10 Steampunk Bundles Up for Grabs! Updates and Giveaways

"What is steampunk?"

The easy answer is that steampunk stories are set in the 19th century Victorian era when steam-driven technology was primary, corsets were tight, and tea was a formal affair. But that's like saying science fiction is about spaceships… when the genre is much broader, deeper, and more amazing than that. (And yes, steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction.)

With a thriving real-life steampunk culture that is very do-it-yourself in inventing characters, costumes, and gadgets, the real answer is that steampunk can be virtually anything you want it to be. It's this tremendous devotion to creativity that actually drew me in to writing steampunk in the first place (along with the gorgeous costumes!). In this steampunk bundle, we have an east-Indian fantasy romance, a Asian-flavored pirate love story, a Shakespearean retelling, two stories set in a common world with a floating island, a young adult adventure about a lightning invention, and a story that uses Arcane Science in the modern world. These stories are perfect examples of the truly rich diversity of steampunk stories… while each also portrays a world where steam technology shifts the ground under their character's feet.

We think of the Victorian era as being somewhat repressed, but it really was a time of tremendous change: class divisions, and the aristocracy it supported, were being challenged by the everyday men and women who were bringing about amazing technological advances. Science was on the rise! And the beautiful costuming and formal traditions of the past were coming into conflict with those first hints of the modern world. Steampunk stories in general resonate with readers not just because of their fun, escapist fantasy—a flight into the past when things were simpler, adventures were fought with sword and gun, and social strictures brought some order to the world—but because the upheaval wrought by technological change still resonates with our real lives today.

What is steampunk? It's a story like any other story: a chance to escape the world for a few hours, to live in the wilderness of an author's imagination, to adventure, to fall in love, to die for one's friends. It's classic storytelling in a visually rich, emotionally gripping era that still resonates with us today. Plus you get to rollick about in corsets and top hats, inventing gadgets and saving the world from the villains who turn that fantastic steam technology to their own dastardly purposes.

Strap on your goggles and prepare for the ride! – Susan Kaye Quinn

The initial titles in the bundle (minimum $3 to purchase) are:

• Black Mercury by Charlotte E. English
• Zelda Pryce by Joseph Robert Lewis
• The Machine God by MeiLin Miranda
• A Midsummer Night's Steampunk by Scott E. Tarbet

If you pay more than the bonus price of just $10, you'll get another three books:

• Lumière by Jacqueline E. Garlick
• Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn
• Fall of Sky City by S.M. Blooding

The bundle is available for a very limited time only, via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub, and .mobi) for all books, but after the three weeks are over, the bundle is gone forever!

It's also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

• Get quality reads: We've chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
• Pay what you want (minimum $3): You decide how much four fantastic books are worth to you. If you can only spare a little, that's fine! You'll still get access to four thrilling titles.
• Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there's nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
• Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to charity. We're currently featuring Mighty Writers and Girls Write Now.
• Receive extra books: If you beat our bonus price, you're not just getting four books, you're getting seven!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, Tweet us at @storybundle, Like us on Facebook, and Plus us on Google Plus. For press inquiries, please email press@storybundle.com.

Why wait? This bundle is so awesome, grab your copy now! 

Name. Your. Price!

Grab the Bundle Now!

Promotional Book Tours is giving away 10 Steampunk Bundles from Author S.M. Blooding ( be sure to like her on Facebook) Fill out the form below to enter!
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The Ultimate Steampunk Giveaway: Books, Movie, Jewelry, Cards and More!

Hi Everybody!

We are excited to to offer you all a chance to win the ULTIMATE Steampunk Giveaway. This prize package includes one copy each of the following books: Fiddlehead by Cherie Priest, ARC’s of The Clockwork Wolf and Disenchanted & Co. by Lynn Viehl, His Clockwork Canary by Beth Ciotta, a DVD copy of The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box, plus a Steampunk hat Hat from Nitty Gritty Threads, Steampunk Kitty Necklace from A Charming Time Jewelry, Mustache note cards, A Steampunk journal, Mini Steampunk Key bookmarks and a bunch of swag! Everything you see in this picture and then some!


