Greetings gals and guys!!

Amazing author Danielle Ackley-McPhail  has stopped by the blog today to say a few words about…

When the idea for Gaslight & Grimm first took root in 2011—courtesy of a suggestion from author and editor Diana Bastine—we had the opportunity to start the crest of the next trend in steampunk literature. Steampunk faerie tales. Did they exist before that moment? Surely. But they hadn’t taken off as a trend yet. This was a golden opportunity. We had the enthusiasm, we had the authors, and even the publisher. We certainly had one hell of an idea and the perfect hook of a title for a sure success. What we didn’t have, apparently, was the right time.
The stories were written, loose agreements made, even the majority of the work done. And still for some inexplicable reason the project faltered, then faded into the background. I still can’t explain it. Call it life, call it a malicious curse 😉 Whatever the reason, this project ended up on the back burner until five years later.
Can I tell you what an unexpected blessing that was? In the last five years crowdfunding has taken off. Out of that trend I took the plunge to become a publisher. As eSpec Books got off the ground Gaslight & Grimm was one of the first projects to be brushed off. Not much has changed from the conception of the project until now, the eve of its publication. Steampunk Faerie Tales are still a thing, all but one of our authors stayed on board, the concept is still a phenomenal idea. But everything does happen for a reason.
Thanks to Kickstarter we have the funding to produce this book as we would like to in a fully illustrated edition reminiscent of those cherished classic fairytale books from our childhoods. Not only that, but we have the support of a community with a vested interest in this project. Because of that we were also able to add two new stories, The Perfect Shoes by Jody Lynn Nye and The Patented Troll by Gail Z. and Larry N. Martin. But even more serendipitous, right before we were to launch the campaign that would make this book possible I met a young artist named Dustin Blottenberger. Dustin, among other things, specializes in linocuts, a modern version of the traditional woodcuts that were used as illustrations in the 19th century. When you see the end result I am sure you will agree there was more at work here bringing everything perfectly in line.
Could we have put out a great book when the project was first conceived? Yes. Would it have done fairly well just on the title alone? Yes. Would it have been the book it is today? No. But that is the magic of all faerie tales. Even when it seems all has gone wrong and hope is lost, once the time was right we got to deliver the Happily Ever After everyone is looking for.

 

Once Upon a Time, ageless tales were told from one generation to the next, filled with both wonders and warnings. Tales of handsome princes and wicked queens, of good-hearted folk and evil stepmothers. Tales of danger and caution and magic…classics that still echo in our hearts and memories even to this day, told from old, cherished books or from memory at Grandma’s knee. Oh yes, tales have been told…but never quite like these. Journey with us through the pages of Gaslight and Grimm to discover timeless truths through lenses polished in the age of steam.

Contents

James Chambers – In Wolf’s Clothing
Christine Norris – When Pigs Fly
Bernie Mojzes – From the Horse’s Mouth
Danny Birt – The (Steamy) Tale of Cinderella
Jean Marie Ward – The Clockwork Nightingale
Jeff Young – The Walking House
Gail Z. and Larry N. Martin – The Patented Troll
Elaine Corvidae – A Cat Among the Gears
David Lee Summers – The Steam-Powered Dragon
Kelly A. Harmon – All for Beauty and Youth
Jonah Knight – The Giant Killer
Diana Bastine – The Hair Ladder
Jody Lynn Nye – The Perfect Shoes

 

For more on Gaslight & Grimm follow these links

Blog – https://especbooks.wordpress.com/

Website – http://www.especbooks.com/Projects/GaslightAndGrimm.htm

Kickstarter – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/e-specbooks/gaslight-and-grimm-steampunk-faerie-tales

Kindle – http://amzn.to/1qILluq

Print – http://www.amazon.com/Gaslight-Grimm-Steampunk-Faerie-Tales/dp/1942990316/

NOOK – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gaslight-grimm-jody-lynn-nye/1123660280?ean=9781942990321

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28522644-gaslight-and-grimm 

 

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Suffice it to say she had me at Steampunk FairyTales. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy (releases May 29th)!! As you can see it includes authors you’ve heard me talk about before, in fact, one or two I never shut up about 😉 Add it to your list and let’s follow the breadcrumbs together. Hop on Facebook, Twitter and/or Goodreads and let us know you are joining us!

I’ve got my goggles on and ready!

~CC