My dear Gentle Reader,

Please join me in welcoming the lovely Stacy Finz to the blog today!

Stacy is an awesome, hilarious, vibrant human who I am lucky enough to get to see pretty regularly, as she is a member of my RWA chapter. Accordingly I invited her around for virtual tea!

About the Author!

Tea or coffee and how do you take it?

I’ll give you my coffee when you pry it from my cold, dead hands (sorry, Gail). I take it with a dab of cream. No sugar or sugar substitutes.

Please describe your personal style for author appearances.

Like my book characters, I grew up in a small farming and ranching community where jeans and a pair of ropers got you into the best restaurant in town. Since then, I’ve moved to the city. But you know what they say: You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl. So jeans are still pretty much my go-to uniform, though I’ve ditched the ropers for some pretty glitzy cowboy boots. At last count I own 21 pairs. Here’s me gussied up for an author photo…

If I were to observe the writer beast in its native environment, what surprising thing might I see? What does the environment look like?

A lot of road signs hanging on the wall, including one for my fictional town of Nugget (population 5,916). Besides the road signs, a collection of cowboy hats and an old San Francisco Chronicle mug from my time as a newspaper reporter. Most surprising thing: It’s actually relatively neat and a little girly (lots of periwinkle blue and white).

If you could travel in any type of conveyance, what would it be?

Horse! There’s nothing like seeing the world from the back of a good working quarter horse.

No deviating: vanilla or chocolate ice cream on a plain or a sugar cone?
(Gail will use this to determine your level of sanity.)

Sugar cone without hesitation. Chocolate unless it’s soft-serve or frozen custard, then absolutely vanilla!
(Gail pronounces you sane.)

What’s most likely to make you laugh?

Really silly movies with Will Ferrell.

Since writers inevitably end up in the bar, what’s your poison?

Tequila. No mixtos, it has to be 100-percent agave. I’m less snobby about my Margaritas. Give me a fruity, slushy Margarita any day of the year.

Stacy Finz is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. After more than twenty years covering notorious serial killers, naked-tractor-driving farmers, fanatical foodies, aging rock stars and weird Western towns as a newspaper reporter, she figured she finally had enough material to launch a career writing fiction.

She is the author of the Nugget Romance series, the Garner Brothers series, and the upcoming Dry Creek Ranch series. She lives in Northern California with her husband.

About the book!

What should readers eat while consuming your novel?

A tri-tip sandwich with barbecue beans.

What form does evil take within its pages?

A hike up a very steep mountain.
(Gail feels very similarly about hiking.)

Which one of your characters would you most want to kiss and why?

Win Garner, the hero in Love You. He’s as charming as he is hot and is a very passionate kisser.

What’s your favorite period in history and does it influence your world building?

1945 to the present, or in other words contemporary history. My worlds are built in the present but I give a nod to the Gold Rush since I set most of my books in California’s Gold Country and Sierra Nevada. In the first Nugget book, Going Home, my heroine was obsessed with the Donner Party. There’s also a flavor of the Old West in my worlds, including plenty of modern-day cattle rustling.

Which one of your characters would you most like to slap and why?

The heroine’s mother, Geneva. She’s obsessed with her daughter’s weight and physical appearance and is constantly criticizing her. She’s the quintessential tiger mom.

Without spoilers, what’s the funnest (or funniest) part of the book?

Every year, Win, the story’s hero, is Mr. December in the mayor’s pet project, a calendar to raise money for the volunteer fire department. This year Win’s having second thoughts about posing (each year the photos get more provocative) because he’s trying to lose his image as the town’s stud muffin. I don’t want to give anything away but there’s some pretty funny back and forth between him and the mayor, who if you ever saw “There’s Something about Mary” is a lot like Magda.

If your story smelled of something, what would that be?

The Sierra Nevada in summertime.

Read an excerpt

Love You by Stacy Finz

Darcy Wallace may be an employee at Garner Adventure, but the kind of excitement she’s looking for is more of the indoor variety. After a sexless marriage and a painful divorce, who better to help her get her groove back than the hottest player in town—Win Garner himself. There’s just one flaw in her seduction plan: he won’t cooperate.

Win is used to being the pursuer, so when Darcy turns the tables it throws him off his game—at first. Not that he isn’t tempted, he’s just trying to change his ways. Yet when he and Darcy are paired up for a work project there’s no avoiding the tension between them—or the fact that they make an indomitable team. Soon, Win begins to feel their connection is no game. This could be the real thing. And one no-strings-attached night together just might seal the deal . . .

I hope you enjoyed this interview and let me know if you try out one of Stacy’s books, what you think!

Yours etc…

Miss Gail

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• Not into newsletters? Get only new releases by following Gail on Amazon or BookBub!
• Coop de Book for October is The Sumage Solution (in preparation for The Omega Objection‘s release). (Discussion here.) 

OUT NOV 4, 2018!

Amazon | Kobo | B&N | iBooks
Direct from Gail

Can a gentle giant with a trampled heart
show a man who’s been running all his life that
sometimes there are monsters worth running towards?

