The Qwillery

Happy penultimate Monday in May! There are 3 debuts this week and we will have interview with each of these debut authors! Reset by Sarina Dahlan; The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis; and Anna by Sammy H.K. Smith.

From formerly featured DAC Authors: The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet is out in Trade Paperback; The Blacktongue Thief (Blacktongue 1) by Christopher Buehlman; Revelations (Netherspace 3) by Nigel Foster; Dawnrise (Chaos Queen 5) by Christopher Husberg; A Murder in Time (A Kendra Donovan Mystery 1) by Julie McElwain is out in Mass Market Paperback; See Something (A Witch City Mystery 11) by Carol J. Perry; and A Chain Across the Dawn (The Universe After 2) by Drew Williams is out in Mass Market Paperback.

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green. May 25, 2021

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
MEG: Generations (tp2mm)	Steve Alten	SupTh/SF - Meg 6
From Blood and Ash	Jennifer L. Armentrout	FR/PNR - Blood and Ash 1
The Damnation Game (ri)	Clive Barker	H/SupTh/Sus
Power Challenges	Ben Bova	Power 5
The Unwilling (h2tp)	Kelly Braffet	F/HistF
The Uplift War (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - Uplift Saga 3
Heaven's Reach (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - Uplift Saga 6
Infinity's Shore (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - Uplift Saga 5
Brightness Reef (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - Uplift Saga 4
Startide Rising (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - Uplift Saga 2
The Uplift Storm Trilogy: Brightness Reef, Infinity's Shore, Heaven's Reach (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - The Uplift Saga
The Last Druid (h2mm)	Terry Brooks	F - Fall of Shannara 4
The Blacktongue Thief	Christopher Buehlman	F/H/HU - Blacktongue 1
Scorpion	Christian Cantrell	SF/TT/TechTh
Reset (D)	Sarina Dahlan	SF
New Welsh Reader 126: Speculative Fiction from Wales (e)	Jo Dahn Gee Williams	SpecFic - Anthology
Chance of a Lifetime	Jude Deveraux Tara Sheets	Women/TT/MR/HistR - Providence Falls 1
The Apocalypse Seven	Gene Doucette	SF/AP/PA
Claws on the Plain	James Dunbar	F - Kings of War
How to Mars	David Ebenbach	SF/AC/MHU
Revelations	Nigel Foster	SF/AC/SO - Netherspace 3
1636: The Atlantic Encounter (h2mm)	Eric Flint Walter H. Hunt	SF/TT - Ring of Fire 25
Richards & Klein	Guy Haley	SF/CyP/PI
Honeycomb	Joanne M. Harris	DF
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires (h2tp)	Grady Hendrix	H/SupTh/Southern
Chaos Queen - Dawnrise	Christopher Husberg	DF/F - Chaos Queen 5
The Lights of Prague (D)	Nicole Jarvis	F/Gaslamp/HistF/FR
The Promised Queen	Jeffe Kennedy	FR - Forgotten Empires 3
On the Origin of Species and Other Stories	Bo-Young Kim Sora Kim-Russell (Tr)	SF - Collection
The House of Styx	Derek Künsken	SF - Venus Ascendant 1
Déjà Doomed	Edward M. Lerner	SF/HSF/AC
A Murder in Time (ri)	Julie McElwain	Women/HistM - Kendra Donovan Mystery 1
Shakespeare for Squirrels (h2tp)	Christopher Moore	F/HU
Witness X	SE Moorhead	SF/Cr
The Legacy of Heorot	Larry Niven Jerry Pournelle Steven Barnes	SF - Heorot Series 1
See Something	Carol J. Perry	PCM - A Witch City Mystery 11
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow (h2tp)	Natasha Pulley	HistF/Gay/MR/Hist
The Kingdoms	Natasha Pulley	F/AH/HistF/MR
Burn-In (h2tp)	P. W. Singer August Cole	TechTh - A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution
Anna (D)	Sammy H.K. Smith	Women/Dys
Battle Luna (h2tp)	Travis S. Taylor Timothy Zahn et al.
The Chalk Man (ri)	C. J. Tudor	PsyTh/Sus/H
Hard Reboot	Django Wexler	SF/SE
A Chain Across the Dawn (ri)	Drew Williams	SF/SO/HU - The Universe After 2
Version Zero	David Yoon	TechTh/Sus/SF

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
BHU - Black Humor
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CM - Crime & Mystery
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
GW&CC - Global Warming and Climate Change
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
MU - Mash-Up
NF - Near Future
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PF - Paranormal Fantasy
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PolTh - Political Thriller
PopCul - Popular Culture
PP - Police Porcedural
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
WS - Women Sleuths

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

Happy Monday! There are no debuts this week. From formerly featured DAC Authors: Ivory's Story by Eugen Bacon; The Light of All That Falls (Licanus Trilogy 3) by James Islington is out in Trade Paperback; Orders of Battle (Frontlines 7) by Marko Kloos; Betrayal in Time by Julie McElwain is out in Trade Paperback; Memoria (Nova Vita Protocol 2) by Kristyn Merbeth; The Philosopher's War (Philosopher's 2) by Tom Miller is out in Trade Paperback; and The Seep by Chana Porter is out in Trade Paperback.

