A Matter of Circumstance and Celludrones: The Blurb Blitz Tour

A Matter of Circumstance and Celludrones

Dark Matters – Book 1

by Claire Robyns

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

BLURB:

A Victorian Steampunk/Paranormal adventure with strong elements of romance...

Lady Lily d'Bulier is prim, proper, and prefers to think of herself as pragmatic rather than timid. And avoiding life-threatening situations at all costs is just plain practical. But everything changes when Lord Adair tracks her down in London; searching for answers he seems to think she has.

Greyston Adair is a blackguard and a smuggler, although British Customs will have to catch him red-handed to prove the latter. Fortunately, the dirigibles they float around in have never been able to get near his air dust.

Hell is rising, One Demon at a Time...

With Lady Ostrich hunting them, and the mystery of how their lives tie back to Cragloden Castle and the powerful McAllister clan, Lily has no option but to throw propriety to the wind and run off with Greyston to Scotland, away from the immediate danger and toward possible answers.

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

Excerpt Two:

Evelyn was even more intrigued when she entered the drawing room. Not only was Lily’s mysterious gentleman the scrumptious Lord Adair from the previous night, but the two of them looked as if they’d been caught in flagrante. Lord Adair’s neck cloth looked as if it had been tied in unseemly haste—by a blind man. Lily’s skirts were scuffed and wrinkled and her bodice wasn’t sitting quite straight.

Lily left his side to meet Evelyn halfway across the room.

“If I’d known you were being ravished by Lord Dashing down here,” Evelyn declared in a whisper, “I would have stayed up there—” she raised her eyes to the ceiling “—another twenty minutes.”

“Don’t be absurd.” Lily’s hands flew to her hair.

“It’s your skirts that need patting down.” She linked her arm in Lily’s and strolled in the direction of Lord Adair, keeping her voice low. “What did he do? Drag you into the woods and toss you over a log?”

Lily went white in the face.

“By God.” Evelyn surged forward. “I’ll deal with the bloody Scotsman.”

“Evie, no, wait.” Lily dug her heels in. “Nothing happened. Must you always latch onto the most preposterous conclusions?”

Evelyn’s brows drew tight. Something felt wrong, but her friend made a valid point. She was rash and brash, a fact she’d never denied. She kept her sharp tongue on a leash and turned a smile on the man instead as they drew close. “How charming, Lord Adair, I was hoping we’d see more of you.”

“Lady Harchings.” He inclined his head in greeting.

Clearly not trusting her to keep the peace, Lily inserted breathlessly, “I was just telling Lady Harchings that we were riding in the park—”

“And your horses tossed both of you?” Evelyn couldn’t resist.

Lily rewarded her with a glare. “We were in Lord Adair’s carriage, but, um, yes, a rabbit or fox must have run across the path because one of the horses took fright—”

“You really should train them better,” Evelyn told him.

“The rabbits or the horses?” Lord Adair riposted dryly, his eyes never leaving Lily and a grin tugging at his mouth.

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Claire Robyns lives in Berkshire, England, with her husband and twin boys. For so long as she has memories, she was either reading, dreaming about reading, or planning what she'd be reading next. Then one day she started dreaming about writing and that was the beginning of an amazing journey.

When Claire isn't thigh-deep in laundry, shopping, cooking and general crowd control, you'll find her head-and-heart-deep in the tangled lives of her characters.

Visit Claire at her website www.clairerobyns.com or on twitter @clairerobyns or on facebook www.facebook.com/clairerobyns

Buy Links

Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Matter-Circumstance-Celludrones-Matters-ebook/dp/B009GNHRAS/ref=sr_1_3_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361907276&sr=1-3&keywords=claire+robyns

B&N:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-matter-of-circumstance-and-celludrones-claire-robyns/1114044426?ean=2940044191365

Kobo:

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/-Matter-Circumstance-Celludrones-Dark-Matters/book-EvMg7ZSEv0mvjJR5XN1Ifg/page1.html?s=qIHw5UWUNUyia42VfIIoug&r=1

Claire will be awarding a $50 Amazon gift card to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour.

 Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/03/virtual-blurb-blitz-tour-matter-of.html

Influential Magic

Influential Magic

Crescent City Fae Book 1

Deanna Chase

 

Genre: Urban Fantasy 

 

ISBN: 978-0983797876

ASIN: B00BQ3C9PO

 

Number of pages: 318

Word Count: 95,000 words

 

Cover Artist: Art by PhatPuppy

Kindle    Trade Paperback 
 

BN   Kobo   Smashwords  

 

Book Description:

It’s tough being a faery in New Orleans, a city fraught with vampires… especially when their very existence drains your life-force.

Willow Rhoswen, owner of The Fated Cupcake and part-time vampire hunter for the Void is having a rough week. Four years after her twin brother’s mysterious death, Willow’s life is threatened and the director saddles her with a new partner—her ex-boyfriend, David. To her horror, he’s turned vamp, which causes her physical pain whenever she touches him… and any other specimen of the undead.

In order to save Willow’s life, David agrees to turn double agent against the most powerful vampire organization in New Orleans. Or so he says. And she’s convinced they know something about her brother’s death. Unsure where David’s loyalties lie, she turns to Talisen, her childhood crush, to help her solve the mystery.

Caught between two gorgeous men and a director who’ll stop at nothing to control Willow’s gifts, she’ll have to follow her instincts and learn who to trust.

Otherwise, she risks losing more than just her life. 

 

 

About the Author 

Deanna is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana.

When she isn't writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, making glass beads, or out hocking her wares at various bead shows across the country.

For more information and updates on newest releases visit her website at www.deannachase.com

http://www.facebook.com/DeannaChaseAuthor

https://twitter.com/writerdeanna

http://deannachase.com/

Newsletter: http://ymlp.com/xgmsbhuygmgb

 

Stardust Summer Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway

Stardust Summer

by Lauren Clark

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

BLURB:

Single mom Grace Mason doesn’t believe in miracles, magic, or love at first sight. She likes the quiet life, complete with her eight-year-old son, their tiny house, and her teaching job. For Grace, happiness means that nothing much ever changes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Then, one thousand miles away, tragedy strikes. A massive heart attack leaves Grace’s estranged father comatose in an Upstate New York hospital. While a team of doctors fight to keep Henry Mason alive, Grace and Evan rush to his bedside to say their final goodbyes.

Henry’s passing brings little closure for Grace, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to her new surroundings. What begins as a short trip results in an entire summer spent with Henry’s second wife, Kathleen, and her next-door neighbor, Ryan Gordon, the town doctor. When a series of unlikely events lead to Evan’s disappearance, Grace must face her worst fears to find her son and bring him back home.

Stardust Summer explores the complexities of forgiveness, what it means to be a family, and the fabulous possibility of falling in love—again.

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

Excerpt Three: Chapter Three

Kathleen woke with her head pressed to the tablecloth. She jerked awake at a loud noise outside.

It was the sound of a boat engine churning on the lake, a quarter-mile away. She listened for the cast and pull of a fishing line, the rhythmic whirr of a reel. All familiar sounds, all part of her world. The noises were usually soothing.

This morning, only a dull ache existed. She felt as if a hammer had been buried in her brain.

Kathleen's eyes pricked with tears. She fumbled to find her watch and look at the time. Already eight-fifteen in the morning. She needed to call Keuka College and let everyone know. She had to cancel the library dedication.

And there was Grace. Kathleen had to deliver the news about her father, and make sure she was coming to the funeral.

Henry's daughter, whom she'd spoken to hours before. The same woman she'd reassured that her father was okay. Resting comfortably. Stable. The doctors are doing all they can.

Kathleen's hands shook. She fumbled through papers to find her stepdaughter's contact information. Anyone else would have it memorized, a little voice played in her head.

But finally, beneath a tumble of scratch pads and pens, stuck to a yellow post-it note, was a small white card with Henry’s writing.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw it. Grace at school, the paper said, with ten numbers scrawled beneath it. Her hands shook as she punched the keys, one by one, and listened to the ringing, waiting for someone to answer.

An operator’s voice came through clearly with a hint of Southern drawl in the greeting. Kathleen hesitated, gathering her thoughts, and the woman patiently repeated her greeting, this time, with more of a question in her voice.

Following a deep breath, Kathleen let the words spill out. She needed to speak to her stepdaughter, it was an emergency, and could she please find her. Immediately, music blared. Kathleen held the phone out at arm’s length and shut her eyes at the noise, waiting. She couldn’t think of what to say, or how to say it.

