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.

Mayageddon 2012, by Ken Baumbach - Book Review

I added this at the last minute to my weekend reading list and am glad I did. Ken Baumbach does an amazing job of intertwining political thriller and satire. As the story unfolds he shares a world of corporate greed, sexual dalliances and the possible end of the civilization. I often found myself grinning at its cleverness. I truly can't compare this to anything on the market right now. Well worth the price!

Mayageddon 2012 is a comedy with a liberal splash of political satire and a dash of spy thriller and science fiction. (Imagine Tom Clancy and Dan Brown meet Carl Hiaasen and Harlan Ellison in a bar for drinks and start brainstorming novel ideas). On December 21, 2012, the mysteriously abrupt ending date of the Mayan calendar, the earth is rocked by global seismic events as the earth and the sun line up with the center of the galaxy, an event that happens only once every 26,000 years. Dolly Roderick, ruler of the Roderickstan, the remnants of the ravaged USA, and Mary Ellen Martin, heir to the M-Mart fortune, are in a dangerously escalating struggle to become the most powerful woman in the torn post-Mayageddon world. CYA agent Ryan Jackson- The committee of Yenta Agents- (formerly the NSA)- uncovers the deadliest terrorist plot ever conceived and is convinced it is linked to Dolly and Mary Ellen’s battle for power. He must stop the plot before it wipes out the North American Eastern seaboard and kills tens of millions of people.

It's an entertaining romp through the world of political possibility. Mayageddon 2012 is available from Amazon in both paperback or Kindle.  You can also find it for sale at Barnes and Noble as well as Smashwords.