The Qwillery

Happy first Monday in August!

There are two debuts this week:

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton;

and

Blood of an Exile (Dragons of Terra 1) by Brian Naslund.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Magebane (Age of Dread 3 ) by Stephen Aryan;

The Great Faerie Strike by Spencer Ellsworth;

The Dragon Republic (Poppy War 2) by R. F. Kuang;

and

The Darwin Strain (An R. J. MacCready Novel 3) by Bill Schutt and J. R. Finch.

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

August 5, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Marked Prince (e)	M.A. Grant	DF - The Darkest Court 2
The Desert Raven (e)	Peggy A. Wheeler	PM

August 6, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Magebane	Stephen Aryan	F - Age of Dread 3
Xeelee: Redemption	Stephen Baxter	SF/SO/AC
Vallista (h2tp)	Steven Brust	F - Vlad 15
Witchy Kingdom	D.J. Butler	HistF
Hollow Kingdom (D)	Kira Jane Buxton	Animals/LF/F/HU/SF/AP/PA
The New Achilles	Christian Cameron	Hist - Commander
Reticence	Gail Carriger	Gaslamp/HistF/RF/P - Custard Protocol 4
Monster Hunter Guardian	Larry Correia Sarah A. Hoyt	UF - Monster Hunter 7
The Gossamer Mage	Julie E. Czerneda	F/DF
Cry Pilot	Joel Dane	SF - Cry Pilot 1
Hour of the Horde (ri)	Gordon R. Dickson	SF
Bone Driven	Hailey Edwards	UF - Foundling 2
The Great Faerie Strike	Spencer Ellsworth	FairyT/SP/F
Dark Sentinel (h2mm)	Christine Feehan	PNR - Carpathian 32
Bursts of Fire	Susan Forest	F - Addicted to Heaven 1
The Horus Heresy: The Burden of Loyalty	Laurie Goulding (Ed)	SF - Horus Heresy 48
Serpentine (h2mm)	Laurell K. Hamilton	P/UF/H - Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 26
Raging Storm	Markus Heitz	F
The Orion Trilogy	Darius Hinks	F - Warhammer Chronicles
The Man Who Wouldn't Die	A. B. Jewell	M/Neo-Noir
Clash of Empires	Ben Kane	Hist - Clash of Empires 2
Terra Nova: The Wars of Liberation	Tom Kratman (Ed)	SF - Anthology
The Dragon Republic	R. F. Kuang	HistF - Poppy War 2
Sing Your Sadness Deep	Laura Mauro	DF/SS
Blood of an Exile (D)	Brian Naslund	F - Dragons of Terra 1
The Spirit	Thomas Page	Occ/UF - Paperbacks from Hell
The Shattered Trident	Richard Phillips	F - Endarian Prophecy 4
First Cosmic Velocity	Zach Powers	LF/Hist/AH
The Hotel Neversink	Adam O'Fallon Price	FL/Jewish
The Darwin Strain	Bill Schutt J. R. Finch	Th - An R. J. MacCready Novel 3
Kingmaker	Margaret Weis Robert Krammes	F/SP - The Dragon Corsairs 3
Worldshaper (tp2mm)	Edward Willett	F - Worldshapers 1
The Ember Blade (h2tp)	Chris Wooding	F - The Darkwater Legacy 1

August 8, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Tolkien's Library: An Annotated Checklist	Oronzo Cilli	HC

August 9, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Monkey Farm (e)	S.A. Check	Occ/GenEng/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



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CW - Contemporary Women
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)
H - Horror
HC - History & Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HL - Hispanic and Latino
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
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
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PolTh - Political Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
SS - Short Stories
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
Tech - Technology
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
W - Westerns

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

Happy Monday!!

There is one debut this week:

Lord of California by Andrew Valencia.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Future Dreams: Five Tor.com Novellas featuring works by Bradley B. Beaulieu, Rob Ziegler, and David Tallerman among others.

