Pauline Baird Jones is the award-winning author of eleven novels of science fiction romance, action-adventure, suspense, romantic suspense and comedy-mystery. Her latest release is a steampunk/science fiction romance called Steamrolled.
She's written two non-fiction books, Adapting Your Novel for Film and Made-up Mayhem, and she co-wrote Managing Your Book Writing Business with Jamie Engle.
Her seventh novel, Out of Time, an action-adventure romance set in World War II, is an EPPIE 2007 winner. Her eighth novel, The Key won an Independent Book Award Bronze Medal (IPPY) for 2008 and is a 2007 Dream Realm Awards Winner. Girl Gone Nova, her ninth novel, won the EPIC Book Award, a Single Titles Reviewer's Choice award and was nominated for a Romantic Times Best Books award. She also has short stories in several anthologies.
Originally from Wyoming, she and her family moved from New Orleans to Texas before Katrina.
WEBSITE *** BLOG *** MYSPACE *** FACEBOOK *** TWITTER *** GOODREADSDREAMSPELL STEAMPUNK VOLUME 1
Enjoy four Steampunk stories in this one anthology.
Steam Time by Pauline B JonesThe man formerly known as Tobias Smith hadn’t planned to ride along with Dr. Everly and his Medicine Show. Grifters gave him a pain their elixirs couldn’t heal. But he was headed to Marfa, too. And Everly’s son turned out to be a really a fine looking damsel—one in distress when the ghost lights of Marfa bump them into an alternate reality complete with an automaton gang and airships. Could he be the good guy? Be the hero, save the day and get the girl?
The Prometheus Engine by Chris Samson
When an airship is shot down over the desolate Kashmir landscape, seven survivors of disparate backgrounds must band together to escape. As a swarm of marauders approaches, the survivors’ only hope lies in the untested Prometheus Engine.
Steambot Rampage by Heather Massey
On the eve of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, a no-nonsense secretary and an intrepid reporter join forces to battle a bizarre automaton on a rampage.
Angelina by Linda Houle
Valerie is fascinated with an antique ruby and diamond pendant. Where did it come from and why was it hidden in a makeshift wall safe? An old log cabin on her new husband’s ranch holds the answers and a lot more, but once Val goes through a secret door will she ever find her way back home?
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WIN - Leave Pauline, Linda, Chris and/or Heather a question today at their Cyber Launch Party and your name goes in the hat for a $15 Amazon Gift Card!! Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you are today's winner - Good Luck!
FYI - today's the last day to enter to win the Steampunk Gift Pack Pauline Baird Jones has up for grabs over on her website - check it out!
Thank you, DeNita! :)
ReplyDeleteGood morning Pauline!!!
ReplyDeleteOk, I have to tell you, I just read the excerpt to your story, STEAM TIME and fell in love with it already! Your main character Ani is wonderful and your POV is so deep it almost feels like you're reading her in first person. It was an instant connection. Nicely done! Can't wait to read the entrie story!
Please tell us a bit about this new anthology and I see that it's a Volume 1, is Volume 2 in the works?
Heather, Chris and Linda, welcome to your Cyber Launch Party. Please tell us all about your stories and leave us any links to excerpts you guys may have posted. And be sure to give us links to your websites so we can learn more about them.
Hope you all enjoy today's Cyber Launch to celebrate DREAMSPELL STEAMPUNK VOLUME 1 and I hope it's a huge success for you all!
Sounds like a great read and am adding to my wish list. I am just beginning to get into steampunk books and haven't read alot of them. But my question is for recommendations of other longer steampunk stories that are good. Who do you read?
ReplyDeleteMany thanks! Ani was so fun to write and I just fell into her head!
ReplyDeleteIf this one sells well, there will probably be a two! I hope so! I think it is a very fun anthology. :)
I am typing from my iPad, so hope there aren't too many mistakes!
Hi , Pam. My first full length steampunk was Soulless by Gail Carriger. Very fun, very light. Carina Press has done a bunch of them and I think they still have a short freebie by Cindy Spencer Pape. She has two, both fun, but shorter.
When I get on my computer will post a list, unless Heather beats me to it. But I have one full length steampunk called Steamrolled and a novella called Tangled in Time. They are both steampunk/science fiction romance mash ups though.
Thanks for asking!
Congrats on your latest release, Pauline! Did you do any specific research before writing your first steampunk novel?
ReplyDeletesmaccall AT comcast.net
Congrats on the release, Pauline. I'm looking forward to reading this anthology. I'm still fairly new to steampunk.
