Brian Kindall's Blog
April 15, 2022
SPARROW success!
SPARROW has won a Global Book Award Gold Medal in children's fiction!
January 31, 2022
New Release: SPARROW, middle-grade fiction novel
I have a new middle-grade fiction novel coming out tomorrow, February 1, 2022! Foreword Clarion rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
A boy. A wish. A secret desire gone horribly wrong.
Timothy Sperling misses his mom and dad terribly. Left behind with his morose uncle while they’re off on an expedition to avert an environmental crisis, the bird-boned boy would give anything to see them again. But when he spies a shooting star, instead of wishing to be reunited with his parents, he falters and asks for snow… only to conjure up a blizzard that won't quit!
As a town that never sees winter is buried in mountains of white, Timothy teams up with a wise explorer to figure out how to stop the relentless frozen flakes. And with all the blame being shoveled on his family, the clever kid’s connection to sparrows may be his one chance to pull the city out of its deep freeze.
Can Timothy undo his fateful wish and bring back the sunshine?
Sparrow is a high-flying middle-grade novel. If you or your child like relatable characters, timeless settings, and high-stakes adventure, then you’ll love Brian Kindall’s feathered flurries.
A boy. A wish. A secret desire gone horribly wrong.
Timothy Sperling misses his mom and dad terribly. Left behind with his morose uncle while they’re off on an expedition to avert an environmental crisis, the bird-boned boy would give anything to see them again. But when he spies a shooting star, instead of wishing to be reunited with his parents, he falters and asks for snow… only to conjure up a blizzard that won't quit!
As a town that never sees winter is buried in mountains of white, Timothy teams up with a wise explorer to figure out how to stop the relentless frozen flakes. And with all the blame being shoveled on his family, the clever kid’s connection to sparrows may be his one chance to pull the city out of its deep freeze.
Can Timothy undo his fateful wish and bring back the sunshine?
Sparrow is a high-flying middle-grade novel. If you or your child like relatable characters, timeless settings, and high-stakes adventure, then you’ll love Brian Kindall’s feathered flurries.
April 16, 2021
New Author Interview with Brian Kindall
Brian Kindall sat down with Scott Semegran (virtually!) of Austin Liti Limits to talk about his new book, Escape from Oblivia, just where Delivering Virtue came from, and his favorite and least favorite word. Go listen!
https://austinlitilimits.com/episodes...
https://austinlitilimits.com/episodes...
February 20, 2021
New release: Escape from Oblivia, One Man's Midlife Crisis Gone Primal
I have a new release, a stand-alone adult fiction novel called ESCAPE FROM OBLIVIA: One Man's Midlife Crisis Gone Primal. The description:
He fantasizes about saving damsels in distress and battling beasts. He’d better be careful what he wishes for…
Will Kirby has hit his mid-life crisis at full speed. Once a rugged outdoorsman, he’s now soft around the middle and trapped in the banality of minivans, suburbia, and his eight-year-old’s dance recitals. But his constant daydreams of heroic adventure suddenly fall within his grasp when an old pulp author’s journals reveal a portal to another world.
Immediately forced to rescue two gorgeous babes from attack by a Japanese Zero, Will lands ashore on an island paradise brimming with adrenaline-pumping action and consequence-free sex. But with danger around every turn and the faint call of his former life tugging at his mind, he wonders if his fantasy has turned into a deranged nightmare.
Can Will discover what it really means to be a man before he’s forever lost to an illusion?
Escape from Oblivia is a hilarious exploration of the male psyche. If you like absurdist fiction, irreverent irony, and satirical stabs at tired tropes, then you’ll love Brian Kindall’s racy romp into freedom.
Read it and let me know what you think!
He fantasizes about saving damsels in distress and battling beasts. He’d better be careful what he wishes for…
Will Kirby has hit his mid-life crisis at full speed. Once a rugged outdoorsman, he’s now soft around the middle and trapped in the banality of minivans, suburbia, and his eight-year-old’s dance recitals. But his constant daydreams of heroic adventure suddenly fall within his grasp when an old pulp author’s journals reveal a portal to another world.
Immediately forced to rescue two gorgeous babes from attack by a Japanese Zero, Will lands ashore on an island paradise brimming with adrenaline-pumping action and consequence-free sex. But with danger around every turn and the faint call of his former life tugging at his mind, he wonders if his fantasy has turned into a deranged nightmare.
