Tagged ROMANCING THE INVENTOR

Romancing the Inventor Special Extras (Supernatural Society)

Posted by Gail Carriger

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Romancing the Inventor is the second novella I wrote and my first official queer romance.

Romancing the Inventor released in November of 2016

Here are some fun blog posts and resources that tie to this story. Research I did, chattering and amusement on the subject of May/December, lesbian, and class conflict relationships. This was also my first opportunity to show Channing in a kinder light.

Romancing the Inventor

Parlormaid seeks scientist!

Lesbian Victorian romance featuring a maid bent on seducing an imprisoned cross-dressing inventor.

The Beginning from the Author’s Side

I struggled to even start this book for a long time. I just couldn’t climb into Genevieve’s head. It wasn’t until Imogene leapt into being that I realized that’s because this book was meant to be her story. This book needed to be told entirely from Imogene’s perspective. I needed a lower class character and I needed someone younger than Genevieve.

Why?

Perhaps because I’m too close to Genevieve? I identify with her too strongly, so I couldn’t get the right perspective to write her as a POV character. Anyway, I’ve never been able too, she has always lived from the perspective of other characters with this air of mystery. And clearly my creative brain needed her to stay that way.

Once I knew how I was going to write this story, I had to wait because I hadn’t had a “scene epiphany” yet.

Then, one night it came to me, the semi-confrontation between Imogene and Channing outside a pub in a small village. There it was, it happened, and Imogene was born.

Which brings me to note that yes, the inclusion and softening of Channing in this book is entirely intentional. Why is he nicer to to Imogene than to other women? Because she is gay and lower class. Channing isn’t threatened by her. This is an important insight into has character that will come into play in How to Marry a Werewolf. 

Things Pertaining to this Book

  • Blog posts specific to Romancing the Inventor
  • The Pinterest story board for this book
  • A Moment of Madame Lefoux Fashion Loves on Retro Rack
  • Genevieve Lefoux character design board (Madame Lefoux appears in all my other series, although in the Finishing School books she is known as Vieve.)
  • Imogene Hale character design board (she reappears in Reticence) and yes, the “Hale” is an ode of Gaskall’s North & South
  • FYI: The Westminster Hive moved to Barking in Heartless
  • I have a board full of Queer History including quite a bit on male impersonators and Toms of the Victorian Era

RTI is probably my most critically well regarded book, it is my most popular audiobook but probably the least digitally read, of my novellas. I have no idea why. Or what is going on but I think it has to do with this being a lesbian romance and there being an enduring desire for these stories but not a huge audience looking specifically for them.

Genevieve and Imogene by Ace Artemis Fan Artist

What Reviewers Said of This Book

Book Loving Nut says:

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a story I didn’t know I wanted. Adult Genevieve Lefoux has never appealed to me the way her childhood self did. For the first time though, I felt myself finally falling in love with her during this novella.”

The Lesbian Review says :

“This is a fantastic and quick read. Fans of Carriger’s will be well-served in picking up this novel, and those who aren’t familiar with her work will find it a great way of introducing themselves to her steampunk universe. I was sold at the name Genevieve Lefoux, and I suspect many others will be also. It’s a wonderful story with two characters who are more than a match for each other. The combination is electric and sure to please.”

Artemis Fan Artist Final ask for @glitterthegaywitch, who was sitting across from me reading Romancing the Inventor on my kindle while I was drawing the previous asks a few nights ago. She wanted Madame Lefoux and Imogene

Jess of Jessticulates says of Romancing the Inventor:

“Honestly I was surprised, at first, at how much darker this novella was compared to other books I’ve read by Carriger…. These darker elements didn’t stop it from being a sweet novella, though. In fact I really appreciated that Carriger didn’t make this story a silly one; Genevieve does wear her heart on her sleeve and it’s been broken before, so it was satisfying to see her work through that instead of watching her fall head over heels in love with Imogene…”

“I realise this is more of a gush than a review, but basically I loved this novella and I was thrilled to have a story devoted to Genevieve getting some kind of happy ending at last. If you’ve read and enjoyed the Parasol Protectorate series then you should definitely give this novella a try…”

Hidden in Pages says :

“Overall I loved this book and thought it was well done. It does an excellent job of filling in Lefoux’s storyline in the time between the Parasole Protectorate and The Custard Protocol. It was a fun and easy read but very romance heavy. Recommended to fans of Genevieve Lefoux especially!”

The Lesbian Review also says:

“The sexual tension is delicious, and the payoff is sweet and wonderful, while not being terribly graphic. Fans of Carriger’s work will love this dive into a secondary character’s life, while first-time readers may very well find themselves picking up Carriger’s novels.”

The Smut Reports says:

“Overall, this novella is a delightful read, mainly because the prose is so fun.”

Yours, finding the X,

Miss Gail

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OUT NOW!

The 5th Gender (A Tinkered Stars Mystery as G. L. Carriger).

Amazon | Elsewhere | Direct from Gail
Audio is coming. 

Sci-fi queer romance meets cozy mystery in which a hot space station cop meets the most adorable purple alien ever (lavender, pulease!) from a race with 5 genders.

UPCOMING SCRIBBLES

  • Reticence, The 4th and final Custard Protocol book. August 6, 2019
  • Fan Service Omnibus, October 2019 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Soulless.
  • Need to know what Gail is writing right now? That’s in the Chirrup.

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

Le Moniteur de la Mode December, 1871

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

“Gentleman Jack” 9 Facts About Lesbian Legend Anne Lister to Know

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

Are you and author who “hates marketing”? Read this: 9 Habits: Brag

Book News:

Just mistyped the word “woman” as “womance” which I think is my favorite genre.

