Of Silk and Steam Spotlight + Giveaway!

 

Today I am very excited to be hosting Bec McMaster and her new novel, Of Silk and Steam. I love the entire series (it's one of my very favorite steampunk series) so I jumped at the chance to share it. Stay tuned for my review, which I will be posting soon. In the meantime, enjoy the excerpt from Of Silk and Steam and enter the giveaway to win a copy of Kiss of Steel, the first book in the London Steampunk series.

Title: Of Silk and Steam

Author: Bec McMaster

Series: London Steampunk

Publication Date: March 3^rd, 2015

ISBN: 9781402291944

ENEMIES. ALLIES. LOVERS.

When her beloved father was assassinated, Lady Aramina swore revenge. The man responsible is well beyond her grasp, but his dangerously seductive heir, Leo Barrons, is fair game. When Mina obtains evidence proving that Leo is illegitimate, she has the means to destroy both the killer and his son, a man who troubles her heart and tempts her body.

A woman of mystery, Mina’s long driven Leo crazy with glimpses of a fiery passion that lurks beneath her icy veneer. He knows she’s hiding something, and he’s determined to unravel her layer by silken layer. He just doesn’t expect the beautiful liar to be the key to overthrowing the corrupt prince consort…or to saving his own carefully walled-off heart.

Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Victoria, Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, RWA (Australia) and RWNZ, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds.

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An Excerpt

Barrons looked at her. “Do you trust me?”

“No.” His father would have cut her down without thinking, but Barrons was an enigma. If he were a different man, she would have enjoyed his attentions, but a part of her couldn’t help wondering if his pursuit of her was just a way to get closer, to slip the knife in when she least expected it…

Could she trust that he meant her no harm?

His hand tightened around hers, dark heat sweeping through his irises. He focused on her so intently that she could almost feel it on her skin. “Then let us call a temporary truce for tonight. I shall help you escape. In return…”

“Yes?”

His voice roughened. “I want a kiss.”

A kiss. Tension slid sinuously along her limbs, each muscle clenching. Those motives she could certainly understand. It didn’t mean she had to like them.

Wariness spread through her as he lifted his hand and slowly, carefully brushed the back of his fingers against her lips. She didn’t flinch. Instead she tipped her chin up and glared him down. “Help me escape and I shall grant you such a liberty.” What harm could a single kiss do? “Until then”—she took a step back, her skirts swishing around her ankles—“I’ll thank you to keep your hands to yourself.”

His hand dropped but the ghostly sensation of that touch lingered, reminding her that it had been a long time since she’d been touched in any way intimately, and never like this. Never…soft. Full of gentleness, as if the very sensation of her skin beneath his was a pleasure in itself, not merely a step to greater satisfaction.

He was far more dangerous than she’d ever suspected, and she’d known, since the first moment she’d met him, that he was dangerous indeed. He was the only man who had ever managed to make her feel something.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Apple

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Chapters

Indiebound

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Novella Review: Wind-Up Hearts by Stan Swanson

Wind-Up Hearts
by Stan Swanson

Genre: Romance / Steampunk

Ages: 14 and up

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

If one’s heart is constructed of metal and considered indestructible, can love and romance still find a place within? That is the question facing Henry Thackery who spends over a hundred years pursuing the woman of his dreams—Emily Harding. After Henry and Emily become recipients of the Merganthol Circulatory Assistance Device, we follow their journey from 1875 to the present day and Henry’s unflinching quest to convince Emily (the love of his life) to become his bride. Will Henry be successful in his pursuit of love or will Emily ultimately “break” his indestructible heart? A tale of romance more than science fiction, Wind-Up Hearts will tug at the strings of your heart whether it be mechanical or flesh and blood.

My Thoughts:

Aww... This novella is so sweet and so sad. It is the beautifully written tale of two friends, the very best of friends, who meet once a week to have lunch, talk about their lives, and wind up their clockwork hearts. The same as they have done every week for more than a hundred years. This is the sort of idea that I wish I had thought of first, just because I like it so much.

