Download the first Ulysses Quicksilver adventure for free!

New to the world of Pax Britannia? Then pick up the first Ulysses Quicksilver adventure Unnatural History for the eReader of your choice for free!

Action and adventure in a new Age of Steam! 

In two scant months the nation, and all her colonies, will celebrate 160 years of Queen Victoria's glorious reign. But all is not well at the heart of the empire. It begins with a break-in at the Natural History Museum. A night watchman is murdered. An eminent Professor of Evolutionary Biology goes missing. Then a catastrophic Overground rail-crash unleashes the dinosaurs of London Zoo. 

But how are all these events connected? Is it really the work of crazed revolutionaries? Or are there yet more sinister forces at work? Enter Ulysses Quicksilver - dandy, rogue and agent of the throne. It is up to this dashing soldier of fortune to solve the mystery and uncover the truth before London degenerates into primitive madness and a villainous mastermind brings about the unthinkable. The downfall of the British empire!

Pax Britannia at the London MCM Expo 2013

Pax Britannia* will be attending the London MCM Expo this weekend as part of the regular Steampunk contingent.

I will be there, selling my wares, and with my ever popular Steampunk Tombala and Book Lucky Dip in tow too. So if you're around, do stop by the Steampunk stand and say hello**.

(Rumours have it that Archimedes the robot parrot might be attending too.)

 And people ask me why I'm into Steampunk...

* Or, in other words, Yours Truly.

** Or even better, buy a book!

Germany loves Pax Britannia!*

What more do I need to say? It would appear that German readers have taken Ulysses Quicksilver and his exploits into their hearts.

My first steampunk novel has only been out for five minutes in its brand-spanking-new German edition, and yet it has already received three 4 star and two 5 star reviews on Amazon.de which say nice things like this**:

"Exciting! Unnatural History is like a colourful bag in terms of genre, there are some horror elements that make a hair stand on end, but to also enjoy the classic adventure novel, with a wink. In addition, the allusions are gorgeous."

"Pax Britannia is a rather ingenious homage to Pulps. It is a real pleasure to see the many allusions... Whether because dinosaurs are shipped from the Lost World in the London Zoo, the personal physician of Queen Victoria, a certain Doctor Moreau is, it's just funny."

"Quicksilver looks like a cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones and rushes from one action scene to the next, without the story suffering. The novel is a summer blockbuster in book format."

"Steampunk + agent + London seems almost to be a standard for the genre. But the big difference to other novels is the year in which the action takes place. Not the end of the 19th Century, but in 1997. It is a completely different approach."

"The book offers a colourful action-packed story with witty and wacky ideas. I have enjoyed reading it and look forward to continuing with the series."

"Unnatural History is not easily pigeonholed. It is a blend of Steampunk, Thriller, Adventure and Horror, topped with a good sense of humour."***

You can pick up your German edition of Unnatural History here, or the old-fashioned English original as part of The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus Vol. 1 here.


* Which is ironic when you consider what happens later on in the series...

** At least that's what Google Translate tells me they say.

*** A bit like me really.

Unnatural History launches in Germany

That's right! Volume 1 of the Ulysses Quicksilver chronicles officially launches today in Germany, courtesy of German language publisher Luzifer-Verlag*.

This is the first foreign edition of one of my Pax Britannia books, and the first of all my published titles to be translated into German.**

Despite the fact that it's not supposed to be out yet, the book has already received a number of rave reviews from German-speaking fans.

To order your German edition of Unnatural History, follow this link.

* Who has already expressed an interest in translating Leviathan Rising into German too.

** There was some interest from a French publisher some years back, but he decided the books were just too English for a French market!

Steampunk Saturday: Weekend at the Asylum 2013

So, this time last week I was in Lincoln once again for Weekend at the Asylum 2013*. This year I headed up at stupid o'clock Saturday morning but upon arrival was met by a host of familiar faces (many of whom appear in the slideshow below).

Lincoln By Night

Both Saturday and Sunday saw me hosting panels about Steampunk fiction, which were better attended than in previous years, with one of them taking over the main hall of the Lincoln Assembly Rooms. It was great to catch up with old friends, and make new ones, even if I did manage to avoid meeting The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, even though that stopped by the stall I was sharing with Mr Kit 'Major Jack Union' Cox and Miss Emily Ladybird.

Archimedes Lumière watching over the Pax Britannia stand, which included Dr Feelgood's Tonic Stout Fudge

Other highlights included being interviewed by Geek Syndicate, having a fan practically order me to write another Pax Britannia novel, and having one of my short stories not only appear in the annual Asylum short story collection - Ghosts of the Asylum, published by The Last Line - but also headline the collection!

Ghosts of the Asylum featuring the short story Signs & Portents, by Yours Truly

Once again, it was a wonderful weekend of mirth and merriment, and you can get just the smallest taster of what it was like by viewing the following magic lantern presentation...



* Or Asylum V as it was also being referred to.

Weekend at the Asylum 2013 - Day 2

I'll be at Weekend at the Asylum today, promoting Pax Britannia and selling my Steampunk novels. I'll also be running my already legendary Steampunk Tombola and my soon-to-be legendary Book Lucky Dip.

So, if you're at the Asylum (or even just happen to be in Lincoln), why not stop by the Assembly Rooms in time to join in with the panel I'll be taking part in today?

Steampunk Fiction

Sunday 15 September, 11.00 a.m.
(Assembly Rooms Main Room)

Authors talking about Steampunk in the written form on page and screen. Where is it now? Where do they see it to be going? With Toby Frost, Linzi Cooke, Raven Dane and Jonathan Green.

Maybe I'll see you there...

Weekend at the Asylum 2013 - Day 1

I'll be at Weekend at the Asylum today, promoting Pax Britannia and selling my Steampunk novels. I'll also be running my already legendary Steampunk Tombola and my soon-to-be legendary Book Lucky Dip.

So, if you're at the Asylum (or even just happen to be in Lincoln), why not stop by the Assembly Rooms in time to join in with the panel I'll be taking part in today?

Publishing, self, small or mainstream?

Saturday 14 September, 11.00 a.m. 

(Assembly Rooms Tennyson Suite)

Steampunk is a creative scene which attracts writers. How do you get published? Is self-publishing an option? What about setting up your own publishers? With Meg Kingston, Jim Snee, Sam Stone and Jonathan Green.

Doors open at 10.30 a.m. Maybe I'll see you there...