UPCOMING SCRIBBLES

• The 5th Gender (a tinkered stars sci-fi under the G. L. Carriger brand). No links as yet, wait for it…
• Secret Project Ommm, coming October 2019 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Soulless.
• Need to know more about what Gail is writing right now? That’s in the Chirrup.

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

The Dos and Don’ts of Supporting Your Local Library

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

Diversifying as an Author

Book News:

ace-artemis-fanartist – Primrose Tunstell and Tasherit Sekhmet from the Custard Protocol series

Quote of the Day:

Dearest Gentle Reader,

As you may have noticed September is a pretty busy month for me. I’ve had some unexpected family related travel among other things. In order to help me cope, I invited another author friend around for tea and a chat.

Please welcome the incomparable fantasist, Diana Pharaoh Francis, to the blog today!

About you, the Author!

Tea or coffee and how do you take it?

Tea, sweet, and very hot, preferably black. Especially chai. Love chai. Gimme chai. MORE! Coffee only frozen in cartons of ice cream.

Please describe your personal style for author appearances.

Nervous. I generally wear black base with colorful accouterments. Love stone jewelry. And no high heels or you WILL find out why I’m called Clodzilla. It’s not pretty.

If I were to observe the writer beast in its native environment, what surprising thing might I see? What does the environment look like?

Crowded. My office is small and full of books, a giant oak desk, lots of rocks (I’m a rockhound), lots of fantasy art on the walls, a collection of sharp weapons on the walls, and a couple of glass witchballs hanging from the doorway. And hidden behind an open door in a place of great importance are my diplomas.

If you could travel in any type of conveyance, what would it be?

I soooooooo want to ride in a bullet train. I can’t even tell you why. But I kind of wish all travel could be done on Disney kiddie rides. I’m terrified of heights, so dirigibles and hot hair balloons are right now (and why kiddie rides, not giant roller coasters). I do fly in planes and I’m okay as long as I don’t look at the ground, and I wouldn’t mind riding in a space ship.

No deviating: vanilla or chocolate ice cream on a plain or a sugar cone?
(Gail will use this to determine your level of sanity.)

Sugar cone, chocolate. Preferably chocolate with chocolate in it and on it, maybe with a sprig of chocolate for decoration.
(Gail proclaims Diana utterly sane.)

What’s most likely to make you laugh?

I am so easily amused, I can’t begin to tell you how much. But right now, the thing that’s guaranteed to make me laugh are the two new puppies we have. One is a corgi, the other is a mini blue heeler, and they are both insanely cute and funny and silly.

Since writers inevitably end up in the bar, what’s your poison?

I like sweeter drinks in general, but I had this amazing grapefruit mojito at a con in Texas once. It was made with vodka and was the best thing ever. I ever pursue finding another of these. Other than that, I tend to go for a fuzzy navel (hush, don’t laugh). I’m a really cheap drunk, too. Oh, but I do love a good screaming orgasm—drink and actual screaming orgasm. I mean, who doesn’t? The drink is made with Baileys, vodka, and Kahlua.

About your book!

What should readers eat while consuming your novel?

Gargantuan amounts of Oreos, or other chocolate. I will warn them, though, careful with drinking. You may be snorting stuff out your nose.

What form does evil take within its pages?

The past evil of a really awful mom (think Cersei Lannister only meaner) and has left Beck, the daughter and main character, with some issues. Luckily she has a sense of humor and good friends to help out with her recovery. The current evil in the book . . . well, that’s the mystery.

Which one of your characters would you most want to kiss and why?

Of all the characters I’ve written? I’m going to say Leo (in my Diamond City Magic books) because he’s smart, snarky, and has a sense of humor. He’s also crazy handsome and will do anything for family.

What’s your favorite period in history and does it influence your world building?

The Victorian period. It contained so much angst, so much hypocrisy and rapid change. It was the height of the Raj, of the British Empire that has influenced so much of our world and continues to, mostly in bad ways. It definitely influences my world building. In fact, my Crosspointe Chronicles borrow heavily from the Victorian era. My interest in colonization and post-colonization greatly informs my understanding of power between people, in societies, and between societies.

Which one of your characters would you most like to slap and why?

But I have so many! I’m going to look at my latest book—Putting the Fun in Funeral—and say Ethan. He’s just all too self important. And he’s an ass.

Without spoilers, what’s the funnest (or funniest) part of the book?

Hmmm. It’s a tough. It’s between the banana buddha and the way in which mom dies, which is ridiculous and over-the-top and oh so wrong, but so very right.

If your story smelled of something, what would that be?

Aztec hot chocolate—spicy hot and chocolate.

Putting the Fun in Funeral, Everyday Disasters book 1

Beck Wyatt has always hated her mother—enough to kill her. As luck would have it, someone beats her to murdering Mommy Dearest and now Beck gets to plan the tackiest funeral the world has ever seen for the worst woman she’s ever known.

But first, Beck has a few minor problems to deal with. First on the list? Avoid getting kidnapped. She also has to convince the police she didn’t kill her mother. And then there’s surviving a death curse ….

With the help of her three best friends, cheesecake, and a little magic, Beck figures she can handle anything, even the mysterious and irritating Damon Matroviani, whose sexy good-looks light her panties on fire.

All too soon, her life is turned inside out, and just when things are looking like they can’t get any worse … everything hits the fan.

