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Showing posts with label Jonathan French. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jonathan French. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors

Here are some of the upcoming novels by formerly featured Debut Author Challenge (DAC) Authors. The year in parentheses is the year the author was featured in the DAC.


Jonathan French (2018)

The Free Bastards
The Lot Lands 3
Del Rey, September 28, 2021
Hardcover and eBook, 560 pages
The long-awaited war has come in the sweeping conclusion to the Lot Lands trilogy—another irresistibly swashbuckling, swaggering, foul-mouthed fantasy from the author of The Grey Bastards (“Nonstop action, though not for faint hearts.”—The Wall Street Journal).

War has come to the Lot Lands—and Oats stands upon the frontline.

The Hisparthan armies on the horizon are mighty, bolstered by divine champions, dread sorcerers, and gunpowder. It’s almost more than the half-orc rebellion can hope to repel.

But Oats has won impossible fights before. He’s a thriceblood, after all, more orc than man. And he hasn’t forgotten how to kill. He’ll stack the bodies high for his chief and his brethren, if that’s the price of freeing the Lots from human tyranny.

Besides, the invading forces are getting a damned sight more than they bargained for. They’re not facing a handful of half-orc hoofs, but a true army—one forged from all the peoples of the Lots. At its head are Fetching, in full command of the ruinous power that runs through her veins, and Jackal, armed with the blessings of a dead god.

Yet Oats can’t help but find his faith wavering. Once the strongest Bastard, he soon realizes that in this battle, even the strength of a thriceblood is easily conquered. And after a grievous loss strikes, he begins to fear that this war will lead the Lots not to freedom but to ruin.

So when another path to peace beckons, he has no choice but to walk it. Even if it means betting the Lots’ fate, and his own, on the promises of the Bastards’ wiliest adversary—and making a perilous journey into the heart of Hispartha itself.

Brimming with all the epic battles, surprising sorcery, and fiendish twists a Bastards fan could wish for, alongside unforgettable moments for characters old and new, The Free Bastards builds a new future for the Lots—even as it gives our beloved trio of Jackal, Fetching, and Oats the rousing, blood-soaked sendoff they deserve.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Bookshop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound : Powell's
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo
Book One
Book Two





Walter Goodwater (2018)

The Liar of Red Valley
Solaris, September 28, 2021
Hardcover and eBook, 368 pages
Lead title for Fall 2021 - a fresh, rich, American Gothic "yarn" with a highly relatable female lead.

Don’t trust the Liar.
Do not cross the King.
Never, ever go in the River.

In Red Valley, California, you follow the rules if you want to stay alive. But they won’t be enough to protect Sadie now that she’s become the Liar, the keeper of the town’s many secrets. Friendships are hard-won here, and it isn’t safe to make enemies.

And though the Liar has power — power to remake the world, with just a little blood—what Sadie really needs is answers: Why is the town’s sheriff after her? What does the King want from her? And what is the real purpose of the Liar of Red Valley?
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Bookshop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound : Powell's
Google Play : Kobo





Marina J. Lostetter (2017)

Activation Degradation
Harper Voyager, September 28, 2021
Trade Paperback and eBook, 384 pages
The Murderbot Diaries makes first contact in this new, futuristic, standalone novel exploring sentience and artificial intelligence through the lenses of conflicted robot hero Unit Four, from Marina Lostetter, critically acclaimed author of Noumenon, Noumenon Infinity, and Noumenon Ultra.

When Unit Four—a biological soft robot built and stored high above the Jovian atmosphere—is activated for the first time, it’s in crisis mode. Aliens are attacking the Helium-3 mine it was created to oversee, and now its sole purpose is to defend Earth’s largest energy resource from the invaders in ship-to-ship combat.

But something’s wrong. Unit Four doesn’t feel quite right.

There are files in its databanks it can’t account for, unusual chemical combinations roaring through its pipes, and the primers it possesses on the aliens are suspiciously sparse. The robot is under orders to seek and destroy. That’s all it knows.

According to its handler, that’s all it needs to know.

Determined to fulfill its directives, Unit Four launches its ship and goes on the attack, but it has no idea it’s about to get caught in a downward spiral of misinformation, reprograming, and interstellar conflict.

