Halloween Author Invasion Day #8 — Happy Halloween with Jeanne Stein

Happy Halloween! Today is the very last day of the Halloween Author Invasion. I hope everyone had a good time and thank you for helping to make the event a success. A few contests are still open.

To end our festivities we welcome Urban Fantasy Author Jeanne Stein, author of the Anna Strong bounty hunter vampire series. She’ll be giving away two books to a lucky poster, a copy of her latest book Chosen and a copy of Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker.

Jeanne Stein is the bestselling author of the Urban Fantasy series, The Anna Strong Chronicles. She lives in Denver where she is active in the writing community, belonging to Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. In 2008 she was named RMFW’s Writer of the Year and last year, her character, Anna Strong, received a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Urban Fantasy Protagonist. The sixth in the Anna Strong series, Chosen, will be released in August 2010. She has numerous short story credits, as well. The most recent, The Ghost of Leadville, is included in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance, Vol. II. (Running Press Books) and Elizabeth and Anna’s Big Adventure included in A Girl’s Guide to Guns and Monsters (DAW Books). She is also one of the editor’s of RMFW’s award-winning anthology, Broken Links, Mended Lives.

Happy Halloween
by Jeanne Stein

Thanks to the Lolitas of Steamed for inviting me though I find it odd to be posting on Halloween on a steam punk blog!! For two reasons, actually. I don’t write steampunk though I love the ideas and love to read it. The second reason is that I’ve never been a big fan of Halloween.

Oh, when I was a kid, we did the costumes and trick or treat thing. And in high school there were the parties. In college, I was much too “serious” a student to join a sorority. I was engaged to a military man so campus life for me consisted of attending classes and the occasional civil rights demonstration (this was the sixties, after all).

Then it was onto life on various military posts. Again, there were parties, but I can’t ever remember wearing a costume to one. When I had my daughter, we did fun things with her. But in the way of the world, she grew up and wanted to do her own Halloween things with her own friends.

So it was back to ignoring the holiday.

Then I started writing vampire stories. In formulating one story line, I discovered that Halloween had an interesting history rich in plot possibilities. What was that history?

1. Present day Halloween traditions can be traced to the ancient Celtic Day of the Dead.

2. Wearing costumes and giving out food were protection from, and an offering to, the souls of the dead, believed to be out and about on that day. Dressing like fairies, witches and demons and performing antics in exchange for food is the genesis of trick or treating.

3. The customs of bobbing for apples and carving pumpkins go back even further to the holiday of Samhain (pronounced sah-ween), a celebration of the harvest.

4. Samhain was the biggest and most important holiday of the Celtic year. It was the day the souls of those who had died during the year traveled into the otherworld. People sacrificed animals, fruits and vegetables and lit bonfires to aid the dead on their journey and keep them away from the living.

5. Christian missionaries were responsible for changing the practices of the Celtic people. In 601 AD, they assigned November 1st as All Saints Day, a substitute for Samhain, to replace the Celtic’s own holiday. But Samhain never died out completely. The evening before was (and is) still celebrated as the day of the traveling dead.

Of course, I’ve simplified and abbreviated the history. There’s a wealth of information on line if you want to learn more. The point is on October 31st, the dead are thought to be able to walk the earth. I used it as the chance for a witch to call up a demon. There are countless other possibilities.

Halloween takes on a much more exotic and dangerous element if you look at it as an ancient people once did. Maybe that’s why I’ve never liked the holiday. The little kiddies in the cute witch or devil costumes look harmless. But what about the adult in that Jason mask? Or that spooky figure dressed up like a demon? This is the one night of the year that you can’t always trust your eyes.

So, how about you? Do you love Halloween? Do you dress up and set those inhibitions free? What costume have you worn that was (or is) your absolute favorite? Or are you like me, sulking in the dark on Halloween, lights out, waiting for the night to be over? Send a comment and you might win a prize (treat, not trick). I’m offering a signed copy of Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker (because this is a steampunk blog, after all) and to tempt you to the dark side, a copy of Chosen, my newest vampire novel.

~Jeanne Stein
http://www.jeannestein.com/

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Halloween Author Invasion Day #7–Ednah Walters talks about Guardians and Demons

Two more days left of the Steamed! Halloween Author Invasion. Tomorrow we have Urban Fantasy Author Jeanne Stein. Thank you so much for helping to make this a success. Have you checked to see if you’ve won? If you haven’t, you still have a few more days to win!

Today we welcome Debut YA Author Ednah Walters. Her book Awakened is available now. One lucky poster will win a signed copy of Awakened and bookmark, and a set of Halloween nailpolish–some glow in the dark (US only please).

Most teens turn sixteen and get the license to drive, Lil Falcon gets the license to kill demons, but someone forgot to tell her not to fall in love with one.

Orphaned as a child and raised by her grandfather, Lil Falcon is concerned with navigating her new high school and is unaware she’s a descendant of the Nephilim, a race of beings with super powers tasked with protecting humanity from the demons who threaten it. But when she meets Bran, his psi energy unlocks her latent abilities and opens her eyes to what she is, a Guardian.

But Bran has a secret and befriending him sends Lil down a dangerous path that will either destroy her or make her stronger

 

Guardians and demons, their origin and how to get rid of a Lazarus/smoke demon.

By Ednah Walters

Nephilim, children of the Fallen Angels

You may know them as the Fallen Angels, the Watchers or Gregori, depending on your book of choice (Holy Bible—Genesis 6:2; The Book of Enoch and Jubilees—other editions of the Bible), but we know that these heavenly beings fell in love with “the daughters of men” and gave rise to a new breed of beings called the Nephilim.  The Fallen Angels passed on their amazing powers and vast knowledge to their children, from the ability to control minds to shape-shifting, distort perception of things and teleport to foretell the future and time-travel.  Some could even manipulate the elements—fire, water, wind and earth

Beings with godlike powers, or part human and part god, are found in many ancient worlds.  Titans and demigods, Pharaohs and Rakshasa in Hindus and Buddhist mythology.  Some were good and some were evil.

According to the Holy Bible, God decided to destroy the Nephilim strain that had entered the human gene pool by sending the floods.  Noah’s family was spared because they were pure and untainted.  Gen. 6:4 says that: “There were Nephilim in the earth in those days (in the days of Noah); and also after that.  In other words, some remained after the flood.  And so the story of the Nephilim continues with the Guardians.

