The Corsair Uprising #2: Nightstalkers is out now on Amazon!

That's right, now you can own the second installment of The Corsair Uprising Steampunk Space Opera Series! Nightstalkers has hit the Kindle shelves and now you can get the first in the series, The Azure Key, for just 99 cents for a limited time.

Also, to promote the release of my newest novel, get my science fiction thriller Symbiote for Free on Kindle through 3/18/2015! Symbiote has been related by critics to works by John Grisham and has garnered rave reviews from readers. Don't miss this chance to add it to your collection for free. Read it. Tell a friend. Review it on your social media site of choice. If you like my writing, please check out The Corsair Uprising series!

Nightstalkers Synopsis:
"Two months has passed since the battle for Garuda Colony, and Captain Liam Kidd is tired. His crew has worked diligently to retrieve a stolen artifact, but all of their efforts have failed. Finally, during a brutal boxing match, a lead has surfaced. The clue comes with entangled rumors of a nefarious Ansaran research facility on the Planet Narra, and a new danger from the Kraven Throng that threatens to destroy them all. Even stranger is what they find when they land on the wayward planet. Will Captain Kidd and his crew discover the truth before it’s too late? Or will they fall prey to the NIGHTSTALKERS?"

Symbiote, a Sci-Fi Thriller, is FREE on Kindle Through This Wednesday!

My Science Fiction Thriller Symbiote is free on Amazon from now through Wednesday, March 18th. Grab a free copy and tell your friends to do the same. It's Spring Break and what better way to spend that extra free time on a good book. Don't have time to read now? Add it to your library for a rainy day.

Here's what the critics are saying:
"Schmidt’s writing reads much like a John Grisham novel, but he asserts his own particular writing style skillfully to the betterment of the novel."

"The autopsy scene is one that will stay with me for awhile. A most poignant ending." (Amazon Top 500 Reviewer)

Here's a synopsis:
"When a normally meek Bay Area insurance agent suddenly turns into a voracious, homicidal maniac with an uncontrollable appetite, doctors quickly determine that the cause must be a brain parasite that can only be extra-terrestrial. Now, San Francisco Police Detectives Karen Hall and Yuri Markov are on a mission to end this wave of violence before more citizens become infected. But at every turn their investigation seems to be hindered by shadowy federal agents with a hidden agenda. Can they stop this reign of terror before one of them becomes the next Symbiote?"

Additionally, don't forget my new novel, The Corsair Uprising #2: Nightstalkers, comes out Sunday (3/15/2015)! Here's an advance look at the cover.

The Azure Key is FREE on Kindle for a limited time. Get it while it's hot!

Grab your copy of The Corsair Uprising #1: The Azure Key for free on Amazon Kindle or the Kindle App Sunday March 8th through Thursday March 12th. The Azure Key is the first novel in a new Steampunk Space Opera series readers have likened to a love child between Star Wars and Firefly.

Here's a brief synopsis to whet your appetite:

"Liam Kidd was a freelancer for Vesta Corporation, Earth’s largest and most corrupt asteroid mining company. Through a series of events he finds himself working the mines, a fate worse than death. When an opportunity presents itself, he and two other miners escape through a nearby wormhole. They find themselves across the galaxy in the middle of a conflict between three alien species. Liam’s only chance of getting home lies in finding a device rumored to be capable of opening a singularity. Now, he and his crew must face the horrors of war to return to their own system, a challenge that might prove deadly."

The second installment in the series, entitled Nightstalkers, arrives next week! Take this chance to read the first book for free before the next one is released.

Is It Steampunk? Week 7: Steampunk Dust

It's week 7 of the soon-to-be-classic game Is It Steampunk!  Today's product is none other than a bag of Steampunk Dust. No, this is not a joke. This actually exists and is being sold on Etsy for $6.95 by User FireflyStudiosAtFDJ.

From the Seller: "Each package contains .75 ounces of a assorted tiny watch screws, gears and other fun treasures. No two packages are alike."

