Official Author Website
Order Always North over HERE(USA) or HERE (UK)
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Vicki Jarrett lives and works in her native Edinburgh. Her first novel, Nothing is Heavy, was shortlisted for the Saltire Society Scottish First Book of the Year 2013. Her short fiction has been widely published and broadcast, shortlisted for the Scotland on Sunday/Macallan Short Story Competition, Manchester Fiction Prize and Bridport Prize. The Way Out is her first story collection.
FORMAT/INFO: Always North is 320 pages long and is standalone. The book is currently available in ebook and paperback formats. It was published on October 21, 2019 by Unsong Stories Limited. Cover Artwork by Caleight Illerbrun. Cover design by Vince Haig.
OVERVIEW:
This isn’t a comic book. We do not have twenty-four hours to save the Earth. The world’s already fucked, and we’re all fucked along with it. That’s not my fault and it’s not yours.’
Climate fiction matters. The world changes and normal doesn’t exist anymore, just ask my grandparents ;) I believe powerful fiction can impact readers’ behaviors stronger than the raw scientific data or orders and prohibitions. Subtlety works better than brute force. At least for some.
Always North is an ambitious book about the collapsing environment, our accountability, mysterious workings of mind and memory, and the nature of time. It’s set over two time-frames and settings: an oil survey vessel in the Arctic Ocean in 2025 and the Scottish Highlands in 2045.
Isobel, a software engineer, joins a team surveying the Arctic seabed for oil deposits. Along the way, the ship draws the attention of a mysterious polar bear whose appearances will give you goose-bumps. The journey ends in a bloody disaster. The story makes a time jump to show the environmentally ravaged world in which jobs are in short supply. Like most people, Isobel is struggling to make ends meet. To her, the world went apeshit.
Isobel changed. A lot. When we first met her, she was self-centered and living to the fullest on her own terms. Her older self is harder and more conscious. When one of her old crew members (and lovers) shows up and offers her a job, she accepts. With the help of advanced technology, she revisits her memories of the expedition to discover what and how went wrong.
This part of the story, with its flashback segments, has a surreal quality. Jarrett’s writing conveys the intensity of near-endless daylight and bleakness of the frozen wasteland with stunning and evocative descriptions. She controls the narrative with clear but impactful writing that awed me. Her prose is elegant, subtle and compacted. It gives the first half of Always North the velocity of a thriller. The second half of the novel experiments with the structure and can feel meandering to some readers.
Conclusion: Jarrett ends her tale with an incomplete yet touching ending I found perfect. She combines elements of eco-horror, sci-fi, and post-apocalyptic dystopia in something fresh and unique. Not an easy book to follow, but I won’t forget about it anytime soon.
Isobel, a software engineer, joins a team surveying the Arctic seabed for oil deposits. Along the way, the ship draws the attention of a mysterious polar bear whose appearances will give you goose-bumps. The journey ends in a bloody disaster. The story makes a time jump to show the environmentally ravaged world in which jobs are in short supply. Like most people, Isobel is struggling to make ends meet. To her, the world went apeshit.
‘Just more and worse of everything. Riots. Gangs on the increase. More people, not enough food or shelter to go around. The government too stretched or too preoccupied with saving their own skins to do anything about it.’
Isobel changed. A lot. When we first met her, she was self-centered and living to the fullest on her own terms. Her older self is harder and more conscious. When one of her old crew members (and lovers) shows up and offers her a job, she accepts. With the help of advanced technology, she revisits her memories of the expedition to discover what and how went wrong.
This part of the story, with its flashback segments, has a surreal quality. Jarrett’s writing conveys the intensity of near-endless daylight and bleakness of the frozen wasteland with stunning and evocative descriptions. She controls the narrative with clear but impactful writing that awed me. Her prose is elegant, subtle and compacted. It gives the first half of Always North the velocity of a thriller. The second half of the novel experiments with the structure and can feel meandering to some readers.
Conclusion: Jarrett ends her tale with an incomplete yet touching ending I found perfect. She combines elements of eco-horror, sci-fi, and post-apocalyptic dystopia in something fresh and unique. Not an easy book to follow, but I won’t forget about it anytime soon.