Most robots are simple tools. Unit Four is well on its way to becoming something more....
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Bookshop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound : Powell's
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

The View From Monday ... On Tuesday - September 29, 2020

 
It is the last Tuesday in September.

There is one debut this week:

Bestiary by K-Ming Chan.
 
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:
 
The True Bastards (The Lot Lands 2) is out in Trade Paperback;
 
A Blight of Blackwings (Seven Kennings 1) by Keven Hearne is out in Mass Market Paperback;
 
and
 
The Kraken's Tooth (The Seven Swords 2) by Anthony Ryan.
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.






Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.
 
September 29, 2020
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Tricky Treats: Halloween Delights for Appetizers, Snacks, Dinner, and Dessert! Vincent Amiel Cooking
God of War - The Official Novelization (tp2mm) J.M. Barlog MTI/F
A Witch to Remember Heather Blake PCM - A Wishcraft Mystery 9
The Cabin on Souder Hill Lonnie Busch Th
Battle Ground Jim Butcher UF - Dresden Files17
The Cunning Man D.J. Butler
Aaron Michael Ritchey
UF
Bestiary (D) K-Ming Chang LF/MR/Asian American
The Nesting C. J. Cooke SupTh/H/CW
Target Rich Environment, Volume 2 (h2mm) Larry Correia F - Collection
The Gossamer Mage (h2tp) Julie E. Czerneda F/DF
Lethal Game (h2mm) Christine Feehan R/PNR - GhostWalker 16
The Constant Rabbit Jasper Fforde CF/HU/F
1636: The China Venture (h2mm) Eric Flint
Iver P. Cooper
SF/TT - Ring of Fire 27
Uprising Denny Flowers SF/AP/PA - Necromunda
The Dragon Waiting John M. Ford AH/F
The True Bastards (h2tp) Jonathan French F/DF - The Lot Lands 2
Dreaming Death Heather Graham SupTh/Sus/GH/PNR - Krewe of Hunters 32
Forgotten Work Jason Guriel LF/Satire/CyP/Dys
The Midnight Library Matt Haig CW/SF/TT/LF
A Discovery of Witches (ri) Deborah Harkness Occ/Sup/R/Th - All Souls 1
A Blight of Blackwings (h2mm) Kevin Hearne F/P - Seven Kennings 2
Burning Roses S. L. Huang F/FairyT/FolkT/LM
Null Set (h2mm) S. L. Huang SF/TechTh/HU - Cas Russell 2
The Loop Jeremy Robert Johnson SupTh
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption Stephen King H
The Case of the Spellbound Child (h2mm) Mercedes Lackey HistF/Gaslamp - Elemental Masters 14
Snakeskins (tp2mm) Tim Major SF/TechTh
Mutation Michael McBride SupTh/AC - A Unit 51 Novel
Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope (h2tp) Una McCormack SF - Star Trek: Picard
A Deadly Education Naomi Novik F/CF/CoA - The Scholomance 1
Blue Planet Jane O'Reilly SF/SO/AC/SFR - Second Species Trilogy 3
Night Train (e) David Quantick H/SF/BHU
House of Suns (ri) Alastair Reynolds SF/HSF/SE/SO
Pushing Ice (ri) Alastair Reynolds SF/HSF/SE/SO
Sleep Donation Karen Russell LF/H/VM - Vintage Contemporaries
Clerk Guillermo Saccomanno
Andrea G. Labinger (Tr)
LF/SF/Noir/Psy
Immortal Angel Lynsay Sands PNR - Argeneau Vampire 31
Fantastic Tales Iginio Ugo Tarchetti
Lawrence Venuti (Tr)
Gothic/SS/HistF
Last Chancers: Armageddon Saint Gav Thorpe SF - Warhammer 40,000
The Sinner (h2mm) J.R. Ward PNR - Black Dagger Brotherhood 18
Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past Traci Wilton PCM - A Salem B&B Mystery 3



September 30, 2020
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Edited By Ellen Datlow (Ed) H/SF/SF - Anthology
Dancers in the Dark & Layla Steps Up: The Layla Collection Charlaine Harris UF
The Kraken's Tooth Anthony Ryan F - The Seven Swords 2



D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
Ke - Kindle eBook
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CW - Contemporary Women
CyP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
GothicR - Gothic Romance
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HistR - Historical Romance
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
Med - Medical
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PolTh - Political Thriller
PopCul - Popular Culture
Psy - Psychological
R - Romance
RF - Romantic Fantasy
ScF - Science Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SFTh - Science Fiction Thriller
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
SS - Short Stories
STR - Small Town and Rural
Sup - Supernatural
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TTR - Time Travel Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy
VM - Visionary and Metaphysical

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Monday, October 07, 2019

The View From Monday - October 7, 2019


Happy 1st Monday in October!

