Steampunk is a different world, one that gives us special, creative technology and inspires us to dream. It’s a place comprised mainly of steam-powered machines and gadgets, but it does incorporate the little, must-have things that work on springs and cogs.
For me the dreams, imagination and the uniqueness of such things win me over. However, writing a steampunk story means a writer must really exercise his or her brain. How to make it different? What sort of techonology can be developed that aren’t the norm in steampunk?
I think such a world would be safer, less apt to succumb to an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which can render anything electronic useless for years, if not indefinitely. That’s not to say if we lived on a steampunk planet that some things wouldn’t be killed by an EMP; any functioning machines with electric starters would cease to run. Steam-powered technology works through pressure, so imagine how clean an environment powered by steam would be. Vehicles and other machines operating strictly by hand-crank starters and steam power would become highly valuable, which is one big reason the steamcoaches in our novel, Cowboy Rubies, are so precious to the people of that world.
Our story is set in a desert, so we had to come up with ways for the characters to collect water, and travel had to consist of more than horses—horses that would need water. Add some spice from the Victorian era and mix it with an element of the American west and I think we’ve created a cool recipe—Cowboy Rubies, where werewolves vs. vampires, an m/m tale.
Imagine an alternate universe where werewolves and vampires are at war with one another. Is the legend, which set the war on fire, true or pure postulation? Kyle and Shades discover the truth, and it brings them together in an unexpected manner. We invite you to delve into our book and challenge you to figure out the legend of the Ruby Moon God.
Blurb:
After years of fighting, a tenuous treaty has been established between the Moon Wolves and the Life Drinkers. Kyle Vanderbelt’s job is to keep the peace—a job that gets much more difficult when Kyle’s fellow agent and former lover is accused of stealing the ancient Moon Rubies that are said to sustain the balance of power between the two peoples.
Kyle sets out to find the thief but is sidetracked by a brutal enemy… and a newfound ally. Shades Hallowvale, a Moon Wolf, is mostly dead from a Life Drinker’s attack when Kyle finds him, but nursing him back to health is a career move Kyle can’t walk away from because Shades has information on the rubies, the theft, and an insidious plot deeper than one man’s greed.
Shades soon becomes more to Kyle than a means to an end, but even as the two men track down the thief, Kyle fears their tenuous connection may not survive and the rubies really will destroy everything they love.
Get it from Dreamspinner Press! Print | e-Book
Excerpt:
The Legend
The first Moon Wolf discovered the first Life Drinker wandering aimlessly along the moon’s deserts during its magical ruby phase. The Wolf wanted her, desired her, so he took her as his mate and copulated with her. The following year, when the moon once again transformed into a ruby and the alternate world opened, the Life Drinker gave birth to two children, a Wolf and a Drinker. The first Moon Wolf saw Earth and wanted the male offspring to rule it, but his mate insisted the female child should govern Earth instead.
Violent arguments ensued between the lovers, but in the throes of their final verbal battle, the first Moon Wolf grabbed the Life Drinker, hugging her to his body, and claimed, “I cannot stand to be divided with you or from you, so let us be one.”
Through the power of the Ruby Moon, their bodies melded, and the Ruby Moon God was born. He/she placed the two children on Earth and watched them grow and multiply, but they had inherited their parents’ argumentative and violent traits, and soon battles raged between the two races.
Distraught with their children’s descendants, the Ruby Moon God smashed a chunk of the red moon into pieces and gave the gems to the Wolves and Drinkers so they would remember their roots and peace would reign. However, he/she neglected to warn the two peoples of the rubies’ phenomenal magic and that the union of a werewolf and a vampire would resolve their differences forever.
As the centuries passed, a unique era of strange inventions and mechanical contraptions launched new ways of thinking—as well as a breed of Wolves and Drinkers who could spell doom for Earth.
*****
F.L. Bicknell’s (Azura) work has appeared in a wide range of genres and publications such as: Would That It Were, Touch, GC, and Ohio Writer Magazine as well as publications in Canada and Turkey. Under her now-retired pseudonym, Molly Diamond, she was a regular contributor to Gent and Ruthie’s Club and has had fiction published in Hustler’s Busty Beauties, Penthouse Variations, and Twenty 1 Lashes. Ms. Bicknell is the author of several e-book and print titles, also writing as Azura Ice, Amber Redd, Cutter Phoenix, and Kiyara Benoiti. She has served as co-editor and managing editor for three different publishing houses. She is represented by TriadaUS Literary Agency.
