AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – HEATHER E. HUTSELL – GREASE MONKEYS

On February 21, 2023February 21, 2023 By eSpec BooksIn AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, KickstarterLeave a comment

The end draws nigh on Full Steam Ahead!

There are many, many bonuses to be had, and an amazing prize pack to be won, not to mention fantastic stories in the books themselves. Here is where you get to meet the authors. Heather was actually a stretch goal bonus, contributing to Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk, taking a look at the mechanics that keep the tech running and even mod it out beyond its original capabilities, striving for efficiency and peak performance or just keeping things going.

The other two books funding through the campaign are Grimm Machinations – the sequel to Gaslight & Grimm, bringing you even more steampunk faerie tales; and A Cast of Crows, a Poe-inspired steampunk collection created in conjunction with the Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival.

eSpec Books interviews Heather E. Hutsell, contributor to Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and John L. French.

eSB: Grease Monkeys is a collection of dieselpunk stories, a genre that doesn’t seem to get as much attention as its older sibling, steampunk. What challenges did you face transitioning from one to the other? What did you find similar, and what was different?

HH: Dieselpunk is brand new to me as a genre to write about. I love the aesthetics of the decades it covers, so I’m already very familiar with those, but the punk aspect was something I had to explore. Steampunk has always felt more natural and familiar to me, so I haven’t found it as difficult to write. Between the two, I’ve found that the characters who share those worlds also share the inability to stand still. There’s so much drive to invent more, improve more, and, for better or worse, change more. And as gritty as both genres can get – literally and figuratively – there is still some element of elegance maintained, and that’s something I can identify with.

eSB: What was your favorite aspect of writing for this collection and why?

HH: I really love the challenge that comes along with writing a dieselpunk story. Again, it’s so new to me that I’ve really had to stretch my wings and get into it; see what it’s all about. I’ve probably been aware of it for about a decade and have no idea why it’s taken me so long to get a closer look. I also love just being a part of a collection with other authors. We all come at a contained vision like this from so many different backgrounds and approaches and bring such rich ideas – it’s just great fun to see what everyone has come up with, and have those, ‘Whoa! I never would have thought of that!’ moments.

eSB: Did you base your story on your own previous literary setting or did you embrace the faerie connection? Or hey, did you do both?

HH: One of my original ideas for this story stemmed from my steampunk series, The Case Files. There is some time travel that puts a few of the prominent characters right in the middle of the dieselpunk world, and as tempting as it was to lean into that, I just couldn’t settle on a vignette that could be made short enough. The Case Files get a little… complicated!

eSB: No spoilers, but what was your inspiration for your story and did you introduce any easter eggs for either the dieselpunk aspect or your own body of work?

HH: This is a tough one to answer without giving anything away! I had a few loose ideas when first asked to contribute to Grease Monkeys, but after some brainstorming, things really fell into place quickly! Part of the inspiration for my story comes from a real-life event that happened to a close friend of my paternal grandfather, who also happened to be friends with a major icon from the late 1920s. The event itself is only mentioned as something upcoming in my story, but I felt compelled to put this family friend in there because he is such a great bridge between a few key elements. Coincidentally, a story my mother recently shared with me about her father and his role in the military also plays a part. It’s really sort of amazing how the two completely unrelated events could be so easily woven together to create something I’m really excited about.

eSB: Are there any interesting details that you incorporated in your story to harken to the historic period of the genre? Are you the kind of ’punk who reveals in the period-appropriate technobabble, or do you dig deep into the research to include period-accurate touches?

HH: This definitely required some research so I could get the timing and setting just right. Since there’s an element of the occult going on in my storyline, and a handful of true events playing a role, I needed to make sure I kept the chronology of those in mind. As it turns out, I could not have written history itself more perfectly to suit my story. I also needed to know the details of certain technological elements, and both of those for the circumstances of the story also happened to work out just so.

eSB: What is your favorite dieselpunk fiction? What is your favorite dieselpunk movie? Share with us why.

HH: I have seen The City of Lost Children described as both steampunk and dieselpunk, and regardless of which it is, it has been one of my favorite films, even long before I ever heard of either genre. It’s simply gorgeous, humorous, thought-provoking, disturbing, and it has inspired many fascinating and unsettling dreams-turned-stories of mine. If Jungpunk ever becomes a thing, that movie will be the epitome of it.

eSB: What advice would you give aspiring authors considering participating in a themed anthology?

HH: It’s great to participate in an anthology on a subject you love. Even better if it’s one that challenges you, or even makes you uncomfortable. The ones that make you feel like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this’ – definitely do those. The anthologies I have written for so far – sci-fi, pulp, superhero, and this one – have all terrified me at the onset, but I ended up loving, not only the stories, but the process involved for approaching and writing them.

eSB: Could you tell us about one of your most amusing experiences promoting your books?

HH: As someone who is terrible with marketing, and just can’t seem to sit down and really invest the time necessary to make social media work for me, I make sure that I make the best use of marketing time at conventions. I’ll do readings, speak on panels, and appear at every meet & greet and book fair I can, just so I can speak to people about my books in person. I have had several people ask to buy whatever book I was reading from right out of my hands, before I can even leave the room – or sometimes, the panel. I am both amused and fascinated by it every time it happens. To have someone say, “Oh, my gosh! I want that book right now – can I buy that copy from you?” – it never gets old.

eSB: What is one thing you would share that would surprise your readers?

HH: I don’t actually enjoy writing vampire or werewolf stories – but that didn’t stop me from still doing it four times! And since I have a sequel in mind for one, and plans to complete a trilogy for another storyline, it looks like I’ll be doing it again at some point. There are a few people out there who will be thrilled to know that.

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?

HH: On the subject of ’punk writing, the first five of eight books of The Case Files are available. As mentioned, I also have a few romantic horror novels and novellas (By Blood, By Moon and By Heart, By Sun; In the Clothing of Wolves and Blood Mettle), and my first gothic, paranormal romance (Nevermore, Inc.) is available. Or, if you just don’t know where to start, 366 Tales: Stories Year-Round is exactly that – a one-page story for each day of the year, spanning all genres.

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?

HH: Having recently finished book five for The Case Files, I’d like to get moving on the next one, though I’ve had requests to do more paranormal stories and another collection of mixed-genre short stories, so which one I go with next is a little up in the air at the moment. As long as I’m writing, I’m pretty happy.

Heather E. Hutsell is the authoress of over twenty titles, including the steampunk mystery series The Case Files, short story compilations The Doll Collection Volumes 1 & 2, and an epic poem, The Merry Widow of Frankenstein. Her other works include fantasy, romantic horror, absurdist fiction, dystopia, and fairytales gone awry. Her most recent publications are the paranormal novella Nevermore, Inc., and 366 Tales: Stories Year Round, a collection of flash fiction. Heather has also written two historical documentary series for Lionheart Productions, LLC, contributed numerous articles to OneUnitedLanaster.com, and has stories in three anthologies put out by Crazy 8 Press. You can learn more about her projects at www.heatherehutsell.com.

Learn more about Heather E. Hutsell here:

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – DOC COLEMAN – A CAST OF CROWS

On February 21, 2023February 7, 2023 By eSpec BooksIn AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, KickstarterLeave a comment

We are at it again! Kicking off the year with a brand-new campaign: Full Steam Ahead!

This one is unique in that A Cast of Crows, one of the collections being funded, has been created in conjunction with a first-year steampunk event called Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival, in Hunt Valley, MD. Excerpts from all of the stories in the book will be used for an interactive scavenger hunt at the festival. We hope you’ll check out both the Kickstarter and the convention. Many of the authors will be in attendance, some of them coming from as far away as New Mexico!

The other two books funding through the campaign are Grimm Machinations – the sequel to Gaslight & Grimm, bringing you even more steampunk faerie tales; and Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk, our first foray into dieselpunk.