 

 

 

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green. December 8, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Apex: World of Dinosaurs Anthology (e)	Alana Joli Abbott (Ed)	F/Anthology
Lone Wolves	Dan Abnett	SF - Warhammer 40,000
Ivory's Story	Eugen Bacon	Th/F
The Roach	Rhett C. Bruno	SF/Th
The Cinematic Art of Overwatch	Matt Burns	SF/Art
Helsreach	Aaron Dembski-Bowden	SF - Warhammer 40,000
D: A Tale of Two Worlds	Michel Faber	CF/MR/LF
Peach Blossom Paradise	Ge Fei Canaan Morse (Tr)	Pol/Dys/Hist
Crosshairs	Catherine Hernandez	Dys
Sexton Blake's Allies	Mark Hodder (Ed)	Cr - The Sexton Blake Library 3
Now Before the Dark	Sam Hooker	F/HU - Terribly Serious Darkness
The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2020 Edition	Rich Horton (Ed)	SF/Anthology
The Light of All That Falls (h2tp)	James Islington	F - Licanius Trilogy 3
Zed (h2tp)	Joanna Kavenna	Satire/LF/Dys
The Stand	Stephen King	MTI/Sus/H/SF/AP/PA
Orders of Battle	Marko Kloos	SF/SO/AC - Frontlines 7
Wizard of the Pigeons: The 35th Anniversary Illustrated Edition	Megan Lindholm Robin Hobb	F/UF/CF
Betrayal in Time (h2tp)	Julie McElwain	M/TT - Kendra Donovan Mystery 4
Memoria	Kristyn Merbeth	SF/SO/AC/SE - Nova Vita Protocol 2
The Philosopher's War (h2tp)	Tom Miller	HistF - The Philosophers 2
Prophecy's End	Richard Phillips	F - Endarian Prophecy 6
The Seep (h2tp)	Chana Porter	LGBT/AB/SF/AP/PA
Exo-Hunter	Jeremy Robinson	AC/SF
Anyone (h2tp)	Charles Soule	SF
Armor (ri)	John Steakley	SF/HSF
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain	Nghi Vo	F/HistF - The Singing Hills Cycle 2
Fleet Elements	Walter Jon Williams	SF - A Novel of the Praxis 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
BHU - Black Humor
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CM - Crime & Mystery
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
GW&CC - Global Warming and Climate Change
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
MU - Mash-Up
NF - Near Future
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PF - Paranormal Fantasy
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PolTh - Political Thriller
PopCul - Popular Culture
PP - Police Porcedural
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
WS - Women Sleuths

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

Happy Monday!

There are three debuts this week:

The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele;

David Mogo, Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbow;

and

Salvation Day by Kali Wallace (Adult Debut).




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

A Shroud of Leaves (Sage Westfield 2) by Rebecca Alexander;

Ash Kickers (Smoke Eaters 2) by Sean Grigsby;

and

Caught in Time (Kendra Donovan 3) by Julie McElwain is out in Trade Paperback

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

July 9, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
A Shroud of Leaves	Rebecca Alexander	Cr/Mys/Th - Sage Westfield 2
Jasmyn (ri)	Alex Bell	SF/Cr - GOLLANCZ S.F.
Underhive	Mike Brooks	SF/AP/PA - Necromunda Anthology
Blood Is Not Enough: Stories of Vampirism (e)	Ellen Datlow (Ed)	H - Anthology
A Whisper of Blood: Stories of Vampirism (e)	Ellen Datlow (Ed)	H - Anthology
The Saturday Night Ghost Club	Craig Davidson	CoA/ST+R/GH
The Lightest Object in the Universe (D)	Kimi Eisele	Dys/SF/AP/PA/Disaster
Ash Kickers	Sean Grigsby	SF/AP/PA/F - Smoke Eaters 2
Null Set	S. L. Huang	SF/TechTh/HU - Cas Russell 2
The Complete Smoke Trilogy	Tanya Huff	CF/UF/HU - Smoke
Eye Spy	Mercedes Lackey	F/DF - Valdemar: Family Spies 2
Drop by Drop (h2tp)	Morgan Llywelyn	SF/AP/PA/TechTh/ ST+R - Step by Step 1
The Sum of All Shadows	Eric Van Lustbader	SupTh/Sus - Testament 4
Metamorphica: Fiction (h2tp)	Zachary Mason	LF/FairyT/FolkT/LM
Caught in Time (h2tp)	Julie McElwain	Hist/M - Kendra Donovan 3
Silver Nails	Kim Newman	H - Warhammer Horror
Beasts in Velvet	Kim Newman	H - Warhammer Horror
David Mogo, Godhunter (D)	Suyi Davies Okungbowa	UF
The Need	Helen Phillips	LF
The Toll	Cherie Priest	H/GH/Gothic
Apocalypse	Josh Reynolds	SF - Space Marine Conquests 5
Mission Critical	Jonathan Strahan (Ed)	SF
Age of Legend	Michael J. Sullivan	F/HistF - Legends of the First Empire 4
Fire and Rain	John F. D. Taff	SupTh - The Fearing 1
The Survival of Molly Southbourne	Tade Thompson	H/DF - Molly Southbourne 2
Salvation Day (D - Adult)	Kali Wallace	SF/TechTh/H

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



AA - Action and Adventure
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
Eng - Engineering
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
Gothic - Gothic
GothicR - Gothic Romance
H - Horror
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
Ke - Kindle eBook
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PerfArts - Performing Arts
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PolTh - Political Thriller
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SO - Space Opera
SS - Short Stories
ST+R - Small Town and Rural
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
Tech - Technology
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
WS - Women Sleuths

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

Jennifer David Hesse (2016)

May Day Murder
A Wiccan Wheel Mystery 5
Kensington Books, March 26, 2019
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

Spring is in the air, but for Edindale, Illinois, attorney Keli Milanni, murder is the only thing blooming. . .

Keli’s looking forward to Beltane, the time-honored Wiccan holiday that celebrates life with feasting, ceremonial dancing, and ancient Celtic rituals. But since recently leaving her law firm and opening her own practice, Keli has more on her plate than simple abundance. Still, she always has time for a friend. Erik, a Druid from a neighboring town, has had a run of bad luck he blames on a curse cast by his ex-girlfriend Denise, a practicing witch whose expertise in the dark arts can’t save her from her own deadly end.