The Guardians

The Guardians are the good descendants of the Nephilim.  The Neterus subgroup look like you and me, the were-nephils are shape-shifters who can sprout wings and fly or take a form that’s part-human and part-animal, the Nosferatu are the fanged ones and only hunt at night.   But they all carry on the tradition their forefathers, the Watchers/Grigori/Fallen-Angels, were sent on earth to do.  They watch over humans by killing demons that want to destroy humanity.

 

Since the demons they fight have similar powers and abilities like them (and physically look like them), the Cardinal Guardians train in martial arts and weaponry.  They are faster and more organized.  They have a system in place that works, from the teens attending your local high school and learning how to interact and speak like human teens, but secretly train after school and in the summer, to the Civilian Guardians who supply them with funds, information and cover.  The Civilians can be anybody, your doctor, the lawyer down the street, a cop, your teacher or even your local librarian.  Their existence is the best-kept secret in the cosmos.

 

Human Guardians?

The Guardians live among us, they look like us, fall in love, get married and have children.  Some fall in love with humans and sacrifice a lot to marry them.  Children from their union can either have more human traits or more Nephil traits.  You’ll know if one of your parents is a Guardian when you turn 16 and start to hear voices or teleport across town in your pjs and think you were sleep-walking.  If that happens, tell your parents.  If they rush you to the nearest shrink, honey, you were adopted!!!!  Put a help-ad in the local newspaper with a sketch of the Guardian amulet—a six-sided star inside a circle and a green stone at the core of the star.  A Guardian will come and take you to their enclave.

Halloween and Demons

Halloween is fast approaching and it is impossible to differentiate between a demon and a human wearing a costume.  If you’re giving out candies at the door, remember, they can’t come inside unless you invite them.  Watch out for their trickery though.  They will find a way to manipulate you.  If you’re out trick-o-treating, beware of two distinct demon scents.  The sulphur smell associated with the Lazari or smoke demons.  The sickly sweet scent of the nature-benders, you know the ones behind natural disasters.  I’d advise you to carry plenty of salt this year.  Since the death of a certain demoness, the Lazari population has tripled on earth.  The purity of salt crystals will repel them, but a direct spill of salt into the eyes of a Lazarus demon in human form can send her or him straight to Tartarus.  If in smoke form, whip that salt shaker like a feather duster and get the heck out of there.  The Lazari travel in packs and some ignore the rules.

~Ednah
http://www.ednahwalters.com

To learn more about Ednah’s Guardians and Demons check out Awakened.

What would you do if you met a demon?

One lucky poster will win a signed copy of Awakened and bookmark, and a set of Halloween nailpolish–some glow in the dark (US only please).

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Halloween Author Invasion Day #6 — Maggie Shayne’s Halloween

We posted more winners — is it you?

It’s Day #6 of the Halloween Author Invasion. We’re still going strong with great authors blogging through Halloween and giving out prizes every day.

October 29 — Paranormal Romance Author Maggie Shayne
October 30 — Young Adult Author Ednah Walters
October 31 — Urban Fantasy Author Jeanne Stein

Today we have Paranormal Romance Author Maggie Shayne–and she has three amazing prizes to give away!

New York Times Bestselling author Maggie Shayne will be releasing her 50th full length novel, KILL ME AGAIN, this summer. Her stories span the genre, from westerns, to romantic suspense, to tales of the spiritual and paranormal, and just about everything in between. She’s a recipient of the RITA Award, the romance fiction industry’s most prestigious prize, and has won countless others. Maggie’s “Twilight” series of vampire novels, officially known as Wings in the Night, began in 1993 with a TWILIGHT PHANTASIES from Silhouette Shadows. She’s still penning novels in this series with two new stories due out next year. In addition, her new romantic suspense trilogy, “The Secrets of Shadow Falls” was just released in July, August and September.

Maggie Shayne’s Halloween

I think Halloween is my favorite holiday, and not just because I’m a card carrying modern-day Witch (although that certainly enters into it.) But it’s also because it comes during my favorite season, Autumn, and while All Hallows arrives long after the glorious foliage has passed its peak in my neck of the woods, I still associate it with that breathtaking beauty.

But it’s also everything else the holiday represents that makes me love it, not the least of which is the chocolate. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Halloween descends from the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced “SOW-en.”) Samhain was the final of the three harvest festivals, and it marked the end of the planting, growing, and reaping seasons. The final harvest didn’t just include fruits and veggies. It included meat, and so it was a time associated with slaughtering the animals raised for that purpose, which is part of where it gets its association with death. In fact, the full moon of October is most often known as the Blood Moon (also the Hunter’s moon.) The more widely known Harvest Moon is the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox, and the Blood Moon is the one that follows.)

The other source of Halloween’s link to death is that it’s one of the two times during the year when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is perceived to be at its thinnest. (The other is May 1, or Bealtainne. In spring, however, the veil is seen to be more the one between the world of humans and the land of the Fay, of nature spirits and the like.) Communication and even travel between the worlds is said to be easiest at these times.

In days of old, families would hold a Dumb-Supper, a feast with places set for the beloved dead who had passed during the previous year. The meal was eaten in silence as the living communed with and listened for messages from those ghostly guests.

I hasten to add, the actual date of Samhain is the day that falls precisely halfway between the Autumnal Equinox, and the Winter Solstice. It’s never on October 31st, but usually the first week in November. This year it’s November 7th, in the USA.

We all know the stories of how trick-or-treating and jack-o-lanterns originated. Offerings were usually left outside the door for any spirits that might be wandering the world on Samhain night, the idea being that the treats would placate them so they wouldn’t play any tricks on the residents, or try to get inside. If the treats failed, the Jack-o-lantern, carved into a turnip, not a pumpkin, would surely frighten the spirits off. And if nothing else worked, why wearing a mask would surely do the trick. Make the spirits think you’re one of them. Then they surely won’t haunt you!

But how do modern day witches celebrate Samhain?

Well, I’ll tell you a few of the ways I do.
First, if there are any herbs, fruits or vegetables still out in the fields, I spend the weeks prior to Samhain getting them in. Old lore says anything left out on Samhain night is likely to be tainted by gremlins. So I gather my mint and rosemary and sage, apples from the trees on my lawn, and any wild weeds I want to store for winter use, before Samhain.