The Himalayan Codex (R. J. MacCready 2 ) by Bill Schutt and J.R. Finch;

and

Arrow: Fatal Legacies (Arrow 3) by James R. Tuck and Marc Guggenheim;

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

January 29, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Exploring Picard's Galaxy: Essays on Star Trek: The Next Generation	Peter W. Lee	SocSci
Japan's Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema	Sean Rhoads Brooke McCorkle	Film/TV/SocSci

January 30, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
American War (h2tp)	Omar El Akkad	LF/Dys
House of Secrets	V.C. Andrews	GothicR - House of Secrets 1
The Complete Predator Omnibus	Nathan Archer Sandy Schofield	MTI/SF
The Dark Circus	Ana Ballabriga David Zaplana Michael Meigs (Tr)	H
Arrow: Fatal Legacies	James R. Tuck Marc Guggenheim	MTI/SH - Arrow 3
Silence Fallen (h2mm)	Patricia Briggs	UF - Mercy Thompson 10
Iorich	Steven Brust	F - Vlad 12
The Swarm (h2mm)	Orson Scott Card Aaron Johnston	SF - The Second Formic War 1
Ready Player One (ri)	Ernest Cline	SF/MTI
Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners (h2mm)	Larry Correia John Ringo	UF - Monster Hunter Memoirs 2
The Wandering War (h2mm)	Cindy Dees Bill Flippin	F - The Sleeping King 3
The Ledberg Runestone	Patrick Donovan	UF - The Jonah Heywood Chronicles 1
The Reluctant Queen (h2mm)	Sarah Durst	F - Queens of Renthia 2
Future Dreams: Five Tor.com Novellas (e)	Brian Evenson Gwyneth Jones Laurie Penny Bradley B. Beaulieu Rob Ziegler David Tallerman	SF - Novellas
Time Shards	Dana Fredsti David Fitzgerald	SF/TT - Time Shards 1
Debt of Bones (e)(ri)	Terry Goodkind	F - Sword of Truth 0.5
Heat: A Dragon Romance	Donna Grant	PNR - Dark Kings 12
Elven Winter	Bernhard Hennen Edwin Miles (Tr)	F - The Saga of the Elven 2
Howl for It	Shelly Laurenston Cynthia Eden	PNR - Short Stories
The Midnight Front	David Mack	HistF - Dark Arts 1
Humans, Bow Down (h2mm)	James Patterson Emily Raymond	Th/Dys/GB
The Himalayan Codex (h2mm)	Bill Schutt J.R. Finch	Th - R. J. MacCready 2
Project Elfhome (h2mm)	Wen Spencer	SF - Elfhome Collection
Age of Swords (h2tp)	Michael J. Sullivan	F - Legends of the First Empire 2
Star Wars Insider: Icons Of The Galaxy	Titan	Film/Ref
Lord of California (e)	Andrew Valencia	AH
Baby, I'm Howling For You	Christine Warren	PNR - Alphaville 1
The Day After Oblivion	Tim Washburn	Th
Thrawn (h2tp)	Timothy Zahn	SF/SO - Star Wars

January 31, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Different Boats (e)	Matthew Cody	SFTh - ReMade Season 2 #11
Tales from Greystone Bay	Robert McCammon	H - Collection
He'll Come Knocking At Your Door	Robert McCammon	H
The Father of Lies	K. J. Parker	F - Collection
Cries from the Static	Darren Speegle	Sup - Collection
Imagining the Future of Climate Change: World-Making through Science Fiction and Activism	Shelley Streeby	HC/SpecFic - American Studies Now: Critical Histories of the Present 5

February 1, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Enchanter Redeemed (e)	Sharon Ashwood	PNR
Harlequin Nocturne February 2018 Box Set: Enchanter Redeemed\Captivated by the She-Wolf (e)	Sharon Ashwood Kristal Hollis	PNR
The Boyfriend from Hell (ri)	Avery Corman	H
The Witch and the Werewolf & The Witch's Thirst: The Witch and the Werewolf\The Witch's Thirst (e)	Michele Hauf Deborah LeBlanc	PNR
Captivated by the She-Wolf (e)	Kristal Hollis	PNR
The Lovecraft Compendium	H.P. Lovecraft	H
Wolf Slayer & Vampire Undone: Wolf Slayer\Vampire Undone (e)	Linda Thomas-Sundstrom Shannon Curtis	PNR
The Texas Shifter's Mate & The Dragon's Hunt: The Texas Shifter's Mate\The Dragon's Hunt (e)	Karen Whiddon Jane Kindred	PNR