There are 3 debuts this week:

salt slow by Julia Armfield;

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo;

and

The Furies by Katie Lowe.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



From formerly featured DAC Authors:

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (The Thorne Chronicles 1) by K. Eason;

The Oyster Thief by Sonia Faruqi out in Trade Paperback;

The True Bastards (The Lost Lands 2) by Jonathan French;

The Princess Beard (Tales of Pell 3) by Kevin Hearne and Delilah S. Dawson;

A Cathedral of Myth and Bone: Stories by Kat Howard is out in Trade Paperback;

A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror by John Hornor Jacobs;

and

A Conjuring of Light Collector's Edition (Shade of Magic 3) by V. E. Schwab.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.






Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

October 7, 2019
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Wasteland (ri) Terry Goodkind F - Children of D'Hara 3
Iron & Velvet Alexis Hall UF - Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator 1



October 8, 2019
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
salt slow (D) Julia Armfield SS/LF/SF/AP/PA
The Penguin Book of Mermaids Cristina Bacchilega (Ed)
Marie Alohalani Brown (Ed)
FairyT/FolkT/LM/Sup
Ninth House (D-Adult) Leigh Bardugo SupTh/Occ/Sup
The Remaking Clay McLeod Chapman H/SupTh/Occ/Sup
Metropolitan Stories Christine Coulson LF/SS
The Princess Beard Delilah S. Dawson
Kevin Hearne
F/HU/FairyT/FolkT/LM - Tales of Pell 3
Merlin Redux Dave Duncan HistF - Enchanter General 3
How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse K. Eason SF/SO/HU - The Thorne Chronicles 1
The Oyster Thief (h2tp) Sonia Faruqi F
The True Bastards Jonathan French F/DF - The Lot Lands 2
Sudden Traveler: Stories Sarah Hall SS
Duchamp Versus Einstein Christopher Hinz
Etan Ilfeld
SF/AC/AP/PA
A Cathedral of Myth and Bone: Stories (h2tp) Kat Howard SS
A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror John Hornor Jacobs H
Warrior of the Altaii Robert Jordan F
Dark Ink Gary Kemble H/AH/SupTh
The Furies (D) Katie Lowe Th/CoA
Collateral Damage David Mack SF - Star Trek: The Next Generation
Hazards of Time Travel (h2tp) Joyce Carol Oates Dys
Before the Devil Fell Neil Olson LF/M&D/Cr
The Forbidden Stars Tim Pratt SF/HSF - The Axiom Series 3
Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts Kate Racculia LF
Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control Stuart Russell Tech & Eng/Robotics/Biotechnology
A Conjuring of Light Collector's Edition V. E. Schwab HistF/Gaslamp - Shades of Magic 3
Skin (ri) Ilka Tampke HistF
A Punk Rock Future Steve Zisson (Ed) SF/F - Anthology



October 9, 2019
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Afrofuturism Rising: The Literary Prehistory of a Movement Isiah Lavender III LC - New Suns: Race, Gender, and Sexuality



D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
mm - Mass Market Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CW - Contemporary Women
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M&D - Mystery & Detective
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PolTh - Political Thriller
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
SS - Short Stories
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Monday, March 18, 2019

The View From Monday - March 18, 2019


Happy Monday!

There are 2 debuts this week:

The Perfect Assassin (Chronicles of Ghadid 1) by K. A. Doore;

and

The Municipalists by Seth Fried.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



From formerly featured DAC authors:

The Grey Bastards (The Lot Lands 1) by Jonathan French is out in Trade Paperback;

Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan out in Trade Paperback;

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley;

MEM by Bethany C. Morrow is out in Trade Paperback;

and

Boundary Broken (Boundary Magic 4) by Melissa F. Olson.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.






Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

March 19, 2019
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Knights of the Empire Dan Abnett F - Warhammer Chronicles
Macragge's Honour Dan Abnett SF/SO - Horus Heresy
The Skinner (ri) Neal Asher SF - Spatterjay 1
Soulkeeper David Dalglish F/DF - Keepers 1
Tomorrow (h2tp) Damian Dibben Hist/HistF/MR
HALO: The Flood (ri) William C. Dietz SF - HALO
Radicalized Cory Doctorow SF/CyP - Collection
The Perfect Assassin (D) K. A. Doore F - Chronicles of Ghadid 1
The Deepest Blue Sarah Beth Durst F - Tales of Renthia
The Grey Bastards (h2tp) Jonathan French F/DF - The Lot Lands 1
The Municipalists (D) Seth Fried SF/TechTh
Rainbirds (h2tp) Clarissa Goenawan Psy/Cr/MR
Zero Bomb M.T Hill TechTh/SF
The Light Brigade Kameron Hurley SF/TT
The Man Who Walked Through Cracks: The Collected Short Fiction of R.A. Lafferty, volume 5 R. A. Lafferty H/SS
Firefly - The Magnificent Nine (e) James Lovegrove MTI/SF/SO
Inspection Josh Malerman PsyTh/H/CoA
Luna: Moon Rising Ian McDonald SF/SE/HSF/SO - Luna 3
The Witch's Kind Louisa Morgan MR/Occ/Sup/HistF
MEM (h2tp) Bethany C. Morrow F/HistF
HALO: The Fall of Reach Eric Nylund SF - HALO
HALO: First Strike (ri) Eric Nylund SF - HALO
Boundary Broken Melissa F. Olson UF - Boundary Magic 4
Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea: Stories Sarah Pinsker CF/SF - Collection
Black Moon: The Complete Tales of Jules de Grandin, Volume Five Seabury Quinn SF - Complete Tales of Jules de Grandin 5
Permafrost Alastair Reynolds SF/TT/HSF/AP/PA
Shadespire: The Mirrored City Josh Reynolds F - Warhammer: Age of Sigmar
The Chaos Function Jack Skillingstead SF/AP/PA
War Criminals Gavin G. Smith SF/HSF/CyP/AC - Bastard Legion 3
Unfettered III Shawn Speakman (Ed) F/SF - Anthology



D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CyP - Cyberpunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Parnormal Cozy Mystery
PerfArts - Performing Arts
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Spec - Speculative
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
SS - Short Stories
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
VisM - Visionary and Metaphysical

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Friday, June 22, 2018

Interview with Jonathan French, author of The Grey Bastards - And 2 Reviews


Please welcome Jonathan French to The Qwillery, as part of the 2018 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. The Grey Bastards was published on June 19th by Crown.







TQWelcome to The Qwillery. What is the first fiction piece you remember writing?

Jonathan:  Let's see...It was a fantasy story I wrote in 4th grade. I was living in England at the time and my teacher, Ms. Carlsen, was an amazing Dutch woman that read The Hobbit to her class every year as a tradition. I'd already read it, but I loved hearing her read it aloud because she had such love for the story. She encouraged me to read The Lord of the Rings, to draw scenes from the book, and to write my own fiction. I ended up writing this multi-chapter short story that was more akin to Dragonlance and the Golden Axe video game than to Tolkien. But she was still unbelievably supportive to the point that she had me read it aloud to the class, which was simultaneously awkward and exhilarating.



TQAre you a plotter, a pantser or a hybrid?

Jonathan:  I'm a hybrid who leans heavily to the pantsing side.



TQWhat is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Jonathan:  Consistency. I don't defend my writing time very well. My son is 5 and the stuff he is doing is just so much more fun than staring at a screen and thumping at keys. I also hate trying to describe architecture. And physics.



TQWhat has influenced / influences your writing?

