Market First Publishing sets September 2026 release for 'Are You a Patriot?'

Market First Publishing will release 'Are You a Patriot?' on Sept. 15, 2026, launching the debut thriller from Donald Thompson and Bob Batchelor as the first book in the Xander Hale series. The novel arrives as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary and centers on a Black corporate titan forced to defend a country that has never fully accepted him.

Why it matters: - Market First Publishing is using the novel to launch its fiction imprint with a high-profile political thriller. - The book taps a timely national question about patriotism as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary. - The story centers on a Black business leader, broadening the lane for thrillers built around race, power and civic duty.

What happened: - Market First Publishing announced that 'Are You a Patriot?' will publish Sept. 15, 2026. - Donald Thompson and Bob Batchelor co-wrote the debut thriller. - The book is the first installment in the Xander Hale series. - The cover debuts today.

The details: - Xander Hale is described as a self-made man who built an empire by exposing truths powerful people wanted buried. - The plot places Xander inside a crisis that forces him to defend a system that has spent his life trying to contain him. - The story presents a stark choice: refuse and the country burns; agree and he risks someone he loves. - Market First Publishing said the novel combines fast-paced thriller elements with cultural substance. - The book's cover was designed by artist Brad Norr. - The 'Are You a Patriot?' Facebook Group has more than 21,000 members. - More information is available at the project website, and readers can also join the AYAP Street Team there. - The book's website is listed as www.areyouapatriot.com.

Between the lines: - The release is positioned as more than a genre launch; the pitch frames the book as a response to current tensions over identity, loyalty and power. - Thompson and Batchelor are leaning on their own credentials to signal credibility across business, history and popular fiction. - Market First Publishing is signaling that it wants to compete on audience-building as much as on editorial output.

What's next: - The publisher will build toward the Sept. 15, 2026 on-sale date. - The Xander Hale series will begin with this first book. - The online community and street team suggest an ongoing promotion push ahead of publication.

The bottom line: - Market First Publishing is betting that a politically charged, character-driven thriller can turn a broad civic question into a commercial fiction launch.