The Clock's Running Out--Just One More Day to Wait!

So...tomorrow's the big day. Being part of the A Clockwork Christmas anthology has already been such a great experience. The stories are great, my antho-sisters are fabulous. And it's been such a thrill working with Angela James and everyone at Carina Press.

And now it's time for me to tell you all a little bit about my own story, This Winter Heart.

Santa Fe, The Republic of New Texacali, 1870


Eight years ago, Ophelia Leonides's husband cast her off when he discovered she was not the woman he thought she was. Now destitute after the death of her father, Ophelia is forced to turn to Dario for help raising the child she never told him about.

Dario is furious that Ophelia has returned, and refuses to believe Arthur is his son—after all, he thought his wife was barren. But to avoid gossip, he agrees to let them spend the holidays at his villa. While he cannot resist the desire he still feels for Ophelia, Dario despises himself for being hopelessly in love with a woman who can never love him back.

But Dario is wrong: Ophelia's emotions are all too human, and she was brokenhearted when he rejected her. Unsure if she can trust the man she desperately loves, she fears for her life, her freedom and her son if anyone else learns of her true nature...
30,000 words

Read an excerpt

I had such fun writing this story melding secret-baby and lovers-reunited themes with classic sci-fi. For my setting I chose Santa Fe, because there's no place more festive during the holidays. I also chose to play fast and loose with History, envisioning a world where the Confederacy was victorious, the Louisiana Purchase never happened, and all the territory between Oklahoma and California was its own country. 


Oh, and where automatons look and feel--and love--just like anyone else.





In the words of one reviewer:

"This Winter Heart is a heart wrenching but satisfying read. Ophelia is not the woman she appears to be, and when her husband Dario discovered this in a conversation with her father, he cast her out. Now Ophelia's father has died and she feels that she has no choice but to seek help from Dario, not just for her but for the son Dario does not know he has. The emotional depth of this novella is much more than one might expect."


Read more here




And, yes, btw, I'm including TWO different RTCs  for This Winter Heart in the set. Never could choose. 


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

Clockwork Countdown Day Three

G'day, mates. Welcome to day three of the Clockwork Christmas antho countdown. My apologies, Jenny, but you know I had to do it. ;)

Today's post is devoted to Wanted: One Scoundrel by our Aussie co-author Jenny Schwartz. Jenny's the genius behind our Facebook page (just so you know) and if you haven't "liked" us yet...well, I sure don't know what you're waiting for.

Now, on with the blurbage...

All suffragette Esme Smith wants is a man. A scoundrel to be precise. Someone who can be persuaded to represent her political views at men-only clubs. As the daughter of the richest man in Australia, Esme can afford to make it worth the right man's while.

Fresh off the boat, American inventor Jed Reeve is intrigued by Esme's proposal, but even more interested in the beauty herself. Amused that she takes him for a man who lives by his wits, he accepts the job—made easier by the fact that he already shares her ideals. Soon, he finds himself caught up in political intrigue, kidnapping and blackmail, and trying to convince his employer he's more than just a scoundrel...

26,000 words

Read an excerpt

The first romance novel I remember reading (way back in the day) was Victoria Holt's Pride of the Peacock, which was set in Australia. I walked away from that book with a new passion for three things. The romance genre, opals and Australia. Reading Wanted: One Scoundrel was like being reunited with an old friend...oh, and did I mention the hero is from California? Really, what's not to love about that?

Aside from all of that, however, this is a bright, light-hearted, romantic read. He has secrets, she has an agenda and the reader has a lot of fun watching them sort it all out.

Reading thru the Night had this to say about it: "Now this was a fun one.  And it was totally PG-13.  This setting is in the Outback, which totally rocks my world because I don't think I've ever read anything set in Australia.  And then, furthermore, I don't know if I studied anything that HAPPENED in Australia.  My American education lacking somewhere along the way.  I guess I assumed that Australians went through the same woman's suffrage movement, but it just seemed out_there.  Wanted: One Scoundrel is sorta about that BUT with a cool *scoundrel*.  Oh there were also some nifty inventions, a villain, a heiress, some kidnapping, and overall ACTION-PACKED PLOT.  Two thumbs up over here. "


Read more here

 Reminder: every comment enters you for another chance to win a full set of these lovely Romance Trading Cards, which I should mention were designed by our own JK Coi (yes, we're all just multi-faceted that way *cough* I wish *cough*).