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



AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CW - Contemporary Women
CyP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FiaryT - Fairy Tales
Fict - Fiction
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
GB - Genre Bender
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
Gothic - Gothic
GothicR - Gothic Romance
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HU - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
LM -  Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
Meta - Metaphysical
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Myth - Mythology
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PopCul - Popular Culture
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
Ref - Reference
SH -Superheroes
SF - Science Fiction
SFTh - Science Fiction Thriller
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SO - Space Opera
SocSci - Social Science
SP - SteamPunk
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
UFR - Urban Fantasy Romance

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

Ania Ahlborn (2012)

Apart in the Dark: Novellas
Gallery Books, January 16, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Now available for the first time in a print edition—two terrifying novellas from bestselling author Ania Ahlborn, “a great storyteller who spins an atmosphere of dread literally from the first page” (Jeff Somers).

THE PRETTY ONES
New York, 1977. The sweltering height of the Summer of Sam. The entire city is gripped with fear, but all Nell Sullivan worries about is whether or not she’ll ever make a friend. The self-proclaimed “Plain Jane” does her best to fit in with the girls at work, but Nell’s brother, Barrett, assures her that she’ll never be like them. When Nell manages to finally garner some much-yearned-for attention, the unthinkable happens to her newfound friend. The office pool blames Son of Sam, but Nell knows the awful truth…because doing the devil’s work is easy when there’s already a serial killer on the loose.

I CALL UPON THEE
Maggie Olsen had a pretty ordinary childhood—swimming and sleepovers, movie nights and dad jokes. And then there were the other things…the darker things…the shadow that followed her home from the cemetery and settled into the corners of her home, refusing to let her grow up in peace. Now, after three years away from the place she's convinced she inadvertently haunted, and after yet another family tragedy strikes, Maggie is forced to return to the sweltering heat of a Savannah summer to come to terms with her past. All along, she's been telling herself, it was just in your head, and she nearly convinces herself that she'd imagined it all. But the moment Maggie steps into the foyer of her family home, she knows. The darkness is still here. And it's been waiting for Maggie's return….

Adam Burch (2017)

Roar of the Storm
The Fracture Worlds 2
47North, January 23, 2018
Trade Paperback and Kindle eBook, 412 pages

When he rebelled against his father, Edmon Leontes lost everything, but a lot has happened in the twelve years since he left his remote home planet of Tao. He has made a new life for himself as the medic aboard a starship, earning his keep traversing the galaxy with a misfit crew. Edmon thinks he has left his tumultuous past behind him, yet all that changes when his father dies.

Phaestion, the man he once called brother, has inherited Edmon’s birthright. But Phaestion’s ambitions of domination are not limited to Tao, and he is not inclined to let a rival—even one in exile—continue living. Phaestion’s pursuit of power spans the universe, running afoul of powers no one is fit to be meddling with. Edmon will need to confront his past as he and his crew race across worlds to uncover the origins of the Fracture…and save the universe from complete destruction.

Bill Schutt and J.R. Finch (2016)

The Himalayan Codex
An R. J. MacCready Novel 2
William Morrow, January 30, 2018
Mass Market Paperback, 480 pages
Hardcover and eBook, June 6, 2017

“Bill Schutt and J. R. Finch are two of the best adventure writers to hit the scene in a long time!” —Clive Cussler, #1 New York Times bestselling author

It is 1946, and the world is rebuilding itself from the war’s devastating ashes. R. J. MacCready is headed for the Himalayas to examine some recently discovered mammoth bones—a mission that may help him put the loss of his friend and colleague Bob Thorne behind him.