When Keli finds herself a person of interest in the investigation, she begins to wonder if she herself might be cursed. With a little help from her friends, including her devoted boyfriend Wes, Keli aims to find out who poisoned Denise. What she uncovers is a witch’s brew of spells, hexes, and black magic that raises questions about her own Wiccan worldview. As the community gathers for the May Day festivities, it’s up to Keli to stop a killer from springing ahead to another murder . . .

A Wiccan Wheel Mystery 1	A Wiccan Wheel Mystery 2
A Wiccan Wheel Mystery 3	A Wiccan Wheel Mystery 4

Julie McElwain (2016)

Betrayal in Time
Kendra Donovan Mysteries 4
Pegasus Books, July 2, 2019
Hardcover and eBook, 464 pages

Kendra Donovan’s adventures in nineteenth-century England continue when she is called upon to investigate the murder of a spymaster.

February 1816: A race through the icy, twisting cobblestone streets of London ends inside an abandoned church—and a horrific discovery. Bow Street Runner Sam Kelly is called to investigate the grisly murder of Sir Giles Holbrooke, who was left naked and garroted, with his tongue cut out. Yet as perplexing as that crime is, it becomes even stranger when symbols that resemble crosses mysteriously begin to appear across the dead man’s flesh during autopsy. Is it a message from the killer?

Sam turns to the one person in the kingdom who he believes can answer that question and solve the bizarre murder—the Duke of Aldridge’s odd but brilliant ward, Kendra Donovan.

While Kendra has been trying to adapt to her new life in the early nineteenth century, she is eager to use her skills as a twenty-first century FBI agent again. And she will need all her investigative prowess, because Sir Giles was not an average citizen. He was one of England’s most clever spymasters, whose life had been filled with intrigue and subterfuge.

Kendra’s return to the gritty streets and glittering ballrooms of London takes her down increasingly dangerous paths. When more bodies are discovered, murdered in the same apparently ritualistic manner as Sir Giles, the American begins to realize that they are dealing with a killer with an agenda, whose mind has been twisted by rage and bitterness so that the price of a perceived betrayal is death.

Caught in Time
Kendra Donovan Mysteries 3
Pegasus Books, July 9, 2019
Trade Paperback, 464 pages
Hardcover and eBook, July 3, 2018

Still stranded in 1815, FBI agent Kendra Donovan finds herself on the trail of a vicious murderer with a shocking secret.

October 1815: There is only one place Kendra Donovan wants to travel—back to her own time period in the twenty-first century. But since that’s not happening, she agrees instead to travel with her new guardian, the Duke of Aldridge, to one of his smaller estates in Lancashire. Their journey takes them through Yorkshire, a region whose breathtaking beauty masks a simmering violence brought on by the Industrial Revolution, which pits mill owner against worker.

When Kendra and the Duke encounter a band of Luddites on a lonely, fog-shrouded road, the Duke informs the authorities in the nearby village of East Dingleford that mischief may have been done at the local mill. However, it isn’t just mischief but murder that is discovered, when the body of the mill manager, Mr. Stone, is found brutally bludgeoned to death in his office.

The Constable is certain the radical-minded Luddites committed the murder. One look at the crime scene and Kendra knows they did not, prompting the Duke to shock the locals by volunteering their services to catch the real killer. Joined by lover Alec and Bow Street Runner Sam Kelly, Kendra must sort through the puzzle of Stone’s rather unsavory life, picking apart alibies and dissecting carefully created deceptions from a growing list of suspects.

As a special agent for the FBI, Kendra thought she’d encountered every kind of evil. But when another, even more vicious murder rocks East Dingleford, Kendra realizes that they’re dealing with a stone-cold killer—one who has a shocking secret that he will do anything to protect.

Kendra Donovan Mysteries 1

Kendra Donovan Mysteries 2

Carol J. Perry (2014)

Final Exam
A Witch City Mystery 8
Kensington Books, February 26, 2019
Mass Market Paperback and eBook 368 pages

A cold case update in Salem, Massachusetts . . .

Life at the house on Winter Street is abuzz with preparations for Aunt Ibby’s 45th high school reunion, and Lee Barrett is happy to pitch in, tracking down addresses and licking envelopes. But as a field reporter for Salem’s WICH-TV, her priority is to be on top of the town’s latest news before anyone else.

When the local police dredge up a vintage sports car containing human remains, Lee is thrilled to be the first reporter on the scene. Once she learns the car is connected to the cold case her boyfriend Pete happens to be working on, her powers of investigation are quickly alerted. But it’s her Aunt Ibby’s emotional reaction to Lee’s TV report that puts her on the case. With the help of O’Ryan, her psychic feline sidekick, she’ll have to unravel a tangled past of secrets and promises to stop a killer from making history again . . .

A Witch City Mystery 1

A Witch City Mystery 2

A Witch City Mystery 3	A Witch City Mystery 4
A Witch City Mystery 5	A Witch City Mystery 6

A Witch City Mystery 7

Gabe Hudson (2017)

Gork, the Teenage Dragon
Vintage, June 26, 2018
Trade Paperback, 416 pages
Hardcover and eBook, July 11, 2017

A TODAY Show Summer Pick

“Hilarious. . . . Gork is less Game of Thrones and more The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
—Rolling Stone

Gork is the nerdiest dragon at WarWings Military Academy. He has a giant heart and tiny horns. His nickname is Weak Sauce. Today before his high school graduation, he must ask a female dragon to be his queen. The result is a rollicking quest for true love on the most madcap day ever known to a high school senior – dragon or otherwise.