~ Self on Twitter

Quote of the Day:

“In general, I try not to microwave sour cream.”

~ Borderlands Books Hillarious “Overhead in the store” April News

Your Moment of Gail

 

“I suspect it may be like the difference between a drinker and an alcoholic; the one merely reads books, the other needs books to make it through the day.”

(Interview with The Booklovers blog, September 2010)” ~ Gail Carriger

Questions about Gail’s Parasolverse? Wiki that sheez!

Fun Silliness While Gail Is Typing (Ketchup Blog)

Posted by Gail Carriger

 1 Comment

My darling Gentle Reader,

I am at a super secret remote location right this moment, typing away on the next novel. I’m doing my very best to beat everyone else’s word count, because I’m that kinda girl. Since there are 19 other writers with me, I have my work cut out for me!

I’ll be back the second week of March.

Meanwhile, here’s what’s happening!

My very first story bundle!

Includes the following books and many more!

 

Poison or Protect is in this bundle.

RTI on Sale!

I put Romancing the Inventor ebook on sale for $2.99 (USA, Kindle). Just because, not everywhere and it won’t last. I was feeling whimsical I tell you! Whimsical! My whimsy does not obey platforms or countries, it is merely what is easiest to then undo later… We shall see how it goes.

This book is probably my most critically regarded, thank you bloggers. Lesbians for the win!

Feeling Fictional says:

“Romancing the Inventor is such an incredibly sweet, slow build romance and I totally fell for both of the main characters.”

For What It’s Worth says of Romancing the Inventor:

“This is a very slow burn romance but so, so sweet. Both women are whip smart – Genevieve with her inventions and Imogene with math – and it was fun to watch Genevieve’s resistance crumble under Imogen’s relentless pursuit.”

The Gin Book Club says:

“Lefoux has always been one of my favourite characters in the series, and it was lovely to see her finally get a happy little romance of her own. I also really enjoyed the introduction of Imogene as a character. she was fun and sympathetic, and gave the reader the opportunity to see Alexia from an outsider’s perspective, painting not an entirely favourable portrait. That shift of perspective was really compelling.”

Recognition for The Sumage Solution

The Sumage Solution made the short list for the ALA’s 2018 RUSA Book & Media Awards Reading List in Romance. Thank you to my wonderful librarian advocates out there. I don’t always know who you are, but I know you exist and I am sending you ALL THE LOVE.

The Sumage Solution was also on Tom Brady’s list of 2017 reads:

“Finally, we get to the favorite book that I read in 2017: G.L. Carriger’s The Sumage Solution. Carriger has created a fun world here.”

Hearts on Fire says:

“The story is interesting and complex with a wealth of world-building and letting the review sit and stew for a day or two has shown me that I did indeed highly enjoy it. As it turned out, I loved both characters—Bryan the sweetheart beta werewolf, and Max, the sumage Placer turned… well, I’m not going to say because that would be a spoiler.”

Boy Meets Boy says of The Sumage Solution Audiobook:

“Smartly written, droolworthy likable characters, sexytimes, romancey first love romance with mates, entertaining plot and fantastic narration. What’s not to like? If you like urban fantasy or romance this should be a win for you.”

Cover Art Announcement!

I announced the cover art for Competence.

This is the USA art. And that is Primrose on the cover. She is the POV character for this book, don’t worry Rue is still around and getting into trouble.

Out July 17, 2018

So if you are wondering what is going on with the UK cover. Or you’re freaking out about matching books sizes. Or just can’t stand not knowing WHY, then you might want to join the Chirrup.

Other Shizz

How to Marry A Werewolf is out before Competence!

May 13, 2018.

I’ve got the cover ready, release and preorder to come very soon. Maybe, if you happen to order one of my other books signed from Borderlands right about now, you could get a bookmark as an early peak of HTMAW’s cover. Otherwise, soon.

The announcement is SOON.

Chirrup first, naturally. Then THE WORLD!

My final book of 2018 will be The Omega Objection, the second San Andreas Shifter book.

Meanwhile here’s 10 Side Characters Who Deserve Their Own Stories (Lord Akeldama has made this list)

“Did you hear what that silly boy let loose in my house? A reptile, of all things. As if I should admit any creature born out of an egg. I don’t even like poultry. Never trust a chicken, that’s what I say.”

~ Lord Akeldama

Functional Nerds Episode 349 – With Gail Carriger

LATEST RELEASE

Amazon | Kobo | B&N | iBooks | Direct

Romancing the Werewolf ~ A Supernatural Society Novella by Gail Carriger is now available (audio will follow).

Gay reunion romance featuring your favorite reluctant werewolf dandy, the return of a certain quietly efficient Beta, and some unexpected holiday gifts.

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

Allen & Ginter (American, Richmond, Virginia)
Attention, from the Parasol Drills series (N18) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands, 1888

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

19-Year-Old Student Hides Spy Camera In His Clothing To Take Secret Street Photos In The 1890s

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

I’m National Book Foundation Executive Director Lisa Lucas, and This Is How I Work

Book News:

Rue design board

Quote of the Day:

Questions about Gail’s Parasolverse? There’s a wiki for that!

Romancing the Inventor Chapter Titles & Other Quandaries (Behind the Magic of Supernatural Society)

Posted by Gail Carriger

 3 Comments

I have a mad love of chapter titles, Gentle Reader.