Jonathan:  Living abroad as a kid was a major influence. I was this 9-year-old from Tennessee that had recently discovered Dungeons & Dragons and comic books, and the next thing I know I'm living in a place where medieval castles and cathedrals can be visited after school. And it all compounded from there. The interests spread to military history, weapons/warfare, wargaming, art history, all while beginning to absorb book after book: Middle-earth, Prydain, Discworld, Redwall, Conan. Those trends have continued almost uninterrupted as I've gotten older, but have also been supplemented by new pursuits like fatherhood and an interest in wilderness survival.



TQDescribe The Grey Bastards in 140 characters or less.

Jonathan:  #TheGreyBastards is a raucous tale of half-orcs riding huge war pigs. It’s been hailed as one of the filthiest books ever written. It’s now available!



TQTell us something about The Grey Bastards that is not found in the book description.

Jonathan:  Halflings in this world live underground, but instead of nice cozy hobbit-holes, they dwell in the ancient tomb of a fallen human god, sending out pilgrims to endlessly search the world for every last relic of the deity's time as a mortal warlord.



TQWhat inspired you to write The Grey Bastards? What appeals to you about writing Epic Fantasy?

Jonathan:  My wife was the one that insisted I write the story as a novel. Originally, the story was a half-formed idea for a Dungeons & Dragons game. I had painted a bunch of cool half-orc models that I wanted to use for my next game and I always like to provide my players with an element that firmly connects their characters out of the gate. Sons of Anarchy gave me the notion of a mounted gang, so I figured on having that gang be “half-orcs only.” My wife suggested I use hogs instead of horses, though I was concerned it was a little too obvious. She also said, “Forget the game. Write the fucking book.” That pretty much set the tone for the entire thing!

Far as Epic Fantasy goes, it’s always called to me as a reader and I write what I want to read. The possibilities are endless and, for me, it only gets better when married to elements from our own world history. Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age as an alternate version of our own past, Tolkien's use of Anglo-Saxon folklore, even the original Old World of Warhammer, I find all of that to be such a wonderful gateway into learning about real world events. I would love for The Grey Bastards to spark some young reader's interest in medieval Spain. So many people find history to be dull, but fantasy can be the sugar that helps the medicine go down.



TQWhat sort of research did you do for The Grey Bastards?

Jonathan:  I did a massive amount of reading about Reconquista-era Spain. S.S. Wyatt's translation of Daily Life in Portugal in the Middle Ages by A. H. de Oliveira Marques was invaluable. I also had to do a fair amount of internet research about different species of swine in order to make the riding hogs believable.



TQPlease tell us about the cover for The Grey Bastards.

Jonathan:  The cover was designed by artist and photographer Larry Rostant, along with Little, Brown Book Group creative director Duncan Spilling. It depicts the POV protagonist, Jackal; a young, cunning half-orc rider and member of the Grey Bastards.



TQIn The Grey Bastards who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Jonathan:  Oats was probably the easiest. Mostly because he never gave me any problems. I always knew what he was going to say and how he was going to react. Plus, he’s both overestimated and underestimated at the same time; he’s pretty vulnerable despite his size and strength, and also far from stupid despite initial appearances. My inspiration for him was a mix of Jayne Cobb (from my favorite TV show Firefly) and the late, great MMA fighter Kimbo Slice, so I had a solid foundation to work with when writing him.

The most difficult to write was definitely Starling. I knew having a female character that was seemingly helpless through most of the book would cause trouble for some readers. But I was (and still am) playing a rather long game with her, so I kept the course despite second-guessing it on many, MANY occasions.



TQWhy have you chosen to include or not chosen to include social issues in The Grey Bastards?

Jonathan:  It was never a conscious choice. I didn't have that moment where I thought: "I'm going to address X issue!" However, I don't see how they can be avoided in a believable world. They exist, period. Bigotry, racism, and sexism are certainly a part of real life, and I could not avoid their inclusion in a book about mixed-race characters living in a male-dominated society. As a pantser, the issues came to the page organically, so I was forced to face them down. Or rather, the characters were. I tried to keep my opinions out of it and not preach or come down on any side. The characters are flawed, but they are also products of their experiences and there were opportunities that allowed them to evolve. This shit is complicated and messy in real life, so I hope that's what came to the page.