Along the way, Gork gets help from his best friend Fribby, a fierce female robot dragon who is brilliant, snarky, and totally obsessed with death; and Athenos II, his sentient spaceship who carries a shocking secret from his childhood. Ultimately, Gork will have to lock horns with his evil grandfather, Dr. Terrible. Can a quest for true love make a hero out of a dragon?

Brian McClellan (2013)

War Cry
Tor.com, August 28, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 96 pages

Brian McClellan, author of the acclaimed Powder Mage series, introduces a new universe, new armies, and new monsters in War Cry

Teado is a Changer, a shape-shifting military asset trained to win wars. His platoon has been stationed in the Bavares high plains for years, stranded. As they ration supplies and scan the airwaves for news, any news, their numbers dwindle. He's not sure how much time they have left.

Desperate and starving, armed with aging, faulting equipment, the team jumps at the chance for a risky resupply mission, even if it means not all of them might come. What they discover could change the course of the war.

Wrath of Empire
Gods of Blood and Powder 2
Orbit, December 4, 2018
Trade Paperback, 656 pages
Hardcover and eBook, May 15, 2018

War ignites when magic and gunpowder combine in the second book in acclaimed author Brian McClellan’s epic new fantasy series Gods of Blood and Powder.

The country is in turmoil. With the capital city occupied, half a million refugees are on the march, looking for safety on the frontier, accompanied by Lady Flint’s soldiers. But escaping war is never easy, and soon the battle may find them, whether they are prepared or not.

Back in the capital, Michel Bravis smuggles even more refugees out of the city. But internal forces are working against him. With enemies on all sides, Michel may be forced to find help with the very occupiers he’s trying to undermine.

Meanwhile, Ben Styke is building his own army. He and his mad lancers are gathering every able body they can find and searching for an ancient artifact that may have the power to turn the tides of war in their favor. But what they find may not be what they’re looking for.

Continue the pistol-packing fantasy series by the author whose debut novel Brandon Sanderson called “just plain awesome!”

Gods of Blood and Powder
Sins of Empire
Wrath of Empire

For more from Brian McClellan, check out:

Powder Mage
Promise of Blood
The Crimson Campaign
The Autumn Republic

Julie McElwain (2016)

Caught in Time
Kendra Donovan Mysteries 3
Pegasus Books, July 3, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 464 pages

Still stranded in 1815, FBI agent Kendra Donovan finds herself on the trail of a vicious murderer with a shocking secret.

October 1815: There is only one place Kendra Donovan wants to travel—back to her own time period in the twenty-first century. But since that’s not happening, she agrees instead to travel with her new guardian, the Duke of Aldridge, to one of his smaller estates in Lancashire. Their journey takes them through Yorkshire, a region whose breathtaking beauty masks a simmering violence brought on by the Industrial Revolution, which pits mill owner against worker.

When Kendra and the Duke encounter a band of Luddites on a lonely, fog-shrouded road, the Duke informs the authorities in the nearby village of East Dingleford that mischief may have been done at the local mill. However, it isn’t just mischief but murder that is discovered, when the body of the mill manager, Mr. Stone, is found brutally bludgeoned to death in his office.

The Constable is certain the radical-minded Luddites committed the murder. One look at the crime scene and Kendra knows they did not, prompting the Duke to shock the locals by volunteering their services to catch the real killer. Joined by lover Alec and Bow Street Runner Sam Kelly, Kendra must sort through the puzzle of Stone’s rather unsavory life, picking apart alibies and dissecting carefully created deceptions from a growing list of suspects.

As a special agent for the FBI, Kendra thought she’d encountered every kind of evil. But when another, even more vicious murder rocks East Dingleford, Kendra realizes that they’re dealing with a stone-cold killer—one who has a shocking secret that he will do anything to protect.

Happy Monday!

There are 3 debuts this week:

Sputnik's Children by Terri Favro;

Abigale Hall by Lauren A. Forry;

and

Celestial Mechanics by William Least Heat-Moon.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders it out in Trade Paperback;

The Witch of Torinia (Tale of Valdur 2) by Clifford Beal;

The Island Deception (Gateway to Alissia 1) by Dan Koboldt;

The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis is out in Trade Paperback;

A Murder in Time (Kendra Donovan Mysteries 1) by Julie McElwain is out in Trade Paperback;

and

The Mirror Thief by Martin Seay is out in Trade Paperback.

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

April 10, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Blood From Stone (e) (ri)	Laura Anne Gilman	UF - A Retrievers Novel 6
The Nymph King (e) (ri)	Gena Showalter	PNR - Atlantis 3

