The Tremblers Is On Sale...

I am so excited to announce that tomorrow The Tremblers

will be on sale for 99 Cents! 

 From breathless moments with her wayward spy, Ashton, to facing her darkest fear amid the caverns of a fractured world, Charlotte Blackburn's story is EPIC...

Charlotte Blackburn—Beautiful, intelligent, a gifted tinkerer—lives in a cloistered world of wealth and privilege beneath the Electric Tesla Dome that shields survivors of The Great Calamity. But when her father is abducted, and a strange sickness starts transforming men into vicious monsters, she discovers that technology is no protection at all.

Ashton Wells has a dire mission: Secure Colonel Blackburn and deliver his research to The Order of the Sword and Scroll. But the plan goes awry, and he is left with nothing but the colonel's daughter who has a target on her back and is willing stop at nothing to rescue her father—including handing over to the enemy the only means to stop the monstrous plague.

Branded as traitors, Ashton and Charlotte brave the treacherous floating sky ports of Outer City to hunt down the elusive inventor who is the only person able to activate the strange device that harbors the secret to their salvation.

With the government closing in, a rebellion brewing in the streets, and terrifying Tremblers attacking the innocent, the two must work together to stop their fragile world from crumbling once more into destruction.

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Don't forget to check out the exciting sequel to Charlotte's thrilling fight to save the Peaceful Union in...

The Wind Reapers

Available February 9th!

Charlotte Blackburn—Hero, hunted, the unwitting symbol of a dark rebellion—she thwarted the deadly intent of the treacherous Order of the Sword and Scroll, but at a shattering cost. Now, she fights to survive among a tribe of fierce Wind Reapers who troll the wasteland aboard massive metal walkers. But a new storm is brewing and Charlotte is once again the linchpin in a deadly plan...

Romance on the Run + a Giveaway!

As an author, I often find myself scouting for book locations while on vacation in real life. A trip to visit my brother in Seattle sparked one of my first romantic suspense novels. I think it was the stormy sky and all that flannel that opened up the idea of a city being part of the emotional journey for the main character. The scent, the light, the hum of a place that isn't your home can really be exciting and just the thing to spark some romance.

An old abandoned building with its shifting shadows could make for an intriguing meeting place. Perhaps the cute cabin on our family hike would be ideal for my sweet proposal scene. The zoo was fun. I am well prepared for a lion escape.

Locations can be a major force in storytelling. From windswept cliffs and creepy mansions in a Gothic romance to the sunlit hills that soothe the soul of a returning heartbreaker. I'm always on the lookout for unique places to spark that romance.

My husband is good at this. He'll point out an especially strange buildings or unsettling dark alleys and ask me what I would do to cause havoc there. He knows me so well. Often my stories of romance come at an edge-of-your-seat pace. And maybe a few explosions.

For my upcoming series, I faced a new challenge with regard to location.  My steampunk romance, The Tremblers, is set in alternative history. Victorian America after a calamitous event that nearly leveled the country. So the set pieces of my romance needed to be both beautiful and haunting. There had to be echoes of what was lost and a hope for what was to come. A lot like the relationship between my hero and heroine.

The most romantic places in The Tremblers are also the most dangerous. Outer City, the boomtown in the clouds boasts romantic vistas of the entire fragile land. The sky boardwalk and floating markets with blimps and dirigibles in bright colors is a sight to see while sipping from a glass with your swashbuckling sweetheart.

I know that the massive electric Tesla domes protecting the cities sparkle purple at dusk against a pink sky....but I would love to cuddle with my husband and see it for real. However, I think it is the stark beauty of the wasteland desert where multicolored flames lick against a crimson horizon that is the most romantic place.

Whether you are on your own front lawn or sailing on an aero ship, one can find romance in unexpected places.

Article originally appeared as a guest post on InkSlinger Blog

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I'm having a giveaway to celebrate the release of The Tremblers!

Only two more days to enter...

