MUSE MONDAY
I've always felt an affinity for the Victorian period. I was wearing high-necked blouses with cameos, long flowing skirts, and lace-up boots in my teens, long before they were fashionable. With my long hair parted in the middle and pulled back into a bun, I could well have been one of the heroines in the books I loved so much.
I was also a science geek from my earliest days. I received my first microscope when I was five, and my first chemistry set at seven. I entered every science fair. In seventh grade, I won grand prize on a televised science quiz show.
So it’s hardly surprising I’ve become a devotee of steam punk. I've been in love with this strange meld of science fiction and Victoriana for as long as I can remember – long before steam punk even had a name. When I was in high school, I devoured H.G. Wells and H. Rider Haggard, and shared a Sherlock Holmes obsession with my dad. Later, I marveled at Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age and more recently, I discovered Gordon Dahlquist's incredible The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters.
Over the years I’ve written a number of steam punk short stories
for anthologies, as well as a full length novel, Rajasthani Moon. All
these tales, though, were set in Asia rather than in the British Isles. I think
I was afraid I’d make errors that would alienate my UK readers if I tried
setting a story in Queen Victoria’s home country. With my series The Toymakers
Guild, however, I’ve finally bitten the bullet and produced some English
steam punk. I had a lot of help with details from my critique group, but of
course I take responsibility for any residual mistakes.
I just hope readers will find the story so exciting, you won’t notice them!
Blurb
Gillian Smith’s promotion to journeyman proves she’s ready to lead the Toymakers in producing astonishing new erotic artifacts. Creative, brilliant, and debauched, she’ll stretch her capabilities to the limit as she juggles a talent shortage and a pair of jealous rivals. Then there’s the challenge of their latest commission—a life-sized programmable sex doll intended to replace a client’s deceased paramour.
Normally she would consult the enigmatic Master Toymaker, but he seems preoccupied with his own concerns. Though her lusty crew of sexual renegades can offer technical and carnal assistance, Gillian is ultimately responsible for delivering the promised, near-impossible technology.
It’s fortunate she’s not one to give up—not even when events threaten the Guild’s very survival.
Excerpt
The Toymakers
drifted back to their stations, aside from Jeremiah and Rafe. The two young men
clearly had more to say.
Gillian
pre-empted their enquiries. “Rafe, would you like to come to my room tonight?
You’d be very welcome.”
Joy lit her
lover’s angular features. “Do you seriously need to ask? Just tell me when.”
“Around nine
should be good. That will allow us plenty of time.”
She turned to
Jeremiah. His expression told her he was struggling to rein in his protests.
She flashed him an angelic smile. “Will you come as well, Jeremiah?”
Rafe’s grin
fled, but he remained silent.
Jeremiah
beamed. “When, lady?”
“The same time,
I think.”
“You want –
want us both at the same time?” Rafe sputtered. “Together?”
Gillian
shrugged. “You’ve already proved you can work together on technical tasks. I’m
curious to see how well you cooperate in other domains.”
Find
a longer excerpt and a full set of buy links at:
https://www.lisabetsarai.com/mastersmarkbook.html
Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, GLBT, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.
You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh
Hello, Brenda,
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me at your blog and giving me the chance to talk about my new book. I hope I've managed to intrigue some of your readers.
Thank you for appearing. I'm sure you will, Lisabet. I'm intrigued.
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