•1 min read

Putting the Lug in Luggage

While Constance traveled Industralia carrying at the most a carpetbag and a hatbox (and at first, much less!), I do want readers to understand that her circumstance was quite unusual, especially as she really wasn’t able to carry a lot due to the nature of her… flight. 🙂 However! The rather brilliant and well-researched author Gail Carriger’s characters travel in a more historically accurate style.

•4 min read

Nano’ing Down The Tubes

I Nano. Do you Nano? Do you know what it is? In a nut house shell, I commit to devoting the month of November to writing a novel (50,000 words being the Nano definition of a novel.)

My first attempt was in November of 2003. I had SUCH lofty dreams. I had the most amazing concept ever! Or so I thought.

•1 min read

Zoom Zoom?

If you’ve read The Flight To Brassbright then you know about that brilliant, ill-fated inventor, Gerard Liddle. These motorized skates made me think of him right away! He’d probably have called them Liddle Rollers.

•2 min read

Behind The Scenes: Editing!

Usually I can’t edit while listening to music with vocals – the words of the music clash with the voices of my characters. Tonight is an exception. I’ve been happily editing chapter five of the next Brassbright adventure, “Down The Tubes”, while listening to the 1984 Talking Heads ‘Stop Making Sense’ live concert. I’ve loved that concert since forever!

I’ll share the concert link. If you’ve never met David Byrne, do give him and his friends a listen. If you’ve been away from his genius for a while, it’s time to reconnect.

•1 min read

Read an Ebook Week!

At one minute past midnight Pacific time on March 1, the special Smashwords “Read an Ebook” promotion catalog goes live on the Smashwords home page. Readers can browse the catalog and search by coupon code levels and categories. At the stoke of 12:00am Pacfiic time on March 8, the catalog disappears.

•1 min read

The Perfection of the Paper Clip

I love researching the little details for a story. Yesterday I decided that a particular character in “Down The Tubes” should live next door to a paper clip factory, simply because I liked the way that sounded. But I needed to be sure paper clips had been invented in 1895. I found patent application diagram, which shows a paperclip that is identical to the classic clip we still use today.

•1 min read

Ahoy, Second Life Avatars: New Babbage Book Discussion

If you are a resident of the virtual world of Second Life, I cordially invite you to the monthly book discussion at the rather luxurious R.F. Burton Public Library in the steampunk city of New Babbage. I enjoy these discussions – it’s a fun and lively group. In March, I’m very pleased to announce that The Flight To Brassbright has been chosen for discussion.

•2 min read

What’s Next? Now We Go Down The Tubes!

Down the Tubes Vol. 2 of The Brassbright Chronicles Brassbright City is the ultimate metropolis, showcasing the best and most brilliant of 19th century technology. Plush hotels feature mechanical ‘tikkerbot’ servants, elevator cars carry people up and down inside buildings, airships dock at the peak of the city’s tallest tower, and the mail service’s pneumatic […]

•1 min read

Hello, Reader? Thank You.

I’m riding a happy wave of encouragement, thanks to the thoughtful and downright amazing reviews that readers have shared for The Flight To Brassbright. This was my debut novel, and I was really nervous how it would be received!  I’m sure at some point I’ll get a bad write-up, but right now I’m beyond grateful […]