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

The Countdown Continues...

Three days to go 'til the release of A Clockwork Christmas--and, by the way, I still can't decide which I love more that title or the cover! I've been over the moon about both for months now.

Today I'm going to talk about JK Coi's story, Far From Broken. Once again, let's start with the blurb:

Soldier. Spymaster. Husband.

Colonel Jasper Carlisle was defined by his work until he met his wife. When the prima ballerina swept into his life with her affection, bright laughter and graceful movements, he knew that she was the reason for his existence, and that their love would be forever.

But their world is shattered when Callie is kidnapped and brutally tortured by the foes Jasper has been hunting. Mechanical parts have replaced her legs, her hand, her eye...and possibly her heart. Though she survived, her anger at Jasper consumes her, while Jasper's guilt drives him from the woman he loves. He longs for the chance to show her their love can withstand anything...including her new clockwork parts.

As the holiday season approaches, Jasper realizes he must fight not just for his wife's love and forgiveness...but also her life, as his enemy once again attempts to tear them apart.
27,000 words

Read an excerpt

Can I admit to being just the tinsiest bit jealous when I first read this story? Here's a gorgeous, heart-wrenching, romantic steampunk tale about an estranged married couple (she with some mechanical parts) struggling to reconcile with each other in the aftermath of a tragedy. One spouse has been keeping secrets, the other feels betrayed, there's guilt all around... 

Um, yeah. That sounds about right, doesn't it? It sounds quite a lot like my own story, in fact. Except that Far From Broken is set in England--steampunk's native land. And, I have to admit it, though it's not often I'm out-angsted (what? it is too a word!) JK does it with ease.  Seriously though, if you're a fan (as I am) of dark, haunting love stories--this one's for you.

One of our Goodread reviewers had this to say about it:


 "My favorite - just - of this series (yes, it was that good a series). It is the most atmospheric, the hero and heroine feel incredibly real, and it's hard to believe how much character and plot development the author has managed to pack into this little novella."

Read the rest of the review here

 And remember, comment on this or any of the other countdown posts (or all of them, if you want more chances to win) and you'll be entered in a drawing to win a complete set of these lovely Romance Trading Cards.

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.

Clockwork Countdown

Whoo-hoo! Only four days left until the release of Carina Press' steampunk holiday anthology, A Clockwork Christmas. I was pretty thrilled to learn my story had been chosen as part of this anthology, but once I'd read the other stories in the collection, I was  totally blown away. Now, with less than a week to go, I guess it's too late for them to tell me it was all a mistake. lol!

So, to celebrate, I'm stealing a leaf from antho sister, JK Coi's book. I'm going to be posting sneak peeks at all four of the stories here and awarding a set of Romance Trading Cards to one lucky commenter.

First up is Stacy Gail's Crime Wave in a Corset. Here's the blurb:

  Roderick Coddington is on a mission to make Cornelia Peabody pay. After identifying her as the thief who stole a priceless Fabergé egg from his dying sister, he finds her and shackles a deadly timepiece to her arm. If she doesn't return the egg by Christmas morning, she will die.

Normally seven days is more than enough time for Cornelia to carry out the perfect crime, but Roderick's intrusion into her life is beyond distracting. He challenges her mind, and ignites her body with desire she's never felt before. But worst of all, he threatens the independence she values above all else...

As Roderick spends time with Cornelia, he realizes there's a lonely soul hidden beneath her beautiful but criminal veneer. Falling for a thief wasn't part of Roderick's plan, but plans can change and he has no intention of letting another priceless treasure get away from him.

33,000 words

Read an excerpt

This is pretty much your classic caper story. It's a fast-paced adventure tale with a holiday flare and a steampunk twist. The characters are just how I like them--both brilliant, both wounded, a perfect match for each other. And neither one as cold-hearted as they try and pretend. 

What's been interesting about the reviews the collection has been receiving is that practically every reviewer has their own favorite story from the anthology--and it's never the same one! Still, it's no surprise that Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer had this to say about it: 

"My favorite tale is Stacy Gail’s Crime Wave. I adore the spunky, intelligent wit of Cornelia. The chemistry between her and Roderick is delightful. The plot was exciting and I would love to read a full length version of this story. "

Read the full review here

Oh, and that's the delicious RTC for this title. Yummy, right? 

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.