The Electrical Menagerie: Steampunk Meets Sci-Fi in a Fabulous Adventure

I was recently given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of a book that absolutely made me fall in love.

The Electrical Menagerie is one of those books that captivated me from the very beginning. The voice was the first thing that got my attention. The characters quickly came alive for me. Carthage and Huxley are so different, and yet so compatible. Carthage the inventor and tinkerer and illusionist and performer who came from circumstances that could have entirely broken him. Huxley the organizer, the businessman, the logical one, with a surprising past. I could connect with both of them and loved seeing their interactions. The depth of their characters really impressed me. The rest of the cast was unique and interesting as well. 

And the story world....

The story world. Oh, my. Steampunk with a twist of sci-fi. Trains running on rails through space. Holopaper. Steampunk-style automatons that run on electricity. The genre mash-up was perfect. And all of it centering around a circus-like competition for entertainers. The book's description says it's for fans of The Greatest Showman, and honestly I hadn't even seen that description when I read my advanced copy, but that is exactly what came to mind for me. Not a knock-off, though. Not by any stretch. The Electrical Menagerie is completely unique, but it definitely has the atmosphere of The Greatest Showman (minus the musical numbers, of course). It's got that fun for all ages feel, too. The main characters are adults, but the book is appropriate for middle grade and up. 

I am so looking forward to more books in this series! And I know without a doubt I'll be reading this one again.

The official description: 

The Electrical Menagerie, one-of-a-kind robotic roadshow, is bankrupt.
Sylvester Carthage, illusionist and engineer, has the eccentric imagination the Menagerie needs to succeed creatively — but none of the people skills. Fast-talking Arbrook Huxley, meanwhile, has all the savvy the Menagerie needs to succeed commercially — but none of the scruples.
To save their show, Carthage & Huxley risk everything in a royal talent competition, vying for the chance to perform for the Future Celestial Queen. In this stardust-and-spark-powered empire of floating islands and flying trains, a shot at fame and fortune means weathering the glamorous and cutthroat world of critics, high society, and rival magicians —but with real conspiracy lurking beneath tabloid controversy, there’s more at stake in this contest than the prize.
Behind the glittery haze of flash paper and mirrors, every competitor has something to hide… and it’s the lies Carthage & Huxley tell each other that may cost them everything.

I'm not alone in loving this one:

"Dazzles from start to finish. In Carthage & Huxley, Sherlock & Watson fans will find another dynamic duo whose ready wit and sizzling banter (and inevitable personality clashes) never fail to delight. You'll be calling for an encore performance." Gillian Bronte Adams, author of The Songkeeper Chronicles

"The stuff that fandoms are built on." Kyle Robert Shultz, author of Beaumont & Beasley

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Menagerie-Celestial-Isles-Book-ebook/dp/B07D5TM5VS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39719906-the-electrical-menagerie

About the Author:

Mollie’s first job was with a major theme park, where she operated a roller coaster, fixed parade floats, and helped Scooby-Doo put on his head. Now, Mollie is a movie producer and the author of character-driven science fiction/fantasy novels for adults who never outgrew imagination. Her favorite things include Jesus, dinosaurs, and telling cinematic stories that blend glitter and grit.

Social Media Links

Website — Twitter — Instagram

Enter the Giveaway:

Explore the world of The Electrical Menagerie by entering to win this Celestial Isles prize pack, which includes: "High Victorian" playing cards by luxury playing card company Theory11, handmade galaxy mug by DeVita Designs, Science & Engineering Themed Pocket Notebook Set by CognitiveSurplus, and a tin of Electrical Menagerie themed tea (over a $50 value)! (US only.)
Link: https://kingsumo.com/g/8tf8sz/the-electrical-menagerie-steampunk-prize-pack-giveaway

And continue following the blog tour:

Monday, June 4th    

Book Spotlight – Sarah Ashwood’s Newsletter
Author Interview – New Authors Fellowship
Review – Finding Kat Heckenbach

Tuesday, June 5th   

Review – Seasons of Humility
Book Spotlight – Fairies, Fantasy, and Faith

Wednesday, June 6th  

Guest Post – H.L. Burke’s Blog
Character Interview – Kyle Robert Shultz
Review – Bold Reads

Thursday, June 7th  

Review – Inspired Chaos
Guest Post – J.L. Mbewe
Review – Scriblerians
Review – The Bibliophile of Beaverton

Friday, June 8th  

Author Interview – Bethany A. Jennings
Guest Post & Review – The Elven Padawan
Author Interview – Shannon A. Hiner

Saturday, June 9th

Author Interview, Character Interview & Review – Katelyn Buxton Books
Review – K.M. Carroll, Author – fun, fantastical escapes
Character Interview – The Book Sprite

Monday, June 11th  

Blog Tour Wrap-Up – Unicorn Quester

Heading to Necronomicon 2016

Me at last year's Necro.

