SFR Brigade blogged about the PRISM Award finalists in the futuristic category (and one in the fantasy category that I would have grouped in with futuristic, but oh well--I'll take what I can get since it's a steampunk romance!). Way to go, double finalist Sheryl Nantus (BLAZE OF GLORY; WILD CARDS AND IRON HORSES), Marcella Burnard (ENEMY WITHIN), and Sara Brookes (MIDNIGHT'S GHOST)!
Also at SFR Brigade, Laurie A. Green interviews e-self-published author Victorine E. Lieske about her second book, a science fiction romance called THE OVERTAKING:
Q: Tell us a little about THE OVERTAKING. How did the core idea for the story come to you? Where or when does the story take place? What are the science fiction elements of the story and how does the romance and conflict develop?
The core idea for THE OVERTAKING was simply a what-if. What if we found out we weren't on Earth? What if everything around us was fake? What if our memories were altered? This idea formed in my mind almost fifteen years ago, and has taken this long to become a novel. The story takes place on a planet of peaceful people, where another race of humanoids invade and capture everyone, putting them into a created world, which is Earth as we know it. The science fiction is fairly soft in the book, you won't find long technical explanations. It's mostly a backdrop to the story. The romance develops when Danielle, a member of the overtaking race, falls in love with Shayne, who starts remembering pieces of his past life.
At Novel Reaction, Pauline Baird Jones (in brass goggles, no less!) blogs about defining steampunk:
STEAMPUNK = Mad Scientist Inventor [invention (steam x airship or metal man/baroque stylings) x (pseudo) Victorian setting] + progressive or reactionary politics x adventure plot.” (Steampunk Bible, Jeff Vandermeer)...
...So how does the reader find the right steampunk fit? Real world steampunk aficionados create a persona –a steamsona they call it—when putting together their steampunk outfit. May I suggest that a reader can do something similar—though figuring out your reader steamsona will be a lot less work than putting together a steampunk outfit for a local convention. No sewing machine or smithy required.
Joyfully yours,
Heather