Over the course of the campaign, we will be featuring these spotlights so you can get to know our authors—and the projects—better.

eSpec Books interviews Doc Coleman, contributor to Forgotten Lore Volume One: A Cast of Crows, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail.

eSB: This collection is unique in that it is a key part of the upcoming Tell-Tall Steampunk Festival, a first-year event kicking off with a Poe theme. What challenges did this present when choosing what to write?
DC: Well, most of my writing has been built around my Adventures of Crackle and Bang series. When I’ve been asked for short stories, I usually find a way to insert Crackle and Bang into the theme and come up with a vignette. With this story, the constraints didn’t allow that. I needed to make the story shorter than I usually write, and my usual narrator’s voice didn’t work for that. But this also became an opportunity. If I couldn’t bring in Crackle and Bang, I had the chance to explore some of the things that happen when they’re not around, which opened possibilities for a much darker story. That fit well with the Poe theme, so I got to play with a storyline that was more magical.

eSB: As an author, what drew you to participate in a collection of Poe-inspired steampunk?
DC: Well, it’s always nice to be asked. But I’ve been asked to participate in other anthologies and had to turn them down because a story just didn’t come to me in time. I think part of it was the chance to do something a little more gothic horror in terms of steampunk. I don’t really do a lot of horror, but I have noticed that a horrific element usually sneaks into my stories. This became a chance to play with something dark and to do something that was less technology-driven, and more fantasy driven. One of the things I love about steampunk is that in the Victorian era, anything was possible, so it all goes into the pot. In this case, I got to dip into something a little different for me.

eSB: Did you base your story on your own previous literary setting or did you embrace the Poe connection? Or hey, did you do both?
DC: I think I did a bit of both. As I mentioned before, I couldn’t do my usual Crackle and Bang tie-in, so I started to write something that was disconnected. Something in a completely Poe-like world. Then I realized that even if I couldn’t use my main characters, the World of The Eternal Empress was big enough to have all kinds of dark corners to explore. And from the outset I made magic just as much a part of that world as technology, even if my main characters don’t really see it. You kind of have to when you start with Queen Victoria being an immortal. But this was my chance to play with the hidden magics. Smaller magic users who avoid the spotlight and just want to live out their lives in their own way.

eSB: No spoilers, but what was your inspiration for your story and did you introduce any easter eggs for either the Poe aspect or your own body of work?
DC: Well, I was told the story had to contain a crow, and we were given a list of names to choose from, and an element that went with those names. As it turned out, one of the names on the list was the same as a good friend of mine, and to me she did kind of embody that element. So you could say that she was the inspiration. Then I tried to look for a twist. Something that would give the story a different angle. The only real Easter egg is the setting, and some of the phrases used because of that setting.

eSB: Are there any interesting details that you incorporated in your story to harken to the historic aspect of the genre? Are you the kind of ’punk who reveals in the period-appropriate technobabble, or do you dig deep into the research to include period-accurate touches?
DC: Normally, I like to play with the technology, and dig up creative ways to describe getting futuristic effects from the more primitive period-appropriate tools. But this story didn’t have room for that. This one is much more about people who live simply and close to the land and how it stirs things up when a stranger blunders through. I did get to dig into ancient beliefs and a little witchcraft to try to give it the right flavor.

eSB: What was your favorite aspect of this project and does it inspire you to continue writing with the characters you created, or in the same universe?
DC: Oh, now that’s an interesting question. My favorite part of this project is the relationship I set up between the woodsman and his wife. I’d go into more detail, but I’m afraid it would be too spoilery. Let’s just say that they each have their own secrets, and those secrets keep them together and keep them apart. When I came up with the story I just thought of it as a one-off, but now that you’ve asked the question, it might be interesting to have one of these characters show up in a Crackle and Bang story. I think we’ll all have to just wait and see.

eSB: Is this your first time writing for a themed anthology? If so, how did you find the experience? If not, what draws you to them?
DC: This is actually the third time I’ve written for a themed anthology. The first one was The Way of the Gun, a Bushido Western Anthology, edited and published by Scott Roche. That one was fun because we got to play with western gunplay using the code of Bushido, and because Scott included a group of pacifists into the world known as the Followers of the Clockworker. I got the chance to flesh out a steampunk religion based on the idea of a clockwork world built by the Great Maker. It was great fun weaving threads of different cultures together and seeing how well they came together. By the time I finished that story, I’d laid the framework of at least four different philosophical religions.

The second time was a charity fundraiser called Paradise Found: Tales from the Library. That was intriguing because the setting was Paradise City, a city that is at the intersection of all possible afterlives, and because the library in question is the Library of Alexandria, which was not destroyed, but was taken up into the afterlife to preserve it. This story was fun because I got to play with gods as characters, and because I pulled Crackle and Bang into the afterlife. And this particular story has hooks into stories I haven’t published yet. When they’re all out there it will be a fun easter egg for my readers.

Anthologies are great fun, and a challenge as an author. You have to fit the constraints of the theme, but at the same time they let you explore aspects of culture and worldbuilding that usually get bent in service of a larger narrative. It is freeing to write a short where you’ve got enough background to build, but other than that you’ve got a blank slate and can do almost anything.

eSB: What is it about steampunk that you like most as an author? And what do you like about it as a reader, (presuming the answer isn’t the same)?
DC: I love the endless possibilities. I mentioned earlier that one thing that attracts me to the Victorian era is that people believed anything was possible. It was a time when you could have a man build a rocket to the moon in his garage so he could fight off Venusian invaders, while his brother is stalked and killed by a mummy’s curse so that his poor widow would have to take solace by visiting with the fairies in the bottom of their garden. People considered themselves worldly and educated, but would take all of that together without blinking an eye. It was a time when people did great and terrible things. By adding steampunk to the mix, you can make all the stories true and see where that leads you. It is a setting that creates opportunities for endless conflict, and endless wonder. There are just so many stories to be had there.

eSB: What advice would you give aspiring authors considering participating in a themed anthology?
DC: Don’t worry that you’re not good enough. Writing stories is how you get better. Don’t be afraid of someone telling you “No.” Most rejections from open calls to themed anthologies aren’t because of the quality of the stories, it’s from the sheer number of quality applicants. And even if your story is bad, it is a chance to learn how to write something better. Get to know the editors. It won’t get you into an anthology, but it may help you learn what they’re looking for, and that can spark your creativity. Most of all, don’t give up.

eSB: What other events are you doing this year—steampunk or otherwise?
DC: My schedule still hasn’t firmed up yet, but I’ve got a few things I’m planning on for this year. I’m planning on going to the Tell-Tale Steampunk Convention, of course. Then come Memorial Day Weekend, I hope to be back at Balticon. I’m also going to try to get a table for the Gaithersburg Book Festival this summer. In August, I plan on returning to the Key City Steampunk Festival. I’ve also got a couple renaissance festival book signings in the works. Hopefully, this fall I’ll be back at the Maryland Renaissance Festival for a signing at the Page After Page bookstore sometime in September or October, and then in November I’ll be down at the Carolina Renaissance Festival for Time Traveller’s Weekend on the 11th an 12th. Who knows, I may be able to add another convention to the list.

eSB: Could you tell us about one of your most amusing experiences promoting your books?
DC: One of the things I like about doing a signing at the Maryland Renaissance Festival is that I can people-watch. Steampunk is popular with a lot of the renaissance crowd, but not everyone, but I can usually pick my customers out of the crowd. The top hats and corsets tend to be a giveaway. But the people who are just there for the day, they’re a little harder. My big advantage there is the cover of my novel, The Perils of Prague. It is eye-catching. Mostly because there is an eye staring out at you from the broken face of an automaton. I can watch people walking along and see them get a glimpse of the cover and do a double-take. Most of the time, if I can get them to come over and take a closer look, I can tell by the second or third question that I’ve got them hooked. Sometimes it is enough to just describe the books as “Steampunk Comedy Adventure.”

eSB: What is one thing you would share that would surprise your readers?
DC: I hated writing as a kid. I especially hated it when we had to write stories for English class. I didn’t start writing until I was in my 40’s. Now I’ve got ideas for about a dozen novels in my head and no time to write. Writers should really have patrons. Having to work a day job really takes up a lot of good writing time.