Maria MoonStar writes many different genres, but her favorite will always be sci-fi. She was born in Elyria, Ohio and resides in Wellington, Ohio with her two children and two cats.
Sometimes she believes that she was born in one of those faraway galaxies she dreams of. Maria prefers just to be called MoonStar. Between gazing at the distant stars and writing, MoonStar also writes as Trinity Blacio.
Authors’ Websites Azura Ice | Maria Moon Star
Giveaway:
Maria and I are giving away a little something that speaks of the Victorian era. I have a crimson bustier with umpteen eye hooks down the back (oh, the time it’s going to take a lover to undo all those, lol!), and Maria has a lovely necklace and earring set in red, too. Comment on this post to be entered to win the combo pkg, but make sure to leave your email address so the winner can be contacted—and remember, the more sincere or interesting the comment, the better chances of winning! Good luck!
Sans the vampire and were-wolf part but the desert part almost made me think of my husband’s favorite anime (Trigun) to mine. Then the steamcouches the mechanical horse in the anime Vampire Hunter D comes to mind.
But yeah… I love seeing the new gadjets and doodads authors come up with in their Steampunk books. Why each one is unique and different in their own right.
Forgot my add Raonaid at gmail dot com
I think it’s interesting to read about how creative an author is when creating new instruments or weapons to use in books and finding out what their inspiration might have been in deciding on combining certain items together.
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Enjoyed the blurb very much. Love the Ruby Moon God legend. Steam powered machines would be dependent on water, wood or coal. Think of all the turf wars that would start if it was our only form of energy! Definitely want to check out your story. Thanks for the contest!
lizsemkiu at gmail dot com
Morning! Sorry I’m late getting here, but wireless problems have been a major pain in the butt of late. A new sims card will hopefully remedy the problem (crosses fingers).
Thanks for the awesome comments!
I’m late getting here. Been having major wireless problems but hoping the new sims card that arrived yesterday will fix the problem.
Thank you for reading and commenting! 😀
I have to admit, with all the hoopla over Twilight, I’ve tended to shy away from reading anything that has to do with vampires or werewolves. After reading the excerpt and blurb for this book though, I’m downloading it to my nook so that I can read the whole story. It’s definitely stirred up my interest!
And, I’m scatterbrained too…. slauge at gmail dot com
Hi Stephanie! You’ve been chosen as our giveaway winner so watch your email acct for a message!
I’ve never read a steampunk before and I hear the genre raved about all the time. You certainly tempt me! P.S. lovely cover jayeshields at gmail dot com
I love Steampunk. I am not able to find too many that I want to read. This one I do. Adding to my list. Thanks
debby236 at gmail dot com
Thank you all. We had such fun writing it and please let us know what you think if it also. We love to hear comments.
Maria
Goosh I really don’t know the answer wished I did love vampire story! Congratulation on the new release! Ah maybe to be reborn is what you looking for.
Hugs!
Lisa
goosebooth@ yahoo.com
Keep the comments coming, dear readers, and plz share this link with your friends!
Steampunk is such a fun genre because its basically limitless. You can do whatever you want. Love the idea of using a legend and twisting it around. And a desert makes for a great setting.
Nicole.zoltack@gmail.com
I love how legends can be woven into stories, especially in the steampunk genre (I’m a steampunker!) It gives the story a whole background layer about where the citizens of the planet came from. Steampunk is one of my favorite genres beause of the gadgets. I enjoy daydreaming and crafting about what gadgets the people woul use, what would they look like & how would they function.
Congrats on an AWESOME book Azura (F.L.) and MoonStar, did you tag team write the book or work on it until you ran into a block then the other awesome writer would take over?
Mindy 🙂
Birdsooong @ comcast.net
We Tag Teamed on the story, Azura was always nudging and cussing me up a storm when I threw in different things. 🙂
Maria
I just found this site, very cool. Cowboy Rubies sounds very good. I’m in the process of downloading (: I’m sure I’ll enjoy.
Thanks,
lpatkbd @msn.com
Please let us know if you like it, we love to hear from anyone.
Thanks Maria
Hi Nicole! Thanks for stopping by!
Mindy, I guess we wrote it as a tag team, lol. I wrote Kyle’s POV and Maria wrote Shade’s and then I played editor, lol.
Hello, LP! I hope you enjoy the book1 😀