I am a die-hard romantic with steampunk tendencies, so it was almost inevitable that I fall in love with this story. Add word-perfect writing and I was hooked. There isn't a whole lot I can say about the story without spoiling anything because it was so short. It's a quiet story, made up of conversations between not-quite-lovers as they watch the world go by. It was a joy to watch their relationship unfold. But don't take my word for it. Read it yourself. Maybe cry a little at the end, just like I did.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I give it a 2.10 for 3 swearwords; two mild, one middling.

Sexuality:
I give it a 1.10 for mild sexual references.

Violence:
There was no violence in this story.


                              Lieder Madchen

Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop!

 

Hi! This is my first giveaway hop in a long time, but I saw this one and it seemed like the perfect way to celebrate Christmas. The Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop is hosted by the lovely BookHounds and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. Make sure to follow the hop along and say hi to her and all of the other participating bloggers.

For my part, I am giving away a hardback copy of Aurorarama by Jean-Christophe Valtat. Just look at the cover; quite frosty and appropriate for the season, don't you think?

Description:

1908: New Venice--"the pearl of the Arctic"--a place of ice palaces and pneumatic tubes, of beautifully ornate carriage-sleds and elegant victorian garb, of long nights and vistas of ice.

But as the city prepares for spring, it feels more like qaartsiluni, "the time when something is about to explode in the dark." Local "poletics" are wracked by tensions with the Eskimos circling the city, with suffragette riots led by an underground music star, with drug round-ups by the secret police force known as the Gentlemen of the Night. An ominous black airship hovers over the city, and the Gentlemen are hunting for the author of a radical pamphlet calling for revolt.

Their lead suspect is Brentford Orsini, one of the city's most prominent figures. But as the Gentlemen of the Night tighten the net around him, Orsini receives a mysterious message from a long-lost love that compels him to act.

What transpires is a literary adventure novel unlike anything you've ever read before. Brilliant in its conception, masterful in its prose, thrilling in its plot twists, and laced with humor, suspense, and intelligence, it marks the beginning of a great new series of books set in New Venice-and the launch of an astonishing new writer.

So, fill out the Rafflecopter and the best of luck to you all! Sadly, I can't afford international shipping so this giveaway is limited to the US only. :( I am sending virtual gingerbread men to all of my wonderful international followers, and I promise to try to do an e-book giveaway next time.

The winner has been chosen and contacted, so check your e-mail!

Merry Christmas!

             Lieder Madchen

Armored Hearts Blog Tour: Book Review & Tea with Jessamine

Good Morning! Today I have a lovely lady by the name of Jessamine over for tea. Jessamine is the heroine of Armored Hearts, a new indie steampunk adventurous romance by Melissa Turner Lee and Pauline Creeden. She has graciously consented to answer a few questions, which I will follow with my thoughts on the book.

Dear Jessamine, thank you so much for coming to visit Songs & Stories! Please make
yourself comfortable and try the scones. How do you take your tea?

 

Sweet and iced. I’m a southern girl.  

Could you tell us your side of the story of how you first met Gareth?

How I first met him was…I cannot say. I’ve never told a living soul about that. I knew it was the way he wanted and I am nothing if not loyal.

What was your first reaction upon seeing him again as an adult?

I know many before me found him difficult and only saw his wheelchair and what he could not do. I saw what he was capable of and chose to love the man he was meant to be until he came to be it. He too is loyal. I mean look at his commitment to Tabitha. He would do anything in the world for her. Not many easy-tempered men would be willing to sacrifice so much.

What was your childhood like in the wilds of America?

Well my father mostly raised me. My mom is quite the genius and is given to obsession when it comes to her work. I grew up in boy’s trousers playing with the local Cherokee boys learning to throw knives, wading through streams and climbing trees. I was fearless.


Would you please tell us a little bit about the bonnet making club of which you are a
member, it sounds most intriguing!

Well, in my time, women are not regarded as smart. The medical books even say extensive reading and study will hurt the female mind, resulting in sterility. Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous? They misuse Bible quotes too to make it seem we should be ashamed of being smart. What kind of God would give an idiot as an assistant? The president doesn’t want an idiot running mate. We have the bonnet club as a place where women with a mind for mechanical innovation can gather and be themselves. Their efforts will be applauded and not ridiculed.