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?
DC: My first novel The Perils of Prague, Book One in the Adventures of Crackle and Bang is out there, as is Paradise Found, mentioned above. I also have a collection of short stories, The Shining Cog and Other Steampunk Tales. There are also a couple stand-alone short stories out as ebooks: The Gift, and Welcome to Paradox.

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?
DC: Later this year, I’ll be releasing The Kindred of Kali, Book Two in the Adventures of Crackle and Bang. As you’ve no doubt guessed, this will see Crackle and Bang heading to India, and trying to track down a kidnapped princess. It’s a little more intrigue, but still a lot of comedy and adventure. It’s a story where nothing is ever quite what it seems. I hope people will enjoy it. I’ve just a got a few more tweaks to make before it is ready…

Doc Coleman never dreamed of being a writer. He dreamed of being an actor, of making movies, and telling stories. He dreamed of going to space. He just didn’t work hard enough at it. So he ended up going into IT.

But he always had a way with words. He still wanted to tell stories.

One day a friend told Doc that it takes 10,000 hours to master a new skill. He didn’t know how true that was, but he did see something in that was true: You don’t get better at things you don’t do.

So, he set about getting better at writing.

He started a blog, writing about something he did know about: technology.

About six months later, he started writing short stories. And submitting them.

Doc’s stories have appeared in The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences’ Tales from the Archives, the Way of the Gun Bushido Western Anthology, the Steampunk Special Edition of Flagship magazine, and in the charity anthology Paradise Found: Tales From the Library. In 2017 he published his first novel, The Perils of Prague, the first book in the Steampunk Comedy/Adventure series The Adventures of Crackle and Bang. In 2018 he published The Shining Cog and Other Steampunk Tales, a collection of Steampunk short stories. In 2023, he plans on publishing the second Crackle and Bang Adventure, The Kindred of Kali.

Doc has been a perennial guest at Balticon, RavenCon, Capclave, and Continual. He is also known as a narrator and a voice actor.

When he isn’t juggling projects, making a living, or mainlining podcasts, Doc is a gamer, an avid reader, a motorcyclist, a home brewer and beer lover, a fan of renaissance festivals, and frequently a smart-ass. He lives with his lovely wife and two cats in Germantown, MD.

Learn more about Doc Coleman here:

Website * GoodReads * Amazon Author Page

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – PATRICK THOMAS – GRIMM MACHINATIONS

On February 20, 2023February 19, 2023 By eSpec BooksIn AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, KickstarterLeave a comment

Final days left for our campaign Full Steam Ahead!

Grimm Machinations is a fun follow-up to our collection Gaslight & Grimm. More steampunk faerie tales, only this time, all of the tales the stories are based on are about makers or conmen, playing with the dual meanings of “Machinations.”

The other two books funding through the campaign are A Cast of Crows, Poe-inspired fiction created in conjunction with the Tell-Tall Steampunk Festival; and Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk, our first foray into dieselpunk.

eSpec Books interviews Patrick Thomas, contributor to Grimm Machinations, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Greg Schauer.

eSB: As an author, what drew you to participate in a collection of faerie tale-inspired steampunk?

PT: I was standing out on the corner holding a homemade cardboard sign that read “WILL WRITE FOR FOOD.” Danielle came by and gave me some ginger and a few cookies and here I am. But seriously, I had a blast writing stories for two of Danielle’s previous steampunk anthologies and leapt at a chance to do another mixing in elements of a fairy tale, in my case the Pied (Bag)Piper.

eSB: Did you base your story on your own previous literary setting or did you embrace the faerie connection? Or hey, did you do both?

PT: I used my own setting. I have a series of Playworlds, entertainment planets run by aliens for their own amusement with different themes where most the people have no idea what is really going on. The most popular of these is my Steamworld steampunk setting which I revisited for my Grimm Machinations story. Although the queen is mentioned in the story, what isn’t is that the Royal family has been genetically modified by the aliens to resemble faeries, including having pointed ears.

PT: Knowing the devotion of Steampunk fans, I was a tad intimidated. Like any writer, I do my research, but what if I got some crucial aspect of the Victorian-era horribly wrong? That’s when I came up with a way to make sure that didn’t happen. Or if it did, to ensure it didn’t ruin the story. I invented the concept of the Playworlds, alien-developed settings based on popular aspects of human media. Once I made my setting the city Thames (which had the river London running through it), the rest came easy. And by setting it on another world, I was able to have more fun with the story by incorporating Victorian-era themes with several twists.

eSB: What advice would you give aspiring authors considering participating in a themed anthology?

PT: Embrace it. It can be a lot of fun and a chance to get outside your comfort zone, stretch your writing muscles, and write something great that you might not have come up with if left solely to your own devices. And beyond that, if you are fortunate enough to participate in multiple themed anthologies, consider using the same characters or even just the same world and setting. That way after several anthologies, you will have enough stories (hopefully with some original tales added in) to build your own collection.

eSB: What other events are you doing this year—steampunk or otherwise?

PT: I’ll be at both Hunt Valley Monster Mania cons, Balticon, Wellsborough ComicCon, and Twin Tier ComicCon.

eSB: Could you tell us about one of your most amusing experiences promoting your books?

PT: John French, the late great and much-missed C.J. Henderson, and I used to play reader pong. Since we had all been in many different anthologies, written books, and edited anthologies together. Heck, we even wrote a story with all our bylines that crossed over CJ’s Lai Wan, John’s Bianca Jones, and my Agent Karver of the Department of Mystic Affairs. Whenever we sold a book where one of the others appeared as well, we would send the reader over to get it signed. (We tend to do this with other authors as well.) It’s a way for the reader to collect more signatures and a chance for the other author to try to interest them in another book. And if that book should happen to have one of the others in it, we’d wash, rinse, and repeat. We often managed two or three such pongs, but sometimes it would be more. The record for the three of us working in concert was eleven pongs. I was the one who got the last pong when I was informed that the reader would not be buying any more books that weekend.

eSB: What is one thing you would share that would surprise your readers?

PT: One time at a convention, I sold the shirt off the back of an artist sitting next to me.

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?

PT: Murphy’s Lore is a humorous urban fantasy set in the NYC bar at the rainbow’s end. Owned by a leprechaun, Hercules is the bouncer, Dionysus is one of the bartenders, and various folks from myth and legend, along with everyday New Yorkers come in. Since the owner bought the bar with his pot o’ gold, rainbows lead those in trouble to the bar where they can find help. (The extended universe includes two Startenders books set 20+ years in the future where they go out into space, not in starships but barships.)

I write the dark and twisted Dear Cthulhu humorous advice columns, which can be heard monthly on the Destinies: The Voice of Science Fiction radio show.

There is also the Mystic Investigators paranormal mysteries and the steampunk collection As The Gears Turn. Cryptid Fight Club is part of the Systema Paradoxa series about a PI who tries to rescue a Batsquatch and Dingbat from an illegal fight club in Las Vegas. There are three Terrorbelle books, featuring a half-pixie/half-ogre woman who works for Nemesis and fights big bads in New York City. Bikini Jones is a fun SF/F series about a woman cursed by a witch to wear a bikini who saves the world on a semi-regular basis.

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?

PT: Over the next year, I have several books due out including We Will Fight In The Stars (the first Tales of The 142^nd Starborne military science fiction series); Detectives Of The Abyss (Co-written with John L. French) and The Abyss Stares Back (a novel and anthology set in the Agents of the Abyss universe where classic monsters get involved with international intrigue ala James Bond), Cthulhu Take The Wheel (the 7^th Dear Cthulhu collection). Writing as Patrick T. Fibbs, readers can expect two middle readers Ain’t Seen Muffin Yet (Book 2 in the Babe B. Bear Mysteries) and It’s My Party And I’ll Die If I Want To (Book 2 in The Undead Kid Diaries) and the YA Emotional Support Nightmare. A bit after that will be Bikini Jones Vs. The Emperor of Planet Z (Book 3 of Bikini Jones), Before Twilight (the 10^th book in the Murphy’s Lore series), and the new Mystic Investigators book, all written as Patrick Thomas.