The contest is open to readers WORLDWIDE. You just enter using the Giveaway Tools widget at the bottom of this post. The contest runs from 4/20/14-4/25/14 at Midnight Central. We will chose a winner next weekend!
Check back throughout the week for more ways to enter!
Enter our other contests and be sure to RSVP for events by clicking here for chances to win tons more prizes and meet cool authors this week.

The Ultimate Steampunk Giveaway: Books, Jewelry, Cards and More!

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Steampunk with Heart Tour HUGE Giveaway

What would you ask a Steampunk author if you could? I think all of the questions I'd  want to ask are covered here! Can you think of any others? Enjoy reading the authors' thoughts.

Steampunk with Heart: Steampunk FAQ

with Rie Sheridan Rose and Cindy Spencer Pape

**see bottom of post for steampunk giveaways**

**see Steampunk With Heart Page for Facebook Party schedule**

What to ask (or not to ask) your friendly neighborhood steampunk author.  Here are some of the mostly commonly asked questions, how Cindy Spencer Pape and  Rie Sheridan Rose usually answer and what they’d sometimes like to say.

1) What the heck is steampunk, anyway?

Cindy: This is the big one—the one we hear ALL the time. My answers range from snarky (Jules Verne on crack) to oversimplified (science fiction set in Victorian times). For folks my age and over, I sometimes reference the old Wild, Wild West TV show. The long answer, which I never say, is that steampunk is a blend of historical feel and advanced technology. It’s not just a fiction genre, although it certainly is that, but it’s also a mood, a feel, and a thriving social phenomenon. It embodies futuristic technology, sometimes fantasy elements, and a rebellious attitude, along with a return to pride in manufacturing and craftsmanship. Most of all? It’s a whole hell of a lot of fun.

Rie: I usually say science fiction/fantasy set in a Victorian time frame. What might have happened if Steam technology had been developed along the times that Verne and Wells postulated? Emphasis is often on adventure and romance, as those are very Victorian tropes.

2) Why write steampunk? And why do you mix fantasy and/or romance elements into your steampunk stories? Or don’t you?

Cindy: Again, because it’s fun. I like writing books that I’d like to read. I love mixing history, SF, fantasy and romance. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s what I enjoy.

Rie: I started off writing Steampunk as a challenge from my writing partner, but I really enjoy it. I've always been an Anglophile, and the Victorian era is so rich in detail and history. Is there any period as romantic in retrospect? The clothing, the manners... Mixing in the concepts Cindy mentioned is very accurate to the period, and adds spice to the writing. It makes for a very fun, open, and exciting genre to explore.

3) What’s the coolest gadget you’ve invented for your books?

Cindy: Gee, I’ve had cybermen and networked computers in Victorian London. Typewriter, telephone, germ theory and dirigible are all there ahead of their real time. Rings that eject poison darts and clockwork powered artificial limbs. Beyond all of that, however, the coolest creation in the Gaslight Chronicles world is George, the mechanical dog. George is kind of like Mr. Data on Star Trek. He’s exceeded his components and programming to the point where he’s really more or less a living creature.

Rie: My biggest and best invention is Phaeton, the Marvelous Mechanical Man. He is a nine foot tall automaton with self-awareness and superior strength and reflexes. I also have an airship, a Steamcar, and a "Mechano-Velocipede" which are integral to the plot.

Since I am only on book one of the series, I haven't been as creative as Cindy. J

4) How much research do you do, or do you make it all up?

Cindy: Short answer: Quite a bit. Long answer: I do a surprisingly heavy amount of research for my steampunk stories. I very carefully take the key incidents that changed my world from the one we live in, then I follow those changes and decide how they would have effected everything else in the world where the characters live. 