 

You may, or may not, have noticed that all of my books have chapter titles. I’ve no idea where this love comes from, that’s the weird thing. Yes many of my early reader books had chapter titles, but it’s not like as I got older they didn’t fade away as they mainly do in genre. And didn’t most other authors have that too? Yet they readily abandon the chapter title. Perhaps it’s because of my comedy bent?

For example, here’s a look at the chapter titles in Romancing the Inventor:

  1. In Which We Hope Vampires are Perverted
  2. In Which Inventors Have Powerful Dimples
  3. In Which Equations Prove Fruitful and Multiply
  4. In Which Werewolves Come Calling
  5. In Which Things Get Perverted at Supper
  6. In Which Imogene Contemplates Rodger
  7. In Which We Learn the Source of Vanilla
  8. In Which There are More Dimples
  9. In Which Werewolves Meddle
  10. In Which We Solve All the Equations

I don’t always use the “In Which” tag, but in this particular book I really wanted to. It felt right. Perhaps, if you want me to seem very smart, I’m playing on the idea of solitary women of the dark past (particularly those with aberrant sexual interests), being monikered witch? (There’s you college essay for you.) Competence, the book I’m working on now, has a different approach. But it still has chapter titles.

One of my great joys as an indie author is that I get to make sure my chapter titles appear at the front of the ebook. My formatter and I had a long hash out of the necessity of this and how I wanted them to appear, exactly. Because when I can be in control, I am such a control freak.

I don’t necessarily gravitate to reading books that have chapter titles, but I do notice when they appear and I like it. Possibly because it is so rare these days.

I wonder why it’s so out of fashion. Too much like non-fiction? Perceived as juvenile?

{Gail’s monthly read along for February is Black Dog Blues by Rhys Ford.}

Want more behind the scenes sneak peeks? Join the Chirrup

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

After a design by Cornelis Pronk (Dutch, Amsterdam 1691–1759 Amsterdam), Chinese, for Dutch market

 Cornelis Pronk (Dutch, Amsterdam 1691–1759 Amsterdam)
Plate depicting a lady with parasol, ca. 1734–37
Chinese, Yongzheng (1723–35)–Qianlong (1736–95) period
Hard-paste porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware); H. 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.); Diam. 19 1/2 in. (49.5 cm.)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Helena Woolworth McCann Collection, Purchase, Winfield Foundation Gift, 1968 (68.153)

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Globo dirigible de M. Giffard

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

Publishing Predictions: What Will Happen in 2017

Book News:

Dianna Sachs says of Romancing the Inventor:

“The relationship between Madame Lefoux and the intrepid parlormaid, Imogene, has a sweetness that underlies their discovery of each other. The pair must navigate their emerging feelings for each other while withstanding the manipulations of a few familiar characters – some benign and others decidedly hostile.”

Quote of the Day:

“Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow.”

~ Oscar Wilde

Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!
Share & Enjoy!

Romancing the Inventor is an Audiobook! (Supernatural Society)

Posted by Gail Carriger

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I’m not going to bury the lead, darlings, because that is so not my style. Here, in all its glory is the link to buy Romancing the Inventor in audiobook form on Audible! (Also on iTunes.)

Concerning Audiobooks, Tea, & Mild Peril

Well my darling Gentle Reader, after scanning a bunch of articles (mostly useless) and poking some of my audiophile friends (mostly not used to my approach) I took a deep breath and ever-so-cautiously tried ACX. Imagine Gail clutching her new audiobook baby, trembling to her heaving (but well-supported) bosom. Teetering on the edge of the abyss in her 6″ stilettos.

Drama much?

Have I mentioned recently how much I suck at new technology? Well I do. It frightens me.

ACX, incidentally, is the (supposedly) easiest way to publish to audible and iTunes. And yeah, it’s yet another thing that belongs to Amazon. (Incidentally, I now have like 7 Amazon accounts, because god forbid publication occur all under one log in, but… I digress.)

It’s a process because there are a lot of files, so I had to get those from Bryan (my producer extraordinaire) and my internet has been hella whack recently. (Yeah, I said hella whack, I’m a norcal girl, sue me.) So that took, like, days. Then I had to upload them one by one to ACX, which took hours. And do I put in Chapter titles? This is always the questions. I decided yes because I am stupid-proud of my dumb pun chapter titles. And then we realized we needed other stuff, like credits, and then Em’s voice was shot due to a cold, and so forth…

But, it’s there now!

Why Romancing the Inventor first and not Poison or Protect?

Because I found Emma (my narrator) first, she was available immediately, and we decided she was much better suited to Imogene than to Preshea. Frankly, I’m going to see how this one sells. If I manage to recoup my expenditure, I will put another audiobook into production.

Why can’t I get it in Mazzoooka, on my Diddlewhap Player, on a CD/cassette tape/wax cylinder?

Because I can only get it out to the places ACX covers. Because I can only get it to the players that ACX supports. Because you need to give over obsolete tech. I know. It’s hard. Deep breath, let it go.

Why the weird price?

So far as I could figure out, Amazon DOES NOT LET YOU set the price. Not in the current UI. I know, I thought it was weird too. Probably something to do with the subscription model.

You wanna know more?

Romancing the Inventor is read by the incomparable Emma Newman. Emma is a killer narrator with a beautiful soft-and-proper British accent, a fantastic author, and a wonderful human being. Her voice is lovely and she was particularly good about both the lower class and the french accents in Romancing the Inventor which were important to me. We had a consult about pronunciation, so all names & Parasolverse words in the book are pronounced how I would pronounce them. If you don’t like it, blame me, not Emma.

