I was very privileged to get an "Advanced Reader Copy" of this one to beta... Could not put it down! It has the same wicked kind of appeal as George R.R. Martin .... It's the "Game of Thrones" of Steampunk!!!
5 QUESTIONS WITH KAT
Thom: First and most obvious question: Why Steampunk?
Kat: The question is: How can you not Steampunk?
I love the erotica realm to no end. I love writing the beauty of lovers- not strange and wild, but better- the tales of lovers that fight the instincts and give into the fate that magnetizes them together. When it comes to beauty, the settings and styles are endless when writing of passion and falling in love, but to me, the concept of Steampunk is the most beautiful. It is etched in passion, be it within the restricting corsets or the passion of technologies created in Steampunk literature. Embracing Steampunk for this book allowed so much room for colorful characters, tools, weapons, settings; and this is not a simple tale of lovers. This is a tale of love and passion intertwined with the despair of poverty, the twisted secrets of politics, and the mission of revolution- the mission to create it as well as the mission to contain it. I do not think I could have written as well in such depth without the punk elements.
Thom: You typically write erotic tales of sub/dom love, focusing on the female roles as submissive. How hard was it to switch gears and write, Zona, a dominate leader in the revolution?
Kat: I love this question. Zona is pretty bad. She is smart, sexy, and a natural survivor. One thing I knew for sure, was she would not be another female in a life altering situation with a sub-plot of being in love with two men at once. Zona shuts herself off from love. She has spent her life around the normal dominate male. What draws her near Adam is his innocence and submissive personality. Something about the tenderness allowed her to relax and submit for the first time in her life. Sadly, that comfort and alternating roles could lead to the demise of either one. I think the characters all show a balance of sub/dom depending on what they are faced with.. That is something I think most people neglect to see in everyday life, and to me, like Steampunk, sub/dom is beautiful. It was not hard at all to write. Zona lives in my soul, just like Adam lives in my heart.
Thom: Without asking about the ending specifically, will there be a follow up novel?
Kat: Yes. A rewind of sorts and totally different. I am not sure you will ever see all of these characters again but I will be writing the life of Shu, the Steampunk tattoo artist, and showing how she became a part of the revolution. Shu is easily my favorite character next to Adam and Zona. I have to write her. I miss her.
Thom: You have talked/tweeted before about the male audience you pull into your stories. Steamfate is even more so on the scope for a men-friendly book. Is your goal to write erotic tales men will openly read?
Kat: Erotica is a genre. I never write to fulfill a genre. I tell a story. Every character I create has a calling. Every tale has a plot deeper than flesh. I have a lot of male friends. Equal, if not more than females. I want everyone to pick up something an see the story. The physical acts I write are a shadowing expression of the emotions sparked. That plays true for making love or war.
Thom: You are known for casually saying things people never would expect someone to say. It is refreshing and you know how to say things, no matter how off color, in a lady-like way. So, tell us something shocking....
Kat: How about this...I have no idea what rating you have this blog set on so, I will give you two replies and you pick one. Just one. No cheating.
Choice B: The strongest aphrodisiac I've ever known is the smell of books... Every book has a different scent, just like a man or woman.I am drawn to books by the scent just as much as I am a cover or a blurb. The sad part is being an author that avoids libraries or bookstores for the sake of the innocent...and myself, too. ;)
Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Thom... It has been as much of a pleasure as I assumed it would be. You are quite a sir. Indeed.
To Kat I say: Please consider coming back with Shu!
To Everyone reading... I don't think you are quite ready for Choice A...
Be sure to check out all of Miss Kat's links below. Lets show her some love!
The Kat Daughtry on Twitter
Kat on Facebook
Steamfate by Kat Daughtry