Interview with Patricia Eimer

This week we are talking with Patricia Eimer, author of THE CLOCKWORK BRIDE, which is part of A Riveting Affair, published by Entangled Publishing.

Airship Ambassador: Hi Patricia, thanks for making the time to join us for this interview.

Patrcia Eimer: Thanks for having me here and letting me blather on about Clockwork Bride

AA: Would you share some of the story details with us??

PE: Clockwork Bride is about Aida and Julian—a pair of scientists who are separated by social class as well as culture in a steampunk version of Victorian England. Aida is an Irish Clockwork Engineer and Julian is a member of the English aristocracy whose father is the head of the Luddite (anti-technology) Party in Britain’s Parliament. These two crazy kids meet up and in an act of defiance decide to get married on an airship on Christmas Eve—then have to learn to live with the consequences of marrying not just someone you barely know but also someone who’s life is completely different from your own.

AA: What was the motivation for creating THE CLOCKWORK BRIDE?

PE: I’ve always adored steampunk because it has such strong female characters and I loved the idea of two scientists as star crossed lovers because it was just such an irony.

AA: How did elements of your own life make their way into THE CLOCKWORK BRIDE?

PE: My husband and I are both actually scientists (I’m a trained economist and he’s a physicist) so I think a lot of the absent minded scientist sort of traits bled over into Clockwork Bride. When I was writing Julian I’d look over at my husband and steal characteristics from him as personality quirks for Julian.

AA: When I get my young nieces and nephews to read THE CLOCKWORK BRIDE, what would you like for them to take away from the story and the characters that they could apply to their own lives?

PE: Well there are sex scenes in it so maybe don’t let them read it if they’re too young but if they do read it—I hope they take away that you can do anything you want with your life, no matter where you come from or who society says you’re supposed to be. Oh, and there’s nothing wrong with the princess being the one to slay the dragon and save the prince instead of vice versa.

AA: People continue to hear about THE CLOCKWORK BRIDE every day. How are those new readers finding you – conventions, website, word of mouth, etc?

PE: Because Clockwork Bride is such a new release most of the readers have been finding me through my website www.patriciaeimer.com or through word of mouth—which I’ve been really grateful for.

AA: Every writer I’ve talked with has a different journey to seeing their works in print. What was your publishing experience like?

PE: My publishing experience was ridiculously blessed. Seriously, it was like winning the lottery. I was working in corporate America, about to burn out, when a friend of mine suggested I try National Novel Writer’s Month (NANOWRIMO) just for fun. So I signed up and sketched out a basic idea for my first novel—Luck of the Devil—at like 2 am on October 31 then started writing the next day.

After November was over I shipped it off to her and she told me it was good and sent me the link to Editpalooza at SavvyAuthors. I figured why not? I’d had fun writing it I might as well see what it could be with some polish. So I took a month long editing class with Liz Pelletier from SavvyAuthors (before Entangled Publishing started) and then I put Luck under my bed and went on about my boring days. Then Liz emailed me and asked me to submit Luck of the Devil for Entangled’s introductory release and Entangled Publishing bought it as a three book series.

Pretty soon after, I quit my job, started writing full time and before the year was out I had a contract for a three book series based on Luck of the Devil, a three book YA/MG series (The Chronicles of Nerissette coming in August 2013) contract and a contract for Clockwork Bride and I haven’t looked back since. Like I said, a complete and total fairytale beginning for what has turned into my dream career.

AA: If you weren’t a writer, what else would you be doing now?

PE: I’d probably be back at my old job—figuring out the most efficient way to run a factory line and firing people who had become redundant. (And people wonder why I was close to a nervous breakdown)

AA: Do you participate in a writer’s group to compare notes, have constructive critique reviews, and brainstorm new ideas?

PE: That’s my favorite way of killing time! And thankfully Entangled has such a lively, wonderful group of writers that it really is a big sorority full of great people who will let you bounce ideas and when needed kick you in the butt and tell you to quit wasting time and get back to work.

AA: Writer’s block happens to everyone and can be rather frustrating. What is your solution to overcoming it?

PE: Honestly? The first thing I tend to do is go for a run by myself, solitary exercise that’s repetitive seems to get my brain going. If that doesn’t work though I pull out the big guns and start cleaning out closets and scrubbing toilets. Pretty quickly my brain comes up with a way out of block just so I can get out of housework.

AA: Looking beyond steampunk, writing and working, what other interests fill your time?

