Kady Cross's Blog, page 4
June 15, 2011
June 7, 2011
Photos from The Girl in the Steel Corset release party!
Looking fierce with Dr. Grymm
With one of the posters for the event
Odd expression, but check out the skulls on my parasol!
With fellow CTRWA member Gerri
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May 9, 2011
German Cover for THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET
I like it.
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May 5, 2011
May 4, 2011
Looking for Some *Steamies*
In case you don't subscribe to the newsletter (and why wouldn't you subscribe?), or perhaps missed it, I'm amassing an army. An army of 'Steamies' — fans of THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET and Finley Jayne's world. Basically I'm looking for readers to form my street team. These will be people who distribute promotional material in their area, spread the world about signings and events, and just basically advertise the book in their own way. I'm not asking anyone to go through a lot of trouble, and only ask that readers do what they're comfortable doing.
That said, there will be some compensation for being a Steamy! Special sneak peeks at the books before they're released, special giveaways and Steamy-only merchandise. Plus, I'm working on having an exclusive Steamy section of the website. If you're interested in being part of the Steamy Street Team, simply email me using the form on the Contact page and put I WANT TO BE A STEAMY in the subject line. If you've already emailed me, no need to do it again. I'll be compiling all recruits and sending an email out to you shortly.
Meanwhile, make sure you let your local bookstore know that you want a copy of THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET!
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April 19, 2011
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne
Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined…
An ebook exclusive prequel to The Steampunk Chronicles.
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April 14, 2011
March 30, 2011
Excerpt from The Girl in the Steel Corset
Bent low over the gleaming steering bars of his velocycle as he sped through the rainy darkness of Hyde Park, Griffin King felt a faint ripple of warning in the Aether a split second before the girl ran right out in front of him. The rune tattoos he had to heighten his senses and abilities blazed with heat, calling out the danger just in time.
He swerved, jerking hard on the bars to avoid her, but it was too late. The glare of the headlamp slashed across her surprised face and then she was thrown through the air as he struggled to maintain control of the machine and failed. The notched wheels tore into the ground as the cycle tipped to the side, tossing him to the path before skidding to a halt several feet away.
The leather duster he wore protected him from being torn up by gravel as he slid and rolled on the rough ground. When he finally came to a stop, he lay sprawled on the wet grass just for a moment to catch his breath and spit out the dirt that had flown into his mouth.
"Is she alright?" He called out, as he gingerly rose to his feet, flicking mud and grass from his leather gloves. Nothing was broken, but he still felt as though he'd been slammed into a brick wall, and tomorrow he'd have bruises to match.
In the glow of the light from the second cycle – this one upright and braced on its support bar — he saw his friend, Sam Morgan, kneel over the prone body of the girl. From this angle all Griff could see around Sam's large frame was a pair of long legs incased in tall, thick soled leather boots and orange and black striped stockings. Servant's garb.
At eighteen, Griff was at an age when all he should be concerned with was ensuring his allowance lasted a full term at Oxford. His parent's death had made him the Duke of Greythorne at age fifteen, subsequently making him all too familiar with what servants wore, since he'd recently had to hire new staff. There were some chores machines couldn't do – or weren't wanted to do — and those demanded a host of human employees, all of whom were designated by the uniforms they wore. Orange and black made her a ladies maid. Too exalted a position for this girl to be out alone at this time of night.
"Sam?" He questioned, favoring his left leg as he moved closer to the pair. "Is she alright?"
"Got a pulse," his friend's low, laconic voice came from beneath the dripping brim of his hat as Griff crouched beside him. "It's steady, but she's bleeding. So are you."
Pulling his smudged goggles down so they hung around his neck, Griff glanced down. His blood, coming through the shredded left knee of his trousers, glistened bright red in the light. "I'll be fine. I'm more concerned about her."
"Did you see her face?" Sam demanded, taking a handkerchief from his jacket pocket. "She looked almost wild."
Griff had seen her face – just before he hit her. There had been something wild in her features. Something fierce and beautiful as well.
"What was she running from?" Sam asked, as he pressed the linen against the wound on her forehead. It was bleeding heavily. "Or who?"
Griff glanced at the girl whose head was cradled in his friend's large hand and saw the red mark on her rain-soaked cheek, the blood at her mouth. Injuries from the accident, or something much more intentional?
Regardless, until he was certain she was unharmed, she was his responsibility.
"We'll take her with us," he decided, lifting the limp body into his arms.
"You reckon that's wise?" Sam, Griff knew, wasn't being cold, he was being practical. They already had enough to worry about with the recent robbery at the British Museum, and tension within their own little group. Adding this girl and her troubles into the mix could only make things worse. Strangers were always an issue in his house. Always the fear of someone uncovering too much.
"We can't leave her." It was as simple as that. Although, they could take her to a hospital, but Griff's honor wouldn't allow that. Besides, something told him not to let this girl out of his sight, and he'd learned to trust his instincts. The times he hadn't always ended badly.
Are Griffin's instincts right or wrong? Will he regret his decision rescue the girl? Find out in THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET — May 31st from Harlequin Teen!
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February 17, 2011
December 1, 2010
Welcome!
It seems as though I've been waiting forever to get this site up and running, because I started thinking about it immediately after I sold The Girl in the Steel Corset to Harlequin Teen back in 2009. The book won't be out until June, 2011. That seems like such a long time, but really it's only 6 months, and I still have a lot to do to prepare for it.
If you poke around the site you'll find lots of links to other YA writers and Steampunk sites. As the release date draws closer I'll be adding more and more of these links, plus more news, more info on the book — and tons of extras. I'm starting to gather prizes for release day giveaways as well. Sign up for the newsletter (form on the left) to be kept up to date and to be entered into subscriber only events.
I'd love to show you the cover, but it's not finalized yet. As soon as I'm given the go ahead I'm going to post the gorgeous thing for all to see! I'm so excited about it. Now, I may not be able to share art, but I can share a little snippet of The Girl in the Steel Corset. This is from Chapter One when Finley Jayne realizes that the son of her employer plans to do her harm — and Finley's darker self rises to the occasion:
Something inside her stretched and pulled – still fighting to get out. There was no point in denying it anymore. She had been raised in a loving home, with her mother and step-father — a kind and honest man who doted on them both. He would never dream of such violence – no good man would.
But Lord Felix August-Raynes was not a good man. And it was time someone taught him a lesson.
The warm rush of familiar power brought a slight smile to her battered lips. She gave up all attempts to keep it reined in. It was the only way she'd survive this night with her virtue and bones intact. It was as though she was watching herself from a perch on the ceiling; All she could do was observe as her other self took over. Her boots shifted on the bare floor, right foot forward, left foot back and pointed out. She raised her fists.
"Coming back for more, eh?" Felix grinned at her. "I like a little fight in my girls."
She grinned at him, causing blood to dribble down her chin. "Then you're going to love me."
Kady Cross, copyright 2010
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