In my case, the tipping point is twofold: 1) Magic has always existed and been acknowledged, and werewolves, vampyres, etc. DO exist. Therefore the Order of the Round Table was never disbanded in England and still exists, Knights with extraordinary powers who protect England from supernatural threats. 2) The computer was invented in the 1840s, by a man called Babbage, and is called an analytical engine. (There’s history behind this. Babbage in fact, did design this machine, but it was never built in our world.) Since a woman wrote the code for this machine, women in the sciences were catapulted ahead of where they were in our world. I also do a lot of research on clothing, settings, historical events and figures. 

In Cards and Caravans, I had to tweak the Scottish legal system, since they weren’t really burning witches in the 1850s. But that means I had to know it before I could tweak it. And maybe, in a world where magic was a known reality, those laws might have been a little different.

Rie: Yes, I do. I research the technology to the point where I can make sure it is logical and not impossible. I check dates and events to make sure that I don't put something in that hasn't happened yet for no good reason. I research clothing, architecture, foods, etc.

Since I am set in New York City instead of the UK, it is a bit easier to find out some things.

5) Have you read… (insert your list of other people’s books that are or may be close to my genre)

Cindy: Answer: yes, no, maybe. Much steampunk is YA, and I don’t read a lot of that. I also don’t read a lot of hard SF, where it’s all about the technology and the world. I like my character-driven stories and my romance, so that’s most of what I read. I have read William Gibson’s The Difference Engine, which  is one of the seminal works of SF. Also, since steampunk is so maker-driven, there is a lot of self-published and web-original work out there. I read some, but may not have had time to read all of it.

Rie: I have read most of Gail Carriger's work (all of the Parasol Protectorate, but haven't started Finishing School yet.) Gale Dayton's Blood books were wonderful. I am way behind, but I will be reading a lot more!

6) Who are your favorite steampunk authors?

Cindy: LOL, besides myself? Snark. I love MelJean Brooks, Gail Carriger (except for the book where the main couple breaks up at the end—HATED that one) Kate Cross and Seleste Delaney. There are so many more I need to read, but haven’t yet.

Rie: Mostly the two mentioned above, Tee Morris and Phillipa Ballentine, but I haven't read any of the Ministry novels, just the short story collection.

7) Where can I buy your books? Are they at WalMart?

Cindy: My steampunk series, so far, is only in e-book. That’s kind of awkward in a community that wants everything to look like it’s 1885. So yes, you can get them at Amazon, or B&N, or the Carina Press website. No, you can’t get them at the grocery store. Sorry. I wish that wasn’t the case, believe me.

Rie: My book is available in paperback, but you have to special order it to get it in a brick and mortar store. It is available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble or through Zumaya Publications. It is also an ebook, and I believe can be gotten at Smashwords and Kobo as well.

8) How many more books will there be? When is the next one coming out? Which characters are in it?

Cindy: Truthfully? I don’t know. It depends on a lot. Mainly, sales. That’s the hard reality of the fiction business. The more they sell, the more there will be. A girl’s gotta eat, you know? There are two more on the table with my publisher. That’s all I know at the moment. The characters? Well, that’s up to the publisher, too. Let’s just say there’s one more MacKay sibling and a whole bunch of Hadrians who still need happy endings.

 
Rie: I hope I am just getting started. I am currently working on Book Two of the series, but it is proving a bigger challenge than I thought! It's my first sequel. Theoretically, it will be out this year...but it has to be written first. All the main characters should be back. I love my characters, particularly my heroine, Josephine Mann.

9) Where do you get all your cool steampunk clothes?

Cindy: Thrift shops. (I’m short, so a lot of skirts are floor-length on me, so I cheat there.) Renaissance festivals. The vendors there tend to be awesome, but pricey, so build your wardrobe a few pieces at a time. Catalogs and online companies like Victorian Trading Co., Pyramid Company, Corset-Story and Holy Clothing. Finally, there’s the custom vendors. That’s where things get really pricey, but really, really, cool. I’m not very crafty, but honestly, if you can sew, you have it made.

