Hello, steampunk readers! My name is Margaret Foxe, and I am proud to introduce my steampunk series, The Elders and Welders Chronicles, to Coffee Time Romance. I self-published the first book in the series, Prince of Hearts, a little over a year ago on a whim and have been overwhelmed by the great response I have received from readers. I had absolutely zero expectations of people actually buying my book, much less liking it enough to demand more! Since that first crazy foray into the world of self-publishing, I have put out the second book in the series, A Dark Heart, and am working on the third, Thief of Hearts.
The Elders and Welders Chronicles is a series of interlocking romances set in my unique Victorian steampunk universe. Though each book is self-contained, an overarching narrative links all of the books together and will eventually find its resolution in the final book. I like to call The Elders and Welders Chronicles a bit of a “mash-up”, combining elements of not only the steampunk genre, but also paranormal, sci-fi, and historical romance. Basically, I wrote what I like to read.
A Dark Heart: Book Two in The Elders and Welders Chronicles
London, 1897: Lady Christiana Harker once committed a grave sin against her kind when she saved Inspector Elijah Drexler’s life by turning him into a vampire.
Christiana’s bold act has only driven Elijah deeper into an impenetrable darkness, fueled by morphine, nightmares, and a constant thirst for blood. Elijah has no room left in his heart for anything but his quest for vengeance against his childhood tormentor, a quest that he fully expects to end with his own death.
But when the mysterious Duke of Brightlingsea requests Elijah’s help in locating a doomsday device that could level half of London, Elijah’s personal vendetta becomes entangled with a secret war being waged among the immortal Elders.
Just when Christiana finally accepts that her long-held love for the Inspector will forever be unrequited, however, a catastrophe brings them together, forcing Elijah to finally confront his feelings for Christiana.
But will Christiana’s love be strong enough to weather the terrible truths buried deep in Elijah’s past? And will Elijah find the strength of will to finally cast off his demons and let love into his dark heart?
This Victorian steampunk romance is recommended for adult audiences.
Excerpt from A Dark Heart:
…He should have known he’d not be so lucky, though how he could have so grossly misjudged her proximity was troubling. His preternatural senses were beginning to fail him in the most unfortunate ways. He cursed under his breath as he caught sight of her approaching down the long corridor, her scent – so pure and perfect, like country roses in a misty rain – bombarding him. And her blood smelled loveliest of all.
She was all beauty, at least on the surface, dressed in an elaborate green velvet travelling dress, her golden, gleaming hair escaping in wisps from its moorings, hovering just at the level his lips would be, if he stood near enough and tilted his head just so. The London Post-Dispatch had once called her The Most Beautiful Woman in London. And as far as he knew, she still held the crown. Green eyed, delicate-featured, with what novels called alabaster skin, she looked nearly the same as she’d looked when she was seventeen. Frozen in time. His Ana. Yet not his at all.
If his blood had been singing before, now it was belting out a damned Wagnerian opera. He didn’t even bother to hide his eyes and fangs. She needed a good reminder of the monster she’d created, if only to make her keep her distance. And a shameful part of him wanted to make her suffer, just a little, even after all this time…
Also available in e-book and paperback:
And coming soon:
- About the Author
- Posts in the Past
Margaret Foxe is a musician from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She has lived in several countries and travelled from Costa Rica to Cairo. Her crowning transcontinental glory was ascending Jebel Toubkal in the High Atlas Mountains with her best friend, a mule, a Berber guide named Omar, a bota bag, and lots and lots of orange Fanta. She is currently working on her master’s degree in piano performance in between writing steampunk mash-ups. Her debut novel, Prince of Hearts, combines all of her favorite things: historical romance, steampunk gadgets, a touch of fantasy, and a canine sub-plot.
She hopes to one day circumnavigate the world by dirigible.