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Tremblers

by Raquel Byrnes

Giveaway ends January 31, 2018.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

I'm Actually Kinda Funny

Sometimes striving for what we want has unintended consequences. As an author, I love to read, which is a solitary endeavor. I also write, obviously, which is also very secluding. I'm okay with that. My husband loves to pitch ideas, complain about certain story lines, and give his two cents in general. We work it out.

Now, I am not a shy person in the real sense. Talking to others is not terrifying or even unpleasant most of the time. I just tend to people watch rather than participate in large group conversations. No biggie. I'm gathering character quirks and body language fodder for my writing. So in general, I keep to myself.

When my first books were published, the circus of promotion and interviews just hit like a rhino to the gut. And I struggled to figure out who Raquel, the author, was in relation to me the mom and wife and friend.

Dollar Store Hamlet

The things we are tasked to do to promote our books is quite outside my comfort zone. I don't normally tell people cute stories about how I met my husband. Or confess my innermost fear to someone I just met, yet that is what I've been doing lately...I'm still a work in progress.

But its growing on me, this reaching out, this connecting with people who I know nothing about except for the fact that, like me, you like to read. You get excited by and lost in stories just like me. You carry the loss of a favorite character or the buzz of an exciting near miss with you all day even hours after putting your book down...Just like me.

The connections I've made and interactions I've enjoyed surprised me at first. I enjoyed repartee over music with a Swedish keyboardist, been taught how to really SEE a pictures meaning by a photographer just one town over. And live tweeted a viewing of the movie 2001 with a couple who'd never seen it either. None of us 'got it' but it was fun nonetheless.

So what was once an intimidating endeavor for an introvert writer has become a pleasure that I look forward to everyday. And I just wanted to say that all of you  are so encouraging and I am so grateful.

Travel Tales & Goodies!

Today I am over at Tanya's Travel Topics to discuss the inspiration behind the bustling sky settlement of Outer City in my YA Steampunk thriller, The Tremblers!

Stop by to say hello, leave a comment, and don't forget to sign up for the chance to win a free, signed copy of The Tremblers below!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Tremblers

by Raquel Byrnes

Giveaway ends January 31, 2018.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Cant wait to win? How about TWO FREE NOVELLAS? Discover the secrets that set in motion the incredible adventures of The Blackburn Chronicles with two FREE READS!

Guest Post and Giveaway!

Hop over to Shannon Vannater's blog, for a fun interview where we talk secrets, catastrophe, and Mice King battles.

And don't forget to enter the GoodReads giveaway below for a chance to win a signed copy of The Tremblers!

Charlotte Blackburn—Beautiful, intelligent, a gifted tinkerer—lives in a cloistered world of wealth and privilege beneath the Electric Tesla Dome that shields survivors of The Great Calamity. But when her father is abducted, and a strange sickness starts transforming men into vicious monsters, she discovers that technology is no protection at all.

Ashton Wells has a dire mission: Secure Colonel Blackburn and deliver his research to The Order of the Sword and Scroll. But the plan goes awry, and he is left with nothing but the colonel's daughter who has a target on her back and is willing stop at nothing to rescue her father—including handing over to the enemy the only means to stop the monstrous plague.

Branded as traitors, Ashton and Charlotte brave the treacherous floating sky ports of Outer City to hunt down the elusive inventor, Nikola Tesla—the only person able to activate the strange device that harbors the secret to their salvation. 

With the government closing in, a rebellion brewing in the streets, and terrifying Tremblers attacking the innocent, the two must work together to stop their fragile world from crumbling once more into destruction.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

     

The Tremblers

by Raquel Byrnes

Giveaway ends January 31, 2018.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Space Trash - Interview & Giveaway

Stop by J.C. Steel's blog, Space Trash, for a fun interview on his Galaxy of Authors series!where we talk secrets, catastrophe, and Mice King battles.

