Chasing the Green Fairy
Author: Melanie Karsak
Genre: Adult Steampunk
Blitz Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Novel Description:
Chasing the Green Fairy
The Airship Racing Chronicles Book II
The Airship Racing Chronicles Book II
A sabotaged airship.
A recovering opium addict.
A messenger with life-shattering news.
With the 1824 British airship qualifying race only weeks
away, Lily Stargazer is at the top of her game. She’s racing like a pro, truly
in love, and living clean. But on one ill-omened day, everything changes.
Pulled head-long into the ancient secrets of the realm, Lily
soon finds herself embroiled in Celtic mysteries and fairy lore. And she’s not
quite sure how she got there, or even if she wants to be involved. But Lily
soon finds herself chasing the spirit of the realm while putting her own ghosts
to rest. And only accepting the truth–about her heart and her country–can save
her.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20512114-chasing-the-green-fairy?from_search=true
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00IMSIQMG
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IMSIQMG
B&N: PRINT
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20512114-chasing-the-green-fairy?from_search=true
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00IMSIQMG
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IMSIQMG
B&N: PRINT
Ditch the
Bustle: Steampunk is Sexy in Chasing the Green Fairy
By Melanie
Karsak
Thank you so
much to Marni for hosting my tour stop today. I am delighted to be here to talk
to you about my new novel, Chasing the Green Fairy. The novel is the second
book in The Airship Racing Chronicles, beginning with Chasing the Star Garden.
If you have never read steampunk before, you might be wondering what it’s all
about.
Steampunk is
part of the science fiction and fantasy genre that takes its cues from Jules
Verne. The setting is often in London, England or in a dystopian future.
Steampunk can depict high Victorian manners or slumpunk. The Airship Racing
Chronicles gives a glimpse into the gritty underbelly of London (and beyond) in
the 1820s and introduces us to some characters on the lower end of the social
spectrum.
In my novel,
I introduce an entirely new (and imaginary) class of people: air jockeys. Air
jockeys, like Lily, are part of an airship crew. As such, I got to dress Lily
any way I wanted. I decided to dump the bustle and let the corset be sexy. My
version of steampunk clothing is steampunk sexy!
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1EtgVtUSKs
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1EtgVtUSKs
The fashion
of 1823/24 was making a transition from Regency style as seen in the remake of
Jane Austen’s Emma and worn by
Gwyneth Paltrow, to the heavier gowns of the Victorian period (as suggested in
the video).
What’s fun
about steampunk is that I get to throw all that out the window and “punk” the
period. Through fashion, and a few other venues, I attempt to point out the
absurdities regarding the subjugation of women in the period. Why would women
doing hard physical labor be asked to wear such impractical clothing? Lily, for
example, often wears “trousers” as depicted by this model and much of Steampunk
Couture’s clothing (link to steampunk couture: http://www.steampunkcouture.com/):
Lily also
likes to be sexy. We see this in her relationship with both Sal and Byron. As
such, she wears a nifty clockwork bodice that Sal invented for her in Chasing
the Star Garden. In Chasing the Green Fairy, sales of our beloved tinker’s
invention takes off: hooray for the industrial revolution! Like any great
clockwork device, with one press of the button, the corset falls open. Talk
about a bodice-ripper! I am pretty sure I invented the idea, but here is a
close second over at Clockwork Couture: http://www.clockworkcouture.com/ladies/corsets/swashbuckler-corset-2-colors.html
Lily also
wears a trademark cap (I just realized how Indiana Jones that sounds. I’m cool
with that). Lily wears a simple newsboy cap. At the beginning of Chasing the
Star Garden, she receives a pendant for her cap that she takes great care to
protect. The importance of the pin revealed in Chasing the Green Fairy:
And, of
course, no steampunk outfit is complete without a set of goggles such as these
lovely Robin Hood goggles from Steampunk Goggles: http://steampunkgoggles.com/
I love the
aesthetic of steampunk. I love that it allows us to play with fashion and
envision a world where women can either abide by the rules to look lovely in
silk and taffeta, or they can break the rules and be rugged and practical in a
pair of pants and boots. I choose steampunk clothing that is sexy for Lily, but
that’s just my brand of steampunk. Who knew imaginary, adult dress-up could be
so much fun!
Author Bio:
Melanie Karsak grew up
in rural northwestern Pennsylvania where there wasn’t much to do but read books
and go for hikes. She wrote her first novel, a gripping piece about a 1920s
stage actress, when she was 12. Today, Melanie, a steampunk connoisseur, white
elephant collector, and caffeine junkie, lives in Florida with her husband and
two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.
Keep in touch with the
author online. She’s really nice!
Email: melanie@clockpunkpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieKarsak
Authorgraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/MelanieKarsak
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/melaniekarsak/
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/melaniekarsak/
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