I’ll be at Ravencon this Saturday and Sunday. My schedule is:
Sat 1PM. Reading from AMERICAN CRAFTSMEN
Sat. 4PM. Signing (please don’t expect novel yet)
Sat. 6PM. Spy Themes (on “spy-fi”) (moderator)
Sat. 10PM History of Ghosts
Sun. 10AM Homage in SF Literature
Sun. 11AM To Be or Not To Be Anachronistic (moderator)

Fiction author Robert Scott (http://www.robscottbooks.com/) has written a brief essay that’s not only a very generous review, but that also conveniently name checks some of the material I used for the backstory:

“American Craftsmen” by Tom Doyle

Robert Scott

Tom Doyle is smarter than I am. It’s not even close. He’s easily got me by two or three touchdowns. I don’t mind, however, because reading through Tom’s debut novel, “American Craftsmen,” I had the great pleasure of mining for dozens of deftly-masked references to American literary history. And while one doesn’t have to be abundantly familiar with the works of Edgar Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne to enjoy Doyle’s rollercoaster amalgam of dark fantasy and black-ops, reviewing that high school literature notebook we all have stashed in our basement will help readers appreciate Doyle’s innovative storytelling.

For starters, I’d recommend re-reading Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death” and “The Fall of the House of Usher,” along with Hawthorne’s “The House of the Seven Gables” and “Endicott and the Red Cross.” While you’re at it, check out Poe’s “Ligeia,” and maybe a handful of Romantic poems from Longfellow or Holmes, just to establish a foundation for Doyle’s groovy references to the great (for us geeks anyway) literary rift that emerged between the Romantic scribblers, “Frogpondian” Transcendentalists and the Dark Romantics, like Hawthorne and Poe, whose personal and family struggles led to the body of literature Doyle references in “American Craftsmen.”

Okay, you don’t have to re-read all of them. Google a couple; then get back to Doyle’s book. You’ll be glad you did.

Sprinkled generously throughout the breakneck swash & buckle, Doyle leaves bread crumbs to guide insightful readers through the early 1800s. They’re everywhere: Poe’s crack in the Usher house, the claustrophobia of Madeline’s crypt, Prince Prospero’s uninvited guest, Ligeia’s curious emaciated beauty, even the W an embarrassed Hawthorne adopted to distance himself from his Salem legacy.

Doyle could have offered up “American Craftsmen” without these historic and literary bread crumbs, and the story would still have been a wild ride from Rhode Island to Appalachia to the hidden sub-basements of the Pentagon. Rife with zombies, witchcraft, and precision incursions into hostile LZs, “American Craftsmen” doesn’t disappoint readers hoping for an engaging adventure. With the references, however, Doyle’s debut comes into focus as something genuinely innovative. I’ve read it twice and need to have another go just to feel as if I’ve picked up all the sly, surgical references that make “Craftsmen” more than just a dark urban fantasy. Tom Doyle’s captured one of the most interesting rifts in American literary history, and he’s done it in a compelling style that will appeal to history buffs and fantasy junkies alike. I’m anxiously awaiting volume II.

This is particularly for my non-writer friends (who might not already know the stuff below): it’s now just four weeks until my first novel, American Craftsmen, comes out. While I encourage every interested and able person to pre-order the book for yourself or others, friends can support my work in lots of ways besides purchasing it, and I’d greatly appreciate any such support. Here’s a far from complete list to stimulate your own thinking:
1. Have your library get the book. Libraries buy lots of books, so if you’d like to borrow American Craftsmen from your local library, be sure to let them know.
2. Tell your friends about the book. Tell them on FB and other social media, and tell them in person. In particular, be sure that all your SF/F fan friends know about it. Or just share what I post about it.
3. Post accurate reviews on book-related sites. Note that I’m not saying to post only good reviews, as any accurate review is helpful. Some sites will direct more user attention to items with more reviews, particular items that pass certain threshold numbers.
4. Over the next month, check out the blogs and other sites that will be interviewing me, posting excerpts, or giving away books, and leave a comment so they know you were there. This network of for-the-love online support from bloggers and others is crucial for any author.
5. Suggest the novel for your book group, if your group is genre-friendly. I’d be happy to answer any group questions, etc.
6. Follow/friend/like me on social media. I have a general FB page, an FB author page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-Doyle-Author-Page/368308889951293?ref=hl and I’m also on Twitter, Google+, etc.
I think this gives you some idea of the sorts of things you can do to help, and I’ll always try to show my appreciation for any and all of them.
Finally, an apology in advance: for the next month or so, I’m going to be a bit pushier than I’ve ever been before or will ever be again, because a first novel is uniquely critical. Please have patience with me; we’ll return to our regular programming soon.

Here a link to the first chapter of my new novel, American Craftsmen! http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/04/american-craftsmen-excerpt-tom-doyle

Some very kind words from reviewer Ernest Lilley: “Reading American Craftsmen, Tom Doyle ‘s debut novel (out in May) about occult operatives, known as “Craftsmen.” Out from Tor Books as the first part of a three book deal, it’s very, very good. I wished they’d toned down the Baen-ishness of the cover, which will no doubt put some folks off, because this fantasy/government conspiracy thriller has a lot of interesting stuff about the powerful occult families woven through history. Starting in the middle east in a classic op gone horribly wrong, it mines a number of spiritual, historical, literary, and political veins to create a very interesting thriller. SF of Fantasy? As the main character’s grandfather (deceased, but loquacious nonetheless) says, “Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.” If you liked Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Charles Stross’ Laundry series, or are a 24/Jack Bauer fan, you should definitely read American Craftsmen.””