PE: I love to run and cook (which is why I cultivated the love of running). I also fence but most of my time is spent chasing my kids and dogs around.

Thanks for joining us, Patricia!

The Clockwork Bride is part of A Riveting Affair Get your copy today!

Interview with Steam Patriots

Following the launch of the Kickstarter fundraiser a few days ago, we are talking with Scott Wakefield and Rory Boyle, authors of Steam Patriots.

 

Airship Ambassador: Hi Scott and Rory, thanks joining us for this interview.

Scott Wakefield:  Our pleasure!

 

AA: Aside from the Kickstarter description and the press release, what is Steam Patriots about, in your own words?

SW: Steam Patriots is a speculative fiction story about the adventures of Felix Ward, set in a steampunk version of the American Revolution

RB: It’s a faux historical journey through the American Revolution focused on Felix Ward and a few of the Founding Fathers in a steampunk environment.

 

AA: What was the motivation for creating Steam Patriots?

SW: We love steampunk, and all of its incarnations, and we thought it would be fun to back the traditionally accepted timeline up a few years, and create an “origins” story of sorts. And the American Revolution has so many wonderful stories and people, we couldn’t resist combining the two.

RB: We thought it would be a nifty change of pace to take steampunk out of the usual context of Victorian England and make it predate that period a bit. Give it an American twist and beginning.

 

AA: Working with real history can provide a wide playing field to work with. What kind of back story is there for Steam Patriots which didn’t make it into the final book?

SW: The whole idea of Franklin developing the steam engine will just be a fact of our new timeline. It may be alluded to, or perhaps be part of a preface – we’re not sure, since the books aren’t in their final stages.

 

AA: The press release talks about a series of five stories in this series. Are there any plans for side stories or spinoffs?

SW: We certainly hope so. Noble Beast is planning for five novellas, but there really is no limit to where this can go. While we’re researching and writing, we have to stop ourselves sometimes, because we keep discovering SO MANY amazing and intriguing stories.

RB: We’ve teased the idea of continuing into the Barbary Wars. But we’ll see where this initial series takes us.

AA: My young nieces and nephews are now recipients of steampunk books. When I send them Steam Patriots, what themes and ideas might they glean from the story and the characters that they could apply to their own lives?

SW: There’s always the overarching classic theme of freedom and self-reliance. But on the personal, micro-level, we want people to know that no one is perfect, and every one of us has room for growth.

RB: I’d want them to put the book down and understand how great men and women hundreds of years ago did the impossible and individuals can have huge impacts on the face of history.

 

AA: In doing the world building for Steam Patriots, what kind of research, and then balance, went into it?

SW: TONS of research, which honestly has made me ashamed of what I don’t know about American history. We are trying to follow actual American history, with steam tweaks. We’ve taken some liberties, but we want to stay true to the great things our Founding Fathers and Revolutionary War Veterans did to free our country.

RB: Ugh, definitely what Scott said. We logged more hours in front of our laptops and at the library than we can remember.

 

AA: Once the world was created, what story elements did you include so readers could feel Steam Patriots come alive?

SW: The reasons for the Revolution weren’t cut and dry – ie., England is bad; The Colonies are good. And many people struggled with their allegiances, their families, and whether they were willing or able to fight. We want those feelings to come across. We also want the tension and action of the battles to jump off the pages.

RB: I don’t think our readers will have a hard time feeling what they’re reading; if they’re reading it then they’re probably already fans of steampunk and/or history. They probably already have a preconceived notion of what they want to feel.

 

AA: What are some of the initial feedback you are getting from the idea of Steam Patriots?

SW: What I hear most often, is that people who aren’t too interested in history or even books, are saying to us, wow, I think I’d really enjoy your story, and it might get me into learning more about the Revolution.

 

AA: Now that the Kickstarter is launched and people hear about Steam Patriots, how else can those new readers find you and follow along progress?

SW: Facebook and Twitter are the easiest methods right now. And it’s great to have someone who has been in the steampunk world for a while mention us, or say, Hey, check these guys out.

 

AA: What kind of attention has Steam Patriots generated?

SW: We’ve caught the attention of museums, re-enactors, historical societies, and many people in those spheres. We’re so thrilled about that. Our goal is to tell a great story and get people excited about history, and if someone can use Steam Patriots to do that, then we couldn’t be happier.

