Books-n-Kisses is please to let Nico Rosso take over the blog today.
Take it away Nico…..
We’ve seen it thousands of times in Western books, films, and television shows. The hero in the white hat thunders across the dusty prairie to save the damsel in distress. Born from American history, the cowboy and his lady have become lore. Gunfighters, sheriffs, homesteader women and saloon girls are legendary now.
I’ve always had an affinity for Westerns, a love that was passed down by my dad. Films like Shane and Hondo and the books that inspired them were always around his house. When my wife, Zoë Archer, was working on her first Ether Chronicle book, SKIES OF FIRE, and we were building the steampunk world and technology, it got me to thinking about what this fantastic genre could do to the classic Western story.
For me, it was a perfect match, and I’m really excited to be writing the Western side of the Ether Chronicles. Imagine the classic story of the evil mining company trying to buy the land away from the honest homesteaders. They try to fight back, but the company is just too strong. Until a lone gunman shows up to help the homesteaders. Of course there’s a woman who captures the heart of the gunman, too.
Now imagine this story pumped full of ether. That’s what I did for NIGHT OF FIRE, taking each aspect of these classic tales and finding the steampunk spin in it. Instead of a evil mining company trying to buy land, it’s now an evil mining company’s fifty foot rolling mining machine that’s threatening to eat through the very town of Thornville, California.
The hero, Tom Knox, doesn’t come riding in on his horse, he comes flying in on his ether borne mechanical Sky Charger. And the heroine isn’t just there to be saved. No, Rosa Campos has a gun in her hand and the sheriff’s tin star on her chest. She might be more dangerous than the giant mining machine when she sees Tom. They’d been lovers until he disappeared without a word three years ago.
Steampunk injected a very new life in these classic Western characters and scenarios and gave me a great opportunity for creating inventions and technology. So my question to you is: what part of the Western do you hold close to your heart and what other genre (steampunk, paranormal, etc.) would you like to see blended with it?
Thanks, and good luck.One lucky commenter will win a free copy of NIGHT OF FIRE.
Night of Fire
The Ether Chronicles #2
“Night of fire, night of passion”
US Army Upland Ranger Tom Knox always knew going home wouldn’t be easy. Three years ago, he skipped town, leaving behind the only woman who ever mattered; now that he’s seen the front lines of war, he’s ready to do what he must to win her back.
Rosa Campos is long past wasting tears on Tom Knox, and now that she’s sheriff of Thornville, she has more than enough to do. Especially when a five-story rock-eating mining machine barrels toward the town she’s sworn to protect.
Tom’s the last person Rosa expects to see riding to her aid on his ether-borne mechanical horse. She may not be ready to forgive, but Rosa can’t deny that having him at her side brings back blissful memories even as it reignites a flame more dangerous than the enemy threatening to destroy them both
I can be found here: http://nicorosso.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nico_Rosso
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nico-Rosso/113422452057013
Want a chance to win an E-copy of Night of Fire? Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below
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Congrats on the new release. How many books will be in the series? This book sounds really intriguing. Can’t wait to read it.
e.balinski(at)att(dot)net
Thanks, Joanne! Right now, there are five books planned for the Ether Chronicles. My Westerns are books two and four and Zoë’s are one, three and five. Between the two of us, there are a ton of adventures in exotic places, from steampunk San Francisco to airships over Arabia. Hope you enjoy!
Congrats on the new release. The book looks great. This is a new author for me. Thanks for the giveaway. My questions are: do you prefer to write series or stand-alones? What is your favorite genre to write?
Thanks, Chris! To answer your questions, I prefer to write in series. I really enjoy the process of coming up with a world and thinking about all the stories that take place in it, so one book never seems like enough. I like a lot of genres, but right now, I’m really digging the steampunk Westerns. It’s a great place for cool heroes and heroines to go on adventures with interesting technology.
Congratultaions on your release .Look forward to picking it up it sounds like an amazing read.Thank you for this chance to win .Have a great week.
Appreciate it, Wanda! Good luck with the giveaway.
The book looks great and I LOVE the premise – Im all about the SciFi!!
GL and great interview
Kerryjcj@verizon.net
Yeah, SciFi is a ton of fun. And the steampunk is a cool way of taking it to the familiar Westerns with a new spin. Hope you enjoy the story.