TQWhich question about The Grey Bastards do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

Jonathan:  The question would be: Do you ever dream about The Grey Bastards being adapted into a tabletop wargame? And the answer is: Yes! Everyone raves about A Song of Ice & Fire getting an HBO show, but I think GRR Martin's real victory was getting a miniatures wargame. I daydream all the time about a gorgeous line of models: half-orc hog-riders, centaur marauders, orc raiders, noble and low-born cavaleros, Unyar scouts. I write up army lists for each of the hoofs and mull over a rules set for a game focused on mounted combat.



TQGive us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from The Grey Bastards.

Jonathan:  Oh, these are always tricky because my memory is awful! Here goes:

1) Jackal likened religion to madness. He had heard that in the north, in the great cities of Hispartha, there were more temples than well-fed children, that a hundred faceless gods received the wealth of the nobles and the fearful pleas of the peasants. He found that difficult to imagine, but Delia, Ignacio, and others had assured him it was true. Thankfully, such belief was all but unknown in Ul-wundulas. Perhaps the badlands were gods-forsaken, but Jackal preferred to think that the Lots were home to those who had no need of invisible old men, dog-headed demons, and sour-faced crones. Here, faith was better placed in a strong mount, a loaded stockbow, and a few solid companions.

and

2) Roundth was standing in his stirrups, balanced perfectly, and windmilling his exposed cock around in one hand as he passed. The damn thing was as thick as a floppy tankard.



TQWhat's next?

Jonathan:  The sequel is next! More Bastards are coming in March 2019. Sex! Violence! Vulgarity! Half-orc! Hogs! For those that wish to return to The Lots, it'll be a fun ride!



TQThank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Jonathan:  Are you kidding? It was my pleasure. Thank you for having me!





The Grey Bastards
The Lot Lands 1
Crown, June 19, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 432 pages

“A dirty, blood-soaked gem of a novel [that reads] like Mad Max set in Tolkien’s Middle Earth. A fantasy masterwork.”Kirkus Reviews (starred)

-
Live in the saddle.

Die on the hog.

Call them outcasts, call them savages—they’ve been called worse, by their own mothers—but Jackal is proud to be a Grey Bastard.

He and his fellow half-orcs patrol the barren wastes of the Lot Lands, spilling their own damned blood to keep civilized folk safe. A rabble of hard-talking, hog-riding, whore-mongering brawlers they may be, but the Bastards are Jackal’s sworn brothers, fighting at his side in a land where there’s no room for softness.

And once Jackal’s in charge—as soon as he can unseat the Bastards’ tyrannical, seemingly unkillable founder—there’s a few things they’ll do different. Better.

Or at least, that’s the plan. Until the fallout from a deadly showdown makes Jackal start investigating the Lot Lands for himself. Soon, he’s wondering if his feelings have blinded him to ugly truths about this world, and the Bastards’ place in it.

In a quest for answers that takes him from decaying dungeons to the frontlines of an ancient feud, Jackal finds himself battling invading orcs, rampaging centaurs, and grubby human conspiracies alike—along with a host of dark magics so terrifying they’d give even the heartiest Bastard pause.

Finally, Jackal must ride to confront a threat that’s lain in wait for generations, even as he wonders whether the Bastards can—or should-survive.

Delivered with a generous wink to Sons of Anarchy, featuring sneaky-smart worldbuilding and gobs of fearsomely foul-mouthed charm, The Grey Bastards is a grimy, pulpy, masterpiece—and a raunchy, swaggering, cunningly clever adventure that’s like nothing you’ve read before.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound





About Jonathan
Photo by Casey Gardner
JONATHAN FRENCH lives in Atlanta with his wife and son. He is a devoted reader of comic books, an expert thrower of oddly shaped dice, and a serial con attendee.













Website  ~  Twitter @JFrenchAuthor  ~  Facebook







Melanie's Thoughts (during the 2016 Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off)

If you take the orcs, the elves and the dwarves from Middle Earth, mix in some rampaging centaurs with a big helping of not very nice humans, quite a bit of swearing and a multi-layered plot then you have The Grey Bastards. Set in the bleak landscape of ‘the Lotlands’ The Grey Bastards, an elite group of half orc militia. protect their community from almost everyone else. The hero of this tale is not a tall dark and handsome knight on a white charger but rather, a greyish green half orc named Jackal who thunders onto the battle field on enormous multi-tusked hog. That doesn’t make him any less heroic. When Jackal discovers that elvin women are being held captive by a sludge monster, that the leader of Bastards might be involved and there are more and more incursions of full blooded orcs killing his friends and community then Jackal decides to take a stand….and one he might not survive.