Can Will discover what it really means to be a man before he’s forever lost to an illusion?
Escape from Oblivia is a hilarious exploration of the male psyche. If you like absurdist fiction, irreverent irony, and satirical stabs at tired tropes, then you’ll love Brian Kindall’s racy romp into freedom.
Read it and let me know what you think!
May 4, 2019
The Library Police review DELIVERING VIRTUE and FORTUNA AND THE SCAPEGRACE
The Library Police review DELIVERING VIRTUE and FORTUNA AND THE SCAPEGRACE. this week at minute 29:00. Very funny and insightful, and much appreciated (Josh liked them!) Thanks, guys!
https://www.thelibrarypolice.com/epis...
https://www.thelibrarypolice.com/epis...
January 24, 2019
New Release! FORTUNA AND THE SCAPEGRACE
The second book in THE EPIC OF DIDIER RAIN series of adult dark comedy adventures was released January 15th! Didier Rain's quest for love and redemption continues on a clipper ship headed for the South Seas. For a limited time, I am offering a free copy on my website. If you so choose, a review here or at your favorite retailer would be unfathomably appreciated. If you stay on my list you will be offered a free copy of every book I release in the future! https://www.briankindall.com/fortuna-....
May 2, 2018
SIDESHOW - a free ebook download
Meet Didier Rain – that antihero with noble aspirations, that poet with the fickle pen, that eager paramour ever in search of someone to love. In this adventure-laden Sideshow, we glimpse the rogue as he was in those days prior to his now famous exploits in DELIVERING VIRTUE and FORTUNA AND THE SCAPEGRACE (coming this summer). Prepare yourself to be amazed at Rain’s cleverness, daring, and near-to-honorable acts of madcap heroism as he lends a helping hand to a friend. For what self-respecting bard (even when distracted by the promises of a voluptuous one-legged trollop) would deign to allow the mistreatment of a fellow poet, no matter how much a freak of nature that fellow poet might be? This novelette gives us Didier Rain at his finest as a flawed human being. It shows us the man before he became the Chosen One, and maybe even grants us insight into why the gods would eventually pick him for that exalted station so sung in his further novels. So sit back and get to know the man behind the dubious legend.
Prepare yourself to be amused!
Visit the website for your free copy.
https://www.briankindall.com
Prepare yourself to be amused!
Visit the website for your free copy.
https://www.briankindall.com
November 25, 2017
I Am Not Dead
I’m not dead.
I’m not on a long sea voyage, abducted by aliens, working undercover, or mad at you.
I am, however, writing another novel.
Which is why you’ve not heard from me lately.
It takes all my time.
Hopefully that’s reassuring and makes you glad. Hopefully you’re looking forward to me being finished with the dang thing so you can see how much I’ve changed, or buy me lunch. And hopefully, of course, you’re eager to read it. I’m certainly eager to show it to you.
I think it’s a good one. Maybe even the best book ever. A real life changer. It’s one of those struggles between good and evil. Lots of laughs. Lots of heartache. Death. Sex. Wordplay. And magical goats. The ultimate adventure. All wrapped up in an allegorical pâté of religious satire and dark vaudevillian comedy played out on a tropical island. The hero is a ne’er-do-well scalawag. Albeit, with a heart of gold.
Anyway, you’ll just have to wait and see.
It’s almost done.
Getting closer every day.
Until then, just in case you were wondering –
I’m not dead.
I’m not on a long sea voyage, abducted by aliens, working undercover, or mad at you.
I am, however, writing another novel.
Which is why you’ve not heard from me lately.
It takes all my time.
Hopefully that’s reassuring and makes you glad. Hopefully you’re looking forward to me being finished with the dang thing so you can see how much I’ve changed, or buy me lunch. And hopefully, of course, you’re eager to read it. I’m certainly eager to show it to you.
I think it’s a good one. Maybe even the best book ever. A real life changer. It’s one of those struggles between good and evil. Lots of laughs. Lots of heartache. Death. Sex. Wordplay. And magical goats. The ultimate adventure. All wrapped up in an allegorical pâté of religious satire and dark vaudevillian comedy played out on a tropical island. The hero is a ne’er-do-well scalawag. Albeit, with a heart of gold.
Anyway, you’ll just have to wait and see.
