{Interview} A taste of how Miss Gail Carriger does steampunk

Today we have Gail Carriger visiting, Miss Carriger is better known as the author of the best seller series Parasol Protectorate and her newest series Finishing School. And she is here today to give us a taste of how she does steampunk.

  

How you got into steampunk?

I came to steampunk first as an aesthetic movement. I’m a longtime fan of vintage clothing and Goth style; steampunk drew me in as a cheerful melding of the two. I also love seeing recycled technology used as jewelry, and other examples of how creative the maker community has become over the past few years.

What motivated you to write in this genre?

I'm perhaps one of the last surviving fans of Gothic literature. The Victorian Gothic literature movement saw the birth of science fiction (not to mention other commercial genres like fantasy, horror, action adventure, mysteries, and romance). The current steampunk literary movement is a weird kind of full circle, taking sci–fi back to its roots, and I love that!

Photo by J. Daniewl Sawyer

How do you see this community growth as an active member?

Steampunk is a unique movement in that it isn’t entirely literary – it has ties to the green movement, the maker community, burning man, musical groups, historical reenactment societies, and the fashion world. Should it crest in popularity within all of these different areas at the same time, steampunk might well rise to the forefront of world counterculture. But I don’t think that is likely to occur.

Right now, I believe it has immense escapist appeal. With our economy in chaos, steampunk offers up an alternative lifestyle of sedate civilized behavior. Do I see that lasting? Probably not, but then no one attributed urban fantasy with much staying power either, so I continue to hope.

Could you possible recommend a movie using a stemapunk books?

I always recommend people start with a visual literary source when delving into steampunk such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, or Girl Genius.

Some of us have been curious, where you buy your parasols?

I mostly purchase my parasols at steampunk conventions, my octopus one is from Clockwork Couture , and the rest come from online vendor Lace Parasols and Fans who have a generous and varied selection and decent prices.

Do you do your own gowns?

Short answer, yes.

Photo by J. Daniel Sawyer

 Long answer: I'm open to thrifting an other possibilities, and these days I shop for accessories at steampunk events. One of my most commented upon pieces is a corset I tore apart and covered in buttons and brass spoons. Yes, spoons. When I'm thrifting, I try to train my mind to see what a piece of clothing could be, rather than what it is. Also I keep my eyes open at places like Target, Kohls, or JC Penny.

Steampunk turns up unexpectedly everywhere. I have a whole section of my website on steampunk fashion with lots of images and links to easy steampunk DIY projects. http://www.gailcarriger.com/steampunk/the-aesthetic My most popular steampunk DIY is the pocket belt from cargo pants. http://retrorack.blogspot.com/2012/05/steampunk-diy-pocket-belt.html

Some other steampunk merchants that you wish others would know about?

The cover model for the Parasol Protectorate series, Donna Ricci, has great steampunk store that I think everyone should know about, Clockwork Couture. And I always recommend Dark Garden  for corsets.

New and soon to be released books by Gail Carriger:

-         Out now a collection of short stories where you can find an original Parasol Protectorail short story.

Findthis book in the UK                                    Find this book in the US

-         Coming out the 5^th of November:

I hope you enjoyed getting to know a bit of what is in Miss Carriger’s mind, if you wish to know more about miss Carriger know that you can find her in:

Goodreads

Her personal blog

Herofficial blog

Twitter

{Blog Tour Interview} Reaper by L.S. Murphy

There’s no way sixteen year old Quincy Amarante will become the fifth grim reaper. None. Not over her shiny blue Mustang. Her Jimmy Choos. Or her dead body.

She’s supposed to enjoy her sophomore year, not learn about some freaky future Destiny says she has no choice but to fulfill.

It doesn’t take long for Quincy to realize the only way out of the game is to play along especially since Death can find her anyway, anywhere, anytime. And does.

Like when she’s reassuring her friends she wants nothing to do with former best friend Ben Moorland, who’s returned from god-knows-where, and fails. Miserably.

Instead of maintaining her coveted popularity status, Quincy’s goes down like the Titanic.

Maybe … just maybe … that’s okay.

It seems, perhaps, becoming a grim reaper isn’t just about the dead but more about a much needed shift in Quincy’s priorities—from who she thinks she wants to be to who she really is.

1.- Which was the book that you’ve had the most fun writing?

            The first one I ever wrote was a blast. Of course, it caused me to flunk out of college, but it was still fun. J

2.- When you write do you write on a computer, notebook or do you record yourself?

            I usually outline with a notebook, but I usually draft on a computer. Having said that, the first draft of Reaper was written longhand in three and a half notebooks.

3.- How does writing alone and with someone change the world/character building dynamics? Which do you prefer?

            It doesn’t. I write to music, so I’m never alone. Not really.

4.- If you knew you were getting amnesia and you could leave yourself a note to re-read just one book or series which one would it be?

            Vampire Academy. I love that series.

5.- Is there another genre that you would like to explore and write about?

