accepting a ride from two motorcyclists, a man and a woman. They were aviators at the meet, and he had joined them in drinking, flying, and carousing.

Who were these aviator-motorcyclists, and how did their lives intersect with Faulkner’s? That question, which burned in my imagination, brought this whole novel to life.

In Wingwalkers, a female wingwalker and her husband, a former World War I ace, barnstorm across Depression-era America, performing acts of aerial daring, while a young William Faulkner attempts to take creative flight.

It would mean the world to me if you considered pre-ordering the book now, so it will arrive on your doorstep come publication day. Pre-orders have become incredibly meaningful in the current publishing climate. They help tell retailers to stock the book in stores, and a solid set of pre-orders will help us get this book in front of new readers.

E. Shaver Books (For signed copies)
Bookshop.org (Supports indie bookstores)Barnes & Noble (We need more B&N sales) Amazon Kindle You can also pre-order signed copies from The Book Lady: (912) 233-3628

Gods of Howl Mountain: eBook Sale!

Hello everyone! I just wanted to share the good news that Gods of Howl Mountain has been selected for a Kindle Monthly Deal, so the e-book is currently discounted from an original price of $17 to just  $1.99! I’m told this sale price is across all e-retailers. You can find yours from the list below:

Bookshop.org Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Nook iBooks

If you’re curious about the book, below you’ll find a description and a few editorial reviews!

Book Description

In Gods of Howl Mountain, award-winning author Taylor Brown explores a world of folk healers, whiskey-runners, and dark family secrets in the high country of 1950s North Carolina.

Bootlegger Rory Docherty has returned home to the fabled mountain of his childhood – a misty wilderness that holds its secrets close and keeps the outside world at gunpoint. Slowed by a wooden leg and haunted by memories of the Korean War, Rory runs bootleg whiskey for a powerful mountain clan in a retro-fitted ’40 Ford coupe. Between deliveries to roadhouses, brothels, and private clients, he lives with his formidable grandmother, evades federal agents, and stokes the wrath of a rival runner.

In the mill town at the foot of the mountains – a hotbed of violence, moonshine, and the burgeoning sport of stock-car racing – Rory is bewitched by the mysterious daughter of a snake-handling preacher. His grandmother, Maybelline “Granny May” Docherty, opposes this match for her own reasons, believing that “some things are best left buried.” A folk healer whose powers are rumored to rival those of a wood witch, she concocts potions and cures for the people of the mountains while harboring an explosive secret about Rory’s mother – the truth behind her long confinement in a mental hospital, during which time she has not spoken one word. When Rory’s life is threatened, Granny must decide whether to reveal what she knows…or protect her only grandson from the past.

With gritty and atmospheric prose, Taylor Brown brings to life a perilous mountain and the family who rules it.

Editorial Reviews

“It’s the characters, so wonderfully vibrant and alive in their all-too-human variety?scared, tightly wound, angry, damaged, yet resourceful and resilient, some honorable, some not?that demonstrate Brown’s prodigious talent. Brown has quickly established himself in the top echelon of Southern writers, and his latest will please readers of Wiley Cash and Ron Rash.” – Booklist, starred review

“In his third novel (after The River of Kings), critically acclaimed novelist Brown gazes unflinchingly at the Howl Mountain community of 1950s North Carolina…Not to be missed, this bold, dark, gritty novel is another coup for Brown, whose lyrical descriptions of the landscape only add to the captivating story of indomitable but isolated folks bound by folklore, tradition, and a hardscrabble life.” – Library Journal, starred review

“Powerful…explosive…Brown’s lyrical prose invokes a verdant landscape whose rich past is woven into its roots and people; their dependence on the land and respect for its great mysteries are palpable. This tale of loyalty and retribution will linger with readers.” – Publishers Weekly

“The writing is strong and evocative, yielding a vivid picture whether he’s describing a forest or a car chase, and there’s plenty of action and intrigue. Pick up a copy of Gods of Howl Mountain and hold on. You’re in for a ride you won’t soon forget.” – Greensboro Triad

Short Story: "Rednecks"

Three years ago today, The Bitter Southerner published my short story “Rednecks” about Smilin’ Sid Hatfield, Mother Jones, and the Battle of Blair Mountain — the largest labor uprising in our nation’s history, when bombs were dropped on US soil and more than one million rounds were fired — all tied to a contemporary storyline I just couldn’t shake. Hopefully you’ll be seeing a lot more of this story to come... For now, here's the link to that story: https://bittersoutherner.com/rednecks...

Holiday Gift: PRIDE OF EDEN!

Shopping for the right holiday gift for the readers in your life? I’d like to humbly suggest Pride of Eden — especially for those readers with a love for animals, adventure, or the sea islands of the southern coast.

We were thrilled to find that Pride of Eden recently made Goodreads’s list of 33 Reader Approved, Highly Rated Fiction to Discover Now:

“From independent presses, to tales in translation, to critical darlings and new debut novels, these books (all published in the U.S. this year) are nothing but gems just waiting for you to discover them! Plus, each one has at least a 4-star average rating from your fellow readers.”

The book also makes a great gift for those readers who loved (or loved to hate) Tiger King:

“While we’ve all binged Tiger King, this is the lit fic version of the absolutely mind-numbing reality docuseries that we all love to hate. The book spans a few continents but mostly focuses on Little Eden, an exotic animal sanctuary on the Georgia coast.” —Get Literary

For what it’s worth, Pride of Eden has my favorite cover of all my books — it’s truly gorgeous in person. Picador will be publishing the trade paperback version next year, which may well have a different cover, so don’t miss your chance to have one of these hardcover beauties on your shelf!

Purchasing Options…

Bookshop.org (Supports Indie Bookstores)
Indiebound.org
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Apple Books
Books-A-Million

And signed copies are available from E. Shaver Bookseller and The Book Lady Bookstore!

Pride of Eden: A Reading

Here’s a reading of some of my favorite passages from Pride of Eden, filmed at an old Elks lodge in historic Savannah, Georgia!

http://www.taylorbrownfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Full-Sequence.mp4

 

If you don’t have your copy of Pride of Eden yet, it’s not too late!

Signed copies available from…

E. Shaver Bookseller (Savannah): www.eshaverbooks.com/book/9781250203816
The Book Lady (Savannah): (912) 233-3628
Octavia Books (New Orleans): www.octaviabooks.com/book/9781250203816

Or order from these retailers…

Bookshop.org
IndieBound
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Apple Books
Books-A-Million