Photo by Lou Abercrombie

Emma Newman writes dark short stories and science fiction and urban fantasy novels. She won the British Fantasy Society Best Short Story Award 2015 and ‘Between Two Thorns’, the first book in Emma’s Split Worlds urban fantasy series, was shortlisted for the BFS Best Novel and Best Newcomer 2014 awards. Her first science-fiction novel, Planetfall, was published by Roc in 2015. Emma is an audiobook narrator and also co-writes and hosts the Hugo-nominated, Alfie Award winning podcast ‘Tea and Jeopardy’ which involves tea, cake, mild peril and singing chickens. Her hobbies include dressmaking and playing RPGs. She blogs at www.enewman.co.uk and can be found as @emapocalyptic on Twitter.

Readers of my books may particularly enjoy her Split Words series, the first of which is Between Two Thorns.

Beautiful and nuanced as it is dangerous, the manners of Regency and Victorian England blend into a scintillating fusion of urban fantasy and court intrigue.

Emma also runs the Tea & Jeopardy podcast with her husband. It was through this podcast that I found her voice. I adore it and long time readers of this blog will have heard me talk about it before.

As ever you don’t have to take my word for it. Here is more on Audio Books – Options, Pros, Cons, Dos, and Don’ts

{Gail’s monthly read along for January 2017 is A Brother’s Price by Wen Spencer.}

OUT NOW

Romancing the Inventor

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 . . .

Departure Platform, Victoria Station (c. 1880), by James Tissot. (Photo- Wikiart.org)

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Home Decor Gifts for Booklovers

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

What It Takes to Open a Bookstore

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

Ask Me Another podcast featuring Literary Favorites

Book News:

chaseau- -] Yeah… Looks much better scanned -D Soulless fan art.

Quote of the Day:

“Never trust anyone who thinks they can weaponize crumpets.”
~ Steampunk Worlds Fair

Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!
Share & Enjoy!

Did You Know Gail Has A YouTube Channel? Video Q&A About Romancing the Inventor

Posted by Gail Carriger

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Hello my dear Gentle Reader! I have a YouTube channel.

I have, actually had a YouTube channel for a really long time, I just haven’t gotten into it much.

However, Kelly and I have figured out how to take the Facebook Live videos I’ve been doing and upload them to YouTube. Well, Kelly has. So you can now subscribe to the channel and get them there.

No promises on getting them up in a timely manner. If you want to participate in the Q&A and get the info right away, you’ll still have to tune in live. But at least for those of you who really intensely dislike the whole FB experience (yes, I get it) there is now a low barrier to entry way to see the videos.

Subscribe and like, if you would. And I promise I’ll keep doing them there.

{Gail’s monthly read along for December is Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins.}

OUT NOW

Romancing the Inventor

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 . . .

1875 Fashion plate, 1875 via shewhoworshipscarlin

1875 Fashion plate, 1875 via shewhoworshipscarlin

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Bumbersnoot's Girlfriend

Bumbersnoot’s Girlfriend

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Learned about Sirum on the plane to Singapore. INGENIOUS charity. SIRUM connects unopened unexpired medications to patients in need.

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

“I think the first duty of all art, including fiction of any kind, is to entertain. That is to say, to hold interest. No matter how worthy the message of something, if it’s dull, you’re just not communicating.”
~ Poul Anderson

Book News:

Linnie says of Imprudence:

“Imprudence is a wonderful second entry in the series, even stronger than the first. I loved it and am sure fans of Prudence will love it as well.”

Quote of the Day:

“You, with sophistical arguments, set yourself up to attack that very sex which, because it is deprived of the opportunity to study, cannot answer your malicious inventions.”
~ Archangela Tarabotti

Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!
Share & Enjoy!

Romancing the Inventor Ketchup (Supernatural Society Video)

Posted by Gail Carriger

 6 Comments

Romancing the Inventor has now been out 10 days, Gentle Reader. I cannot thank you enough for all your love and support. Particularly those who took the time to review and to comment and let me know that you enjoyed it. It really does mean a lot. And I notice, I do.

You know what? This book has be really fun from start to launch. And I don’t say that about most book launches!

Facebook Live Meets Spoilers

I did some Facebook Lives yesterday (a longer Q&A and a shorter spoilerific) that I hope some of you managed to watch. OK I know some of you managed it, because you were there, and I love you. The spoilerific one on the Squee Group will be deleted at the end of day 11/7/2016. I’m not comfortable leaving it up there for posterity. In the future, I’ll not even bother to upload those ones for replay. They will be a catch it only when live kind-of-deal. Since I didn’t warn you this time, that’s not fair, but going forward you have been warned.

Gail Carriegr Facebook Live Q&A https://www.facebook.com/gailcarrigerllc/

Travel

Tomorrow I leave for Singapore. I have blog posts scheduled to drop for while I am away but I’m not sure how much I, personally, will be online. So don’t drink all the tea while I’m gone.

Lilliput Suitcase, Gail Carriger Travel

I’ve an 18 hour flight: 4 magazines (Marie Claire, Vanity Fair, RWR, Locus), notes for a class I’m teaching to review, hundreds of books to read, dozens of podcasts to listen to, and 4 possible projects to work on (first pass on SAS novel, RTW novella outline, CP3 novel outline, some possible shorts). I even banked a few movies. I know, look at me getting caught up on pop culture. Not to mention the fact that I intend to try to sleep at least 6-8 of those hours. In case you wondered, I don’t mind long plane rides!

Being original and creative on a plane can be hard for me, so I’ll likely do the first read of SAS (which I was going to hold of on, but a review of next year’s production schedule means I need to move quicker than I thought), as that’s less brain power. But I wanted to bring options, just in case.