I tentatively started The Grey Bastards as I wasn’t completely sure I would like it. I am not normally a fan of this type of fantasy so when I found myself staring at the cover I decided to give it a go. I loved it. This isn’t a book if you are sensitive to blood, guts and swearing so be warned but the plot is soo engaging. Despite Jackal’s penchant for prostitutes, overuse of certain misogynistic words used by some presidents and the fact he had tusks, he was very much the traditional hero - tall, handsome, fights the good fight and protects the innocent.

French has crafted an ambitious but intricate plot. I never knew what was going to happen next or whether Jackal would live to tell the tale. This is a sign of a good book in my view. I could very easily recommend this as one of the best books of SPFBO 2016 and potentially one of my favourite books of this year.



Doreen's Thoughts (now)

When I first started reading The Grey Bastards, I knew it was an homage to the television show, “Sons of Anarchy,” but when discovering the names of the main characters, Jackal (Jax), Oats (Opie), and the Claymaster (Clay), I thought they were a little too close to the real thing. Then I discovered that these half-orcs rode hogs - real, animal hogs - and I almost gave up reading what I thought might be a spoof. I kept reading, and despite my misgivings, I started to get caught up in the story.

There is some tremendous world-building here. I loved the description of the kiln, their hideout, where the walls can be heated to kill any intruders. Then there was the Hogback, which is a ramp that can be raised and lowered to let the hogs and their riders out over the walls. There are the sludges, gelatinous creatures that can envelop and suck the life out of a creature, and the Rohks, flying predators who could carry a whole hog. The magic is different, created out of smoke and sparks.

Given the nature of the show, I expected the sex and violence to be more graphic than it is; however, many of the other descriptions are just as graphic and gross as can be.

Just as in “Sons of Anarchy,” this hoof (club) is being run by a corrupt tyrant whose time has come. Jackal has discovered that the Claymaster is making deals and paying for them using elves, a violation of the treaty they have which could lead to war. As he comes closer to taking over leadership of the Bastards, he discovers that perhaps they are not the fierce proctors of the Lot lands that they think they are; perhaps they are simply the dregs of humanity left to survive on scraps. Along with his backups, Fetching and Oats, and the wizard, Crafty, Jackal will find out about the Bastards and their place in the Lot Lands, even if it kills them all.

Monday, June 18, 2018

The View From Monday - June 18, 2018


Happy Monday!

There are 4 debuts this week:

The Grey Bastards (The Lot Lands 1) by Jonathan French;

The Robots of Gotham by Todd McAulty;

Witchmark by C.L. Polk;

and

The Anomaly by Michael Rutger.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



From formerly featured DAC Authors:

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors (The Risen Kingdoms 1) by Curtis Craddock is out in Trade Paperback;

The Synapse Sequence by Daniel Godfrey;

Dance of the Heart (Muse Chronicles 6) by Lisa Kessler;

Godsgrave (The Nevernight Chronicle 2) by Jay Kristoff is out in Trade Paperback;

Arabella and the Battle of Venus (The Adventures of Arabella Ashby 2) by David D. Levine is out in Trade Paperback;

and

Vampire's Faith (Dark Protectors 8) by Rebecca Zanetti.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.






Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

June 17, 2018
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Blue Shift Jane O'Reilly SF/SO/AC/SFR - Second Species Trilogy 1



June 18, 2018
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Night Myst (e)(ri) Yasmine Galenorn PNR - Indigo Court 1
Dance of the Heart (e) Lisa Kessler PNR - Muse Chronicles 6
Hunter's Pride (e) Shiloh Walker PNR - Hunter's World



