Carina Press week continues here at Steamed! Don’t forget to comment on each post this week (Tuesday-Friday) for a chance to win a prize pack of all four featured Carina Press Steampunk e-books. We still have other contests going on including a copy of one of Leanna Hieber’s Strangely Beautiful books , a $10 GC to Amazon or B&N, or another swag and book bag from RT.
Today we welcome Carina Press Steampunk Author Marie Harte.
Marie Harte has been writing for as long as she can remember. Interest in the written word, no doubt spawned by her English teacher father, continues to this day. She’s a voracious reader, boggling everything from romance to horror to fantasy and more. She’s in love with the art of putting pen to paper…so to speak. Marie currently has nearly fifty titles with Amber Quill, Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id, Samhain, Total E-Bound and Whispers Publishing. Journeyman’s Ride is available now from Carina Press.
The “Steam” in Steampunk
by Marie Harte
Steampunk is such a great representation for the kind of book I’ve always wanted to write. The rules are vague, the lines confining the genre full of gaps and crumbling mortar. Here, creativity rules.
There are certain tropes when one thinks of steampunk. Goggles, gas lanterns and steam locomotives, for example. Or Victorian ladies running amuck in London trying to avoid dastardly villains, who always seem to have a zeppelin at hand for some nefarious purpose.
The aforementioned are some of the images I envisioned when I heard the word steampunk, and that’s only after I researched the term. I’d heard of cyberpunk, but steampunk? Yet this niche genre is growing, and so are its strictures.
In my story, Journeyman’s Ride, I felt free to create wonderful inventions that shouldn’t exist where steam—and not electricity—is a major source of power. I used a steam locomotive to ground myself in the genre. But take note: the train crashes early on, and my story is set in the West, a growing trend among alternative novels. I didn’t mind going there, as I’m a sucker for a good Western.
I’m also a huge fan of Norse mythology. And cannibals. And mechanical monsters. I love the idea of juxtaposing civilization against raw wilderness, where both environments exist yet neither overrides the other. Where else but in fiction can you find a world teased with civility that isn’t overcome (or tainted) by it?
Ideas swirled, and my story became much more than just a romance with a steampunk backdrop. Was it less steampunk and more fantasy? Too much erotic fiction, not enough danger? Where did I need to draw the line, or did I need to draw one at all?
When is steampunk not so much steampunk?
When does fantasy or creativity test the boundaries of the genre? I honestly don’t know, and I don’t think it’s an easy answer. My book has so many descriptions it’s dizzying. It’s erotic, romantic, Western, steampunk, and contains the mythic element of Norse gods.
All this might seem like a lot to throw into a novella, but it’s all just background. The real story centers on two protagonists who need to resolve conflict and grow together. That they do amidst a retro world that glues together several genres into one anachronistic story is half the fun.
This first foray into steampunk has addicted me, and I plan to delve into this world again in the future. More gods, more steam and gaslight tech, and more romance. I don’t claim to be the foremost authority on steampunk as a genre, but I do know romance. A splash of danger, a hero’s journey, and a rich world are nothing without memorable characters.
I’d like to think I—and my Carina contemporaries—have added to the steampunk experience from a romance perspective. We’ve taken this gaslight/steam world, added a dash of love, and mixed it up to produce adventures that keep a reader turning pages. Sexy, retro, and romantic. Think of it as even more “steam” in your steampunk.
Cheers!
~Marie
www.marieharte.com
http://marieharte.blogspot.com
Journeyman’s Ride now available at Carina Press
What do you think of the intersection of Steampunk and romance? Anything you’d like to see?
Grant prize contest is open internationally. One entry, per person, per blog post during Carina Press week (so, if you comment all four days, you get four entries). Enter by leaving a comment in the comment box. Contest ends May 8, 11:59 PM PST.
I think it’s interesting to call it retro when it’s also ‘fiction-forward’
Hmmm that’s a fun concept 
Again, another great post.. thanks!
Ooh, sounds wonderful. Going to have to check this out!
Fantastic! I’m sorry to say that I haven’t heard of your work before, but I will be sure to check it out now! It sounds right up my alley
I think the intersection of Steampunk and Romance is a perfect mix. Steampunk’s roots as the future-past of Speculative Fiction means it ends up sort of romanticizing anachronistic technology. Mixing that with the tropes of the Romance genre is a perfect fit because you’re able to play with the standard Romance Characters in entirely new and fascinating ways through the intersection of the genre.
Of course steampunk and romance go together! But then, being a romantic at heart, I think romance and just about anything can find a way to go together.
And since steampunk readers range from the hard core to just a little bit of a dirigible is fine, happily there’s something for all of us in this genre.
Love: More steam in your steampunk.
ooo, i’m so curious to see how the of norse gods element figures into this story. cool.
definitely love the steampunk and romance combo as it helps introduce the genre to more women. not too much of a leap either because regency/victorian romances are popular.
I have to say I am more apt to read a romance with steampunk elements than any other kind of genre-bending romances.
I’m going to add this to my list of books to collect. It’s amazing how many people are doing steampunk now.
Raye–I had a hard time trying to find the words to describe steampunk. It’s so much and so hard to pin down, which is what makes it so special, I think.
Mary–hope you like it. It’s light fun, not too angsty or heavy. I’m more into adventure romances with HEAs. (happily-ever-afters)
Jenn–glad to introduce myself! I love romance, and the more outside the box, the better.
Matthew, you hit the nail on the head with “it ends up sort of romanticizing anachronistic technology”. I love the idea of time travel, pieces that don’t quite fit. Yet in steampunk they do. It’s like a room filled with eclectic pieces that shouldn’t work together but do to make a cohesive space. And more and more, books blend genres, romance especially. So steampunk is a natural fit.
vvb–I’ve had a few Norse stories started but always got sidetracked by other projects. Now that the gods are “out of the bag” I’m going for it. I have two more tentative ideas set in the Journeyman world, and a host of other Norse projects I’ll someday get to. While I’ve always loved Greeks and Romans, any god who wields a hammer and runs around in the sky in a chariot led by savage goats has got to be great.
And a one eyed god? Elves? The tree of life? Come on. Classic stuff.
Sounds like a great read. I love the idea of mixing steampunk and romance and maybe seducing a reluctant steampunk reader through the romance;).
Hm, western and norse mythology….
Janel–I’m more apt to read anything with a romance subplot in it. Steampunk just adds that special twist of unpredictability for me.
Clothdragon–yeah, steampunk is becoming a very popular trend now. I remember years ago when I couldn’t buy a paranormal romance in the stories, let alone one about vampires. A few books trickled in, and them whamo. Now you can’t get away from vampires. I really like the creativity of steampunks, so I hope when–not if–the market gets glutted, that special something isn’t wiped out of the genre.
Tina, the West is a favorite of mine. I just love the idea of a guy in a duster having to deal with annoying Norse gods. Only in a steampunk, right?
Marie
This is a nifty essay … confirms my thinking that no such thing as “true” steampunks exists … and I like that
Haha, I’m all for anything with romance as a main/subgenre, so bring on the steampunk romance! It’s a wonderful combination! How much better can you get??? It’s like milk and cookies!!!!!!
Thanks, Goatcenter. Interesting name, by the way.
Would be a terrific character name for a steampunk story. Just sayin’…
And Noah, I’m with you. But I’d caveat milk and cookies and chocolate. Because chocolate, like steampunk, seems to go well with everything.
Marie