Rie: Most of my wardrobe is thrift store as well, with certain key pieces being bought at conventions. My main vice is hats. I have way more hats than logical...

10) Last question:  How do you come up with the ideas for all this far-out stuff?

Cindy: Usual answer: No idea. I just have a wild imagination. Snarky answer #1: I’m just twisted like that. Snarkier answer: The idea fairy leaves them in my shower and under my pillow, so I find them when it’s least convenient.

Rie: Everywhere. A chance comment can lead to a bit of an idea. One thing follows on another. I might read something and file it away for later. Dreams sometimes. Ideas come from everywhere. You just have to collect them.

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"To me, Steampunk is an alternate look at a period of history that fascinates almost everyone. What would have been different if technology had taken a slightly different direction? And it is fun to play with the gadgets."  

Rie Sheridan Rose's short stories currently appear in numerous anthologies. She has authored five poetry chapbooks, and collaborated with Marc Gunn on lyrics for his “Don’t Go Drinking With Hobbits” CD. Yard Dog Press is home to humorous horror chapbooks Tales from the Home for Wayward Spirits and Bar-B-Que Grill and Bruce and Roxanne Save the World...Again. Mocha Memoirs published the individual short stories "Drink My Soul...Please," and “Bloody Rain” as e-downloads. Melange Books carries her romantic fantasy Sidhe Moved Through the Faire. Zumaya Books is home to The Luckless Prince as well as her newest novel, The Marvelous Mechanical Man. 

You can find her at her website.

The Marvelous Mechanical Man (A Conn-Mann Adventure)

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Josephine Mann is down to her last two dollars when Professor Alistair Conn hires her to work on a wonder--a 9-foot-tall automaton Jo dubs Phaeton. When an evil villain steals the marvelous mechanical man, Jo's longing for adventure suddenly becomes much too real...and deadly.

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"Steampunk is being able to mix together all the things you love from the Victorian, modern and all eras in between, along with the addition of future tech and fantasy."  

Cindy Spencer Pape firmly believes in happily-ever-after and brings that to her writing. Award-winning author of 18 novels and more than 30 shorter works, Cindy lives in southeast Michigan with her husband, two sons and a houseful of pets. When not hard at work writing she can be found dressing up for steampunk parties and Renaissance fairs, or with her nose buried in a book. 

You can find her on her website.

Ashes and Alchemy (The Gaslight Chronicles)

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London, 1860

Police inspector Sebastian Brown served Queen and country in India before returning to England to investigate supernatural crimes. Minerva Shaw is desperately seeking a doctor for her daughter Ivy who has fallen gravely ill with a mysterious illness when she mistakenly lands on Sebastian's doorstep. Seb sniffs a case and musters every magickal and technological resource he can to uncover the source of the deadly plague, but it's he who will need protecting—from emotions he'd thought buried long ago.

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Steampunk with Heart Tour HUGE Giveaway

Steampunk with Heart: The Heartbeat of Steampunk: 

Are you into Steampunk? Then THIS is the tour/giveaway for you! Check out all of the amazing books and information available on this tour and you will be blown away! Good luck to all entrants and ENJOY!! 

 

Romancing the Machine

with Jacqueline Garlick and MeiLin Miranda

**see bottom of post for steampunk giveaways**

**see Steampunk With Heart Page for Facebook Party schedule**

It's no accident steampunk has become so popular; here in the 21st century we're facing an information revolution, just as the 19th century struggled through the industrial revolution. The rise in wearables, Internet-connected everything and, perhaps most troubling, governmental and corporate mining of personal data can alienate one a little. Even as we depend on tech more, we feel less in control of it and the changes it's bringing to the world.

Enter steampunk and its beautiful, handcrafted machines of gilded cast iron and brass. So many of the stories in this genre reflect both the giddy hope of new technology and the fear of change. Steampunk tech seems more tactile and understandable: the boiler heats up, the steam goes round and round woh woh woh, and Science comes out here, right? It's a little more human.

