I love to read fantasy stories. Magic powers, quests for magic tokens, and distant lands. A lot of my story ideas have migrated from present day paranormal to fantasy.  While I enjoy the freedom of developing everything from the ground up, it is a pain to become your world’s Great and Powerful Overlord because you have to plan everything out.

Epic fantasy stories usually come with maps showing the overall land masses with their country names. Small town romances may show a town plan while historicals may give the reader a family tree or royal genealogy. A bonus to help the reader connect with the story world.  Here are links to maps in two popular epic fantasy worlds:  Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings.

I’ve envied Janny Wurts because not only does she create fantastic characters and worlds but she can draw them as well.  Many of her book covers are designs she created.  I could never achieve that but I still want to have a nice map created for my fantasy worlds. And I think having a map would help me develop my city descriptions. But how can an author who makes lopsided stick figures come up with wonderful drawings?

Enter the computer age and CAD drawing.  I’ve taken the plunge and purchased ProFantasy software for map drawing.  It’s like Adobe Photoshop on steroids. Depending on the software you select, you can create overland maps, city maps, room floor plans and even star system maps.  I can only hope that I can create something halfway decent for my story worlds by the time I’ve sifted through the pages and pages of instructions and watched countless videos.  I mastered Photoshop Elements.  I can do this too.

I’m giddy with all the possibilities for drawing the story ideas I have.  A solar system for the science fiction story I’ve put off for years.  Floor plans for two castles that have kept me from working on a fantasy trilogy because I couldn’t figure out where all the rooms were. And finally overland and city maps for my current WIP.  With all this fun to look forward too, I need to remember the primary goal is to write stories not make pretty maps.

When you read a story, do you like to have extra material like floor plans or maps?

In the mid-1800s, people needed determination and patience to travel from one side of the country to the other. Stagecoaches ran on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule. A trip from St Louis to San Francisco involved about 25 days of travel. The coaches were drawn by six horses and stops were made every 12 miles for fresh teams. Depending on the terrain, coaches covered between 5 and 12 miles per day—running day and night. Passengers were grateful to get hot coffee, biscuits and jerky at these stops; on rare occasions, hot meals were available.

True, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in the summer of 1869 but that line served a route of the most-populous cities. How was someone, like my character Ciara Morrissey raised on the East Coast, to travel to an out-of-the-way location like Bull City, in northern Wyoming Territory? The Union Pacific Railroad ran through southern Wyoming and from Cheyenne a small-sized coach, most likely a Concord coach (built with sturdy braces for a more comfortable ride), ran a north/south route.

The suggested items to travel with would have filled a large satchel or three. In addition to their clothing, passengers were admonished to pack 6 pair of thick socks, woolen underdrawers, blankets—one in summer and two in winter, 3-4 towels, heavy overcoat, light coat, hat and their choice of pistol or knife for personal protection. Imagine being a well-bred lady from an upstanding Massachusetts family reading that list.

Once she got inside the stagecoach, she would have had her choice of window or middle position (approximately 15” in width) on either a forward or backward-facing bench seat. As she set out on her journey, she could read the rules about men forgoing swearing and smoking in a lady’s presence, but tobacco chewing was allowed, as long as the chewer spat downwind. I would hope so. Or if the person (presumed to be a male) couldn’t refrain from drinking alcohol, then he must pass the bottle around. Yum. Snoring loudly or using another passenger’s shoulder as a pillow were frowned upon. Improper advances toward a woman could get the male kicked off the stagecoach in the middle of nowhere. Forbidden topics of conversation were stagecoach robberies and Indian uprisings. Sounds like a smart rule. Shooting at wildlife (Wyoming had a huge population of pronghorn antelope) was prohibited. Passengers were encouraged not to jump from the stage in case of runaway horses so as not to be left victim to the weather, hostile Indians or hungry coyotes.

Like I mentioned, Ciara had a purpose and she looked at all these strictures as part of her great adventure. She’d made a deathbed promise to her mother to seek out the father she didn’t remember, and Bull City was his last known location. Not only does she have the “excitement” of the trip, her stage is attacked, a passenger dragged out and the driver shot. She arrives at her destination, hands locked tight around the leather reins. That’s the first time Sheriff Quinn Riley sees her and the story of Dreams of Gold begins.