Arriving in Asia with the bright and fearless Yanni Thorne, his friend’s widow and now his invaluable assistant, Mac learns the bones are only a cover story. He’s actually been sent there to investigate an ancient codex allegedly written by Pliny the Elder, a fascinating text filled with revelatory secrets. The Roman naturalist claimed to have discovered a new race of humans, a divergent species that inspired the myths of the Yeti and is rumored to have the ability to accelerate the process of evolution. If Pliny’s assertions are true, this seemingly supernatural ability holds unlimited potential benefits—and unlimited potential for destruction.

Charged with uncovering more about this miracle species, Mac sets off into the remote mountain valleys of Tibet, known to the locals as the Labyrinth, using the codex as his guide. As he plunges deeper into the unknown, the more certain it appears that Mac and the associates who join his odyssey may not make it out alive.

Bill Schutt (2016)

Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History
Algonquin Books, January 30, 2018
Trade Paperback, 352 pages
Hardcover and eBook, February 14, 2017

“Surprising. Impressive.  Cannibalism restores my faith in humanity.” —Sy Montgomery, The New York Times Book Review

For centuries scientists have written off cannibalism as a bizarre phenomenon with little biological significance. Its presence in nature was dismissed as a desperate response to starvation or other life-threatening circumstances, and few spent time studying it. A taboo subject in our culture, the behavior was portrayed mostly through horror movies or tabloids sensationalizing the crimes of real-life flesh-eaters. But the true nature of cannibalism--the role it plays in evolution as well as human history--is even more intriguing (and more normal) than the misconceptions we’ve come to accept as fact.

In Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History,zoologist Bill Schutt sets the record straight, debunking common myths and investigating our new understanding of cannibalism’s role in biology, anthropology, and history in the most fascinating account yet written on this complex topic. Schutt takes readers from Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains, where he wades through ponds full of tadpoles devouring their siblings, to the Sierra Nevadas, where he joins researchers who are shedding new light on what happened to the Donner Party--the most infamous episode of cannibalism in American history. He even meets with an expert on the preparation and consumption of human placenta (and, yes, it goes well with Chianti).

Bringing together the latest cutting-edge science, Schutt answers questions such as why some amphibians consume their mother’s skin; why certain insects bite the heads off their partners after sex; why, up until the end of the twentieth century, Europeans regularly ate human body parts as medical curatives; and how cannibalism might be linked to the extinction of the Neanderthals. He takes us into the future as well, investigating whether, as climate change causes famine, disease, and overcrowding, we may see more outbreaks of cannibalism in many more species--including our own.

Cannibalism places a perfectly natural occurrence into a vital new context and invites us to explore why it both enthralls and repels us.

Christopher Husberg (2016)

Dark Immolation
Chaos Queen 2
Titan Books, June 20, 2017
Trade Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

There are rumours in Ashta - a new religion is rising, and Cinzia, one-time Cantic priestess, has escaped the Holy Crucible. Fleeing from Navone, Cinzia travels with Knot, a man of many parts, and Astrid, the child-like vampire. They are gathering followers, but the murderous Nazaniin are still on their trail.

Meanwhile, Winter is losing her grip on sanity, grappling with immense powers beyond her understanding. Where she goes, chaos and death follow.

Beth Lewis (2016)

The Wolf Road
Broadway Books, April 11, 2017
Trade Paperback, 368 pages
Hardcover and eBook, July 5, 2016

ELKA BARELY REMEMBERS a time before she knew Trapper. She was just seven years old, wandering lost and hungry in the wilderness, when the solitary hunter took her in. In the years since then, he’s taught her how to survive in this desolate land where civilization has been destroyed and men are at the mercy of the elements and each other.

But the man Elka thought she knew has been harboring a terrible secret. He’s a killer. A monster. And now that Elka knows the truth, she may be his next victim.

Armed with nothing but her knife and the hard lessons Trapper’s drilled into her, Elka flees into the frozen north in search of her real parents. But judging by the trail of blood dogging her footsteps, she hasn’t left Trapper behind—and he won’t be letting his little girl go without a fight. If she’s going to survive, Elka will have to turn and confront not just him, but the truth about the dark road she’s been set on.

