Steampunk Blog Hop giveaway

Those little linkies on the right are other members of the steampunk blog hop. Please click to discover amazing prizes!

And enter the Fresh Pot of Tea / Crown Phoenix giveaway right here:


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Including a steampunk book locket necklace:

And a copy of The South Sea Bubble (or any Crown Phoenix title you choose:)

PLUS the entire ebook series for one lucky winner. Enter now and return to tweet about the giveaway each day!

The South Sea Bubble

The fourth and final book in the Crown Phoenix series is now available on Kindle. Many thanks to the readers who have followed Miriam, Simon, Lizzie, and Mana thus far!

It was very difficult to say goodbye to these little people. I do hope you enjoy this last volume.

Cover Reveal : The South Sea Bubble

For the last volume of the Crown Phoenix series, Lisa Daly was kind enough to design another cover for me. The book is The South Sea Bubble, and here is the blurb:

An Edwardian hospital hides many secrets:

A mysterious patient lurks in the cellar...

A secret passage leads to danger...

Coded messages reveal new riddles...

Visions of danger haunt the people of Grimstead Manor…

Lizzie and Miriam find horror, adventure, and romance surrounding the strange vessel known as The South Sea Bubble.

“Compulsive reading!”

“Addictive steampunk.”

And here is an excerpt:

“Oh, stop the dramatics,” Simon groaned. “What on earth are you talking about? Of course I’m not leaving until we sort all of this out and you tell me what - is - going - on!” His voice rose in volume on each successive word.

Miriam looked at him. Her eyes were dark and very direct. “No, Simon.” Her lower lip trembled, but she took a deep breath and seemed to recover. “I will not.”

“Oh, is that so?” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “And I suppose you think I’m just going to waltz off and forget all about you, Lampala, and last summer.” He raised one finger and stabbed the air in her direction. “I’m not going to, my girl, and don’t you forget it. I will not give up on you, although apparently you have given up on me.”

Finally, here is the lovely cover, courtesy of my friend and constant artist, Lisa:

The Awakening: Movie Review

This weekend I watched The Awakening, a movie that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It's a good, old-fashioned ghost story set after WWI, a time period close enough to my own beloved Edwardian era to suck me right in.

There were several reasons for liking this film:

One of Florence's "ghost catcher" objects

1. Steampunk objects - The main character, Florence Cathcart, has made it her lifework to expose hauntings and mediums as hoaxes, and to do this she has a huge array of machinery and devices that fulfilled my steampunk soul. She arrives at a boarding school, after being summoned there by a teacher, Robert Malory, and sets up her trip cameras, ghost catchers, bells, and other cool stuff. I loved the scene where Florence, who smokes and wears trousers, screws together her inventions in order to expose the "ghost" as a charlatan.

2. Florence herself - She's played by Rebecca Hall, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses (she was also in The Town with Ben Affleck.) Although she appears to be a strong, emancipated woman at first, it becomes apparent that she has issues of her own.

3. Robert Mallory - The teacher, played by Dominic West, who asks Florence to come to the school is a veteran of the trenches from WWI. Their tortured relationship is really well-done, and he is a perfect choice for the role. 

4. The hauntings - Holy spooky! What Florence sees in the dolls house is pretty trippy. Also, much of the action takes place in the day and thus doesn't rely on the tired "creeping around at midnight in an old house" formula. There are some shocks that made me jump, and the ghost itself is perfect. Plus, rabbit doll, anyone? Shudder!

5. The photography - Just jumpy enough to be modern but not enough to make me puke. 

6. Imelda Staunton - I'll watch anything with Ms Staunton in it, and she doesn't disappoint as the Matron of the boys' school under investigation.

Always fantastic.

What's not to like:

The ending. It's unbelievable enough as it is, and the action is rushed to hurry through a certain plot point that I just couldn't believe.

Despite that, I would recommend the film for anyone who likes a bit of a scare without full-blown gore. I'm a ghost story fiend - always have been - and this one satisfied my craving for haunts.

A Tale of Two Books - The Night Circus

I may have spent a longer amount of time reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern than I did on the entire LOTR trilogy. The cover is gorgeous and I had read glowing reviews, so I excitedly picked it up in the bookstore. Alas, one glance showed me that it was written in present tense. I'm more of a past tense gal.