I will most likely hold a solitary, quiet ritual in my temple room, during which I’ll sit in quiet meditation, speaking to, and listening carefully for messages from my own beloved dead.

I’ll spend a lot of time making lists of the blessings I’ve received during the past year, and spending time in blissful appreciation of each of them. And during my Samhain ritual, I’ll give thanks more formally. Samhain was a time of feasting on the recent harvest, and probably the pre-curser to our modern day Thanksgiving. Although the Autumnal Equinox is also a day for giving thanks among Pagans. So I’ll be spending lots of time giving thanks and taking stock of all I’ve gained during the year that has just passed.

I’ll spend a great deal of time on divination, because the powers that fuel such efforts are at their peak during Autumn, and at Samhain in particular. Tarot readings tend to be my forte, though I have a crystal ball I’ve been wanting to spend more time with. So I’ll be doing many readings during the days leading up to Samhain and on the day itself. I’ll be asking many questions about the future, and the nature of being, and carefully recording the answers I receive.

Shamanic journeying too, ought to be most potent during these thin-veil nights. So I’ll be putting in some time on that, as well, and making notes and filling journals will all the insights I bring back from the Otherworlds with me.

During the Month of October everything has deeper meaning to me. The dreams I have at night, the shapes I see in the clouds, the animals that appear on my walks outside, the odd thoughts that pop into my mind out of nowhere, the ideas I get for stories. The veil is thin. The curtain is parting. The illusion that is our world becomes so transparent that we get brief, tantalizing glimpses of what’s really true. The stuff that’s coming through is not to be ignored.

To fully appreciate the energies of Samhain, you might want to create your own little holiday ritual. Here are the simple ritual steps most working Witches use.

1. Cleanse and Consecrate the ritual area.
This is done by walking in a clockwise circle around the ritual area with some cleansing incense burning, such as sage or rosemary. Wave the smoke with your hands and imagine it purifying the space of any negative vibe, leaving only peaceful, pure positive energy behind.

2. Cast the circle.
Again, move clockwise around your ritual area, holding your hand out to project an invisible beam of energy, forming a circle. Move around the circle for a second time, imaging that ring rising up above and below, forming a bubble around the area, surrounding you. Move around a third time, adding substance to that bubble, your mind focused on it being sacred space, where nothing bad can enter, and where the energy you raise is contained until you’re ready to release it.

3. Honor the four directions, give thanks, and leave offerings.
This is yet another part of the rite that is observed by Shamans of every ilk. Move to the north, imagine its energy. It is snow, ice, cold, hard. It is rock and the planet earth. It is the depth of winter and midnight, and the rest of death itself. Open your arms and honor the North. Thank it for its gifts stability, of rest and repose, of the abundance of the Earth. Leave an offering of gift for the North, blow it a kiss, and move on.
Move to the East. It is springtime, and youth and newborn life, and the air we breathe. It is new growth, sprouts and twigs and breezes and yellows and birds. It is rebirth. Open your arms and honor the East. Thank it for its gifts of intellect, muses, the written word, language, inspiration, and travel. For the freshness of rebirth, and all gifts of air. Leave it an offering, blow it a kiss, and move on.
Move to the South. It is summer and fire and passion and energy, red and orange and vitality and life and sex and richness. Open your arms and honor the South. Thank it for the gifts of passion in your live, for your energy, your strength, your creative fire. Leave it a gift and move on.
Move to the West. It is autumn, and harvest, and the ocean. It is age and wisdom and transformation. It is emotion and love and all things watery. Open your arms and honor the West. Thank it for the harvest, for the abundance in your life, and for your heart and your love. Leave it an offering and move on.
Move to the center. It is the the place of spirit, and it is the Tree of life. Above is the abode of the Gods, and Below, the land of the dead, and the ancestors. It is the place of magick. Open your arms and honor the center. Thank it for your connection to your higher self (above) and your subconscious (below), and your ancestors and your own inner magick. Leave an offering, and then move on.

Sit quietly, and perform any divinations you may feel moved to do, or just meditate and see if any information comes to you. Speak to those who’ve passed if you wish. Listen to what they say.

When you feel ready, open your eyes, ground yourself back in the physical world. Rise and thank the center, say goodbye. Move to the west, and do the same. Then to the South, and then the East, and then finally the North. You’ll note you move counter clockwise this time.

Walk once more, counterclockwise around your circle, hand extended, taking back the energy with which you created your bubble, returning the room to being just a room. And then kneel and press your palms to the floor to let the energy you’ve gathered “ground” there.

Be sure to get something to eat immediately after. And don’t go in swimming for at least an hour. 😉

For more information on Halloween traditions, I strongly recommend HALLOWEEN by Silver Ravenwolf.

And from me this season, look for re-prints of my vamps:

TWILIGHT HUNGER- October

EDGE OF TWILIGHT- November

BLUE TWILIGHT- December

All in preparation for my three NEW vampire titles in 2011.

Tune in at www.maggieshayne.com for the premier of my new vampire video on October 31st!

Happy Halloween!

Maggie
www.maggieshayne.com

How are you going to celebrate Halloween? Three lucky commenters are going to win a tarot card reading via email with Maggie!

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More Winners!!!

Yes, we have more winners! Thank you so much everyone for making the Halloween Authur Invasion such a success. Keep tuning in through October 31st for more prizes and great Halloween-themed posts.

First we have the winner of a copy of Inara Scott’s Delcroix Academy: The Candidates:

drumroll please

~*~*~*Sarahv*~*~*~

Next we have a copy of Drink of Me by Jacquelyn Frank

drumroll please

*~*~*Candace*~*~*

Congrats!  Please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail to claim your prize. 

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Halloween Author Invasion Day #5 — Simone Elkeles and “The Scary House”

Welcome back for day #5 of the Steamed! Author Invasion. We hope you’re having a good time with all the great Halloween posts and prizes. Keep coming back every day through Halloween for more great stuff.

October 28 — Young Adult Author Simone Elkeles
October 29 — Paranormal Romance Author Maggie Shayne
October 30 — Young Adult Author Ednah Walters
October 31 — Urban Fantasy Author Jeanne Stein

Today we welcome YA Author Simone Elkeles, who’s written seven books for teens including How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, Leaving Paradise, and Perfect Chemistry. She’ll be giving away a copy of one of her books to one lucky poster–your choice!