RB: I was surprised at how much attention we drew so fast. The steampunk sphere is a very close knit group and very inviting. It seems like everyone wants more steampunk and more variations of it, so we’re more than happy to oblige. Attention has been drawn a lot to Patrick Arrasmith’s artwork for the book; his style is perfectly matched with ours.

 

AA: With the various interviews I’ve done and other conversations with steampunk authors, it’s clear that there is not just one path to seeing their works in print. What was your publishing experience like?

SW: Ours was very atypical. I came across the Steampunk Holmes Kickstarter project and thought what they were doing was exactly the vision we had for Steam Patriots. We had the idea, and Noble Beast had the bigger picture, and the know-how and means to make it happen. We made contact with Noble Beast, pitched the basic idea, and they liked it. After reading the manuscript, Noble Beast thought it was a great idea, and we decided to take the short manuscript we’d written, and give more back story, and then flesh out the details of the war.

 

AA: That’s a great way to make and take advantage of an opportunity. Having the idea and a manuscript enabled you to be ready to walk through the door when it opened. Once you did, what lessons did you learn about having an editor, their feedback, and your writing?

SW: Editors comments can’t be taken personally, which I have a hard time with. But they, of course, have the best intentions for the book. Our first go-round with the beginning of the story didn’t really fly, and it’s taken a lot to wrap my brain around a different tack.

RB: I underestimated the amount of great feedback we would be getting, and how much it helps move the story along. And listen to your PR person!

AA: If you weren’t authors, what else would you be doing now?

SW: I’m still in the military, so that would most likely continue to be the option. Time will tell how these books play out, and career decisions will need to be made.

RB: I’d definitely keep my day job.

 

AA: With so much going on in your day, what do you do to keep a balance between writing and the rest of your life?

SW: My wife is a wonderful encouragement, and wants me to be a successful author, so she is very accommodating with my schedule and eccentricities. I have needed to say no to lots of gatherings and hobbies. My hope is that the end result will be a lifestyle that allows me to write, rather than having to make the time for it.

RB: I actually write a LOT. Mostly for my own peace of mind, or for artistic purposes. I engage in a lot of outdoor activities, and I find homebrewing to be very enjoyable.

 

AA: Those sounds like good activities to give you variety. Is there time to talk with other writers for critiquing and brainstorming?

SW: My critique circle is very small, and I try to not beat the book to death. It’s fun to chat on Twitter, and get some input about what people love and hate in the steampunk world.

RB: We’ve added in our two cents at a few steampunk authors forums and chats.

 

AA: How long have you been writing, and what kind of changes have you seen over time?

SW: I’ve been writing things down, with the goal of getting published for almost 20 years. I look back on old notes and stories and laugh at how bad they are. But I don’t throw anything away, because I’ll see something that I’d forgotten about, and think – however poorly it’s written – it’s still not a bad idea.

RB: I think the more I write the easier it becomes. Words start to flow a little better when I revisit similar but older ideas.

 

AA: Writer’s block happens to everyone and can be rather frustrating. What is your solution to overcoming it?

SW: Skip ahead. I find that I get tired of a scene or chapter. Often my mind is moving on to the next battle or exciting moment, and I can’t focus on tying up the loose ends of this scene. In my drafts I have a lot of areas where I write “BREAK”. I’ll come back to it later. I learned this during a NaNoWriMo attempt – I just need to keep the momentum; when a complete story is down on paper, it’s an amazing thing that liberates your mind. I also step back for a few minutes and play my banjo or take a walk.

RB: I usually write a purposefully bad ending to the scene, maybe out of context or humorous so that when I come back to it, it’s so ridiculous it shocks my brain back into story mode.

 

AA: Where are you both based? Does location matter for resources, access, publicity, etc.

SW: I’m in Ketchikan, Alaska right now, which limits my access to big-city type of events and publicity. The four-hour time difference does make it difficult to collaborate.

RB: I’m in Buffalo, New York. I know that my day starting 4 hours before Scott’s doesn’t bode well for him when I have ideas first thing in the morning.

 

AA: Both of you have day jobs and writing is your ‘other’ job. How does that work out for you and how has it helped/hindered in your daily writing?

SW: I often wish I could quit today, and be a full-time writer, but I know that would be foolish. Having a steady income eliminates the debilitating fear of going broke. It does, though, make finding time to write very difficult.

RB: It affords me a great mental release at the end of the day. I can switch gears from Coast Guard work to writing and then back again the next day. It’s a good balance.