Gail Carriger On The Go Set Up: iPad Mini, blue tooth keyboard, scrivener iOS

This will be the first heavy test of my remote writing set up using Scrivener for iOS, my tiny bluetooth keyboard, and my iPad mini. I’m hoping it goes as well as it did on tour last July.

For those of you doing NaNoWriMo, very best of luck. And to all of you have a wonderful few weeks and I’ll chat with you when I get back.

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

OUT NOW

Romancing the Inventor

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 . . .

Fashion plate, May, 1877, England via shewhosorshipscarlin tumblr

Fashion plate, May, 1877, England via shewhosorshipscarlin tumblr

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Victorian Tea Boxes New Zealand Museum

Victorian Tea Boxes New Zealand Museum

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

All About Steampunk: Gaiters, Goggles & Glory

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

“I write for the same reason I breathe – because if I didn’t, I would die.”
~ Isaac Asimov

Book News:

E&E made the list of “100 Must-Read YA Historical Fantasy Novels” on Book Riot

Quote of the Day:

“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.”
~ Susan Heller

Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!

Romancing the Inventor: New Character Imogene Hale (Supernatural Society Special Extras)

Posted by Gail Carriger

 1 Comment

So, Romancing the Inventor has been out for a day, no news for you yet, Gentle Reader, because, well… it has only been a day.

So I thought I’d give you a look at Imogene Hale and the character design boards behind this book. You can see the full boards on Pinterest, but I know not everyone has it.

Imogene Hale

In the Book

Imogene Hale is a lowly parlourmaid with a soul-crushing secret. Seeking solace, she takes work at a local hive, only to fall desperately in love with the amazing lady inventor the vampires are keeping in the potting shed.

imogene-hale-character-board

Creating the Character

Imogene started out as a kind of cool snooty blond (you know, Genevieve’s type), but that wasn’t working right for the story and I couldn’t really feel her, I wanted her warmer and more grounded, more English rose and less, well, Angelique.

I went to Tess of the d’Urbervilles for inspiration, added backbone, soul, and a certain depth of self-guidance and understanding. Genevieve, after all, likes willful ladies. The thing is, Imogene had to be what Genevieve needed more than what Genevieve wanted. Imogene also must be her own self and person, and not just a Pygmalion built for Genevieve to adore.

When I made Romancing the Inventor Imogene’s story, and it was her voice that began to dominate the narrative, everything fell into place. I wrote half of RTI on a writing retreat in the space of a week, typing out 8-10k days (NOT NORMAL) and it was all because of Imogene talking to me.

Maude Fealy Wikipedia

A lot of Imogene’s physical appearance was drawn off the American silent film actress Maude Fealy (sometimes spelled Maud) who has a soft etherial dreamy beauty that made me think of Imogene. I also collected images of maids and downstairs female staff to understand posture, clothing, and so forth.

This novella is part Imogene discovering herself, and what she needs and how to ask for what she wants. And half Genevieve learning to love again, and to trust.

genevieve-lefoux-design-board

I’ve done character studies of Genevieve before, she was first written more as Q for Alexia, meets dandy meets mad-scientist trope (with a Gail twist). I’ve taken inspiration for her from diverse sources: George Sand & Colette, Vesta Tilley, Audrey Tautou’s Coco, and many more. Like Imogene, it took me writing her out in Changeless to finally understand what would make her more of a person and less of a foil. However, I feel like writing her as Vieve, before she grew up and had her heart broken, is a gift most writers don’t get. Because I could build her a foundation of delight and wonder which Imogene might remind Genevieve has still buried within.

Not that Imogene wants child-Vieve, because yech, but because one of the best things about love is that it can remind you to hope.

romancing-the-inventor-design-board

The inspiration board for Romancing the Inventor.

That’s all for today my darlings! A reminder I have a Facebook live this Sunday, you can ask all the questions you want of me then.

Nov. 6, 6:00 PM PST | Facebook Live Q&A

Q&A with Gail via Facebook Live on her Author Page. A spoiler free chat about Romancing the Inventor and much more.

OUT NOW

Romancing the Inventor

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 . . .

1879 Édouard Manet was born #OnThisDay in 1832. Here's "In the Conservatory" from 1879

1879 Édouard Manet’s “In the Conservatory”

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

In Memory of Sheri S. Tepper

In Memory of Sheri S. Tepper

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Jonathon Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

“The story is always better than your ability to write it. My belief about this is that if you ever get to the point that you think you’ve done a story justice, you’re in the wrong business.”
~ Robin McKinley

Book News:

madame-lefoux-gadgets

Some Steampunk Gadgets off one of my boards.

Quote of the Day:

“No, Hobbes, nailing a live octopus to a wall is impossible, everything else is merely difficult.”
~ Simon R. Green

Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!

Romancing The Inventor Releases Tomorrow! Chat With Gail On Video

Posted by Gail Carriger

 

Happy Halloween!

Tomorrow Romancing the Inventor is out in the world!

rtisquare-date

You can buy the ebook for $3.99 in all the usual places Amazon, B&N, Apple, Kobo, and directly from me.

The print book ($11.99) should be available as well, if not tomorrow then very very soon. Borderlands will ship you a signed copy if you call or email them.

Romancing the Inventor

Dianna says: “This story will be joyful return for those familiar with Carriger’s earlier work, but should also be a lovely romantic journey for new readers.”

Facebook Live Virtual Tour!

I have two Facebook Live events coming up in honor of this launch.