There’s been a debate among certain obscure and drunken literary scholars about whether PATRICK THOMAS was raised by Cthulhu or a leprechaun in a Manhattan bar. What there is no arguing about is that Patrick is the award-winning author of 50+ books, including the beloved fantasy humor Murphy’s Lore series, the darkly hilarious Dear Cthulhu advice empire, as well as the Bikini Jones books, the Mystic Investigators series, and the creator of the Agents of the Abyss. His other books include the Hexcraft and the Terrorbelle series, Exile & Entrance, Cryptid Fight Club, and the mystery Assassins’ Ball co-written with John L. French.

Dear Cthulhu has expanded from magazines and books to broadcast monthly on the radio show Destinies: The Voice of Science Fiction. Over 100 of his stories have been published in magazines and anthologies. A number of his books were part of the props department of the CSI television show, and Nightcaps was even thrown at a suspect’s head. His urban fantasy Fairy With A Gun, at one point, had been optioned for film and TV by Laurence Fishburne’s Cinema Gypsy Productions. Top Men Productions has turned his Soul For Hire Story, Act of Contrition, into a short film.

As Patrick T. Fibbs, he writes middle readers, including the Babe B. Bear Mysteries, The Undead Kid Diaries, Joy Reaper Checks Out, the YA Emotional Support Nightmare, and the Ughabooz books for younger kids.

Visit him at www.patthomas.net and www.patricktfibbs.com.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – JOHN L. FRENCH – GREASE MONKEYS

On February 19, 2023February 4, 2023 By eSpec BooksIn AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, KickstarterLeave a comment

We are at it again! Kicking off the year with a brand-new campaign: Full Steam Ahead!

While we are not the first to explore the realm of dieselpunk, it is fair to say there isn’t a lot out there. And I can say with full confidence no one else has gone in this direction! Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk takes a look at the mechanics that keep the tech running and even mod it out beyond its original capabilities, striving for efficiency and peak performance or just keeping things going.

Over the course of the campaign, we will be featuring these spotlights so you can get to know our authors—and the projects—better.

eSpec Books interviews John L. French, contributor to Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and John L. French.

JLF: This is my first time writing about either, although as an editor I have edited some steampunk novels and stories. As for the difference, Let me compare the two subgenres to types of crime fiction – steampunk is closer to the cozy mystery while dieselpunk is closer to hardboiled.

eSB: What was your favorite aspect of writing for this collection and why?

JLF: I generally don’t write either dieselpunk or steampunk fiction. So writing for this collection was a way to try something new, to stretch my writing muscles so to speak.

eSB: As an author, what drew you to participate in a collection of dieselpunk fiction?

JLF: I was invited to do so by my co-editor, who had faith enough in me to believe that this was something I could do.

eSB: Did you base your story on your own previous literary setting or did you embrace the faerie connection? Or hey, did you do both?

JLF: Neither. I did some research into both steam and dieselpunk and some of the aspects of the latter and as I did, I suddenly had the story. It was not one I expected to write. After I wrote the first one (“No Man’s Land”) another idea occurred to me and I wrote the second one (“The Return of the Diesel Kid”).

eSB: No spoilers, but what was your inspiration for your story and did you introduce any easter eggs for either the dieselpunk aspect or your own body of work?

JLF: I love putting Easter Eggs in my stories. There is a series of them in “No Man’s Land” that relate to a novel Patrick Thomas and I write if anyone gets them, it should tell them where the story is going.

eSB: Is this your first time writing for a themed anthology? If so, how did you find the experience? If not, what draws you to them?

JLF: No, I’ve been contributing to and editing themed anthologies for almost as long as I’ve been writing. I like them because the theme will not only suggest a topic about which to write but act as a challenge to take a topic like zombies or mermaids and write about it a way no one else has. I also think that readers take to themed anthologies because they know what to expect.

eSB: What advice would you give aspiring authors considering participating in a themed anthology?

JLF: First of all, read the guidelines. If the anthology is about police detectives, don’t write a story about a dog-walker who stumbles on a murder unless the dog-walker is an off-duty police detective. If it’s a topic with which you’re not familiar, do some research. If it’s a well-known subject like Sherlock Holmes or the Lovecraft mythos, go to the source material, read the original stories rather than rely on what you think you know. Once you do that, don’t be afraid to do something different.

eSB: What other events are you doing this year—dieselpunk or otherwise?

JLF: Several conventions of various kinds, Monster Mania, the Balticon (hopefully), the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, the Frederick Comic Con, and the Pulp Adventure Con. It’s always fun doing conventions, meeting old friends and fans and making new ones.

eSB: What is one thing you would share that would surprise your readers?

JLF: While it’s no secret that I was once a CSI for the Baltimore Police Crime Lab, I also “worked” for Captain James Gordon of the Gotham City Police in that city’s crime lab. I provided forensic advice to C. J. Henderson when he wrote a few Batman comics and as a thank you I was drawn into the comic as myself.

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?

JLF: There are the novellas I wrote as part of Systema Paradoxa’s ongoing Cryptid series – When the Moon Shines, which features snallygasters and dwayyo, and Chessie at Bay, which features Chessie the Chesapeake Bay sea serpent. There’s also my Bianca Jones series about monster hunting in Baltimore (Here There Be Monsters, Monsters Among Us, and The Last Monsters. And a two-book (so far) series about a CSI who becomes a private eye then goes to work for the Baltimore City State’s Attorney.

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?

JLF: Hopefully, I will have a few books coming out in 2023. My first fantasy collection from Padwolf Publishing (In the Ruins of Caerleon), a hardboiled detective collection from Bold Venture Press (The Wages of Syn), and a novel set in Patrick Thomas’s Agents of the Abyss series (The Detective of the Abyss). 2024 will see the release of Daylight Comes, my third book in my cryptid series, which features the return of the dwayyo along with at least one other monster.

JOHN L. FRENCH is a retired crime scene supervisor with forty years’ experience. He has seen more than his share of murders, shootings, and serious assaults. As a break from the realities of his job, he started writing science fiction, pulp, horror, fantasy, and, of course, crime fiction.

John’s first story “Past Sins” was published in Hardboiled Magazine and was cited as one of the best Hardboiled stories of 1993. More crime fiction followed, appearing in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, the Fading Shadows magazines and in collections by Barnes and Noble. Association with writers like James Chambers and the late, great C.J. Henderson led him to try horror fiction and to a still growing fascination with zombies and other undead things. His first horror story “The Right Solution” appeared in Marietta Publishing’s Lin Carter’s Anton Zarnak. Other horror stories followed in anthologies such as The Dead Walk and Dark Furies, both published by Die Monster Die books. It was in Dark Furies that his character Bianca Jones made her literary debut in “21 Doors,” a story based on an old Baltimore legend and a creepy game his daughter used to play with her friends.

John’s first book was The Devil of Harbor City, a novel done in the old pulp style. Past Sins and Here There Be Monsters followed. John was also consulting editor for Chelsea House’s Criminal Investigation series. His other books include The Assassins’ Ball (written with Patrick Thomas), Souls on Fire, The Nightmare Strikes, Monsters Among Us, The Last Redhead, the Magic of Simon Tombs, and The Santa Heist (written with Patrick Thomas). John is the editor of To Hell in a Fast Car, Mermaids 13, C. J. Henderson’s Challenge of the Unknown, Camelot 13 (with Patrick Thomas), and (with Greg Schauer) With Great Power …

John’s Amazon Author Page * John’s Facebook Page

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – MISTY MASSEY – GREASE MONKEYS

On February 17, 2023February 4, 2023 By eSpec BooksIn AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, KickstarterLeave a comment

We are at it again! Kicking off the year with a brand-new campaign: Full Steam Ahead!

Over the course of the campaign, we will be featuring these spotlights so you can get to know our authors—and the projects—better.

eSpec Books interviews Misty Massey, contributor to Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and John L. French.

eSB: As an author, what drew you to participate in a collection of dieselpunk fiction?