ReplyDeletejanie1215 AT excite DOT com
Wow - Steampunk Queen!! I love that! Can't wait to read this! Am loving "Steamrolled", so I know this will be awesome!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the release, look forward to reading it. Great cover, who does your cover art?
ReplyDeleteskpetal at hotmail dot com
Congratulations on the release! This looks like a really interesting anthology to read and I love Steampunk.
ReplyDeleteMy question for the authors would be - are all of the books romance also or just two of the books? I ask because it looks like two have romance and two might not.
Also how did your four stories get together? Did you plan the anthology together or did you individually answer a call from L&L Dreamspell and just happen to get put in the same anthology?
maria63303(at)gmail(dot)com
Congrats on the new release! It sounds very intriguing! I'm curious to know what drew you to writing steampunk and what do you think makes it fascinating to readers?
ReplyDeletejoderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
@ Sarah - Thank you for stopping by! I had to do a LOT of research for TANGLED IN TIME, more I think than any other novel. I posted a list on my website of research books and websites, just because it amazed me. LOL
ReplyDelete@ Jane - I think most of us are fairly new to steampunk. (grin) Though its been around a while, I don't think we knew it was steampunk. (grin)
@ Marilyn - thanks for stopping by and letting me know you are liking it. :-)
@ Jean - My publisher does all my cover art, Linda Houle. thank you!
@ Maria - You are correct. There are well, three of them have an element of romance and one is action adventure. Though I'd say they all are also a bit adventurous. thanks for coming to the party!
@ joder - I read SOULLESS by Gail Carriger and thought it was so fun, andI wondered if I could write one. Didn't plan to write it as a novella, however. TANGLED IN TIME was supposed to be a short story, but it got too long. I managed to keep Steam Time within the limits of two short stories, which is pretty amazing for me. LOL! I think what the appeal might be for readers is the sense of humor, the sense of fun in some steampunk. The contrast of proper Victorian sensibilities with whacky inventions and out of control automatons. (grin) INHO, if you like historial, or if you like action adventure/suspense, you might like steampunk. I did a blog about how to know if you like steampunk on my websit. It's in my press room.
One nice thing about an anthology, for an easy, low price you can try it in short bites, rather than investing in a long novel. :-)
@Pamk
ReplyDeleteHere's a list of both steampunk & steampunk romance titles. I've read most of these--enjoyed most of them, too. Among the traditional steampunk titles, George Mann's THE AFFINITY BRIDGE is my new favorite.
Traditional steampunk
The Affinity Bridge (George Mann) and its sequel, The Osiris Ritual (a great place to start if you’ve never read steampunk before)
Whitechapel Gods (S.M. Peters)
Mainspring (Jay Lake)
The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack (Mark Hodder)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Alan Moore)
The Narrows (Alexander Irvine)
[The Spring Heeled Jack book just came out and I can't wait to read that.]
You can also read the immensely popular Girl Genius online for free (http://girlgeniusonline.com/)
Steampunk romance/erotic steampunk romance:
Clockwork Heart (Dru Pagliassotti)
Here There Be Monsters (Meljean Brook, from the Burning Up anthology)
The Iron Duke (Meljean Brook)
Sky Rat (Angelia Sparrow)
Steamed (Katie MacAlister)
Full Steam Ahead and Mechanical Rose (Nathalie Gray)
Island of Icarus (Christine Danse)
The Miraculous Lady Law (Robert Appleton)
Silk, Steele, and Steam (Samhain Publishing’s anthology)
Like Clockwork (Bonnie Dee)
Tangled In Time and Steamrolled, and Steam Time (Pauline Baird Jones)
Clockworks and Corsets (Regina Riley)
Hot and Steamy: Tales of Steampunk Romance (DAW Books anthology)
Dreamspell Steampunk, Volume 1 (L&L Dreamspell anthology)
Hi, folks! Thanks so much for dropping by. Thanks also to Author Island for this wonderful opportunity to share the news of our release.
ReplyDelete"Steambot Rampage" is my contribution to this anthology. I wanted to tell a classic steampunk tale--with a dash of romance--in the spirit of those old timey penny dreadfuls.
It's a lighthearted action-adventure tale and features a plucky heroine paired with a roguish hero. One thing I like about steampunk are the progressive heroines you can often find in there, so my story reflects that.
I hope to have an excerpt posted at my Web site soon (heathermassey.com).
I also invite you to visit The Galaxy Express, a blog I run that's devoted to all things sci-fi romance. I periodically post news of steampunk romance releases.
