New Release Steampunk: Ichabod Temperance is back!

Fantasy Science Fiction Network author Ichabod Temperance is back with his 5th book in the 'The Adventures of Ichabod Temperance' series. His charming characters Ichabod and Persephone return in another steampunk sci-fi adventure, released on the12th of August 2014...

'Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery.' Wikipedia.

In a Latitude of Temperance

by Ichabod Temperance

The adventure prone Ichabod Temperance and his capable cohort Persephone Plumtartt are again hurtled into baffling mystery and hair raising intrigue. A dangerous mission exposes an unspeakable danger to the safety of the entire world. Assisting our brave protagonists is an amazing cast of extraordinary and charming individuals. Thrilling action in this humourous ride to once again save our imperiled planet from certain destruction carries Ichabod and Co. to uncharted waters of surprise and terror.

What is already being said about this new installment...

"Ichabod Temperance weaves a tale of many dangers, filled with tongue-in-cheek characters who will keep you either rolling your eyes or laughing out loud at his artistic talents." 5 Stars

Other Installments in 'The Adventures of Ichabod Temperance' Series...

Book 1

In 1869, the Earth experiences the close pass of a new comet. In its wake, thousands of Terra's inhabitants find themselves strangely changed. Among humanity, many find that any talent they may naturally possess has been elevated to an astounding degree. Likewise, a number of animals become self-aware and intelligent. A young “comet prodigy” from humble beginnings, Ichabod Temperance, has become one of the world's foremost inventors in this age of prolific genius. Traveling to England to deliver his latest brilliant device to a famous explorer, the young tinker is unexpectedly struck by the fearsome hand of fate. Meanwhile, a lovely young aristocrat, Miss Persephone Plumtartt, survives an experimental accident only to find herself imbued with a power she can neither understand nor control, while dark forces and malevolent creatures pursue her, leaving a gruesome wake of death.
Yet, worse is to come. The naïve young inventor and the lovely intellectual find themselves fighting not only to save their own lives, while concurrently coming to terms with their own budding romance, but to prevent the destruction of all life on Earth in this humourously told and poignant steampunk adventure!

Book 2

It is New Year's Eve, 1875. In this humorously told Steampunk tale, adventure-prone Ichabod Temperance and his lovely sweetheart, Miss Persephone Plumtartt, once again find themselves swept up into a whirlwind of misadventure and international catastrophe. The entire world totters on the brink of war, as various nations develop arsenals of dreadful power. It seems as though every nation on Earth lusts for Empire. A sinister plot boils to change the course of human history. Along with a remarkable cast of characters, including sapient animals and clockwork men, our heroes find themselves plunged into unimaginable peril!

Book 3

The sovereignty of Planet Earth is under assault by interplanetary invaders. Ichabod Temperance and Persephone Plumtartt return in this thrilling Steampunk adventure. The duo fight bloodthirsty monsters bent on Earth's conquest. Featuring a cast of unforgettable characters, including the world's greatest actor and a telepathic dog, For the Love of Temperance will scare you and amuse you by turns.

Book 4

"'Twas the hand of fate that brought Miss Plumtartt and me together, for, in truth, we have been happenstance-stricken and adventure prone ever since." -Ichabod Temperance, For the Love of Temperance
Such is the case once again as Ichabod Temperance and his lady love, Miss Persephone Plumtartt, are hurled into adventure and mystery. This time, they return to Persephone's ancestral estate in England, where they hope to enjoy a much-needed vacation. However, fate has other plans for the young couple, as a series of murders close in upon the innocent pair. A notorious Victorian Era London detective assists the plucky protagonists through a tangled web of intrigue involving an incredible cast of suspicious characters.

An Excerpt, just for a taste...

