Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
On the eve of Halloween, I have a very special treat for my readers & visitors – especially those who are following #SpooktasticReads this year – as @WyrdAndWonder kicked-off our first mini-event which played against a theme of spooktacular stories befitting being read throughout October and leading straight into the last 13 days til Halloween! It is a spookified time of the season – a time where there are veils being revealled between worlds, where the paranormal & supernaturally inclined readers dig into thrilling suspenseful reads whilst our favourites from years past run on our televisions as both serial tv and motion picture haunt us or thrill us depending on the story we’re watching take over our mind on the screen!
These are the days where digging into the darker realms is part folly for course and where all of us try to keep ourselves rooted in the Light even if our imaginations start to run a bit more wild on the edgier side of Literature and Film!
What drew me to this story is the premise of course – as all stories first have to capture my heart & give me something fittingly unique to be reading. A character arc andd journey; a dramatic revelation expected, a cheeky relationship being built despite mistrust & the curious ways the heart flutters despite our head’s intention to keep us distant and of course, the interplay of the world-building itself – of how this is a bridge into a realm I already love (Steampunk) to cross itself into #VampireRom (a new PNR interest of mine since I first read ‘Dance Until Dawn’) and a dash of werewolf lore I’m still sorting out how I feel ever since I was emotionally overwhelmed by ‘Twilight’ during Nanowrimo, 2008!
I previously disclosed my appreciation for PNR stories whilst I was highlighting a Dark Fantasy novel about the fey – another selection I felt was fitting for #SpooktasticReads.
The curious bit of course is how despite my reservations about dipping into the realms of Vampires & Werewolves – there are certain authors who intrigue me. Either by writing a genre-bender (such I would consider this one to be) or by giving such a hearty premise of cross-appeal that for a reader like me whose on the *fence!* if she can walk into this darker realm of Paranormal Romance (PNR) it is something to consider – as there are keen elements of what I do love to find in a story of this nature. The cheekiness of humour, the world-building aspects of the dimension explored, the interplay between the lead & secondary characters, the potential drama evolving into the forefront of the story itself and of course, those ‘elements’ which happily reside within the scope of the paranormal. The ones which are not as easily defined and have their own perimeters of existence.
As previously declared this is October – a time for finding #SpooktasticReads & the stories which might take us outside our comfort zones a bit whilst we embrace the spookier side of literature! I love Gothic stories & I do love the paranormal – sometimes I find myself drawn into stories which might tempt me past my own conclusions of how dark I want to read darker Fantasy & Science Fiction (or rather, Spec Lit in general without a definitive branch inclusively declared) and sometimes, I find a gem unexpectedly in a sea of choices, where a story can stand out, grab my eye and encourage me to ‘dive into the unknown’ – this novel felt like the kind I ought to take a chance on and I am thankfully blessed to be highlighting it through this conversation during our #WyrdAndWonder mini-event – this one just felt wicked fascinating!
To Catch A Rogue
by Bec McMaster
An impossible heist. A thief and a rogue. But will she steal his heart, instead?
The Company of Rogues finally knows the identity of the mastermind behind a plot against the queen—but their enemy is still one step ahead of them. When he kidnaps one of theirs, the Rogues plan a daring rescue mission that will lead them into the heart of the bloodthirsty Crimson Court.
It’s a job for a master thief, and there’s nothing Charlie Todd likes more than a challenge. To pull off the impossible, Charlie needs a crew, including the only thief who’s ever been able to outfox him.
He broke her heart. But now she must risk it all to save his life…
Lark’s spent years trying to forget her past, but the one thing she can’t ignore is the way a single smile from Charlie still sets her heart on fire. When he proposes they work together again, it feels just like old times, but she has one rule: this is strictly business.