MM: I’ve written about fantasy pirates for so long that jumping into a much more technological world was a treat. Like being allowed to eat ice cream for dinner because I finished all my homework – writing about the mechanic and the metal girl was a new experience that gave me a thrill.

eSB: Did you base your story on your own previous literary setting or did you embrace the faerie connection? Or hey, did you do both?

MM: Golly, no! My Kestrel novels take place on wooden pirate ships in a fantasy world, and the story for this anthology had to be set in pre-WWII Washington. Night and day!

eSB: No spoilers, but what was your inspiration for your story and did you introduce any easter eggs for either the dieselpunk aspect or your own body of work?

MM: Originally, I was going to write about a troupe of mechanical dancers, an idea that came from my experience dancing in troupes over the last decade or so. But once I got started, I realized I’d built much too large of a cast of characters for a short story, and I wasn’t going to be able to do it justice. Besides that, I found that I enjoyed the intimacy of the mechanic having a single metal friend to care for instead of a crowd.

MM: I’m definitely not someone who knows much about how machines work, so I tried not to go overboard explaining the metal girl’s internal arrangement. (I did run it past a more mechanically minded family member to make sure it wasn’t completely nonsense.) For me, diving into historical research to add the appropriate touches is my jam. Even an era so close to the present can feel like a long-ago past when we study language and customs. I made sure to pepper everyone’s speech with believable slang, for instance, and included mentions of the uncomfortable political situation of the time. I also read lyrics of popular songs from that period to familiarize myself with their cadence and vocabulary so the metal girl could sing without my editors having to worry about licensing issues for printing someone else’s lyrics.

eSB: What is your favorite dieselpunk fiction? What is your favorite dieselpunk movie? Share with us why.

MM: I’m a big fan of Richard Kadrey’s The Grand Dark. Unlike his Sandman Slim series, this book is heady and lush, filled with the thrill of post-war opportunity and shadowy dealings that underpin every connection. And my favorite movie is Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s a wonderful example of secret magic hiding just out of sight in the comfortable industrial world we think we’ve tamed.

eSB: What advice would you give aspiring authors considering participating in a themed anthology?

MM: Don’t look at the big names who are sharing a table of contents with you and start thinking you aren’t up to snuff with them. Your story has every right to appear and could very well end up being some reader’s favorite one in the whole collection. Believe in your work and yourself.

eSB: What other events are you doing this year—dieselpunk or otherwise?

MM: I’ll be appearing at Ret-Con (Cary, NC), SAGA (Winston-Salem, NC), Atomacon (Charleston, SC), and ConCarolinas (Charlotte, NC) this spring. There may be other events added later, so you can check my website for updates!

eSB: What is one thing you would share that would surprise your readers?

MM: Well, I was a performing belly dancer for over ten years and belonged to a couple of professional troupes. Readers from the Carolinas might have even seen me on stage at the Carolina Renaissance Festival. I was the 1980 TriCounty spelling champion in high school. I look like a middle-aged mom, but I’m a big fan of bands like Rage Against the Machine and Rise Against. Oh, here’s something that might surprise people – I can write my name in cursive, forward with my right hand and backward with my left, at the same time. Ta da!!

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?

MM: I mentioned the pirates earlier, so you can look for Mad Kestrel and the recent sequel, Kestrel’s Dance, from Loreseekers Press. If you’d like to check out some of the other themed anthologies I’ve been involved with, you can try The Weird Wild West (e-Spec Books), Lawless Lands (Falstaff), Submerged (ZNB), or Cinched (Falstaff).

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?

MM: I’m releasing the Dead Man series, a three-novella weird western saga featuring Doc Holliday returned from the dead later this year from Falstaff Books, and a fantasy-noir tale, The Big Smush, as part of the Shingles collection. And, of course, I’m hard at work on the third of Kestrel’s pirate adventures, with any luck coming in 2024 from Loreseekers Press.

Misty Massey is the author of the Mad Kestrel series of rollicking fantasy adventures on the high seas. She is an editor for several small presses, and an instructor for the Speculative Fiction Academy. When she’s not writing or editing, Misty appears on the Authors & Dragons podcast sister show, Calamity Janes, as the cheerful, sundrenched cleric, Malibu. She’s a sucker for ginger snaps, African coffee, and anything sparkly. You can keep up with Misty at mistymassey.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

Learn more about Misty Massey here:

Website * GoodReads * Amazon Author Page

Follow Misty Massey on social media:

Facebook * Twitter

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – KEN SCHRADER – GREASE MONKEYS

On February 15, 2023February 4, 2023 By eSpec BooksIn AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, KickstarterLeave a comment

We are at it again! Kicking off the year with a brand-new campaign: Full Steam Ahead!

Over the course of the campaign, we will be featuring these spotlights so you can get to know our authors—and the projects—better.

eSpec Books interviews Ken Schrader, contributor to Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and John L. French.

KS: For me, the biggest challenge was the tone of the story. Steampunk, particularly in dialogue, has a more formal feel to it. There’s a kind of luster to the world, gaslight shining off all the polished brass. Dieselpunk is closer to the modern time. It’s showing the wear and tear brought on by technological advancements. For the first time, you’re putting the words “Machine” and “Gun” together, and the world can’t help but change after that. The brass has a bit of tarnish. There’s a dent or a chip in the paint and a vague smell of exhaust. Both genre’s will let you play wonderfully fast and loose with what’s possible technologically, but where they differ is that Steampunk is, generally speaking, a hopeful genre, whereas the folk in a Dieselpunk story have gotten knocked down a few times and have had to get back up… and it’s starting to show.

eSB: What was your favorite aspect of writing for this collection and why?

KS: This was a foray into a genre that I hadn’t written in before. Sure, I’ve seen Dieselpunk films (more on those later), but this had me diving deep into the art, and the aesthetics of Dieselpunk, to really get a clear picture of what was going on under the hood. I really liked what I found there, and while this may have been my first Dieselpunk story, it won’t be my last.

eSB: No spoilers, but what was your inspiration for your story and did you introduce any easter eggs for either the dieselpunk aspect or your own body of work?

KS: There is a lot of Dieselpunk art out there, and while I didn’t nod directly at any particular piece of work (Art, Book, Movie), I did draw upon visuals from movies like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and The Rocketeer show me a world that was similar, but fantastically different to our own.

KS: I did do research when necessary to keep myself properly – if not exactly – on the timeline. Specific mentions of technology or machines are either period appropriate or appeared on the scene a few years later. Some details I researched, while interesting on their own, didn’t specifically get mentioned in the story but helped me with the underlying logic.

eSB: What is your favorite dieselpunk fiction? What is your favorite dieselpunk movie? Share with us why.

KS: I had to think about this one for a moment, and, as it turns out, I get most of my Dieselpunk from movies. Favorite Dieselpunk movie? The hands-down winner there is Raiders of the Lost Ark (Which also counts for fiction since I’ve read the novelization). True, the story takes place a little bit later than the typical Dieselpunk range, but I think it fits in there quite nicely, and it revived the kind of action stories that been on the wane at that time.

eSB: What advice would you give aspiring authors considering participating in a themed anthology?

KS: Find a theme that speaks to you and go for it. It’s a good way to get those initial publishing credits, you’ll get experience working with editors, the opportunity to learn is immense.

eSB: What other events are you doing this year—dieselpunk or otherwise?

KS: I’ve got applications in to be a panelist at Ravencon (April 21-23), Balticon (May 26-29), and ConCarolinas (June 2-4).

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?

KS: You can find my story, “Haven” in eSpec Books’ Weird Wild West anthology.

My story “The Price of Power” is in the Trials anthology.

My story “Brimstone” is in the Predators in Petticoats anthology.

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?

KS: My novella Crimson Whisper will be coming out later this year as part of the Systema Paradoxa Series in conjunction with the Cryptid Crate monthly subscription box.

Ken Schrader writes Science Fiction, Fantasy, Weird Westerns, and anything else he can get away with. He’s a shameless Geek, a fan of the Oxford comma, and he makes housing decisions based upon the space available for bookshelves.

He sings out loud when there’s no one around, enjoys a good grilling session, and loves a powerful drum beat. He can also procrastinate so well you’d think it was a superpower.

