Battle Engines Inspiration

In 2017, I attended the Adams County Thresherman Show. I've been a frequent visitor, both before and since, but that year was different. It was special because I had just completed a futuristic sci-fi book about mechs and battles—a book I hated. As I walked around the show, simmering with frustration over what needed to change to make my story work, I found myself enveloped in the sights and sounds of early 1900s engines.

The July heat in Kentucky was sweltering, a relentless 98 degrees, but it couldn’t dampen the magic of the event. Surrounded by the popping and whizzing of engines of all sizes, the smell of burning diesel and oil struck a chord in my mind. What if, instead of a futuristic setting, I placed my story in the early 1900s, during the turn of the century and the industrial revolution?

This realization meant rewriting a one hundred thousand-word novel, but it was exactly what I needed. The rest of the day, despite sweating profusely and battling swarms of sweat bees, I immersed myself in the world of these antique engines. I asked countless questions, learning everything I could about how they worked.

By the end of the day, "Battle Engines" was born. I immediately set to work on creating a new world, crafting the engines, and designing the war that would blaze across the pages. That day taught me that inspiration can come from anywhere, and it reminded me to look at every facet of life for ideas that could bring my stories to life.

Thank you for listening to my story. I hope you enjoy "Battle Engines" and its latest installment, "Battle Engines Flames!"