Darke London and Steampunk

I wrote my first steampunk romance a couple of years ago. That book, Asher’s Invention, and its sequel, Asher’s Dilemma, were a break from the contemporary romances I usually write. I loved steampunk’s unique way of blending history and science fiction. Steampunk is original, rule-breaking, witty, and fun. It is the writer’s interpretation of what might have been.

When I got the idea for Darke London, I’d moved a little away from hardcore steampunk. Darke London has steampunk elements but it also has touches of the supernatural (and I don’t mean vampires or werewolves). I wanted my story to have a gothic feel to it, an atmosphere of uneasiness and brooding tension.

I could only ever set this book in Victorian London, amid its fogs and gaslit streets and teeming slums. The city is a character itself, looming large over the story’s players as they go about their business. In the nineteenth century London was the largest city on the planet, and thousands of people were drawn to it, seeking fortune or refuge or pleasure. It was a time of great scientific advances but also a period ruled by rigid Victorian social values and mores. It was a place of great contrasts, and that’s what makes it such a fascinating setting for a romance.

When doing researching for my book, I found many fascinating websites with tons of information. Some of my favourites are:

David Perdue’s Charles Dickens’ London -  Great interactive map detailing London as mentioned in Dickens’ novels.

Dictionary of Victorian London  – A ton of information here. Everything from wedding banquets to London suburbs.

Victorian Fashion  – Documents the changes in fashion throughout the nineteenth century.

With such a gloomy setting, is Darke London a romance? Yes! First and foremost it is a romance between two people each striving for the truth. I pictured my hero, Julian Darke, as a young, handsome, idealistic doctor. My heroine, Nellie Barchester, is an innocent young woman who battles for survival and the truth. They are not perfect people, and every loose thread in the story is not neatly tied off. Their lives are messy and complicated, and things don’t always end up perfectly, just like in real life.

I had great fun creating my characters and writing their story. I hope readers will enjoy Darke London!

DARKE LONDON:

The only way to save her life is to resurrect the dead…

Julian Darke was only a newborn when he was abandoned on the doorstep of a gentleman doctor. Though raised with love, he is driven to discover his true origins.

Convinced Sir Thaddeus Ormond knows something, Julian shadows him one night—and is shocked to see a young woman thrown from Ormond’s carriage and accosted by a thug. Julian manages to save her life, but not her face and hands from horrific injuries.

Nellie Barchester doesn’t recognize the scarred, disfigured stranger in the mirror. Though the gifted doctor and engineer has done his best to repair the damage, scars ravage her body, and chill her soul with the realization that her own husband may have plotted her death.

Julian’s tenderness is a balm to her soul, and Nellie is drawn to the edge of passion by a man not repelled by her deformities. But as their pursuit of the truth draws them into London’s underbelly, they cross the path of a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to fulfill his schemes.

Warning: Can a brilliant but troubled doctor find happiness with a woman scarred both inside and out? A hint of the supernatural plus a night of passion spice up this Uncanny Chronicle.

DARKE LONDON releases 10 September and can be pre-ordered at

Samhain Publishing

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iTunes