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Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Long Way Down
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The White Gold Score
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Redemption Song
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Living End
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Plain-Dealing Villain
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Killing Floor Blues
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Castle Doctrine
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Double Or Nothing
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Neon Boneyard
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Locust Job
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Locust Job
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Sworn To The Night
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Detonation Boulevard
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Winter's Reach
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Instruments Of Control
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Harmony Black
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Red Knight Falling
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Glass Predator
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Cold Spectrum
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Right To The Kill
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Ghosts Of Gotham
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Loot
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Cold Spectrum
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Right To The Kill
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Ghosts Of Gotham
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Loot
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Harmony Black Series Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read Double Or Nothing Cover Reveal Mini-Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read Part I of Fantasy Book Critic's In-depth Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read Part II of Fantasy Book Critic's In-depth Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the Wisdom's Grave Trilogy Completion Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the 2019 And Beyond Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the Right To The Kill Cover Reveal Q&A with Craig Schaefer
Read the Black Tie Required Cover Reveal Q&A with Craig Schaefer
Read My Sworn To The Night Cover Reveal Q&A with Craig Schaefer
Read Part I of Fantasy Book Critic's In-depth Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read Part II of Fantasy Book Critic's In-depth Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the Wisdom's Grave Trilogy Completion Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the 2019 And Beyond Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the Right To The Kill Cover Reveal Q&A with Craig Schaefer
Read the Black Tie Required Cover Reveal Q&A with Craig Schaefer
Read My Sworn To The Night Cover Reveal Q&A with Craig Schaefer
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Craig Schaefer was born in Chicago and wanted to be a writer since a very young age. His writing was inspired by Elmore Leonard, Richard Stark, Clive Barker & H. P. Lovecraft. After reaching his 40th birthday he decided to give in to his passion and since then has released twelve novels in the last three years. He currently lives in North Carolina and loves visiting museums and libraries for inspiration.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: Las Vegas, Nevada. For some, a neon-drenched playground. For Harmony Black, a graveyard of bad memories. But when your job is protecting humanity from the horrors of the occult underworld, you go where the mission sends you.
The annual TechTopia conference draws Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, big thinkers, startup investors — and the Basilisk, a former German Military Intelligence officer turned freelance assassin. He’s in town to make a killing, and his target could be any of a thousand potential victims. To protect their source of information, direct action is off the table: Harmony and her team have to identify the target and stage a rescue without the Basilisk — or his mistress, the sadistic demoness Nadine — ever learning that they were involved.
Stranger things are brewing under the neon and glitz. The elite of the criminal underworld are flocking to the city like flies to a rotting corpse, rumors of a secret auction are swirling, and the assassin’s target has ties to Talon Worldwide — a corporation with a foothold on two parallel Earths. Soon enough, Harmony discovers there’s far more at stake than a single life. The consequences of this mission aren’t just global: they’re interdimensional.
FORMAT/INFO: Black Tie Required is 286 pages long divided over thirty nine chapters with a “what came before” section. Narration is in the third-person, via Harmony Black , Jessie Temple & Kevin. This is the sixth volume of the Harmony Black series which is a spin-off to the Daniel Faust series
April 14, 2020 will mark the North American paperback and e-book publication of Black Tie Required and it was self-published by the author. Cover design is by James T. Egan of Bookfly Design.
OVERVIEW/ANALYISIS: Black Tie Required is the sixth book of the Harmony Black series and the second book in the new Harmony Black trilogy. Black Tie Required follows the events of Right To The Kill as we find the team still focusing on their main target Nadine.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: Las Vegas, Nevada. For some, a neon-drenched playground. For Harmony Black, a graveyard of bad memories. But when your job is protecting humanity from the horrors of the occult underworld, you go where the mission sends you.
The annual TechTopia conference draws Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, big thinkers, startup investors — and the Basilisk, a former German Military Intelligence officer turned freelance assassin. He’s in town to make a killing, and his target could be any of a thousand potential victims. To protect their source of information, direct action is off the table: Harmony and her team have to identify the target and stage a rescue without the Basilisk — or his mistress, the sadistic demoness Nadine — ever learning that they were involved.
Stranger things are brewing under the neon and glitz. The elite of the criminal underworld are flocking to the city like flies to a rotting corpse, rumors of a secret auction are swirling, and the assassin’s target has ties to Talon Worldwide — a corporation with a foothold on two parallel Earths. Soon enough, Harmony discovers there’s far more at stake than a single life. The consequences of this mission aren’t just global: they’re interdimensional.
FORMAT/INFO: Black Tie Required is 286 pages long divided over thirty nine chapters with a “what came before” section. Narration is in the third-person, via Harmony Black , Jessie Temple & Kevin. This is the sixth volume of the Harmony Black series which is a spin-off to the Daniel Faust series
April 14, 2020 will mark the North American paperback and e-book publication of Black Tie Required and it was self-published by the author. Cover design is by James T. Egan of Bookfly Design.
