Selwyn Place: A short steampunk adventure in the Magnificent Devices series


Book Description

A country house party. A broken friendship. A debt that must be paid in blood. When Lady Emilie Selwyn invites Andrew and Lady Claire Malvern to her very first country house party, Claire is delighted to offer her help—until she discovers that Peony Churchill is also on the guest list. But in supporting one friendship, perhaps she can repair another, and the rift between herself and Peony might be mended. But when Andrew and Claire arrive at the manor, an unexpected guest is among their number. A guest with violent connections to an old crime in Claire’s past. Revenge might be a dish best served cold, but Claire will not allow anything to chill dear Emilie’s first foray into society. Even if it means that the Lady of Devices must come out of retirement once again .... Selwyn Place is the 14th book in the Magnificent Devices steampunk series. Books 13-16 are short reads in the “Manor House” miniseries and can be read separately. No strong language, just a very proper kiss or two and a satisfying solution. If you like books by Gail Carriger, Lindsay Buroker, or Emma Jane Holloway, you’re in the right place. Enjoy!







Carrick House: A short steampunk adventure in the Magnificent Devices world


Book Description

Who said life is but a dream after the wedding? Married eight months, Lady Claire Trevelyan and Dr. Andrew Malvern are blissfully working together on a new invention, and providing a home for a collection of street sparrows. Then Claire’s mother, the redoubtable Lady Jermyn, arrives with her family in tow and expects to stay indefinitely ... Peony Churchill turns up on the doorstep with valise in hand ... and raffish cousin Claude comes for a visit ... While separately any of these would be most welcome, together they are overwhelming. Claire and Andrew flee to Athena for a bit of breathing room. But the last thing they expect is to have their airship hijacked ... with Claire’s little brother Nicholas still aboard ... Carrick House is the 13th book in the Magnificent Devices steampunk series. Books 13-16 are short reads in the “Manor House” miniseries and can be read separately. No strong language, just a very proper kiss or two and a satisfying solution. If you like books by Gail Carriger, Lindsay Buroker, or Emma Jane Holloway, you’re in the right place. Enjoy!




Gwynn Place: A short steampunk adventure set in the Magnificent Devices world


Book Description

A life-changing surprise is in store for the family at Gwynn Place ... The winds of change are blowing—Lady Claire is a big sister again with the arrival of little Caroline, and eight-year-old Nicholas is preparing to go to Eton. In an effort to make up for his less than heroic conduct at Holly Cottage, Nicholas's tutor Alden Dean offers to see the boy safely along his journey. But Nicholas never reaches Eton, and Alden Dean never returns. Old enemies have not forgotten old slights, and they’ve chosen the perfect moment to strike. Their aim: To force Claire and Andrew to give up the Helios Membrane, an invention that can change the fortunes of an entire country. The Lady of Devices is not the only Trevelyan with wits and courage. As the danger mounts, can this ingenious and courageous family tip the balance between power and love, and save more than one life? Gwynn Place is the 16th book in the Magnificent Devices steampunk series. Books 13-16 are short reads in the “Manor House” miniseries and can be read separately. No strong language, just a very proper kiss or two and a satisfying solution. If you like books by Gail Carriger, Lindsay Buroker, or Emma Jane Holloway, you’re in the right place. Enjoy!




Magnificent Devices


Book Description

Book 3 of the Magnificent Devices series! An air voyage to remember turns into a disaster no one may survive. With her orphaned charges, Lady Claire Trevelyan joins the Earl of Dunsmuir's family on an airship voyage to the Americas. If she can stay out of Lord James Selwyn's way until her eighteenth birthday, she will be of age and cannot be forced into marriage. What she doesn't know is that Lord James is in the Americas, too, with Andrew Malvern closing in on him-and the wonderful device he stole. But when a storm cripples the airship and air pirates swoop in like carrion birds, Claire and the children must live by their wits to make their way across a harsh landscape. Will Andrew ever see her again and right the wrong he believes he has done? Will Lord James succeed in his monumental thievery? And how exactly does Rosie the chicken evade the soup pot? Tighten your goggles, pull on your gloves, and prepare yourself for stratagems and strangeness! "An immensely fun series with some excellent anti-sexist messages, a wonderful main character (one of my favourites in the genre) and a great sense of Victorian style and language that's both fun and beautiful to read." -Fangs for the Fantasy: The latest in urban fantasy from a social justice perspective, on Magnificent Devices