Simone Elkeles is the NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of over seven teen romance novels. She has won various awards and recognition for her books, including the coveted RITA award from the Romance Writers of America for her book Perfect Chemistry and being named Author of the Year by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English. She was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. Simone writes about teens because she was a teen in the 80’s (when spiked hair and blue eye shadow were “rad”) and she loves writing about those exciting teen relationships and romances.

The Scary House
by Simone Elkeles

Halloween is fun for kids, but do you remember “the scary house?” You know, the one you and your friends were afraid to go ring the doorbell because they might actually make you close your eyes and reach into a bowl of “eyeballs” in order to get your “treat?”

We had one of those houses in my neighborhood where I grew up. I can’t say I ever had the nerve to actually ring the doorbell. I just stood by the sidewalk all bug-eyed hearing the nervous chatter and fear coming from the kids who were brave enough to venture to the door and say “trick or treat” without knowing what was to come next.

I like my candy to come easy. Go to door, say, “Trick or treat!”, reach inside a huge bowl and pick my favorite choice. Then say, “Thank you!” and I’m on to the next house. It’s the no-hassle, no-fear Halloween for me.

Now that I’m a mom myself, I take my kids trick-or-treating in my neighborhood every year. Lo and behold, we have “the scary house” in my neighborhood, too. (it’s even dubbed “the scary house” all year long by every kid in school). But my neighbors (who I don’t know personally) have taken scary to the next level. The adults recruit their friends and they all dress up in scary costumes. They stand or lay down scattered on the lawn…one is laying inside an open casket (you don’t know he’s alive until you get close and he suddenly reaches out for you and freaks you out)…one is dressed as the Grim Reaper with a very real-looking weapon…one with fake blood dripping down his face with a real chainsaw buzzing.

I laugh when the young kids clutch their parents on the sidewalk. Most trick-or-treaters actually cross the street to avoid “the scary house”. Then you get “the brave trick-or treaters” – the older kids who puff up their chest and mock these dressed-up adults. They say these parents can’t scare them with a ten foot pole no matter how scary they look…well, until The Grim Reaper and Chainsaw Guy slowly start following them to the next house, and the next…those “fearless” kids run like heck away, screaming and laughing because they truly are scared…and they know next year they’ll try again.

If you’re brave enough to reach the front door (after passing yet another “corpse” who reaches out at you or witch who says you’re the perfect specimen for her next stew – they do have a big black pot of boiling water with smoke coming out of it), they have a plethora of great candy in a bowl to choose from since few people actually reach the front door.

I never went up to the scary house in my neighborhood when I was a kid. Now I’m older and know better. Nobody is going to hurt me. Nobody is going to hurt my kids. I laugh at the other scared trick-or-treaters…of course I do it at a very safe distance on the other side of the street.

Do you have “the scary house” in your neighborhood? Are you living in “the scary house?” Got any pictures to share?

~Simone Elkeles
www.simoneelkeles.net

One lucky commenter will win their choice of one of Simone’s books!

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Winners of SCOUNDREL, FORGIVE MY FINS, and the $10 Amazon GC

We have some winners to announce!

First we’ll announce the winner of Zoë Archer’s SCOUNDREL.

drumroll please

Alicia

Next the winner of Tera Lynn Child’s FORGIVE MY FINS

drumroll please

Garrett

Finally, the $10 GC from Amazon courtsey of Charlene Sands

drumroll please

Blanche

Please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail so I can get you your prizes.  Thank you for visiting Steamed!

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Halloween Author Invasion Day #4 — All Steamed up with Jacquelyn Frank

Welcome back for day #4 of the Author Invasion. Come back every day this week for another great author and a chance to win.

October 27 — Paranormal Romance Author Jacquelyn Frank
October 28 — Young Adult Author Simone Elkeles
October 29 — Paranormal Romance Author Maggie Shayne
October 30 — Young Adult Author Ednah Walters
October 31 — Urban Fantasy Author Jeanne Stein

Are you a winner? We put up the winners of Zoe Archer’s SCOUNDREL, Tera Lynn Child’s FORGIVE MY FINS and the $10 Amazon GC from Charlene Sands.

Today we welcome Paranormal Romance Author Jacquelyn Frank. Her latest release DRINK OF ME came out yesterday! She’s the NYT bestselling author of several paranormal romance series including The Nightwalkers, the Shadowellers, and The Gathers.

I’m all STEAMED! up!
by Jacquelyn Frank

Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you this is my ultimate favorite holiday of the year. Not just because I am a Wiccan. I was a Halloween phreak long before I was a legitimate witch.  (BTW I brought my altar out into the public areas of the house and it really looks cool…albeit far cleaner than it normally looks when it is more privately located in my bedroom. I’ll bet my housekeeper never thought she’d have a job dusting a crystal ball…) This is me in costume this year! Guess who I am? Elizabeth Bennet! Of course! This was taken at the Authors After Dark convention this year in New Jersey. I know, EB doesn’t wear glasses…but otherwise I was all authentic!

So it makes me very happy to have a ‘Halloween’ release. DRINK OF ME comes out October 26^th and I am really excited about this story.

It’s set in an alternate world, something very like steampunk but without the steam and less Victorian more Edwardian. The Sánge (SAHN-jeh) people have limited electricity and rudimentary gadgets, sort of pre-industrial…perhaps right on the cusp. They are more concerned with survival than they are making things easier on themselves, and after all that is what any sort of industrialization is all about. The story’s main focus is about the ruler of the Sánge people who must make his way in a world where his people are reviled and shunned for what they consider barbaric practices…oh, you know…little things…like the drinking of blood…muhhahahaha!

The story is actually very sweet and sexy, about two unlikely people crossing paths in unlikely ways…and somehow it all makes sense in the end. But it puts me in mind of the way so many things in this world that people do are not tolerated…or weren’t at one time, but now they are. That includes my Wiccan religion…or any religion if you think about it. After all, those Christians did get fed to those lions. Tolerance is a word we hear a lot of, throw about trying to make ourselves sound wise, or are trying to get ourselves elected to office (eye roll). But how many of us can say we truly practice tolerance in all areas of our lives? The Sánge are reviled…oh, except when other cultures want to buy that grain they grow so well…or want to sell them things. Money forces acceptance in their case, but as we see the world from the Sánge perspective, we find they are in some ways far better than we are when it comes to loyalty, family, and honorable behavior.