You can check out the first chapter on Di’s website!

And there you have it, my darlings. I think Di’s humor might really appeal to many of you so you should definitely check her books out, if not this one than she has many other awesome universes to explore like her Victorian influenced Crosspointe Chronicles.

Yours in reading forever,

Miss Gail

• Did you want more book recommendations in your inbox once a month? I hand picks books on sale for her Chirrup members, because I love them bestest. Sign up here.
• Not into newsletters? Get only new releases by following Gail on Amazon or BookBub!
• Coop de Book for September is The Gate to Women’s Country by Sheri S. Tepper. (Discussion here.) 

OUT IN SEPTEMBER!

Amazon | B&N  

All books in the first print run of 10,000 are SIGNED.
If you want it dedicated or are paranoid about ensuring it’s signed,
you can order it via Borderlands Books using the SIGNED button on my website.

NOT USA?

Borderlands Books will ship to you.
Order from them using the SIGNED button on my website.

This special edition of Soulless includes 10 stunning full page illustrations in Edward Gorey style by the talented Jensine Eckwall.

Orbit is running a give away on this book!

They’re ALSO throwing in the full Parasol Protectorate series (trade paperback) & current Custard Protocol series (trade paper & hard cover)! US only; ends 9/30/2018

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN

UPCOMING SCRIBBLES

• The Omega Objection ~ The San Andreas Shifters Book 2
  Coming November 2018
  A werewolf walks into a bar and falls in love with a man who has no smell.
  Add this book on Goodreads.
• Need to know what Gail is writing right now? That’s in the Chirrup.

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

Galena – from my 2012 parasol photo competition

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Mur & I after she won the Hugo

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Romance Novels Are Not Your Junk Food

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

Book News:

Quote of the Day:

My darling Gentle Reader, please join me in welcoming the lovely Jen Fitzgerald to the blog today.

Jen is the author of a series of charming mm contemporary romances. I’m trying to branch out a bit and broaden your mind and reading palate, and Jen is here today to help me do that!

About you, the Author!

Tea or coffee and how do you take it?

I drink Plantation Mint tea any temperature depending on how far out we are from the preparation point and straight (*snicker*) all year round.

Please describe your personal style for author appearances.

Well, as I have yet to make one, I have no idea. Probably business casual? Slacks and a black or red polo shirt. Also, I guess it depends on the venue, right? A library? Definitely the above outfit. The Gay Rom Lit Con? I could get away with something more casual or, conversely, more outrageous.

If I were to observe the writer beast in its native environment, what surprising thing might I see? What does the environment look like?

My writer room has a lot of *stuff.* I’m a huge fan girl of many things and like to have my stuff out where I can see it and enjoy it. The most surprising thing…oh, man…maybe the diversity of my stuff? Light blue feather boa, Charles Wysocki collector plates, a BBC Sherlock cross stitch sampler I stitched myself, a bird clock that chirps on the hour, a stalker wall for my favorite hockey player, rubber ducks… And on and on… :0)

If you could travel in any type of conveyance, what would it be?

Other than the usual? Maybe a tractor? A hunky hockey boy on hockey skates, although we wouldn’t get far without ice.

No deviating: vanilla or chocolate ice cream on a plain or a sugar cone?
(Gail will use this to determine your level of sanity.)

Chocolate ice cream on a plain cone.
(Gail pronounces Jen completely sane! Hooray!)

What’s most likely to make you laugh?

Sexual innuendo. Thirteen-year-old boy humor.

Since writers inevitably end up in the bar, what’s your poison?

I rarely drink because it makes me sleepy and where’s the fun in that? But if forced to have a drink, it’s a tough call between a piña colada and Malibu and pineapple juice.

About Jen:

Jen FitzGerald has loved romance since her Winnie-the-Pooh days. Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh have always been platonic soulmates. As a teen, Jen cut her romance teeth on Silhouette’s teen romance line and Danielle Steele books concurrently. She’s still an avid reader, but these days, Jen has added writing romances of her own to her list of fun things to do.

Jen lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband and dog. Their three children are now adults and out terrorizing the world at large instead of them. When not working her day job, Jen spends a lot of time reading, writing, watching hockey, and perusing her social media platforms of preference. She also enjoys music, cross stitching, and chatting online with writer friends.

About your book!

What should readers eat while consuming your novel?

Any sort of ice cream treat from a place like Dairy Queen or Braums.

What form does evil take within its pages?

Not much evil in my books, but PTSD rears its ugly head in For the Love of Scott.

Which one of your characters would you most want to kiss and why?

Tough call, but probably Ben Thompson because I used Benedict Cumberbatch as my inspiration and yeah, Mr. Cumberbatch really does it for me. (What? He’s the complete package, okay? Smart, funny, talented, hot–although maybe not with traditional good looks…)

What’s your favorite period in history and does it influence your world building?

My favorite period in history is probably the era right around WWII. As I’m writing contemporary, it doesn’t play much part, although I like to think of my downtown Main Street as still having that flavor.

Which one of your characters would you most like to slap and why?

There really were no awful characters in this book. Maybe Ben’s dad for hogging Scott’s attention during the dinner/football scene.

Without spoilers, what’s the funnest (or funniest) part of the book?