And don't forget to enter the GoodReads giveaway below for a chance to win a signed copy of The Tremblers!

Charlotte Blackburn—Beautiful, intelligent, a gifted tinkerer—lives in a cloistered world of wealth and privilege beneath the Electric Tesla Dome that shields survivors of The Great Calamity. But when her father is abducted, and a strange sickness starts transforming men into vicious monsters, she discovers that technology is no protection at all.

Ashton Wells has a dire mission: Secure Colonel Blackburn and deliver his research to The Order of the Sword and Scroll. But the plan goes awry, and he is left with nothing but the colonel's daughter who has a target on her back and is willing stop at nothing to rescue her father—including handing over to the enemy the only means to stop the monstrous plague.

Branded as traitors, Ashton and Charlotte brave the treacherous floating sky ports of Outer City to hunt down the elusive inventor, Nikola Tesla—the only person able to activate the strange device that harbors the secret to their salvation. 

With the government closing in, a rebellion brewing in the streets, and terrifying Tremblers attacking the innocent, the two must work together to stop their fragile world from crumbling once more into destruction.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Tremblers

by Raquel Byrnes

Giveaway ends January 31, 2018.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Last Chance to Win!

To celebrate the release of my upcoming steampunk thriller, I am giving away 4 copies of my Gothic mystery, Secrets at Crescent Point! Enter to win HERE.

But you better hurry...the contest ends at midnight on 1/18/18

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And if you love epic tales of strong heroines, dark heroes, and strange devices then check out The Tremblers, a steampunk thriller releasing tomorrow! 

Charlotte Blackburn—Beautiful, intelligent, a gifted tinkerer—lives in a cloistered world of wealth and privilege beneath the Electric Tesla Dome that shields survivors of The Great Calamity. But when her father is abducted, and a strange sickness starts transforming men into vicious monsters, she discovers that technology is no protection at all.

Ashton Wells has a dire mission: Secure Colonel Blackburn and deliver his research to The Order of the Sword and Scroll. But the plan goes awry, and he is left with nothing but the colonel's daughter who has a target on her back and is willing stop at nothing to rescue her father—including handing over to the enemy the only means to stop the monstrous plague.

Branded as traitors, Ashton and Charlotte brave the treacherous floating sky ports of Outer City to hunt down the elusive inventor who is the only person able to activate the strange device that harbors the secret to their salvation.

With the government closing in, a rebellion brewing in the streets, and terrifying Tremblers attacking the innocent, the two must work together to stop their fragile world from crumbling once more into destruction.

Weapons of Light & Power

"A soldier leaned out the window, taking aim at Charlotte. A frisson of energy pulsed from the weapon, barely missing her. She screamed, flailing. 

Ashton flipped the rocket ignition on the power cycle and the force of the thrust slammed him against the seat as he shot skyward toward the roof. Pulling his tracer gun, he fired blindly at the building. The soldier dove for the floor." ~Ashton Wells, The Tremblers

Kraken Killer by Clothed Eye

Creating the weapons for my YA Steampunk novel, The Tremblers took me on a fascinating path. The invention of destructive devices was vexing and addicting all at once.

Weapons of light -- Tracer Guns are the weapon of choice for the soldiers of the Peaceful Union. Powerful blasters that syphon the glowing purple energy from the massive Tesla Domes caging the city-states are feared by the average citizen. Constantly realibrating to the dome's pulse, they are outlawed to everyone but the soldiers of the government.

Charlotte's sketchess

Charlotte is a tinkerer and inventor. The daughter of a renowned soldier and chemist, her weapons needed finesse. I designed the metal spheres of her Shrieking Vilolet grenade to cluster together like a flower. Its shrill screech disables her enemies while a curtain of magenta gas shields her escape.

The outlaws and Lawmen of Outer city favor guns and pistols of the old world. Sheriff Sebastia Riley's revolver helped him to rise to power among the pirates and pioneers of the sky settlement. 