It’s almost done.
Getting closer every day.
Until then, just in case you were wondering –
I’m not dead.
March 16, 2016
Foreword Clarion Reviews Weighs-In on Delivering Virtue (Clarion Rating - 5 stars!)
A recent review of DV from Foreword Clarion Reviews:
Delivering Virtue
Reviewed by Nancy Walker
March 15, 2016
"Threads of satire are skillfully woven into this tapestry of humor and pathos, magical realism, and historical fact.
Brian Kindall’s splendid allegorical odyssey, Delivering Virtue, features ne’er-do-well wannabe-poet Didier Rain, chosen to transport the cherubic infant Virtue to her intended groom, Nehi, prophet of a Mormon splinter sect known as the Church of the Restructured Truth.
Set in the American West of 1854, the tale is written in pitch-perfect, florid 19th-century prose: “And so it came to pass…that a baby girl, two geldings, a she-goat, and one so-called Deliverer set off on the long and onerous journey to the City of Rocks.” A tragicomic story, Delivering Virtue employs biting social commentary and stinging critiques of a variety of religious faiths with Chaucerian ribaldry. Threads of satire are skillfully woven into a tapestry of humor and pathos, magical realism, and historical fact, along with swashbuckling adventure, depraved violence, and moments of heartrending tenderness.
Kindall’s characters are deftly drawn. Protagonist Didier Rain is riddled with foibles; he easily succumbs to the pleasures of both demon rum and carnal temptations. But at his core, he is a gentle soul capable of handling whatever danger confronts him, even if he doesn’t know his own cunning. His flawed persona is perfect counterpoint to the angelic Virtue, who grows by surrealistic leaps and bounds while under the care and protection of her rough-and-tumble companion. Throughout their perilous journey, the unlikely duo encounter trials and tribulations grand enough to test the mettle of even Sir Galahad. Always, their steadfast steeds stand ready to serve as collective Sancho Panza to their beloved Don Quixote. Thus, through thick and thin, they persevere—a ragtag band well worth cheering on.
Delivering Virtue turns decidedly darker when the Deliverer repeatedly fails to realize that his bouts of bacchanalia inevitably result in tragedy. His debauchery raises crucial questions: Will Didier Rain’s devilish underbelly ultimately destroy all that is good? Or can “even the lowliest beast…rise to scruples when pressed”?
Brian Kindall is author of two previous books, Blue Sky and Pearl, both coming-of-age fantasies for younger readers. Delivering Virtue is his first—but hopefully not his last—novel for adults. It, too, is a coming-of-age tale, although one wonders just which character—biped or quadruped—eventually ripens into maturity.
Delivering Virtue will appeal to bibliophiles who appreciate allegory, sophisticated satire, and impressive vocabularies, as well as to anyone who identifies with the perennial struggle between good and evil that we all endure in life." – Foreword Clarion Reviews
Delivering Virtue
Reviewed by Nancy Walker
March 15, 2016
"Threads of satire are skillfully woven into this tapestry of humor and pathos, magical realism, and historical fact.
Brian Kindall’s splendid allegorical odyssey, Delivering Virtue, features ne’er-do-well wannabe-poet Didier Rain, chosen to transport the cherubic infant Virtue to her intended groom, Nehi, prophet of a Mormon splinter sect known as the Church of the Restructured Truth.
Set in the American West of 1854, the tale is written in pitch-perfect, florid 19th-century prose: “And so it came to pass…that a baby girl, two geldings, a she-goat, and one so-called Deliverer set off on the long and onerous journey to the City of Rocks.” A tragicomic story, Delivering Virtue employs biting social commentary and stinging critiques of a variety of religious faiths with Chaucerian ribaldry. Threads of satire are skillfully woven into a tapestry of humor and pathos, magical realism, and historical fact, along with swashbuckling adventure, depraved violence, and moments of heartrending tenderness.
Kindall’s characters are deftly drawn. Protagonist Didier Rain is riddled with foibles; he easily succumbs to the pleasures of both demon rum and carnal temptations. But at his core, he is a gentle soul capable of handling whatever danger confronts him, even if he doesn’t know his own cunning. His flawed persona is perfect counterpoint to the angelic Virtue, who grows by surrealistic leaps and bounds while under the care and protection of her rough-and-tumble companion. Throughout their perilous journey, the unlikely duo encounter trials and tribulations grand enough to test the mettle of even Sir Galahad. Always, their steadfast steeds stand ready to serve as collective Sancho Panza to their beloved Don Quixote. Thus, through thick and thin, they persevere—a ragtag band well worth cheering on.
