JAMES SWALLOW

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Marc Dane

MARC DANE series update

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One of the most popular draws on this site continues to be my Marc Dane action thrillers, and recently I’ve had some emails from readers asking about my plans for the series – so I wanted to post up this quick update to let everyone know where we are with the Rubicon team and their exploits!

As I write this, we’re gearing up for a whole slew of Marc Dane releases through into the second half of 2021…

First up will be the US mass-market paperback edition of GHOST (book #3 in the series) from Forge Books, which will be on sale from June 29th. That’ll be quickly followed a couple of weeks later with the UK paperback edition of the most recent Marc Dane novel ROGUE, available from Bonnier Books on July 8th. Then we’re back in a month with Forge once again on August 8th, with the North American hardcover, eBook and audiobook release of SHADOW (book #4 in the series). In addition, I’ve just learned that SHADOW should be out in a new Czech language edition from Euromedia later this year, exact date to be confirmed!

But the question I’m hearing the most is “When will the next Marc Dane novel be out?”

Of course, the COVID-19 situation and lockdown has put a drag on a lot of the book publishing industry, but our plans are still on track and we always planned to shift the release schedule at little for the next novel.

We’re playing our cards close to our chest with right now, but I can promise there will be a title reveal and a cover reveal in the coming months, and my plans with Bonner Books are to release the hardcover, eBook, audiobook and export edition of Marc Dane #6 later in 2021 – so please stay tuned!

And don’t forget, if you haven’t already checked it out, the free Marc Dane novella ROUGH AIR is available for download from this site!

January Podcast Round-Up

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I’ve been appearing on a lot of podcasts over the last few weeks, to talk about my writing – most notably my most recent Star Trek novel The Dark Veil – so here’s a round-up of where you can listen…

BAD WILF – I talk on Martyn’s Doctor Who-themed podcast…

INFINITE DIVERSITY – Brandon, Chrissie, and Justin talk with me about Star Trek: Picard: The Dark Veil.

GUY’S GUY RADIO – Robert Manni interviews me about my Marc Dane thrillers…

LITERARY TREKS – I take a deep dive into the narrative of The Dark Veil with Matthew Rushing and C Bryan Jones.

SHIP-TALKING – I join fan writer Jack Curtis on a starship-specific voyage through writing for Star Trek.

A STRANGE NEW POD – Here me and Star Trek: Discovery actor Noah Averbach-Katz talk Trek.

POSITIVELY TREK – hosts Bruce and Dan talk to me about The Dark Veil.

MAKE IT SO – Luke Winch interviews me for this Star Trek: Picard podcast.

TREKKIES GUIDE TO THE GALAXY – I join James, Richard, Dan and Carl for a great informal zoom chat about all things Star Trek.

Year-End Podcast Round-Up

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Over the last couple of months I’ve been doing a fair bit of talking on various podcasts, and as December and 2020 rolls toward it’s end, I’ve put together this quick round-up post in case you might have missed any of them…

At the end of October, I chatted with Frank Zafiro on Wrong Place, Write Crime about my work as a tie-in writer and my Marc Dane thrillers, and you can check that out Here…

I discussed Star Trek Discovery with Brandon Shea-Mutala, Chrissie De Clerck-Szilagyi and Justin Oser on Infinite Diversity (listen Here)…

And just this weekend I got together with Daniel Reyes and Chad Waldo on Trek Cast to share a conversation about Star Trek , James Bond, the Stargate and Star Wars sagas, and more (watch Here)…

I’ve got a lot more podcasts lined up for 2021, so keep an eye on my Twitter feed for more details in the new year!

GHOST in America

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Next week, Forge Books are releasing the US edition of Ghost, the third novel in my bestselling Marc Dane thriller series in hardcover, audiobook and eBook across North America…

In this book, I tackle themes of digital warfare impacting the real world, as ex-MI6 officer and hacker-turned-hero Marc Dane and the Rubicon team deal with deception and danger. I’m really looking forward to introducing this story to the US readership, and I hope they’ll find it compelling…

Writing Ghost was a challenging experience; who knew that creating a modern-day thriller in a time when actual real-world events seem to be outstripping fiction would be so tough?

Ghost will be on sale in the USA from Tuesday 10th November at all good bookstores, or directly via Forge at this Link.

A BRUTAL ASSASSINATION IN A SILENT CITY.

A DEVASTATING BETRAYAL AT THE HEART OF A COVERT STRIKE FORCE.

A DEADLY PURSUIT ACROSS A DIGITAL BATTLEFIELD.

A RUTHLESS TERRORIST FUELLED BY REVENGE.

When a shattering betrayal strikes at the heart of the Rubicon team, Marc Dane and his partner – ex-Special Forces sniper Lucy Keyes – must uncover the plot of a deadly cadre of digital terrorists.