Dreams of Gold is available now only on Kindle. http://amzn.to/VcKxbp

To be released from The Wild Rose Press, Nook, Kobo, ipad on May 1, 2013

More information on Linda Carroll-Bradd can be found at www.lindacarroll-bradd.com, http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com, Twitter www.twitter.com/lcarrollbradd, and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-Carroll-Bradd-author/44081494263528

“These are hallowed grounds. You’ll find God here. Come walk with Him.”

This statement can be found on the Paisano Baptist Encampment’s website. I was fortunate enough to visit the campground the weekend of April 24-26, 2009 for a writing retreat and returned in 2011. Its history intrigued me, so I felt this would be a great topic to share with readers.

Located just outside Alpine on the highway to Marfa, the encampment has been the local gathering ground for a week of renewal and inspiration since 1915. The first attendees slept in tents or in bedrolls on the ground. Meals were served from Army chuck wagons. The picture Aabove is of the cooking staff in 1921.

Meals were eaten under an eating shed, and services and Bible studies were held under a tin-roofed tabernacle. At the first camps, ranchers, families, businessmen, preachers, and worshipers sat around a campfire and discussed expenses. Each gave what they could so that the camp could continue.

In the picture below, also taken in 1921, note that the women and girls wore dresses, and the men dress pants and white shirts.

Eventually families and churches started building cabins. The present tabernacle was built in 1950. At that time water, sewer, and electrical utilities were added, as well as trailer parking areas.

Today an offering is collected at the last service that fully funds the camp. A foundation now helps with expenses outside the budget. A full time manager and assistant oversee camp maintenance. The encampment is also used by other organizations.

The annual encampment takes place in late July. Services begin Sunday evening and end after breakfast the following Saturday morning. Though the encampment is run by the Baptist, individuals and churches from other denominations participate. I’ve been told that on a warm summer evening, nothing is more beautiful than voices raised in songs of praise echoing through the mountains.

This sign greets visitors as they enter the encampment. Below is a picture of some of the cabins at the encampment today. Some are very small, others are larger with bedrooms, kitchens, and modern baths.

My husband and I stayed in one of the renovated cabins and were very comfortable. There are very few lights at the encampment, so the star show is magnificent. A flashlight is needed to navigate from one area to the other.

I hope one day to be able to attend one of the gatherings in July.

The vintage pictures above were taken from
http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-43379/ Information on Paisano Encampment was taken from http://www.paisanoencampment.org/

It’s common  knowledge that animals use pheromones to mark their territory and to lay down a scent for potential mating. The first pheromone was identified in 1959 in silk moths. Others have been identified since then, but not a one for humans. So, when you see an ad for fragrances containing pheromones that will make you irresistible, resist the urge to buy because the perfume won’t work. If so, it would be categorized as a ‘release’ pheromone.

“Release pheromones trigger a sexual response (such as wooing a mate), while so-called primer pheromones cause physiological changes.” Studies have shown that some compound in secretions from a woman’s armpit in close contact with other women can cause menstrual cycles to sync. It’s pretty common for room-mates in a dorm to get their periods simultaneously. Another example would be an infant recognizing it’s lactating mother.

So, as yet, scientists can’t test the effects of releaser pheromones on humans because we simply don’t have them. And, we don’t need them. For humans, the important things in selecting a mate are visual and social signals.

Reference:

http://www.livescience.com/3233-sexual-pheromones-myth-reality.html

HOWEVER, if you live in Abyss, the undersea city of 2155 in Linda LaRoque’s book Born in Ice, pheromones have been identified and are used for a process of selective mating. Due to their closed environment, the process prevents competition for mates and the problems that would arise with dating rituals. In Abyss, children are observed to see who they most enjoy being with. When they enter puberty, they  are evaluated again to see who they show a sexual preference for. Pheromones are collected from them, duplicated and enhanced and the two routinely receive booster shots to keep them in love for a lifetime. Couples marry at a young age, there is no divorce and life is calm and problem free.

Excerpt of Born in Ice:

He steepled his fingers and stared at her. “Zana, it was our hope you’d find one of the men you’ve met attractive so we could see that your mating agreement took place. We’re very fond of you and want to see you settled and happy.”

“But why? I have no desire to get married. At least not right now.” “My dear, I’m afraid that’s not an option in Abyss.”

