Dr. Truth & the Logical Lady by Sarah Raplee

SARAH RAPLEE

My first two manuscripts are Romantic Suspense novels. Not only do I naturally lean toward writing Romances with suspense plots, I have discovered that I like blending genres into complex stories that surprise my reader.

Curse of the Neahkahnnie Treasure, published in the Anthology LOVE & MAGIC from Windtree Press, is a historical paranormal romance with a suspense plot. A pirate's curse brought Samantha and Harrison together in the search for a fabled treasure. How will they elude the ruffians chasing them,win the race to find the treasure and get past its supernatural guardian? 

See what I mean?

A few years ago I discovered Steampunk Romance, a SciFi mashup of Victorian Historical Romance, steam-powered and/or clockwork inventions, airships, other SciFi or Paranormal elements, mad scientists, rebellion and alternate histories (and more.)

It was love at first read: The Parasol Protectorate Series by Gail Carriger, the straight Steampunk novels Boneshaker and Dreadnought by Cherie Priest, the Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare (which includes horror elements.) l devoured them all.

This new-to-me subgenre of Romance appealed to my cross-genre-loving writer’s soul. My first short story with a few Steampunky elements was a (FREE) Valentine’s Day flash-fiction piece entitled The Telltale Heart (forgive me, Edgar Allen Poe!) It was a blast to write and reader feedback was overwhelmingly positive, but there was no suspense plot—only SciFi and Paranormal elements. A clockwork heart holds three lives in the balance.

My second, longer Steampunk Romance short story is An Ill-Advised Experiment, a pure Steampunk Romance with no suspense plot. Dr. Franklin Stein’s bride, Prudence, wagers everything on her husband’s loving trust.

I have done the Pre-Writing for a Steampunk Romance novel entitled The Mad Scientist’s Daughter (planned for release in Fall 2015 from Windtree Press) (which title may change because I discovered a current book with that title at B & N yesterday. Drat!)

FINALLY, a Steampunk Romance with an action-packed suspense plot! Why the return to suspense? I love writing fast-paced stories that are heavy on action and dialogue. In Victorian Portland, Oregon, rebellious sixteen-year-old artist Sojie insists she hates her mad scientist mother for inventing a time machine that lost her father and brother somewhere in the Future. However both Sojie and her brother’s strange friend, Jett, know the accident was Sojie’s fault—yet for reasons of his own, Jett has kept her secret for five years. When a newspaper article inspires Sojie to run away to Idaho in search of a man and boy who may be her father and brother, Jett insists on accompanying her on the airship, leaving their scientist mothers to deal with the consequences of new experiments into re-animating the dead. Will Sojie and Jett return in time to save their mothers from a lynch mob?

For my New, FREE Short Story available July 18th at Free Reads from the Genre-istas (& Friends), I decided to write a prequel to The Mad Scientist’s Daughter describing the circumstances under which the heroine’s parents (both physicists) met in May of 1860.

Dr. Truth and the Logical Lady
In 1860, how will Dr. David Truth and Henriette Lafleur,the logical lady he meets on a soon-to-be-hijacked airship, foil a plot to assassinate Mr. Lincoln, Republican Nominee for President of the United States?

Thank you for reading my post today. I hope you will visit Free Reads from the Genre-istas & Friends on July 11^th to read my Steampunk Romantic Suspense story. Let me know what you think in the comments!