OVERVIEW/ANALYISIS: Black Tie Required is the sixth book of the Harmony Black series and the second book in the new Harmony Black trilogy. Black Tie Required follows the events of Right To The Kill as we find the team still focusing on their main target Nadine.
The main plot deals with the TechTopia conference in Las Vegas around which swirls a rumour of a secret auction. To add that, a highly sought-after german assassin is also attending the conference and the team not only have to find out who the target is but also prevent it. This is just the start as Harmony has her own struggles due to Nadine’s vicious actions. The team is also dealing with the revelations from Right To The Kill, all in all things are as crazy as they can be. The main plot unfolds over a period of two-three days and it’s as good as a thriller you can get. We get a story that mixes a lot of elements and ultimately it leaves the reader guessing about who the target is and what is truly happening. In this plot regard, it reminded me a lot of Jeffrey Deaver's The Coffin Dancer.
As with Right To The Kill, it’s the characterization that makes this book and the reboot of the original series such a successful one. While the main plot is still focused around Harmony, we get some important bits via Jessie and other characters and this is where the story truly explodes of the pages. The plot really shines a good amount of light on the antagonist which was a cool thing. As the Basilisk is one of the most dangerous folks that the Vigilant team have ever faced and this is a team that has faced demons literally. Harmony and Jessie are the emotional core of this series and it's in this book their bond is tested and highlighted to its strongest extent. I love how the author has showcased them to be polar opposites in magic and temperament but beneath it all, they share the same steel and drive for justice. This book forces the most amount of change on Harmony physically, psychologically & morally. (this point is really driven home after reading the penultimate chapter). All of which feels mighty organic and is perhaps leading to some bigger dust-ups down the road.
As with any Craig Schaefer book, the plot is a twisted one with a lot of threads. I’ve begun to notice that in this regard, Craig is similar to Jeffrey Deaver who is famous for his multiple twisted endings. I love this aspect as in this book, what we think is happening and what truly is the case is miles apart. The book has some clever and cool nods to the Wisdom’s Grave trilogy and in one specific case we even find out what Marie (the Knight) is up to currently. Suffice to say it’s a very knightly thing to do and I truly hope Craig gives us a story/novella about it (trust me you WILL want to know more).
The twisted plot ends on a big climax and I loved how it touched on quite few of Craig’s other series and for those fans (me included), this is one of the best bits about Craig’s books. This truly is a connected universe and it shows in the tiny nods, references & mentions (things like what the Knight is doing, the return of a certain brother-sister cambion duo from NY and we finally learn about a particular black Hemi Cuda which has been the subject of speculation since about the last twelve books). The action is a bit more on the personal level and the horror element takes a backseat to the thriller one in this book unlike its predecessor. This though is a great thing as this book IMHO takes it back to the pinnacle of the series which was Harmony Black (book 1). I loved how this book has taken this series to a whole new level. Book 5 was a revival but book 6 will really make fans notice why Harmony Black is worthy of her own series.
On another note, I’ve to highlight the cover which IMO is an amazingly cool one. This has been another ace in a long line of winning covers and seriously a slap in the face of folks who complain about self-published books not having decent covers.
The only point that perhaps made my read a teeny tiny bit less enjoyable was the fact that while it touched upon events of the Daniel Faust series, we didn’t get any clear pointers about a certain Paladin-Enemy conflict. Things have been heating up especially amidst the events of The Locust Job. I’m sure that we will be getting a lot more with the next books in the Daniel Faust and Harmony Black series but I was hoping that there would be a bit more revealed about that particular plot thread.
CONCLUSION: Black Tie Required has it all, a thrilling plot, characters put through a wringer, a bit of dark humour, and an ending that will leave you wanting the next book NOW. Craig Schaefer solidly underscores why I consider him to be the best author that the urban fantasy genre has to offer. Of course he does it by bucking every trend and trope that the sub-genre is known for. Black Tie Required is one of the best books I’ve read in 2020 and as a thriller fan, I consider it to be one of the best thrillers I’ve read in my life.