It’s Charlie’s last chance to prove he can be trusted with her heart. But Lark’s keeping a deadly secret. And as passions are stirred and the stakes mount, it might be the kind of secret that could destroy them all…
Ocean’s 11 meets Dracula, in this sexy paranormal heist by USA Today Bestselling Author, Bec McMaster. If you like sexy paranormal romances, steampunk shenanigans, and plenty of action-adventure (vampires, dirigible flights, and steamy rooftop chases), then dive into this thrilling heist with Charlie and Lark.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781925491289
Published by Lochaber Press
on 30th October, 2018
Format: Audiobook | Digital, eBook
Published by: Lochaber Press
Formats available: Audiobook* and Ebook
(*) nearly all of the London Steampunk series is available in audiobook as I happily found them via Scribd which is where I was able to listen to the opening chapter(s) of Kiss of Steel and look forward to listening to more of the story. I am hopeful more of this duel series goes to audio eventually or becomes released into print – though I am partial to audio due to what I heard thus far. This is a predominately Digital First series – straight to ebook.
Converse on Twitter via: #PNR or #ParanormalRomance, #Vampires + #Werewolves
as well as #Steampunk or #SteampunkRomance + #genrebender
Series tags: #LondonSteampunk or #BluebloodConspiracy
The stories within the first half of this epic series
as sequences through ‘London Steampunk’:
Kiss of Steel (book one)
Tarnished Knight (book two)
Heart of Iron (book three)
My Lady Quicksilver (book four)
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Menace (book five)
Forged by Desire (book six)
Of Silk and Steam (book seven)
and continuing through: The Blueblood Conspiracy:
Mission: Improper (book one)
The Mech Who Loved Me (book two)
You Only Love Twice (book three)
To Catch A Rogue (book four)
Dukes Are Forever (book five) | *title forthcoming!
About Bec McMaster
BEC MCMASTER grew up on a steady diet of 80’s fantasy movies like Ladyhawke, Labyrinth and The Princess Bride, and loves creating epic, fantasy-based worlds with heroes and heroines who must defeat all the odds to have their HEA. If you like sexy, dark, paranormal romance, try her Dark Arts series; for some kick-bustle ladies-saving-the-day steampunk romance then check out London Steampunk; and for rocket-fuelled post-apocalyptic romance with a twist on the werewolf theme, then see her Burned Lands series.
Bec has been nominated for RT Reviews Best Steampunk Romance for Heart of Iron (2013), won RT Reviews Best Steampunk Romance with Of Silk And Steam (2015), and Forged By Desire was nominated for an RWA RITA award in 2015. The series has received starred reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal, with Heart of Iron named one of their Best Romances of 2013.
Brew your favourite cuppa & enjoy this Spooktacularly Interesting Convo:
As I recently saw ‘Labyrinth’ for the first time with a friend of mine – watching together whilst one of us was stateside and the other was in Scotland (updating via live synced tweeting) – what were your favourite bits to the film and what do you miss about not having as much physical special effects like the puppetry infamously attached to a Jim Hensen project? What do you think it was about these cherished films which inspired you into writing your own realms of the fantastical?
McMaster responds: I’ve always adored fantasy-based stories, whether that’s movies or books, which is a trend started by my Dad. He was a mad Trekkie, and introduced me to a lot of fantasy movies (Princess Bride, Labyrinth, Star Wars etc.) when I was a kid. We still have movie dates now, though I’m returning the favor by introducing him to Marvel.
I think one of the things I love most about Labyrinth is the concept; normal kind-of-bratty teenager forced to enter a dark and dangerous fantasy world to save the brother she wished away. At every step she’s tempted to give up, or give in to the wiles of the Goblin King. I love dark, dangerous heroes, but I absolutely adore that moment when Sarah stands up to the Goblin King and says, “You have no power over me.” Because I want my heroines to be just as strong as the heroes, to not back down on their pursuits, no matter how tempted they are.
Also, who did not have a crush on the Goblin King?
