This is a fun one, folks, because today’s Boosting the Signal guest is none other than Carina’s powerhouse mistress of steampunk romance, Cindy Spencer Pape! She’s got a brand new book in her ongoing series, the Gaslight Chronicles! And the goal of her heroine Melody McKay? Get back into the sky. No matter what irritating earls may be in her way.

Airships are my life. Designing, building and then flying a machine that soars above the clouds is about the most exciting, exhilarating career I can imagine.

And that explains why I’m still a spinster. In Queen Victoria’s England, what man is going to accept an airship engineer and pilot as a wife? As far as I can tell, exactly none, since I have no intentions of giving up flight if I ever do settle down. Still, sometimes it does feel like life is passing me by. My brother and sister are both married now, along with my best friend, Wink. I have a gorgeous nephew and my sister-in-law is expecting twins any day. I suppose my role in life is to be the crazy auntie who takes the kiddies on dirigible rides.

At least that was my plan until my perfect, crash-free record was broken when someone shot—that’s right, shot—my prototype silent-flight airship out of the sky. And wouldn’t you know it, I ended up on the lawn of an earl who thinks women ought to be wrapped in cotton wool and trotted out for teatime. He’s stifling his poor niece, who’s a fun little imp. I wonder what it would take to get the stick out of his arse? Or maybe it’s a mast, since he used to be a Navy man. He might almost be handsome if he’d actually smile for a change.

Thanks to a sprained ankle, I’m stuck here in Devon at his gloomy old manor house, while he’s trying to investigate a smuggling ring. Since I think it was the smugglers who shot me down, I’m inclined to help. Even if he doesn’t want me to. Maybe in the process, I can get it through his thick head that females are more than just brainless baubles.

As soon as that’s done, I am soooo out of here and heading back to London, where I belong.

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