Den of Antiquity

Today is the release day for an exciting new anthology I’m proud to be part of called Den of Antiquity. This anthology was dreamed up by members of an online writing community I belong to called The Scribbler’s Den, which is part of The Steampunk Empire. The project was curated and edited by the group under the direction of Scribbler’s Den member, Bryce Raffle. Volunteer members peer reviewed the stories and other volunteers proofread the book. I’m writing this just as I finished reading the book in a breathless rush and I have to say, I think it turned out well. It was a lot of fun to see the worlds dreamed up by my fellow steampunk writers and people I’ve come to think of as an online family over the last year and half.

Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

When one thinks of a den, one tends to think of comfort. A cozy room in the house—a quiet, comfortable place, a room for conversation, reading, or writing. One doesn’t tend to think of high adventure, dragons, vampires, airships, or paranormal creatures. And yet, that’s just what you’ll find in these pages. Stories of adventure and mystery! Paranormal, dark, and atmospheric tales! The fantastical and the imaginative, the dystopian and post-apocalyptic, and everything in between! So settle in to the coziest room in your house, plop down into your favourite armchair, and dive in to the Den of Antiquity.

Featuring stories by Jack Tyler, E.C. Jarvis, Kate Philbrick, Neale Green, Bryce Raffle, N.O.A. Rawle, David Lee Summers, William J. Jackson, Steve Moore, Karen J. Carlisle, B.A. Sinclair and Alice E. Keyes.

My story in the anthology is a brand new Clockwork Legion story. Someone has taken one of Professor Maravilla’s mechanical jackalope harvesters and turned it to evil purposes, robbing banks. Can Marshall Larissa Seaton stop the machine before it absconds with all the gold in the New Mexico Territory? Be sure to read Den of Antiquity to find out! What’s more you’ll get a lot of other great stories as well.

I loved the fact that this anthology spanned the world, had protagonists of many different social classes, and really showed the diversity that makes steampunk a wonderful world to play in as a writer. Not only were there vampires, dragons, and airships, but paranormal investigators, dinosaurs, superheroes and gods. Some stories depicted worlds I’d enjoy living in, others not so much, but I general enjoyed making the acquaintance of the characters inhabiting those worlds and whether you’re an ardent steampunk or new the genre, I bet you’ll agree.

Proceeds from this anthology will be donated to help disaster relief, because even though we’re writing about the most comfortable room in the home, we recognize that people going through a disaster no longer have comforts.

You can order Den of Antiquity at the following online bookstores:

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble
• Kobo
• iBooks

Gaslight Gathering and Other Steampunk Fun

Next weekend, I’ll be at Gaslight Gathering in San Diego, California. This year, Gail Carriger, best selling author of the Parasol Protectorate Series will be Guest of Honor. Also presenting there will be my friends Madame Askew, Denise Dumars, Dee and Hal Astel, and Madeleine Holly-Rosing, creator of the Boston Metaphysical Society comic. The event will be held at the Town and Country Hotel from Friday, October 7 through Sunday, October 9. There will be costuming workshops, teapot racing, absinthe, movies and more!

Here’s my schedule:

Saturday, October 8

10am-11am – Garden Salon One – Gothic Literature and Its Influence on Steampunk. I’ll join Writer Guest of Honor Gail Carriger, along with fellow steampunk writer Dru Pagliasotti for a lively discussion about Gothic literature and how it has influenced the Steampunk genre.

1pm-2pm – Garden Salon One – Zombies, Vampires, and Ghosts – What are your favorite monsters? I’ll again join Guest of Honor Gail Carriger, along with fellow writer Todd McCaffrey for a panel that explores different monsters and paranormal creatures who have appeared in steampunk books. Which ones work best? Which are our favorites? Which didn’t work so well in both literature and the cinema!

4pm-5pm – Vendor Hall – Autograph Session

Sunday, October 9

10am-11am – Garden Salon One – Victorians and the Paranormal Presentation. We will look at ghosts, seances, spirit photography, and mysterious creatures such as Spring-Heeled Jack and Arizona’s ghost camels that have so fascinated our Victorian forefathers.

11am-12pm – Vendor Hall – Autograph Session

12pm-1pm – Taking The Horror out of Monsters. Not all monsters are monstrous. Some monsters are darn near lovable. Who are your favorite monsters and why do you like them better than certain people. On the panel with me are Gail Carriger and Todd McCaffrey.

It seems fitting to announce the anthology Den of Antiquity in this post about forthcoming steampunk goodness. This anthology collects writings by members of The Scribbler’s Den, a writing group gathered on The Steampunk Empire, a great online social network for steampunk enthusiasts.

When one thinks of a den, one tends to think of comfort. A cozy room in the house—a quiet, comfortable place, a room for conversation, reading, or writing. One doesn’t tend to think of high adventure, dragons, vampires, airships, or paranormal creatures. And yet, that’s just what you’ll find in these pages. Stories of adventure and mystery! Paranormal, dark, and atmospheric tales! The fantastical and the imaginative, the dystopian and post-apocalyptic, and everything in between!

So settle in to the coziest room in your house, plop down into your favourite armchair, and dive in to the Den of Antiquity.

This anthology which is slated for release on November 5 includes stories by Jack Tyler, E.C. Jarvis, Kate Philbrick, Neale Green, Bryce Raffle, N.O.A. Rawle, David Lee Summers, William J. Jackson, Steve Moore, Karen J. Carlisle, and Alice E. Keyes.

My story in the anthology is called “The Jackalope Bandit” and it’s an exciting new story featuring Larissa and Professor Maravilla from my Clockwork Legion novels in a brand new adventure in which a six-foot tall mechanical jackalope robs banks and payrolls along the Rio Grande. Can Larissa and the professor solve this mystery from their armchairs in the den? Find out on November 5!