Another fun and relatable element of steampunk is how the genre encourages writers to push boundaries, allowing the technologies of today to mingle with those of the past. Throughout the pages of steampunk novels readers are exposed to thought provoking themes, such as man versus machine, or man and machine, united. Or, as in the case of “Lumière,” machine as man’s best friend and protector, as well as evil counterpart.

It is this license of creative freedom that makes steampunk such a tantalizing genre for writers, and such a rewarding and intriguing one for readers. Imagine worlds filled with outrageously crossbred contraptions, tied to epic adventures, laced with memorable stories of love. What more could a reader ask for, right?

In “Lumière,” Eyelet Elsworth searches for her father’s prized possession, thinking it is the answer to all her problems, only to discover—as with all things scientifically developed—her father’s prized possession is capable of things far beyond her wildest expectations, and not all of them are good. Along the way, Eyelet finds love and acceptance in the strangest places, and from the strangest creatures, and learns to fight for what she believes in.

 

 In MeiLin's "The Machine God," a mysterious island floats high above a city-state bustling with new industry. No one's ever been able to reach the island--until a wonder fuel is found, and an inventor uses it to power her gyrocopter to the island.

Even though the people there live in primitive conditions, once magic powered mechanical marvels so terrifying that their coming of age ceremony includes the oath "Magic and Metal No More." A professor discovers what really powered those marvels, and that human greed, not machines, may be the real obscenity.

All in all, steampunk novels offer readers an escape from reality into worlds filled with mysterious technology of incredible consequence. Steampunk readers are rewarded with lush depictions of times gone by, tinged with dystopian trimmings and characters brimming with heart!

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I'm Jacqueline Garlick. Author of YA, New Adult, and Women's Fiction. I love strong heroines, despise whiny sidekicks, and adore a good story about a triumphant underdog. I love to read, write, paint (walls and paper) and plan cool writing events for cool writers (check out niagarawritersretreatandconference (dot) com.) I have a love/hate relationship with chocolate, grammar, and technology.

You will always find a purple wall (or two) in my house (perhaps even a door) and a hidden passageway that leads to a mystery room. (Okay, so you won’t find a hidden passageway but a girl can dream, can’t she?) Oh, and tea. There will always be tea. I love specialty teas...and collecting special teacups from which to drink them. (See website for collection, plus Facebook and Goodreads.)

In my former life, I was a teacher (both grade school and college-don't ask) and more recently, I've been a graduate of Ellen Hopkin’s Nevada Mentor Program and a student of James Scott Bell, Christopher Vogler and Don Maass. An excerpt from Lumière earned me the 2012 Don Maass Break Out Novel Intensive Scholarship. Lumière—A Romantic Steampunk Fantasy—is my debut novel, Book One in my young adult The Illumination Paradox Series.

Lumiere (The Illumination Paradox)

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One determined girl. One resourceful boy. One miracle machine that could destroy everything. After an unexplained flash shatters her world, seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth sets out to find the Illuminator, her father’s prized invention. With it, she hopes to cure herself of her debilitating seizures, but just as Eyelet locates the Illuminator, it’s whisked away by an alluring thief. She follows the boy, enduring deadly Vapours and criminal-infested woods in pursuit of the Illuminator, only to discover the miracle machine they both hoped would solve their problems may in fact be their biggest problem of all. 

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MeiLin Miranda writes literary fantasy and science fiction set in Victorian worlds. Her love of all things 19th century (except for the pesky parts like cholera, child labor, slavery and no rights for women) has consumed her since childhood, when she fell in a stack of Louisa May Alcott and never got up.

MeiLin wrote nonfiction for thirty years, in radio, television, print and the web. She always wanted to write fiction, but figured she had time. She discovered she didn't when a series of unfortunate events resulted in a cardiac arrest complete with electric paddles ("clear!") and a near-death experience. She has since decided she came back from the dead to write books. MeiLin lives in a 130-year-old house in Portland, Oregon with a husband, two teens, two black cats, a floppy dog and far, far too much yarn. You can find her at her website.