            I’ve been writing a ton of YA contemporary lately. I’d like to keep exploring that, although I still have a few PNR ideas floating in my head.

6.- As a reader what is something that you like to find in the books you read?

            Great characters. I must connect with the MC or it’s not worth it for me, but when I do I can totally get lost in their world.

7.- What do you do on your free time?

            What’s free time? J Spend time with my family.

8.- What are some of your reading and writing quirks?

            I don’t really have reading quirks. I can read anywhere, anytime. Very rarely am I caught without a book or my kindle. Writing quirks, well, I listen to Pandora a lot. Right now, it’s my Linkin Park station. While I finished my last novel, it was all country. SOOOOOO, I guess you could say I listen to music that fits the characters and story.

9.- Ok, can we take you out of the geek closet for a bit? Can you tell us what type of geek behavior you are prone to?

            DOCTOR WHO!!!!! I have a sonic screwdriver on my desk, and I’m totally prone to using it when my stories are working. J Also, Michael Underwood’s Ree Reyes series (Geekomancy and Celebromancy) is awesome to geek out to.

10.- Could you tell us a little about your book crush?

            Wow, this one is hard. I have so many book crushes. I think my most recent book crush is Drake from Celebromancy.

About the author:

L.S. Murphy lives in the Greater St. Louis area where she watches Cardinals baseball, reads every book she can find, and weaves tales for teens and adults. When not doing all of the above, she tends to The Bean (aka her daughter), her husband and a menagerie of pets. “A Reason to Stay”, a contemporary romance novella, is available as of November 2, 2012. Reaper is her debut young adult novel and will be released on January 7th, 2013.

She is a co-rep for the Southern Illinois region of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and a member of the St. Louis Writer’s Guild.

Stalk Me:

Blog: http://lsmurphy.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LSMurphy

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LSMurphyAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5046440.L_S_Murphy

Publisher: http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/

{Blog Tour Interview} The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher

Synopsis:

First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker. But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie's looping scrawl. Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life.

But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

1.- Could you tell us a little about how the idea for The S-word manifested itself?

I wanted to write a story about bullies being held accountable for their actions. But I also wanted to illustrate that fine line between seeking vengeance and becoming a bully yourself. How do you successfully walk that line? What happens if you cross it? These are the questions I wanted “The S-Word” to inspire. (Whether or not I succeeded, I will leave up to the reader to decide.)

2.- When you write do you write on a computer, notebook or do you record yourself?

Definitely on a computer. My days of scribbling out feverish poems in notebooks are over. (Probably.) Honestly, I have the worst handwriting in the world, and anytime I try to go back and transcribe something I’ve hand written, it’s like trying to decipher an unknown language. Better just to type!

3.- Who was your favorite character to write in The S-word?

Too hard to pick a favorite!! But I really loved writing Kennedy. I love strong, sarcastic female characters, even if they sometimes take things too far. I’d rather write someone too bold than too timid.

4.- If you knew you were getting amnesia and you could leave yourself a note to re-read just one book or series which one would it be?

If I pick standalones instead of a series, can I give you two? Marion Zimmer Bradley’s THE MISTS OF AVALON and Libba Bray’s BEAUTY QUEENS are amazing. Both really influenced me as a writer and as a person, and sort of bent the rules of what you were supposed to write about and how. (In the best possible ways!)

5.- Is there another genre that you would like to explore and write about?

I’ve been playing around with paranormal dystopian: a corrupt, futuristic world that has to be saved by faeries or other mystical beings.

6.- As a reader what is something that you like to find in the books you read?

Twists that I don’t see coming. I LOVE being surprised. I also like a mystery with lots of believable suspects, so you’re constantly trying to figure out who the culprit is, and changing your mind whenever you get new information.

7.- What do you do on your free time?

Read, sing, watch TV, camp, go swimming… at least, I think that’s what I’d do. I have been crazy busy lately!

8.- What do you like the most about being a part of the Lucky 13’s?

The Lucky 13s have offered me support in ways I didn’t think possible. If I need information, advice, or someone to celebrate with, they are always there for me. I don’t know what this journey would’ve been like without them.

9.- Ok, can we take you out of the geek closet for a bit? Can you tell us what type of geek behavior you are prone to?

I’m a total geek for classic video games like Mario and Legend of Zelda. And is it just me, or is Link getting hotter?

10.- Could you tell us a little about your book crush?

I really liked Seth from Melissa Marr’s WICKED LOVELY (which is maybe ironic, since he’s the human in a story about gorgeous faeries). I also liked Peeta’s sweetness in HUNGER GAMES, Roibin’s broodiness in IRONSIDE, and Rice’s compassion in the upcoming IN THE AFTER. So many characters have great qualities!

Want to know a little more about Chelsea Pitcher?

Chelsea Pitcher is a native of Portland, OR where she received her BA in English Literature. Fascinated by all things literary, she began gobbling up stories as soon as she could read, and especially enjoys delving into the darker places to see if she can draw out some light.  

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