Tomorrow at 4:30 PM Pacific Standard Time, you can find me on the Parasol Protectorate Group where I’ll be talking about writing Romancing the Inventor and doing a general Q&A. I know that might be a bit early for some of you so…

Sunday Nov. 6 at 6 PM (Pacific Standard Time) I’ll be doing one over on my Author Page. I’m hoping for a spoiler free chat about the book (as some of you will have read it by then). But I’ll be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Facebook Live Gail Carriger

After that, if I can, I’ll pop into the Squee! Group for a no holds barred spoilerific discussion. That’s assuming I can get Live to work in a group for which I am not an admin.

gail-desk-set-up-with-romancing-the-inventor

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

OUT NOW

Romancing the Inventor

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 . . .

1878-pierre-auguste-renoir-french-painter-1841-1919-the-parasol

1878 Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French painter, 1841-1919) The Parasol

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

lilliput-yawn-chair

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

10 Dickenseian Character Names Deciphered

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

“I can’t help but to write, I have a inner need for it. If I’m not in the middle of some literary project, I’m utterly lost, unhappy and distressed. As soon as I get started, I calm down.”
~ Kaari Utrio

Book News:

I Can Read for Miles says of Romancing the Inventor:

“To me, this tone fits with that of Poison or Protect, the previous romance novella Carriger published this summer from the Delightfully Deadly novella series (the Finishing School girls all grown up). Similarly between the two novellas, the sexy scenes are sweet and mildly shown, rather than explicit. This was quite fine with me in both cases, as Carriger seems to be exploring a lot about sexual personalities and perspectives we (or at least I) don’t often see in romance, which tends to be full of alpha males.”

Quote of the Day:

“[I am] a hardened and shameless tea drinker, who has for twenty years diluted his meals only with the infusion of this fascinating plant; whose kettle has scarcely time to cool; who with tea amuses the evening, with tea solaces the midnight, and with tea welcomes the morning.”
~ Samuel Johnson

Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!

Pride Month: Lesbians in Genre Fiction (Miss Carriger Recommends)

Posted by Gail Carriger

 5 Comments

I did a recent blog post about how Mercedes Lackey opened my heart to writing about LBGTQ characters in genre fiction. Still, I struggled to find other characters (main or side) who represented lesbians in particular, in the genre books I loved to read.

(Quick added note: Best Lesbian Romance of the Year, Edited by Radclyffe on sale right now)

rtisquare-date

I guess I was thinking about characters like Madame Lefoux, who so many of my readers expressly told me they admired seeing in print. (In case you are out of the proverbial loop, Genevieve Lefoux makes her first appearance as a main character in Romancing the Inventor but she’s a pretty active side character from Changeless on in the Parasol Protectorate and in the Finishing School series.)

So I threw this question out to FB and Twitter, where are all the great lesbian characters in genre? My readers came up with this list.

Now, I’m not claiming it’s comprehensive. I certainly haven’t read most of these myself so I can’t vouch for quality, but I figured since I was interested, some of you might be interested too. Many of these are certainly getting onto my to read pile.

I tried to put them by category, as I know not everyone has the same taste in which commercial genre they like to read. But in some cases I couldn’t figure out from blurb or cover what was going on so I made an educated guess. In a few cases, I eliminated on the basis of utter confusion.

First: Other People’s Lists

Without further ado!

Awesome Lesbian Characters in Genre Books

Curated by Gail Carriger’s Readers

Entirely Biased and Not Definitive*

Historical Drama

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Urban Fantasy

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Mystery

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Sci Fi

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Fantasy

Romance

* Please note these are recommend by MY FANS not me. If you are ONE OF MY READERS and you know what style of books I write, then you should feel free to add more in the comments. If you are on a self promo bandwagon, or have attitude, or an axe to grind then you should have a cup of tea and a nice baby cupcake, and reevaluate your life choices. This is not a shouty, mean, or uncomfortable part of the Internet. This is my blog. I am queen here. Shoo.

TV Honorable Mention

  • Garnet from Steven Universe
  • Sailor Moon’s Sailor Uranus
  • Legand of Korra 
  • Thelma in ‘HEX’
  • Carmilla & Laura, Lexa, Clarke from ‘The 100’
  • Nicole Haught & Waverly from ‘Wynonna Earp’
  • Cosima from ‘Orphan Black’
  • Bo & Tamsin from ‘Lost Girl’
  • Helen Magnus from ‘Sanctuary’
  • Cassandra from ‘The Librarians’
  • Dorothy (bi) and Portia (lesbian) from ‘One For All’
  • Root & Shaw from ‘Person of Interest’

More Lists & Such!

MY GIRLS

Romancing the Inventor

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 . . .

Victorian Web @VictorianWeb Paris fashions for Sept., ILN 1864

Victorian Web @VictorianWeb Paris fashions for Sept., ILN 1864

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Harlequin Lawsuit’s Happy Ending

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

20 Book-Title Hacks that Work for Any Genre

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

House Passes Bill Making it Illegal for Companies to Sue for Negative Reviews

Book News:

sophronia-carriage

sophronia-carriage2

Quote of the Day:

“I don’t know which is more discouraging, literature or chickens.”
~ E.B. White

Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!

Queer Characters? Blame Mercedes Lackey, Behind The Supernatural Society (Special Extras)

Posted by Gail Carriger

 6 Comments

Back when I was first transitioning into reading adult books, Gentle Reader, it was pretty natural to cross from children’s fantasy (there was no YA as a category back then) into adult fantasy via Mercedes Lackey. (I still hold that Arrows is, in fact, YA. It simply has never been packaged that way. Silly marketing.)

Queer Characters Blame Mercedes Lackey

For me that transition went pretty smoothly because, well… girls and soul bonded horses. I know, but in case you never guessed, I’ve always been a super girly girl (aside from being totally not squeamish about bugs and food and dirt and climbing anything that will stand still long enough for me to get up it and… where was I?)