The Machine God (The Drifting Isle Chronicles)

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Folklore Professor Oladel Adewole leaves his homeland for the University of Eisenstadt to pursue his all-consuming interest: the mysterious island floating a mile above the city. The first survey team finds civilization, and Adewole finds a powerful, forbidden fusion of magic and metal: the Machine God. The government wants it. So does a sociopath bent on ruling Eisenstadt. But when Adewole discovers who the mechanical creature is--and what it can do--he risks his heart and his life to protect the Machine God from the world, and the world from the Machine God.

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Steampunk with Heart Tour Day 3 HUGE Giveaway

 Steampunk, we are finding, is more than just costumes and machines! Join in this tour and learn all you need to know about Steampunk.

Steampunk with Heart: Things We Love About Steampunk - Multicultural, Adventure, and More

with Jay Noel and SM Blooding

**see bottom of post for steampunk giveaways**

**see Steampunk With Heart Page for Facebook Party schedule**

Today we have S.M. “Frankie” Blooding and Jay Noel on the blog. Jay is a sales warrior by day and a writing ninja by night who, as you’re about to find out, is a steampunk aficionado. He’s the author of Dragonfly Warrior, which is receiving rave reviews! Ms. Blooding is a huge fan of adventure and high-flying geekery. She’s the author of her bestselling books, Fall of Sky City and Knight of Wands.

They’re here to tell you in their own words what makes steam punk awesome—from the multi-cultural new wave to geek-ridden adventure.

Frankie: When I first discovered steampunk, it was through the romance genre. I don't remember which one it was. I just remember reading it and going, "Dear Writing Gods, this is fracking brilliant!" Then I decided I'd take it into my own hands, throw out the dash of London, toss in a pinch of the rest of the world, and then kick us off the planet entirely. Rub it with a fair shake of adventure, severely twist the romance until it disappeared, and called it good. 

The excitement of discovery prevalent in the dawning of the Industrial Age was intoxicating. We're talking about an entire generation who dare to dare. That was what I wanted to take from it, the thing that drew me into the genre. 

What was it for you?

Jay: Wow, my discovery of steampunk was quite different. I grew up reading H.G. Wells and Jules Verne (which I blame on my 4th grade teacher assigning The Time Machine for my book project). My love for this kind of literature never wavered even into adulthood, and I continued to read the classics. For me, it was the gorgeous mesh of old world and new. The scientific with the magical. I vowed that one day, I would write a novel with the same themes and settings I enjoyed.

One day, a fellow blogger used the word STEAMPUNK in a post. We've been following each other's blogs since 2005, and she had never used that word before. So I Googled it. It was an epiphany. I couldn't believe there was an actual term for the things I loved. Now, it sounds like you were attracted to the "modern magicians" of the Industrial Age. 

What is it about that time period you wanted to explore?

Frankie: I wish I could wear that Medal of Honor in saying that my structure was built around Jules Vern and H.G. Wells. I do. I'm still catching up, though. I gotta be honest. When I was a kid, I was so into high fantasy, I didn't want to read anything else. As long as there was a magician, a magic sword, or a dark prophecy, I was happy. LOL! 

The thing I love most about steampunk is the science, the “modern magicians” as you called them. I've been reading the theories that formed from that era. There are a lot that were thrown out because tycoons couldn't find a way to make money from them—like sending electricity freely through the air. A lot of really fabulous inventions that never saw the light of day because of money. So what I enjoy is taking some of those theories and putting them into practice in my world. 

I'm really hitting it hard with the regenerative power. When people with money are at the controls, they want to sell you something that forces you to come back again and again and again. What happens if they sell you something that can basically run on its own waste? Those people lose power. 

In order to live in a world like this, I had to create a different governing system. Capitalism isn't it. They barely have money as a means to buy things. They have other measurements of power and societal survival. So when I think steampunk, I think "alternative technologies", not necessarily "alternate history". Looking at the history—what really went on and the real people who shaped the world we live in today—really gave me a lot of fodder. History is so neat. 

