Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/L. A. Witt blog tour for Precious Metals, the second Klondike Gold Rush steampunk novella set in the same world as Noble Metals!

 

 

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off my backlist (excluding Precious Metals) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 2^nd, and winners will be announced on November 3^rd.  Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.

 

NOTE: I am in the process of relocating, and of course, I picked this week to make the drive from Nebraska to Seattle. As such, I’ll be at the mercy of hotel wifi and 3G signal in the middle of nowhere, but I will do my best to catch up whenever I’m stopped and/or when I reach my destination!

 

Tell us a bit about the world Noble Metals and Precious Metals are set in. What was your inspiration for them?

– Quite simply, the Klondike Gold Rush. It was a significant part of Seattle’s history (since most prospectors began their journey in Seattle), and since I grew up there, I read a lot about it in school, and I always found it fascinating. Getting from Seattle to the Klondike was grueling and dangerous, and I kind of liked the idea of adding some technology that should’ve made it easier, but actually made it harder. Thus, the mechs – little eight-legged flatbeds to carry gear – were clumsy and prone to breaking. Because really, what’s the fun of venturing into the Yukon without some machinery to make your life miserable?

Was writing steampunk easier or harder for you than writing contemporary?

– I’d say steampunk, like any sci fi/fantasy, is harder. With contemporary, the world is already built and it’s familiar. When you start dipping into made up worlds, suddenly you have to figure out things you normally take for granted—how they cook, what they wear, how they cope with extreme temperatures, etc. And when that made up world is partially made of a real historical world….well, let’s just say I’m a literary masochist sometimes. LOL

What was your research like for these books?

– Mostly brushing up on the Klondike Gold Rush. I knew a fair amount about it when I was in school, but those details have faded a bit over the course of *mumble* years, so I had to do some reading to jog my memory. And then I had to look into things like how the Mounties were organized and—most importantly—how they dressed. Because you can’t take off that red jacket unless you know how it goes on…

What is your favorite TV show?

– Burn Notice. Yes, I know, it’s over. And no, I still haven’t watched the last three episodes. I’M NOT READY TO LET GO. STOP JUDGING ME.

Are you excited about your upcoming move?

– Ooh yes! I’m counting down the hours until I get out of Nebraska, and cannot wait to get to Spain!

What are you working on next?

– As always, what am I not working on? I’m wrapping up a new hetero book and a sweet gay Christian romance (yes, you read that right), and then I’ll be diving into some co-written work with Aleksandr Voinov. We’ve got a WWII historical to finish, plus some Market Garden stories and the sequel to Hostile Ground. I’ll also be finishing up the sequel to Aleks’s Dark Soul series, along with a modern Mafia book of my own, and I seem to be going on a ménage bender these days.

 

 

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer currently living in the glamorous and ultra-futuristic metropolis of Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a disembodied penguin brain that communicates with her telepathically. In addition to writing smut and disturbing the locals, L.A. is said to be working with the US government to perfect a genetic modification that will allow humans to survive indefinitely on Corn Pops and beef jerky. This is all a cover, though, as her primary leisure activity is hunting down her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who is also said to be lurking somewhere in Omaha.

 

L. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).

 

PRECIOUS METALS Blurb:

 

For Constable Paul Benson of the North-West Mounted Police, monotony is a blessing. As a provision inspector below the Chilkoot Pass during the Klondike Gold Rush, he’s seen miserable conditions and gold fever turn civilized prospectors into madmen.

 

Joseph Starling is on his way to the Klondike to find the men who savagely beat him, murdered his eldest brother, and stole their mining machine. They’ll kill his youngest brother if Joseph doesn’t operate the machine for them—it won’t work without him. With time running out, Joseph must purchase an expensive ticket aboard a crash-prone airship. But the station is miles away through dangerous terrain.

 

Under orders, Paul grudgingly escorts Joseph, but quickly finds himself intrigued by the young man. As they make their way toward Juneau, it’s not just the need for warmth that drives them closer together. But neither man can draw an easy breath until they make it to the gold fields . . . and there’s no guarantee that Joseph’s brother will still be alive when they do.

 

Precious Metals is available October 27^th from Riptide Publishing. Also available: Noble Metals.

Read Carissa’s Review on Precious Metals HERE!