When the music stopped and Kathleen heard Grace answer, it stopped her cold. Hers was such a grown up, confident voice, and a person she didn’t know very well.

Grace paused expectantly for Kathleen to talk. The sound of children, chattering and giggling, echoed in the background.

"I'm calling about your father. He seemed to be doing better. He was stable, and then, last night, he had another stroke." Kathleen inhaled and made herself say the next sentence. "The doctors...I'm so sorry, Grace," her voice broke, "he didn't make it." 

Kathleen closed her eyes tightly, trying to shut out the pain in Grace’s voice. The syllables she heard were cutting and sharp, bending at the end into tears.

After the sobs and exclamations of disbelief, there were questions. Patiently, Kathleen tried her best to answer each one. Grief washed over Kathleen again, listening to her stepdaughter mourn.

She had never felt so helpless.

n the end, though, it was done. And Grace, who'd sworn she would never visit her father again, was finally coming home for Henry

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lauren Clark writes contemporary novels sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets. A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored coffee, local book stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her big loves are her family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends.

Lauren is a member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association, the Mobile Writers Guild, and a regular contributor to Parents & Kids Magazine's Mississippi Gulf Coast Edition. Check out her website at www.laurenclarkbooks.com.

Stardust Summer for Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFZVW1K

Stardust Summer for Nook 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stardust-summer-lauren-clark/1114565578

Stardust Summer for KOBO

http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=stardust+summer

Stardust Summer for Smashwords

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/285619

Lauren Clark Books Website

http://www.laurenclarkbooks.com/blog

Lauren Clark Books BLOG

http://www.laurenclarkbooks.com/blog

GoodReads Lauren Clark

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5280308.Lauren_Clark

Twitter Lauren Clark

https://twitter.com/#!/LaurenClark_Bks

Facebook Lauren Clark

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauren-Clark/235315706518284

Lauren will be awarding winner's choice of either Dancing Naked in Dixie or Stay Tuned (in .mobi .pdf or .epub) to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop. Also, a $20 gift card to Amazon or BN.com (winner's choice) will be awarded to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour and a signed paperback copy of Dancing Naked in Dixie and Swag will be awarded to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour (USA ONLY). Make sure you leave a comment and your email address to have a chance to win! 

Hellhound by Kaylie Austen

Hellhound

Author: Kaylie Austen

Print ISBN:      9781939865304

E-Book ISBN:  9781939865311

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Suspense

Release Date 05/01/2013

Buy Now

Description:

Selene is the Hellhound, a powerful and ruthless descendent of the Greek gods. She is bound by tradition and tied by bloodlines to lead her people against the mortals. Although she is arranged to marry Nathanial, she falls for Demetrius, the self-professed Black Angel, and things take a bitter twist. When she stumbles across the corpses of her father and Nathanial, all eyes move in on Demetrius. Selene must take the assignment to hunt down her accused lover. Facing the untrustworthy cerebral chamber, powerful shape-shifting sentinels, superhuman archers, and a deceitful Council, the Hellhound must work quickly to uncover the truth before she is forced to annihilate her lover.

About the Author

Kaylie Austen was born in India, and raised in Austin, Texas where she attended the University of Texas. Her multi-cultural upbringing fueled her desire for languages, cultures, and travel. Kaylie is perhaps best known for her sudden and infectious laugh. She enjoys anything science fiction and fantasy related, and writes in both genres for adults and young adults.

Kaylie began writing at the tender age of ten, and completed her first novel at the age of sixteen. Throughout her school years, her writing earned trophies, awards, publication in scholastic magazines, and scholarships. Kaylie currently lives in beautiful Washington State with an amazing husband. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to contact her.

website: www.kaylieausten.com
blog: www.kaylieausten.blogspot.com
twitter: www.twitter.com/kaylieausten
FB: www.facebook.com/kaylieausten

The Legend of Mickey Tussler/ Sophmore Campaign by Frank Nappi

THE LEGEND OF MICKEY TUSSLER / SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN

By

Frank Nappi

BLURB: 

THE LEGEND OF MICKEY TUSSLER

In the late 1940s, the minor league Milwaukee Brewers are foundering yet again and manager Arthur Murphy is desperate. When he sees seventeen-year old Mickey Tussler throwing apples into a barrel, he knows he has found the next pitching phenom. But not everyone is so hopeful. Mickey’s autism—a disorder still not truly understood even today—has alienated the boy from the world, and he is berated by other players and fans. Mickey faces immense trials in the harsh and competitive world of baseball while coping with the challenges inherent to his disorder. An honest and knowledgeable book about overcoming adversity, and the basis for the television movie A Mile in His Shoes, Mickey’s powerful story shows that with support and determination anyone can be triumphant, even when the odds are stacked against him.

SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN

It’s 1949 and eighteen-year-old pitching phenom Mickey Tussler is back with the rejuvenated minor league Brewers in the sequel to The Legend of Mickey Tussler (the basis for the television movie  A Mile in His Shoes). Despite Mickey’s proclamation that he will never play baseball again after last season’s violent conclusion, his manager—and now surrogate father—Arthur Murphy cajoles the emotionally fragile, socially awkward boy with autism into giving it another shot. Mickey reluctantly returns to the field and must once again cope with the violence and hatred around him. When a young African American player joins the team, the entire team is subjected to racial threats and episodes of violence, one of which Mickey witnesses firsthand. Struggling to understand such ugliness and hatred, and fearful of reprisal should he tell anyone about what he has seen, the boy’s performance on the field suffers. Mickey now must deal with a side of human nature he scarcely comprehends.

EXCERPT:

Excerpt of The Legend of Mickey Tussler

http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/297342-excerpt-from-the-legend-of-mickey-tussler

Excerpt of Sophomore Campaign

http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/296423-excerpt-from-sophomore-campaign

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Frank Nappi has taught high school English and Creative Writing for over twenty years. His debut novel,  Echoes From The Infantry, received national attention, including MWSA's silver medal for outstanding fiction. His follow-up novel, The Legend of Mickey Tussler, garnered rave reviews as well, including a movie adaptation of the touching story "A Mile in His Shoes" starring Dean Cain and Luke Schroder. Frank continues to produce quality work, including Sophomore Campaign, the intriguing sequel to the much heralded original story and the just released thriller, NOBODY HAS TO KNOW, which received an endorsement from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille. Frank is presently at work on a third installment of his Mickey Tussler series and his next thriller. He lives on Long Island with his wife Julia and their two sons, Nicholas and Anthony.

LINKS:

The Legend of Mickey Tussler/Sophomore Campaign book trailers:

http://youtu.be/dnE-DB_cpUc

http://youtu.be/mo8ec-UOjJA

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/FrankNappi

author website  http://www.franknappi.com/

author facebook  https://www.facebook.com/authorfranknappi

author goodreads   http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/589342.Frank_Nappi

 Frank will be awarding a $50 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Make sure you leave a comment with your email address for a chance to win!

Vegas Vacation Book Blast

VEGAS VACATION

by Crystal Jordan

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

BLURB:

It’s spring break, and a group of teachers from Half Moon Bay Middle School are planning to cut loose. History teacher Meg Phillips hadn’t planned on being one of them—Vegas isn’t really a town for a bookworm—but somehow she let her friend Anne talk her into it.

Though honestly, she’d rather indulge in some poolside reading than co-star in an R-rated edition of Teachers Gone Wild.

It took some major arm twisting for Finn Walsh to convince his fellow gym teacher, Anne, to do whatever it took to get Meg to Vegas. For over a year he’s been looking for the chance to get to know her outside of work. He’s drawn to her quiet beauty and intelligence—and the hint of fire beneath her understated exterior.

When he finally gets the opportunity to peel away those layers, the result is far more explosive than he ever fantasized. Now to convince her that the week isn’t a wildly out-of-character mistake, but the start of something amazing...

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

EXCERPT

“Come on, Anne. The least you can do is ask her for me. She’ll listen to you.” Finn Walsh offered up his most winning smile, but his colleague gave him a dubious glance.

“Why exactly would I help you get in my friend’s pants?” Anne Kirby snorted, bending her long limbs into a stretch as they both warmed up to start the day. Teaching physical education at a middle school kept them running. “Besides, Meg turned you down the one time you asked her out.”

Yeah, she had. Finn winced. “I don’t want to get in her pants.”