Either the basketball scene or the freezer scene. I like the freezer scene better personally.

If your story smelled of something, what would that be?

Um, wow, that’s tough… Maybe Christmas? Pine boughs, hot cocoa, and crisp fresh air… It takes place in December right before Christmas. :0)

For the Love of Scott, Book 1 in the Ten Rigs, Texas series

After a bomb takes his leg and the life of his beloved military working dog, Scott Hudson returns home to Ten Rigs, Texas, and once again finds sanctuary in the local animal shelter. Between recovery, physical therapy, and getting the kennel into shape, Scott’s out of the life loop and the love game.

For six months Ben Thompson has watched Scott work wonders with the kennel and the dogs, admiring his focus and dedication. A pickup basketball game leads to a confession and a change in the nature of their relationship.

When Scott’s dog, Sylvester, gets injured, Scott goes into a tail spin and blames Sylvester’s accident on his feelings for Ben. Will powerful emotions derail Scott and Ben’s budding romance?

Thanks so much Jen for stopping by!

Gentle Reader, I will return you to your regularly scheduled blog posts next week!

Yours etc…

~ Miss Gail

Meanwhile over on the 20 Minute Delay Podcast, Piper and I get into it on the serious subject of snacks while travelling!

Plus: we discuss Seattle and SeaTac, Trader Joe’s olives, and cats in antique/book stores, protein powder, quail eggs in beet juice and scoping out a new home city.

• New stuff goes to my Chirrup members first, because I love them bestest. Sign up here.
• Not into newsletters? Get only new releases by following Gail on Amazon or BookBub!
• Coop de Book for April is Robin McKinley’s Beauty. (Discussion here.)

OUT MAY 13, 2018!

Amazon | Kobo | B&N | iBooks | Direct from Gail

How to Marry a Werewolf (In 10 Easy Steps) ~ A Claw & Courtship Novella by Gail Carriger is now awabile (print, audio & other editions will follow). Featuring a certain white wolf we all love to hate (except those of us weirdos who love to love him). Add this book on Goodreads.

Guilty of an indiscretion? Time to marry a werewolf.

Rejected by her family, Faith crosses the Atlantic, looking for a marriage of convenience and revenge. But things are done differently in London. Werewolves are civilized. At least they pretend to be.

UPCOMING SCRIBBLES

• Competence ~ Custard Protocol Book 3
  Out July 17, 2018.
  Third in the Custard Protocol series featuring Primrose, Rue, and all their crazy friends. Available to preorder in digital & hardcover!
• The Omega Objection ~ The San Andreas Shifters Book 2
  Coming November 2018.
  A werewolf walks into a bar and falls in love with a man who has no smell.
  Add this book on Goodreads.

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

Frederick Frieseke (1874-1939) The Pink Parasol 1913

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Wisteria currently in bloom in Mum’s garden

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

How to Connect with ANY Influencer in Three Simple Sentences

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

How to Write Horses Wrong: 8 Red Flags

Book News:

Some of Ivy’s silly hats and outfits Ace by Artimis Fan Artist

Quote of the Day:

My darling, Gentle Reader, I am WILDLY delighted to welcome Patricia McKillip to tea at my blog today. Patricia is one of my author heros, I have loved her work for as long as I can remember and she is still one of my idols.

I was honored to be asked to write the foreword for the latest release of The Forgotten Beast of Eld, one of my favorite books of all time. (And it’s first time in ebook form!) And because I am an uppity bit of baggage, I asked her to drop by here for a little interview.

Please join me in a very warm welcome to the marvelous Patricia A. McKillip!

About You, the Author!

Tea or coffee and how do you take it?

Coffee: black, preferably French Roast, and as soon as possible after my eyes open.

Describe your personal style for author appearances.

High heels and a mustache. Just kidding. Mostly boringly tidy.

If I were to observe the writer beast in its native environment, what surprising thing might I see? What does the environment look like?

You might see about one foot by three feet of empty Formica table space on which I write. The rest of the room is full of “stuff”: knickknacks, thingamabobs, little things given to me over the years, awards, books, CDs, candles, a glass octopus that I call Jeeves or Mrs. Darcy, depending, small vases, windup toys, a wooden backscratcher, this’s-and-that’s on the walls, including a Green Man face from Bath, artwork by one of my sisters, and magic wands made by another sister for her dance class. Possibly the most surprising things would be the college-ruled binder paper and gel pens that I write my first drafts—oh, heck, all my drafts—with.

If you drive, what do you drive?

I drive a 1999 red Chevy Metro with a stick shift.

Vanilla or chocolate ice cream on a plain or a sugar cone?

Chocolate in a plain cone.

(Gail pronounced Ms McKillip perfectly sane.)

What’s most likely to make you laugh?

Old M*A*S*H episodes. P. G. Wodehouse. My husband’s eyebrows, upon which owls could roost, when he waggles them at me.

Since writers inevitably end up in the bar, what’s your poison?

Since I’m ancient and try to stay out of trouble, a nice cold glass (or two) of Chardonnay.

I believe this might be the original cover.