As with Right To The Kill, it’s the characterization that makes this book and the reboot of the original series such a successful one. While the main plot is still focused around Harmony, we get some important bits via Jessie and other characters and this is where the story truly explodes of the pages. The plot really shines a good amount of light on the antagonist which was a cool thing. As the Basilisk is one of the most dangerous folks that the Vigilant team have ever faced and this is a team that has faced demons literally. Harmony and Jessie are the emotional core of this series and it's in this book their bond is tested and highlighted to its strongest extent. I love how the author has showcased them to be polar opposites in magic and temperament but beneath it all, they share the same steel and drive for justice. This book forces the most amount of change on Harmony physically, psychologically & morally. (this point is really driven home after reading the penultimate chapter). All of which feels mighty organic and is perhaps leading to some bigger dust-ups down the road.
As with any Craig Schaefer book, the plot is a twisted one with a lot of threads. I’ve begun to notice that in this regard, Craig is similar to Jeffrey Deaver who is famous for his multiple twisted endings. I love this aspect as in this book, what we think is happening and what truly is the case is miles apart. The book has some clever and cool nods to the Wisdom’s Grave trilogy and in one specific case we even find out what Marie (the Knight) is up to currently. Suffice to say it’s a very knightly thing to do and I truly hope Craig gives us a story/novella about it (trust me you WILL want to know more).
The twisted plot ends on a big climax and I loved how it touched on quite few of Craig’s other series and for those fans (me included), this is one of the best bits about Craig’s books. This truly is a connected universe and it shows in the tiny nods, references & mentions (things like what the Knight is doing, the return of a certain brother-sister cambion duo from NY and we finally learn about a particular black Hemi Cuda which has been the subject of speculation since about the last twelve books). The action is a bit more on the personal level and the horror element takes a backseat to the thriller one in this book unlike its predecessor. This though is a great thing as this book IMHO takes it back to the pinnacle of the series which was Harmony Black (book 1). I loved how this book has taken this series to a whole new level. Book 5 was a revival but book 6 will really make fans notice why Harmony Black is worthy of her own series.
On another note, I’ve to highlight the cover which IMO is an amazingly cool one. This has been another ace in a long line of winning covers and seriously a slap in the face of folks who complain about self-published books not having decent covers.
The only point that perhaps made my read a teeny tiny bit less enjoyable was the fact that while it touched upon events of the Daniel Faust series, we didn’t get any clear pointers about a certain Paladin-Enemy conflict. Things have been heating up especially amidst the events of The Locust Job. I’m sure that we will be getting a lot more with the next books in the Daniel Faust and Harmony Black series but I was hoping that there would be a bit more revealed about that particular plot thread.
CONCLUSION: Black Tie Required has it all, a thrilling plot, characters put through a wringer, a bit of dark humour, and an ending that will leave you wanting the next book NOW. Craig Schaefer solidly underscores why I consider him to be the best author that the urban fantasy genre has to offer. Of course he does it by bucking every trend and trope that the sub-genre is known for. Black Tie Required is one of the best books I’ve read in 2020 and as a thriller fan, I consider it to be one of the best thrillers I’ve read in my life.
Official Author Website
Fantasy Book Critic's Review of The Gutter Prayer
Order The Shadow Saint here
The Gutter Prayer was one of the few books that I have pulled off a bookstore shelf simply because the cover was so arresting. I did not know a thing about the book but ended up loving its gritty world and misfit cast of characters. The Shadow Saint, The Gutter Prayer's follow-up, goes in with the disadvantage of expectation - I knew mostly what I was in for and it was up to Hanrahan to deliver a worthy successor to his breakout hit. He did it, and while I think The Gutter Prayer might be the better novel, The Shadow Saint is in many ways the ideal way to showcase the middle chapter of a series. It is rare for a second book in a trilogy to be the one that everyone raves about (I know it happens, Star Wars fans), and so that tempered my wildest expectations enough that I was able to settle in to The Shadow Saint and simply enjoy myself.
Strengths
What immediately caught the attention of most of The Gutter Prayer's readers was Hanrahan's world-building ability. The city of Guerdon is a character all its own, and like any good character, over the course of these novels it changes drastically. At the end of the first book, a New City is literally grown from the body of a dying man, giving the old city a coat of fresh paint that plays an integral part in the second book. Even beyond that, Hanrahan has such an interest in politics and religion and how they intermingle to form a society, that even did Guerdon not change in a very real physical sense, it would do so thematically. To add to this is Hanrahan's pantheon of gods - a group of deities that defy any logic and exist in the same way that the violent old gods of our own mythology do. In The Shadow Saint, gods from across the sea are coming to destroy Guerdon, and the city's only defense is a weaponized distillation of the Black Iron Gods, the very evil Carillon and Spar sought so desperately to stop in The Gutter Prayer.