Anyway, thanks Suzanne for letting me visit here at STEAMED! Come visit me over at my website. Feel free to write. Meanwhile, I’ll give a free copy of DRINK OF ME to someone who comments on this blog post today 🙂 Suz gets to pick!

~Jacki
http://www.jacquelynfrank.com

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Halloween Author Invasion Day #3 — Kick-Ass Halloween Costumes

Welcome back for day #3 of the Halloween Author Invasion. Come back every day for a new Halloween blog post and a new chance to win a great prize.

October 26 — Young Adult Author Inara Scott
October 27 — Paranormal Romance Author Jacquelyn Frank
October 28 — Young Adult Author Simone Elkeles
October 29 — Paranormal Romance Author Maggie Shayne
October 30 — Young Adult Author Ednah Walters
October 31 — Urban Fantasy Author Jeanne Stein

Today our blog is invaded by paranormal YA author Inara Scott. She’s talking about Kick-Ass Halloween Costumes and giving away a copy of her book Delcroix Academy: The Candidates.

Inara Scott is the author of Delcroix Academy: The Candidates, a young adult paranormal mystery featuring a kick-ass heroine who would much rather be blowing things up than working on her makeup. You can find her at www.inarascott.com, and on Twitter and Facebook. Don’t worry, there aren’t other Inara Scotts out there. You’ll find her.

Kick Ass Halloween Costumes
by Inara Scott

If you’ve visited a costume shop recently, you’ve no doubt realized that adult women are supposed to be “sexy” on Halloween. Almost everything I saw on the rack took a seemingly normal outfit and added the word sexy in front of it to make it a Halloween costume. Sexy police officer! Sexy cheerleader! Sexy nurse! Sexy Eskimo! (Seriously, sexy Eskimo? Are you kidding me? When’s the last time whale blubber and long underwear were sexy?)

Now, here’s the thing: I love dressing up and I love costumes. Seeing the little girls dressed up like faeries and princesses is one of my favorite parts of Halloween. I even enjoy getting a little princess-ey myself when the occasion presents itself. I don’t have a tiara, but I have been known to wear high heels and show a little cleavage when I’m going out with the hubby on date night. So I have nothing against pretty, sexy costumes. But sexy without creativity doesn’t do it for me. And I’d like a little variety, okay? And if it isn’t too much to ask, I’d like to see some “kick-ass” in front of some of those outfits, instead of just sexy.

I think this must appeal to all you steampunkers, because if one thing defines steampunk, it is definitely kick-ass.

Am I right?

I thought so. 🙂

I’d like us all to muse for a moment on what it would mean if Halloween costumes for women were all about the kick-ass. Kick-ass nurse. Kick-ass cheerleader. Kick-ass Eskimo. I think, first of all, you’d have to raise the neckline on these outfits, because it would be very hard to focus on ass kicking while falling out of your top.

Next step, let’s see some real weapons, okay? Give that Eskimo a nice long spear, the cheerleader could use a brass knuckle tucked into her pom-poms, and the nurse? Well, it makes me shudder, but there’s a lot of damage to be done with a syringe.

Now for footwear. You’ve got your boots ready, right? I want to see something stomp-worthy here. No slippers or heels (unless they are razor sharp and ready for action). I want to see Doc Martins, combat boots, and lots of leather and laces.

Finally, let’s talk for a minute about color. I’m okay with the occasional pink, but let’s mix it up a little. This Halloween let’s go bold; channel your inner Wonder Woman and find some red, blue and gold. While we’re on the subject, a pair of indestructible bracelets and lasso of truth might be in order. But make sure that leotard isn’t going fall off if you raise your arms above your head, okay? Thanks.

So, to repeat: this Halloween let’s just say no to sexy nurses and head straight for the superheroes. I want to see weapons, boots, and bold colors. No weenies need apply.

~Inara Scott
www.inarascott.com

What superhero would you like to dress up as one day? One lucky poster wins a copy of Delcroix Academy: The Candidates.

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Halloween Author Invasion Day #2 — Ghoulish Legends of the Old West or How to Get Rid of a Ghost!

Welcome back to day two of the Steamed! Halloween Author Invasion. Don’t forget to come back each day for a new Halloween-themed post and a chance to win another great treat.

October 25 — Contemporary Romance Author Charlene Sands
October 26 — Young Adult Author Inara Scott
October 27 — Paranormal Romance Author Jacquelyn Frank
October 28 — Young Adult Author Simone Elkeles
October 29 — Paranormal Romance Author Maggie Shayne
October 30 — Young Adult Author Ednah Walters
October 31 — Urban Fantasy Author Jeanne Stein

Today we welcome Charlene Sands who’s talking about ghosts and giving away a $10 Amazon gift card! Her newest release is the novella “Wearing the Rancher’s Ring” in the Christmas anthology Western Winter Wedding Bells out now from Harlequin Historicals.

Cooper Garnett is shot and left for dead near Double J Ranch when widow Rachel Bodine comes to his aid. Could his unexpected arrival be the best Christmas gift ever— a second-chance family for Rachel and her little son?

Charlene Sands is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary and historical romances. She the recipient of the National Reader’s Choice Award and double recipient of the Booksellers’ Best Award. She’s a member of the Orange County Chapter and the Los Angeles Chapter of RWA. You can visit her website and enter her Western Winter Wedding Bells Contest at www.charlenesands.com

Ghoulish Legends of the Old West or How to Get Rid of a Ghost!
By Charlene Sands

The Legends

William Bodey discovered gold in a place that’s now called Bodie’s Bluff, just east of the Sierra Nevada slopes close to where my story takes place in Wearing the Rancher’s Ring, from the anthology Western Winter Wedding Bells. It is said that an illiterate sign painter changed the name to Bodie by mistake, but others contend it was merely changed for easier pronunciation.

By 1879, Bodie’s population grew to 10,000, with 65 saloons, 2,000 buildings and many brothels and opium dens. Crime prevailed in this city of lawlessness and killings were an every day occurrence. By the 1940’s Bodie became a Ghost Town when the mine played out and many ghostly legends abounded.

