Ghost Machine – Kristen Brand

Steampunk Books and Other Updates

This is a quick update to let everyone know that The Ghost Machine and Clockmaker are currently unavailable, as I’ve made the decision to end my contract with the publisher.

I debated letting this moment pass quietly without an announcement, but I think it’s important on social media to post both the good and the bad. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan, and that’s okay.

I won’t go into detail but will just say that I’ve gotten the rights to both books back. I haven’t decided how I’m going to re-release them yet, since I don’t think I have the energy for a third launch of the same novel. I might just throw them back up for sale, or put them into a new combined edition, or hide them on a secret page on this website that can only be accessed after solving an elaborate series of riddles. I’m still thinking about it. Continue reading Steampunk Books and Other Updates

The Ghost Machine is live! (Again)

Haven’t felt a chill run up your spine in a while? Missing the ghostly whispers in your ear? Is there a lack of menacing metal automatons in your life?

The Ghost Machine hasn’t been for sale over the past few months as Silver Empire Publishing prepared it for a grand re-release, and release day is today, my friends! The Ghost Machine is back online, ready to give you haunted castles, airship battles, and a heroine solving mysteries while wearing a frilly Victorian nightgown (as gothic heroines do).

If you’ve already read it, this new release doesn’t have any changes to the actual content. But if you’re curious or are one of the readers who’ve emailed me about why it’s not available for purchase, now’s your chance to download a copy for your Kindle or Kindle App. Continue reading The Ghost Machine is live! (Again)

Shocked by The Ghost Machine Kickstarter

So my publisher set up a Kickstarter to fund the relaunch of The Ghost Machine and Clockmaker earlier this week. I was originally intending to write this post to ask everyone to consider helping it reach its goal of five hundred dollars, which I was worried it would never manage, but… well…

It met its goal 24 hours after launching.

It’s currently marching towards the $750 dollar stretch goal, which gives all backers a copy of my short story, The Strange Stairs at the Aldebourne Estate. Head over to Kickstarter to see the full range of rewards, which include ebook copies if you don’t already have them, along with signed paperbacks and hardcovers. (Have I mentioned how excited I am to have print editions of my books? I’m pretty excited.)

A big thank you to all the backers, and to everyone who supported these books the first time around. You guys are the best!

Where are my steampunk books?

My apologies if you’ve clicked the link to buy The Ghost Machine or Clockmaker recently and found that the books have vanished from Amazon. They’re unavailable at the moment–but don’t worry, they’re not gone for good.

They’ve been picked up by a publishing company and are getting ready to be republished–yay!! I’m thrilled that they’re getting a second chance and a bigger opportunity to reach new readers. As they move closer their re-release dates, you’ll hear the news here first, and if you’re waiting to buy them, thank you in advance for your patience!

7 Favorite Book Aesthetics

I’ve become a little obsessed with book aesthetics.

You may have noticed this already if you follow me on Twitter, where I’m all over #ThursdayAesthetic every week. If you’ve never checked out that hashtag, you really should. It’s full of gorgeous imagery, and I’m blown away by the talent of the author community. Every week, one of the hosts announces a theme, and writers create an aesthetic based on it for their books.

I’m not that good at it, but I don’t let that stop me. 😉 Practice makes perfect, and I like to think I get better every week. Either way, I have a lot of fun, and I want to share some of my favorites that I’ve made so far. Continue reading 7 Favorite Book Aesthetics

Creating a Book Cover: The Ghost Machine

A good cover alone doesn’t make a good book.

I’d wager there are plenty of books out there with gorgeous covers that were quickly forgotten because the story inside didn’t live up to the captivating image on the front. But on the flip side, amazing stories go overlooked everyday because the cover is ugly or bland.

A cover has a critical job: to get readers to pick up the book.

As an indie author, I have complete control over my covers. This is great, because I won’t end up in one of those situations where the publisher chooses an inaccurate or just plain bad cover, and the author can’t do anything about it. This is also terrible, because I’m a writer, not a designer or marketer, and I don’t always know what type of cover will sell best. And I pay for the cover up front, so if the book doesn’t sell, I don’t get that money back.

What I’m trying to say is this: trying to figure out the best cover for your book can be… stressful. Continue reading Creating a Book Cover: The Ghost Machine

Book Review: Cold Stone & Ivy

You know that feeling when you finish reading a certain book? When you just have to tell everybody how awesome and amazing it was? You’re a reader, so you know what I mean

I finished Cold Stone & Ivy: The Ghost Club by H. Leighton Dickson a little while ago. I was in a bit of a reading slump beforehand, and boy, did this novel shake me out of it. Take a look:

Book Description

Jack the Ripper gave her his heart. Now he wants it back.

The year is 1888, the clockwork British Empire is crumbling and young writer Ivy Savage has literally received a heart in the post. Terrified, her father sends her north to a strange sanitarium in Lancashire where the brilliant but unpredictable “Mad Lord of Lasingstoke” makes his home. Continue reading Book Review: Cold Stone & Ivy

Free Short Story: The Braden Banshee

You know the feeling of finishing a good book? You loved it but end up depressed that it’s over, longing to spend more time with the characters.

If I did my job right, that’s the feeling you got at the end of The Ghost Machine. And do I have good news for you.

The Braden Banshee, a short story set after the end of The Ghost Machine, is available for free in the latest issues of Mirror Dance Fantasy Magazine. You can read the whole thing online here.

The basic premise is that Ella, working as a spirit medium after everything that happened in The Ghost Machine, is hired not to do a seance but to banish a banshee to prevent the death its wail foretells. There are plot twists, steampunk machinery, and ghosts, of course. I hope those of you who liked The Ghost Machine will enjoy another gothic adventure with Ella Rosenfeld. Continue reading Free Short Story: The Braden Banshee

Announcing the Secret Stairs Anthology

You mustn’t talk about the stairs.

There they stand, surrounded by nothing but forest, pristine as the day they were built. No sign remains of any other structure around them, no ruins of long forgotten buildings. They look… wrong. They feel wrong. Bad things happen if you get too close. Horrible things.

You must never, ever ever talk about them.

Thirty-four of today’s best up and coming writers provide wonderfully unique interpretations inspired by the urban legends of the Internet age. Tales range from science fiction to fantasy, horror to mystery, and one writer even penned a romance!

But you must never tell anyone about the stairs!

Last year, I came across a call for short story submissions about stairs in the woods, the urban legend of creepy stairs standing alone in the middle of a forest. Inspiration struck, and I wrote a story about Ella and Viktor from The Ghost Machine. Set after the events of the novel, it features a mysterious staircase that’s the center of ghostly happenings, and–well, you’ll just have to read it to find out. 😉 Continue reading Announcing the Secret Stairs Anthology

The Ghost Machine Sale and Extras

Hey, guys! If you haven’t read The Ghost Machine yet, it’s on sale for 99¢ this week as part of the promotion for Clockmaker‘s upcoming release. Grab the ebook off Amazon before it goes back up to $3.99 this weekend.

Also, I had so much fun making a Pinterest board for Clockmaker that I decided to make one for The Ghost Machine, too. Check it out to see pictures of beautiful Victorian Era gowns, steampunk robots, and spooky scenery.

Finally, here’s a bonus look at one of my early drafts of The Ghost Machine‘s first chapter. It’s not as drastically different as that early draft of Hero Status that I posted a while back, but there are still some interesting changes.

The Ghost Machine was originally an epistolary novel told entirely through diary entries and letters like Dracula or The Woman in White. When early beta feedback pointed out that format killed the tension, I changed it to a regular novel with letters and journal entries spaced throughout. Continue reading The Ghost Machine Sale and Extras