I love the imagination of Jim Hensen films, and ‘80’s fantasy in general. They were fearless. They produced some crazy stuff. Some dark, crazy stuff (Dark Crystal, anyone?). One of the most enjoyable aspects about writing fantasy-fuelled romance is playing around with world-building. You’re not just scratching the surface, but diving headfirst into some really dark worlds, and that’s probably the fantasy lover coming out in me.
The titles of your London Steampunk: Blue Blood Conspiracy series has quirky pop cultural references – either to Mission Impossible or James Bond. How did you conceive of both the titles and premises for this spin-off series but also, how does this series fit alongside the original London Steampunk series?
McMaster responds: To be honest, I was having fun one day playing around with title concepts, and since the series is focused on a group of spies/thieves/assassins, I was toying with a spin on some of the James Bond and Mission: Impossible titles, and that was how the titles came about.
The first London Steampunk series dealt with humans and mechs rising up to overthrow the cruel blue blood aristocracy who rules London.
The spin-off series deals with the consequences of that action, and uncovering a mysterious group who want to return London to its previous status, when blue bloods ruled.
To combat this mysterious threat, the Duke of Malloryn puts together a highly-skilled team of individuals (humans, mechs and rogue blue bloods) who call themselves the Company of Rogues—much to his disgust.
How would you best describe both series to a reader who is new to your writing and is confused about the key points of what tether this world together such as the blood taxes, why you need to be a blue blood in order to be safer than most of the populace and why doesn’t the Queen have more power of rule?
McMaster responds: In my world, the male aristocrats of England (and many other European countries) infected themselves with the craving virus (which makes them stronger, faster, impervious to sickness etc. but brings with it the blood craving), so it’s a twist on the vampire mythos and the English ton. The blue bloods are not vampires, but evolving into them, so to speak. Once they reach that state, they’re executed, as my vampires are vicious, bloodthirsty monsters who can no longer think rationally.
Humans pay their taxes in blood, which creates a seedy underbelly preying on the poor in London, and they’re considered cattle in some respects. Debutantes aim to be granted a thrall contract—where they will be provided for and looked after in exchange for their blood rights. Society is governed by strict laws, but in reality, nobody is safe.
In the first series, the human Queen was a puppet controlled by the corrupt prince consort, and the Council of Dukes who rule the city. It’s a very male-dominated culture and in keeping with 19th Century attitudes, women are considered too emotional to deal with the primal urges that come with the craving (I have a couple of blue blood heroines who would like to strongly dispute this theory). So the Queen is a caged bird, and the only thing the blue bloods truly fear is the fury of a human mob.
I love delving into a world full of glittering chandeliers and ballrooms, dark fog-clad streets, and steam-fuelled factories, where the monsters wear cravats and the human underclasses dream of overthrowing them.
What kind of species is a verwulfen and how do they differ from the mechs of your world? What was one of the challenging aspects of creating both within the series?
McMaster responds: Verwulfen are similar to blue bloods, in that they are stricken with the loup. They’re insanely strong, ferocious, loyal and ruled by the wild within them (think werewolves, without the actual transition). They’re mostly found in Scandinavia or the Germanic states, and are the one creature a blue blood fears.
Mechs are humans who have bio-mech body parts and organs, and are thus considered less than human. While a mech limb or organ might save their life, they have to work off their mech debts in the steam-fuelled enclaves which create the clockwork army the blue bloods use to keep the human classes in check.
Both hate the blue blood aristocracy.
Who is your favourite character within the Company of Rogues and why do you think they give you the most joy to write about? What is it about them which stands out? Their personality or their approach to life?
McMaster responds: The Duke of Malloryn is definitely one of my favorite characters to write! He’s a blue blood aristocrat who fought to overthrow the corrupt prince consort in the first series (they’re not all bad), and he’s the head of the Company of Rogues. He’s this delicious Machiavellian character who will get his comeuppance in the final book of the series, Dukes Are Forever, when he meets his match in the woman he was forced to marry.