The Wolf Road is an intimate cat-and-mouse tale of revenge and redemption, played out against a vast, unforgiving landscape—told by an indomitable young heroine fighting to escape her past and rejoin humanity.

Bill Schutt and J.R. Finch (2016)

Hell's Gate
An R. J. MacCready Novel 1
William Morrow, February 28, 2017
Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages
Hardcover and eBook, June 7, 2016

“Will haunt you long after you put the book down.” — James Cameron, director/writer/explorer

1944. As war rages across Europe and the Pacific, Army intel makes a shocking discovery: a three-hundred-foot Japanese submarine marooned and empty, deep in the Brazilian interior. A team of Army Rangers sent to investigate has gone missing and the military sends Captain R. J. MacCready to learn why the Japanese are there—and what they’re planning.

Parachuting into a mist-shrouded valley beneath a two thousand foot plateau, Mac is unexpectedly reunited with fellow scientist and friend Bob Thorne, presumed dead for years. Thorne, a botanist, lives with Yanni, an indigenous woman who possesses mysterious, invaluable skills. Their wisdom and expertise will prove lifesaving for Mac as he sets out into the unknown.

Soon, Mac learns of a diabolical Axis plot to destroy the United States and its allies. But there’s an even darker force on the prowl, attacking at night and targeting both man and beast. Mac has to uncover the source of this emerging biological crisis and foil the enemy’s plans . . . but will he be in time to save humanity from itself?

“Terrific.” —Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The 14th Colony

The Himalayan Codex
An R. J. MacCready Novel 2
William Morrow, June 6, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 384 pages

In the wake of World War II, zoologist and adventurer Captain R. J. MacCready is sent to the frozen mountain valleys of Tibet to find a creature of legend that may hold the secret to humankind’s evolutionary future—or the key to its extinction—in this explosive follow-up to Hell’s Gate.

It is 1946, and the world is beginning to rebuild from the ashes of the devastating war. Marked by the perilous discoveries he encountered in the wilds of Brazil, Captain R. J. MacCready has a new assignment on the other side of the globe—a mission that may help him put the jungle’s horrors behind him. He is headed for the Himalayas, to examine some recently discovered mammoth bones.

Arriving in Asia, Mac learns the bones are only a cover story. He’s really there to investigate an ancient codex allegedly written by Pliny the Elder, a fascinating text filled with explosive secrets. The Roman naturalist claimed to have discovered a new race of humans, a divergent species that inspired the myth of the Yeti and is rumored to have the ability to accelerate the process of evolution. If Pliny’s assertions are true, this seemingly supernatural ability holds unlimited potential benefits—and unlimited potential for destruction.

Charged with uncovering more about this miracle species, Mac sets off into the remote mountain valleys of Tibet, using the codex as his guide. But the freezing climate and treacherous terrain are only the beginning of the dangers facing him. He must also contend with the brutal Chinese army and a species of native creature even the Yeti seem to fear. The deeper he plunges into the unknown, the more certain it appears that Mac and the associates who join his odyssey may not make it out alive.

Combining plausible science, history, and action-packed thrills, The Himalayan Code is a page-turning adventure sure to enthrall fans of James Rollins, Michael Crichton, Dan Brown, and Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

Bill Schutt

Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History
Algonquin Books, February 14, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 352 pages

Eating one’s own kind is completely natural behavior in thousands of species, including humans. Throughout history we have engaged in cannibalism for reasons related to famine, burial rites, and medicine. Cannibalism has also been used as a form of terrorism and as the ultimate expression of filial piety. With unexpected wit and a wealth of knowledge, Bill Schutt, a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History, takes us on a tour of the field, exploring exciting new avenues of research and investigating questions like why so many fish eat their offspring and some amphibians consume their mother’s skin; why sexual cannibalism is an evolutionary advantage for certain spiders; why, until the end of the eighteenth century, British royalty regularly ate human body parts; and how cannibalism might be linked to the extinction of Neanderthals.

