It’s paperback release day for Pride of Eden, winner of the 2021 Georgia Author of the Year Award! The perfect time to purchase the book for a friend or family member!
I’m thrilled to announce that Pride of Eden has won the 2021 Georgia Author of the Year Award for Literary Fiction! Thank you to the Georgia Writers Association and all of the bookstores, booksellers, and readers who support my work!
Below, you can see what the Georgia Writers Association had to say about the book.
I’m thrilled to reveal the cover for my new novel, Wingwalkers, coming April 19, 2022 from St. Martin’s Press! The book opens with a passage from Joseph Blotner’s Faulkner: A Biography, in which William Faulkner has been attending the opening festivities of the New Orleans Shushan Airport during Mardi Gras, 1934:
When [Faulkner] appeared at the Bradfords’ early Sunday morning, he looked ravenous and hung over. After he consumed a large breakfast, he launched into what seemed to Mary Rose a disjointed, nightmarish tale of accepting a ride from two motorcyclists, a man and a woman. They were aviators at the meet, and he had joined them in drinking, flying, and carousing.
Who were these aviator-motorcyclists, and how did their lives intersect with Faulkner’s? That question, which burned in my imagination, brought this whole novel to life.
In Wingwalkers, a female wingwalker and her husband, a former World War I ace, barnstorm across Depression-era America, performing acts of aerial daring, while a young William Faulkner attempts to take creative flight.
It would mean the world to me if you considered pre-ordering the book now, so it will arrive on your doorstep come publication day. Pre-orders have become incredibly meaningful in the current publishing climate. They help tell retailers to stock the book in stores, and a solid set of pre-orders will help us get this book in front of new readers.
Hello everyone! I just wanted to share the good news that Gods of Howl Mountain has been selected for a Kindle Monthly Deal, so the e-book is currently discounted from an original price of $17 to just $1.99! I’m told this sale price is across all e-retailers. You can find yours from the list below:
If you’re curious about the book, below you’ll find a description and a few editorial reviews!
In Gods of Howl Mountain, award-winning author Taylor Brown explores a world of folk healers, whiskey-runners, and dark family secrets in the high country of 1950s North Carolina.
Bootlegger Rory Docherty has returned home to the fabled mountain of his childhood – a misty wilderness that holds its secrets close and keeps the outside world at gunpoint. Slowed by a wooden leg and haunted by memories of the Korean War, Rory runs bootleg whiskey for a powerful mountain clan in a retro-fitted ’40 Ford coupe. Between deliveries to roadhouses, brothels, and private clients, he lives with his formidable grandmother, evades federal agents, and stokes the wrath of a rival runner.
In the mill town at the foot of the mountains – a hotbed of violence, moonshine, and the burgeoning sport of stock-car racing – Rory is bewitched by the mysterious daughter of a snake-handling preacher. His grandmother, Maybelline “Granny May” Docherty, opposes this match for her own reasons, believing that “some things are best left buried.” A folk healer whose powers are rumored to rival those of a wood witch, she concocts potions and cures for the people of the mountains while harboring an explosive secret about Rory’s mother – the truth behind her long confinement in a mental hospital, during which time she has not spoken one word. When Rory’s life is threatened, Granny must decide whether to reveal what she knows…or protect her only grandson from the past.
With gritty and atmospheric prose, Taylor Brown brings to life a perilous mountain and the family who rules it.
“It’s the characters, so wonderfully vibrant and alive in their all-too-human variety?scared, tightly wound, angry, damaged, yet resourceful and resilient, some honorable, some not?that demonstrate Brown’s prodigious talent. Brown has quickly established himself in the top echelon of Southern writers, and his latest will please readers of Wiley Cash and Ron Rash.” – Booklist, starred review
“In his third novel (after The River of Kings), critically acclaimed novelist Brown gazes unflinchingly at the Howl Mountain community of 1950s North Carolina…Not to be missed, this bold, dark, gritty novel is another coup for Brown, whose lyrical descriptions of the landscape only add to the captivating story of indomitable but isolated folks bound by folklore, tradition, and a hardscrabble life.” – Library Journal, starred review
“Powerful…explosive…Brown’s lyrical prose invokes a verdant landscape whose rich past is woven into its roots and people; their dependence on the land and respect for its great mysteries are palpable. This tale of loyalty and retribution will linger with readers.” – Publishers Weekly
“The writing is strong and evocative, yielding a vivid picture whether he’s describing a forest or a car chase, and there’s plenty of action and intrigue. Pick up a copy of Gods of Howl Mountain and hold on. You’re in for a ride you won’t soon forget.” – Greensboro Triad
Shopping for the right holiday gift for the readers in your life? I’d like to humbly suggest Pride of Eden — especially for those readers with a love for animals, adventure, or the sea islands of the southern coast.
