Sunday, December 11, 2011

What would you wish for a Steampunk Christmas?


Today I have the lovely authors from the Carina Press anthology A Clockwork Christmas chatting about what THEY would like if they could have a steam-punk Christmas.

Wishing you a Steampunk Christmas!

PG Forte:

In This Winter Heart, Arthur recounts how his grandfather, genius inventor Charles Winter, used to make a special toy for him every Christmas--marvelous electrical games and puzzles, miniature steam-powered vehicles that were working replicas of their real-life counterparts, clockwork dolls that could walk and talk, etc.

I find anything in miniature enchanting. So for myself, I’d love a set of mechanized dioramas, each with its own festive holiday scene. Perhaps four of the dioramas could display a scene taken from each of the A Clockwork Christmas stories!

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JK Coi:

In Far From Broken, after a vicious assault on her life, the heroine has been fitted with mechanical limbs, but now sees herself as a monster.

If it were me and I was given the chance to go all steampunk bionic, I don’t think I’d look at it the same way. I think it would be cool. I’d want a tommy gun attachment that I could whip out when I needed to rob a bank, oh oh oh-- or maybe a zip line that shot out of my finger for an easy escape from the rooftops Um, wait a minute. Stacy’s whispering to me that I can’t say those things, it makes me sound like a criminal.

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Jenny Schwartz:

In Wanted: One Scoundrel, the heroine’s dad has made a three wise men plus camel auto-dispenser that originally gave out lollies to the kids of the Swan River Colony, but now dispenses peanuts. The kids don’t care. The fun is in the camel’s lip curl and smoking snort.

For myself, the steampunk device I’d like for Christmas is a champagne bubble catcher: a miniature dirigible that inflates with the bubbly air. At least then, I’d know where all the bubbles go!

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Stacy Gail

In Crime Wave In A Corset, a vengeance-filled professor has found an ingenious way to coerce a wiley--and beautiful--thief into stealing back the treasure she had once taken from him.

Personally, I would love to have Cornelia's innocent-looking "opera glasses". They're designed to appear as though the lenses are gazing upward, as if bird-watching, when in fact she's really focused on her next big score. Though I kind of like JK's finger-zipline, now that I think about it... :D

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A Clockwork Christmas


We Wish You a Steampunk Christmas

Changed forever after tragedy, a woman must draw strength from her husband's love. A man learns that love isn't always what you expect. A thief steals the heart of a vengeful professor. And an American inventor finds love Down Under. Enjoy Victorian Christmas with a clockwork twist in these four steampunk novellas.

Anthology includes:

Crime Wave in a Corset by Stacy Gail
This Winter Heart by PG Forte
Wanted: One Scoundrel by Jenny Schwartz
Far From Broken by JK Coi

Stories also available for purchase separately.

117,000 words

Buy link: http://bit.ly/ClockworkX

So, blog readers - what WOULD you wish for a steam-punk Christmas? I'm going to have a think about it today and get back with my comment too :)

8 comments:

test said...

All very good steampunk Christmas presents. For myself I think I'd like a steampunk corset that would magically make all the flubber disappear.

Sue BT said...

Oh, just thinking about a Steampunk Christmas is wonderful.

I think I'd like my own luxury dirigible with time travel capabilities.

This dirigible would obviously have an automated designer wardrobe function - to produce any outfit I want; a Christmas tree decorated with miniature toys that dance around the tinsel on the hour; and an automaton chef to cater for the festive season and beyond. :)

Rachael Johns said...

Oooh can I have what Coleen's having?

And Sue's gift too?

What fabulous ideas!

Nas said...

Can I have the steampunk corset too? Too much flubber!

Kelly Hunter said...

Reckon I'd be partial to a little clockwork dragonfly (that flew). Pretty.

Stephanie @ Read In a Single Sitting said...

This sounds like a fun read. :)

I'll take some steampunk goggle-glasses that help me see not only the computer screen in front of me, but also in the dark!

Jenny Schwartz said...

Coleen, if you ever get that steampunk corset into production, I'll have one too! Really useful this time of year ... why yes, I would like a third fruit mince pie :)

Sue, that stow-away on your dirigible, it's me! but fortunately, thanks to Coleen's famous corset, I don't weight much :)

Stephanie, I need those goggles ... so short sighted. *sigh* and I hate even the thought of wearing contact lenses.

Thanks everyone for commenting, and Rach for the chance to visit :)

Wishing you all the best of steampunk Christmases!

Stacy Gail said...

Oooh, all great ideas! I'd like a pair of goggles like that too, Stephanie. Just think how much trouble you could get into with those babies. *rubs hands together gleefully*