I put it back and later, when we were leaving for a journey, I loaded Night Circus on my Kindle. I began to read, and my eyes glazed over. This happened again and again.

It wasn't that Night is filled with bad writing - far from it. Morgenstern uses beautiful prose, words so lovely that some passages read like poetry. Look at this section:

“Someone needs to tell those tales. When the battles are fought and won and lost, when the pirates find their treasures and the dragons eat their foes for breakfast with a nice cup of Lapsang souchong, someone needs to tell their bits of overlapping narrative. There's magic in that. It's in the listener, and for each and every ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound. You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift. Your sister may be able to see the future, but you yourself can shape it, boy. Do not forget that... there are many kinds of magic, after all.” 

And this:

“Stories have changed, my dear boy,” the man in the grey suit says, his voice almost imperceptibly sad. “There are no more battles between good and evil, no monsters to slay, no maidens in need of rescue. Most maidens are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves in my experience, at least the ones worth something, in any case....And is not the dragon the hero of his own story? Is not the wolf simply acting as a wolf should act?”

In the second selection, Morgenstern says, "Things keep overlapping and blur..." They do just that in this book, and luckily the chapter headings include dates to keep us on the right track. Both of the above selections are about story, however, and that's what kept tripping me up with the beginning 70% of Night Circus: there was no story. The language grew more and more gorgeous, so I was almost drunk with words, but at one point I had to stop and read The Stand just to have a book with a real villain, real body fluids, and characters who curse out each other. I needed a dose of filet steak after all that spun sugar.

image courtesy of deviant art

"Dessert consists mainly of a gargantuan tiered cake shaped to resemble circus tents and frosted in stripes, the filling within a bright shock of raspberry cream. There are also miniature chocolate leopards, and strawberries coated in looping patterns of dark and white chocolates." - The Night Circus

The characters all speak in the same, dreamy way, so I could hardly tell one from the other. What was the difference between Celia and Isobel, anyway? One does magic and the other reads cards and they both are attracted to Marco (who also speaks like both of them.)

At last I reached the final section of the book, and finally the story took hold. In the ending 30%, I wanted to keep reading - no longer was it a matter of slogging on through bogs of caramel and popcorn. At last, the competition between Celia and Marco became real and important. Moreover, the characters Poppet and Bailey took center stage, and they were vivid enough to catch my imagination and care about what happened to them, very much. I could envision a sequel about those two, in fact. 

image courtesy of guardian.co.uk

The Night Circus left me in a quandary. On one hand I loved Morgenstern's language and prowess with words - if the chapters had been presented as interwoven short stories, I might have enjoyed the first major portion of the novel more. On the other hand, the writing was so misty that I couldn't stand much more than a few pages at a time - even a scene where a woman walks in front of a train is told in the manner of a Degas painting. 

I have been told that Jim Dale narrates the audio version, and I think that might be the way to go with the book. Dale's own magic would instil the characters with their own voices, adding layers to the floating beauty of Morgenstern's poetry. Perhaps he could add a bit of irony to the conversations as well, so a comment like this: "I thought it might be easier if you doubted him. And I gave you a year to find a way for the circus to continue without you. You have not. I am stepping in..." might become more realistic, as well as the dreamy response. (If only Celia reacted by saying, "You know what? Go to hell.")

So this review is a tale of two books: the long beginning that I struggled through and the ending that gripped my attention and wouldn't let go.

Revenge of the Mad Scientist

I'm always up for a good steampunk read, so I'm thrilled to host Lara Nance and her book, Revenge of the Mad Scientist. The cover is gorgeous, and the author looks great in her steampunk gear!

Here is the plot:

When Lady Arabella Trunkett’s father, the High Lord Minister of Urbannia is kidnapped, all clues point to the mysterious country of Gandiss and the world is thrown into political upheaval.

Arabella is convinced the more sinister nation of Carabarras is to blame, urged on by a mad scientist seeking revenge. So, she sets out on a perilous airship journey across a variety of exotic locales to save him, and halt the potential world war.