The Bodie Curse states that if anyone takes anything even as small as a pebble from the grounds, that person is “cursed” and bad luck and misfortune will follow them. Apparently the ghosts of Bodie protect this historic site as Park Rangers have filled logbooks of returned items.

The town also reports many restless spirits. The J.S Cain House on the corner of Park and Green seems to be haunted by a Chinese maid, who doesn’t like adults, but loves children. Adults have woken up at night to find a heavyset woman crushing their chest. One woman fought so hard against this unseen weight that she fell off the bed.

The Gregory House is haunted by an old woman. Many guests and staff have witnessed her knitting an afghan or have seen a chair rocking by itself.

The Mendocini House is reported to be haunted by friendly ghosts. Mrs. Mendocini loved cooking and Rangers have reported flavorful Italian aromas coming from the house. Others have heard children’s laughter emanating from the room next door.

Apparently, these Bodie visitors didn’t know these rules…

How To Get Rid of a Ghost:

• The easiest way to get rid of a ghost is to simply ask it to leave. Use a firm voice and tell the ghost exactly what you want and why. You might say something like this: “This is my house and it bothers me when you are around all the time. Would you please leave?” Remember, the physical world is your domain and ghosts rarely have any power in the physical world.

• Ghosts don’t always know that they are dead. You may have to explain to them that they are dead, that they no longer belong in the physical world and will be better off if they move toward the light.
• Sometimes you may have to ask what the spirit wants. This is often the case with someone who has recently passed over who may be attempting to communicate to you about something. Afterwards, they are happy to leave.

• Use your imagination to “see” loved ones, angels, or guides coming to
take them to the light.

Do Not:

• When telling the ghost to “go away”, do not yell or sound angry.

• Do not give the spirit recognition by talking about it in your home, or maybe avoid talking about it all together. This provides the spirit with energy, making it more powerful.

• Try not to show fear. It is your home and the spirit can generally do you no harm. Fear can also provide the spirit with energy.

• DO NOT use Ouija boards, Tarot cards, séances, or witchcraft when dealing with anything that is supernatural. These items may actually increase spiritual activity and/or “open doors” that invite demonic and other unwanted spirits.

Have you ever had any ghostly encounters? No? Have your visited a ghost town or any place that is considered haunted? How about a favorite book or movie about ghosts and ghouls? In the spirit of Halloween treat giving, one lucky commenter today will receive a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card. So, tell us your tales …

~Charlene Sands
www.charlenesands.com

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Halloween Author Invasion Day #1 — Mer World Halloween

Grab your goggles and pumpkin-shaped candy buckets, the Steamed! Halloween Author Invasion has arrived! Are you ready to be invaded?

We have an amazing lineup for you this week Stop by every day to read a new Halloween-themed blog post and a new chance to win a special “treat”:

October 24 — Young Adult Author Tera Lynn Childs
October 25 — Contemporary Romance Author Charlene Sands
October 26 — Young Adult Author Inara Scott
October 27 — Paranormal Romance Author Jacquelyn Frank
October 28 — Young Adult Author Simone Elkeles
October 29 — Paranormal Romance Author Maggie Shayne
October 30 — Young Adult Author Ednah Walters
October 31 — Urban Fantasy Author Jeanne Stein

To kick off our Halloween Author Invasion we welcome young adult author Tera Lynn Childs who’s latest series is about mermaids. She’ll be giving away a copy of her book Forgive My Fins.

Tera Lynn Childs is the award-winning author of the mythology-based Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp, the mermaid tales Forgive My Fins and Fins Are Forever (coming June 28, 2011) and a new trilogy about monster-hunting descendants of Medusa (Fall 2011). Tera lives nowhere in particular and has spent time fleeing hurricanes, making character profiles on MySpace, blogging on her own and with the Buzz Girls, and writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages.

Mer World Halloween

As the human world prepares for the most exciting of holidays, there are Halloween preparations taking place under the sea, too. Mer grown-ups are creating haunted sea houses and organizing big spooky parties. Mer kiddies are planning their costumes and getting giddy at the prospect of a trick-or-treating sugar rush. Although both the mer and human worlds celebrate this holiday, there are some distinct differences in the festivities.

Costumes

While some little mer girls dress in traditional human costumes, like witches and fairies, and mer boys enjoy pretending to be ghosts and superheroes, there are some unique costumes in the underwater world. A favorite for mer girls is the Oceanista doll costume, the mer world equivalent of a Barbie doll. They might also go as an octopus, a parrotfish, or a clump of seaweed. For mer boys, they like scary costumes as much as their human counterparts. Popular mer boy costumes include great white sharks, jellyfish, and the sea god Poseidon. Among the most creative costumes are the mer boy who dressed as a shipwreck and the mer girl who went as the Marianas Trench.

Jack-O’-Lanterns

Since pumpkins don’t grow underwater, mer folk have come up with a clever alternative for making their jack-o’-lanterns. In kitchens through the underwater world, palace chefs and home cooks alike stir up a mixture of sugar paste, ground seaweed, and orange food coloring to create an edible, moldable, carvable clay. Once the clay is formed into a pumpkin shape—either freehand or using a mold readily available at any underwater kitchen supply store—and allowed to harden, it perfectly resembles a pumpkin. A scary face is carved into the sugar pumpkin, bioluminescent lighting creates an inner glow, and then, when the festivities are over, the family breaks the pumpkin apart for an extra sugary treat.

Candy

Like on land, the real appeal of an underwater Halloween is the candy haul that mer kids gather on a long night of trick or treating. Most land-made goodies would dissolve away in water—exceptions include cinnamon fire balls and those gold foil-wrapped pirate coins—so the mer world has a special selection of candy for their loot bags. One of the oldest is sugared seahorses—not made from real seahorses, of course, but from sugar paste in seahorse shaped molds. There are also gummy jellyfish, mini Mer Magic candy bars, and rock sugar seashells. But the whirlaway favorite, time and again, is the line of collectible candy sushi. The varieties vary every year and at the end of the night, every trick or treater has to make a tough decision: save it, trade it, or eat it.