Part of what makes Guerdon so interesting is its tone. I always question why human beings choose to live in dangerous places, and my confusion extends to fantasy realms. Guerdon is not a friendly place, and why everyone hasn't moved out to the countryside to live in suburbs with SUVs and in-ground pools is beyond me, but I'm glad they haven't because I enjoy the constant sense of danger and weirdness that Guerdon offers. Adding in the New City, a place that can quite literally change with a thought, gives the entire thing an even weirder context - as though the characters aren't really on the mortal plane at all but rather existing in some city of the gods. It works, and Hanrahan's writing style fits it like a warm blanket.
The Gutter Prayer had readers following Carillon, Spar, and Rat as they tried to survive a veritable apocalypse, and I quite liked that original cast. In a surprise move, Hanrahan takes the focus off of Carillon and onto her cousin, a young woman named Eladora who is featured in the first book but isn't front and center. She is joined as a point-of-view character by a spy who is never given a true name and exists as several people at once, and a prince from a Northern realm that, if its mentioned at all, was not in my memory from The Gutter Prayer. I like the new cast, and Carillon isn't entirely absent from the book, but I really liked those misfits from the first story. They would be hard to top in this context, and I actually admire Hanrahan's willingness to move out of his comfort zone. Even if I may not have liked them as much, there is no doubt that these are fully fleshed out characters who probably adapt and change more than did those in the first book (Spar might be the exception). Eladora changes dramatically in The Shadow Saint, and I think her evolution is remarkably well done.
Weaknesses
Where The Gutter Prayer is a nigh on neck-breakingly paced book, The Shadow Saint slows things down, and this probably more than anything is what dimmed it for me. As I said in my introduction, the middle portion of a trilogy almost has to be this way because it acts as a bridge between its bookends. However, what The Shadow Saint does at times is get so bogged down with its politics that I found myself struggling to read it. This may work for some, and I think Hanrahan's political writing is well done, I just didn't enjoy reading about it much in the same way that I don't enjoy reading about politics in a newspaper. This is not to say that I don't enjoy politics because I am as political as anyone who lives in a society, but the methods of conveying those politics can often bore me. For me, The Shadow Saint was at its best when it was dealing with its deities, which happens more at the beginning and end of the book than anywhere in between.
The Shadow Saint also suffers in its middle book syndrome by leaving dangling threads - plot lines that aren't satisfactorily explored or concluded. I wanted more with Carillon, for instance, who does not seem as though she is finished with Guerdon or this story. I expect I will have to wait a year or more to see if my wishes for this series are fulfilled by a third book that has a lot of baggage to successfully carry.
Parting Thoughts
I liked The Gutter Prayer more than I liked The Shadow Saint, but that's like saying I like a nice red ale more than a stout - they are both beer and I love them. I think Hanrahan is here to stay as one of the premier fantasy authors of this decade (assuming we are all around to see the rest of it). It would have been a simple and tragic thing to fumble the second book after such a strong debut, but he kept hold and delivered, and I am 100% here for the conclusion of The Black Iron Legacy. I hope some of these characters live to see the end of it - a wish I also hold for all of us readers. Stay safe!
Buy The Stations of the Angels HERE(USA) or HERE(UK)
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Quest of the Five Clans series
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Exclusive Cover Reveal & Q/A: Black Tie Required by Craig Schaefer (by Mihir Wanchoo)
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Long Way Down
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The White Gold Score
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Redemption Song
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Living End
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Plain-Dealing Villain
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Killing Floor Blues
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Castle Doctrine
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Double Or Nothing
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Neon Boneyard
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Locust Job
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Locust Job
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Sworn To The Night
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Detonation Boulevard
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Winter's Reach
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Instruments Of Control
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Harmony Black
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Red Knight Falling
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Glass Predator
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Cold Spectrum
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Right To The Kill
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Ghosts Of Gotham
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Loot
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Cold Spectrum
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Right To The Kill
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Ghosts Of Gotham
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Loot
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Harmony Black Series Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read Double Or Nothing Cover Reveal Mini-Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read Part I of Fantasy Book Critic's In-depth Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read Part II of Fantasy Book Critic's In-depth Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the Wisdom's Grave Trilogy Completion Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the 2019 And Beyond Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the Right To The Kill Cover Reveal Q&A with Craig Schaefer
Read My Sworn To The Night Cover Reveal Q&A with Craig Schaefer
Read Part I of Fantasy Book Critic's In-depth Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read Part II of Fantasy Book Critic's In-depth Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the Wisdom's Grave Trilogy Completion Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the 2019 And Beyond Interview with Craig Schaefer
Read the Right To The Kill Cover Reveal Q&A with Craig Schaefer
Read My Sworn To The Night Cover Reveal Q&A with Craig Schaefer
Here at Fantasy Book Critic, we are always glad to showcase cover art both traditionally and self- published. One of our favourties is Craig Schaefer and his books have the kind of cover art which can rub shoulders with the best of what big publishing has to offer. Last year Craig allowed us to exclusively reveal the cover for his new Harmony Black trilogy and we have been granted the privilege to continue to do so for Black Tie Required (book 2 of the trilogy).