An odd sensation of distrust crawled up her spine. “Why not? I can get a job and support myself.”

“Of course you can,” said Helen, “but that’s just not the way it’s done here. The only singles we have are widows and widowers and they remarry as soon as a mate can be found.”

“You’ve been here five months now, Zana,” said Jonas. “For two of those, you’ve been out in our society here under the sea.”

She nodded.

“Have you seen any fighting among the teenagers when they go out, heard any arguments between men over women, or visa versa?”

As a matter of fact, she hadn’t. She’d seen teens in a group but they appeared to be in pairs. Nothing like the unattached groups she’d gone out with before the temperature dropped to dangerous levels in Newfoundland. Actually, the married couples she’d seen together appeared too mushy gushy for her tastes. “No.”

Jonas beamed. “That’s because we have a controlled society. There is no dating. That ritual, which many times causes dissension among adolescents and adults alike, is not allowed here. Everyone is happily mated at an early age. Young children are watched to see which individual of the opposite sex they tend to favor, and then pheromones are used in adolescence to ensure their joint attraction. At different stages of their lives, the hormones are increased to trigger sexual desire and fidelity.”

Zana could only gape at them in incredulity. What they suggested went against all of her values. It sounded like something an author would make up when writing a science fiction novel.

“I know you find this shocking, but in the enclosed confines of a society such as ours, it is necessary. Surely you can see that.”

Maybe she could understand their thinking but she couldn’t condone it. Surely there was a better way. She shook her head. Drugging people went against her ethics.

Jonas cleared his throat. “The men you’ve met are all interested inyou. Their wives are dead and we need you to make a choice soon before problems arise among them. They’ve been without a sexual partner for some time.”

She couldn’t believe her ears. Standing, she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t take part in this ritual. I’m not in the least attracted to any of those men and have no intention of being hyped up on drugs to get that way.”
Doctor Bartholomew frowned. “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, Zana. We cannot allow you to live here in Abyss as a single.”

Born in Ice is available in both paper at Ebook at Champagne Books, Amazon and B&N.

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment to be entered in our monthly $25 gift card.
Linda

This month is a month for giving thanks for everything that we have in our lives, but it is also a month to give recognition to the American Indian.
Former President George H.W. Bush signed the resolution in 1990 proclaiming November as Native American Heritage Month. Every year since then in the month of November the President signs the proclamation. Here is the link to this month’s proclamation signed by our President Barack Obama:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/11/01/presidential-proclamation-national-native-american-heritage-month-2012

The American Indian was the first people who walked upon this land. They have a connection to the earth that is unbelievable. They are valuable in every aspect of our existence. If more people would listen to them and their ways the world would be in a better shape. Their contributions have made the world a better place for all of us.
I would like to thank all the American Indian troops for their service. You are a true warrior.
A tidbit of information that many may not know is in 1915 a Blackfoot Indian rode horseback going from state to state trying to get approval for a day to honor the American Indian. He got 24 states to sign but of course there is no proof of it. For more information here is the link:

http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/about/

As I am giving thanks for all the things I have in my life, I would like to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all the American Indian s for everything you have done. You are very important and should be proud of your accomplishments.

Walk in harmony,
Melinda Elmore

~Native American Herbs~ Melinda Elmore~
I am going to be doing numerous posts about herbs, especially Native American herbs and how the American Indian used them for health issues.
So, let’s get started…..

Basil: Nausea and gas pains.
Catnip: Toothaches, insomnia, and mild sedative; used as a tea relieves cramping and colic.
Garlic: Colds, flu, sore throats.
Larkspur: Lice.
Milkweed: Warts, ringworm, poison ivy.* Roots of the Milkweed are poisonous.* Must be boiled.
Onion: High Blood Pressure, blood sugar, gas pains.
Pumpkin: Burns, heal wounds.
Red Clover: Colds, sore throats.
White Oak Bark: Diarrhea.

Now these are just a few that I thought would be great to share. I will be doing several posts on herbs. The American Indian has used these remedies for decades. Now here is some interesting facts that I thought everyone would enjoy.

Basil: Is used to ward off evil spells and witchcraft.
Catnip: To prevent nightmares.
Garlic: Believed to have magic powers. To wear a charm of garlic would ward off evil spirits and gives strength and courage to its wearer.
Red Clover: Protects against evil spirits or spells.