Yes, I know, I should have posted this before now. But I've been working on getting ready for this!

In just a few days I'll be heading to the Necronomicon, a sci-fi/fantasy/horror/gaming convention in Tampa. I've been a guest author there the last few years, and will be again this year. But this time I'm also participating in their art show, which means I'll have my paintings, mixed media, and wands on display and for sale!

If you want to see the wands and mixed media that will be there, check out my Etsy shop (which will be on vacation while I'm gone so I don't double-sell anything). Also, if you can't make it to Necro and are wanting something from my shop, might want to grab it now...Just sayin'. 

If you want to see examples of my acrylic paintings, visit my Fine Art America page. No, not all of those will be at Necro, and there are a couple paintings that will be there that aren't available as prints. But this will give you an idea of what to expect.

Another thing to expect is a lot of geeky fun, including a vendor room full of cool stuff and costumes everywhere--like these from two years ago:

And now, the details....

Necronomicon 2016

Grand Hyatt, Tampa, FL
October 28-30, 2016

Click HERE for more info and registration. 

My panel schedule:

Friday 1:00:00 PM Maintaining Mystery without Losing Your Reader
Friday 4:00:00 PM Writing for the YA Market
Friday 6:00:00 PM Point of View: Head Hopping  HOST
Friday 9:00:00 PM Plotting a Mystery
Saturday 12:00:00 PM Writing Novels: Ending it Right 
Saturday 3:00:00 PM Why I Write Short Fiction
Saturday 4:00:00 PM Characters That Aren't a Reflection of You
Saturday 6:00:00 PM The Fine Art of Exposition
Sunday 11:00:00 AM The Care and Feeding of Your Creative Process
Sunday 1:00:00 PM Seeing What Nobody Else Sees: Art in the Eye of the Artist

Hope to see you there! 

BTW--I won't have an author table, but I'll be running all over the convention area the whole weekend. Don't be afraid to hunt me down if you want signed books, or just to say hello!

Super Secret Project Revealed

I've posted a couple of times on here about being involved in a secret project. Maybe I didn't use the words "secret project" but I DID say I was working on something I couldn't talk about. Well, here it is:

No, not the image. The site that goes with the image :). Avenir Eclectia is a new project by Splashdown Books. An online zine of sorts, but not open to just any old speculative fiction story. First of all, it's mainly sci-fi (although a bit of genre-jumping is allowed). Second, and more importantly, it is set in a predetermined world, with predetermined types of characters.

All the information about the story world of Avenir Eclectia can be found HERE. A full description of the planet, space station, and underwater area are all there. As are guidelines about culture, character types, and even some specific characters to get you started.

Submissions are open. Visit the SITE and click on "Join Us" for detailed info about story length and the email to send your submissions to.

Oh, and don't forget--follow the blog so you don't miss any of the stories I've written, and am writing, for Avenir Eclectia!

Character-driven Cyberpunk

I'll admit I've never been a big sci-fi reader. Sci-fi movie watcher, yes, but I tend to get lost in technical descriptions and battle scenes. But I've recently discovered that the problem is my definition of sci-fi. I've been lumping everything together with hard sci-fi. There are a plethora of sub-genres, though, including the one Grace Bridges' Legendary Space Pilgrims falls under: cyberpunk.

For those of you who don't know what cyberpunk is, Wikipedia says that its focus is "high tech and low life"--"advanced science...coupled with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order."

That's Legendary Space Pilgrims for sure. Planet Monday is "high-tech" but uses "low life" ideas such as slavery and government control of emotions. The social order is definitely topsy-turvy, as people are forced to labor day in and day out, and any upswing in emotion sends them off to be mindwiped.

However, one slave--Mario--is visited by a Voice that speaks of hope and escape from the oppressive Planet Monday. He convinces Caitlin, a fellow slave and the woman he loves, to join him. After their escape, they experience the real story--their own personal journeys to emotional freedom.

This is my second trip into the mind of Grace Bridges. I read Faith Awakened a few months ago, which has more of a literary feel. But Grace stays true to her strengths in Legendary Space Pilgrims, offering a well-paced, character-driven story that will get you thinking about your own journey with God.

Visit Splashdown Books for more info and to purchase Grace's books.