Craig has been extra generous by answering these questions amidst these trying times and so read ahead to know more about what makes this book special (besides that glorious cover), and why perhaps this book should be on your reading lists…
Q) Welcome back Craig & thank you once again for this cover reveal. Amidst the COVID crisis, how are you dealing with the daily stress?
CS: Bold of you to assume I'm dealing with it.
But seriously, as someone who has grappled with clinical depression and OCD my entire life (OCD and a pandemic are a bad, bad combination, folks), it largely boils down to the same coping mechanisms I've always used, plus a lot of personal status checks to monitor myself, and occasional time for self-care. It helps that writing is my main coping mechanism, which...is kinda handy, given that I'm locked down with nothing to do but write.
Q) You have always been forthright about your stress levels & writing schedules. What’s your thought process behind releasing Black Tie Required in these troubled times?
CS: The show must go on. While I've been as worn down as anybody else, dealing with the current day-to-day uncertainty and madness (and toilet paper shortages), not working is not an option. Especially now, really. People need entertainment right now, and while I can't do anything to help with the pandemic crisis, that's something I can deliver. Black Tie Required isn't a weighty philosophical tome; it's a fast, action-packed magical-spy romp, and if it puts a smile on your face and keeps you from worrying about the world for a few hours, I consider that a job well done.
Craig has been extra generous by answering these questions amidst these trying times and so read ahead to know more about what makes this book special (besides that glorious cover), and why perhaps this book should be on your reading lists…
Q) Welcome back Craig & thank you once again for this cover reveal. Amidst the COVID crisis, how are you dealing with the daily stress?
CS: Bold of you to assume I'm dealing with it.
But seriously, as someone who has grappled with clinical depression and OCD my entire life (OCD and a pandemic are a bad, bad combination, folks), it largely boils down to the same coping mechanisms I've always used, plus a lot of personal status checks to monitor myself, and occasional time for self-care. It helps that writing is my main coping mechanism, which...is kinda handy, given that I'm locked down with nothing to do but write.
Q) You have always been forthright about your stress levels & writing schedules. What’s your thought process behind releasing Black Tie Required in these troubled times?
CS: The show must go on. While I've been as worn down as anybody else, dealing with the current day-to-day uncertainty and madness (and toilet paper shortages), not working is not an option. Especially now, really. People need entertainment right now, and while I can't do anything to help with the pandemic crisis, that's something I can deliver. Black Tie Required isn't a weighty philosophical tome; it's a fast, action-packed magical-spy romp, and if it puts a smile on your face and keeps you from worrying about the world for a few hours, I consider that a job well done.
(Cover art & design by James T. Egan of Bookfly Design)
Q) This cover by James T. Egan is very much a special one. It’s in line with Right To The Kill and yet has its own extra sauce. Right To The Kill was an homage to vintage James Bond books ( a La Casino Royale), what would be a similar title for Black Tie Required?
CS: Black Tie Required continues the theme and feel of the last book, sending the heroines on a mission to a glamorous resort where danger lurks around every corner. A hitman is on the prowl, and they have to identify his target before he makes his move; of course, nothing is ever that simple. Expect guns, gadgets, magic-fueled covert operations, and cocktails by the swimming pool.
Q) The golden Basilisk/Dragon promises to be a major plot point for this story. Would this be a literal or figurative theme or will we have to RAFO?
CS: Figurative...maybe? This time out, Harmony and Jessie are squaring off against an international assassin known as the Basilisk -- a cold and remorseless killer who has risen to the top of the demonic House of Dead Roses without so much as a speck of magic or a drop of infernal blood. Is he just that skilled, or does he have lethal surprises up his sleeve? (Spoiler: it's the second thing.)
Q) Black Tie Required is the middle book of your new Harmony Black trilogy. With things heating up in the Daniel Faust books as well. What can we expect from it vis-a-vis the middle book syndrome?