Just...OMW (Oh my word)! The fire and the passion and the sure faith that generation had. That was another thing I wanted to capture. They were a generation of rebels, ready to break away from the boxes that had been placed over their minds. They wanted to shoot for sky and they did. The people and what they accomplished are so inspiring.

What are some of your favorite steampunk elements?

Jay: I love history too, so that has to be one of my favorite aspects of steampunk. But it's fun to create an alternative history, taking what really happened and taking it to a whole new place. That's really what speculative fiction is all about. The power of asking the question: "What if?"  The Industrial Revolution changed every single aspect of daily life for everyone. What if steam power technology continued to develop. Or what if machine-building had evolved at a faster pace? It's such a HUGE playground to create in.

Of course, I also love the aesthetics of steampunk. It's just so cool. I'm attracted to the anachronism of it all - blending high tech with the 19th century. Every science fiction/fantasy convention I go to, people are dressed in steampunk gear. I see more and more of it every year. Steampunk has become its own artistic movement. From sculptures to fashion, steampunk is its own category of art.

And it's continued to evolve beyond the Victorian. Exploring world cultures and combining it with steampunk elements gives this genre even more substance. Some call the movement "Beyond Victoriana." Many have moved beyond Victorian England as a setting for their steampunk stories, and placed them in other cultures. 

What do you think of this new wave of multicultural steampunk, and where do you think it’s going?

Frankie: OMW! I'm ON that wave! There's a whole other part of the world, and they had some fairly brilliant people, too.

The whole Victorian thing, I think, was led by the clothes. The corsets and the spats, etc. You don't really get that in other cultures of steampunk because they had clothes that were much more sensible for adventure. Have you ever run in a corset? Try fighting on a sinking airship in one of them. I dare you. And high heels? Please! Yes, they're quite lovely and make your ruffle-covered butt look perky, but they're a disaster in the air. What about those adorably dashing top hats? Have you ever tried to wear one in a blustering wind? If you can't successfully wear one there, how in the world could you wear one on a ship that resides in air streams much windier than that? So, the "rest of the world steampunk" isn't as pretty in that manner, but it's so artistically gorgeous in other ways.  

Of course, I think I've taken this "Beyond Victoriana" wave and driven it past the industry norm. There are a lot of readers who think steampunk should only be Victorian, only be in England, and only be on this planet. My books are Asian and Middle-Eastern steampunk, and we're not even on the same planet. But it's fun. 

Well, we should probably stop there. We could go on and on and on about what we love about this genre! Thank you so much for having us! We’d love to hear what you love about steampunk! Drop us a comment! 

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Jay Noel: After doing some freelance writing and editing for more than a dozen years, Jay decided to stop procrastinating and pursue his dream of being a novelist. He's been blogging since 2005. Jay spends his days working in medical sales, but he can be found toiling over his laptop late at night when all is quiet. He draws inspiration from all over: H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury, Douglas Adams, and Isaac Asimov.  

You can find Jay at his website.

Dragonfly Warrior

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The tyrannical Iberian Empire is bent on destroying his kingdom, and Zen must live up to his nickname, the Dragonfly Warrior, and kill all his enemies with only a sword and a pair of six-guns. He is called upon to somehow survive a test of faith and loyalty in a world so cruel and merciless, it borders on madness.

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SM Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, and Ms. Bird who is really a bird. The guitar and piano have temporarily been set aside. She's learning to play the harmonica. The bird is less than thrilled. Her real name is Stephanie Marie (aka SM), but only family and coworkers call her that, usually when they’re screaming at her. Friends call her Frankie. 

You can find out more about her and her writing at her website.

Fall of Sky City (Devices of War)

Kindle | Print

When Synn El’Asim is captured, his Mark is brutally awakened. He finds himself the most powerful Mark, and quickly becomes a coveted weapon in the war between the Great Families and the Hands of Tarot. However, only he can decide how he will be used to shape the lives of all the tribes.

ENTER TO WIN