But airship pirates, secret assassins and slave traders aren’t her only trials. The fickle hand of fate has made the captain of the only airship available for charter, the man who left her at the altar. For eight years she's wished him dead. Now he's her only hope. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

“Oh!” She jumped up, put a hand in her purse and withdrew the handkerchief. “I forgot to tell you about this. I found it on the floor in the room from which Father was taken. I’m positive he left it as a clue but I’m not sure what it means.”

Benji took the piece of cloth with the stick pin and his youthful face screwed up in concentration as he examined it, then he bolted to his feet “D, d, dash it all, Belle. Do you know what this is?”

She shook her head and her heart raced at his tone.

“It’s a ceremonial j, j, jewel given to the Sarcs of Carabarras.”

Her eyes widened. She’d heard of the secret group of assassins but didn’t know any more than the general public. She hoped her adopted boy genius had more details. “You’d better explain.”

“The Sarcs are t, t, taken as children and trained within the secret organization. When they finish their t, t, training, they’re given a task to fulfill. Usually that means k, k, killing someone. If they're successful, they’re given the t, t, title of Sarc and one of these.” He held up the gold and ruby pin. “They wear it on the inside of their c, c, cloaks and never take it off until they die.”

“Or until it falls out of their cloak while they’re kidnapping someone…or…that someone steals it as a clue.” Belle hadn’t really examined it, so she reached out and took it from him. She turned the pin around seeing it in a new light. The golden head resembled some type of flower and the large ruby was planted in the middle of the blossom. She looked up at Benji.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lara Nance grew up and lived in many cites throughout the South. She loves to write in a variety of genres, but the basis of all of her stories is a great tale that will take you on an adventure of imagination.

If you want to escape and lose yourself in a novel, you've come to the right place. Choose your genre and settle in to be entertained. From thrilling mysteries and steampunk tales, to paranormal romance and adventure, she's willing to explore a variety of compelling stories full of danger and suspense, along with a touch of romance.

Having been on the fencing team in college and now living on a sailboat convinces her that she was a pirate in another life, or possibly kin to Errol Flynn… However, due to the unfortunate demise of the romantic pirates of the past, she lives out her fantasies, thrills and adventures in her stories. Lara loves to weave interesting true historical tidbits into her fiction which invite the reader to explore further after the novel is finished.

Currently docked in Norfolk, Virginia (until the wind changes) Lara enjoys living on her sailboat and spends time reading, of course writing, indulging a variety of artistic endeavors, cooking and sailing with her husband, Joe and their Yorkie, Rio.

You can visit Lara on her website: 

on Twitter

and on her Facebookpage

You can find Revenge of the Mad Scientist on Amazon:

Steampunk for Sale

A quick announcement :

My book, Crown Phoenix: Night Watchman Express, is now on sale for 99 cents on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Pick it up now and feed your Kindle!

(Kindle buy link to the left, or use the live links above.)

The Dream Land

Just released: The Dream Land, by Stephen Swartz

How far would you go to save the love of your life? Through a doorway to another world?

Stephen Swartz, author of The Dream Land

Sebastian, that quiet tax examiner at the corner desk in the IRS service center, carries a dark secret: once upon a time he and his high school sweetheart Gina found a rip in the universe and stepped through it to a strange world of magical beauty.

Far from being a Disney-esque playground, the world of Ghoupallesz bursts with cosmopolitan elegance, alien perversions, and political strife. Gina, the adventurous one, falls in love with the adventurous possibilities. Not Sebastian; always practical, he insists they return to Earth. Gina refuses so he goes back alone, vowing never to return. Yet he finds himself drawn back repeatedly--he calls it “research”--and often crosses paths with Gina. Sometimes he saves her, sometimes she saves him, forever soul mates.

Now years later, life on Earth hasn’t gone well for Sebastian. The headaches revisit him, with flashes of memories from Ghoupallesz. Gina is in trouble again, he senses, and he must, as always, save her. 

Meanwhile, a pair of too-curious IRS co-workers have accidently overdosed on the Elixir of Love he brought back on his last trip and the antidote exists only on Ghoupallesz. With these co-workers in tow, Sebastian returns through the interdimensional portal, fearing it may be his final adventure. He must gather his old comrades from the war, cross the towering Zet mountains, and free Gina from the Zetin warlord’s castle before her execution. Perhaps then she will stay with him.