Another daunting tool as the lightning stick. Capable of lashing whips of energy. Used by the ruthless Lawmen of the floating ports, Charlotte learns of its devastating effects while trying to flee with Ashton. 

Photo:
Encyclopedia of Balloons

However, it is the power and might of the Peaceful Union Aero Squad that strikes fear into the heart of every citizen. Their searing lamps and concussion bombs send rioters scrambling. Creating airship battles and desgining the infamous rebel ship, The Stygian, was great fun!


Myself the daughter of a military man, I grew up visiting airshows and sitting at the controls of massive machines of war.  I wanted to bring that fascination and awe to the Blackburn Chronicles.

To celebrate the release of the Tremblers, I am giving away 2 Free Novellas that take you into the mysterious beginnings of the entire series!


For a peek at more dangerous weapons and ships of Charlotte's world, take a peek at my Young Adult Steamunk novel, The Tremblers, available for pre-order!

+Raquel Byrnes

Memories and Mechanica

Dark Sky by Beglib

"Whipping rotors stirred the air and vibrated through me. Security aero craft hovered overhead, the bulbous silhouettes of their blimps dark against the sky. Dirigible pilots trained powerful lamp beams down on the road, the lights sweeping to and fro. Above it all, behind the clouds, nearly touching the stars, the Tesla Dome’s protective grid glowed purple against the inky night." 

~Charlotte Blackburn, The Tremblers

The steampunk world of The Blackburn Chronicles is a dangerous place. Its tales are those of dark heroes, fantastic devices, and unbreakable love. 

In book one of the YA series, The Tremblers, 1885 America is vastly different from the one you and I read about in our history classes. 

A Great Calamity has fractured the whole of America toppling the government and killing millions across the entire nation. From the embers rose The Peaceful Union, with its symbol of the dark phoenix that promises protection and order from the chaos and death outside the city-states.

Charlotte blackburn, is a daughter of this new society that huddles beneath the massive churning steamworks of the electric Tesla Domes.


The thought of a city caged with an electric grid was so fantastic. And yet, it was not unheard of. 

Creating the carefully cloistered city-states was an idea that began several years ago when I read about a proposed project to dome the city of Houston, Texas. 

The Victorian Era in America was era of technology on the cusp of unimaginable innovation. Captains of invention moved our nation forward in communication, electrical advancements, and mechanical might. Steam devices and railroad steel dominated.

Now imagine all those great minds pushed by a panicked populace to invent and create at breakneck speed. Not for the expansion of knowledge, but for survival. A population rocked by massive disaster would advance differently.

Charlotte's story takes placee in a vastly reimanged history. Massive machines to clear rubble churn in the cracked roads of Manhattan. Rebuilt landmarks sparkle with metal facades and ornate decoration. Steam-powered carriages and power cycles roar along the avenues. And yet, outside this electrical marvel, the wasteland teems with poison vapors, sand storms, and bright flaming chasms. 

What might force a debutante to flee from this safe place?  Charlotte Blackburn is beautiful, intelligent, and a gifted tinkerer who lives in a cloistered world of wealth and privilege. But when her father is abducted, and a strange sickness starts transforming men into vicious monsters, she discovers that technology is no protection at all.

I can't wait to share with you more of Charlotte's dangerous world! From the monstrous Wind Reapers to the strange creatures of the deep, the Blackburn Chronicles will take you on a journey you won't forget.

If you like alternative history, sweeping adventure, and fantatic devices, check out my upcoming Young Adult Steampunk novel, The Tremblers.

For a sneak peak at the dangerous world of The Tremblers, here are 2 Free Novella Downloads...

+raquel byrnes

A Dangerous Place

The steampunk world of the Blackburn Chronicles is a dangerous place. Its tales are those of dark heroes, fantastic devices, and unbreakable love.

