Q) What inspired you to write this story?
I wrote "Captain Fenna's Dirigible Valentine" because I wanted to know more about the sister of the heroine in "Captain Andrew's Flying Christmas." Terrwyn had a fascinating life story and I both wanted to know more, and make sure she and her baby daughter had a happy ending despite their dangerous lifestyle. How does a single mother who is both an escapee from prison and a smuggler by trade manage? I've also become addicted to writing steampunk so I had to write some more.
Q) How long did it take you to write?
The first draft took about six weeks. If my toddler was still napping I'd have finished in half that time, but sadly those days are gone! Then it went through a couple of critiquers, a few beta readers, and a final proofreader.
Q) What is your favorite thing about writing?
I love being in the zone and seeing the word count add up. That only happens when I know where the story is going and don't have to research those connecting details.
Q) What is your least favorite thing about writing?
Scenes that I don't know quite how to get through in an interesting way for the genre I'm writing. Depending on the genre you have to minimize some scenes and emphasize others. At the moment I've left the clean Steampunk Smugglers series on the backburner and am writing an erotic steampunk romance novella, so I want to minimize the science parts and make the sex scenes fresh and exciting. With the Smugglers I want to have my airship well imagined and make sure a rebellious attitude is front and center, plus have great gadgets.
Q) If you could be any famous person for one day, who would you be and why?
This one stumps me. Having a toddler makes you very present in your own life. I need to come up with a famous person who is comfortably retired so I could relax for a day! But since I can't toss out a name, how about Anne Boleyn? I've been reading lots about her lately and I'd sure love to know what really happened in terms of her arrest and beheading, and why, from her point of view. I just finished two Alison Weir Boleyn biographies. I would have thought royalty would have better documentation, but after all the Tudors lived 500 years ago. Amazing how fascinated we still are by them.
Q) What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it?
I think I have a bottle of sparkling cider in there that moved in with me in 2006. At least I think the freezer was completely emptied in mid 2009!
Q) What can readers expect from you in the future?
I have three projects active. Two are Heather Hiestand projects: Captain Gravenor's Airship Equinox, which is the third Steampunk Smugglers tale, a full length Victorian romance with a hint of steampunk, and my next Anh Leod project, Clockwork Captive.
Captain Fenna's Dirigible Valentine Blurb:
A 27,000-word steampunk adventure novella complete with airships, automatons, ray guns and romance. Smuggler Terrwyn Fenna just escaped from Newgate Prison and most of the British Air Force is after her. Only one government crewman can help. But will trusting him save her baby and her airship or lead her into the hands of her greatest enemy?
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