April 11, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Wine-Dark Sea	Robert Aickman	H
All the Birds in the Sky (h2tp)	Charlie Jane Anders	CF/SF
Indomitable (h2tp)	W. C. Bauers	SF/SO - Chronicles of Promise Paen 2
The Witch of Torinia	Clifford Beal	F - Tale of Valdur 2
Fate of Devotion	K. F. Breene	SF - Finding Paradise 2
Generation Decks: The Unofficial History of Gaming Phenomenon Magic the Gathering	Titus Chalk	RP/F
Starcraft II: Heaven's Devils	William C. Dietz	SF - Blizzard Legends
The Alchemists of Kush	Minister Faust	CF
Sputnik's Children (D)	Terri Favro	LF/SF/AP/PA/CoA
Abigale Hall (D)	Lauren A. Forry	PsyTh/SupTh/H
The Regional Office Is Under Attack! (h2tp)	Manuel Gonzales	LF/SF
Starcraft: Liberty's Crusade (ri)	Jeff Grubb	SF - Blizzard Legends
Celestial Mechanics (D)	William Least Heat-Moon	LF
The Loney (h2tp)	Andrew Michael Hurley	LF
Razr: A Demonica Underworld Novella	Larissa Ione	PNR - Demonica Underworld
Proof of Concept	Gwyneth Jones	SF
The Island Deception (e)	Dan Koboldt	F - Gateways to Alissia 2
The Wolf Road (h2tp)	Beth Lewis	PsyTh/SF/AP/PA
Thirteen Views of the Suicide Woods	Bracken MacLeod	Occ/Sup/H - Collection
The Last Adventure of Constance Verity (h2tp)	A. Lee Martinez	UF - Constance Verity 1
Void Star	Zachary Mason	LF/Dys
A Murder in Time (h2tp)	Julie McElwain	TT/M - Kendra Donovan Mysteries 1
Starcraft: I, Mengsk (ri)	Graham McNeill	SF - Blizzard Legends
Hystopia (h2tp)	David Means	LF/AH
Cold Welcome	Elizabeth Moon	SF/SO - Vatta's Peace 1
Waking Hell	Al Robertson	SF
Once Upon a Summer Night	Nancy Scanlon	TTR - Mists of Fate 3
The Mirror Thief (h2tp)	Martin Seay	HistF/M/VisMeta
Special Purposes	Gavin Smith	SF
The Last Machine in the Solar System	Matthew Isaac Sobin	SF/Dys/AP/PA/LF
Avengers of the Moon	Allen Steele	SF/SO
Great With Child	Sonia Taitz	F/FR
Take Us to Your Chief: And Other Stories: Classic Science-Fiction with a Contemporary First Nations Outlook	Drew Hayden Taylor	SF/Aboriginal - Collection
WarDance (e)	Elizabeth Vaughan	F
Blue Plague: The Fall	Thomas A. Watson	DF - Blue Plague 1
Thrawn	Timothy Zahn	SF/SO - Star Wars

April 12, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Dark Warm Heart: A Tor.com Original (e)	Rich Larson	H

April 13, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
And the Rest is History (e)	Jodi Taylor	HistF/TT - The Chronicles of Saint Mary's 8

April 14, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe (e)	Gwendolyn Kiste	H

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



AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CulH - Cultural Heritage
CW - Contemporary Women
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GB - Genre Bender
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HU - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legends and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PolTh - Political Thriller
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
R - Romance
RP - Role Playing
RSus - Romantic Suspense
SF - Science Fiction
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TTR - Time Travel Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy
VisMeta - Visionary and Metaphysical
WM - War and Military

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

Happy first Monday in April! Perhaps it will warm up in New England now... or not.

There are 5 Debuts this week:

American War by Omar El Akkad;

Winter Tide (Innsmouth Legacy 1) by Ruthanna Emrys;

Wanted and Wired (Tether 1) by Vivien Jackson;

Muddy Waters (Otherwhere 1) by Sara O. Thompson;

and

Foxlowe by Eleanor Wasserberg.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp is out in Trade Paperback;

Among the Fallen (Godserfs 2) by N S Dolkart;

What's Gone, What's Left Behind (The Witch Who Came In From The Cold Season 2 #8) by Max Gladstone;

Occult and Battery (A Bay Island Psychic Mystery 2) by Lena Gregory;

The Forbidden Garden by Ellen Herrick;

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt is out in Trade Paperback;

Bound (An Alex Verus Novel 8) by Benedict Jacka;

Gauntlet (Arena 2) by Holly Jennings;

Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor 1) by Mark Lawrence;

A Twist in Time (Kendra Donovan Mysteries 2) by Julie McElwain;

Waking Gods (The Themas Files 2) by Sylvain Neuvel;

Inherit the Flame (Sands of Aransa 3) by Megan E. O'Keefe;

The Chimes by Anna Smaill is out in Trade Paperback;

and

Kokoro by Keith Yatsuhashi.

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

April 2, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Kris Longknife's Bad Day: A short story (Ke)	Mike Shepherd	SF

April 3, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Seven Sins of Ruby Love (e)	Erin Quinn	PNR - Beyond 3
Jewel of Atlantis (e)(ri)	Gena Showalter	PNR - Atlantis 2