So you see, if you ever find yourself in a mer kingdom for Halloween, the celebrations will feel both familiar and foreign. But now you’re prepared! You can get even more insight into the mer world by winning (and reading) my book, Forgive My Fins, about the half-human princess of the underwater kingdom of Thalassinia. To be entered to win a signed copy, either tell me what costume would you choose for a mer Halloween or which mer candy you’d be most excited to try—and you can’t use any of the examples I’ve given above. Happy Halloween and spooky good luck!

Hugs,
TLC
www.teralynnchilds.com

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Kristen Painter’s handy list for determining “steampunky-ness”

The Steamed! Halloween Author Invasion starts on Sunday–are you excited? I know I am. We kick off with YA author Tera Lynn Childs as some of our favorite non-steampunk authors “invade” the Steamed! blog this coming week for spooky posts, prizes, and mayhem in honor of Halloween. From October 24-October 31 stop by each day for a new author and new giveaway. See you there.

Today we welcome author Kristen Painter. Her steampunk romance, Miss Bramble and the Leviathan was just released on Tuesday from Samhain. One lucky commenter will win a copy. To enter, just leave a comment. Contest ends October 30th, 2010 at 11:59 PST.

Kristen Painter is a former college English teacher, personal trainer, advertising exec, maitre d’, and runway model. When not building fantastical worlds, creating new characters or plotting herself out of a corner, she hangs out in the forum at Romancedivas.com, the award-winning site she co-founded with Jax Cassidy, blogs at www.kristenpainter.blogspot.com (except for Tuesday’s when she’s on deck at www.fictionistas.blogspot.com) or tweets at http://twitter.com/Kristen_Painter.

To Be Or Not To Be…Steampunk, That Is

When Suzanne invited me to guest blog, I couldn’t for the life of me think of anything steampunky to talk about despite the fact that my steampunk romance, Miss Bramble And The Leviathan, came out on Tuesday from Samhain.

Then it occurred to me that I might be able to offer some handy lists for folks who weren’t sure if they were really “steampunk” or not. So, here goes…

You might be steampunk if:
1. Your sunglasses are actually goggles.
2. Top hats are part of your everyday wear.
3. Your pet requires winding and the occasional touch of oil.
4. Tea is your favorite drink, especially when served from your antique Victorian tea set.
5. It takes you fifteen minutes to remove your coat due to the number of buckles.
6. Corsets are a mainstay of your lingerie and outer wear.
7. A trip to the hardware store means you’re getting a new outfit.
8. Most of the electronics in your house have been rehoused in custom-made brass and wood cases.
9. As soon as the financing comes through, you’re trading your car in for a dirigible.
10. You travel by train whenever possible.

You’re so not steampunk if:

1. You think an iron lung is a new submersible device.
2. You spray paint all of your electronics copper.
3. The only gears you own are the ones you shift.
4. You’re pretty sure Jules Verne is the guy who mows your grass.
5. Your favorite steampunk outfit was purchased at Abercrombie.
6. You’ve got goggles, all right. The same ones you wore on the high school swim team.
7. You’ve renamed your cat Sprocket to help build your street cred.
8. You just build a robot! Out of pipe cleaners!
9. You think spanx and corsets are basically interchangeable.
10. You once asked someone if a difference machine really made a difference.

Have any more to add? One commenter will win a copy of Miss Bramble And The Leviathan!

– Kristen Painter
www.kristenpainter.com

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Steampunk and Mainstream A Perfect Romance

In the last two weeks I’ve come across more references to Steampunk in the mainstream than I have all year. One was the episode of the ABC show Castle, where the main character, who’s a writer happens to stumble into an exclusive steampunk club as part of a murder case he’s following. The second is this clip by the band Sugarland, in which they describe their influence for their latest album–Steampunk of course! Check out their costuming and stage set up, it’s just awesome.

There’s also steampunk fashions at your local mall. Check out Wet Seal and the “military” look popping up in fall fashions. All of these show me how Steampunk is merging more and more into the mainstream. People are beginning to get a glimpse of the amazing Victorian idealisim, romanticism and creativity that is inherently part of what we love.

If you haven’t explored Steampunk, now’s the time to check it out! There are a dozen or more steampunk conferences and conventions all over the country, several in Canada and even more in Europe. Some are a weekend, some are just a day, all are a dip in an absolutely amazing font of creativity.

Right now (as I finish writing up The Hunter – my paranormal steampunk due out in Nov. 2011) I’m using the costumes I want to create for Steamcon II as my carrot to get my daily pages finished first. I’ve got my science assistant costume complete with a modified tan raincoat I’ve modded into a spencer length in the front with two long tails in the back (and replaced all the plastic buttons with gold ones – naturally), that I’m going to pair with brown knee breeches, brown boots, a white peasant blouse, a mini underbust corset from Clockwork Coture and my first set of goggles!  I’m still at work on sewing the Lady Vampire high society outfit (taken from my vampire countess in the second book of the series – The Legend). I’ll admit I had my tophat made for me, but I’m sewing the dress (with bustle, overcoat, skirt and underskirt) myself. And because Steamcon II’s theme this year is Wild Weird West, I’m working on a western outfit as well that’s got a fringed black leather jacket with beading on it, a high-necked white blouse, a longer skirt and of course a cowboy hat and boots. I’ve still yet to completely figure out how to mod a gun into a replica of my sting shooter in my stories…but I’m working on it!

Where else have you seen Steampunk showing up in the mainstream?

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What would a Steampunk Princess wear?

There’s still room in the Online Steampunk Writing Class I’m teaching the month of November. All levels and genres are welcome. If you’re working on a Steampunk WIP for NaNoWriMo consider joining us–at least to have support and info at your fingertips. If your working on a Steampunk WIP (or have an idea for one) and not doing NaNo, consider joining us as well.

Today I need your help, if you please. I have a Steampunk Princess costume and I need to make it more, well, Steampunk.

I’m not sure if I want to do anything to the dress itself. I’m not a very clever seamstress. My friends helped me re-purpose an old prom dress and a formal skirt to make this, along with about 20 yards of ruffles.

But I need to add something besides the clockhand tiara. Otherwise I look like an ordinary princess. That, my friends, would never do!

That is why I need your help.

What sort of gadgets would a Steampunk Princess have? Clockhand throwing knife hairpins? A delicate wrist-mounted ray gun painted gold with little rhinestones? Throwing star tiara?