I hope you have enjoyed learning about some herbs that the American Indian used.

~ Make sure you do research on any herb before using to ensure that you prepare them right. Some are poisonous and can make you very sick or can cause death if not prepared correctly.~

Have a great day!!!!!

Walk in harmony,
Melinda Elmore

***Royalty free images and some taken by my talented family.***
~~ Indian Herbs and Plants By: “The Cherokee Lady” Dr. Lelanie Fuller Anderson, N.D., Ph.D.~~

I’ve spend a good bit of time contemplating what I’d write on this month. I thought about giving a summary of the book The Teahouse of the August Moon, but I couldn’t find enough material on line and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the movie. Then I thought about the moon symbol often cut out on the door of an outhouse. And it just so happens that I have a picture of one I took so I won’t be infringing by posting it.

Some of you probably aren’t old enough to have experienced the joy of visiting an outhouse, but I am. Fortunately, only at my grandmothers. And I’m telling the truth, a sear catalogue hung on the wall for toilet paper. Just tear a sheet off as needed.

Have you ever wondered what people used before the invention of toilet paper? I have. The ones in the picture above are pretty well-known, especially the catalogue, usually the Sears and Roebuck fondly tagged “Rears and Sorebutt.” My grandparent’s farm had an outhouse and as a child I couldn’t believe they used pages from the catalogue for toilet paper.

According to The Virtual Toilet Paper Museum – Toilet Paper in the News, the Farmer’s Almanac had a hole in the corner so it could be hung on a hook. Per this article, other items used were stones, pieces of clay, sponges on a stick kept in a clay pot full of salt water, and the left hand which is still supposedly considered unclean in the Arabian region.

The first actual toilet paper dates back to the late 14th Century in China. Emperors ordered it in 2 foot by 3 foot sheets. The first packaged toilet paper in the United States was produced in New York by Joseph  C. Gayetty. Pre-moistened sheets were medicated with aloe and named Gayetty’s Medicated Paper. Rolled and perforated toilet paper arrived around 1880. One source, the Scott Paper Company wouldn’t put their name on the product as it was a sensitive subject in Victorian times. They customized it for their customers. The Waldorf Hotel was a big name in toilet paper. Northern Company produced the first splinter free toilet paper in 1935. Yikes! Early paper production sometimes left splinters. In 1942, a mill in England produced the first two-ply paper. 

The first toilet paper shortage occurred in 1973. December 19, 1973, Johnny Carson joked about toilet paper disappearing from the shelves in supermarkets. The next day, twenty million people ran out and bought as much toilet paper as they could carry thus emptying shelves. A few nights later, Carson informed the public his comment was a joke but it took three weeks to get the shelves in stores stocked again.Much of the information for this blog is found at this website.http://nobodys-perfect.com/vtpm/exhibithall/informational/tphistory.html

Thank you for stopping by. Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda LaRoque

In a little over a week I’m headed to New York City for a writer’s workshop. I write erotic romance and when Dr. Charley Ferrer announced she was going to present a BDSM for Writers workshop, based on her book – I was all over it. I’m so excited to meet Dr. Charley and to get an opportunity to research BDSM for my writing. Dr. Charley is a Clinical Sexologist & Therapist and a radio talk show host too.

I’ve never been to New York before. I’m planning to go out a day early and stay an extra day to do even more research. There’s a Museum of Sex in New York. Did you know that? I didn’t until I watched an episode of Millionaire Matchmaker and one guy took a lady there for a date. I MUST see this museum. Not only does it sound like a lot of fun, but it’s research. Perfect. Grin…

I’ll be staying at a hotel in midtown just blocks from Central Park. Central Park will be gorgeous and it should be within walking distance of my hotel. There are so many things I want to see and do while I’m in New York. Of course, one of the coolest parts of the workshop will be opportunities to visit leather shops and other adult sorts of stores. We’re even scheduled to visit a BDSM club with our most excellent instructor.

But I plan to take in some “tourist” sites while I’m there too, like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities though. I should take a trip on the subway. Experience a cab ride and maybe even a horse drawn carriage ride around Central Park. Are there any “research” sites or tourist places I should make sure to visit? I’m looking for suggestions. If you were headed for New York City, where would you want to go?