The question is, Is It Steampunk? Use the voting buttons at the bottom of the post to vote. Click "Stone-Cold Steam" if you believe this product is "Steampunk," and "Sahara Desert" if you're wondering why you're reading this post. Have fun! Since you've been good and made it this far, have a cool video in which a guy stylizes a photo in Photoshop to make it more Steampunk:

Is It Steampunk? Week 6: Steampunk Owl Sculpture

Welcome back for the newest edition of Is It Steampunk (About 9 hours late, my bad). On the docket today, this Steampunk Owl Sculture from Etsy Creator CedarMoon. Priced at $125, this sculpture stands at over 13 inches tall and is about 7 inches wide. The seller has a lot of other sculptures of different animals all with the same sort of stylings.

From the seller:
"SteamPunk Owl is a dapper handmade Victorian bird limited edition sculpture for book shelves and home decor. He is created with a large up-cycled plastic easter egg or papier mache egg, old and new gears (and wooden gears), screws nails, wire, copper paints and old earring for a monocle, a wind-up key from a junk drawer and assorted parts and pieces and junk drawer finds. He is not completely water resistant for outdoor life in a garden because that tends to dull some details with the extra clear coating. He comes with a top hat, monocle, vest and pocket watch to complete his outfit...all hand made."

And so it has come down to this. You've seen the product. You've read the introduction. But, Is Is Steampunk?

To vote, use the buttons at the bottom of the post. If you believe the item is indeed Steampunk, click "Stone Cold Steam." If, however, you think it is an imitator, click "Sahara Desert." Happy voting!

Is It Steampunk? Week 5: BDSM Bondage Steampunk Red Sonja Collar

In light of Fifty Shades of Grey coming out recently I decided to use this "BDSM Bondage Red Sonja Collar Goth Steampunk Slave Fetish Cosplay" product for week 5 of my favorite new game, IS IT STEAMPUNK???  (Yes, I'm going there).

For those that are new to the game here's the lowdown on the rules: Every week I choose a product that is listed for sale under the heading of "Steampunk" and post it here. Then, it is up to you, my loyal readers, to decide if it is, in fact, Steampunk. I'll provide key details like price, product description and anything else provided to help you make your decision. Once you've drawn your own conclusion, head to the voting buttons at the bottom of the post and if you believe it is Steampunk, click "Stone Cold Steam." If you think it's anything but Steampunk, click "Sahara Desert." You can also choose to sound off in the comments section below!

Let's get started.

From the seller: "The Red Sonja is an elegant posture collar that is as beautiful as it is sturdy. Made to provide strict support in order to keep the head up and front facing always.
Available in a number of color choices. Made of buffalo; super strong but no break in is necessary. It's ready to go when you are. Locking hasp buckle. Solid welded hardware."

The Red Sonja collar retails for a dodgy $69.00 (Really?) and ships straight from Detroit from Etsy Seller Temptatia.

What do you think, gang? IS IT STEAMPUNK???

Oliver Twist: Steampunk Edition?

Photo Courtesy of Theater Latte Da

In a report by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Broadway classic 'Oliver!' is getting a Steampunk rendition in the Twin Cities. Being the book nerd that I am, I think this is fantastic. While not my first thought when I think of Steampunk, Dickens was a Victorian writer whose work may lend itself quite well to the genre.

When I think of Charles Dickens, I don't think of Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, or any of his more famous works. Instead, I remember slogging through Bleak House, the 800+ page tome that was initially released as 20 monthly installments.  I remember it because it was a snapshot of London during Dickens' time that wasn't as apparent in his other works because it had less to do with the story.  Oliver Twist is about Oliver Twist, whereas Bleak House isn't really about the long list of main characters, it's about the times and the place creating the circumstances by which the characters suffer. Did I finish it? Sadly, no. Now it seems if I was going to finish it I would have done so already.  But I digress, London in the mid-nineteenth century is the quintessential time for Steampunk renditions of classic works.  I only hope this is the first of many plays I see as the Steampunk genre continues to proliferate to the masses.

The play is being held at Theater Latté Da in Minneapolis, MN from February 4th, 2015 through March 1st, 2015 and costs between $36 and $56 per ticket.  The theater is located at 345 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413.  The Phone number to contact the theater is 612-339-3003.  Any of my readers from Minneapolis should certainly check it out! If you saw the show, contact me at Trevor.Scott.Schmidt [at] Gmail.com and share your story. I'll be sure to feature it in my next blog.