About Patricia McKillip

Patricia Anne McKillip was born in Salem, Oregon (USA) on February 29, 1948 – a leap year baby! She started writing at 14, and according to the notes in the Riddlemaster trilogy,

“she has been writing ever since – except for a brief detour when she thought she would be a concert pianist.”

The House on Parchment Street has a neat quote about how she started writing,

“In a fit of boredom one day when she was fourteen, she sat down in front of a window overlooking a stately medieval church and its graveyard and produced a thirty-page fairy tale.”

She went to the College of Notre Dame, Belmont, and San Jose University where she earned a BA in English. She then went on for a MA at the San Jose State University. McKillip then moved to San Francisco, then to the Catskill Mountains in NY, then Roxbury, NY and now lives in Oregon.

She won the World Fantasy Award in 1975 for The Forgotten Beast of Eld, the Locus Award in 1980 for Harpist in the Wind (Riddlemaster Bk 3), and the Balrog award in 1985 in the short fiction category for “A Troll and Two Roses”.

About your book (The Forgotten Beasts of Eld)!

What should readers eat while consuming your novel?

Dunno. There’s not much food in the book, except for basic stuff like mushroom stew.

What form does evil take within its pages?

The most complex evil is in my heroine herself, who makes some bad decisions because she is angered and hurt by other people’s evil toward her.

The mass market edition Gail owned as a child.

Which one of your characters would you most want to kiss and why?

Certainly not my hero — I’m old enough to be his grandmother. But I wouldn’t mind kissing the baby, Tam. I grew up with younger siblings; by the time I was seven, I knew how to fold a cloth diaper. I’ve always loved babies.

What’s your favorite period in history, and does it influence your world building?

I’ve researched various bits of history: the pre-Raphaelites (“The Gorgon in the Cupboard”), Edith Wharton’s and Henry James’s time (“Edith and Henry Go Motoring”), plumbing in late medieval times (“Knight of the Well”); my latest research has been about Thomas Malory and the Grail legends (Kingfisher). I like doing research and most often do way more than I have to, because it’s easier and more fun than writing the tale.

One of the most accurate covers. (Possibly influenced by the Pern books?)

Which one of your characters would you most like to slap and why?

My heroine, sometimes, for talking too much. Me, sometimes, for writing seemingly endless descriptions.

Without spoilers, what’s the funnest (or funniest) part of the book?

I don’t think there’s much humor in The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. A line or two here and there, maybe. If you blink, you’ll miss it.

If your story smelled of something, what would that be?

Mountain air. Ancient books. Mushroom stew.

The Forgotten Beast of Eld

Young Sybel, the heiress of powerful wizards, needs the company of no-one outside her gates. In her exquisite stone mansion, she is attended by exotic, magical beasts: Riddle-master Cyrin the boar; the treasure-starved dragon Gyld; Gules the Lyon, tawny master of the Southern Deserts; Ter, the fiercely vengeful falcon; Moriah, feline Lady of the Night. Sybel only lacks the exquisite and mysterious Liralen, which continues to elude her most powerful enchantments.

But Sybel’s solitude is to be shattered when a desperate soldier arrives bearing a mysterious child. Soon Sybel will discover that the world of men is full of love, deceit, and the temptations of vast power.

[Gail’s dishonorable mention to the following two covers: one one because of the hair (?) the other because of all the fantastic beasts in this amazing book, unicorns are NOT among them.]

{Coop de Book: Gail’s monthly read along for September is The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip.}

SCRIBBLES ROUND UP

• Romancing the Werewolf ~ A Supernatural Society Novella
  Status: RELEASE DATE Nov 5, 2017
  Gay reunion romance featuring your favorite reluctant werewolf dandy, the return of a certain quietly efficient Beta, and some unexpected gifts. Add this book on Goodreads.

• Competence ~ Custard Protocol Book 3
  Status: Editing.
  Third in the Custard Protocol series featuring Primrose, Rue, and all their crazy friends. Add this book on Goodreads.

• Meat Cute ~ A Parasolverse Short
  Status: Rough draft complete. Layaway.
  Possible anchor short story for Secret Project A or SS collected/omnibus in 2018 or 2019.

• How to Marry a Werewolf (In 10 Easy Steps) ~ A Claw & Courtship Novella
  Status: Rough draft complete. Layaway.
  Featuring a certain white wolf we all love to hate (except those of us weirdos who love to love him). Coming 2018. Add this book on Goodreads.

• TOC ~ San Andreas Shifters #2
  Status: Writing Rough draft.
  The werewolves are back. There’s a bartender with a mysterious ability and a big scruffy man mountain with a powerful crush. The pack’s started a business called Heavy Lifting. Gail is contemplating shifter food trucks ~ Do it raw! Sometimes we wiggle, sometimes the food does.

NOW IN DIGITAL, PRINT & AUDIO!

The Sumage Solution: San Andreas Shifters #1 by G. L. Carriger, now in all editions.
Contemporary m/m paranormal romance featuring a snarky mage and a gruff werewolf. Hella raunchy. Super dirty. Very very fun. Spin off of Marine Biology.

Can a gentle werewolf heal the heart of a smart-mouthed mage?