Oh yes, so child Gail began reading adult books because white horses with purple eyes on cover.

Duh.

I don’t know that I have a pithy place I am going with this post. I guess I’m writing it because I get asked a lot:

Why do you include gay characters in your books?

I find the question confusing.

Like, Gail, why do you include food in your books? Or descriptions of dresses? Or fragment sentences? It’s part of my DNA as a writer. My world view.

My world.

But that also seems to trivialize the whole darn thing.

screen-shot-2016-09-25-at-4-21-06-pm

I think a better question is, why on earth would I not?

Mercedes Lackey always inhabits her work with gay and lesbian characters. They are not always central characters, as they are the Last Herald Mage series, but they are always there.

Keep reading Lackey and you end up with poly relationships. Gail, age 14 thought Knight of Ghosts and Shadows had the most romantic ending of any book EVER, and kinda still does.) All these relationships are presented in a supportive light. Which made perfect sense to child Gail with all her Berkeley and San Francisco poet, artist, dancer, musician aunties and uncles (and uncles who were also aunties).

screen-shot-2016-09-25-at-4-21-59-pm

Since then, I’m lucky enough to have socialized with Mercedes on a few occasions as a grown up professional author (and she is just as warm and wonderful as you might hope).

Lackey Queer by Ursula Vernon @ursulav on twitter

By the amazing Ursula Vernon @ursulav on twitter

Gail is a Fan Girl

I’m afraid when I first met her, my friend Lauren and I rather fan-girled all over her. Almost entirely because we wanted to impress upon her the fact that her books were so very important because they gave us a model of fantasy that included alternate sexuality.

As she went to pains to point out, there were other genre authors doing this before her. But those authors were generally less accessible to young women.

Her books were/are important because in them queer wasn’t a big deal. It just was. And so when Lauren and I began to write it just was for us, too.

Normalization.

And that, my darlings, is a powerful instrument of change.

So there it is, the answer to your question of why, is essentially…

blame Mercedes Lackey.

Your (still a) fan girl,

Miss Gail

Books by moi with queer MAIN characters

(Everything I write has queer representation in some form, but these have the most.)

The Supernatural Society Series

The San Andreas Shifter Series 

Competence

Curious Case 

5th Gender

The Omega Objection San Andreas Shifters

Other Peoples Thoughts

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

1872 Fashion plate via shewhoworshipscarlin tumblr

1872 Fashion plate via shewhoworshipscarlin tumblr

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

10 Times Umbrellas Became Works of Art

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

5 Travel Pillows in Order of Ridiculousness

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

How to Create an Anthology

Book News:

Fan Art Lefoux by Cara Powers

Fan Art Lefoux by Cara Powers

Quote of the Day:

“There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

~ Oscar Wilde

Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!

Romancing the Inventor ~ Your Questions Answered (Q&A with Gail Carriger)

Posted by Gail Carriger

 2 Comments

So my next novella, Romancing the Inventor, finally has all its preorders up and running!

rtisquare-date

Amazon

Apple iBooks

Kobo

Nook

Drrectly from me as .mobi, .epub, and .pdf

This one is in the Supernatural Society novella series. Thank you to everyone who has already preordered, within 12 hours of the Chirrup going out Amazon had the ebook listed as a Best Seller! Preorders are important because they improved visibility and discoverability.

rti-bestseller-amazon

Print?

I’m trying to time it so that ebook and print distribution happen around the same time. However, making print available for pre-order on Amazon‘s Createspace is outstandingly complicated (read the comments too, it’s INSANE). From my perspective? There is too much that can go wrong.

So I’m going to simply post RTI for sale in print shortly before the actual publication date. It may take a while to distribute through the system, link up with the ebook version, and Amazons outside the USA (for example). Also, physically printing and shipping delays matters.

Look I’m sorry, but they don’t make it easy for us self-publishing authors to time things perfectly. In this instance, digital is so much more of a pleasure to work with, that digital readers may reap the benefit of a prompt release. I swear I’m not trying to punish anyone for their reading preferences, it’s a matter of backend propinquity. (And if Backend Propinquity isn’t the name of a band, it certainly should be.)

What exactly does this mean if I want a print copy of Romancing the Inventor?

  1. You will not be able to pre-order print from Amazon.
  2. The print will appear for sale on Amazon as close to Nov. 1 as I can manage. Could be 48 hours after, could be 2 weeks.
  3. The two versions of the book may not immediately appear together on the Amazon book page.
  4. Oddly, you may be able to preorder print from Barnes & Noble and your local Indie bookstore and get it on time.
  5. Shipping may add an additional 2 weeks, regardless of venue.

Signed Editions

I will try to arrange the same deal for this book with Borderlands as I did with Poison or Protect. If you want a signed edition you’ll need to call them up to order it. There is a chance this may be the last signed edition I offer for a while because of some new CA legislation that makes it very challenging. (If you are in CA and like signed books, you might consider writing to your local representative.)

Audio

I’m struggling with this side of self publishing. It’s very expensive and time consuming. I’m still trying to do audio of Poison or Protect. The decision to do Romancing the Inventor one will ride entirely on the success and bother of that one. Audio is not something I am willing or able to do myself and so I have to find someone who can produce to my very exacting standards in sound quality, voice acting, and working relationship.

Before you ask, I’m not happy with Aux/Audible/Amazon’s contract for voice work so that avenue is out. I am still trying, I promise, it’s just difficult to do properly. And I won’t do it any other way.