He lives in Michigan, and despite the seasonal allergies, he always enjoys mowing the lawn.

Learn more about Ken Schrader here:

Website * GoodReads * Amazon Author Page

Follow Ken Schrader s on social media:

Facebook * Twitter

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – JESSICA LUCCI – A CAST OF CROWS

On February 13, 2023January 29, 2023 By eSpec BooksIn AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, KickstarterLeave a comment

We are at it again! Kicking off the year with a brand-new campaign: Full Steam Ahead!

Over the course of the campaign, we will be featuring these spotlights so you can get to know our authors—and the projects—better.

eSpec Books interviews Jessica Lucci, contributor to Forgotten Lore Volume One: A Cast of Crows, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail.

eSB: This collection is unique in that it is a key part of the upcoming Tell-Tall Steampunk Festival, a first-year event kicking off with a Poe theme. What challenges did this present when choosing what to write?
JL: Poe is a master in the genre of horror and the macabre, and I have always admired his poems. As a poet myself, I wanted to honor Poe by integrating poetry into my story. This presented a challenge as I blended the prose and the poetry together, and it was a lot of fun!

eSB: As an author, what drew you to participate in a collection of Poe-inspired steampunk?
JL: As an author, I have read and studied Poe for his ability to concisely tell a story. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to write my own Poe-esque tale.

eSB: Did you base your story on your own previous literary setting or did you embrace the Poe connection? Or hey, did you do both?
JL: The story I wrote for this collection is “Annabel Lee.” I had a vague remembrance of Poe’s version being a tragic story of a woman and the sea, so I derived inspiration from that. I was wary of accidentally copying the storyline though, so I did not re-read Poe’s original until after my story was completed. “The Tell-Tale Heart” played a part in my story as I tried to achieve a sense of impending dread.

eSB: Are there any interesting details that you incorporated in your story to harken to the historic aspect of the genre? Are you the kind of ’punk who reveals in the period-appropriate technobabble, or do you dig deep into the research to include period-accurate touches?
JL: In my “Annabel Lee,” I mixed a sense of history, such as a steamship carrying wealthy travelers from the United States to Europe, with more whimsical steampunk attributes, like an automaton orchestra. I enjoy my fantasy with a touch of historical realism.

eSB: Is this your first time writing for a themed anthology? If so, how did you find the experience? If not, what draws you to them?
JL: This is the first anthology that has included my work, and I am thrilled to have my story featured along with other authors in the steampunk community. I relished the feeling of working independently while contributing to a team effort.

eSB: What other events are you doing this year—steampunk or otherwise?
JL: I will be at Jewelry City Steampunk Festival, New Hampshire Renaissance Faire, and Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire, along with other events, both in person and virtual. My full calendar can be viewed on my website, http://www.JessicaLucci.org

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?
JL: I am best known for my Watch City Trilogy, which follows a cast of found-family characters on adventures by land, sea, and air. “Subton Switch,” of this trilogy, was a Finalist in the 2019 Lesfic Bard Awards. My witchy steampunk novella, “Salem Switch,” is very popular among readers who enjoy a snappy page-turning reading experience. My latest book of poetry, “How Can I Steal a Purse,” has received attention in the local poetry scene, and has been accepted into the Grolier Poetry Book Shop, the oldest poetry book shop in the United States!

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?
JL: “Triangle House” is a work of historical fiction. Jane, a wealthy orphan during the Industrial Revolution, seeks a sense of purpose. Her lover, Stella, is a socialite who can’t understand her need for meaning. Then Jane meets Rozett, an immigrant living in the working poor section of Tracksport. Together, the three women must come to terms with the forces of love and lust they share, seek refuge for Jane’s new philanthropic project, all the while outsmarting the domineering politician Mr. Powers who is persistent in his intentions for Jane. Lives are at stake and love is on trial in this historical fiction novella that will transport you to a world that very well could have been.

I am also preparing a new, gloomy, macabre book of poetry, “Graveyard Shift,” which will be out in October.

Another project I am working on is a collaboration with fellow author Bert Gevera Piedmont, investigating worlds inspired by Tarot.

Jessica Lucci is a poet and steampunk fantasy author who writes about modern issues while maintaining historic integrity. She makes her home in Waltham, MA, USA, with her time-traveling budgie, Lamarr.

Her poetry has appeared in The Edible Anthology of Poetry Greatest Hits, edited by Peter Payack, and also in Lucidity Poetry Journal. Her steampunk novel Subton Switch was a finalist in the 2019 Lesfic Bard Book Awards for science fiction. Other works include Waltham Watch, Gustover Glitch, Salem Switch, Steampunk Leap Year, Steampunk New Year, and Steampunk Pride.

Learn more about Jessica Lucci here:

Website * Blog * GoodReads * Amazon Author Page

Follow Jessica Lucci on social media:

Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Instagram

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – AARON ROSENBERG – GREASE MONKEYS

On February 11, 2023January 29, 2023 By eSpec BooksIn AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, KickstarterLeave a comment

We are at it again! Kicking off the year with a brand-new campaign: Full Steam Ahead!

Over the course of the campaign, we will be featuring these spotlights so you can get to know our authors—and the projects—better.

eSpec Books interviews Aaron Rosenberg contributor to Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and John L. French and Forgotten Lore Volume One: A Cast of Crows, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail.

AR: Dieselpunk is interesting in that it’s a whole different aesthetic to steampunk, both visually and tonally. You’re dealing with gas and oil rather than steam, so machinery is taken to the next level, which also means that it integrates into the world differently. Part of that is the noir aspect and how that plays out. Everything in dieselpunk is gritty, more iron and steel and less glass and brass, but there’s also a certain “can do” attitude that carries through it all, with people struggling through adversity and persevering through sheer will.

eSB: What was your favorite aspect of writing for this collection and why?

AR: It’s not a genre I’ve played in much yet, and the particular focus on the people who make things work behind the scenes was also really interesting to me. I like stories that don’t focus on the obvious heroes (or villains) but look at the people who are just as integral but less in the spotlight.

eSB: No spoilers, but what was your inspiration for your story and did you introduce any Easter eggs for either the dieselpunk aspect or your own body of work?

AR: There are strong hints of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and The Boys in mine, I’d say. But also, there was a Batman story at one point about his mechanic, and that was the first thing I thought of when approaching this, the person who’s responsible for keeping something like the Batmobile running.

AR: Oh, I had way too much fun coming up with character names based on diesel terms! Both heroes and villains. Even the featured headquarters and its various areas are all pulled from that. I think it’s the little touches like that which really bring a story to life and also help ground it in its setting.

eSB: Is this your first time writing for a themed anthology? If so, how did you find the experience? If not, what draws you to them?

AR: Ha, no. I’ve actually lost track of how many themed anthologies I’ve been in, but certainly a few dozen. I love it. It’s having those constraints which forces you to be more creative with your work, to find ways to push against the limits and really write something new and original while still staying within the guidelines.

eSB: A Cast of Crows is unique in that it is a key part of the upcoming Tell-Tall Steampunk Festival, a first-year event kicking off with a Poe theme. What challenges did this present when choosing what to write?

AR: Well, it’s a themed anthology but that theme is far more focused than, say, a genre or a time period. This had to be a Poe story, first and foremost. Then it had to be steampunk. There were also a few elements we were required to include somehow, in order to connect to an activity at the event. Lots of constraints, lots of guidelines—which just made it that much more fun.

eSB: Did you base your story on your own previous literary setting or did you embrace the Poe connection? Or hey, did you do both?

AR: I’m a huge Poe fan, have been since high school, taught various Poe stories and poems in college, so I was absolutely going to focus on that aspect and try to make sure my story fit. At the same time, this isn’t a pastiche. I wasn’t trying to copy Poe’s own style, just write something that would work as a spiritual successor.

eSB: No spoilers, but what was your inspiration for your story and did you introduce any Easter eggs for either the Poe aspect or your own body of work?