As a writer of historical romances, I guess you could say I have a professional interest in birth control methods of the past. Basically, women have been trying to prevent pregnancy, with varying levels of success, ever since we figured out what causes it. People think of the Comstock Laws and don’t realize that contraception has been part of American life since the beginning.

Colonial women grasped the implications of controlling their reproduction early. Before obstetrical medicine developed, 1 out of 10 pregnancies ended with the mother’s death, according to centuries of parish records in both Europe and America. Also, one less mouth to feed meant more resources were available for a family‘s existing children, and eased the husband’s economic burden. Women could not compel their husbands to use abstinence (and probably didn’t like it much themselves) or withdrawal. Vaginal sponges and condoms don‘t seem to have been common. That left plants in cottage gardens that could be used to induce abortions. There are North American plants with similar qualities, and I would be very surprised if Native American women did not know how to use those.

Artificial means of birth control have been used by American couples since the 19th century:

1839: Charles Knowlton publishes the first pamphlet in America describing various methods of contraception, aimed at married couples. He advocated douching after coitus as the best method. A hundred years before the FDA, no one realized that douching has a 90% fail rate and can lead to painful pelvic inflammations. The same year, Charles Goodyear invents vulcanized rubber, enabling the manufacture of rubber condoms. Compared to the porous condoms made of animal skin or intestines since the 16th century, the 50% fail rate of these ‘capotes’ and ‘cundrums’ is hailed as a miracle by married couples.

February 1840: Queen Victoria, a figure of fascination for many Americans, marries Prince Albert and discovers sex, which she privately describes to her doctor as “fun in bed”.

November 1840: Queen Victoria gives birth to her first child. She does NOT consider this fun and discusses birth control with her doctor. He suggests she and Albert use the rhythm method. At the time, doctors believed that a woman’s ‘safe’ days were midway through the woman’s menstrual cycle. You know, the days when she is actually most fertile. To her dismay, the Queen went on to have eight more children. She never lost her passion for Albert, although she shared a dread and loathing of pregnancy with women on both sides of the Atlantic.

1842: German physician W. P. J. Mensinga invents the diaphragm. Copies are soon made in the U.S.

1860s: Newspapers from New York to Charleston to Cleveland carry adds for ‘capotes’, douching syringes, penis caps, ‘wife protectors’ (rubber cervical caps or diaphragms), sponges and ‘female solutions’. Quality was dubious, making them undependable and in some cases dangerous. They become connected with the sex trade and promiscuity in the minds of many who might otherwise have taken advantage of them.

1873: The Comstock Laws, a series of anti-commerce laws are passed, which define contraception as ‘obscene’ for the first time. The U.S. becomes the only country in the Western world to criminalize family planning. Dr. Edward B. Foote advocates the benefits of ‘fertility limitation’ for married couples, citing improved health for mothers and infants as well as relief of the husband’s economic burden. (Sound familiar?) In spite of the Comstock Laws, he distributes birth control devices and information about them.

1876: Dr. Foote is tried for breaking the Comstock Laws and sentenced to a fine of $3,000, equivalent to $67,000 to $73,000 today. When he asks for help paying it, 300 people come forward to offer support.

1879: Connecticut passes the stiffest anti-contraceptive law in the country: Even married couples cannot legally obtain from a doctor birth control to protect the wife’s health. It is regularly flouted for nearly 100 years.

1888: Dr. W. R. D. Blackwood writes “Is it proper, is it human, is it desirable that the lot of a married female should be a continual round of impregnation, delivery and lactation?…I do not hesitate for an instant to say NO! And I look with more than suspicion on those who, assuming superior virtue, condemn any and all attempts to control conception.”

1892-1920: Gynecologist Clelia Mosher asks her married patients to fill out questionnaires on their sexual practices and beliefs. Only 45 did so over the years, but their comments are interesting. 41 of the women used birth control, including douches, condoms, and ‘womb veils’, all illegal. One woman used a rubber ring around the cervix, which was apparently painful, but not as bad an another child. Many of the 41 considered reproduction a secondary reason for martial sex.

1913: On October 16, Margaret Sanger and her sister Ethel Byrne, both nurses, open America’s first birth control clinic in Brooklyn. They see 488 women in the ten days before they are shut down. At their trial, the judge rejects the idea that “a woman has the right to copulate with a feeling of security that there will be no resulting conception.”

