Interview with Steampunk Author Rie Sheridan Rose @RieSheridanRose #Interview #blogtour

Rie Sheridan Rose multitasks. A lot. Her short stories appear in numerous anthologies, including Nightmare Stalkers and Dream Walkers Vols. 1 and 2, and Killing It Softly Vols. 1 and 2. She has authored twelve novels, six poetry chapbooks, and lyrics for dozens of songs. These were mostly written in conjunction with Marc Gunn, and can be found on “Don’t Go Drinking with Hobbits” and “Pirates vs. Dragons” for the most part–with a few scattered exceptions.

Her favorite work to date is The Conn-Mann Chronicles Steampunk series with five books released so far: The Marvelous Mechanical Man, The Nearly Notorious Nun, The Incredibly Irritating Irishman, The Fiercely Formidable Fugitive, and The Elderly Earl’s Estate.
Rie lives in Texas with her wonderful husband and several spoiled cat-children.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://riewriter.com/  and https://theconnmannchronicles.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RieSheridanRose
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheConnMannChronicles/

About the Book

The Marvelous Mechanical Man is the first book in a Steampunk series featuring the adventures of

Josephine Mann, an independent woman in need of a way to pay her rent. She meets Professor Alistair Conn, in need of a lab assistant, and a partnership is created that proves exciting adventure for both of them.

Alistair’s prize invention is an automaton standing nine feet tall. There’s a bit of a problem though…he can’t quite figure out how to make it move. Jo just might be of help there. Then again, they might not get a chance to find out, as the marvelous mechanical man goes missing.

Jo and Alistair find themselves in the middle of a whirlwind of kidnapping, catnapping, and cross-country chases that involve airships, trains, and a prototype steam car. With a little help from their friends, Herbert Lattimer and Winifred Bond, plots are foiled, inventions are perfected, and a good time is had by all.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3bfoz55

Can you tell us what your new book is about?

The Marvelous Mechanical Man is about a young woman who needs a job and the absent-minded professor who she meets at the newspaper office looking for a new assistant. Told from Josephine’s point-of-view, it recounts the adventures they have revolving around the nine-foot mechanical man that Professor Conn has created.

Can you tell us a little about your main and supporting characters?

The main character, Josephine Mann, is a young Irish American woman trying to make her way in the 1870s. She is independent, opinionated, and wryly amusing as she tells the tale in her own inimitable way.

The hero, Alistair Conn is a professor who uses his spare time to create marvelous mechanicals and other fantastical inventions.

One of the things that Alistair has created is the mechanical man, Goliath—which Jo promptly convinces him to rename, as Goliath was a villain and a bully. She christens the marvel Phaeton. He is the centerpiece of the story.

While there are a wide and varied cast of colorful supporting characters, the other that I want to make sure to mention is Jo’s cat, Miss Priss. She may not say much, but she also has a key role in moving this story along—as well as the sequels.

Your book is set in New York City.  Can you tell us why you chose this location in particular?

I wanted to write Steampunk that wasn’t set in England. The whole world existed during Victoria’s reign, so I wanted to explore what might have been going on this side of the pond. Having never been to England when any of the five books were written, that seemed the best course. New York City was pretty much the London of America in the era of Victoria in my eyes.

How long did it take you to write your book?

The original first draft was written for National Novel Writing Month several years ago. It then went through an extensive edit and was published by Zumaya Publications in 2013. In 2016, I regained control of The Marvelous Mechanical Man and its sequels and republished the book with some additional edits. So, depending on how you look at it, between six months and three years.

What has been the most pivotal point of your writing life?

The most pivotal point in my writing life was when I was laid-off in 2002 right before I got married. My then fiance told me I could be a full-time writer and not look for another job. I’ve been working on living up to that gift ever since. That was about ten novels and lots of short stories and poems ago.

What kind of advice would you give other Steampunk authors?

While it doesn’t have to be completely accurate in every detail, your inventions should be plausible. Research is fun, and key to success in this genre. You can add a bit of fantasy or magic to your steam, but don’t forget that at its heart, the mechanics matter.

Also, keep in mind the period. To really work, anachronisms should be kept to a minimum. Life in the 1800s was different than our world is now, and that includes speech patterns and ways of moving. Clothing needs to be taken into account. If you step outside the period, there should be a reason, and someone should probably notice.