AR: In addition to liking Poe in general, I love the M. Auguste Dupin stories, so I immediately started thinking about those as my primary source of inspiration. But I also incorporated some elements, at least stylistically, from “The Masque of the Red Death.” And I have nods to a few other Poe stories and poems in things like names and costumes.

eSB: Did either of these projects inspire you to continue writing with the characters you created, or in the same universe?

AR: I would love to do more tales about Phillipe Huron, my detective in my Cast of Crows story “A Heavy Air,” or Lily Jeffries, the main character in my Grease Monkeys story “Nobody’s Hero”! Or just to tell more stories in the worlds I created for each of them. For Cast of Crows, it would be fun to do more detective/police procedural stories, even if he weren’t in them. For Grease Monkeys, I’ve set up an entire league of heroes and any of them would be cool to explore more.

eSB: What advice would you give aspiring authors considering participating in a themed anthology?

AR: Think about the theme and the obvious things it means, suggests, presents—and then think about the less obvious ones. Turn it on its side. Inside out. Poke and prod it. Find a spot or an aspect or an interpretation you haven’t seen done before, or one you have but still feel has room to explore, and then start thinking about what kind of story that presents to you. Everything should flow from the theme, but there is a flow, it has to be organic, rather than being forced.

eSB: What other events are you doing this year—dieselpunk, steampunk, or otherwise?

AR: I’ll be at Farpoint February 10-12, Origins Game Fair June 21-25, Shore Leave July 7-9, and possibly Heliosphere April 28-30.

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?

AR: My urban fantasy novel Yeti Left Home, the first in a series about a mild-mannered Yeti in Minneapolis-St. Paul and the things that happen to him, comes out from NeoParadoxa Press on February 1. My SF comedy series The Adventures of DuckBob Spinowitz, starting with the novel No Small Bills, is available from Crazy 8 Press. The first four books in my Anime-inspired epic fantasy series The Relicant Chronicles are available through Falstaff Books. O.C.L.T., the occult thriller series I write with David Niall Wilson, is over at Crossroad Press. Cases by Candlelight, a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories I did with Christopher D. Abbott and Michael Jan Friedman, can be found on Amazon. And my first fantasy pirate mystery adventure novel, Deadly Fortune, and its upcoming sequel Weather Gap, are with Eldros Legacy.

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?

AR: I mentioned Yeti Left Home and Weather Gap above, those are both done and releasing this year. I’m writing the second Yeti novel, the final Relicant Chronicle, and a cryptid novel this year as well. Oh, and the second Holmes collection, More Cases by Candlelight, will be out this fall as well.

Aaron Rosenberg is the author of the best-selling DuckBob SF comedy series, the Relicant Chronicles epic fantasy series, the Dread Remora space-opera series, and—with David Niall Wilson—the O.C.L.T. occult thriller series. Aaron’s tie-in work contains novels for Star Trek, Warhammer, World of WarCraft, Stargate: Atlantis, Shadowrun, Eureka, Mutants & Masterminds, and more. He has written children’s books (including the original series STEM Squad and Pete and Penny’s Pizza Puzzles, the award-winning Bandslam: The Junior Novel, and the #1 best-selling 42: The Jackie Robinson Story), educational books on a variety of topics, and over seventy roleplaying games (such as the original games Asylum, Spookshow, and Chosen, work for White Wolf, Wizards of the Coast, Fantasy Flight, Pinnacle, and many others, and both the Origins Award-winning Gamemastering Secrets and the Gold ENnie-winning Lure of the Lich Lord). He is the co-creator of the ReDeus series, and a founding member of Crazy 8 Press. Aaron lives in New York with his family.

Learn more about Aaron Rosenberg here:

Website * GoodReads * Amazon Author Page * BookBub * Wikipedia

Follow Aaron Rosenberg on social media:

Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – JEFF YOUNG – GRIMM MACHINATIONS

On February 9, 2023January 29, 2023 By eSpec BooksIn AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, KickstarterLeave a comment

We are at it again! Kicking off the year with a brand-new campaign: Full Steam Ahead!

Over the course of the campaign, we will be featuring these spotlights so you can get to know our authors—and the projects—better.

eSpec Books interviews Jeff Young, contributor to Grimm Machinations, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Greg Schauer.

eSB: Grimm Machinations is not the first steampunk faerie tale collection to come along. It isn’t even the first one by this press. What makes it unique?
JY: I think Machinations focus on the maker is what sets it apart. Steampunk inspires a unique level of creativity that is similar to manga. While artisans are not always focused on recreating something specific, like manga or anime cosplayers, they are working towards something that fits the aesthetic, and that provides not only more freedom but tends to inspire more imagination. Refining the expectations of the anthology to include makers in a faery tale setting aligns with that inspiration to do more than just read.

eSB: As an author, what drew you to participate in a collection of faerie tale-inspired steampunk?
JY: After being part of Gaslight & Grimm, I was totally ready for round two. There’s a structure to a good faery tale that’s like writing noir, once you get the ideas together, if you are doing something more traditional, it should flow just like a song.

eSB: Did you base your story on your own previous literary setting or did you embrace the faerie connection? Or hey, did you do both?
JY: This is absolutely its own little animal. I’ve created several steampunk milieus for my writing, but the tale of the mask maker Fox stands alone. Who knows though, maybe it shouldn’t – you read it and tell me if I should write more.

eSB: No spoilers, but what was your inspiration for your story and did you introduce any easter eggs for either the faerie tale aspect or your own body of work?
JY: I wanted a non-traditional faerytale as the basis for the story and in my research I found a Romanian tale called the Wonderful Bird (The Wonderful Bird | Mite Kremnitz (fairytalez.com)). While it is a fantastic story, it was way too long and convoluted, so I decided to borrow most of the concepts for inspiration. But this is a steampunk anthology and also was focused on artificers, so I brought the character of the Fox to the forefront, instead of the emperor and his sons, and also made them a mask maker as well as clever. The masks that are at the center of the story are entirely my creation and inspired ones often seen at Renaissance Faires, especially those of Foxes.

eSB: What was your favorite aspect of this project and does it inspire you to continue writing with the characters you created, or in the same universe?
JY: The masks were a happy little accident. I was trying to decide how to deal with a character that was going to appear to play multiple roles and when I was looking at some photos from this year’s Renaissance Faire visits, I saw a friend wearing a fox mask. I had already considered that the makers in the story were going to be the creator of the mechanical bird and the builder of the Spinning Cathedral, but it made so much more sense that the central character of the story would also be a creator as well. That’s how the Fox became a mask maker whose masks were uniquely steampunk and clockwork in nature.

eSB: What is it about steampunk that you like most as an author? And what do you like about it as a reader, (presuming the answer isn’t the same)?
JY: I think Steampunk inspires creativity because it challenges you as an author to find an alternate solution. We can look back at history and see how the power of steam drove our civilization forward but what Steampunk does is celebrate the “what if?”. It invites one to follow in the footsteps of Verne and Wells and then go way beyond– airships, trains, ironclads, clockwork automatons, and more. It’s also very much a maker-focused genre that inspires repurposing and handmade creation.

eSB: What advice would you give aspiring authors considering participating in a themed anthology?
JY: Simple – if you have an idea you love, don’t try to make it fit where it won’t. Editor Dani and I talked about her other book, Grease Monkeys, which is a dieselpunk collection. I had an idea and when I checked about the specifics, I realized this wasn’t a good fit, so I didn’t pass it along. That story is going to have its own place somewhere, just not in this particular collection. Hopefully, I did the smart thing and saved us both some time. If you are lucky another idea will come along in time– go with that one. It’s the best choice for you and your editor.
eSB: What other events are you doing this year—steampunk or otherwise?
JY: I hope to be part of Tell-Tale Steampunk; Confluence – Pittsburgh’s Literary SF&F convention; Books, Books, Books in Lititz, and other events with eSpec Books or Fortress Publishing as part of The Novel Guys.

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?
JY: In the steampunk genre: my book Spirit Seeker collects the adventures of Kassandra Leyden, a medium in New Britain, which appeared in several anthologies. I was also part of Gaslight & Grimm, eSpec Books’ first foray into Steampunk faery tales, with a story set in Russia featuring Baba Yaga’s walking house. If you are looking for something different, the collection Written in Light brings together my science fiction.