CS: In this book we'll get a look at the wider battlefield Harmony and her team are fighting on, and the growing consequences at stake. The events of the Wisdom's Grave trilogy (and the downfall of Talon Worldwide, a company secretly working on interdimensional portal technology) has left dangerous occult tech in the wild, and governments (and terrorist cells) all over the world are starting to take notice.
CS: Black Tie Required continues the theme and feel of the last book, sending the heroines on a mission to a glamorous resort where danger lurks around every corner. A hitman is on the prowl, and they have to identify his target before he makes his move; of course, nothing is ever that simple. Expect guns, gadgets, magic-fueled covert operations, and cocktails by the swimming pool.
Q) The golden Basilisk/Dragon promises to be a major plot point for this story. Would this be a literal or figurative theme or will we have to RAFO?
CS: Figurative...maybe? This time out, Harmony and Jessie are squaring off against an international assassin known as the Basilisk -- a cold and remorseless killer who has risen to the top of the demonic House of Dead Roses without so much as a speck of magic or a drop of infernal blood. Is he just that skilled, or does he have lethal surprises up his sleeve? (Spoiler: it's the second thing.)
Q) Black Tie Required is the middle book of your new Harmony Black trilogy. With things heating up in the Daniel Faust books as well. What can we expect from it vis-a-vis the middle book syndrome?
CS: In this book we'll get a look at the wider battlefield Harmony and her team are fighting on, and the growing consequences at stake. The events of the Wisdom's Grave trilogy (and the downfall of Talon Worldwide, a company secretly working on interdimensional portal technology) has left dangerous occult tech in the wild, and governments (and terrorist cells) all over the world are starting to take notice.
Q) Next up for you is The Insider in July & should we expect another self-published release before this crazy year is over?
CS: Yes; Thomas & Mercer Publishing are releasing The Insider in all formats (ebook, paperback and audio) on the 7th of July. And I'm pleased to say that the manuscript for the sequel to Ghosts of Gotham has been delivered to my editor, and we fully intend to have it out for Halloween. I'm currently elbows-deep on the new Daniel Faust novel -- no ETA on that yet but I'm working hard on it.
Q) Thank you again Craig & I can’t wait to read Black Tie Required. Besides thrilling action sequences, snappy dialogue &further reveals about the world. What would be one thing readers can look forward to when it’s released?
CS: The unknown fate of Daniel Faust's beloved Hemicuda (impounded when he was sent to prison in The Killing Floor Blues, and only seen once after that when Harmony and Jessie took it for a joyride) has been a running joke in my books for some time now. I can promise that by the end of Black Tie Required, you will know exactly what happened to it and where it went.
Will Daniel ever get it back? Well, that's a trickier question, but he's dealing with bigger problems right now. Also, for Wisdom's Grave fans, while she doesn't make an appearance personally, you'll find out what Marie Reinhart is up to at this very moment. It's a very Marie thing.
CS: Yes; Thomas & Mercer Publishing are releasing The Insider in all formats (ebook, paperback and audio) on the 7th of July. And I'm pleased to say that the manuscript for the sequel to Ghosts of Gotham has been delivered to my editor, and we fully intend to have it out for Halloween. I'm currently elbows-deep on the new Daniel Faust novel -- no ETA on that yet but I'm working hard on it.
Q) Thank you again Craig & I can’t wait to read Black Tie Required. Besides thrilling action sequences, snappy dialogue &further reveals about the world. What would be one thing readers can look forward to when it’s released?
CS: The unknown fate of Daniel Faust's beloved Hemicuda (impounded when he was sent to prison in The Killing Floor Blues, and only seen once after that when Harmony and Jessie took it for a joyride) has been a running joke in my books for some time now. I can promise that by the end of Black Tie Required, you will know exactly what happened to it and where it went.
Will Daniel ever get it back? Well, that's a trickier question, but he's dealing with bigger problems right now. Also, for Wisdom's Grave fans, while she doesn't make an appearance personally, you'll find out what Marie Reinhart is up to at this very moment. It's a very Marie thing.
*---------------*---------------*---------------*
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: Las Vegas, Nevada. For some, a neon-drenched playground. For Harmony Black, a graveyard of bad memories. But when your job is protecting humanity from the horrors of the occult underworld, you go where the mission sends you.
The annual TechTopia conference draws Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, big thinkers, startup investors — and the Basilisk, a former German Military Intelligence officer turned freelance assassin. He’s in town to make a killing, and his target could be any of a thousand potential victims. To protect their source of information, direct action is off the table: Harmony and her team have to identify the target and stage a rescue without the Basilisk — or his mistress, the sadistic demoness Nadine — ever learning that they were involved.