Ninety feet of ice separate me from the ocean's surface as I fly through the brutally frigid fluid of the polar pond. I dare not show my beak in the channel the humans have carved for their ships. The brutes have proven their marksmanship skills in that confined chasm. My ice shelf cover protects me, but my burning breast must draw air again soon!
An unnatural, flaring, light ahead marks my destination, that is, a place to break the water's surface and breathe again. Though my lungs are set to burst from their labors, I force myself to approach the water's surface carefully. Working my wings to slow my ascent, I crest the ice-filled waves.
Huge chunks of floating ice, each weighing thousands of pounds, bob about my position. I must remain wary lest I am crushed between them. They do, however, provide cover so that I may observe my quarry.
How are these men able to carve the ice in so precise of a manner and form it to their to their needs? Strange in their perfection, the flat walls of the channel lead to this exact square harbor. Three slips have been cut into one side. These docks conform to the three human ships here in this hidden, ice-bound bay. This secret harbour is enormous, extending for hundreds of yards.
One, a hybrid 'steamer' and sailing ship, is out bound. I need to make a note of her name and nationality. 'Stoker' is proudly painted on her bow and across her fantail. The ship is completely black but in a way that suggests that the colour is derived from the pigment of the wood, and not from paint. This holds true for the disquieting black sails that are being unfurled. Something in their thick, fleshy unraveling fills me with a nameless dread. She is a Norwegian ship by her flag, a sturdily built icebreaker, but I am quite sure that the Nordic registration is a falsehood. My contacts in the intelligence community tell me that a Romanian flag would be more appropriate. Perhaps the ship's owners inhabit an even darker section of that foreboding country. Her masters very likely hail from an ominous area whose name begins with the letter, 'T'. On what sort of foul mission could her evil controlers be sending her? I must put my own forces at work to trail her ill-omened course and give them leave to intercede if, or when, necessary.
A large freighter is moored to their admittedly ingenious dock of solid ice. Many human men work to unload her heavy, mysterious cargoes. A great crate is being manipulated by a crane from the ship. Voices shout out directions to deposit the wooden box on the strangely precise sculpture of the pier. These human vocalizations echo from the ice cliffs in the confines of the large, private harbor. To my mind, they voices are in a slavic tongue and accent. This furthers my suspicions that this operations true origin lies in that remote and forgotten section of ancient Europe. Those hidden reaches of the Carpathian Mountains are still wild in many respects.
These crates they handle have the look of containing heavy machineries. What diabolical purpose could these clock and mechanical devices serve?
Then we have our third ship, the 'monster', of which I have heard so much. This, more-so than the threat of being shot by rifle, is why I enter this domain alone and not in the comradeship of my brave brethren. The 'monster' is well named, for though I know it to be a construct of man, and not an organic, it is nonetheless horrific in appearance. Hideous, bulbous eyes at the front of the submersible are mercifully turned away from me. The points of the creature's aquadro-dynamic spine are highlighted by the intensely burning arc lights on the opposite side. Gigantic silhouetted shadows jump about the icy walls in brief bursts of blinding illumination. The brilliant, though erratic, purple flashes are caught by the reflective quality of the monsters glass eyes to strangely inspire the spark of life in  the clockwork creature. The metallic scales of the leviathan shimmer and ripple with barely contained berserker excitement in the sharply defined, and sporadic shadows. I half expect the abominable aquatic to leap with mechanical life and turn to devour me.

 About the Author

"Like the protagonist in A Matter of Temperance, I am an Alabama knockabout. In my 49 years, I've been a punk rock drummer, a construction worker, a wrestling referee, a sushi chef, an inveterate tinkerer, and a long-time martial arts enthusiast. I've been an avid reader since I could barely walk, but never did I dream of putting pen to paper until I performed stunt work on the soon-to-be-released Steampunk indie film, "Engines of Destiny." As a result of meeting these welcoming, generous people, I fell in love with the Steampunk genre and world. After joining The Steampunk Empire, I suddenly began to write, and I couldn't stop. Ichabod and Persephone (and a cast of really nasty monsters and minions) became real people to me, and their story had to be told. I am currently working on a sequel."

Factoid...

Icky's ability to describe detailed, complicated, though ridiculous, fight scenes through the use of dialogue only is further explored in this scintillating tale!

Available from;

Amazon.com
Ick-Ick at Barnes and Noble

 

See more from Ichabod;

Ichabod on Facebook
Ickster on Goodreads
Ickety on twitter
Icky on 'The Steampunk Empire'
A Blog of Temperance

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