We were thrilled to find that Pride of Eden recently made Goodreads’s list of 33 Reader Approved, Highly Rated Fiction to Discover Now:
“From independent presses, to tales in translation, to critical darlings and new debut novels, these books (all published in the U.S. this year) are nothing but gems just waiting for you to discover them! Plus, each one has at least a 4-star average rating from your fellow readers.”
The book also makes a great gift for those readers who loved (or loved to hate) Tiger King:
“While we’ve all binged Tiger King, this is the lit fic version of the absolutely mind-numbing reality docuseries that we all love to hate. The book spans a few continents but mostly focuses on Little Eden, an exotic animal sanctuary on the Georgia coast.” —Get Literary
For what it’s worth, Pride of Eden has my favorite cover of all my books — it’s truly gorgeous in person. Picador will be publishing the trade paperback version next year, which may well have a different cover, so don’t miss your chance to have one of these hardcover beauties on your shelf!
And signed copies are available from E. Shaver Bookseller and The Book Lady Bookstore!
Here’s a reading of some of my favorite passages from Pride of Eden, filmed at an old Elks lodge in historic Savannah, Georgia!
If you don’t have your copy of Pride of Eden yet, it’s not too late!
Signed copies available from…
Or order from these retailers…
This week, I was honored to be on WTOC-11’s morning show, Morning Break, where we discussed Pride of Eden, overcoming obstacles to write, and how to finish a book or story — especially during quarantine!
If you don’t have your copy of Pride of Eden yet, today is the day!
Signed copies available from…
Or order from these retailers…
Crazily enough, my novel Pride of Eden, set on a fictional big cat sanctuary on the Georgia coast, released the same day as the Netflix miniseries Tiger King, which follows the feud between zoo owner Joe Exotic and Florida’s Big Cat Rescue:
“A zoo owner spirals out of control amid a cast of eccentric characters in this true murder-for-hire story from the underworld of big cat breeding.”
Since then, Tiger King has taken mainstream culture by storm, and I’ve been receiving multiple messages per day asking if I knew/know about Joe Exotic and the series.
The answer is definitely yes — it’s hard not to research big cat breeding in America without his name coming up. However, I only came to know the full arc of his story in 2019, late in the process of revising the book. There’s a wonderful Wondery podcast on the subject, Joe Exotic: Tiger King, which I highly recommend.
Hopefully, in addition to the obvious entertainment value, the series is casting some much-needed light into the (under)world of big cats in America — one of the main backdrops of the book, which you can order here.
Today, Jessica of E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia, asked me about Tiger King and Pride of Eden. A little cheeky fun — enjoy!
Pub day! There’s nothing better than a good book if you’re stuck at home. Please consider ordering from your local bookstore.
Here’s a little about the book from me, the author!
Friends & Readers,
With the pandemic top of mind and the new book due out next week, I’m writing to ask for your help on behalf of myself and the many local bookstores that support writers like me.
Please consider ordering a book from the link below — the IndieBound option will allow you to order a book directly from your local independent bookstore and have it delivered:
Starting today, if you order the book, please let me know in the comments — you’ll be entered to win one of five $100 gift certificates to one of my hometown stores, E Shaver Bookseller — recently voted “The South’s Best Bookstore” — to be used online or in-store.
One entry per purchased book — no limit on entries! Drawing will take place on April 1 and be announced online.
Whether you purchase my new book or another one, please consider supporting local stores directly or through IndieBound.org.
My best wishes for your health, a speedy goodbye to C-19, and the comfort of a good book during this time.
-Taylor Brown
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