What would a Steampunk Princess wear? Do I sew gears on my gloves? Add something to the gown?

I need some suggestions for some easy DIY ideas.

Just a note, I sew things with glue guns so I’m looking for ideas that I can make cheaply and easily (and I mean easily, I’m craft-impaired–remember the ball gown fiasco.)

But the hubby does have a welder and metal cutting stuff….

So, who has an idea for me?

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In which we welcome author Zoë Archer

Today we welcome Author Zoë Archer She will be giving away a copy of SCOUNDREL to one lucky commenter. Contest closes Sunday, October 24th, 2010 at 11:59 pm PST.

Zoë Archer is an award-winning romance author who thinks there’s nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master’s degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating butt-kicking heroines and heroes in tall boots. Her BLADES OF THE ROSE series—featuring dashing men and fearless women—is available now. Zoë and her husband live in Los Angeles.

Technology in Blades of the Rose

When I started writing my BLADES OF THE ROSE series, my goal wasn’t to write steampunk romance. What I planned on writing, what I wanted to write, were books that defied romance categorization. I set out to create romances that I always longed for but never saw on the shelves. The BLADES books would have action, adventure, exotic locations, magic, history, and a healthy amount of hot love scenes.

I conceived of the Blades of the Rose as a secret organization of men and women who travel the globe seeking and protecting the world’s magic from theft and exploitation. In essence, they are a spy team acting on behalf of magic rather than the interests of any one nation. To make things interesting—and difficult—the Blades cannot use magic that isn’t theirs by gift or right. Of course, the villains of these books have no qualms about stealing and using magic to further their goals of world domination. Which leaves the Blades at a distinct disadvantage.

Thinking about the spy team model, I decided that the Blades needed a Q. If you remember, Q supplies James Bond and other members of the British Secret Service with diabolical gadgets to aid them in their espionage. Some of Q’s awesome inventions include car ejector seats, dagger shoes, rings concealing cameras and deadly pens, just to name a few. In the Bond films, 007 stopped by Q’s lab, and an exasperated Q would demonstrate the latest in gadgetry, followed by a stern admonition for Bond to please not destroy the merchandise. Of course, Bond always used the gadgets and they almost always were destroyed during the course of the mission. Poor Q.

I wanted the Blades to have their very own Q. But instead of a research and development team headed by a single man, the Blades had the Graves family—several generations of scientific and mechanical geniuses who utilize the current technology to assist the Blades in their work. The key there is current technology. Why? Because the first four BLADES OF THE ROSE books are set between 1874 and 1875.

Here is where the steampunk element comes into play. Catullus Graves, the current scion of the Graves family, does not use any magic when inventing devices. Nor does he have difference engines, robots or any other advanced technology. He is limited solely to what is available in the mid 1870s. Not only that, but because the Blades take his inventions out into the field, the devices he builds must be portable and easy to use at a moment’s notice. To put it plainly, steam-powered mechanisms are out. It would be far too cumbersome for a Blade to haul around a steam engine when adventuring in the wilds of Mongolia (as they do in WARRIOR), sailing the Aegean (SCOUNDREL), trekking through the rugged Canadian Rockies (REBEL), or journeying to undiscovered lands (STRANGER).

I’m going to straight up own right now that I had my own scientific genius helping me in the conception and design of Catullus Graves’s diabolical gadgets: my husband. He and I would brainstorm ideas for cool devices that could only use late Victorian technology, with my husband’s scientific understanding helping to fill in the gaps of how something worked. Liberties were taken. I don’t know if the implements created by Catullus could actually work. But they are, at least, plausible. Sometimes, the idea for the gadget came first, and then we’d think about a scenario in which the gadget could be used. Sometimes, a situation in the plot would arise and the challenge came to see what kind of device might be useful. Both approaches were a blast to write and add a cool element to each book.

Catullus even gets his own book—and I knew, without a doubt, that I would have to put him in a scenario where he needs to “MacGyver” his way out of a tough situation using only items on hand. What kind of things does Catullus invent and what do the Blades use in the field? I don’t want to spoil the enjoyment in discovering these gadgets, so you’ll have to read the books to find out.

It’s been suggested that the BLADES OF THE ROSE books are steampunk. That might be overstating the case too much. If you’re looking for airships, clockwork robots and ether-guns, you won’t find them in my series. But what you will find is adventure, magic, danger, hot romance and very fun gadgets, which I think is a blueprint for a rollicking good time.

— Zoë Archer

www.zoearcherbooks.com
http://twitter.com/Zoe_Archer
http://www.facebook.com/#!/zoe.archer1

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Book Monday–In Which I Attempt to Review “Blameless” without spoilers

Does anyone watch Castle? Tonight is their encounter with a secret Steampunk society. I know I’m tuning in.

If anyone had trouble signing up for the Steampunk Writing Class everything should be fixed now.

Also, is anyone planning on writing Steampunk for National Novel Writing Month in November. No, seriously. Because if there’s enough of you, we’ll run something nifty here at Steamed. With prizes.

Now, on to today’s book review.

Blameless, book three of the Parasol Protectorate Series
by Gail Carriger

Parasols, dirigibles, and men in white nightdresses, oh my! The latest installment in Carriger’s charmingly witty Parasol Protectorate series. Alexia’s life is in a wee bit of upheaval after the last book’s events. Not one to waste an opportunity, when things get unbearable in London, Alexia heads off to Italy in the company of Madame Lefoux and Floot in order to find some answers and tangle with the Templars while Lord Maccon comes to his senses.

Like the rest of the series, these books are enjoyable, witty, and filled with tea, parasols, adventure, and bad hats. The Steampunkyness of Carriger’s world isn’t “in your face” but woven subtly into the very fabric of the world. As usually, memorable characters abound. It was fun to see more of Floot the Butler with little hits of what Alexia’s esteemed father may have been like. Lord Maccon was absent for much of the story, but Professor Lyall was prominent in a very entertaining Vampire subplot (with quite the plot twist) that kept bringing us back to what was happening in London while Alexia was in Italy. I wonder if the Werewolves will become more fashionable now. I did miss the ever-charming and fascinating Lord Akeldama’s presence as well, but it was fun to see Ivy starting to find her element.

In short, I ♥ it. I shall be waiting for the next book, Heartless with baited breath. (But must I wait until July?)

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