Researching the concepts for the world, the characters, the mechanica technolgy, and the sweeping adventure all took me down unexpected paths. Charlotte's adventure takes her from under the protective electric Tesla Domes that cage her entire city to wild frontier towns above the clouds, the fiery wasteland deserts, and even the depths of the roiling sea.  World building for this series was always on the epic scale.

Photo:Altair Mikoto

Charlotte, on the run from the shadowy Order of the Sword and Scroll with the mysterious spy, Ashton Wells, flees via air ship to the floating settlement of Outer City.

The last frontier of the broken world of the Blackburn Chronicles, the sky territory is home to outlaws and pioneers. Lawmen keep the peace at the bustling ports where every kind of fantastic air ship and hodge-podge dirigible brings those who seek their fortune.

Inspiration for the wild-west settlement of floating buildings and countless air ships gathered around a central market came from my fascination with Asian cuisine and the water markets of the far east.

I drew ideas from places like the Mekong Delta floating markets where hundreds gather from along the coast to sell fruit, meat, teas, whatever a customer may need. Lunch pontoons with pots of bubbling soups bob alongside motor boats selling strong coffee or perhaps the occassional chicken.

Photo: Vladimir Tkalčić

I wanted to create that chaotic, lively market where customers link their motor rafts together and toss goods back and forth overhead. The frenetic port where Charlotte first encounters what is outside the fortified city life she knew was teeming with sights and smells and dangerous individuals.

It was the perfect setting for harrowing air battles and deadly chases amonst the fragile beauty of the clouds. Air ships, dirigibles, personal balloon craft all strung together in a dangling city above the fractured nation of the Peaceful Union.

Photo: Angelina Early

Among the drifters and outlaws in floating frontier Charlotte encounters fellow tinkerers, dangerous privateers, and Port Rodale's Sheriff Sebastian Riley, the man who tamed the wild sky settlement with a crooked smile and a revolver.

Looking to the wild west for that unpredictable frontier feel, Outer City's sheriff is a throwback to the iconic lawmen of the old boom towns. From his long dark duster jacket to the mechanical hand that sparks in the rain, Sheriff Riley is a true mix of steampunk mechanica and old west charm.

Outer City is just one of the fantastical places found in the world of The Blackburn Chronicles. I can'twait to show you more!

To celebrate the release, I'm giving away 2 free novellas that take you deep into the world of The Tremblers and gives a sneak peek of what's to come! You can find them here... Blackburn Chronicles Free Reads.

If you like epic stories with adventure, romance, and danger...check out, The Tremblers coming in 2018.

+RaquelByrnes

Airships, Calamities, & Giveaways!

Stop by the Speculative Fiction Cantina for a fun radio interview where we talk secret societies, global catastrophe, and air ship battles.

And don't forget to enter the GoodReads giveaway below for a chance to win a signed copy of The Tremblers!

Charlotte Blackburn—Beautiful, intelligent, a gifted tinkerer—lives in a cloistered world of wealth and privilege beneath the Electric Tesla Dome that shields survivors of The Great Calamity. But when her father is abducted, and a strange sickness starts transforming men into vicious monsters, she discovers that technology is no protection at all.

Ashton Wells has a dire mission: Secure Colonel Blackburn and deliver his research to The Order of the Sword and Scroll. But the plan goes awry, and he is left with nothing but the colonel's daughter who has a target on her back and is willing stop at nothing to rescue her father—including handing over to the enemy the only means to stop the monstrous plague.

Branded as traitors, Ashton and Charlotte brave the treacherous floating sky ports of Outer City to hunt down the elusive inventor, Nikola Tesla—the only person able to activate the strange device that harbors the secret to their salvation. 

With the government closing in, a rebellion brewing in the streets, and terrifying Tremblers attacking the innocent, the two must work together to stop their fragile world from crumbling once more into destruction.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Tremblers

by Raquel Byrnes

Giveaway ends January 31, 2018.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Can't wait for the contest to end? Download two FREE NOVELLAS that take you into the dangerous world of The Tremblers.