April 4, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
American War (D)	Omar El Akkad	LF/WM/Dys
The Apothecary's Poison (e)	C.J. Archer	MR/HistF Glass and Steele 3
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky: Stories	Lesley Nneka Arimah	CulH/MR/LF
The Last Days of Jack Sparks (h2tp)	Jason Arnopp	PsyTh
The House of Binding Thorns	Aliette de Bodard	F/HistF - A Dominion of the Fallen Novel 2
Repo Madness (h2mm)	W. Bruce Cameron	HU/M - Ruddy McCann 2
Prentice Alvin and Alvin Journeyman	Orson Scott Card	F - Alvin Maker
Convergence	C. J. Cherryh	SF/AC/SO - Foreigner 18
Visitor (h2mm)	C. J. Cherryh	SF/AC/SO - Foreigner 17
The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Two	Neil Clarke	SF - Anthology
Myth of the Maker	Bruce R. Cordell	CF - The Strange 1
Monster Hunter Vendetta Signed Leatherbound Edition	Larry Correia	F - Monster Hunter 2
The Librarians and The Lost Lamp (tp2mm)	Greg Cox	CF - Librarians Series 1
Feral	James DeMonaco B. K. Evenson	H/Dys/Th
The Best of Gordon R. Dickson Volume 1	Gordon R Dickson Hank Davis (Ed)	SF - Collection
Among the Fallen	NS Dolkart	F - Godserfs 2
Winter Tide (D)	Ruthanna Emrys	HistF/DF - Innsmouth Legacy 1
Writers of the Future Vol 33	David Farland (Ed)	SF/F - L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future 33
1636: Mission to the Mughals	Eric Flint Griffin Barber	AH - Ring of Fire 23
Occult and Battery	Lena Gregory	PCM - A Bay Island Psychic Mystery 2
Pathfinder Tales: Gears of Faith	Gabrielle Harbowy	F - Pathfinder Tales Series 38
The Forbidden Garden	Ellen Herrick	CW
Hex (h2tp)	Thomas Olde Heuvelt	H/F/DF/Th
The Immortal's Unrequited Bride	Kelli Ireland	PNR - Assassin's Arcanum 3
Bound	Benedict Jacka	UF - An Alex Verus Novel 8
Wanted and Wired (D)	Vivien Jackson	PNR - Tether 1
Gauntlet	Holly Jennings	SF/Dys/R - Arena 2
Fiendish Schemes (ri)	K. W. Jeter	SP/HistM/M
Blades of Damocles	Phil Kelly	SF - Space Marine Battles
Dragonmark (h2mm)	Sherrilyn Kenyon	FR/P/CF - Dark-Hunter / Dragons Rising 1
The Moon and the Other	John Kessel	SF
Ever My Love	Lynn Kurland	TTR - An Enchanted Garden Mystery /McLeod Family 11
Red Sister	Mark Lawrence	F - Book of the Ancestor 1
Redder Than Blood	Tanith Lee	FairyT/FolkT/LM/ DF/F
Delirium's Mistress (ri)	Tanith Lee	F/DF/Dys - Flat Earth 4
Blood Enemies	Susan R. Matthews	SF Under Jurisdiction 7
Lynchpin	Shannon Mayer	UF - A Rylee Adamson Epilogue 4
A Twist in Time	Julie McElwain	M/TT - Kendra Donovan Mysteries 2
A Fever of the Blood	Oscar de Muriel	HistM/H
Waking Gods	Sylvain Neuvel	SF/TechTh/Th - The Themis Files 2
Inferno	Larry Niven Jerry Pournelle	F
The End of the Day	Claire North	Sus
Inherit the Flame (h2tp)	Megan E. O'Keefe	F - Sands of Aransa 3
1984 (ri)	George Orwell	Dys
Diary of a Succubus	James Patterson with Derek Nikitas	SupTh - BookShots
Dutch (e)	Madhuri Pavamani	UF/F/FR - The Keeper Series 1
Brimstone	Cherie Priest	DF/HistF/H
The Horror on the Links	Seabury Quin	M/Occ/Sup/F/P - The Complete Tales of Jules De Grandin 1
Fury of Gork	Josh Reynolds	F - Realmgate Wars 7
Saving Mercy	Abbie Roads	RSus - Fatal Truth 1
Shadow Spell (h2mm)	Nora Roberts	PNR - The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy 2
The Chimes (h2tp)	Anna Smaill	Dys
Between a Wolf and a Hard Place	Terry Spear	PNR - Silver Town Wolf 7
Occupy Me	Tricia Sullivan	Occ/Sup
The Passenger (h2tp)	F. R. Tallis	SupTh
Angel Unleashed	Linda Thomas-Sundstrom	PNR
Muddy Waters (D)	Sara O. Thompson	Occ/Sup/P/UF - Otherwhere 1
Corax	Gav Thorpe	SF - The Horus Heresy 40
Ghost in the Shell: Five New Short Stories	Tow Ubukata Toh Enjoe Gakuto Mikumo Kafka Asagiri	SF/TechTh
The Chosen	J.R. Ward	PNR - Black Dagger Brotherhood 15
Foxlowe (D)	Eleanor Wasserberg	LF/Th/PsyTh/Gothic
Pirate Freedom	Gene Wolfe	F/Sea Stories
Kokoro	Keith Yatsuhasi	SF/F

April 5, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
When Stars Are Scattered: A Tor.com Original	Spencer Ellsworth	SF/AC
What's Gone, What's Left Behind (e)	Max Gladstone	HistF/Espionage - Witch Who Came In From The Cold Season 2 #8

April 6, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Saboteurs (e)	Ben Peek	F
Special Purposes: First Strike Weapon (e)	Gavin G. Smith	SF/PA - Special Purposes 1
The Master of Time (Ke)	David Wingrove	TT - Roads to Moscow 3

April 8, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Just Like Hell: with the bonus novella Mr. Gray (e)	Nate Southard	H

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



AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CulH - Cultural Heritage
CW - Contemporary Women
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GB - Genre Bender
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HU - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legends and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PolTh - Political Thriller
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
R - Romance
RP - Role Playing
RSus - Romantic Suspense
SF - Science Fiction
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TTR - Time Travel Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy
VisMeta - Visionary and Metaphysical
WM - War and Military

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

PJ Manney (2015)

(ID)ENTITY
Phoenix Horizon 2
47North, April 18, 2017
Trade Paperback and Kindle eBook

Marshall Ryan Maresca (2015)

An Import of Intrigue
The Maradaine Constabulary 2
DAW, November 1, 2016
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

The neighborhood of the Little East is a collision of cultures, languages, and traditions, hidden away in the city of Maradaine. A set of streets to be avoided or ignored. When a foreign dignitary is murdered, solving the crime falls to the most unpopular inspectors in the Maradaine Constabulary: exposed fraud Satrine Rainey, and Uncircled mage Minox Welling.

With a murder scene deliberately constructed to point blame toward the rival groups resident in this exotic section of Maradaine, Rainey is forced to confront her former life, while Welling’s ignorance of his own power threatens to consume him. And the conflicts erupting in the Little East will spark a citywide war unless the Constabulary solves the case quickly.