I think I enjoy writing him so much, because he’s this cool, aloof character, who has so many hidden layers. What makes him tick? What made him fight for the underdogs to overthrow a class system that only benefitted him? Plus, I adore the chemistry between him and Adele, his new wife. Marriage of convenience between two enemies? Yes, please.
What drew you into creating your own variant of a Steampunk Victorian world and what did you want to do differently as you approached writing the back-stories for your world? What did you want to do to insert your readers into a world they could nearly ‘touch’ through your descriptive narrative?
McMaster responds: I’ve always had this idea tickling away at the back of my head about a vampiric aristocracy, and when I melded it with a steampunk-flavored world, it all came to life in my head.
I love paranormal romance, but I wanted to put a twist on the vampire/werewolf mythology, and having both elements be a disease, with strong societal impacts was probably my point of difference. It’s interesting to explore the concept of what it’s like for a paranormal creature to be an actual terrifying monster. My vampires are rotting, bloodthirsty creatures, and every blue blood knows he faces that fate eventually, when the disease overwhelms him. I love delving into the fear of that, how one conquers that, and controls the primal beast inside oneself. And whether there is a cure….
For me, writing is like watching a movie in my head and trying to translate that onto the page, so I think because I’m so in the story those descriptive elements come out naturally.
I had a good chuckle over reading about how “To Catch A Rogue” was equated to ‘Ocean’s 11 meets Dracula’ as the latter is a book I’m reading for the first time this Autumn whilst the former was a cheeky film franchise to follow – the latest of which Oceans 8 I still need to watch. What do you think curates this connection between the two and what will readers happily find familiar in this release?
McMaster responds: It’s a fun and easy way to give readers a loose understanding of what the book is about: vampires in a Victorian-era world; and a group of outcasts going up against the powerful elite, to pull off a heist right beneath their nose. Except, they’re rescuing someone, and not stealing something!
It sounds like Lark and Charlie have been in a bit of a dance round their romantic connection – what can you share about how their relationship has had a bit of a start/stop or failure to start completely over the years they’ve known each other? In other words, what is holding them back from believing in what they feel for each other?
McMaster responds: Oh yeah, Lark and Charlie were so much fun to delve into! Best friends facing the realization they’re no longer children, but adults, with all the fun of dealing with hormones, and sudden feelings that might not be strictly friendship-based anymore?
Lark and Charlie were teens when they met in the first book, Kiss of Steel. Instant friends and allies in their quest to drive everyone in their extended new family crazy, Lark is an orphan with several dark secrets she’s been keeping to herself, and Charlie’s the handsome, charming brother of Kiss of Steel’s heroine.
Lark’s the tomboy who was mortified to discover she had feelings for her best friend, knowing he’d never look at her in that way; and Charlie’s still trying to get over the guilt of having her “uncle” sacrifice his life to save Charlie’s. They’ve spent several years apart following her uncle’s death, but now he needs her help to rescue a friend, and all those old feelings resurface.
So. Much. Unresolved. Sexual. Tension.
What aspects of the paranormal can we expect to find throughout the Blue Blood Conspiracy series and specifically which aspects are relevant to know will be appearing in “To Catch a Rogue”?
McMaster responds: Vampires, verwulfen and spies, oh my….
Most of the series has been spent exploring the bloodthirsty, aristocratic world of London. To Catch A Rogue is the first book to step outside London. The Company of Rogues are heading to the Crimson Court in Russia to rescue one of their own, and if you think the London ballrooms sound dangerous, you’re in for a treat…
The cover art on your series is wicked impressive – who did your artwork and how much input did you have as the covers were created? Did they read samples of the stories or did something else inspire the designs?
McMaster responds: Thank you! I love my covers and the gurus at Damonza.com do an amazing job. Mostly, I hand them a directive, they give me a couple of cover drafts, and we work from there. A lot of what they’re working with is stock images from sites such as Shutterstock, and it can be difficult to find the “right” hero.