>I'm curious to know what drew you to writing steampunk and what do you think makes it fascinating to readers?
ReplyDeleteJoder, great questions. I'm going to tackle the second one first.
For me, steampunk is the ultimate in romantic (style-wise) genres. While it began as a rebellion against the cyberpunk subgenre in science fiction, steampunk grew to encompass not only literature but also fashion, art, and attitude.
The core idea that excites me the most as a reader is the idea of technology re-imagined in Victorian-era aesthetics (e.g., a "difference engine" which is basically a Victorian-era computer).
I'm fascinated by the idea of technology that's ahead of its time, yet is steam-powered (or powered by clockwork).
Steampunk is also very visual. Everything from oversize gears to airships to automatons often has a fantastical flair. This genre pairs very well with both science fiction and fantasy as a result.
Most stories explore lots of different themes, which anchors all the pretty shiny inventions and whatnot. Steampunk ranges from lighthearted to serious, so there's something for everyone.
What drew me to write a steampunk story is basically all of the above. I got bit by steampunk fever, basically!
Popping back in to add that John DeNardo of SF Signal has a great overview of steampunk in his latest article at Kirkus. Lots of great titles to check out.
ReplyDeleteI am just starting to get into STEAMPUNK. It's fascinating.
ReplyDeletemarypres@gmail.com
It hit me the say way, I was just fascinated. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting the launch!
ReplyDeleteMy story, "Angelina" is based on characters from my vampire romantic suspense story "The Cat The Canary and The Vampire" - it's my first go at Steampunk. I used automatons and time travel.
I think the genre is still very new and there's a wide variety of cross-over genres withing Steampunk. L&L Dreamspell will open Dreamspell Steampunk Vol 2 later this year.
I love Steampunk. What made you all decide to take on Steampunk? And, do you think that it is a catagory that will have long term sticking power?
ReplyDeleteHi, Jen B. I just got fascinated by the idea, the whimsy, the fun of it and couldn't resist giving it a try. When you look at how long its actually been around, I'd say, yeah, it has staying power. And it has so many tentacles in so many directions, that should help it persist. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! Hope everyone is well. Congrats on the release! Have you all read each others stories? Who are your favorite authors to read? How long did it take you to write your stories? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteshadow_kohler@att.net
Wow, thanks for the heads up, and congrats on this anthology, ladies! I've been enjoying steampunk and will definitely be adding this to my TBB!
ReplyDeleteDo you have any special way you like to celebrate or commemorate new releases? Dinner out? Framed coverflats? New bling? :) Or is it old hat at this point?
Congrats, and looking forward to enjoying your collection!
f dot chen at comcast dot net
Congrats on the new book. It sounds like a winner!
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS to all authors for the new steampunk release. Great stories, great authors -- what more could a reader ask!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your Cyber Launch Party -- woohoo!!!!
Wishing all my Dreamspell friends mega luck with the anthology. Oh yes, luck to all the authors.
ReplyDeleteSteampunk could have been something I was called when I was a youngster.
Wow, I go to sleep and the party goes on with me! LOL! Many, many thanks for the kind words!
ReplyDeleteI have read the stories in the anthology and I am, once again, surprised by how diverse and fun they are, for such a short anthology. :-)
How do I celebrate a new release? I eat chocolate, go nuts on facebook and then get back to work on new book. LOL! I'm a bit dull. (grin)
JD - LOLOLOL!
Jen B. asked: What made you all decide to take on Steampunk? And, do you think that it is a catagory that will have long term sticking power?
ReplyDeleteI decided on steampunk because I’m a fan, first and foremost. I liked the idea of playing in a story that’s a little outrageous. Plus, I enjoyed the chance to weave in a bit of social commentary in a fun, entertaining way.
Steampunk will be around for a long, long time, although I imagine it will cycle up and down in popularity, like any genre does. I’m definitely happy to be around during one of the “up” cycles.
Shadow_kohler asked:
Have you all read each others stories?
Yes, and I enjoyed them all. Frankly, I was just as excited to read the other tales as I was to have my story be included in the anthology!
Who are your favorite authors to read?
See my list posted up the thread.
How long did it take you to write your stories?
A fair number of weeks, off and on, including story development.
@Flchen 1 Having a story published is still very new to me, so I’m basically enjoying the fun of it all.
I'm interesting in reading more steampunk novels by various authors. I like to see their take on it.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
I'm with you, Tracey, I just think it is fun to see the variety and sense of fun in the steampunk novels. There really is something for almost everyone.
ReplyDelete