Shadowbinders Web Comic

  I'd like to share a great web comic I stumbled across the other day. Shadowbinders bills itself as a magical Steamfantasy web comic.  The story follows Mia White, the main character of Shadowbinders. She is a 17-year-old student facing typical high school issues: crushes, friends, and bullies. Mia loves antiques and unusual objects. One day, her grandmother gave her a puzzle box that contained an unusual ring. The ring cannot be removed, but it gives her the ability to travel between two worlds. This other world being filled with magic and airships is beautifully illustrated.  Currently, the comic is updated three times a week, usually Monday, Wednesday, and Friday sometime during the day.
  The husband and wife duo of Thom Pratt and Kambrea Pratt work on the project together. Kam writes the story and Thom draws it. If you find yourself hooked consider making a donation by clicking on the link on their site.  You can get some nice prints, bookmarks and B&W sketches if you do!
  Shadowbinders Vol. 1 is now also available in paperback!

Her Majesty's Explorer: A Steampunk Bedtime Story

Her Majesty's Explorer: a Steampunk bedtime story It's a dirty job, but he loves it. St.John Murphy Alexander walks the world exploring for the Queen. He sees the most extraordinary landscapes, creatures and weather. He gets very, VERY dirty. Exhausted, he returns to H.Q. and gets ready for a well deserved rest and some sweet dreams. This gentle book, written by Steampunk novelist Emilie P. Bush and brilliantly illustrated by William Kevin Petty, is the perfect wind-down for your little adventurer.




Reviews from around the Steampunk world: 

 "The illustrations are adorable!" ~ Beyond Victoriana Blog

 "I did enjoy Steamduck. A wonderful whimsical story so real you might feel a little seasick. But in a good way." Jenny ~The Bloggess

 "St John Murphy Alexander marches the young reader through the excitement of exploration and duty, and lulls us with the tender familiarity of a comforting bedtime routine. The story is curious and intrepid, yet ready to be tucked in for a good night's sleep." ~ Nancy Overbury, Overbury Ink.

 "St. John Murphy Alexander, "Her Majesty's Explorer," is literature's most charming mechanical man since L. Frank Baum's Tin Man." ~ Jim Barnes Independent Publisher Magazine.

 "I just finished reading Her Majesty's explorer to Chloe (9 years old) and Isabella (just 6). They both loved it, and both wished they could have their very own Steamduck." Captain Robert of Abney Park.

 "Utterly charming" ~M.K. Hobson, Steampunk Novelist

 "This is the perfect childhood book for steampunk parents to introduce their children to the steampunk subculture. I use that term loosely. Steampunk has managed to increasingly wedge its way into popular culture and this book drives that opening wider and opens it to the youngest of readers." John Iwasz, ComicBooked.com

 "My syn­apses have always fired for a bot in uni­form..." ~ S. J. Chambers, co-author of The Steampunk Bible

 "A story that is sweet and dreamy-a perfect bedtime story and a great introduction for children to Steampunk." ~ Benito, Corral, Betwixt Book Reviews.

 "Absolutely charming. It is the Dr. Seuss of Steampunk, and... I LOVED it." ~ DJ Doctor Q, The Artifice Club and The Steampunk Chronicle.

NaNoWriMo Synopsis

I am excited to get started on NaNoWriMo tomorrow!  I have nailed down the synopsis and done a rough (very, very rough) outline.  Hopefully that will be enough to get me through the next 30 days.  Here is the story synopsis as I have posted on the NaNoWriMo site.

When magic wanes, technology flourishes; when technology fails, magic flows back into the world. It is only in balance that both can truly coexist. But now the Alkai, users of magic, are being hunted and destroyed in the name of technological progress. Jor Craven, dedicated to killing the Alkai for his masters, instead finds himself tricked into honoring an age old oath which binds him to the protection of a young Alkai. A boy whose potential for magic may rival that of any Alkai of the last hundred years. A young woman, whose duty it is to protect the balance between magic and technology, becomes entwined in their fate. Together they must make the long journey to find the last Alkai haven. Now they are hunted by Jor’s brethren who would kill the boy because of his gift, as well as charlatan Alkai who wish to take the boy’s power as their own.

Well that's the rough synopsis right now. It is definitely Fantasy with flavors of Steampunk, I guess we'll just stick with Speculative as the genre until I figure it out. :)  I know I am the worst procrastinator, but if anyone is still looking for writing buddies to commiserate with on the bad days and to cheer each other on the good days hit me up on my NaNoWriMo profile.  I'll take whoever will have me.

Steampunk Video

This is the official video for Lovett's Eye of the Storm directed by Christopher Alender, from the soon to be released debut album, Highway Collection. It embodies the heart and soul of steampunk in its brief five minutes. The video lends itself to the imagination, leaving so many questions about the character and his actions. I could see him being the main character of a book or movie. Enjoy!