 

AA: Do people outside the regular reading and steampunk communities recognize you for Steam Patriots? What kind of reactions have you received?

SW: We seem to be drawing in a good deal of people who may have otherwise passed up a steampunk story. Rory and I are pretty low-key conservative guys, and we tend to be attracted to the technology and gadgets more than the “punk” side of it. But that’s what is great about steampunk – everyone brings something new to the world. It’s a world of endless imagination and creation and fun.

 

AA: Looking beyond steampunk, writing and working, what other interests fill your time?

SW: My family is number one for me, and we’re having a great time in Alaska – kayaking, boating, hiking, camping, and everything else. I also love to travel, play the banjo (clawhammer style), and we lived on a boat for 18 months.

RB: I like hiking, fishing, rock climbing, traveling to places I haven’t been before. I’ll try almost anything once.

 

AA: It’s a good thing to be active and moving like that. How do those activities influence your work?

SW: Felix and his dad are musicians, and we’re trying to weave a bit of the wonderful colonial musical history into the book.

RB: I can identify more with the characters when I’m in someplace new and I don’t know where anything is. In our story our characters find themselves in many new and unfamiliar places.

 

AA: Thanks so much for chatting with us, and best of luck on the Kickstarter and upcoming publication. Any final thoughts to share with our readers

SW: Let us know what you think; we love the relationships we’re building, and can’t wait to let you be a part of these great stories.

 

The Kickstarter fundraiser runs until December 16, 2012, and the team can be followed on their web page, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.

Interview with Mikel Sauve, Part 4

Welcome back to the conclusion of our interview with Mikel Sauve of the Vulcania Volunteers.

The first part can be read here.

The second part can be read here.

The third part can be read here.

 

 

AA: You and I are also part of another project together, although involved at different times. This would be the Vintage Tomorrows steampunk documentary. What was your experience when director Byrd MacDonald came calling?

MS: I wanted to go hear Byrd & James speak at Steamcon III, but I just couldn’t get away.  They hosted a screening of the film and I missed it, but the whole project has evolved since then.  It originally started out as an Intel short film documentary project, but now it’s going to be a full-blown, feature length documentary.

I was first approached at GEARcon by one of the cameramen, Alan Winston, who is also the editor on the project.  He asked if he could film some models & one of my presentaions. Then I met Alan again at one of Paul and Anina’s ‘Frank Reade’ book signings. A steampunk world getting smaller, …Allen said that he wanted to introduce me to Byrd and asked if would I be interested in doing an interview-segment involving the maker aspect of SteamPunk.

 

A lot of the earlier film was based on the curiosity aspect – what is steampunk and it’s role as a social phenomenon.  I was asked if I would be one of the featured makers, I said yes & invited them out to my shop a couple times, where we talked about all the aspects of the Vulcania Volunteers, the props I make and my take on Steampunk.

 

One of the three interview sessions was Paul and Anina visiting my shop & the BP build—which was a genuine honor for me, having the creators of BP coming to my shop.  I was just crazy nervous talking with Paul and Anina. I love it when that kind of energy is in the house, in the place where I work and create, when other creators come over and visit. It was really a wonderful experience.

 

It was a great working with Byrd and Allen because that’s one of the reasons I got started in all this—making films and props. With them making the documentary, I was in it but I also loved watching them filming me. It was just a great experience overall.

 

Byrd is not a steampunk. He’s just exploring this and shining a light on it.  I’m honored to be a part of this film and I had the chance to reflect on a lot of the things that I enjoy doing. I’m curious to see it and how it will be seen by the public and the world at large – the people outside the steampunk community and the people who are in it—are they going to dismiss it or are they going to embrace it.

 

AA: Hopefully we won’t have that long to wait—hopefully it’ll be out by the end of this year.

MS: That’s a long time for me, I’m really anxious and look forward to seeing it.

 

AA: And I think that movie’s going to be a lot of great fun; I can’t wait to see it myself.

MS: Abney Park was interviewed & mentioned throughout the film. The band just went through personnel changes & at the same time released two new albums that have been received really well.  I suggested to Byrd & Alan, “You should re-interview Abney Park. They just went through a dramatic, documentary-worthy episode in their career – making a substantial personnel change and hit the ground running without missing a beat.  I thought it’d be great to interview them again.

 

Significant changes in steampunk could to lead to a Vintage Tomorrow’s Two.

 

AA: I wouldn’t be at all surprised.

