Happy Birthday, Heart of Brass

You may have heard a rumour that books take a while to get published.

This is what I looked like around the time I finished the first draft of HEART OF BRASS:

This is what I looked like when the finished book was shortlisted in the Text Publishing Prize (editing takes a while too):

And this is what I looked like when the book was accepted for publication, after quite a bit more editing:

Yep, the book is slightly older than my four-year old.

On the other hand, the period between meeting my publisher and being in print was lightning fast, taking less than a year.

As of today, the book is fully released in both print and digital formats. You can buy a digital copy from Amazon or Kobo, or buy a physical copy from Odyssey Books, who will post it anywhere in the world.

If you’re confused about the order of all my steampunk stories, here’s the lowdown:

Each one is designed to stand on its own without spoilers, but HEART OF BRASS was written first.

In-story chronological order:

1. Choices: And Their Souls Were Eaten. An interactive story set in 1837 Europe, to begin release as a subscription story (with new sections each week until it’s finished in 2017) by Australian gaming company Tin Man Games in August 2016 (at the time of writing it hasn’t started yet). I like to pretend the player character is Emmeline’s relative. It will be available as an app for itunes or Android.
2.  Heart of Brass. A young adult steampunk novel set mainly in 1854 Australia. Emmeline Muchamore’s origin story. Available digitally on Amazon, Kobo, etc, and you can buy physical copies through Odyssey Books, who will post it anywhere in the world. There will definitely be a second and third book in the trilogy, most likely published in October-ish 2017 and 2018.
3. After the Flag Fell. A printable interactive story that won the 2015 Windhammer Prize. That version is free here, and an updated version is included with all editions of Heart of Brass. It is set immediately after the events of Heart of Brass.
4. Attack of the Clockwork Army. An interactive story that takes place in the 1860s, mainly in Australia. It allows you to play as one of Emmeline’s siblings if you wish (which will cause spoilers if you haven’t read Heart of Brass) or as an original character in a slightly different and spoiler-free reality. Available here as an app for any device, or it can be read on your browser.

5? Stuff and Nonsense. It’s likely I’ll write a silly interactive short story to go along with the official book launch on 27 August (it’ll be specifically designed to be played by two or more people/groups, ideally on foot in Canberra’s awesome Questacon science centre). It’ll cost $25 (or $5 if you’re a Questacon member), and RSVPing is strongly recommended!

Details to come…

So four (and a half) different stories, four different main characters, four different formats.

Strange but true!

Edited to add: I converted “Stuff and Nonsense” into a Twine game. You can read it for free here. Chronologically, it comes in between 3 and 4 above.

The second novel, SILVER AND STONE, will be released on 1 October 2017. It’ll be available via the publisher, stores, Amazon, kobo, B&N, etc etc.