For To Catch A Rogue, I saw an exclusive image posted on the FB page of a photographer I follow, and that was the Charlie in my head, so I had to have it. Damonza then took that image and melded it with the brief (spies, tension between the hero and heroine, Russia etc.) The worst part was choosing which draft to work with, as they were both beautiful, so I had asked for feedback from my FB readers group, and that was the preferred draft.
As your novels are cross-released into print and ebooks, do you have plans to produce the two series for London Steampunk into audiobooks? If so, what kind of audiobook are you hoping to create – a direct narrative or a theatrical one with sound effects? Or even a cast of narrators rather than a singular one?
McMaster responds: The original London Steampunk series is currently available in audiobook via Tantor Publishing (and features the wonderful Alison Larkin as a narrator). I’m hoping to produce the second series in audiobook form, though my agent is currently shopping the rights, so it will depend if they sell—or whether I will sub-contract a narrator to do them myself.
I think the original series is direct narrative, so I would probably continue with that style, and a single narrator.
What kinds of stories do you love to read for pleasure and which authors draw your eye the most?
McMaster responds: I love anything fantasy-based, so I read widely between Urban Fantasy, Fantasy and YA Fantasy. I think there’s some really original world-building in YA these days, and a lot of very intriguing anti-heroes/heroines. I love Holly Black and The Cruel Prince is amazing; Jay Kristoff’s Nevernight series is phenomenal and the heroine, Mia, is this murderous little beast living for revenge—I love her; Ilona Andrews has dropped some amazing books this year (Iron and Magic and Magic Triumphs); and I’m about to dive into Grace Draven’s Phoenix Unbound, which has been my reward book for finishing To Catch A Rogue.
When your not writing or researching your stories, what uplifts your spirit the most to feel renewed?
McMaster responds: I love story in any form, so I enjoy watching movies or TV series with my partner. We’re currently absorbed in Peaky Blinders, and Cillian Murphy plays the deliciously complex Tommy Shelby, so he’s my current obsession. I adore complex characters.
Apart from that, we have a small farm and we’ve recently been re-fencing, which is not quite as inspiring, but now it’s done, it feels rewarding. We spend a lot of time out there, and it’s nice to be out in nature.
I would like to thank Ms McMaster for her generosity in answering my enquring questions about her series & especially how she made this series feel tangible to a curious reader who hasn’t yet ducked into her worlds – except for a brief foray into listening to the audiobook version of “Kiss of Steel” during #SpooktasticReads – a readathon hosted by @WyrdAndWonder.
This book blitz is courtesy of:
Most of the blitzes I host for this touring company have giveaways attached to them, which is why I route to the main page via Xpresso Tours as an easy reference for where you can find that information.
Find others hosting via @XpressoTours!
I am enjoying being a new hostess for:
Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers. This also extends to Book Spotlights & Book Blitzes which I choose to highlight which might have content inclusive to the post materials which I did not directly add a contribution but had the choice whether or not to feature those materials on my blog.
{SOURCES: Book cover for “To Catch A Rogue”, author photograph of Bec McMaster, author biography, blitz tour banner and host badge were provided by Xpresso Book Tours and are being used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Conversations with the Bookish banner and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2018.
Comments via Twitter:
#PubDay Author Interview | Bec McMaster converses with Jorie about a book series befitting a wicked good addition to #SpooktasticReads! Join us as we discuss her latest installment: “To Catch A Rogue”! https://t.co/fEZebeQQUz pic.twitter.com/VoW8BLmpYR
— Jorie Story | #amwriting?? (@joriestory) October 30, 2018
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- #SpooktasticReads 2018
Thanks for hosting today! :)
Happy New Year, Giselle!
This was an interview I was quite proud I could host for the blog tour – as it was lovely getting the chance to talk to the writer who really loved talking about her stories! She gave me so much in return, it was a delight to share this with everyone following the tour!! I look forward to continuing to host for your authors – may you have a wonderfully wicked New Year’s — many happy returns to you!