Today, the subject of humans consuming one another has been relegated to the realm of horror movies, fiction, and the occasional psychopath. But as climate change progresses and humans see more famine, disease, and overcrowding, biological and cultural constraints may well disappear. These are the very factors that lead to outbreaks of cannibalism--in other species and our own.

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

Bill:  I’ve been writing ever since I was a child (a nasty sci-fi short story called The Cylinder got me in some trouble when I was 12). I started writing peer-reviewed science papers in the early ‘90s and my first non-fiction book, Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures, came out in 2008. I think writing is an extension of the fact that I’ve always been an avid reader.



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

Bill:  We generally work out an outline of the plot, then a summary of the chapters. Next we work on those individual chapters–editing them over and over again until things like the dialogue and character action sound and feel just right.



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

Bill:  I’d have to say what happens to a book once it gets out of my hands. Besides working hard to promote it locally and on social media, there’s little an author can do at that point. That’s tough.



TQ:  How does being a Professor of Biology at LIU Post and being a Research Associate of the American Museum of Natural History affect your fiction writing?

Bill:  That’s a rather complex question. As a professor I’ve always tried to be an entertainer—primarily to keep my students interested in whatever topic I happen to be covering. Because of this, I make a conscious effort to keep things lively and funny in my writings (both fiction and non-fiction). Also, as someone who has spent a lot of time in the field (I’ve studied bats all over the world), I think that was quite helpful when writing scenes where zoologist R.J. MacCready is sitting out in the rainforest at night or crawling around in a guano-filled cave.



TQ:  Describe Hell's Gate in 140 characters or less.

Bill:  During WWII zoologist RJ MacCready is sent into a Brazilian Heart of Darkness to investigate Axis activity. What he finds there is far stranger than even he can imagine



TQ:  Tell us something about Hell's Gate that is not found in the book description.

Bill:  There’s a great deal of real science in Hell’s Gate, from advanced weaponry that was on the drawing board in 1944 to the biology and behavior of some really weird but real-life creatures.



TQ:  What inspired you to write Hell's Gate?

Bill:  A trip to the real Hell’s Gate in central Brazil got me thinking about, how, 60 or so years ago, it would have been a great place to hide something from the rest of the world.



TQ:  What sort of research did you do for Hell's Gate?
Bill:  The “bat is now out of the bag” that some of our main characters are vampire bats and I’ve been working on those for 25 years. Basically J.R. and I wanted to write a real vampire story in which the larger prehistoric cousins of modern vampire bats didn’t go extinct in the recent past. We tried to portray their behavior as accurately as possible, and in the end they became real-life versions of the Aliens in the Ridley Scott and James Cameron films.



TQ:  In Hell's Gate who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Bill:  I found Mac to be the easiest character to write because he and I are vertebrate zoologists with similar academic and museum backgrounds. We both love being out in the field. I found Mac’s best friend, Bob Thorne, the most difficult character to write. He’s based on my late best friend (also Bob), who we lost to leukemia during the writing. His parents and relatives knew Bob was in Hell’s Gate and so this became a very difficult thing to do. I believe we wrote something the real Bob would have enjoyed, and I was extremely relieved to hear that his mom really loved the fictional portrayal.



TQ:  Why have you chosen to include or not chosen to include social issues in Hell's Gate?

Bill:  We thought it was important to mention some lesser known injustice that Americans of German ancestry (as well as Jewish Americans) faced during in the 1940s. Some of it was quite surprising and we decided to employ these events to give our hero a seriously haunted past.



TQ:  Which question about Hell's Gate do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

Bill: (Please Note: This Q&A is purely hypothetical and has not happened! )

Q: “So Bill, where you when you heard Guillermo del Toro was interested in making Hell’s Gate into a movie?”

A: “I was being interviewed by Alice Cooper when the call came in.”



TQ:  Give us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from Hell's Gate.

Bill:  “The history of civilization is written in humanity’s perversion of nature.” Then there’s… “Then, for a moment, the private’s scream became strong and clear, spiraling up, and up, and up into the night, until it was lost in the mist.”



TQ:  What's next?

