"Two people out of time and space collide in an engaging tale of lighthearted romance and daring adventure."

Steampunk literature first popped into my horizon because of The Galaxy Express.  Owner/operator, Heather Massey is a big Steampunk fan. Just like many readers, I went, “Huh?” when I first heard the term. I did a little digging, became curious, and dipped a cautious toe into the mix and finished with a desire to dip my toe into this very fun fictional pool.

So what gives a story its Steampunk vibe? At its core, Steampunk is both Victorian and has some element of anachronistic, steam-driven technology. Other tropes include airships and automatons, and some even have zombies (The Affinity Bridge). There may also be elements of alternate history (Leviathan), alternate reality (Boneshaker), or time travel (my Tangled in Time). Of course, all of it is alternate reality in some form because it’s all fiction. Victorian history didn’t develop steam driven high tech, but it did spawn a lot of imaginative fiction (Jules Verne and HG Wells, for instance) that some now call the first Steampunk fiction.

What I like in my Steampunk (and in others’) is a sense of humor, a bit of whimsy, and I’m always there for a romantic adventure. If you read Tangled in Time, you will also find some science fiction romance because like to mix up the genres a bit. Or a lot.

Tangled in Time started with a character, a parasol toting, Victorian lady with a scientific bent, and then meshed with my need to write a short story for an anthology about Texas Landmarks. I’d already chosen Big Bend National Park””which didn’t exist as a park in the 1890’s when my heroine lived and fought to be who and what she was””so right off I knew it would be a time travel. Big Bend has a very interesting history, including an airfield developed to fight Pancho Via, that also was used to train pilots (who also liked to fish in the Rio Grande) late into the 1940’s. It’s also not far from the mysterious Marfa lights.

My juices began to churn, but I needed a hero for my heroine–one who could travel through time to meet my gal. It was lucky that I

Original artwork by Kelly Danforth All rights reserved. 2010

happened to have a guy in need of a girl who been in the supporting cast of my two, science fiction romance novels, and I also happened to have an alien artifact that allowed travel through time (though with uncertain results””always good for causing adventures).

With the various pieces spinning inside my head (a place scarier than some Haunted houses), I began writing a story that was supposed to stop at 7,000 words. When I hit 6,000 with a lot of story left to tell, I knew I wasn’t writing a short story anymore. In the end, the story fell short of novel length and released as a novella the first of December. I’ve been pleased with the response from readers and reviewers.  I also had a lot of fun writing it, which is a bonus.

So, I’ve told you how I came to write outside the lines and mix up my genres. As readers, what gets you to read outside your usual lines. Have you read any steampunk? Any science fiction romance? How did you like it? Here’s hoping that your holiday is filled with your favorite books and family/friends!

For excerpts and more info on steampunk, visit my website. 🙂

perilously,