1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
An old foe is apparently back from the dead, trying to complete the ritual that had been stopped once before—though something is different this time.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
In my opinion, urban fantasy series are strongest when centralized around a particular and notable location. Since the Unorthodox Chronicles is a story largely about witches, I chose Boston. It is a city with a rich history and is near Salem, a place often associated with witchcraft.
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
In short intervals, probably. Perhaps he would be better company when he’s a bit more mature.
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Underdog. Clever. Uncertain.
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
When in doubt, just keep trudging to the ending. Don’t double-back until you’ve got the last chapter written.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit as I draft, but often I do so to procrastinate writing a difficult scene or when figuring out how to overcome a plot-hole. I’d likely be better off finishing the book and only then letting myself go back and make changes.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Chocolate chip cookie dough.
9–Describe your writing space/office!
I write wherever I find myself, but largely because a long history of cramped apartment living has not allowed for enough space for an office.
10–Who is an author you admire?
Beyond the obvious, I’d be set back several years in my progression as a writer without the numerous resources Brandon Sanderson has released for aspiring authors.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
None more than the ones I’ve written.
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
It wasn’t a particularly dramatic moment. Just a phone call, a few days of shock, and about a year of waiting for the release before I felt fairly certain it wasn’t a prank.
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
I enjoy unrepentant fantasy where exaggeration is the norm.
14–What’s your favorite movie?
A movie that gets better every time I watch it is Hot Fuzz. I’m repeatedly impressed by their dedication and attention to detail.
15–What is your favorite season?
Autumn, but I’m biased. Both my usual book release date and birthday are in October.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Quietly with a handful of good friends, food, and games.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Both Ted Lasso and The Good Place. If you haven’t watched both, you should fix that.
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
If I had to eat myself into a coma, it’d be with sushi.
19–What do you do when you have free time?
A wide variety of intense nerdery, including but not limited to: video games, larping, painting, 3d modelling, TCGs, wargames, and many other means of avoiding being an adult for a short while.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
I’m currently engaged in pitched combat with the third book of the Unorthodox Chronicles. Should I triumph, it is most likely to release at roughly the same time next year.
LONG PAST DUES by James J. Butcher
Unorthodox Chronicles
Grimsby, the newest Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs, finds himself in hot water when he intercepts a friend’s case in this fast-paced and thrilling urban fantasy.
Against all odds, Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby has become an Auditor, enforcing laws about magic for Boston’s Department of Unorthodox Affairs. But Grimsby soon realizes the daily grind of his job is far removed from the glamour he imagined. Overlooked for every exciting case, Grimsby tires of being told to handle mundane magical troubles, and appropriates a case file intended for a friend.
Alongside Leslie Mayflower, the temporarily unretired Huntsman, Grimsby aims to crack the case and discover the origin of a strange, unfinished ritual—one that seems to imitate the handiwork of a foe Mayflower put down twenty years ago.
Together, they’ll have to deal with escaped werewolves, a cursed artifact, and a perilous journey to the mysterious subterranean city below Boston, all to uncover the shocking truth. At any cost, Grimsby must stop this ritual from finally being completed. Yet the cost may be paid not by himself but by his friends.
Fantasy [Ace, On Sale: October 10, 2023, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593440438 / eISBN: 9780593440445]
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About James J. Butcher
JAMES J. BUTCHER spends most of his time in places that don’t exist, some of which he even made himself. What little time he has left is usually spent writing or exercising. He is the son of #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher, who introduced him to books, movies, and games. James lives in Denver and is working on his next novel.
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