QW Publishers

GRAYSON, GA – A new novel by a Georgia author blends local history with Appalachian folklore to create “a top-notch, thoroughly American fantasy” (Publishers Weekly starred review).

Auraria: A Novel by Tim Westover, published on July 10^th, 2012, draws on the real ghost town of Auraria, GA, near Dahlonega. Auraria was a boom town during the Georgia Gold Rush, once home to thousands. The novel visits Auraria in its twilight in the late 19^th century, as land developers try to change the town’s chief interest from gold mines to luxury health resorts.

“North Georgia has been a commercial and tourist destination for two hundred years,” said Westover. “The complex relationship between locals, developers, and visitors that we see today has a long history.”

Auraria: A Novel is rich with characters from Southern Appalachian folklore, including water spirits, moon maidens, haunted pianos, headless revenants, and an invincible giant terrapin. These fantastical figures are at home with Auraria and its locals, but they don’t mix with the newcomers.

“I don’t personally believe in ghosts and spirits, but I find them fascinating,” said Westover. “They raise interesting questions. What is ordinary and what is magical to someone who lives in a world of spirits, ghosts, and folk beliefs? And how would outsides react to this world? And how does the pursuit of profit change what we’re willing to believe?”

Westover, a graduate of the University of Georgia, has previously published a collection of award-winning short stories in the International Language Esperanto. For Auraria, he made dozens of research trips into the North Georgia mountains, read travelogues and advertisements from the 19^th century, and taught himself folk songs on the banjo.

Auraria: A Novel is available from major and independent bookstores and distributors with a list price of $17.95, ISBN 978-0-9849748-0-1. Auraria is published by QW Publishers, LLC. Find out more at http://www.qwpublishers.com or on the author’s website at http://www.timwestover.com/.

Starred Review in Publishers Weekly for Auraria

admin — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:24:56 +0000

We’re very pleased to announce that Auraria received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. “Fact and fancy are intertwined cleverly and seamlessly in a top-notch, thoroughly American fantasy.” That about sums it up! You can read the whole review here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-9849748-0-1.

Cover Reveal for Auraria

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:09:36 +0000

Here’s the cover image for Auraria, coming July 10, 2012.

Digital ARCs now available for Auraria

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:59:14 +0000

QW Publishers is now providing digital advance review copies (ARCs) of Auraria: A Novel, which will be published 7/10/2012. ARCs are now available in PDF, ePub, and Kindle-compatible formats: whatever makes you happy.

Request your digital review copy by sending an e-mail to: arc@qwpublishers.com

From the back cover:

Water spirits, moon maidens, haunted pianos, headless revenants, and an invincible terrapin that lives under the mountains. None of these distract James Holtzclaw from his employer’s mission: to turn the fading gold-rush town of Auraria, GA, into a first-class resort and drown its fortunes below a man-made lake. But when Auraria’s peculiar people and problematic ghosts collide with his own rival ambitions, Holtzclaw must decide what he will save and what will be washed away.

Taking its inspiration from a real Georgia ghost town, Auraria is steeped in the folklore of the Southern Appalachians, where the tensions of natural, supernatural and artificial are still alive.

Now Accepting Submissions for Anthology

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:30:45 +0000

QW Publishers is accepting submissions for our upcoming anthology of speculative Southern fiction and non-fiction. Submissions will be accepted until March 1st, 2012. Inclusion decisions will be made by April 1st, 2012.