Anne straightened and stared at him. “Right, I believe that one. You want to date Meg, but you don’t want to do her.”

He lowered himself to the wooden gym floor and grabbed the toe of his sneaker to help flex his calf. Meg’s heart-shaped face filled his mind. Brunette curls he wanted to tangle his fingers in, eyes that were an impossible shade of storm cloud gray. She wasn’t tall or short, just average, but she had curves in all the right places. Her ass, especially. Tight, round and perfect. He wanted to get his hands on it. Hell, he wanted to get his hands on all of her, as often as humanly possible. But if it were just about getting laid, he could find a woman for that easily. No, he wanted Meg, specifically. “Okay, I don’t only want to get in her pants.”

“That’s a little more believable.” Anne smiled when the school bell rang. Within a few minutes, gangly teens began trudging past them into the changing room.

“I mean it.” Finn waved to a few of his students, picking himself up off the floor. “I like her, Anne. She turned me down because she thinks it’s a bad idea to date co-workers. She never said she wasn’t interested in me.”

Crossing her arms, Anne shrugged. “She’s being smart about it. We had an ugly breakup between two teachers a few years back, before you came to HMB. The memory for those of us who were here is still pretty fresh and really harsh. I don’t know if I’d date another teacher either. When it goes sour–”

“If, not when. It doesn’t have to go sour.” Usually, he wasn’t one to fish in the work dating pool either, but for Meg, he’d make an exception. She taught history, and she was quiet, smart, and drew him like a magnet. Seeing her was his best reason to show up for staff meetings. He liked being around her, liked her considered approach to every controversy that came up at work. She wasn’t out-spoken and ready to jump into the fray like Anne, but when she offered an opinion, everyone listened. Everything about Meg appealed to Finn. There was huge potential between them, potential for something that could actually last. He knew it, without any doubts.

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Crystal Jordan is originally from California, but has lived all over the United States. Currently, she serves as a librarian at a university in her home state, and she writes contemporary, paranormal, futuristic, and erotic romance. Her publishers have included Kensington Aphrodisia, Harlequin Spice Briefs, Ellora's Cave, and Samhain Publishing.

Links:

Website: http://www.crystaljordan.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/crystaljordan

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CrystalJordanFanPage

Buy links will be added to the book’s page on my website as they become available: http://www.crystaljordan.com/books/vegas-vacation

 Crystal will be awarding 5 digital copies of her backlist story, "All Tangled Up" to randomly drawn commenters during the tour, and a grand prize pack of a copy of "All Tangled Up", a $10 Amazon or BN gift card, and a Vegas-inspired playing card necklace to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Please leave a comment with your email address to participate and make sure you follow the tour for more chances to win!  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/03/virtual-book-blast-tour-vegas-vacation.html 

Playing the Maestro Virtual Book Tour

Playing the Maestro
Maestro Series Book One

Aubrie Dionne

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Entangled Bliss

ISBN: 1622668723

Number of pages: 190

Word Count: 48k

Cover Artist: Jessica Cantor

Barnes and Noble  Amazon

Book Description:

Melody Mires has sworn off dating musicians, but when the sexy European conductor Wolf Braun takes over her struggling symphony, her hesitation almost flies out the window with the notes of her flute—until he opens his mouth. Wolf is arrogant, haughty, and seems to have a personal vendetta against Melody. Oh, and he’s her boss. If she wants to keep her job as principal flutist, she’ll have to impress Wolf while simultaneously keeping her undeniable attraction to herself.

Wolf came to America to get as far away from his past as possible, and to recover some of the swagger he had as one of the world’s best maestros. He never imagined being forced to reassess the entire orchestra’s talent—and potentially fire anyone who doesn’t make his cut. Dating the attractive flutist is out of the question, but as their feelings reach a fever pitch, can they risk both their careers for a chance at love?

Two Quickie Teasers:

"Every one of the musicians she’d dated was the same as her: burned out from practicing to beat the chair ahead of him, teaching five million lessons a day to make ends meet, scrambling for gigs two hours away on the weekends, so involved in a dying art form that he didn’t even know the Bruins were an ice hockey team."


“Why would a flute prodigy from Julliard want this little Civic Symphony seat anyway? Seems to me a girl who played the Mozart G Major concerto in front of the New York Phil at age seven could get a seat in any orchestra. Age seven. When I was seven, the only thing I was playing was pretend flute on my toothbrush.”

