Meet Spooky History Author Jeri Westerson #authorinterview

Spooky TopicsThanks for joining us today, Xina. Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do for a living?

I write for a living. Since 2010. Currently, I have 31 books in print, from historicals, to medieval mysteries, to an LGBT mystery series, to three paranormal series.

What’s your home life like?

Husband of 35 years, a senior cat, and a laconic tortoise. Our son lives on his own in L.A. working toward a screenwriter career.

What are your hobbies?

Not many these days. I used to do woodcarving and painting, but there is little time to indulge when there are two books each in different genres to work on a year.

What historical period is your favorite? Why?

The Middle Ages. I’ve been surrounded by it all my life. Being raised in a house full of rabid anglophiles, the books were right there on the shelves, both fiction and nonfiction. I couldn’t help but immerse myself in Medieval English history, especially when talk at the dinner table could center on the British monarchy. I know more about British monarchs than American presidents.

Tell us about your research process.

I like to take a solid month for research before I write and then research along the way when I suddenly come across a question. I know that those who write straight historical fiction have the luxury of a few years to write, but when you write a mystery series, a publisher expects a book a year.

Clockwork Gypsy coverFor Spooky History, Jeri will focus on her paranormal steampunk series, The Enchanter Chronicles, which began with The Daemon Device. The setting is an alternate steampunk version of London in 1891. I recently read the book and enjoyed it a lot.

The second book in the series, Clockwork Gypsy, will be released on Oct. 31, just in time for Halloween!

Join us for Spooky History on Monday, October 19, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. (PT) to learn more about the world of The Enchanter Chronicles, as well as the works of fellow panelists Xina Marie Uhl and Colleen Adair Fliedner. The Zoom meeting is sponsored by the Santa Clarita Library in their series of History Talks held monthly on various historical topics.

Click here to register: bit.ly/HTSpookyHistory

Author Jeri WestersonAbout the Author:

Los Angeles native JERI WESTERSON is the author of historical novels and thirteen Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery novels, a series nominated for thirteen national awards from the Agatha to the Shamus. Jeri also writes three paranormal series, BOOKE OF THE HIDDEN, a paranormal romance; the Enchanter Chronicles, a steampunk series beginning with THE DAEMON DEVICE; and a werewolf mystery series, beginning with MOONRISERS. Under the pen name Haley Walsh, Westerson has written the Skyler Foxe Mysteries, a humorous and romantic LGBT mystery series. She has served two terms as president of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, twice president of the Orange County Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and one term as vice president for the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

See more about Jeri at JeriWesterson.com or bookeofthehidden.com or EnchanterChronicles.com

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Linda McLaughlin

Review: The Inventor’s Companion #steampunk

(Note: This is a Recycled Review from Lyndi’s Love Notes, Nov. 1, 2011. I read it on my Kindle.)

The Inventor’s Companion
by Ariel Tachna
Erotic Male/Male Steampunk
Dreamspinner Press

Inventor's Companion coverGabriel Blackstone’s world is divided quite clearly into castes: everyone knows their place and abides by it. As an inventor in the merchant caste, his life is predictable in its routine until the night his best friends and assistants, Caleb and Andrew, purchase the time—and body—of a companion for his birthday. As an activist in the Caste Equality movement, everything Gabriel believes in tells him to refuse the gift, but then he meets Lucio. The beautiful and alluring companion is far more than the vapid courtesan he’d expected, and he can’t get the man out of his mind.

After that night, Gabriel tells himself to forget about Lucio, but a chance meeting at a ball makes it clear neither of them is willing to ignore the compelling chemistry between them. It will take all their combined trust and cunning, plus the help of a wily aristocrat and a plucky political activist, to overcome the challenges of infidelity, abuse, and social stigma that lay along their road; however, Gabriel knows it will all be worth it if at the end of the day he can call Lucio his own.

This is a fantastic read. The world was fascinating, in many ways like Victorian England, but with a rigid caste system including pleasure slaves known as companions. Gabriel’s inventions provide the steam technology, and his work to overturn the caste system adds the punk, and the hot sex scenes make it steamypunk. It’s a very emotional read, with great character development. Highly recommended for fans of male/male romance.

Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to enter this month’s Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card & 2015 Mouse Pad Calendar.

Linda / Lyndi

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