Are you working on any new 'bonnets'?

Why yes, I am. Tabitha and I are trying to fit Gareth with braces to possibly make walking possible for him. So far every prototype falls apart as soon as he tries them. Thompton swears it’s the curse. You cannot get rid of a curse with technology, he says.

If you could collaborate with any inventor, who would it be?

The Wright Brothers have a special place in my heart, for obvious reasons. So probably them.

Thank you so much for coming! I hope to see you again one day.

*****

Armored Hearts

by Melissa Turner Lee & Pauline Creeden

Genre: Indie / Steampunk / Romance / Adventure / Fantasy

Ages: 15 and up

I received an e-copy of this book from The Experience Tours as part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother's side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairy tales.

Tristan Gareth Smyth lived his entire life stuck at home at Waverly Park and left behind while his Grandfather makes trips to London, all because of his blasted wheelchair.

Then an American heiress falls in his lap, literally, and he must find a way to keep her at a distance to protect not only his secret, but everyone around him from an assassin sent to kill him.

My Thoughts:

I love steampunk, and I love romance, so this book jumped out at me as one to try. The idea of a wheelchair-bound hero made it sound even more interesting. Despite the promising premise, it took me a little while to warm up to the book.

Tristan Gareth Smyth, called Gareth, is a very prickly character. Isolated and lonely, he's developed a thick barrier between his heart and the world. The only one he lets in is his several-years-younger aunt, Tabitha, who is like a little sister to him. It was much easier to warm up to Tabitha than to Gareth.

It wasn't until Jessamine arrived on the scene that something in the story clicked for me. Her mix of stubborn optimism and cheerful scheming was just fun. She knew exactly what she wanted and went for it, never taking no for an answer - and she wanted Gareth. I won't say anything more except that I laughed out loud at a couple of...interesting conversations.

Ah, and since it's steampunk, I must mention the gadgets! The gadgets are pretty good in this story, particularly the one about 3/4 through the book. An important part of the story is that Tabitha and Jessamine are members of a secret 'bonnet making club', which is a code for a ladies' inventing society. I laughed a few more times when I met them.

All in all, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped, but it did have several good points. I thought the romance was a little awkward and Gareth was really hard to like, but other than that the story was fun. I liked the second half of the story a lot more than the first and the sequel has great potential, so I'll definitely be back for book 2.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence

1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:

I give it a 2.10 for mild exclamations and some name-calling.

Sexuality:

I give it a 3.10 for some sensuality and innuendos.

Violence:

I rate it a 5.10 for suicide, attempted murder and other violence, including a large quantity of blood.

                                     Lieder Madchen

On my way to Steamcon & the Tale of the Marvelous Hat

I'm going to Steamcon! This is so exciting! Tomorrow, my brother and his wife are going to pick me up and I'm going to stay with them for a week and a half, playing games, exploring the Seattle area and then, on the 26th through 28th, I'll be at Steamcon! After that, on Nov. 1st all the museums in Seattle are free, so we're going to go to the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum. It's going to be wonderful. :)

My sister, Livvy, and I have been working on my Steamcon costume, which includes a truly marvelous hat which I have named Sophronia. Here are some pics where we discover the truly difficult art of millinery. There might be some other random pics thrown in, too. :P

 A pair of goggles my sisters found in an old tree stump.

My Powell's order that showed up in the midst of this.

 Livvy trying out the hat brim.

 The top of the hat, which we just had to doodle on.

 A scarf and pair of earrings I picked up at Target and Fred Meyer, respectively. I'm going as a gypsy for the second day. :)

Livvy ironing cardboard for the hat brim.

 The fabric we used to cover the hat.

 More doodles...We mistakenly believed that haberdashery was another word for millinery. By the time we discovered our mistake, it was too late.

Even more doodles...I know, I spelled 'beauteous' wrong. I figured it out about 2 seconds after I wrote it, but it was too late.

Livvy's doodles...