Stranger things are brewing under the neon and glitz. The elite of the criminal underworld are flocking to the city like flies to a rotting corpse, rumors of a secret auction are swirling, and the assassin’s target has ties to Talon Worldwide — a corporation with a foothold on two parallel Earths. Soon enough, Harmony discovers there’s far more at stake than a single life. The consequences of this mission aren’t just global: they’re interdimensional.
The annual TechTopia conference draws Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, big thinkers, startup investors — and the Basilisk, a former German Military Intelligence officer turned freelance assassin. He’s in town to make a killing, and his target could be any of a thousand potential victims. To protect their source of information, direct action is off the table: Harmony and her team have to identify the target and stage a rescue without the Basilisk — or his mistress, the sadistic demoness Nadine — ever learning that they were involved.
Stranger things are brewing under the neon and glitz. The elite of the criminal underworld are flocking to the city like flies to a rotting corpse, rumors of a secret auction are swirling, and the assassin’s target has ties to Talon Worldwide — a corporation with a foothold on two parallel Earths. Soon enough, Harmony discovers there’s far more at stake than a single life. The consequences of this mission aren’t just global: they’re interdimensional.
The FBC Social Distancing giveaway ended last week and here’s the list of winners who 5 titles each as well as the grand winner who won 10 titles.
All the books have been ordered from Powell’s and some have shipped already. We hope the winners enjoy them and if possible try to leave reviews on Amazon/Goodreads as a small thank you for the authors.
Winners
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Titles
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Annie C.
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Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
The Legend Of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron
An Alchemy Of Masques And Mirrors by Curtis Craddock
Empire Of Sand by Tasha Suri
Ship Of Smoke And Steel by Django Wexler
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Ashima S.
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Last Song Before Night by Ilana C. Myer
The Queen Of Swords by R. S. Belcher
Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft
The Unlikely Escape Of Uriah Heep by H. G. Parry
The Gurkha And The Lord Of Tuesday by Saad Z. Hossain
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Cheryl H.
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Spellsinger by Sebastien De Castell
The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
The Golem And The Jinni by Helene Wecker
Heaven’s Needle by Liane Merciel
A Natural History Of Dragons by Marie Brennan
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Emily L.
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The God King’s Legacy by Richard Nell
The Sword Of Kaigen by M. L. Wang
Merkabah Rider: Have Glyphs Will Travel by Edward Erdelac
Chasing Graves by Ben Galley
The Library Of The Unwritten by A. J. Hackwith
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Kelly M.
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The Lord Of Stariel by A. J. Lancaster
The Company Of Birds by Nerine Dorman
Chains Of Blood by M. L. Spencer
Shoggoths In Bloom & Other Stories by Elizabeth Bear
Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
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Kim S.
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The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan
The Crimson Queen by Alec Hutson
Jade City by Fonda Lee
Daughter Of The Sword by Steve Bein
The Bear And The Nightingale by Katherine Arden
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Marie C.
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Ghosts Of Gotham by Craig Schaefer
Paternus: Rise Of Gods by Dyrk Ashton
In Shadows We Fall by Devin Madson
Rumble In Woodhollow by Jonathan Pembroke
Of Honey And Wildfires by Sarah Chorn
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Max P.
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Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
The Nine by Tracy Townsend
Rage Of Dragons by Evan Winter
The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro by K. S. Villoso
The Cloud Road by Martha Wells
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Ollie B.
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Devil’s Call by J. Danielle Dorn
Priest Of Bones by Peter McLean
The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French
Endsville by Clay Sanger
Ashes Of Onyx by Seth Skorkowsky
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Rusty M.
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The Lord Of Snow And Shadows by Sarah Ash
The Bone Ships by R. J. Barker
Dance Of Cloaks by David Dalglish
The Immortal Prince by Jennifer Fallon
The City Of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams
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Grand
Winner
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Titles
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Sofia C.
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Circe by Madeline Miller
Theft Of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
Where Oblivion Lives by Teresa Frohock
City Of Stairs by Rob J. Bennett
Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines
Seawitch by Kat Richardson
Skullsworn by Brian Stavely
Never Die by Rob J. Hayes
The Shadow Of What Was Lost by James Islington
The Folding Knife by K. J. Parker
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Official Author Website
Order Black Stone Heart over HERE (USA) & HERE (UK)
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Smoke and Stone
Raed our interview with Michael R. Fletcher
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