Excerpt: Steam Palace

PRUDENCIA STRATTON: She wants to become a noble woman, no matter what the cost.

THOMAS PUTNAM: Thrown out of the Air Corps due to a crippling injury, he seeks a new life as an airship engineer despite enduring prejudice against the disabled.

DUKE DUSTAN KILLINGWORTH: He's searching for the perfect mate to complete his plan of world domination.

QUEEN MAGNOLIA: A stranger in this land, she's all that holds New Britannia's tenuous alliance with her native Freeland together.

EXCERPTS:
First line: Before the aeroship even touched earth, Thomas had jumped off, rolled onto the ground, and started sprinting towards the cave from which emanated a cacophony of fear.

The big fellow found purchase, and sprung towards Prudencia in leaps and bounds. She timed her swing to coincide with his arrival, and was rewarded with a solid thwack to the side of his head. He yelped and rolled, then launched himself at the stick she wielded. He snatched it in his powerful jaws and tore it from her grasp in a fount of growls and canine imprecations. Now defenseless, Prudencia turned to run, but before she took a single step, two wolves jumped on her back, snatching her cloak in their jaws and tearing it from her. She rolled over to see a massive wolf jumping at her, when he literally exploded in mid air in puff of pink and grey. The air shook from the report of a firearm. Another beast lunged at her, and he, too fell victim to a shotgun blast which nearly decapitated the poor brute.

A breathless man ran in from outside. "My Grace! My Grace! Disaster has struck! The whales--they're gone!"