I would love to read this book. It sounds very good.
Hi Nico, thanks for the interesting guestpost. I also loved reading Louis l’Amour books when I was younger, and have fond memories of them.
How would you translate the classic scene of a wagon train circling, and attacking indians? Would you give the indians or the colonist the steampunk advantage?
Hi, Aurian. That’s an interesting scenario. Because the Native Americans were so good at adapting new technology to their needs, I think it would be interesting to put the steampunk elements in both their and the settlers’ hands. That way we could see how each group used it and it might even the odds in the conflict as well (which would increase the tension because the outcome wouldn’t be a foregone conclusion). What do you think?
The Steampunk genre is relatively new to me. i have only read one book so far and have to say it certainly fascinated me. I think this new twist on the familiar will be and awesome addition to my world of escapism. Thank you for taking the time to share with us today. I am looking forward to reading Night of Fire and entering the world of the ether 🙂
Escapism is what it’s all about, right Denise? I hope the Ether Chronicles can do that for you, either with my Westerns or Zoë’s tales. Thanks for checking it out.
Night of Fire sounds like a fantastic mix of some of my favorite things, Western action, Steampunk, and romance. I’m looking forward to reading this latest Ether Chronicles story.
Hope you enjoy the adventure, Barbara!
Congrats on the new release!!! My husband was just picked up by CHBB publishing so I know how exciting the new release time can be. I love finding new authors to add to my to read list. I look forward to checking this out.
That’s awesome news for your husband, Brandy! Congrats to him. Hope you enjoy the steampunk. I have sci-fi and post-apocalyptic romance out there as well, if that’s more to your taste.
Congratulations!!!
I’d like westerns to be mixed with paranormal. Since that’s such a wide genre, it can be vampire, shapeshifter, ghosts. I think it makes a book very interesting to contain two genres,
historical and paranormal, futuristic and shapeshifter.
Thanks for a chance to win.
luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com
Thanks, Julianne! I agree that mixing genres makes things interesting. That way, you never know what might happen because there’s more than one set of rules. Good luck with the giveaway.
Wow, the book looks great. I always love finding new authors that I might love. Hopefully that will be you. 🙂
I hope so too, Jennifer. Thanks for checking the book out.
I love the idea of a woman sheriff! All books I’ve read are men…sounds like a great read!
I hope you like Rosa. She was a blast to write, sure and strong and thoroughly badass.
I like Westerns for the cowboys. I think a steampunk cowboy would be interesting.
Well, I think Tom Knox might just be the guy for you.
I’ve not read any of Nico’s books. This one sounds like a great read. Will check Nico’s books out. Thanks for the chance to win.
Thanks, Jeannie!
Western and steampunk huh? That makes me think of that Will Smith movie Wild, Wild West. I also liked that Cowboys and Aliens movie. Huh, I never have thought about it but I like most anything blended with a western.
The TV show that the Wild, Wild West movie was based on was steampunk before anyone anyone had named it. I agree that Westerns are a great place to mix stories, so many opportunities for cool characters and settings.
do you find it easier or harder to mix the paranormal with reality?
Carin mawmom(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for the question, Carin. I like mixing paranormal with reality and find it easier to write. Having a character who isn’t familiar with the paranormal elements is a great way to bring the reader into the world, learning as that character does.
So, no loofahs in this book?
Not in this one, but I just wrote a steampunk hot tub into the next story, so that’s kind of close.
i love cowboy…hot guy…steamy books and great love story…
so i hope iwin this book…
luv it !!!
I’d say the appeal of the Western is the loner with the moral code who rides into town who ends up defending it against the baddies who threaten to take over. Have yet to see one arrive on a mechanical horse and am curious as to whether bio horses have gone extinct or whether mechanical horses are stronger, faster, etc And how are they powered?
The biological horses are still alive and kicking. The main advantage to Tom’s Sky Charger is that it can fly, held aloft with ether tanks and propelled by a small engine turning a fan. But he’s still the loner with a gun and a code, returning to town. That hasn’t changed.
I love the premise of the story. I’m not a huge fan of traditional westerns so this adds an interesting twist! Can’t wait to read the rest of the book…