Holly Cottage: A short steampunk adventure set in the Magnificent Devices world


Book Description

A man with a past ... in love with a woman with a future... Maggie Polgarth astonishes everyone at Carrick House when, in a bid for independence, she buys a plot of land and a cottage near Vauxhall Gardens. From one decision, change ripples outward in the flock. Maggie transfers her scientific studies from Munich to London, leaving Lizzie behind. Two of the street sparrows leave the Malverns’ protection to go with her to her new home. And most significant of all, she meets a man who is not only well educated but also kind and handsome. But the south bank gangs have not forgotten the Lady of Devices. If they cannot touch her, it’s only a matter of time before they take their revenge on someone closer to hand. Jake Fletcher McTavish will risk his own life before he allows anyone to harm a hair on Maggie's head. He’s not afraid of the gangs and he’s a dab hand in a fight. But how can he show Maggie that his feelings run deeper than those of a brother? And how can he protect her when she seems to prefer the company of her new suitor—a man who is everything Jake is not? Holly Cottage is the 15th book in the Magnificent Devices steampunk series. Books 13-16 are short reads in the “Manor House” miniseries and can be read separately. No strong language, just a very proper kiss or two and a satisfying solution. If you like books by Gail Carriger, Lindsay Buroker, or Emma Jane Holloway, you’re in the right place. Enjoy!




Magnificent Devices: Manor House Quartet


Book Description

This quartet collection features four novellas set in the Magnificent Devices world, an edition of more than 400 pages. Home may be where the heart is, but sometimes it is also where the greatest danger lies … Married eight months, Lady Claire Trevelyan and Dr. Andrew Malvern are blissfully working together on a new invention, and providing a home for a collection of street sparrows. In Carrick House, they escape an onslaught of unexpected guests and sleep aboard Athena. The last thing they expect is to have their airship hijacked ... with Claire’s little brother Nicholas still aboard. In Selwyn Place, Lady Emilie Selwyn invites Andrew and Claire to her very first country house party. There, they meet a guest with violent connections to an old crime in Claire’s past. She will not allow anything to chill dear Emilie’s first foray into society—even if it means that the Lady of Devices must come out of retirement once again. In Holly Cottage, Maggie Polgarth astonishes everyone by buying her own home near Vauxhall Gardens. But the south bank gangs have not forgotten her connection to the Lady. Jake Fletcher McTavish will not allow anyone to harm a hair on Maggie's head. But how can he show her that his feelings run deeper than those of a brother? Lastly, in Gwynn Place, eight-year-old Nicholas departs for his first year at Eton—and does not arrive. As the danger mounts, can this small member of an ingenious and courageous family tip the balance between power and love, and save more than one life? If you like old-fashioned adventure, brave women, clever children, and strong-willed chickens, you’ll love this quartet of novellas set in the Magnificent Devices world. Fangs for the Fantasy says Claire is “a wonderful main character (one of my favourites in the genre)” and the series has “a great sense of Victorian style and language that’s both fun and beautiful to read.”




Off the Grid


Book Description

Off-grid isn’t a state of mind. It isn’t about someone being out of touch, about a place that is hard to get to, or about a weekend spent offline. Off-grid is the property of a building (generally a home but sometimes even a whole town) that is disconnected from the electricity and the natural gas grid. To live off-grid, therefore, means having to radically re-invent domestic life as we know it, and this is what this book is about: individuals and families who have chosen to live in that dramatically innovative, but also quite old, way of life. This ethnography explores the day-to-day lives of people in each of Canada’s provinces and territories living off the grid. Vannini and Taggart demonstrate how a variety of people, all with different environmental constraints, live away from contemporary civilization. The authors also raise important questions about our social future and whether off-grid living creates an environmentally and culturally sustainable lifestyle practice. These homes are experimental labs for our collective future, an intimate look into unusual contemporary domestic lives, and a call to the rest of us leading ordinary lives to examine what we take for granted. This book is ideal for courses on the environment and sustainability as well as introduction to sociology and introduction to cultural anthropology courses.




Mindhacker


Book Description

Compelling tips and tricks to improve your mental skills Don't you wish you were just a little smarter? Ron and Marty Hale-Evans can help with a vast array of witty, practical techniques that tune your brain to peak performance. Founded in current research, Mindhacker features 60 tips, tricks, and games to develop your mental potential. This accessible compilation helps improve memory, accelerate learning, manage time, spark creativity, hone math and logic skills, communicate better, think more clearly, and keep your mind strong and flexible.