Title:
Burned Deep
Author:
Kathy Kulig
Genre:
Erotic Steampunk/ Dystopian/Post-apocalyptic romance
Publisher:
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Release
Date:
Oct., 22, 2014
Steamy HOT Steampunk in a dystopian erotic romance. Steamy because it's erotic romance, HOT because the story centers around two worlds preparing and fighting as a devastating solar storm approached.
There are many types of Steampunk and I've taken my own sci-fi, futuristic twist on it. My stories do tend to have a mashup (mixture of subgenres). They may annoy you or may entertain you. I like variety. I love steampunk in all its forms. I see it as speculative fiction where elements of the Victorian or Wild Wild West era are merge with minimal technology. Steam engines, gears and gadgets, elaborate flying machines. A Jules Verne, H.G. Wells society, parallel universe if technology, culture and society took a slightly different turn in evolution. LOVE IT! Oh, the possibilities. Perhaps there are the Steampunk purists who will hate my book, because I didn't follow some ethical code in this fantasy world. But isn't that the point it's FANTASY. Who's fantasy? Well BURNED DEEP is my fantasy.
I first came up with the idea while standing in line for the Epcot ride Soarin. Along the walls were large murals of fantasy worlds and one struck me. It looked like another planet, rugged and rocky like the mid-west with a shear cliff and there were small and large flying ships.
I started taking notes. And dh dragged me along the line. The underground world in my book reminded me of the book by Hugh Howey - Wool. This book was written way before Hugh's book if anyone was wondering.
Titles are tough and many times I've changed titles to my books or my publisher had to change a title because it was either already used or very close to another book.
Sooo, what was the original title for BURNED DEEP??
Corsets, Airships and Wicked Gentlemen.
I liked the title but it seemed too long so I changed it.
Blurb: When a devastating solar storm is predicted, Celia escapes
her privileged life as a baron’s daughter in the underground city of Threshold
to find her brother. Outside on a harsh, savage surface, she meets Ethan, a
daring inventor, who offers to help her. Seized by their fierce attraction,
Ethan and Celia are swept into a passionate liaison, but soon plunge into
unexpected trouble. As the solar storm approaches, Celia discovers Threshold is
targeted for takeover. And Ethan, the man who is stealing her heart, is at the
center of the planned invasion. How can Ethan promise the woman he loves a
future if he doesn’t know if there will be one at all?
Excerpt
“Why haven’t you
come by to visit?” Daphne asked Ethan as she pouted her glossy lips.
Ethan let out an
impatient breath. Daphne didn’t wait for an answer. She strutted into the room
while he cursed himself for acting like an ass with Celia. What the hell was
wrong with him? He’d nearly ripped her clothes off. Had he lost his mind? He
liked his women uncomplicated. An escapee from Threshold, with a fiancé, an
over protective brother, and the daughter of a baron, didn’t add up to
uncomplicated.
He cleared his
throat. “I have work to do, Daphne. No time for visiting.” He glanced at her
minimal outfit. It was meant for entertaining her gentlemen guests privately.
The sheer, slinky chemise showed every curve, every outline of nipple. She
stood tall on impossibly high spiked heels. The automaton was built to be a
temptress, and that she was. Ethan couldn’t help but be a little stirred by her
attributes.
Daphne sighed,
lifting her large breasts. “If I wasn’t such a mess, I’d never see you.” The
tip of her tongue wet her upper lip. “Want me to lie on the bed?”
“That won’t be
necessary.” He ignored the pass. Daphne’s programming for pleasure was situational,
not meant to be reasoning. Although at times he wondered.
“Do you want me to
step out?” Celia asked.
“No,” Ethan
replied.
At the same time,
Daphne said, “Yes.”
“What problems are
you having, besides the obvious?” Ethan asked as he opened the box and
extracted a few hand tools.
Daphne sighed and
tilted her head down attempting to look demure. “A couple of leaks.” She
slipped her chemise over her head without a sign of embarrassment. The only
thing left on was a strip of a garter belt, stockings and heels. She turned
around slowly in front of him and shot Celia a smirk. “I think I need my rubies
replaced.”
“Her what?” Celia
asked, shocked.