Bill:  We’re just about to turn in the sequel to Hell’s Gate and we’re already starting to think about the plot for the next book after that. We’re looking forward to Mac and Yanni’s adventures after the end of WWII (the sequel takes place in 1946) and then into the ‘50s and ‘60s. My next non-fiction book, Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History (Algonquin) comes out on Valentine’s Day 2017.



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Bill:  You’re very welcome. Thank you for being so cool.

Hell's Gate
William Morrow, June 7, 2016
Hardcover and eBook, 384 pages

When a Japanese submarine is discovered abandoned deep in the Brazilian wilderness, a smart, adventurous, and tough zoologist must derail a catastrophic plot in Hell’s Gate.

1944. As war rages in Europe and the Pacific, Army Intel makes a shocking discovery: a 300-foot Japanese sub marooned and empty, deep in the Brazilian interior. A team of Army Rangers sent to investigate has already gone missing. Now, the military sends Captain R. J. MacCready, a quick-witted, brilliant scientific jack-of-all-trades to learn why the Japanese are there—and what they’re planning.

Parachuting deep into the heart of Central Brazil, one of the most remote regions on the planet, Mac is unexpectedly reunited with his hometown friend and fellow scientist Bob Thorne. A botanist presumed dead for years, Thorne lives peacefully with Yanni, an indigenous woman who possesses mysterious and invaluable skills. Their wisdom and expertise are nothing short of lifesaving for Mac as he sets out on a trail into the unknown.

Mac makes the arduous trek into an ancient, fog-shrouded valley hidden beneath a 2000-foot plateau, where he learns of a diabolical Axis plot to destroy the United States and its allies. But the enemy isn’t the only danger in this treacherous jungle paradise. Silently creeping from the forest, an even darker force is on the prowl, attacking at night and targeting both man and beast. Mac has to uncover the source of this emerging biological crisis and foil the enemy’s plans . . . but will he be in time to save humanity from itself?

About the Authors

J.R. FINCH is the pen name of a painter, history buff, and cave explorer. He lives in New York with three cats.

Photo by Jerry Ruotolo

BILL SCHUTT is a vertebrate zoologist, professor of biology, and author. He is a Research Associate (in residence) at the American Museum of Natural History and a Professor of Biology at LIU Post. Bill’s first book, Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures, was critically acclaimed by E.O. Wilson, The New York Times and Alice Cooper. His next non-fiction work, Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History, will explore the natural history of cannibalism. Bill lives with his wife and son on the East End of Long Island, and he is currently working on a sequel to Hell’s Gate with J.R. Finch.





Website  ~  Twitter @draculae

Bill Schutt and J. R. Finch

Hell's Gate
William Morrow, June 7, 2016
Hardcover and eBook, 384 pages

When a Japanese submarine is discovered abandoned deep in the Brazilian wilderness, a smart, adventurous, and tough zoologist must derail a catastrophic plot in Hell’s Gate.

1944. As war rages in Europe and the Pacific, Army Intel makes a shocking discovery: a 300-foot Japanese sub marooned and empty, deep in the Brazilian interior. A team of Army Rangers sent to investigate has already gone missing. Now, the military sends Captain R. J. MacCready, a quick-witted, brilliant scientific jack-of-all-trades to learn why the Japanese are there—and what they’re planning.

Parachuting deep into the heart of Central Brazil, one of the most remote regions on the planet, Mac is unexpectedly reunited with his hometown friend and fellow scientist Bob Thorne. A botanist presumed dead for years, Thorne lives peacefully with Yanni, an indigenous woman who possesses mysterious and invaluable skills. Their wisdom and expertise are nothing short of lifesaving for Mac as he sets out on a trail into the unknown.

Mac makes the arduous trek into an ancient, fog-shrouded valley hidden beneath a 2000-foot plateau, where he learns of a diabolical Axis plot to destroy the United States and its allies. But the enemy isn’t the only danger in this treacherous jungle paradise. Silently creeping from the forest, an even darker force is on the prowl, attacking at night and targeting both man and beast. Mac has to uncover the source of this emerging biological crisis and foil the enemy’s plans . . . but will he be in time to save humanity from itself?