Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Walk the Fire Kickstarter

There is a new Kickstarter that has caught my eye.  It's featuring authors I've come to enjoy over the last year or so.  I asked John Mierau on twitter some questions about it and I'm thrilled to share a bit with you about the first anthology and the new one he is Kickstarting right now.

The new Kickstarter is for WALK THE FIRE.

"A shared world SF anthology series where other cities, planets, galaxies are only steps away...for those who dare Walk The Fire."

The Anthology will feature stories by:
   two-time Campbell nominee Mur Lafferty
   Hugo nominee Paul Levinson
   Philippa Ballantine  (Learn more of Pip in this interview of 10 Q's by John Mierau)
   Harry Connolly (Learn more about Harry Connolly in this interview on 10 Q's by John Mierau)
   JRD Skinner
   Steve Umstead
   Matt Iden
   WJ Davies
   and more!
   The introduction will be by Scott Sigler, art by Scott Pond, and original song and music by songwriter John Anealio.


I'm a huge fan of Philippa Ballantine.  I've also read an short read from Mur Lafferty in another anthology, and enjoyed it.  Mur is on my list to get more works by.



Want to try a snippet first?  John has made that possible!  Here are tweets from John with links to download the two stories:



I asked John Mierau some questions on Twitter of the new Kickstarter book and the first WALK THE FIRE anthology.  Here is how the tweets went. (I think I copied the tweets. Might have missed one, but you get the idea from these here.)

  1. 30 Apr
    . This Walk the Fire is the 2nd edition? Is the first in print or is it the podcast on your site?
    Expand

  2. 30 Apr
    Why thanks for asking ! The first WALK THE FIRE exists in ebook (2 stories free now) & free audio podcast at .
    Expand
    1. Expand

    2. 30 Apr
      . WALK THE FIRE is out in FREE audio as well as universal EPUB format here: & KINDLE:
       View summary
  3. 30 Apr
    . I think you mention this in the Kickstarter, why keep the same name? WALK THE FIRE. Same feel to the stories?
    Expand
  4. 30 Apr
    Walk The Fire is going to be the revised name for the anthology series. When stories are in I'll pick a fitting book-specific name.
    Expand
  5. 30 Apr
    . What kind of stories can we expect in WALK THE FIRE antho? Aliens? Fantasy? Science Fiction? Outer Space? All and more?
    Expand
30 Apr
. my authors tell me the new Walk The Fire stories will start in the Middle Ages & range to the far future!
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10:11 AM - 30 Apr 13 · Details

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  1. 30 Apr
    Jackpot!Amazing blend for all loves WALK THE FIRE stories will start in Middle Ages &range to far future!
     View media
  2. 30 Apr
    . I see u have some amazing authors in WALK THE FIRE. Im a huge fan of Ballantine. I read a short by >>
    Expand
  3. 30 Apr
    . >>and plan on reading more by Mur. Wonderful cast!
    Expand
  4. 30 Apr
    thanks I always ask the people I really want... sometimes when you ask, wonderful things happen!
    Expand
  5. 30 Apr
    . I'm thrilled with the cast. There are names people haven't heard of that are just as talented & I hope their audiences grow.



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  1. 30 Apr
    . I do love an antho w/blend of new & familiar names. I get what I love AND learn of new amazing authors to keep an eye out for.
    Details
**Sorry, copying from Twitter the coloring and formats off.



Now, are you curious about the first one?  I know I became curious after learning about the second one.  There are links in the tweets about it but more directly:
   The 1st Walk The Fire is available:
     Free Listening in Episodes
     Amazon for Reading
     Epub format for Reading


The 2nd Walk The Fire anthology has not been release yet.  That's where you come we come in.  Walk The Fire is right now running a Kickstarter.  It looks like there are 21 days remaining to join (as of May 1st).  Bringing the kickstarter to a close May 21, 2013.

I know I'd love to see this go all the way.  If you are interested, even $5 will help.  (which will get you listed as a supporter and an ecopy of the 1st Walk The Fire anthology.)

Go ahead.  Check out the Kickstarter and maybe join the troops walking the fire...
Posted by Melissa (My World...in words and pages) at 7:17 PM 4 comments
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Book Review: Clockwork Mafia

Clockwork Mafia

By:  Seleste DeLaney

Publisher:  Carina Press

Publish Date:  April 29, 2013

Format:  Ebook, 249pgs

Genre:  Steampunk Romance

Series:  2nd in Badlands series; Short Story 0.5 ~ Just a Man, Book 1 ~ Badlands

Recommendation:  Oh goodness YES!! Story, strong woman, and action!  With amazing little clockwork tools.  WOW!

Synopsis:
Inventor Henrietta Mason is retiring from airships and adventuring to return home to Philadelphia.  Determined to erase all trails leading to her late father's duplicity, she dismantles his lab and removes all records of the Badlands gold.  While in the city, she can't resist the lure of a charity gala but winds up regretting the whole experience.  Well, everything except a heart-racing dance with a certain U.S. Marshal.