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

1900s via steampunktendencies

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Me at about the age I first read McKillip & now

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Young Victorian Croquet Player

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

For New Indie Authors: What I Would Do if I Were Starting Today

Book News:

Traveling Through Books says of Romancing the Inventor:

“Carriger strikes again; she has yet to disappoint me with one of her pieces, novel, short story, or novella. This novella is a long-awaited story featuring Genevieve Lefoux. Madame Lefoux is one of my favorite characters in The Parasol Protectorate and the Finishing School Series, so it is extra nice to get yet another glimpse of her later in life- after the Parasol Protectorate Series has ended.”

Quote of the Day:

“I saw all.
‘Jeeves,’ I said.
‘Sir?’
‘I see all. Do you see all?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Then flock round.’

~ Jeeves and the Impending Doom by P.G. Wodehouse

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Romancing the Inventor

by Gail Carriger

Giveaway ends September 24, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

My dear Gentle Reader,

Please join me in welcoming my dear friend Lauren Harris to the blog today for tea and a chat. Funnily enough, Lauren has already made her debut here on this blog, I talk about her as my fellow fangirl squeeing over Mercedes Lackey in this post: Behind Romancing the Inventor: Blame Mercedes Lackey

About Lauren, The Author

Tea or coffee and how do you take it?
I drink both equally. Coffee in the morning, tea in the evening.

Coffee: Americanos are best, but drip coffee is what I make at home, usually freshly ground and in a French press or pour over. If not espresso, it MUST be either a dark roast or a full-bodied medium with low acidity. This is possibly the only instance in which I’d refuse a blond.

I take it with half and half or heavy cream. The only time I will get a sweetener is if I get an iced coffee, in which case I add two pumps of either vanilla or toffee nut. Iced drinks are rare for me, though. I like hot drinks.

There are very few exceptions to my coffee rule, one being if there are no other hot drinks available or the only other hot drink available has “Liptons” or “Luzianne” in the name. I live in the South, so this happens more often than one might hope. As the quality of drinks go down, so do my coffee standards. I’m usually not so much of a snob that I would rather go without.

Tea: Ceylon or Assam-based black teas. Much to Gail’s distress, I still take sugar in my black tea, along with milk. Favorites are English Breakfast, Earl Gray (someone get Gail the smelling salts), and Chai. Twinings is the favorite, loose leaf when I can get it. I’m also not mad at green tea or mugicha. You can’t live in Asia for any length of time and not get a taste for it. White tea can scamper off to whatever dark, flavorless hole it came from.

[Gail: I have tried my dears. I have tried.]

Describe your personal style for author appearances.
It depends on whether the appearance is at a convention or elsewhere. Usually, it’s at a convention, in which case, one might encounter me in street clothes (usually edgy or casual), or some manner of corset. Sometimes both!

If I were to observe the writer beast in its native environment, what surprising thing might I see? What does the environment look like?
Notebooks! I still like to write longhand. RSIs from work are making this more difficult, but it’s still one of my favorite ways to start books. For some reason, it helps me to tap into the characters and the world more deeply. I’m sure it’s a psychological trick of some kind, but I don’t care. Most of my beginnings and some of the more difficult scenes tend to be written in notebooks first.

If you drive, what do you drive?
I drive a gunmetal gray Prius C named Padfoot.

No deviating: vanilla or chocolate ice cream on a plain or a sugar cone? (Gail will use this to determine your level of sanity.)
Chocolate in sugar cone. How is this a question?
[Gail: Lauren is judged to be entirely sane. Except that she questions my question.]

What’s most likely to make you laugh?
A truly clever play on words. My roommate informs me that my most “satisfied” sounding laugh is when *I* make a truly clever pun.

Since writers inevitably end up in the bar, what’s your poison?
Very partial to Vodka Collins, Cape Cod, Moscow Mule, and Mojitos. Sangria and red wine is also an option. Absolute nos are: anything with pineapple juice, tequila, absinthe, or jaegermeister. I will make an angry bunny face.

Lauren was raised by an impulsive furniture mover and an itinerant TV News professional in a string of homes up and down the East Coast of the United States. Eventually settling (sort of) in Raleigh, NC, Lauren befriended a band of whimsical nerds who found themselves de-facto beta readers for her scribblings.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she studied English and Classics, Lauren moved to Tokyo, Japan for three years. While there, she studied Japanese, taught English, and fell in love with the hot drink section in the vending machines.

Now, Lauren balances a day-job of Cardiac Ultrasound with her passion for writing and other creative pursuits. She is the author of The Millroad Academy Exorcists novella series and an Assistant Editor at Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show. Her narration and voice acting can be heard on Audible.com, EscapePod, and various short fiction podcasts.

About Lauren’s book: Unleash!

What should readers eat while consuming your novel?
If possible, Korean bulgogi. Keep those iron levels up for spellcasting.

What form does evil take within its pages?
Sinister Scottish Sanguimancer. Also, Sorcerers. A more esoteric evil is absolutism.

Which one of your characters would you most want to kiss and why?
The cute Korean love interest because I had the power to make him an excellent kisser, so I did. Also, he is mischievous and funny and looks like Lee Minho in my head.

What’s your favorite period in history and does it influence your world building?
Classics was one of my areas of study in school, so I am partial to the Bronze Age, but I’m also a big fan of the Middle Ages. Most of my high fantasy stories are set in some analog of our 600 -1600 ACE.