“Rubies,” Daphne
repeated slowly. “There are plenty from the mines. I’d like a necklace like
Miss Bethany’s, please.”
Ethan chuckled.
“Your rubies are internal and you don’t need them replaced. It’s what makes
automatons so special,” Ethan explained to Celia, then turned to Daphne. “I
doubt Miss Bethany would allow you to wear them on the outside.”
Daphne pouted.
“Sit down Daphne.
This shouldn’t take long.”
Celia stood and
walked over by the window and stared out.
“Where are the
leaks?” Ethan asked.
“Mostly steam comes
from my nipples. The men are always rough with my bubbies. Honey, do you have
that problem?” she asked Celia.
Celia glanced at
her and forced a smile, not answering.
“I suppose not,”
Daphne said. “Your bubbies are a little small.”
Celia frowned.
“Daphne,” Ethan
warned. “Hold still and stop talking.”
“Yes, Ethan.”
He took a wrench
and with a slight twist flipped opened one nipple. Wires protruded and steam
spewed out. Celia gasped.
“She’s not from
around here is she, Ethan?” Daphne narrowed her eyes at Celia. “She’s from
Threshold, isn’t she?”
Ethan ignored her
question. “I see the problem. You’re doing all the maintenance like I showed
you?”
“Yes,” she breathed
in a sultry tone.
He stuck forceps
inside and tightened a valve, then re-connected her nipple.
“Oh, that feels
good,” she moaned, reaching for the zipper on his pants. “Let’s play, Ethan. I
don’t mind if she watches, or participates. Maybe I can teach her something. I
bet they don’t have sex in Threshold.”
Ethan laughed
awkwardly. For a moment, he imagined the three of them, naked bodies entwined
on the bed, straining arms and legs, hips thrusting…He gave himself a shake,
pushing the thought out of his mind. “Daphne, I think they programmed you to
think too much. Now, where else needs adjusting?”
“My cunny.” She
said it with such a matter of fact tone that Celia burst out laughing. Ethan
was somewhat relieved by Celia’s response. Although this was routine
maintenance for an automaton, having Celia watch was intoxicating. His libido
was on a runaway train.
Daphne looked
annoyed. “Yes, my cunny.” She lowered her voice and moved closer to Ethan. “A
little steam pours out, which is distracting and then I can’t have a climax.”
Ethan frowned.
“Daphne, automatons don’t have orgasms.”
Celia giggled and
held her hand over her mouth.
“I do too,” Daphne
argued. “Now fix it. I need to please the clients for Miss Bethany.”
Ethan took out a
handkerchief from his pants pocket and blotted the sweat forming at his brow,
then stuffed it in his pocket again.
Pull it together. “Okay.” He retrieved another tool, and Daphne spread
her legs. A little puff of steam did indeed slip out of her channel. He tried
to be professional and not smile. The wrench slipped from his sweaty hand and
fell to the floor. He picked it up. “I can fix this.”
He found the tiny
latch low in her abdomen and flicked open the inch-wide control panel. With a
small screwdriver he, ah, made the adjustment.
”Mmmm. That feels
nice,” she crooned.
“Lift your hips a
little.”
Daphne stretched
out on the loveseat and started rocking her hips. “Oh, Ethan, that feels so
good. Don’t stop.”
“Daphne, cut it
out. Hold still.”
“I’ll try,” she
panted. “Yes, yes. Oh, deeper.”
“Hang on, almost
got it.”
“I’m almost there.”
“I just need to
tighten this screw down.”
“Ah,
yes,...screw...tighter...tighter. I’m so hot. I’m going to come, Ethan. Yes,”
she screamed. “Fuck me, Ethan.”
Daphne bucked on
the loveseat and groaned, her body shuddering. If she wasn’t having a real
orgasm, she was doing a good job of faking it.
Ethan rolled his
eyes to the ceiling, amused by her display but a bit puzzled too. Why did
Daphne behave like this? Maybe she was defective. He snapped the panel shut and
dropped the tools in her tool box. He dabbed his forehead with his handkerchief
again. “All done.”
“Well, I’m not.”
Daphne looked annoyed. “I was so close.” She reached for his zipper.