1920s: Spermicidal gels and suppositories (some foaming — how festive!) are sold over the counter as ‘feminine hygiene products’ to get around laws forbidding the sale and use of contraceptives. Adding spermicides reduced the failure rate of diaphragms to 20%, the most reliable birth control until the Pill. Only a minority of women use this method as it is messy and pretty much kills spontaneity.

1936: In the face of the Depression, 70% of Americans favor birth control in a national survey. An upswing in abortion as a method of birth control also occurs during the decade. One doctor in Chicago reported after his arrest that the majority of his patients were married women aborting third pregnancies or higher. He didn’t say whether they had tried contraceptive measures that failed.

1945: Alabama becomes the first state to establish a tax-supported family planning program. Several southern states follow suit. Poor families shrink and illegitimate births drop across the region.

1950: Katherine McCormick, one of the wealthiest widows in America, finances the research that would lead the first Pill.

1955: The Margulies spiral, the first American made IUD, is invented. Its long tail intrudes into the vagina, causing “pain and trauma” to partners. Unsurprisingly, it never catches on.

1960: Enovid, the first pill, goes on sale. It causes headaches and weight gain, but users flock to their doctors demanding prescriptions anyway. It becomes the best-selling drug in U.S. history to that time, thanks to its dependability and ease of use.

1965: The first American-made IUDs prove popular long-term permanent birth control solutions. The modern IUD was invented in Germany in 1920, but could not be legally imported.

1965: The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the 1879 Connecticut ban on all contraceptive use and confirms that a “right to marital privacy” exists in the spirit of the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments. In 1972, the Supreme Court extends the right to privacy in deciding to use contraceptives to unmarried people.

1971: The Dalkon Shield hits the market. Eventually two million women will use this IUD. Undisclosed problems include severe pain and a tendency to cause uterine infections. 18 known deaths are eventually associated with it, along with hysterectomies, infections, birth defects and miscarriages (not always a problem with other IUDs.)

1988: High dose pills are taken off the market.

2002: Contraceptive patches are introduced. Changed once a week, they have fewer side effects than pills, but are more expensive.

For more reading:
A History of the Wife, Marilyn Yalom

Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America, Andrea Tone

A Distant Mirror, Barbara Tuchman

The Weaker Vessel, Antonia Fraser

The universal flouting of the Comstock Laws amazed me! What do you think is the most surprising thing about the history of birth control in the U.S.?

Remember, every every comment posted will enter you in a drawing for win this month’s prize, a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate!

Maybe I’m a little behind the times, but the first steampunk I ever read was by my fellow ABM author, Cindy Spencer Pape. (That book was Steam and Sorcery, in case you’re wondering). I know it’s a huge genre and in fact I’ve heard about it more than once, but for some reason, I never ventured to read it until recently.

As a lover of science fiction and fantasy, I have no idea why I hedged. Steampunk combines my love of the past (typically steam technology, which was prominent during the late 1700s and 1800s) with my love of speculative fiction. So I decided to examine the genre a bit.

Did you know that there are different kinds of steampunk? Steampunk, essentially, takes place in a time of steam technology which has been extrapolated to become the predominant form technology. That means that steam technology can be as advanced as tech gadgets today. But there are many kinds of steampunk, looped together as “timepunk.” Here are a few examples:

Stonepunk, taking place during the Stone Age. Think of something similar to The Flintstones.

Sandalpunk, taking place before the fall of Greece. Greek technology was extremely advanced — yes, the Greeks had already developed steam technology and even a rudimentary analog computer way back in BCE days.

Clockpunk, taking place during the Renaissance era and predominantly extrapolating on technology speculated or developed by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Nazipunk or Blitzpunk, taking place during WWII. Atompunk is also a popular genre set thereabouts, extrapolating on technology such as the atom bomb.

Cyberpunk, a somewhat common subgenre taking place in the future when machinery is dominant. There might be some biomechanics or nano technology used.

Spacepunk, obviously taking part in space.

These are only some of the fascinating subgenres of steampunk or “timepunk.” Yes, there are many more. Throughout this month (and a bit of next month) I’m dissecting each in detail on my blog at lbelow.blogspot.com. If you want to learn more, be sure to stop by!

For now, tell me. Which steampunk books have you read and enjoyed? Have you ever read one of the other subgenres of “timepunk?”

L.K. Below