SteamBoyz in July

SteamBoyz
July 9-17, 2010

From SteamPink to SteamBoyz...

Travel by airship and learn about other worlds from a steampunk boy's point of view...

Books featured:

The Clockwork Angel
Cassandra Clare

Thomas Riley
by Nick Valentino

Leviathan
by Scott Westerfeld

more books announced later...

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* image for button from Vecona

::= SteamBoyz schedule =::

Mansfield Park: Departure

The hour is late. Fanny has retrieved your cloak and final goodbyes are said all-around.

THANK YOU for your attendance!

It was a pleasure to have you for dinner and other activities.

Leave your callings cards on the tray by completing the super short 5 question survey before you step into your carriage. We would love to call on you for tea later this week ;-D

Giveaway winners will be announced and notified via email around August 3, 2010.

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Special thanks for guest posts from...

Fellow bloggers:
please take the time to visit their blogs for a quick hello

Charlotte and Mr. Illustrator of The Book On The Hill
for Mansfield Park Murder Mystery button
for recipe posts

Titania86 of Fishmuffins of Doom
for mummy posts

Shana of Kreating Insecurities
for mummy doll

Misty of Book Rat
for Jane in June - Murder at Mansfield Park book tie-in giveaway

Publisher for giveaway prizes:

Quirk

~*~* image source cloaks

*Picnik was used for graphics creations for this event.

~ Mansfield Park schedule ~

Mansfield Park: Titania

~ * ~ guest post ~ *~
Titania of Fishmuffins of Doom
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~
I was totally obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a kid. I was convinced I wanted to be an archaeologist. Now, I’m happy to become a teacher, but I still harbor a love for everything Egyptian. Here are some great reads that I love AND feature mummies!


Crocodile on the Sandbank
by Elizabeth Peters
This series is excellent. It follows Amelia Peabody as she has adventures in the late 19th century and early 20th century in Egypt and England. She is a no nonsense, confident woman who isn’t afraid to whack someone with her parasol. There are 19 books in the series so far. I started them in high school and I still go back and read them. Plus a new one was just released this year. The books have everything: romance, mystery, murder, and (of course) mummies (though the unmoving, nonsupernatural types). Elizabeth Peters skillfully interweaves her own characters with actual figures in history such as Lord Carnarvon, Howard Carter, and Gaston Maspero. If you like Victorian England and ancient Egypt, you will surely like this series.

The Mummy or Ramses the Damned
by Anne Rice
This is a stand alone book that was published in 1989. The story takes place in 1914 and follows the resurrected pharaoh Ramses II as he collides with an archaeologist’s dysfunctional family. Ramses isn’t the typical Boris Karloff type mummy that shuffles around in ragged linens. He has drank the elixir of life which makes him doomed to wander the earth forever trying to sate his senses that offer no sustenance. For example, he eats and drinks constantly though he needs neither to survive. There is also murder, intrigue, and archaeology framing this supernatural story. I enjoyed this book immensely and I think you will too.

Changeless
by Gail Carriger
This is the second novel in the Parasol Protectorate series. There are similarities between this series and the Amelia Peabody series because of the strong heroines that carry around parasols, but both are unique stories. In this book, Alexia must figure out what is causing rampant normalcy in the supernatural creatures in London. This plague of normalcy follows her husband on his unannounced trip to Scotland, so she has to follow him (with a largely unwanted entourage of people) to warn him. A mummy figures largely in the story. I can’t really elaborate any more without spoilers. Except that there is an important mummy unwrapping party that happens. This book (as well as the entire series) is highly recommended.

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* guest post from Titania of Fishmuffins of Doom

~ Mansfield Park schedule ~

Mansfield Park: Conclusions

The butler calls everyone to rejoin in the billiard room where the stage is set.

Lady Lori and Miss Carol of Lenthall Manor and Lady Marjorie scurry forth from the Dining Room. Each with Almond Puffs (maybe two) in hand.

And there behind the grand mixed fruit centerpiece is a glimpse of Lady Violet. Whatever is she doing, sneaking about so?

Not far behind them, coming from the Kitchen is Lady Charlotte and Lady Nevey Berry of Regan Hawkes chatting about the delights of chocolates souffles. However prefers a good cheese souffle.

Countess Juju and Midnight Cowgirl walk down the stairs after a visit to the Powder Room. They look refreshed and sport smiling faces as they speak of the latest London fashions.

Lady Giada rushes forward from the Conservatory to meet Miss Marple. She hands Miss Marple a golden cufflink that she found earlier this evening as they walk. Lady Giada is in awe as Miss Marple gives her opinions on the matter.

The Duchess Throuthehaze lingers in the Conservatory hoping to have a word with Poirot. She has a mystery of her own in which she wanted to consult him about.

