Taylor Brown

I’m thrilled to share the news that my next novel, REDNECKS, is coming in 2024 from St. Martin’s Press!

What if I told you there was a battle on American soil in 1921 in which more than one million rounds were fired, bombs were dropped from airplanes, and a multiethnic army of 10,000 coal miners wore red neckerchiefs to identify themselves, earning the nickname “Rednecks”…and almost no one outside Appalachia had even heard of it?

This is that story.

Started in 2017, this book was one hell of a beast to write. The main character is inspired by my great-grandfather, a farmer’s son who emigrated from Mount Lebanon to the US in 1889, at the age of 14, alone but for a priest as chaperone, and graduated from the University of Kentucky School of Medicine, becoming a physician and medical examiner in rural Kentucky. I’ve always felt a special connection with him since we share the same birthday.

The book also includes a cast of real-life characters including Smilin’ Sid Hatfield and Mother Jones, aka “The Most Dangerous Woman in America.”

I’m especially indebted to my friend Jason Frye — a native son of Logan County, WV, where the battle took place — for his stories, encouragement, and editing, and to the WV Mine Wars Museum staff for their recommendations and advice.

To get things right for this book, I not only had to read a library’s worth of books and talk to old-timers on the ground for their stories, but I took my dirt bike high and deep to find the old Blair Mountain battle sites where a car could hardly reach — and where coal companies still restrict access to much of the land.

I could not be more excited to share this novel with y’all.

Today I’m thrilled to share my new piece at The Bitter Southerner, a love song to blackwater rivers. This piece is particularly special to me, as it’s a collaboration with my BFF, Benjamin Galland, whose photography graces several books from UGA Press.

“More and more, we are realizing that what is good for the rest of the planet is good for us. That the health of our own species is tied inextricably to the health of our natural world. And that we remove ourselves from the natural dynamics of this majestic planet at our peril. Peril to ourselves, to our fellow living creatures, and to the incredible gift of this world, with all of its majesty, its beauty, and its mysteries still to be unfolded.”

Here’s a link to the full article: https://bittersoutherner.com/feature/2022/ode-to-blackwater-rivers-taylor-brown-ben-galland

Photo: Jordan Mount

Today is pub day for Wingwalkers — woohoo! I’m so excited to release this book into the world and have it land in your hands!

Copies should be available wherever books are sold. My publisher has ordering options here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250274595/wingwalkers

Or, if you’d like an autographed copy, you can order directly from one of my my hometown stores:

• E. Shaver Booksellers: https://www.eshaverbooks.com/book/9781250274595
• The Book Lady Savannah: https://thebookladybookstore.com/

Let me know how y’all enjoy it!

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

Buying Options

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Bookshop.org
• Amazon
• Kindle
• Barnes & Noble
• Nook
• iBooks

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

Book Description

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

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

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

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

Editorial Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Purchasing Options…

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

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

Pub day! There’s nothing better than a good book if you’re stuck at home. Please consider ordering from your local bookstore.

read.macmillan.com/lp/pride-of-eden/

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:

https://read.macmillan.com/lp/pride-of-eden/

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