Delivering Virtue turns decidedly darker when the Deliverer repeatedly fails to realize that his bouts of bacchanalia inevitably result in tragedy. His debauchery raises crucial questions: Will Didier Rain’s devilish underbelly ultimately destroy all that is good? Or can “even the lowliest beast…rise to scruples when pressed”?
Brian Kindall is author of two previous books, Blue Sky and Pearl, both coming-of-age fantasies for younger readers. Delivering Virtue is his first—but hopefully not his last—novel for adults. It, too, is a coming-of-age tale, although one wonders just which character—biped or quadruped—eventually ripens into maturity.
Delivering Virtue will appeal to bibliophiles who appreciate allegory, sophisticated satire, and impressive vocabularies, as well as to anyone who identifies with the perennial struggle between good and evil that we all endure in life." – Foreword Clarion Reviews
March 8, 2016
Delivering Virtue chosen as Foreword Reviews' 2015 IndieFab Book of the Year Finalist!
We are pleased to announce that Delivering Virtue, literary fiction novel by Brian Kindall, has been recognized as a finalist in the 18th annual Foreword Reviews' IndieFab Book of the Year Awards. Out of thousands of entries, 19 were chosen as finalists in the literary fiction category. Here is the complete list of finalists:
https://indiefab.forewordreviews.com/...
Each year, Foreword Reviews shines a light on a select group of indie publishers, university presses, and self-published authors whose work stands out from the crowd. In the next three months, a panel of more than 100 volunteer librarians and booksellers will determine the winners in 63 categories based on their experience with readers and patrons.
“The 2015 INDIEFAB finalist selection process is as inspiring as it is rigorous,” said Victoria Sutherland, publisher of Foreword Reviews. “The strength of this list of finalists is further proof that small, independent publishers are taking their rightful place as the new driving force of the entire publishing industry.”
“DELIVERING VIRTUE is a ribald, picaresque tale set in the American West of 1854. Our unlikely hero, Didier Rain, is a charming rogue walking the line between the holy and the profane. Rain’s luck turns good when he’s hired by The Church of the Restructured Truth to deliver a child-bride into the waiting arms of the sect’s prophet, across a frontier fraught with perils. Awarded Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence and Editor’s Choice at Historical Novel Society.” – ISBN 978-0-9909328-6-4, Trade paperback, ebook. $11.99/$3.99. Diving Boy Books, briankindall.com, deliveringvirtue.com.
Foreword Reviews will celebrate the winners during a program at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida in June. They will also name the Editor’s Choice Prize 2015 for Fiction, Nonfiction and Foreword Reviews’ 2015 INDIEFAB Publisher of the Year Award during the presentation.
https://indiefab.forewordreviews.com/...
Each year, Foreword Reviews shines a light on a select group of indie publishers, university presses, and self-published authors whose work stands out from the crowd. In the next three months, a panel of more than 100 volunteer librarians and booksellers will determine the winners in 63 categories based on their experience with readers and patrons.
“The 2015 INDIEFAB finalist selection process is as inspiring as it is rigorous,” said Victoria Sutherland, publisher of Foreword Reviews. “The strength of this list of finalists is further proof that small, independent publishers are taking their rightful place as the new driving force of the entire publishing industry.”
“DELIVERING VIRTUE is a ribald, picaresque tale set in the American West of 1854. Our unlikely hero, Didier Rain, is a charming rogue walking the line between the holy and the profane. Rain’s luck turns good when he’s hired by The Church of the Restructured Truth to deliver a child-bride into the waiting arms of the sect’s prophet, across a frontier fraught with perils. Awarded Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence and Editor’s Choice at Historical Novel Society.” – ISBN 978-0-9909328-6-4, Trade paperback, ebook. $11.99/$3.99. Diving Boy Books, briankindall.com, deliveringvirtue.com.
Foreword Reviews will celebrate the winners during a program at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida in June. They will also name the Editor’s Choice Prize 2015 for Fiction, Nonfiction and Foreword Reviews’ 2015 INDIEFAB Publisher of the Year Award during the presentation.