His career and vengeance on the line, Carson Alexander must prove a connection between Senator Mason and the mafia.  He lucked out happening across mason's strikingly beautiful daughter, only to have her slip through his fingers.  On a desperate hunt to track her down, he never expects his search to take him into the brutal Badlands.

With a mechanically enhanced enforcer after them, only Carson knows the extent of the danger they face.  He'll have to win over Henrietta's trust, and her heart, before it's too late...

Sequel to Badlands.

First Sentence:
Carson growled a curse at the contraption creeping toward him, and the thing cowered like a beaten dog before scuttling back through the door.

Purchase At:


My Thoughts and Summary:
Carson had staked his career on the two men behind the mafia and now one's dead and the other's hidden.  Left with no clue in Mason's private lab he's stuck...and someone's to pay for a death they were to help prevent.  Unwantingly, Carson goes to a gala to raise money for a children's charity program, showing how needed the Marshals are, with hopes of finding some information among the attendees to find the man leading the mafia of nearly unkillable men to lock him away forever.  But not what, but who he finds this night and not knowing is attracted to her, as she is to him, and takes them both on an adventure they never expected.

Henrietta Mason is working hard to maintain the status her family had, after being sent away for so long, attending the gala.  To reclaim her families social standing, with her father dead and the tarnished history of her own, Henri will need a respectable husband.  Will one allow her to be who she is?  Maybe Henrietta will find the one thing that will trump the need...Love.  There are other things than the gold in the Badlands that are desired, what Henri doesn't know of her father's work could get her killed.

First I have to say, I didn't know if I'd like Henrietta.  I left Badlands and Ever's thoughts not much liking Henri.  That was Ever's feelings.  As soon as I started Clockwork Mafia, I loved Henri.  She is completely different than I viewed her through Ever's eyes.  WOW!  Seleste is talented in turning me a 180 to love Henrietta, and want more with her.  And we get to see Ever through Henri's eyes.

I love this world!!  We start in the Union, but don't fret we go back to the Badlands in no time.  Henrietta is different from Ever, but she has a steel backbone of her own and morals she will stick too.  Loved reading Henri and the clockwork world revolving around her.  Oh...the things Henri's father created and the monster of a man at the lead - one way or another he will get the clockwork plans and payment.

We get the story through Carson's and Henrietta's eyes.  This gives us a whole new view of the mafia we are after being they are from the social life of Philadelphia and not the Badlands.  There is also something growing between the two, even though Henri might want it, she needs someone else.  Not only does Henrietta make Carson feel for the first time in years, she might have information she isn't aware of and be in danger from a kind Carson has faced once before - and doesn't look forward to facing again.

Quickly the story brings Carson and Henrietta together.  And there's CHEMISTRY!  I'm drawn to the attraction here.  We learn what each of the two's goal is, until they meet.

I feel like we start with a masked Cinderella feel at the gala with a twist of mafia of clockwork enhanced men, danger, and deception.  The more I read the more I'm feeling a Firefly feel. (yes, I finally saw the show and movies and this fits that feel.)

You could read this one without reading Badlands, but meeting Ever up front and personal is awesome!  There are mentions of the last story that lead to the way things are now, so you will not be completely lost.

I did NOT want to stop reading this one.  For several reasons.  The story, the action, what each person in the chase wanted, strong woman of different types of strong, and maybe a relationship?  And the world!  Wow.  I want more!



Want to learn more?
I have Teaser Tuesday with Clockworks and Weapons.
Seleste deLaney guest posted about Romancing Rendezvous spots on Dark Hawk.
And I assigned a theme song to the Badlands series in my Just For Fun...Books and Music post.



*I read this book for an honest review from the author.
Posted by Melissa (My World...in words and pages) at 9:00 AM 12 comments
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Who? What? Where? (113)


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Who are you with? Where are you at? What's happening?

Share with us just a little bit of what is happening in the book you are reading, right where you are now.

Just a tiny taste of what's happening, remember try to not give spoilers of the book.

his is a new meme I'm going to try and will tweak as I go. And please don't laugh at my lame attempt at drawing. ;D )
This Week:

I'm with Archibald Clare in his study as he raises from his chair to change out of his dressing gown.  We've received an intriguing late night visitor, Emma Bannon.  This being our first meeting.  The sorceress left her shield, Mikal, to guard Clare as she went outside to the hansom.  Clare realized this unexpected call to the Queen, and the guarding, must mean danger afoot.

The Iron Wyrm Affair
By:  Lilith Saintcrow


Yes, I've just started this one. But I like the feel of the characters in the first pages.  Feels like a good one!



Others have shown interest in joining in this post, and linking up.  So I've created a linky for that.
My only requests; copy the picture to use, and link back to My World...in words and pages.
Please visit any joining in.
Thank you!
Posted by Melissa (My World...in words and pages) at 8:40 AM 7 comments
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