  Clamps and a hot glue gun, very professional.

 More of Livvy's doodles.

Box cutting...lots of box cutting.

Me goofing off...

 It's beginning to look like a hat. The names are names of steampunk characters I've invented recently.

 Pretty flowers...

 Adding fabric...

 Putting it together.

Pretty fall color...

 More clamps, but we're using super glue this time.

 Messing with the camera settings while waiting for the glue to dry. This is called the 'fish eye effect'.

 Goggles are coming along nicely.

 Now for the straps.

 Lovely ribbon to trim the hat.

 Little sister M trying on the hat.

 Me trying on the hat.

 My trying on the goggles.

Livvy with goggles. I just really like this picture. :)

For the rest of my costume, you will just have to wait until I post my pictures from Steamcon. :)

                               Lieder Madchen

Series Review: Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Foglio

Girl Genius
story by Phil and Kaja Foglio, drawings by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright

Genre: Steampunk / Science Fiction / Alternative / WebComic / Graphic Novel / Young Adult

Ages: 13 and up

Description:

The Industrial Revolution has become all-out war! Mad Scientists, gifted with the Spark of genius, unleash insane inventions on an unprepared Europe. For centuries, the Heterodyne family of inventors kept the peace, but the last Heterodyne disappeared twenty years ago, leaving their ally Baron Klaus Wulfenbach to maintain order with his fleet of airships and army of unstoppable, if not very bright, Jaeger Monsters.

At Transylvania Polygnostic University, Agatha Clay dreams of being a scientist herself, but her trouble concentrating dooms her to be a lowly minion at best. When her locket, a family heirloom, is stolen, Agatha shows signs of having the Spark in a spectacular, destructive fashion and captures the attention of the Baron—and the Baron’s handsome young son, Gilgamesh.

Swept up to the Baron's Airship City, Agatha finds herself in the midst of the greatest minds of her generation, as well as palace intrigue, dashing heroes, and an imperial cat. Agatha may be the most brilliant mind of her generation and the key to control of the continent, but first, she just has to survive.

My Thoughts:

This is so freaking awesome! This series was recommended to me many times, first by my brother and then by multiple online friends, so I finally gave it a shot. I'm not usually big on comics or graphic novels, but I went through this whole series in four days. Ten years worth of mad scientists, zany monsters, romantic hilarity and more squished into ninety-six hours with at least fifteen cups of coffee...It's a wonder my brain didn't start leaking out of my ears...oh, wait, what is that grey stuff on my shirt?...Sorry, I shall endeavor to be serious. It is difficult, since I only finished the last page a couple of hours ago and I'm still drinking too much coffee.

Okay...(a few hours later with time to calm down)...now I can get to the serious review. A-ha! They posted a new page! Sorry, I must go for a minute...Ok, I'm back. This is turning into the most peculiar review. Anyway, so, first of all, I love the characters. I had to have fallen in love with the Jagers first, then everyone else nearly as quickly. I love the bantering interplay between them all, particularly when Gil and Tarvek meet...oh, yeah, that was way too much fun. Agatha is brilliant, first as she comes to terms with her sudden lifestyle changes and then as she starts to truly enjoy herself. She comes to enjoy herself just a little too much at times...

I love the bizarre tangents the story runs off in so frequently, I love the sheer quirkiness of any given page, I love the explosions, the gadgets, the Big Awesome Plant...what isn't to like? Plus there's the fact that you can read the ENTIRE thing online without taking any breaks, staying up to ridiculous hours until your eyeballs start to dry up like raisins and drinking coffee until you twitch at any sudden noise!

The art is lovely, full of fascinating details if you look at it closely enough. I enjoy reading the signs and labels scattered around. The outfits are so lavishly odd that sometimes you just have to sit there blinking at them for a bit. Most impressive. Not to mention the hats.

I would recommend this to lovers of steampunk, silliness, graphic novels or just plain fun. It was enervating, it was unnerving, and it was completely marvelous. Go here for the first page. You won't be able to stop.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:
I would rate it a 3.10 for mostly mild swearing.

