This 18 book collection by some of the most amazing authors was such a treat to read!  I loved the humor, heat, and you betcha - even the hockey that was represented in each story.  I have 2 book reviews that I am sharing from this collection for you below.

A Second Shot by Shannon Stacey:

Heartwarming and truly charming, this short and sweet story has us on our toes as we read about a couple who should be together, but have been apart.  Great read of sexy and fun. 

A Wolfe Brothers Christmas by Jami Davenport:

Little bit of suspense mixed in with a sweet holiday story that brings a lot of sexy charm to the table.  If you loved her men in their previous stories - you are going to be glad you grabbed this little bit of heaven.  I do recommend that you read the Game On In Seattle series first, however, to avoid spoilers.  Believe me this is worth it!  

Each short story included gives a unique and truly hockey flavored look at romance.  What I enjoyed most was that it gave me a chance to relax and enjoy love in my favorite sport.  I give this book a 4/5 Kitty's Paws UP!

***This ARC copy was given in exchange for an honest review only.

[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]

An interesting change of setting, mixing south-eastern Asia culture and various other aspects to engineering and more “steampunkish” elements. I appreciated this nice change of pace, so different from the typical corset & goggle aesthetics: though I still love the latter, variety is always good, and the whole steam/mechanical technology shouldn't be restricted to European or American settings.

Descriptions and characters mostly felt real enough, and I had no trouble imagining what their surroundings looked like. Some stories used “foreign” words whose meaning wasn't too difficult to guess, so it added to the immersion factor while not being overly confusing. A certain dichotomy also permeated this anthology, though in a harmonious way, in that several of the stories mixed technology with traditional or supernatural aspects: the Westerners' cold, rational technology as opposed to a technology combining magic or spirits to science. As simplistic as the first may seem, it still flowed well enough for me.

What I found lacking in this anthology is something I find both very difficult to achieve as a writer, and lacking in short stories in general: it came with a lot of excellent ideas, character concepts and backgrounds, but tended to leave the reader to dry by cutting off abruptly the narratives. I kept expecting either more of a punchline at the end of stories, or to learn that those had also been developed / were to be developed into novellas or novels later. As a result, I more than once reached the end of a story thinking “am I missing a few pages here?”

Favourite stories:

“On the Consequence of Sound”: though the ending was a bit predictable, I really liked the idea of using music to make items and ships levitate.

“The Unmaking of the Cuadro Amoroso”: exploring various ideas, such as artists that are also scientists (or is it the contrary?), science versus faith, an oppressive government, revenge, and a polyamorous relationship presented in a totally natural way.

“Working women”: a bit too abrupt to my taste in how events unfurled, however I liked its weaving of three women's stories, colliding through mechanical transformations, how society perceived them, and how they acted to (re)claim their own worth and independence.

Formatting: a few typos here and there, however I read an ARC, so this was probably to be expected. I don't know about the printed book.

I appreciate that our wee show got coverage! Thanks to Michele Brittany for the write-up and for the great pics!

. . . the setting, participants, and people who visited made it so. There was no big stress, it was a comfy, intimate venue, we brought tea, cookies, and music, we had our own kitchen, bathroom, mini-lounge area and Dalek (yes, full-grown Dalek---inert, thankfully), a breeze coming in through the windows, good conversation, and honestly, it was really nice to see all the genuine smiles.

Very, very different from doing a 50K+ attendee event, a mid-sized show, or even a mid-sized genre show. It was plain nice!

It heartened me to see people at ease and to listen to authors talk earnestly about their books. It was getting back to craft and leaving the commercial environment behind.

I shall insert pics ( now that I finally have a clue as to how :D ).

My table is actually to our right; I was lounging for a bit and happened to take this pic leading down to the entrance. Clockwork Couture, the li'l steampunk boutique-that-could, is a floor below us. This room is their community center and is still being renovated. But you can see how nicely the space is coming along. The space is also used to host workshops, gaming, photo shoots, and so on.

Hee hee! Dru is funny, she looks mischievous here, but I think she was going for sweet, which she is! I really liked her table set-up, and I loved her covers. After taking a look at the French version of the first Clockwork Heart book and hearing Dru describe her Icarus-winged heroine, I had to pick up her trilogy. Seated to our left from Dru Pagliossotti was Jaymee Goh and her Steampunk World anthology plus another multicultural speculative fiction anthology. To our right was Madeleine Holly-Rosing and her Boston Metaphysical Society comic book and novella series, then Patrick Scullin, creator of Super-Siblings and his latest, Pandamonium.

Okay, in linking to Boston Metaphysical Society's site I just saw Emily Hu's latest page (she's the artist). GOOD work.

Here we all are!

From L to R: Me (Elizabeth Watasin), Madeleine Holly-Rosing, Jaymee Goh, Dru Pagliossotti, and Patrick Scullin! (with Dalek photobomb).

If I could do just wee events like this, I'd be happy, but promoting oneself is a strange and necessary business. Anyone who knew me from my past life/career would never imagine I'd put on a hat, dress up, and actually talk to strangers in a public venue. I'm still not that person entirely but I'll do it because I have to. And it's not a matter of putting on a hat to be something for show.

It's about becoming the person you think you're meant to be.

I call this, "Me, the 13th Doctor, with Friend Dalek". :D

All the best, ~~eee

JOIN us! In lovely downtown Burbank (CA), as Johnny Carson would say, and meet authors, Makers---for there is also a Craft Faire (note that I wave the colourful flags to signify such)---try on steampunk couture 'n gorgeous accessories, drink tea, and take your picture with a TARDIS (Doctor may or may not be included).

Happening this SATURDAY, beginning at 12pm, appearing will be the lovely Dru Pagliassotti of The Clockwork Heart series, Jaymee Goh of Steampunk World, Madeleine Holly-Rosing of the Boston Metaphysical Society comic book series, Elizabeth Watasin (that's me) of the Dark Victorian series, and Patrick Scullin of Pandamonium! Location: https://clockworkcouture.com/
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1499465090306573/ Come and have fun!

***

All that said, I think this is the first event at which ICE DEMON: A Dark Victorian Penny Dread, will make an appearance! And it's so pretty, :D.