"To find out what a story's really about,' the Librarian said,

'you don't ask the writer. You ask the reader."


- SNOW & ROSE by Emily Winfield Martin


Friday, September 21, 2012

Interview with Bec McMaster, author of KISS OF STEEL and a Giveaway!!!


I am so thrilled to have the Bec McMaster, the debut author to the just released steampunk romance novel,
KISS OF STEEL, stop by for a quick interview! 

1. Can you please describe KISS OF STEEL in five words or less?
BM: Action-packed, steamy, wildly romantic.

2. What inspired the steampunk elements in KISS OF STEEL? 
BM: I had this idea of creating an alternate Victorian-era world, where the ruling aristocracy in London was comprised of blue bloods – or blood-drinkers. The aristocratic Echelon is a corruption of the ton, where the aim of every debutante is not to make a good marriage but a thrall contract; as a blue blood’s thrall she provides blood in exchange for being cared for and kept.

After the humans guillotined their blue blood aristocracy in France, Britain’s elite sat up and took notice. Ruling London with an iron fist, they were aware that humans outnumbered them and I began to think about how a group of creature’s – stronger and faster but less numerous than humans – could keep such power. As it was set during the time of the Industrial Revolution an answer immediately sprang to mind; machines. An automaton army that patrols the streets of London, in fact. And from there, of course the only way to defeat such an army would be by humans creating weapons of their own.… The world grew from there.

3. Which one of the characters was your favorite to write about and why?
BM: My hero Blade was definitely my favorite to write. Cocksure and so certain-of-himself – except when it came to Honoria - he sprang into my head almost fully formed and never left! I could almost hear that delicious cockney accent in my ear the whole time I wrote the book. My heroine Honoria, on the other hand, wasn’t as easy to discover as Blade. Both he and I spent hours trying to coax her out of her stubborn little secrets.

4. What can you tell us about the next book in the LONDON STEAMPUNK SERIES: HEART OF IRON?
BM: Heart of Iron features Honoria’s younger sister Lena, and Will, Blade’s verwulfen lieutenant. When Will finds a coded letter on a pair of men who burn down the Echelon’s draining factories, he knows war is on the horizon. Finding the same code on Lena however, makes him realize that the flirtatious young woman who drives him crazy is involved. He’ll do anything to protect her, even if it throws him into the glittering, malicious world of the Echelon; a world that sees him and his verwulfen kind as nothing but slaves-without-a-collar.

5. May you please share with us what you are currently working on? 
BM: Officially I’m tidying up Book Three of the London Steampunk series, which features the elusive Master of the Nighthawks (rogue blue bloods who work as thief-catchers and trackers) and a masked revolutionary he’s been sent to destroy. In my spare time I’m dabbling with a Sekrit Project you may hear more of in the coming months.

And for fun... 
- Favorite book and/or author?
BM: The world’s toughest question.… The answer changes too, depending on my mood and what I’ve read lately. Okay, if I had to pick one author who always leaves a smile on my face its Ilona Andrews and for my favorite book, Pawn in Frankincense by Dorothy Dunnett. Gut-wrenching and an absolute work of art for what is not said. However, that’s historical fiction. If we’re talking romance, I’d have to go with Meljean Brook’s The Iron Duke. I love me some alpha male.

- Favorite fairytale and/or fairytale character?
BM: Beauty and the Beast. You can blame Disney. I used to love Hans Christian Anderson as a child, as I adore how twisted some of those tales truly were, but then I saw Belle’s library. As a teenager all I ever wanted was that library. And what romance-addict can go past the redemption of the Beast?

- Favorite snack and/or drink to have while writing? 
BM: A cup of tea and a Tim Tam (which is a type of chocolate biscuit).


_________________________________

A huge thank you to Bec McMaster for taking the time to interview with me! And a special thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for making it happen!

You can see MY REVIEW of KISS OF STEEL right here!!! 

AND, please be sure to enter the giveaway below,
for your chance to win a copy of KISS OF STEEL!!!
_________________________________ 

KISS OF STEEL BY BEC MCMASTER was released on September 4th ,2012!
A brilliantly creative debut where vampires, werewolves, and clockwork creatures roam the mist–shrouded streets of London...

 When Nowhere is Safe…

Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it's the last safe haven.
But at what price?

Blade is known as the master of the rookeries—no one dares cross him. It's been said he faced down the Echelon's army single–handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood–craving he's been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.

When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She's so...innocent. He doesn't see her backbone of steel—or that she could be the very salvation he's been seeking.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Bec McMaster


Award-winning author Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds. 


Find Bec McMaster on



Enter to win a copy of KISS OF STEEL by Bec McMaster!!! 

Giveaway rules
- Must be a U.S. or Canada resident, sorry!
- Prize being supplied by Sourcebook Casablanca.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3 comments:

  1. The book is so eye catching and beautiful! I'm also a big fan of the Beauty and the Beast!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ahhh, Disney movies. Some of my favorite! I love Belle and Beast (especially at the end where he transforms and does the spin in the air thing - VERY cool), but I must admit to being an Ariel fan. Oh, to have a voice like that!! And Prince Eric. Well, enough said. A certain *other-worldly* prince is the image of him... :)

    Good luck with the series and most of all, have FUN on your tour! Can't wait for the rest of the books to be out!

    Will just might end up stealing my loyalty...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I absolutely loved Kiss of Steel and the world it introduced! I can't wait for Will's book!

    ReplyDelete

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