About the Author:

Aubrie grew up watching the original Star Wars movies over and over until she could recite and reenact every single scene in her backyard. She also loved The Goonies, Star Trek the Next Generation--favorite character was Data by far--and Indiana Jones. But, her all time favorite movie was The Last Unicorn. She still wonders why the unicorn decided to change back to a unicorn in the end.

Aubrie wrote in her junior high yearbook that she wanted to be "a concert flutist" when she grew up. She majored in flute performance at the University of New Hampshire on a full scholarship, then secured two teaching jobs at a University and a local community music school. While playing in orchestras and teaching, stories popped into her head, and she used them to make the music come alive for her flute students. Her students said they were so good, she had to write them down! Maybe they were right, who knows? Two careers seems to keep her busy. For now.

She is represented by Dawn Dowdle and writes sweet and adventurous fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary romance.

www.authoraubrie.net

http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com

@authoraubrie

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2964057.Aubrie_Dionne

Giveaway! Leave a comment and your email address for a chance to win!

Virtual Book Tour Jessie's War by Meggan Connors

Jessie’s War

by Megan Connors

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

BLURB:

She's about to become a pawn in a brutal game between nations...

The American Civil War has raged for more than ten years. The outcast daughter of a famous inventor, Jessica White has struggled to salvage what little remains of her life. Then, one cold winter night, the lover she'd given up for dead returns, claiming the Union Army bought the plans for her father's last invention. But he's not the only one who lays claim to the device, for the Confederacy wants the invention as well. Both sides will kill to have it.

...And only he can save her.

As an agent for the Union Army, Luke Bradshaw is a man who will use whomever and whatever is at his disposal in order to complete his mission. An attack by Confederate soldiers ensures that Jessie will turn to him for help, but Luke can't help but wonder about the secrets she keeps--and if those secrets will ultimately prove fatal.

Steampunk and Romance

Steampunk and romance are two of my favorite things, and they seem, to me, to be a natural pairing.

When I think of steampunk, I think of a story set in the Victorian era. I grew up in a mining town, one that was built in the Victorian era. I think it shaped our principles, and how the people of my town see the world, even to this day.

There is something inherently wild about the Victorian age. It was a brave new world of scientific discovery, with huge developments and innovations, a time of robber barons and cowboys, when poor Irish lads could show up in a town and leave as millionaires, and a millionaire could wind up broke and penniless. It was a time when the madam of the town brothel often had more influence than the mayor—her funeral was more impressive anyway. Besides, her picture still hangs in one of the local bars. His doesn’t.

So, it’s against that kind of backdrop that steampunks are set. The reality of the Victorian age is just as fascinating as the speculative fiction set in it. When you consider the wildness of the era, put in new technology and perhaps a ghost, a vampire, or some magic, a setting in which the odds are stacked against the characters, how can you avoid romance?

Today’s world is so civilized. Oh, I know we don’t often think so, as connected as we all are, but honestly, we are a pretty civilized lot. We are a world of rules and laws. I think that’s why I crave a wild, unruly setting, where all the rules are broken over and over: it creates excitement. But I also want to think of my characters’ redemptions, as well. Being honest, there is nothing more redeeming than love.

No matter how world-weary or hardened my characters are, they get to show their softer sides when it comes down the romance. And my characters are hardened in the beginning: given the nature of the environment, they’ve had to become that way in order to survive. If I don’t give them something to show the heart that lies beneath the roughened exterior, I risk them becoming unsympathetic.

I’ll admit, I’ve read steampunks that have failed at this. They’ve failed to show me the character’s heart, and I’ve lost interest, because there’s no one to root for. Why should I care about an invincible hero with no soul? Why should I care about an antihero who has no redeeming qualities? But give that antihero a love interest, and suddenly, he becomes someone worth reading about.

Her cheeks heated and she sniffed. “I wouldn’t try the patience of my very generous benefactor, if I were you. I might also mention a bath could make your presence a little more tolerable. You’re lucky I didn’t sic Muha on you.”

Luke looked at the wolf, who thumped her graying tail in eager canine devotion. “You wouldn’t bite me, would you, old girl?” Scratching her head, he caught Jessie’s eye. “See, she still loves me.”

