Today I am so pleased to welcome L.A. Witt to Joyfully Jay. L.A. has come to talk to us about her latest release, Noble Metals. She has also brought along a great giveaway.  Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/L. A. Witt blog tour for Noble Metals!

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So where did Noble Metals come from?

Back in 2011, author Misa Buckley and I were having a conversation via instant message. I couldn’t tell you now what spawned it, or how we got on the subject, but the same could be said for most of our conversations. (If you’ve ever had a conversation with me, you probably aren’t surprised.)

Anyway, after the conversation turned to mittens, it escalated into some degree of insanity (as it does), and somehow we coined a new word:

Mittenpunk.

And we decided that would be an awesome term for winter-themed steampunk. From there came the idea to write some novellas that were, well, winter-themed steampunk.

Since I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, the Klondike Gold Rush is part of the regional history, which means we learned about it in school. A lot. And I was always kind of fascinated by it. So when the Mittenpunk conversation happened, I immediately thought…winter…Alaska…KLONDIKE.

And from there, Noble Metals was born.

Ultimately, other things came up and we moved on from the idea, but Noble Metals had already wedged itself into my mind, so it had to happen. I set out to write the novella in August of 2011 while I was, as it happened, living in the tropics. Noble Metals takes place in Alaska and the Yukon Territory, since that’s where the Klondike Gold Rush occurred, which meant the boys in the book were cold most of the time. Turns out writing about being cold when you’re actually hot is kind of nice.

When you’re rewriting that same story three years later while living in Nebraska during the coldest winter they’ve seen in decades?

Not so much.

Blurb

Ever since Robert Belton gambled away the money to stake his claim in the Klondike gold fields, he’s been stranded in Seattle working as a prostitute. When an attractive customer needs help hauling provisions to the frozen north, Robert eagerly volunteers.

Dr. John Fauth is only searching for one thing, and it isn’t gold. He needs platinum for the prototypes of his revolutionary inventions, and if he doesn’t find it in the Klondike, his university career—and his research—is over.

Getting to the Klondike is a grueling, dangerous journey, and just hours after leaving Seattle, John and Robert find themselves in over their heads. John is carrying an invaluable device that his competitors will do anything to get their hands on. And as the cold nights and mutual desire pull John and Robert closer together, they discover that they have much more to lose than gold or platinum.

(Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published by a different press; it has since been edited extensively and expanded by over 10,000 words.)

Noble Metals is available July 7th from Riptide Publishing. Precious Metals, a novel set in the same steampunk/Klondike Gold Rush world, comes out this fall.

Bio

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer currently living in the glamorous and ultra-futuristic metropolis of Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a disembodied penguin brain that communicates with her telepathically. In addition to writing smut and disturbing the locals, L.A. is said to be working with the US government to perfect a genetic modification that will allow humans to survive indefinitely on Corn Pops and beef jerky. This is all a cover, though, as her primary leisure activity is hunting down her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who is also said to be lurking somewhere in Omaha.

L. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).

Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off L.A.’s backlist (excluding Noble Metals) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 19th, and winners will be announced on July 20th. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.

• By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
• Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
• If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
• Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
• Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
• By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
• Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
• Void where prohibited by law.