Secrets

A Steampunk Adventure

Imagine a voice only you can hear. Communication from something people consider no more than a machine. It begs — demands — you transform it into something greater and aether provides a way.

That is the Natural’s blessing … and curse.

Samantha Crill seeks a place where revealing her Natural abilities doesn’t mean incarceration as it does in Victorian England where Naturals are proclaimed monsters. Her journey is not an easy one as she tries to keep her nature hidden while surrounded by all manner of demanding machines from steam carriages to beloved toys. Her control is hard won and sometimes lost, leaving disaster in her wake and making her wonder if the authorities have the right of it.

Nathaniel Bowden works hard to overcome his background as a nobleman’s son and gain the trust of the steamship crew where he is now employed. A lowly cabin boy, he strives to become a captain of his own steamship someday by learning every aspect of the ship. His enthusiastic efforts go a long way with most of the sailors, but the ship’s engineer proves reluctant to give Nat a chance.

Sam stows away in the engine room of Nat’s ship after losing her own passage to poor timing and a Natural bout. Nat’s dreams and his sense of right come in direct conflict through her presence. The proper road is rarely obvious, or easy. What will he have to sacrifice to protect Sam and will she sink them all if her control slips?

Welcome to the world of The Steamship Chronicles, a steampunk alternate Victorian Era where everyday machinery has reached enough complexity to draw on aether and gain a consciousness, one apparent only to Naturals.

Join Samantha and Nathaniel in their adventure as they try to find a balance between her talents and the fears of those around her.

If you’re curious about the two people who raised Samantha before Secrets begins, their story is told in Safe Haven, a prequel to The Steamship Chronicles.