Sexuality:
I would give it a 3.10 for quite a bit of innuendo that was for the most part harmless.

Violence:
I rate it a 6.10 for quite a bit of cartoon violence, most of which is shown with bright red blood.

                           Lieder Madchen

Book Review: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar
by Kady Cross

Genre: Steampunk / Young Adult / Adventure / Alternative History

Ages: 13 and up

Book 2 of the Steampunk Chronicles, sequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset.

I received an advance e-copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

My Thoughts:

I just love steampunk. I can't get enough of the genre, and Kady Cross is a master of the gadgetry and the atmosphere that makes it so wonderful. I loved The Girl in the Steel Corset (I've read it three times), so I was ridiculously excited to get this one and it did not in any way whatsoever disappoint. 


All of the characters from the first book were as wonderful as ever, and it was so much fun to see more of Jasper. Finley gets to let her wild side out, Griffin gets to work a little bit of romance on her... ;) You also get to meet some marvelous new characters from Jasper's past. The lovely, endangered Mei who carries a bad attitude and many secrets.Wildcat, whose heart was broken by Jasper (I really, really want to see more of her). Then you've got Whip Kirby, the lawman who may not be entirely what he seems.


The story was fantastic, full of blackmail and intrigue and, of course, it wouldn't be steampunk without a hefty dose of peculiar gadgets. These books make me happy. :)

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence 
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).
 
Profanity:
I rate it a 4.10 for mid-level language.

Sexuality:
I give it a 2.10 for hints and references to prostitution.

Violence:
I rate it a 4.10 for several fights, none disturbingly graphic.


                         Lieder Madchen

Book Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince
by Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA Paranormal / Steampunk / Romance / Historical

Ages: 14 and up

Sequel to Clockwork Angel, prequel to City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass and City of Fallen Angels.

Description:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.


My Thoughts:

This book was absolutely positively AWESOME!!!! I read it in one sitting and finished it very early in the morning. And then spent several minutes sputtering into my pillow to avoid waking anyone up. For once, it wasn't the cliffhanger that was that bad, it was everything else! Clockwork Prince has replaced City of Glass as my favorite Cassandra Clare novel. It has been weeks since I borrowed it and I am still on a cliffhanger high!

Will, oh poor Will. You finally learn why he is like he is and it is utterly heartbreaking. You see sides to him you never saw before including one that can only be described as bouncy (and no, I am not telling you why. Plus there was that one hilarious scene with Magnus that still makes my sister and I giggle when we remember it.) The mysteries of his life are revealed...but is it too late to get the girl? You fall in love with him even more than ever. At least, I did.

Jem, the other side of this brilliant love triangle, is even more radiant than in the first novel. The romance between him and Tessa heats up until you honestly can't tell which boy she will choose. He is much more developed than in the first novel and you even see him completely furious at one point. I love him almost as much as I love Will, and it makes me sad to think that because of a...certain thing that occurred, he has been doomed. But then again, you can never tell with Cassandra Clare. There may be hope for him yet.

And then there is Tessa, caught between two wonderful, tormented young men who both love her desperately. One broke her heart, the other is slowly dying, which one will she choose? I came to respect her a lot in this book, more so than before. There is a particular thing that she did that turned out to be a mistake, but she acted with absolute honor and selflessness despite her regret. She has become stronger than she was, but will she be strong enough? More is revealed about her possible identity, but what they discover points in an impossible direction. There are so many ways she could go, and not all of them are pretty.

I think what makes this love triangle so unique is that not only do both guys love the girl, but they both love each other more than themselves. They have been more than fighting partners, more than even brothers, for much longer than either of them have known Tessa. But she may be the one thing that can tear them apart.

The plot is as convoluted and marvelous as ever, leaving you with more questions than answers and begging for more. I may go insane before Clockwork Princess.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).


Profanity:
I rate it a 4.10 for mid-level swearing and drug use.

Sexuality:
I give it a 3.10 for heavy petting and loss of some clothing.

Violence:
I rate it a 7.10 for murder, fights and bloody injuries.

                               Lieder Madchen