Authors To Watch: Rie Sheridan Rose Author THE MARVELOUS MECHANICAL MAN #authorstowatch

Rie Sheridan Rose multitasks. A lot. Her short stories appear in numerous anthologies, including Nightmare Stalkers and Dream Walkers Vols. 1 and 2, and Killing It Softly Vols. 1 and 2. She has authored twelve novels, six poetry chapbooks, and lyrics for dozens of songs. These were mostly written in conjunction with Marc Gunn, and can be found on “Don’t Go Drinking with Hobbits” and “Pirates vs. Dragons” for the most part–with a few scattered exceptions.

Her favorite work to date is The Conn-Mann Chronicles Steampunk series with five books released so far: The Marvelous Mechanical Man, The Nearly Notorious Nun, The Incredibly Irritating Irishman, The Fiercely Formidable Fugitive, and The Elderly Earl’s Estate.

Rie lives in Texas with her wonderful husband and several spoiled cat-children.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://riewriter.com/  and https://theconnmannchronicles.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RieSheridanRose
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheConnMannChronicles/

 

The Marvelous Mechanical Man is the first book in a Steampunk series featuring the adventures of Josephine Mann, an independent woman in need of a way to pay her rent. She meets Professor Alistair Conn, in need of a lab assistant, and a partnership is created that proves exciting adventure for both of them.

Alistair’s prize invention is an automaton standing nine feet tall. There’s a bit of a problem though…he can’t quite figure out how to make it move. Jo just might be of help there. Then again, they might not get a chance to find out, as the marvelous mechanical man goes missing.

Jo and Alistair find themselves in the middle of a whirlwind of kidnapping, catnapping, and cross-country chases that involve airships, trains, and a prototype steam car. With a little help from their friends, Herbert Lattimer and Winifred Bond, plots are foiled, inventions are perfected, and a good time is had by all.

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We welcome you to My Bookish Pleasures! Can you tell us how you got started writing fiction? 

The first thing I remember writing was a short story based on a dream I had. I think I premiered it as a spoken word piece at camp when I was eleven or so. I started writing my first novel about the same time, and eventually published a much revised version about twenty-five years later. So, basically, I’ve been writing as long as I remember.

Describe your writing process. Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? When and where do you write?

I am basically a pantser. I might know the basics of where I am going, but rarely the specifics. This makes the process more interesting for me, as I am often surprised by the way the story twists and turns. The main character of my short story “Grandmother Clause” literally made me cry with an unexpected act of selfless kindness... 

Most of my novels were originally drafted for National Novel Writing Month—including The Marvelous Mechanical Man—and I strive during those drafts to do about a chapter a day ending on a cliff-hanger of some sort to pick up for the next day’s word count. This method seems to work fairly well for me.

Can you tell us about your book tour release?

I edited this question a little because The Marvelous Mechanical Man is by no means my latest release, but it is the one I wanted to “pump up” with this tour. The Marvelous Mechanical Man is the first book in the Steampunk series, The Conn-Mann Chronicles. There are currently five books in the series, and a spin-off novel in revisions. The book tells the story of Josephine Mann, a young woman in 1870s New York City. She’s down to her last five dollars and looking for work when she runs into Professor Alistair Conn who is looking for a lab assistant. It’s a match made in chaos as Jo tries to organize the absent-minded professor’s lab and meddles in the creation of the marvelous automaton, Phaeton, that is Alistair’s crowning achievement. It’s non-stop action involving airships, trains, and a prototype steam-car among other inventions. Plus, it features my cat in a pivotal role. I am biased, I know, but I really love this series.

How did you get the idea for the book?

The basic idea to write Steampunk came from my writing partner who challenged me to do this for NaNoWriMo. Then I added the layer of writing a novel in First Person, which I had never done before. As I say, this book was originally written several years ago, and I am terrible about blogging, so I can’t find any specifics on why an automaton, but I did have the basics of Jo and Alistair’s characters and the series title The Conn-Mann Chronicles in mind from the beginning. Originally, as I recall, there was to be a bit of confidence man involved, but the characters would have nothing to do with such immoral endeavors.

Of all your characters, which one is your favorite? Why?

I think it has to be Josephine Mann. She’s so delightfully opinionated and yet compassionate and practical. I honestly am never sure what she is going to say.

I have other characters I really love—Stefan in The Luckless Prince, Daisy in Skellyman, Dazzle in Mutiny on the Moonbeam—but none compares to Jo. I actually took a little doll of her with me to Dublin for WorldCon last year, and a larger model is a frequent con-goer (along with Alistair and the cat)

What was the most challenging aspect of writing your book?

The most challenging aspect was doing the whole book in First Person and trying to stay true to that. Making sure Jo didn’t tell us anything she couldn’t know--like what was going on in someone else’s head. Third person is so good about allowing that, but First is technically only supposed to include what the narrator knows or observes. It’s been a lot of fun when Jo changes her mind due to new data.

What projects are you currently working on?

Currently, I am revising the spin-off story I mentioned above while my editor looks over one of my orphans I want to polish and re-release. I also have two novels--a fantasy romance, and a contemporary romance--that need revising. I have been writing a space opera on and off for about thirty years, and I hope to one day finish that. And I am working on a chapbook of poetry titled Life in a Time of Quarantine. Plus, waiting for Jo to be ready to sit down and write Book Six of The Conn-Mann Chronicles. So, not a lot. ;)

What advice would you offer to new or aspiring fiction authors?

There really is value to the phrase “Show, Don’t Tell.” It’s very hard to understand though. I highly recommend the book Understanding Show, Don't Tell: (And Really Getting It) (Skill Builders Series Book 1) by Janice Hardy. I love this book. It’s the first one that really explained this concept clearly. Even after twelve novels, this book was extremely useful to me. (So much so that, when a cat knocked it into a sink full of water, I got another copy.)

Don’t be afraid to try things. Challenge yourself to do something you’ve never tried before--write in a different point-of-view; write a genre you’ve never explored; research something new. This is one of the fun aspects of writing.

Last, but most important, never consider your first draft final. The first draft is building the skeleton of the story. Then you send it to trusted (and knowledgeable) beta-readers to find out where you need work. Revising is where you put the flesh on the bones and make it pretty. 

I am the first to admit that I used to hate editing and revisions. I thought it was a real chore. But once I realized how much fun it can be tweaking the rough edges and making everything polished and professional, that’s now my favorite part. And it can make all the difference. One more story to illustrate this.

I wrote a story for an anthology that I really wanted to be part of. I liked the story, but I didn’t know if it was any good or not. I sent it to one of my favorite beta-readers and she told me she liked it...but what if I took it out of Third Person and made it First instead? I tried it, and it made a WORLD of difference. The story grew exponentially in power and depth--and it was accepted. Your mileage may vary, but it just goes to show how important this advice can be for new and experienced authors alike. :)