But are his adventures to the other side real? Or are they just the dreams of a psychotic killer? That’s what the police want to know when Sebastian returns without his co-workers.

THE DREAM LAND is a genre-mashing epic of interdimensional intrigue, alien romance, and world domination by a pair of nerdy sweethearts, spiced up with some police procedural and psychological thriller, then marbled with twisted humor, steampunk pathos, and time/space conundrums.

EXCERPT:

How long had it been? Sebastian never contemplated that there might be any time difference between the two worlds. He imagined that weeks had passed on Earth and everyone would be looking for Gina and him. And yet, it seemed like it was still summer. Because they had never expected to be able to travel as they did, they made no preparation for their return. He had no money now—no dollars, just a few gealan stones—and he could not remember where he’d left his car keys, or if he had even brought them. And the clothes he now wore were alien fashions—a little Star Trekkie, perhaps, but serviceable, he decided. It did not matter. He still had to walk home—most of the two mile distance was through the dark countryside where he could hide whenever headlights approached. For the last few blocks into suburbia he would have to try to keep out of sight.

As he came upon the 7-Eleven store, he saw the parking lot was empty, no customers inside. But he had no money. Hungry and thirsty, he was also curious. He pushed himself inside, the door hitting his backside as he paused there, feeling the stares of the clerk and another customer buying cigarettes.

“Halloween’s a ways off, ya know,” the man chuckled.

“Costume party,” he responded quickly, trying to act as though everything was perfectly normal, the English words surprisingly uncomfortable in his mouth.

But everything wasn’t normal. He continued to feel nervous twitches of energy running errantly through his body, strings of electric snakes wriggling up and down his arms and legs and back. The sensations, ticklish and cold, were the electricity still trying to find a way out of his body. And the colors were different—but only because he had been looking through a tinted atmosphere the past few months, seeing the alien sky in shades of green instead of blue. He felt thinner, yet every step he took seemed heavier to him.

“So, what’ll it be for ya tonight?” the clerk called to him as the other customer exited.

He was walking up and down the aisles unable to make up his mind.

“A newspaper,” Sebastian decided.

“They’re up here.”

He returned to the counter, pulled the top paper from the rack. Holding the newspaper in his hands, tightening his grip to help the electric spasm pass, he fixed his eyes on the date. It was the same year, the same month, he saw. But it was now two days later than when they had gone to the quarry. Only two days had passed! And yet he had lived 127 days on that other world.

Suddenly, he felt like he held a great secret and if he let down his guard others would be able to see it written on his face. He turned away quickly, stuffing the newspaper back into the rack. He circled through the store again.

“Excuse me,” he spoke up, the store clerk watching his every move closely. “I seem to have lost my wallet—this damn costume, no pockets, you know? Could I use your phone? It’s a local call.”

“Can’t let you use it,” said the clerk. “There’s a phone outside.”

Rather than waste time pleading, he stomped out of the store, thinking there was a chance someone forgot their change. But when he picked up the receiver of the pay phone and jumped back from the spark, he found the sidewalk becoming littered with quarters, dimes and nickels. He gathered them up, chose a quarter to insert into the phone, and dialed his friend Jason’s number.

“Jason!” he shouted into the phone.

“Hey, dude!” his friend shouted back. “Where the hell you been? Your mom and dad’s been calling me.”

“I thought they might.”

“They’re going crazy!”

“I know, I know.”

“So where were you?”

“The other side of the universe,” Sebastian replied.

“What?”

“Can you pick me up?”

“Where?”

“You know where.”

As he waited, he imagined his mother asking him where he’d been and he would say with Gina, and his parents would quiz him about his behavior. She’s a dear girl, his mother would say, but did she lead you on? Did she pull you into temptation? He was supposed to be a good boy, study hard, start a good career, meet a nice girl. To cover his absence, he was prepared to say she had tempted him. “I resisted as much as I could,” he planned to say, then he would go to his room and think about the 127 days they were together. And the last day together.

The candy red Mustang roared into the parking lot of the 7-Eleven, the engine shaking the pavement, The Moody Blues’ Question blasting out the open windows.

“Ready to go?” Jason called out over the music.

A year later Sebastian would guide his friend to the other side....