June 19, 2018
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Completionist Siobhan Adcock LF
The Skaar Invasion Terry Brooks F - The Fall of Shannara 2
Thicker Than Water Mike Carey SupTh/Occ/Sup/GH/Th - Felix Castor 4
An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors (h2tp) Curtis Craddock F/Gaslamp/SP - The Risen Kingdoms 1
It Will All Hurt Farel Dalrymple F
Curse of the Black Swan (e) Alyssa Day PNR - League of the Black Swan 2
The Grey Bastards (D) Jonathan French F/DF - The Lot Lands 1
Ghost Frequencies Gary Gibson SF/F - Newcon Press Novellas Set 4 1
The Synapse Sequence Daniel Godfrey SF
The Mermaid Christina Henry HistF/FairyT/FolkT/LM/CW
The Thousand Year Beach TOBI Hirotaka
Matt Treyvaud (Tr)
SF - The Thousand Year Beach
The Privilege of Peace Tanya Huff SF/HSF - Peacekeeper 3
The Reign of the Departed Greg Keyes CF/F - The High and Faraway 1
Godsgrave (h2tp) Jay Kristoff F - The Nevernight Chronicle 2
Arabella and the Battle of Venus (h2tp) David D. Levine SF/SP - The Adventures of Arabella Ashby 2
The Twilight Herald Tom Lloyd F - The Twilight Reign 2
The Stormcaller: Collector's Tenth Anniversary Limited Edition Tom Lloyd F - The Twilight Reign 1
Black Mad Wheel (h2tp) Josh Malerman Fict
The Robots of Gotham (D) Todd McAulty SF
Stray Magic (e) Kelly Meding PNR - Strays 1
Outcasts of Order L. E. Modesitt, Jr. F - Saga of Recluce 20
Witchmark (D) C. L. Polk F/Gaslamp/RF
The Anomaly (D) Michael Rutger Sus/PsyTh/FairyT/FolkT/LM
Best of British Science Fiction 2017 Donna Scott (Ed) SF - Anthology
Jurassic, Florida (e) Hunter Shea H - Hunter Shea: One Size Eats All 1
Storm Glass Jeff Wheeler F - The Harbinger Series 1
Tell the Machine Goodnight Katie Williams CoA/FL/LF
Embracing The Demon Beth Woodward DF/SupTh/P/H - Dale Highland 2
Vampire's Faith Rebecca Zanetti PNR - Dark Protectors 8



June 20, 2018
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Shattered Blades (e) Marie Brennan F - Born to the Blade Season 1, Episode 10



D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CulH - Cultural Heritage
CW - Contemporary Woman
CyP - Cyberpunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
Fict - Fiction
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
Gothic - Gothic
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humor
LC - Literary Criticism
LegalTh - Legal Thriller
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
Med - Medical
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
MU - Mash Up
NF - Near Future
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PI - Private Investigator
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PopCul - Popular Culture
Psy Th - Psychological Thriller
Rel - Religious
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SH - Superheroes
SocSci - Social Science
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
Tech - Technological
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TTR - Time Travel Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy
VisM - Visionary and Metaphysical
W - Western

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Friday, June 15, 2018

2018 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - June Debuts




Each month you will be able to vote for your favorite cover from that month's debut novels. At the end of the year the 12 monthly winners will be pitted against each other to choose the 2018 Debut Novel Cover of the Year. Please note that a debut novel cover is eligible in the month in which the novel is published in the US. Cover artist/illustrator/designer information is provided when we have it.

I'm using PollCode for this vote. After you the check the circle next to your favorite, click "Vote" to record your vote. If you'd like to see the real-time results click "View". This will take you to the PollCode site where you may see the results. If you want to come back to The Qwillery click "Back" and you will return to this page. Voting will end sometime on June 30, 2018, unless the vote is extended. If the vote is extended the ending date will be posted.

Vote for your favorite June 2018 Debut Cover!
 
pollcode.com free polls




Cover design by Brian Lemus
Cover image © Cultura Exclusive/Manuel Sulzer/Getty Images




Jacket design © Leo Nickolls Design
Jacket photograph © All Canada Photos/Alamy Stock Photo




Cover design by Adam Simpson








Cover design by Cameron Cornelius




Cover art by Mingchen Shen




Jacket design by Duncan Spilling LBBG
Jacket photograph © Larry Rostant




Cover design by Micaela Alcaino




Cover art by Micah Epstein




Cover design by Gregg Kulick
Cover image by Antarworks




Cover design by Mark Robinson




Cover art by Tommy Arnold




Cover art by Jan Weßbecher








Cover by Will Staehle