Which one of your characters would you most like to slap and why?
Said sinister Scottish Sanguimancer, because he’s the reason my poor heroine has had such a terrible life. She’s been magically enslaved to his human trafficking ring since she was three years old.

Without spoilers, what’s the funnest (or funniest) part of the book?
The most fun parts for ME were the big disasters. I like to let people kiss and then have everything explode. Sometimes literally.

If your story smelled of something, what would that be?
Freshly sharpened pencils. Our heroine is an artist, and that slight tinge of blood scent to hot graphite feels suitable.

Unleash by Lauren Harris

Orphaned. Hunted. Pissed as hell.

Helena Martin doesn’t know who she hates more, the sorcerers who fired the magic-laced bullet or the gang-lord master who used her mother as a shield. It’s not the price she expected for escaping magical slavery, nor is the unstable power now pulsing in her veins.

Caught between her former master’s hunters and the Guild Sorcerers determined to kill them, she finds a safe haven at a dog rescue willing to take in a different kind of stray. But Helena’s newly-unleashed power is a beacon for her enemies. And they’re threatening the first place she’s ever thought of as home.

[Incidentally Lauren and I share a cover art designer, Starla.]

{Gail’s monthly read along for May is Radiance by Grace Draven.}

PROJECT ROUND UP

• Poison or Protect Audiobook.
  Status: Battling ACX. (AKA Audible/Amazon)
  Can one gentle Highland soldier woo Victorian London’s most scandalous lady assassin, or will they both be destroyed in the attempt?

• Romancing the Werewolf ~ A Supernatural Society Novella
  Status: First Draft Editing.
  LBGTQ reunion romance featuring your favorite reluctant werewolf dandy, the return of a certain quietly efficient Beta, and some very unexpected gifts. Add this book on Goodreads.

• Competence ~ Custard Protocol Book 3
  Status: First Draft Editing.
  Third in the Custard Protocol series featuring Primrose, Rue, and all their crazy friends. Add this book on Goodreads.

UP NEXT

The Sumage Solution: San Andreas Shifters #1 by G. L. Carriger
Contemporary m/m paranormal romance featuring a snarky mage and a gruff werewolf. Hella raunchy. Super dirty. Very very fun. Spin off of Marine Biology.

Can a gentle werewolf heal the heart of a smart-mouthed mage?

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

Allen & Ginter (American, Richmond, Virginia)
Fatigue Dress, from the Parasol Drills series (N18) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands, 1888
American,
Commercial color lithograph

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Lord Akeldama nick names from Kelly Schneider‎ via the Parasol Protectorate Facebook Group

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

World seems a big dumb at the moment, so no smart links to offer. You guys have any for me? Something interesting about tea or octopuses or the like?

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

“There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”

~ Somerset Maugham

Book News:

Heartless Shelf in Gail’s Office

Quote of the Day:

“I often feel sorry for people who don’t read good books; they are missing a chance to lead an extra life.”

~ Scott Corbett

Gentle Reader, please welcome Lea Kirk to tea on the blog today. Lea writes one of my favorite sub-genres: science Fiction romance. She is also a darling friend.

About You, Author Lea Kirk!

Tea or coffee and how do you take it?

Tea, with honey. Normally peppermint tea, but I have found that Throat Coat is mildly addictive. Is it just me?

[Yes, Lea, it’s just you.]

Describe your personal style for author appearances.

Totally depends on the type of event, and my mood. Most of the time I go for business casual. I have considered dressing up as an alien a couple of times, though. Maybe I will at some point.

If I were to observe the writer beast in its native environment, what surprising thing might I see? What does the environment look like?

If I had my way, my writer beast would work all day in my PJs and my big, fluffy robe. Occasionally I have, but most days I’m a boring t-shirt and jeans writer. I am a method-writer though, meaning I sometimes act out how my characters move to make sure I’m describing it right on the page. If you happen to walk in on me during those moments, you might be surprised.

As for environment, I share an office with my husband, so normally the CPA in him forces him to keep it organized. I’m much more the laid back, artsy type, and messes don’t bother me until I trip over them. This has driven my DH to the brink of insanity more than a few times over the years.

If you drive, what do you drive?

Oh, dear. Well, most days I drive my beat-up, dark-green, mid-90s vintage Grand Caravan with a black Spock Box on top (also referred to by normal people as a Thule gear box). On special occasions—when I don’t have to haul around my five kids—I will drive my 2004 T-bird convertible. (This was a gift from my hubby for staying married to him for 25 years. Can’t wait to see what he’ll give me for our 50th anniversary!)

No deviating: vanilla or chocolate ice cream on a plain or a sugar cone? (Gail will use this to determine your level of sanity.)

*Gulp* Chocolate on a plain cone. (Did I pass?)

[Yes! You are sane with very slight oddball tendencies.]

What’s most likely to make you laugh?

Questions about ice-cream.

Also, some of the antics my kids (and hubby) get into.

Since writers inevitably end up in the bar, what’s your poison?

Margarita, always with salt. Ice consistency depends on my mood.