The Holliver Alley Crew
Streets of Maradaine 1
DAW, March 7, 2017
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

The Rynax brothers had gone legit after Asti Rynax’s service in Druth Intelligence had shattered his nerves, and marriage and fatherhood convinced Verci Rynax to leave his life of thievery. They settled back in their old neighborhood in West Maradaine and bought themselves a shop, eager for a simple, honest life. Then the Holver Alley Fire incinerated their plans. With no home, no shop, and no honest income—and saddled with a looming debt—they fall back on their old skills and old friends.

With a crew of other fire victims, Asti and Verci plan a simple carriage heist, but the job spirals out of control as they learn that the fire was no accident. Lives in Holver Alley were destroyed out of a sadistic scheme to buy the land. Smoldering for revenge, burdened with Asti’s crumbling sanity, the brothers lead their crew of amateurs and washouts to take down those responsible for the fire, no matter the cost.

Rhonda Mason (2015)

Cloak of War
The Empress Game Trilogy 2
Titan Book, October 25, 2016
Trade Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

The bloody tournament to determine the new empress of the intergalactic empire may be over, but for exiled princess Kayla Reinumon, the battle is just beginning. To free her home planet from occupation, Kayla must infiltrate the highest reaches of imperial power. But when a deadly nanovirus threatens to ravage the empire, it will take more than diplomacy to protect her homeworld from all-out war.

Brian McClellan (2013)

The Powder Mage Novella Collection #1
Stories from the Powder Mage Universe
Jul 10, 2016
eBook, 288 pages

Enter a new world or return to see old friends in four Powder Mage Universe novellas featuring Erika, Tamas, Adamat, Taniel, Ka-poel, and Ben Styke.

Forsworn
Servant of the Crown
Murder at the Kinnen Hotel
Ghosts of the Tristan Basin.

Note:  Collectible hardcovers of these four Powder Mage novellas are available via the author here. They are signed and dated by the author.

Sins of Empire
Gods of Blood and Power 1
Orbit, March 7, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 624 pages

A new epic fantasy series from highly acclaimed fantasy author, Brian McClellan, set in the same world as The Powder Mage trilogy.

A world on the cusp of a new age...
The young nation of Fatrasta is a turbulent place -- a frontier destination for criminals, fortune-hunters, brave settlers, and sorcerers seeking relics of the past. Only the iron will of the lady chancellor and her secret police holds the capital city of Landfall together against the unrest of an oppressed population and the machinations of powerful empires.

Sedition is a dangerous word...
The insurrection that threatens Landfall must be purged with guile and force, a task which falls on the shoulders of a spy named Michel Bravis, convicted war hero Mad Ben Styke, and Lady Vlora Flint, a mercenary general with a past as turbulent as Landfall's present.

The past haunts us all...
As loyalties are tested, revealed, and destroyed, a grim specter as old as time has been unearthed in this wild land, and the people of Landfall will soon discover that rebellion is the least of their worries.

Julie McElwain (2016)

A Murder in Time
Kendra Donovan Mysteries 1
Pegasus Books, April 11, 2017
Trade Paperback, 320 pages
Hardcover and eBook, April 11, 2016

When brilliant FBI agent Kendra Donovan stumbles back in time and finds herself in a 19th century English castle under threat from a vicious serial killer, she scrambles to solve the case before it takes her life—200 years before she was even born.

Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.

While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.

Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a young girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman.

A Twist in Time
Kendra Donovan Mysteries 2
Pegasus Books, April 11, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages

When Kendra Donovan’s plan to return to the 21st century fails, leaving her stranded in 1815, the Duke of Aldridge believes he knows the reason—she must save his nephew, who has been accused of brutally murdering his ex-mistress.

Former FBI agent Kendra Donovan’s attempts to return to the twenty-first century have failed, leaving her stuck at Aldridge Castle in 1815. And her problems have just begun: in London, the Duke of Aldridge’s nephew Alec—Kendra’s confidante and lover—has come under suspicion for murdering his former mistress, Lady Dover, who was found viciously stabbed with a stiletto, her face carved up in a bizarre and brutal way.

Lady Dover had plenty of secrets, and her past wasn’t quite what she’d made it out to be. Nor is it entirely in the past—which becomes frighteningly clear when a crime lord emerges from London’s seamy underbelly to threaten Alec. Joining forces with Bow Street Runner Sam Kelly, Kendra must navigate the treacherous nineteenth century while she picks through the strands of Lady Dover’s life.

As the noose tightens around Alec’s neck, Kendra will do anything to save him, including following every twist and turn through London’s glittering ballrooms, where deception is the norm—and any attempt to uncover the truth will get someone killed.

Cover design by Danielle Christopher

Cover by Jakob Vala

Artist Kelly Martin

Cover painting by Cynthia Reeser.
Cover design by Matthew Revert.

TQ:  Welcome to The Qwillery. When and why did you start writing?

Julie:  Thank you — I’m excited to be here! I’ve actually been writing since I read my first Nancy Drew in fourth grade. I desperately wanted to be Caroline Keene. I’m a huge reader and fell in love with words. I spent my entire childhood writing and discarding novels. Despite that, I decided to pursue fashion design in college (Go figure!) When I took a journalism course and was asked to work for the student newspaper, I realized I could make a living at writing. I graduated with a double major in textiles and clothing and print journalism from North Dakota State University, and moved to California, where I landed a job as a business reporter covering the fashion industry, before shifting to the entertainment industry. I’ve spent my career writing. I love journalism, but I’ve always had a passion to write fiction.



TQ:  Are you a plotter, a pantser or a hybrid?

Julie:  I would love to be a plotter, but I am definitely a pantser! Whenever I try to plot chapters out, I lose steam and the process becomes less interesting to me. I have the entire story in my head, but I’m constantly surprised at what the characters say and do. Of course, there is always a fear that I will draw blank. So far that hasn’t happened, but I’m learning to live in a constant state of fear.



TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Julie:  This may seem ironic given the whole time-travel element of my book, but time is always a factor. I love it when I can find those huge blocks of uninterrupted time to sit down and create, but it’s not easy. I have to force myself to snatch an hour here or there. If I’m stuck on a chapter, unable to find the right words or tone, it can be frustrating, and really requires patience and persistence to keep writing, rewriting and revising until I’m satisfied.



TQ:  What has influenced / influences your writing?

Julie:  Reading good books. I’ve been influenced by so many amazing authors. I love Tess Gerritsen, Karen Slaughter, Tami Hoag, and Lisa Gardner. Their work is dark and gritty and so compelling. Nora Roberts is an incredibly skillful writer who knows how to drill down into the human dynamic like no one else. I’m in awe of Dean Koontz’s imagination and ability to weave words together to create magic. I could go on and on, so I’ll just say that good storytelling always inspire me.



TQ:  Describe A Murder in Time in 140 characters or less.

Julie:  FBI agent Kendra is transported back to Regency England. Hunts a serial killer. Is tested in ways she could never imagine.



TQ:  Tell us something about A Murder in Time that is not found in the book description.

Julie:  Kendra has spent her life excelling, but she’s knocked completely off-kilter when she finds herself in 1815. She’s demoted for the first time ever. She was the youngest FBI agent accepted into Quantico, so it’s hard for her to wrap her mind around failing. Especially failing in a society that she views as inferior to her own. How can that happen? Kendra knows she has something to teach her 19th century counterparts… but she may learn a thing or two as well.



TQ:  What inspired you to write A Murder in Time? What appeals to you about writing historical mysteries?

Julie:  I gave an old TV — one that actually had a dial, no remote — to a friend’s son so he could play videogames. He was probably about 14 at the time, and seriously brilliant. But when the dial got nudged to another channel he and an equally brilliant friend could not figure out how to fix the TV. It made me laugh. Then it made me wonder how any of us would fare if we no longer had the technology that we’ve come to rely on. Even smart people may have a difficult time adapting! As far as writing historical mysteries, I find history appealing — period. It’s fascinating to me how people lived, how we’ve evolved and continue to evolve. It’s equally fascinating to me how we’ve remained the same. I love exploring this broader human dynamic within the more narrow confines of a mystery.



TQ:  What sort of research did you do for A Murder in Time?

Julie:  It was important to me to be as accurate as possible, so I did a tremendous amount of research. Kendra might not have access to 21st century technology, but she still had to have knowledge of forensics and criminal investigation. I have my own “murder” library (which might scare some of my visitors) that includes everything from books on serial killers to autobiographies and first-hand accounts written by the country’s leading FBI agents. I also subscribe to newsletters and blogs from romance writers specializing in Regency England. And I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Great Britain several times, where I’ve explored some of the great estates and wonderful museums to get a feel for both the country and its rich history.



TQ:  Who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Julie:  Lady Rebecca came very naturally to me. I have three brothers — no sisters — and grew up fighting for “girl power” in my household. Rebecca is always arguing for girl power in a society where women didn’t even have the right to vote. She was a suffragette before that movement was really organized. The hardest wasn’t a character, but how to address characters in the early 19th century, and the entire title system for the British aristocracy. It’s very specific and complex. Perhaps because I’m an American, nothing about it came naturally to me.



TQ:  Why have you chosen to include or not chosen to include social issues in A Murder in Time?

Julie:  I didn’t consciously choose to include or exclude social issues. I felt that everything in the story came up organically. A 21st century person would be hard pressed not to compare and contrast modern day life with life in the early 19th century. For the lower classes, there was no childhood as we know it. Children were put to work by the time they were 10. Of course, one might argue our society has extended childhood well into our 20s. Kendra is in the perfect position to observe how culture has changed — for the better and for the worse.



TQ:  Which question about A Murder in Time do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

Julie:  Why did you name your heroine “Kendra”? Answer — I researched a lot of names before I settled on Kendra. Depending on the resource, it means “prophetess” or “knowledge” or “greatest champion” — all of which I felt suited my heroine perfectly. Being from the future, she recognizes what will happen in the world. She has knowledge that no one else has in this era. And she’s a champion for justice. I love that.



TQ:  Give us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from A Murder in Time.

Julie:  Both quotes come from Mrs. Danbury, the housekeeper:

“Miss Donovan, you will never address his Grace as Duke again. He is your Grace or the Duke of Aldridge or sir. And you will curtsy when you leave a room with one of your betters.”

“You will not speak to your betters unless they ask you a specific question. You will, in fact, blend into the background. A good servant, the perfect servant, is not noticed.”

Nothing, I think, points out the class system and the difference between the 21st century and the 19thcentury mindset — and shows Kendra just what she will be up against living in this era.



TQ:  What's next?

Julie:  I’m busy writing a sequel to A Murder In Time. On the surface, Regency England is a glittery era filled with parties and frivolity, but it has a dark underbelly. Kendra Donovan may be just the person to take that on. Her story is far from over!



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Julie:  Thank you!

A Murder in Time
Kendra Donovan 1
Pegasus, April 11, 2016
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages

When brilliant FBI agent Kendra Donovan stumbles back in time and finds herself in a 19th century English castle under threat from a vicious serial killer, she scrambles to solve the case before it takes her life—200 years before she was even born.

Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.

While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.

Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a young girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman.

See Melanie's review here.

About Julie

Julie McElwain began her journalistic career at California Apparel News, a weekly Los Angeles based trade newspaper. She has freelanced for numerous publications from professional photographers magazines to those following the fashion industry. Currently, Julie is West Coast Editor for Soaps In Depth, a national soap opera magazine covering the No. 1 daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. Julie lives in Long Beach, CA.


Twitter @JulieMcElwain  ~  Facebook