“Well, that’s one of us.”

“Right.” He dug into the pocket of his vest, removed a small, folded envelope, and extended it to her. “I brought you something.”

The paper trembled, and it took Jessie a moment to realize his hands shook.

She folded her hands in her lap. “I don’t want anything from you, except your promise that tomorrow you’ll leave and you won’t come back.”

“Can’t promise you that, but I can give you this.” He shoved the envelope at her.

“Don’t overstay your welcome, Bradshaw.”

“I always do.”

A nervous laugh escaped before she could stop it, and she took the letter from Luke’s outstretched hand. It was well worn and wrinkled, the edges charred, as if it had been rescued from a fire.

She ran her hands over the paper, and she sensed smoke and the heat of flames.

With shaking hands, she opened the envelope. She wasn’t sure what she had expected to find, but it wasn’t this. It wasn’t a photograph and a flood of memories.

Two young men. Union soldiers. Luke, clean-shaven and an older version of the boy she remembered, smiled broadly at the camera, his free arm around the shoulders of the young man standing next to him.

Gideon. His black hair and eyes, skin and high cheekbones showed the native blood he and Jessie shared. His mouth was set in a somber line, but she recognized the mirth in his eyes. Luke had never failed to amuse her brother.

On the bottom of the photograph, written in Gideon’s strong, precise hand, was, Me and Luke. October 28, 1867.

The day he died.

She put the photograph down beside her and turned to the second piece of paper, and her throat tightened as she began to read.

Jessie,

We leave for South Carolina today. Luke and I are assigned to different airships, but we’re both expected to be there by this afternoon. We don’t expect much resistance. There are rumors the Rebs have developed a weapon against our airships, but I’ve been working on something with Pop’s blue silver alloy. If it works, the Rebs will never be able to take us out of the sky. I only wish Luke were on my ship.

Don’t worry about us. Any day now, and we’ll be back where we belong. Luke sends his love. I’ll take care of him for you—don’t you worry. You take care of yourself and Pop.

--Gideon

The letter they’d received from Gideon’s commanding officer had assured her father that her brother had died quickly when his ship had plummeted to the earth and burst into flames. She had pretended to believe the lies for her father’s sake.

She traced Gideon’s words with the tip of her finger, trying to feel some remnant of her brother’s presence in the strong lines of his penmanship. New pain built in her chest when she realized her efforts were futile—his energy wasn’t there. His letter contained his words, but no trace of him.

“I always meant to come back.” Luke’s voice sounded rough. “I walked all the way back to the crash site, looking for him or something of his. I was given this. I’ve carried it ever since. I always meant to give it to you.”

She set the photograph in her lap. She memorized this last image of her brother, dressed as a solider with his best friend by his side.

Luke put his hand on her shoulder.

She flinched. “Don’t. You should have sent this when you found it.”

He dropped his hand. “I wanted to give you the letter in person.”

“Go away.” The words came out strangled.

“Jessie—”

“I wish you had been the one to die that day.”

This one small memento of her brother ripped her open and tore out her heart all over again. The pain was as raw as the day she’d learned of his death.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve wished the exact same thing.”

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Meggan Connors is a wife, mother, teacher and award-winning author who writes primarily historical and steampunk romances. As a history buff with a love of all things historical, she enjoys visiting both major and obscure museums, and reading the histories of the Old West and the British Isles. She makes her home in the Wild West with her lawman husband, two children, and a menagerie of pets. When she's not writing, she can usually be found hiking in the mountains, playing in the snow, or with her nose in a book. Favorite vacation destinations include the sun-kissed hills of California, any place with a castle or a ghost (and both is perfect!), and the windswept Oregon coast.

Links:

Website: www.megganconnors.com

Twitter: @megganconnors

Buy Links:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Jessies-War-Civil-Steam-ebook/dp/B00BWACFE6/ref=la_B00AVGKU4O_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1364249478&sr=1-3

http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=220

Meggan will be awarding a silver pocket watch pendant and a cameo choker, and a signed paperback copy of The Marker, her historical romance to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. (US/CANADA ONLY) Make sure you leave a comment and your email address to enter in the tour wide giveaway!

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/01/virtual-book-tour-jessies-war-by-meggan.html