In the Lounge, Miss Freda is roused from her steampunk daydreaming by Lady Sarah E's fan lighting tapping her arm. Miss Kallie and Lady Sabrina commend Mary Crawford on her beautiful harp playing. Lady Carol T joins Edmund and Fanny as they proceed downstairs.

Lady Mary Ann quizzes Lady Titania on her knowledge of all things zombie as they leave the Library. Sullivan McPig trails behind them with ears perked.

In the Study, Lady Sharli and Lady Iris Seyton (aka Stella) put the playing cards away. Lady Meredith joins in their conversation and talk of the upcoming books about Darcy.

Lady Mesmered and Sherlock Holmes leave the Study and exchange information about the latest Egyptian finds and all things mummy.

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As guests congregate in the Billiard room, the three detectives make their way to the stage.

Seated in the audience is Misté la Marquessa speaking with Lady Vee about the recent surge of Jane Austen this month.

C'est fantastique! Jane in June!

In another part of the room, Lady Lisa R and Miss Louisa Church of Cowanwray Manor (aka Aik) look about the room for suspicious characters. Surely one of Mr Boddy's entourage is involved in this evening's interruption.

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*** S P O I L E R ***

Do not proceed if you wish to enter the Edmund Bertram book giveaway. You must enter your guess of who you suspect is the culprit there before reading the conclusion below.

*** S P O I L E R ***

Hercule Poirot takes center stage to greet and address the audience.

And then Sherlock Holmes steps forward...

... upon the results from Dr Watson's examination of the body, we are in agreement.

Holmes then invites Miss Marple to take the spotlight.

... and so we conclude that Mr Boddy has expired due to a heart attack.

He died of fright at the sight of a mummy.

*gasps* and then an uproar emerges from the audience.

Holmes resumes the stage.

Not to worry. We have apprehended the mummy who was found in the kitchen. And he will be dealt with accordingly.

*sighs* and relief ripples through the audience.

Edmund Bertram steps up to the stage and offers profound apologies for any inconvenience or harm done to anyone during this most unfortunate occurrence at Mansfield Park. He expresses his hope that you will again visit Mansfield Park for another event in the future.

~*~
* image source Jane Austen mystery

~ Mansfield Park schedule ~

Mansfield Park: Kitchen

If a mummy loses his bandages,
how long does he have to stay in the hospital?
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Time travel can lead to unexpected encounters. I am a proud fan of Doctor Who, and I must say that even if I haven’t yet met any aliens during my travels, I did meet some supernatural folks from time to time. Which is, I grant you, rather scary, but exciting at the same time.

This week, a weird encounter awaited me again...

I was in the Mansfield Park’s kitchens, mixing my mixture for the almond puffs (which, I must say, was becoming a bit too granulous, but I managed to avoid a cooking catastrophy). A few minutes before, I had been enjoying a nice round of gossips with Rowena, the cook, and Lottie, the under cook. We had mainly talked about the guests, but also had fun imagining what vegetable each member of the Bertram family looked like. But now that everything was ready and served, and since the only thing left to do was bake the dessert, Rowena and Lottie had left me alone to take care of it.

So here I was, in the now silent kitchen, tasting the mixture one last time before putting it in the oven, when an enormous noise made me jump so high that the almost-ready-mixture ended up on my face and clothes. Instinctively, I turned around to see who was the person whose joke transformed me into Super-Almond-Girl. And there it was. Coming out of the pantry. Not Rowena. Not Lottie. Not even Oscar, the scullery maid, well-known for his tricks and jokes. Nope. The person (maybe ex-person would be more appropriate) standing in front of me was a Mummy. A classic, white-bandaged, growling Mummy.

I was more furious than scared. Not only was I covered in almond mixture, but I also had to start the recipe all over again ! Would the guests believe me if I told them that “the dessert was delayed because of the unexpected appearance of a Mummy in the kitchen” ? I think not. Except for Miss Marple. I’m sure she would’ve loved it.

So, what did I do ? I did something absolutely logical and sane : instead of running off screaming, I asked the mummy if it could help me preparing the new almond puffs. And it kindly obliged. And it was fun. Ok, the mummy couldn’t talk and would only answer my questions with ‘mwouas’ and ‘gwoos’, but I could tell it was enjoying this little cooking party. All in all, we finished right on time. We even had time to fix the poor Mummy’s bandages, which were kind of raggedy.

I have no idea why the Mummy was in the pantry.

I have no idea where it went after our little cooking meeting.

Mysteries are like that.

All I know is that I shall make a trip to Egypt one day and meet its friends.

Because Mummies sure CAN cook.

~*~
* answer to trivia question: Until he is completely recovered. -David Lubar

* guest post by The Book On The Hill

~ Mansfield Park schedule ~