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?
JY: Right now, I at work on a YA steampunk novel called Sinks and Sources, a fantasy novel called Silvers about humans trying to live with magical creatures and finding that harmony isn’t always likely, my perpetual pet project that I call ratchetpunk – At the Feast of Egos, acting as the managing editor for the magazine Mendie the Post Apocalyptic Flower Scout, and writing collaborations with The Novel Guys under several pen names such as Viktor Bloodstone, Apollo Harrison, and Jordan Corvis.

Jeff Young is a bookseller first and a writer second – although he wouldn’t mind a reversal of fortune.

He is an award-winning author who has contributed to the anthologies: Afterpunk, In an Iron Cage: The Magic of Steampunk, Clockwork Chaos, Gaslight and Grimm, Phantasmical Contraptions and other Errors, By Any Means, Best Laid Plans, Dogs of War, Man and Machine, If We Had Known, Fantastic Futures 13, The Society for the Preservation of C.J. Henderson, Eccentric Orbits 2 & 3, Writers of the Future V.26, TV Gods and TV Gods: Summer Programming. Jeff’s own fiction is collected in Spirit Seeker, Written in Light and TOI Special Edition 2 – Diversiforms. He has also edited the Drunken Comic Book Monkey line, TV Gods and TV Gods –Summer Programming and is the managing editor for the magazine, Mendie the Post-Apocalyptic Flower Scout. He has led the Watch the Skies SF&F Discussion Group of Camp Hill and Harrisburg for seventeen years. Jeff is also the proprietor of Helm Haven, the online Etsy and Ebay shops, costuming resources for Renaissance and Steampunk.

Learn more about Jeff Young here:

Website * GoodReads * Amazon Author Page * YouTube

Follow Jeff Young on social media:

Facebook * Instagram

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – MARIA V. SNYDER – GREASE MONKEYS

On February 7, 2023 By eSpec BooksIn AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, KickstarterLeave a comment

We are at it again! Kicking off the year with a brand-new campaign: Full Steam Ahead!

Over the course of the campaign, we will be featuring these spotlights so you can get to know our authors—and the projects—better.

eSpec Books interviews Maria V. Snyder, contributor to Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and John L. French.

eSB: What was your favorite aspect of writing for this collection and why?

MVS: My favorite aspect of writing Under Amber Skies was creating the various gadgets that Zosia’s father invented to help with everyday life. I loved how they became almost characters themselves. The crabs were my favorite and I would love to have an army of them at my disposal—the best possible home security system! Plus, they were a touching reminder of one of Zosia’s fondest memories from her childhood with her father.

eSB: No spoilers, but what was your inspiration for your story and did you introduce any easter eggs for either the dieselpunk aspect or your own body of work?

MVS: The inspiration for this story came from when I visited Poland. I was on a Baltic Sea cruise with my family, and we stopped in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Latvia, and Poland. During the trip we visited a number of amber museums and we also saw the Amber Room in Catherine the Great’s palace (not the original, as the amber panels were stolen by the Nazis and never found). Over 45 millions of years the sap from a vast coniferous forest transformed into amber. It can be found throughout the area. After I learned all this, I knew I needed to write a story about the amber, or as the locals called, it Baltic Electrons.

eSB: Is this your first time writing for a themed anthology? If so, how did you find the experience? If not, what draws you to them?

MVS: This isn’t the first time I’ve written for a themed anthology. I enjoy writing for various anthologies because I view them as a challenge. I don’t write diselpunk, so this gave me an opportunity to explore a new sub-genre to put my toe in the water. It’s always a wonderful experience, and I enjoy having an excuse to go outside my comfort zone.

eSB: What advice would you give aspiring authors considering participating in a themed anthology?

MVS: To go for it! It’s a chance to play in another’s sandbox. It is also an opportunity to take the typical genre conventions and put your own spin on them. For example, I was invited to write for a werewolf-themed anthology. I don’t write about werewolves but thought it might be fun. However, I had a hard time coming up with a unique premise until I sparked on the idea of a homeless young woman who was good at finding lost dogs. She survived on the streets by returning them to their owners and collecting the reward money. Until she found one big dog that didn’t have an owner.

eSB: What other events are you doing this year—dieselpunk or otherwise?

MVS: I’m the Keynote Speaker for the Greater Leigh Valley Writers Group’s annual writing conference, The Write Stuff. It’s the weekend of March 23-25 and I’ll also be teaching a number of writing workshops. It’s in Bethlehem, PA. I’m doing a release party for my new book, The Study of Poisons, on April 15 at Cupboard Maker Books in Enola, PA, from 1-4 pm. I’ll also be at ApollyCon in Washington, DC, the weekend of April 28-30. All my appearances can be found on my website.

eSB: Could you tell us about one of your most amusing experiences promoting your books?

MVS: My publisher sent me on a small book tour when Poison Study was first published. I visited Phoenix, AZ, Seattle, WA, Los Angeles and San Deigo, CA, and Birmingham, AL. Now which one of these cities doesn’t match? Birmingham! I was supposed to go to Denver, but there was a last-minute change, and my publisher wanted me to go to a sales conference in Birmingham. No problem. It was a lovely event. There was a stack of my books to sign and hand out to the sales teams, and a four foot by three foot poster of my book cover and my head shot behind me.

At the end of the conference, I asked about the poster, which was mounted on thick foam board. What were they going to do with it? Throw it away! I asked if I could take it, and they said yes. Fast forward to the airport. I’m carrying this huge poster and, when I get to TSA security, I’m stopped for a special screening. Since my flights had been changed last-minute, it was deemed suspicious. So there I am, holding this poster and being screened, entertaining the large group of people who are staring at me as they wait for their turn through security. I turn to them and say, “I guess my ID isn’t big enough for them.” Everyone laughed, even the TSA agents, who then waved me through with my giant poster. I still have that poster hanging on my wall!

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?

MVS: I’ve twenty-two science fiction and fantasy novels published, which encompasses six different series. I also have a short story collection titled, Up to the Challenge. It has fifteen science fiction and fantasy short stories, and one horror story. Two of the stories are brand new to the collection. You can find a list of all my books plus excerpts on my website.

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?

MVS: My next release is The Study of Poisons. It is a companion novel to my first fantasy novel, Poison Study. My readers have been bugging me for years to write Poison Study from Valek’s POV. I was always too busy, but when FairyLoot decided to release my first Study books as hardcover special editions this May, I thought it would be a good time to write Valek’s story. It was a great deal of fun, but it was also challenging trying to figure out what Valek was up to while not with Yelena. I’m excited for its release. There will be two maps: one of world and another of the castle complex where most of the story takes place. And another surprise.

When Maria V. Snyder was younger, she aspired to be a storm chaser in the American Midwest so she attended Pennsylvania State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology. Much to her chagrin, forecasting the weather wasn’t in her skill set so she spent a number of years as an environmental meteorologist, which is not exciting…at all. Bored at work and needing a creative outlet, she started writing fantasy and science fiction stories. Twenty-two novels and numerous short stories later, Maria’s learned a thing or three about writing. She’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a dozen awards, and has earned her Masters of Arts degree in Writing from Seton Hill University, where she is now a faculty member for their MFA program.

Maria’s favorite color is red. She loves dogs, but is allergic, instead she has a big black tom cat named…Kitty (apparently naming cats isn’t in her skill set either). Maria also has a husband and two grown children who are an inspiration for her writing when they aren’t being a distraction. Note: She mentions her cat before her family. When she’s not writing, she’s either playing pickleball, traveling, taking pictures, or zonked out on the couch due to all of the above. Being a writer, though is a ton of fun. Where else can you take fencing lessons, learn how to ride a horse, study marital arts, learn how to pick a lock, take glass blowing classes and attend Astronomy Camp and call it research? Maria will be the first one to tell you it’s not working as a meteorologist.

Learn more about Maria V. Snyder here:

Website * GoodReads * Amazon Author Page

Follow Maria V. Snyder online:

Facebook * Instagram

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