Heart of Steel - Release Day Spotlight and Review

Congratulations to Elizabeth Einspanier on the release today of HEART OF STEEL, a Science Fiction Romance. Elizabeth is giving away a $20 gift certificate to Steampunk Emporium. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

When reclusive cyborg Alistair Mechanus meets his captive, ER doctor Julia Parker, it is love at first sight--for him. While he eagerly drops his plans for World Conquest to woo her, ten years of solitude have left his social skills badly rusted. When his misguided act of kindness spirals out of control, however, Julia is forced to trust the mad genius with her life, and she discovers the vulnerable side under his armored plating. She has the skills he needs to unlock his forgotten past, but learning who he used to be may come at the cost of his remaining sanity.

MY REVIEW

Heart of Steel could be summarised as 'The Island of Dr Moreau meets 'Beauty and the Beast' except that this description seems a bit flippant for such an enjoyable story. Although I would class it as Science Fiction, and the description of medical and electronic procedures was written with confidence and an air of authenticity, there is also a 'Steampunk' feel, especially in the last chapter.

I was drawn into it from the start, and although I have to admit I initially felt a 'mad Scientist' called Dr Mechanus was a little like a 'comic strip' character, as the story progressed I realised there was far more to Alistair Mechanus than his desire for world domination.  It transpires that even this desire is actually more altruistic than manic. There are occasional references to Jules Verne and Star Trek and at times Julia seems to feel she's living in a dream world, and well she might, with a cybernetically enhanced and very jealous ex boyfriend on the rampage, various bio-electronic creatures and automatons, and  a charismatic, if seemingly deranged bionic genius who first takes her captive and then enlists her help.

Alistair Mechanus's deepening affection for Julia is touching, as is the gentle way he treats her, his thoughtful acts of courtesy seemingly at odds with his reclusive nature and macabre appearance. The story is fast moving and had me turning the pages, anxious to see whether Julia really could help him recover his memories of his past without sending him over the edge, while being reluctant for the story to finish.  I don't want to give too much away, sufficient to say that the end is satisfying and neatly ties up the loose ends.  I finished it, wanting more, which is not a bad thing. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a sweet romance spiced with plenty of action and intriguing Science Fiction elements.

Enjoy an excerpt:

She advanced cautiously, trying to get a look at the subject of his study in the next room. Before she could, however, the tall man in the hall with her spoke.

“Greetings, Julia,” he said in the baritone she’d heard from the speaker. She turned, and saw to her shock that a significant portion of the left half of his face, now revealed to her, was crafted of overlapping segments of unpolished metal, apparently riveted through the flesh and into the skull and jaw. His left eye was a mechanical lens that turned and focused in perfect coordination with its biological counterpart as he regarded her, its iris dilating as he offered her a welcoming smile. “I am, as you have probably guessed, Dr. Mechanus. I welcome you to my humble lair.” He sketched a bow to her, and she either heard or imagined the sound of countless motors whirring within him.

At first her thoughts were consumed by a single horrified thought—what the hell what the hell what the hell—repeated over and over again until her mind filled with what the hell from top to bottom and side to side. She felt light-headed, and braced herself against the edge of the observation window to avoid falling, but some persistently reasonable corner of her mind gently informed her that now simply was not a good time for her to faint or throw up.

Stay frosty, Julia, the voice advised her, in a familiar-sounding voice that Julia couldn’t immediately identify. Think of this like your first car crash in the ER. Sure, it looks horrible, but you can get through this. Just breathe. Get through this, and find out what’s happened to Jim. You’re okay.

PURCHASE ON AMAZON

About the Author:

Elizabeth Einspanier is the self-published author of the Weird Western novella Sheep’s Clothing and the upcoming S/F romance novel Heart of Steel. Her short stories have been published in Down in the Dirt and Dark Fire Fiction. She is a member of the St. Louis Writer’s Guild and an associate member of the Horror Writers of America. She lives in St. Louis, but frequently spends extended periods in worlds of her own creation.

Website: http://elizabetheinspanier.com
Blog: http://calliopeskiss.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeekGirlWriter
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ElizabethEinspanier/
Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/elizabetheinspanier

a Rafflecopter giveaway