Lea Kirk loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her romances of science fiction and time travel. Her fascination with science fiction began at six years old when her dad introduced her to the original Star Trek TV series. She fell in love with the show, and was even known to run through her parents’ house wearing the tunic top of her red knit pantsuit and her white go-go boots pretending to be Lieutenant Uhura.

Ms. Kirk lives in California with her wonderful hubby of twenty-six years, their five kids (aka, the nerd herd), and a Doberman who thinks he’s a people. She’s also proud of her seven times great grandson. Apparently her stories will serve as the inspiration for James T. to join Star Fleet Academy. She learned this in the 1980’s when James sought out her counsel on where to find a pair of humpback whales.

Find Lea on Facebook and Twitter.

About your book! Prophecy

What should readers eat while consuming your novel?

Eat? There’s no time for food—only reading! When you finish, though, you should definitely celebrate with a nice steak dinner, then pick up book two of my series and start all over.

What form does evil take within its pages?

Ohhh, evil is tall and green. Evil is exotic and blue. Evil is old and feeble. “Trust no one, Dr. Jones.”

Which one of your characters would you most want to kiss and why?

Oh, geez. I’m not allowed to skip this one, huh? Okay, it’s a tough choice, but I’d have to pick Dante Dacian, one of the hero’s best friends. He’s 6’3”, geeky, and a healer. He also happens to have blue skin and hails from another planet. Disclaimer: My choice may be slightly guilt driven as I’ve given Dante a heartbreaking past.

What’s your favorite period in history and does it influence your world building?

There are a couple of eras that appeal to me. One is the 1930s through mid-40s for sure (music, dancing, WWII, Western culture). The other is Old West (1800s). It just seems like an exciting time, especially with the expansion of the railroads. And horses. I love horses.

Overall, I’d have to say that these eras do not particularly influence my world building. The Old West might but only because I compare post-invasion life on Earth to living in the Old West. Even though alien technology provides methods of fast transportation, many of my characters prefer to ride horseback for their local jaunts.

Which one of your characters would you most like to slap and why?

Probably Kelly Rossler, a secondary character in Prophecy. Kelly loses her eight-year-old son during the Anferthian invasion of Earth. She can’t quite manage to accept that not all Anferthians—or aliens in general—are evil. The toll on her mind starts to show in book two (Salvation), and she does the unthinkable in her search for “justice”. I’m not certain what will happen to her next, or if she’ll even make another appearance in future novels for the series. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Without spoilers, what’s the funnest (or funniest) part of the book?

I totally love the interactions between Alex (the heroine) and her younger brother, Nick. They love each other unconditionally, but there is an underlying sibling rivalry that helps keep them going even though the world has fallen apart. One of the funniest moments IMO is when Nick happens upon his sister and her alien love interest, Gryf, getting on in the middle of the forest.

If your story smelled of something, what would that be?

It depends on the part of the story. In some places it smells like a gentle ocean breeze in the springtime. Other places it smells like the pine trees of the High Sierra-Nevada Mountains. Mostly though it smells like home and family, with a touch of smoke and gunpowder mixed in.

Prophecy (only $0.99!)

A nightmare of galactic proportions…

One normal day turns into horror when Earth is attacked. Now ER nurse Alexandra Bock is imprisoned aboard an alien slave ship with no way out. She deems all aliens untrustworthy, including the handsome blue-skinned Matiran captain who shares her cell.

A betrayal from within…

One night of treachery leaves Senior Captain Gryf Helyg a prisoner of his enemies. Because of him, Earth’s inhabitants face extinction and his home world is threatened. But his plans for escape are complicated by his inexplicable draw to the Earth woman imprisoned with him.

A chance to save both their peoples…

One ancient prophecy holds the key to free Alexandra and Gryf’s war-ravaged worlds. Can two wounded souls who have lost everything learn to trust and forgive in order to fulfill the prophecy, and find a love that will last for eternity?

Amazon |  Nook | iTunes | Kobo

{Gail’s monthly read along for November is Romancing the Inventor by Gail Carriger. Oh don’t look so shocked.}

PROJECT ROUND UP  

• Romancing the Werewolf ~ A Supernatural Society Novella
  Status: Outline.
  LBGTQ reunion romance featuring your favorite reluctant werewolf dandy, the return of a certain quietly efficient Beta, and a very unexpected gift.
• Secret Project SAS ~ Novel
  Status: Rough draft completed. Lay away this month. First pass red through starts in December.
  Contemporary m/m paranormal romance between a snarky mage and a gruff werewolf. Hella raunchy. Super dirty. Very very fun. Spin off of Marine Biology.

OUT NOW

Romancing the Inventor: A Supernatural Society Novella

A steampunk lesbian romance featuring a maid bent on seducing a brilliant cross-dressing scientist who’s too brokenhearted to notice. Or is she?

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

via julielondon-tumblr Mary Pickford, 1922

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

“Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae.”
~ Kurt Vonnegut

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

When Librarians are Silenced

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

Do Authors Owe Us Their Whole Selves?

Book News:

1Book1Review on YouTube says of Imprudence: “I loved the book. It was fun to read. It was fast paced, action-packed, and a lot of flirting and tea (as you can expect from Gail Carriger).”

Quote of the Day:

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.”
~ Red Smith