I had a wonderful time in Columbia SC this past weekend. The South Carolina Book Fest was top notch all the way. I met so many great people. Thomas Riley sold in record numbers and I have to say I'm really excited to go back next year. (I'm going to blog a full report soon.) Huge thanks to everyone at Echelon Press and a special thanks to Rebecca Wood for all her hard work.

Next up: MidSouthCon in Memphis, TN where I'll be vending and speaking at three panels.

- Saturday    5:00 PM    Steampunk 101    Steampunk fiction is on the rise. But what puts the punk' in Steampunk?

- Saturday    7:00 PM    To Market, To Market    Finding the one that fits your work.

- Sunday    2:00 PM    Coloring Inside the Lines    Intellectual Property: What does it take to write creatively in someone else's world?

As always, enlist to be a Sky Pirate here.

And get your signed copies of Thomas Riley and Sky Pirate Patches here.

My short YA series of steampunk stories is out on Echelon Press Shorts. It's a quick download and it's very cost effective. Only $3.00. The Young Alchemists: Mister Corinth's Laboratory, is part one in an ongoing short story series which has two young inventors in the same town as Thomas Riley and Cynthia Basset. Click here to order.

Here's the blurb:

The land of West Canvia is thick with the tension of war. Spies and hit-and-run insurgents roam the streets. Knox Wallingford dreams of being a scientist and inventor like his idol Thomas Riley. While his parents are away fighting in a war, Knox’s not-so-perfect mechanical inclination runs him into a new friend, Lizzy Strauss, another unlikely student of science and technology. When they witness a would-be kidnapping, they rush to the rescue, using their wits and budding scientific prowess to thwart the attack. But this is just the beginning. Knox and Lizzy are given a mysterious key to a laboratory with untold devises and scientific knowledge. Pursued by a strange man, they have to keep the laboratory’s secrets safe before they fall into the wrong hands.

Also, be sure to order your Blood Countess Sky Pirate patches in the shop section of this site. (You can also get signed copies there.)

ENLIST AS A SKY PIRATE HERE

I had a wonderful timeat Chattacon! I just found this picture of the Steampunk Literature Panel I was on with the lovely and talented Emilie Pormen Bush, Kathryn Fernquist Hinds.

Sadly, due to the ice, my signing at Davis Kidd in Nashville today has been canceled in case you were planning on coming. Thanks to everyone that was planning on attending. I'll let you know when it's rescheduled.
Be safe,
Nick

I'm so impressed with everyone. I can't thank everyone that bought a copy of Thomas Riley enough. The response has been overwhelming and I appreciate every one of you as well as the people that have signed up as Sky Pirates.

Here are my first quarter tour dates. Keep in mind that there will be more added, but as it stands the next 3 months are filled. Now if you have enlisted as a Sky Pirate and if you attend any one of these events and are wearing your Flight Credentials, you will automatically get something special which I will talk about later. So come out, say hello and remember to sport your flight credentials!

January 8-10 ShadowCon- Memphis TN

January 16 The Bookstore- Huntsville AL 12:00-2:00PM

January 16 The Mechanical Masquerade- Atlanta GA 8:00PM-Midnight

January 22-24 Chattacon- Chattanooga TN

January 30 Davis Kidd- Nashville TN 2:00-6:00PM

February 6 Books A Million- Madison TN 12:00-3:00PM

February 12-15 The Southern California Writers Conference- San Diego CA

February 20 The Little Professor Book Center- Birmingham AL 12:00-2:00PM

February 26-28 The South Carolina Book Fest- Columbia SC

March 5-7 Stellar Con- Highpoint NC

March 12-14 MidSouthCon- Memphis TN

March 17-21 Virginia Festival of The Book- Charlottesville VA

March 27 Borders- Brentwood TN 12:00 - 3:00PM

You can still get signed copies of Thomas Riley HERE

I've been getting a lot of requests for Sky Pirate patches. So I decided to take it a step further. Not only will you soon be able to get Official Sky Pirate Patches, but there will be an officer's program complete with different ranked patches and merit awards. I'll let you know how to get your patches as well as lifting your rank next week when they come in. Until then, enjoy the prototype:

The books have arrived! Many thanks to all that pre-ordered a copy, it's currently on it's way to you. Soon Thomas Riley will be available everywhere but this is where you can get signed copies that will be shipped within 24 hours of your order.

Please make a note of who you would like the book signed to when placing an order. Thank you again to all that ordered!