The Steampunk Version

I read once that steampunk is the future reinventing the past. I am fascinated by the possibilities of steam technology and what can happen in closets under the stairs, in dark studies, underground laboratories, and Victorian train stations. 

Much of our current technology has its "Steamy" counterpart. For example:

Emails - Steampunk replaces them with letters. Extra points if they are in a code or a special ink that self-immolates or grows visible under the light of a certain kind of candle. I picture sealing wax, loads of stamps, a long address written by a rusty nib, and a fat missive within.

The image for this letter comes from a blog about Frank Kingdon-Ward, an explorer and plant collector.  Do check it out - it's fascinating!

Computers - Instead, use a Difference Engine or typewriters. My own preference is the Hansen Writing Ball or the Bar-Lock. Of course I added my own quantum element to the machine to create the Crown Phoenix.

Difference Engine

Lasers - I used pistols instead, but there are many weapons that are far more creative in steampunk novels out there. Rotating shooter cuffs, deadly assault hats, exploding corsets - why not?

Edwardian era pistol

Digital - Replaced with Analog, of course. Numbers rotate on dials instead of flickering on a screen. This requires some investigation into the physics and science behind clockworks, gears, and steam engines.

Electroshock therapy, Edwardian style. SWEET!

TaiKwando or Karate - (or any kind of fighting style) Replaced with Bartitsu, the Victorian counterpart used by Sherlock Holmes and still taught today. I love the movements and names of the various methods, such as "How to Assist a Gentleman Out of the Room." It includes a long study of how to use a cane as a weapon, I believe.

Planes or rockets - Of course airships are the travel method of choice. I would also include steam trains, steam ships, and my new favorite : bathyspheres.

Steampunk bathyspheres. I love these.

All of the above do, as I said, require research and some study. That can be very eye-opening and suggest entirely new plot points or, perhaps, other manuscripts.

My Big Wonderful Blog Tour

Miriam, the heroine of the series. 

It feels like spring outside today, and how fitting that is. My Big Wonderful Blog Tour starts today, and it's kicking off at Book Vacations. (Four stars, yippee!)

Mana, the magic governess.

In order to celebrate the sparkly new release of my books, I am offering a giveaway of some cool stuff, if I do say so myself. You can win a Kindle Fire, big old Amazon gift cards, bling, signed books, and a bag full of swag. Entering is really easy, in the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of the page.

My books are newly edited, with sparkly new covers by my dear friend Lisa Daly and maps (yay, maps!) designed by the very talented writer and cartographer, Ross Kitson. I do hope you will give the books a look, and of course you can always download a sample first from my author page, here.

Barbara, the beautiful villainess.

They are also available on Nook and Smashwords.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Next Big Thing

I was tagged to do The Next Thing by Coral Russell, the lovely author and blogger at Alchemy of Scrawl. We are doing The Next Best Thing, which is ten question about a WIP.

What is the working title of your book?

The last book in the Crown Phoenix series is called The South Sea Bubble.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I already had my story in place from the previous book, but I started to obsess about bathyspheres and postboxes. I played around with those ideas and came up with the framework for the book.

What genre does your book fall under?

Steampunk, but my books are set in the Edwardian era, not the Victorian age. My stories have loads of adventure and a little bit of romance.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

My beautiful, magical governess, Mana, becomes the Queen of Lampala. Zoe Saldana would be perfect for that role. As for the rest of the cast, I'd love for some unknown young actors to pick up the roles of Miriam, Simon, Lizzie, and Ninna.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Lizzie and Ninna learn how to be nurses in a hospital where mysterious things happen at night.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

My book is published through Myrddin Publishing, an author collective.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I suppose it's a bit like Hugo. My real influence, however, was Enid Blyton. She's dated, especially in her world views, but my goodness that woman could create great adventure stories.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Enid, as I said. I was also inspired by the music of Angelique Kidjo, a wonderful singer from the country of Benin. In fact, I based the language in the book on some of her lyrics.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Hmmm... if you like antique machines mixed with quantum physics, as well as adventure and Edwardian characters, you might give my series a try. It should be ready to purchase in September.

Now I'm tagging these excellent authors:

Shaun Allan

Joan Hazel
Ross Kitson
Kate Barker
Krista Hatch