This is a sweet metaphysical steampunk story set in Paris. There is no sex or violence, and the characters are charming, interesting and well-drawn. It’s confidently written and edited, and has an unpredictable plot—apart from the HEA, but then, it is a romance. It’s also a mystery and a thriller and just a jolly good story in a steampunk/alternate history setting. I read the whole series and loved every bit of it. It’s a truly unique mix of popular elements. This part of the description gives you an idea of what it’s about: “Amid clockwork spy devices, threats from a mysterious society who’ll stop at nothing to conceal their secrets, and plots from a guild bent on stealing them, Edward and Iris’s attraction sparks and gains momentum. But betrayal awaits them on the road from Paris to Rome—and the revolutionary discovery they seek could grind their hearts to pieces. Warning: Contains a brilliant professor with a white-knuckle case of anxiety, a woman with an ahead-of-her-time … [Read more...]
Yay! Whoopee! The Locksmith’s Secret is OUT NOW & with a great review already.
My 9th book has just been published and it feels great. I can't believe I've actually written and had published so many books. Not only that but The Locksmith's Secret already has one review and its AWESOME. It's written by Amazon Vine reviewer, Dreambeast. It starts with: "In The Locksmith's Secret, Tahlia Newland has woven several narratives into a complex story about the joys and pitfalls of love and the enduring power of the imagination. ..." Then she goes onto talk about the story and she gives a really good summary of it. She ends with: "Newland interweaves all of these threads with consummate skill. Not once do they get tangled. Not once does the suspense flag, which is especially impressive in a contemplative novel like The Locksmith's Secret. The credit goes to Newland's mastery of narrative structure, to her concise and transparent prose that is eloquent without ever drawing attention to itself, and to her wonderfully varied and complex characters. The worlds … [Read more...]
Friday Free Web Fiction: Ephemeral city
Every week in Friday Free Web Fiction I post a first draft scene from my work in progress (WIP), or a short story, or an excerpt from one of my books. Today’s offering is from my Prunella Smith WIP, Past Worlds, The Lock Smith's Secret. I’m in outer space, walking down in the middle of a road in an unlit transparent city. Skyscrapers tower over me on both sides of the road, but the city is empty, not a soul in sight. No furniture fills the rooms and no lights shine to reveal the emptiness. Deep space surrounds this city which stretches on and on around me, perhaps to infinity. And I can see it all, like an artist’s drawing showing only the outlines faintly white against the darkness. A drawing with perfect perspective, lines converging into vanishing points everywhere I look. Through the walls and roadways galaxies swirls and stars twinkle. This cannot be a real place, and yet it is. It exists somewhere, if only in a dream. Is it a dream? I expect so, but the thought does not eject … [Read more...]