These ‘ghosts’ plan to use their terrible virtual weapons against vulnerable civilian targets; but is this elite team of hackers merely out to spread chaos and destruction, selling their skills to the highest bidder? Or is there a deeper, more personal agenda at work?

As devastating attacks unfold across the globe – power grids crippled, cities blacked out, trains crashed and riots triggered – Marc must call on all his skills and ingenuity to track down the mysterious figure behind it all – a faceless criminal known only as “Madrigal”…

Before they plunge the world into war…

Marc Dane returns in the explosive new dark web cyber thriller from the internationally bestselling author of NOMAD and EXILE…

Nomad US paperback edition

The previous books in the series are also available from Forge in mass-market paperback editions – click on the covers at the left for the links!

You can see more of my Marc Dane fiction by clicking Here.

Check out Rough Air, a free-to-download Marc Dane serial novella at this Link.

To keep up to date on the Marc Dane series, enter your email in the panel on the bottom right of this page to join the Reader’s Club mailing list.

The ROGUE soundtrack

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The latest novel in my Marc Dane action-thriller series came out last month, and the reception has been great! As always, many thanks to everyone who pre-ordered or picked up a copy of Rogue, you’re lovely people…

As with the previous books in the Marc Dane series, I always put together a playlist of songs that gave me inspiration for characters, themes and scenes, and you can see them below – it’s an eclectic mix and I hope you enjoy it!

You can also check out the full Rogue playlist over on my YouTube channel here, along with playlists for the previous novels Nomad, Exile, Ghost and Shadow.

Back when I wrote Nomad, I said this: “writing a book isn’t just the writing of the book; there’s also the time spent wrangling ideas or thinking stuff up. I find pacing out the kilometers on the runner at the gym is a great place for this, usually with a loud and driving playlist in my earbuds to propel me along.”

Here’s the tunes that helped inspire Rogue…

Track 1 – “ROGUE Anthem” – Collide – Kalax

Track 2 – “Echo One”- Drama Free – Deadmau5 (feat. Lights)

Track 3 – “Capture / Tracking Grace” – Superstring – Code Elektro

Track 4 – “Nicosia Mission” – 1stp Klosr – Linkin Park, Humble Brothers, Jonathan Davis

https://youtu.be/ZdZQFSAmzAY

Track 5 – “Hostile Takeover” – Rubicon – Journey

Track 6 – “Escape From Monaco” – Never Gonna Come Back Down – BT (featuring M.Doughty)

Track 7 – “Crash Landing” – Shadow on the Sun – Audioslave

Track 8 – “Aftermath” – Bury Me Face Down – Grandson

Track 9 – “Outro” – Learn to Fly – Foo Fighters

Track 10 – “ROGUE End Credits” – A Million On My Soul – Alexiane

ROGUE – One Week Later…

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It’s been a week since my new Marc Dane novel ROGUE was released, and the reception has been great! My sincere thanks to everyone who has bought the book, and for all the terrific reviews!

Here’s a few choice money-quotes about Rogue:

“A Bond film in print form… This is a non-stop thrill ride.” – Jeremy Duns, The Times

“This is the sort of thriller that grabs hold of its audience on page one and then drags them to hell and back… Swallow has a gift for creating mayhem that is dramatic and believable at the same time, no mean feat.” – Adam Colclough, Shots Magazine

“A technothriller to be devoured as swiftly as possible.” – Michael Flett, Geek Chocolate

“A high octane thriller, it’s perfect escapism… Swallow proves that it is possible to write a full on action/adventure novel that thrills and is alive to modern sensibilities.” – Paul Burke, NB Magazine

“Remarkably timely, as Swallow consistently manages to hang these stories on themes which feel relevant and contemporary… Another tremendously enjoyable story.” – Michael Dodd, Track of Words

“Rogue is a thrill-a-minute race against time to find a rogue agent, and comes full of bone-crunching drama, brilliant plotting, and superbly drawn characters.” – Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Evening Post

“(A) relentlessly-paced action thriller.” – Weekend Sport

“Jason Bourne on speed!“; “Airport spy thrillers of the highest possible quality…”; “The story is action packed and moves across the world at break neck speed…” – Goodreads reviews

I’ve also written a couple of features and appeared on some podcasts to promote the new book, and you can check them out at the links below:

I talk to Dan Simpson at Writer’s Routine about the nuts and bolts of my daily work as a writer…

Kelton Reid at The Writer Files interviews me about how I write and the process I use to create the Marc Dane novels…

Here’s my “Five Tips For Writing Thrillers” at Crime Thiller Hound…

SciFi Bulletin interview about Rogue and more…

And here’s a Q & A I did with Miriam Storey at Suffolk Libraries…

ROGUE is available in hardcover, export edition trade paperback, digital eBook and audiobook editions – click on this link to order from Amazon.