Why Indie Authors Must Start Producing Audiobooks

More?

Further reads that pertain to why Gail is writing what she’s writing, and publishing how she’s publishing:

{Gail’s monthly read along for October 2016 is The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey.}

NEXT UP

Romancing the Inventor

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 monthly read along for October is The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey.}

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

1870s via antique-royals tumblr

1870s via antique-royals tumblr

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Funny Victorian Era Photos – Silly Vintage Photography

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Ironically, Camouflaging Octopi & Squids Are Colorblind

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

Picture This: The Author Photo as a Tool (my headshot is used as an example)

Book News:

FanA rt Lefoux by Sarah

FanA rt Lefoux by Sarah

Quote of the Day:

“He had the sort of flowing accent you rarely heard these days, an old BBC accent, the type where you knew the speaker had been brought up to hate rudeness above all other sins.”
~ Snow on the Roof by J. Leigh Bailey, Mari Donne, Amy Rae Durreson, Tray Ellis, Kim Fielding, Laylah Hunter, John Inman, Linda James, Rhidian Brenig Jones, Anne Regan

Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!

Romancing the Inventor Cover Reveal! (Supernatural Society)

Posted by Gail Carriger

 

I’m delighted to show you the cover art and blurb for Romancing the Inventor: A Supernatural Society Novella!

Romancing the Inventor

This cover was designed by the indomitable Starla Huchton, the photo was taken by Pixie Vision Photography, and is used with permission from Donna Ricci. Recognize that name? Yeah, that’s because Donna was the cover model for the Parasol Protectorate series! I love working with Donna and hope to do so for future covers. She is now the proprietress of Geeky Teas. (No that isn’t her in the photo, she rarely models anymore.)

About the Book

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

Imogene Hale is a lowly parlourmaid with a soul-crushing secret. Seeking solace, she takes work at a local hive, only to fall desperately in love with the amazing lady inventor the vampires are keeping in the potting shed. Genevieve Lefoux is heartsick, lonely, and French. With culture, class, and the lady herself set against the match, can Imogene and her duster overcome all odds and win Genevieve’s heart, or will the vampires suck both of them dry?

Delicate Sensibilities? This story contains women pleasing women and ladies who know what they want and pursue it, sometimes in exquisite detail.

This is a stand-alone LBGTQ sweet romance set in Gail Carriger’s Parasolverse, full of class prejudice, elusive equations, and paranormal creatures taking tea. Supernatural Society novellas can be read in any order.

Releases November 1, 2016.

Presskit for Romancing the Inventor here.

Currently it is available for ebook pre-order on…

Amazon

Apple iBooks

Kobo

Nook

Or directly from me as .mobi, .epub, and .pdf.

(Nook’s description will update in, oh, like three weeks or something ridiculous like that.)

Print?

It should also be in print around the same time as the ebook (although I make no promises) from Amazon and Ingram (AKA your local bookstore, just ask the bookstore)!

Providing print for pre-order on Amazon’s Createspace is outstandingly complicated (read the comments too, it’s INSANE). From my perspective? There is too much that can go wrong. So I’m going to have to simply post RTI for sale around the same time as the actual publication date. It may take a while to distribute through the system and to Amazon UK (for example). Also physically printing and shipping delays matters. Look I’m sorry, but they don’t make it easy for us self-publishing authors to time things perfectly. In this instance digital is so much more of a pleasure to work with that digital readers may reap the benefit of a prompt release. I swear I’m not trying to punish anyone from their reading preferences, it’s a matter of backend propinquity. (And if Backend Propinquity isn’t the name of a band, it should be.)

What exactly does this mean if I want a print copy of Romancing the Inventor?

  1. You will not be able to pre-order print from Amazon.
  2. The print will appear for sale on Amazon as close to Nov. 1 as I can manage. Could be 48 hours after, could be 2 weeks.
  3. The two versions of the book may not be immediately appear together on the Amazon book page.
  4. Oddly, you may be able to preorder print from Barnes & Noble and your local Indie bookstore.
  5. Shipping may add an additional 2 weeks regardless of venue.
  6. If at all possible I will offer signed editions, likely via Borderlands. You’ll need to call to place your order, don’t do it now. I’ll make the announcment when it becomes possible.

Audio

It’s so expensive and time consuming. I’m still trying to do audio of Poison or Protect. The decision to do Romancing the Inventor one will ride entirely on the success and bother of that one. Audio is not something I am willing or able to do myself and so I have to find someone who can produce to my very exacting standards both in sound quality, voice acting, and working relationship. I’m not gonna line, it’s proving darn near impossible.

Extra tid bit?

Look for a surprise appearance from some very popular characters and the strategic application of cognac.

I loved writing this story. It was a delight to give Genevieve her happy ending at long last. My poor Madame Lefoux, I put her through so much heartbreak. Imogene is strong and courageous a willing to do anything for her beloved inventor, which is exactly what Genevieve always needed. I hope you enjoy reading their adorable love story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

 

{Gail’s monthly read along for September is Finders Keepers 2016 by Linnea Sinclair.}

NEXT UP

Romancing the Inventor

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 . . .

Ascot, 1926 via thecostumeblog.blogspot.com

Ascot, 1926 via thecostumeblog.blogspot.com

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

The Mystery of the Phantom Page Turner

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

It’s Official – Ebooks Really are Books

Book News:

Fan Art of Madame Lefoux

Fan Art of Madame Lefoux

Quote of the Day:

“In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.”
~ Oscar Wilde

Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!

© 2019 Gail Carriger | Disclaimer & Privacy Policy | Site built by Todd Jackson