MS: Because steampunk is growing and evolving so quickly, I don’t think one film is going to cover it all.  And with its rapid evolution, it’s not going to be recognizable—pretty soon people are going to stop asking, “What is steampunk?”  That question is already old hat, in spite of people who have made a career out of answering it, which is great (I guess) but only because some questions seem to need answers.

 

Steampunk is one of the biggest, for lack of a better term – fashion movements – that I’ve ever seen.  Like historian reencactors, the SCA or Ren-Fairs, but this has the potential to be much more….

 

Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars fandom specifically follows a TV or Film series.  But I think steampunk is bigger and it doesn’t have a lead-in film or TV series.  It’s on its own.  It’s a bastard child, yet there are a lot of people claiming to be the father, mother originators of it. It merely a thing with a name and yet it’s caught on like fire. I think within a year or two, the definition of steampunk is going to evolve way beyond
anything that can be defined with one, movie, book, convention-presentation or on-line interview.

AA: There’s certainly been a lot of expressions, and even those expressions have changed over time.

MS:  Exactly—I no longer call it steampunk, because it makes my friends cautious, they look at it and say, “but there’s no punk.”  And I just reply that it’s more like steam wave, you know, like New Wave,

 

Jeter, when interviewed, said it was merely a random connection of words.  He pulled it out of his head because he was being confronted with a question & needed a quick answer, so he came up with that phrase.  He put those two words together randomly and it’s so much more than a mere definition.

 

Kind of my point again. It’s now an activity. Captain Robert said it brilliantly, that “steampunk is no longer just Victorian science fiction, now it’s whatever steampunks do”.

 

That is both profound & eloquent.  He took the many definitions and redefined it on the fly, and he is correct.

 

And I don’t think steampunk is Victorian…

 

I understand the bent-logic of calling it that, but the French at that time didn’t call it the Victorian Era; it was called the Belle Époque meaning the “Grand Era”.

 

Only in England did they call it the Victorian Era and I guess because they were insistent about it over the years, it held up as the definition of that time period.

 

I’m French and I’m a fan of Verne, and H. G. Wells in the same breath.  So, to me, it’s the Belle Époque, owing only 1/2 as much to the British & their Queen Victoria.

 

I love that about steampunk; that you can start in one place and then you have to split off into six other things because there’s no way to stay in just one place.  Every question & answer about steampunk has six equal parts and they’re all valid.  That’s why one definition doesn’t make sense to me—when someone says that this is or that isn’t steampunk, I’ve lost interest already because definition isn’t an activity—I’m a maker, I’m a do-er, …I’m active.

 

I admire the philosophies of definition; it’s nice to know where you’re coming from and it also dictates where you’re going, but like Capt. Robert said, steampunk now is what steampunks do.  So if you’re not doing it, you’re talking about it, and if you’re just talking about it, you’re static, you’re stationary and you can only talk about current things. But if you’re out there doing it, you’re making the next day.  I’m already making the next day and I’m thinking about tomorrow.

 

AA: You mentioned that you’re in Portland with Paul and Anina.  How is that location working out with the kind of work that you’re doing, building these props and models.  Does location really matter for resources and access and publicity?

MS: Basically, it doesn’t matter.  If you have the passion, you’ll find a way to get there. Location is not that important if you have the passion, the background, the skills, and the interest. It may contribute to fortunate circumstances, but it’s not a required ingredient.

 

It’s a plus to have access to Paul and Anina.  There’s no deadline, no money being paid.  It’s not a commissioned project, so it’s just lot of fun and an honor that they appreciate my work. Paul has taken the time to answer some of my questions about the details and origins of pieces that he used to create the original. But with the Internet, today anyone can connect with others who share their same model-interests.

 

AA: That should give a lot of people hope that no matter where they are, that with technology—the Internet, and all forms of access—that it doesn’t mater where they live.  That they can reach out to other people, and get information, work on things, learn things.  With whatever project they have in mind.

MS: True enough. I was simply musing with you about how interested I’d be in making a dog for Boilerplate, something like K9 and you said you knew someone who had access to copies of the original plans. So, just though a casual conversation with you, & because I knew of your interest in Doctor Who, and I wondered if there were any plans out there – I asked & because you’re a saint – the heavens opened up & provided me the means to build a dog-bot.

 

 

And with those kind words, we’ll wrap up our interview with Michael Sauve.

Keep up to date with his activities, check out the website for Vulcania Volunteers and their FaceBook page.