
Megan Curd has a great steampunk series (amongst other books that I haven’t had the opportunity to read yet) that has a Last Airbender/Post Apocalyptic vibe to them. For a limited time you can pick the first one Steel Lily for Free! Feature Friday for this week and her tour for the fabulous Iron Pendulum happen to line up just right to bring us a fun interview, excerpt, and giveaway! Check them out!
Author: Megan Curd
Title: Iron Pendulum
Published On: August 28th 2014
Series: Periodic #2
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Steampunk
My Rating:
SYNOPSIS
A month ago, Avery thought the world ended outside Dome Four. Thought she was one of the few of her kind. Thought the war that brought the human race to the brink of extinction was over.
But a month can change everything.
After fighting to escape a tyranny she didn't even know existed, Avery has had to come to grips with all the secrets she's uncovered. But more secrets continue to come to light, revealing how little of her world she truly knew. When evidence starts to show that Dome Four might be under siege, Avery knows what she must do.
Returning to the dome she longed to escape is a challenge for Avery, but now she knows there’s corruption lurking in the shadows. A massive steam shortage leaves half the dome without power, and people are falling ill. Dying.
And they’re blaming Avery.
A month can change everything. One more month could kill everyone. The clock is ticking.


“Oh my God, guys.” Sari gasped as she struggled. “Get it off!”
Jaxon sprung into action, pulling a slender Swiss army knife from his ankle. “Get her mask!”
Alice fished in the mess, panic-stricken. “I can’t find it!”
“Move! She can’t breathe!” I pushed past Alice, inhaled deeply, and took off my mask.
“Breathe, Sari.” I pressed the tubing into her nostrils. “Breathe.”
She took a sharp breath, and I put the mask over my nose to take one of my own. Jaxon continued to cut away at the wire that held her aloft, but it was thick, and the knife didn’t put a dent in it. I lifted Sari a little to keep her weight off the ankle, and she pressed the mask back to her face.
“Dammit,” Jaxon said between grunts. “This isn’t. Doing. Anything.”
He threw the knife down. I prayed there were no Zeroes around, but I guessed we were safe; they would have heard the ruckus we were making. Each ragged breath Sari took was laced with pain, and Alice was still splashing around in search of the mask.
“Here! Here, I found her mask,” Alice yelled triumphantly.
She pressed Sari’s mask to her face, then buckled mine back on as I shouldered Sari’s weight.
“Forget this,” Jaxon said. “I’m burning through it.”
Alice looked horrified. “Jax, you refuse to practice; just because you have Avery’s blood doesn’t mean you can work miracles. You could kill yourself!”
“Or we could leave her here to be murdered by Zeroes!” He roared. “What do you want me to do?”
He was right, but the thought of him dying froze me in terror.
My mind raced back to the buggy. The rubble. My mother.
Dead. Her eyes so far away.
I couldn’t bear to lose Jaxon, but Sari was just as important to me.
Why did you decide to become a writer?
My friend encouraged me to try to write while I was in college, and so I did. That became my first novel, Bridger, and I never looked back!
Who/what are your writing inspirations?
J.K. Rowling, Dan Brown, and Cassandra Clare are my top three inspirations. There are so many authors I enjoy and aspire to learn from, but those three just blow me away.
What are your favorite genres to read?
I love reading YA. I will read anything Dan Brown, of course, and I love fantasy in general. Patrick Rothfuss is another author I absolutely adore.
Favorite writing food / snack?
Red Vines! 🙂
What do you hope readers take away most from your writing?
I just hope they can see the depth that I strive to infuse in my characters. I want them to see the purpose for each person in the story, and to be attached to them, one way or another. I want them to lose themselves, even for just a moment, in the story. If I can provide my readers an escape from reality for just a moment, then I’m thrilled.
Who’s the favorite character of yours that you’ve written and why?
Atticus Riggs, Jaxon Pierce, and Dana McCormick are three I adore, all for different reasons. They’re all robust, have depth and secrets to share, and I just love the way they battle for attention when I write. They’re demanding characters, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What is your writing style? Outliner/Planner or Seat of the Pantser?
I’m a plantser! 🙂 I love to have a general idea, and then watch my characters just blow it out of the water.
If someone wanted to become a writer, what tips would you give to them?
To follow their heart on what to write. Write often. Write daily. Know you will most likely suck at first, but that if you push and write and never take no for an answer, you WILL succeed. Success is not overnight. Success is not in the number of books sold. Success is writing the book that’s in your heart, and watching it become its own living, breathing, tangible thing. You can never lose the feeling that you get when you finish a book. So write. Write often. And finish your book. 🙂
Have you ever purchased something from a late-night infomercial? If so, what?
Not from an infomercial, but I’m a serial late-night Best Buy purchaser. 🙂 I buy all my camera gear at night. I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing, lol.
If you could collaborate with any other author(living, dead, or undead) who would that be and why?
J.K. Rowling. She’s an absolute genius, and it’d be an honor to even get to sit and watch her at work. 🙂
If you weren’t a writer, what would you do?
I’m a wedding photographer. 🙂 I adore it, and that’s what I do when not writing.
Coke, Pepsi, or?
Coke for sure! I’m a loyalist.
What’s one thing people should know and/or don’t know about you?
Well, I’m a photographer by trade, and it’s something I’m very passionate about. I love creating images that tell stories, and I think it goes hand in hand with writing. It’s just a different form of story-telling. 🙂
Is there a character that has the most “You” in them? Or the opposite of you?
I’m not sure. I really separated myself from the characters for the first time in Steel Lily, but people close to me say Avery has a lot of mannerisms that remind them of me. I think it’s the stubbornness. 🙂
If we lived in a Fahrenheit 451 culture, which book would you want to memorize?
Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins’ ability to weave drama is second to none.
Has anyone written a fan fiction based on your work?
Not that I’m aware of…but I’d love to see what they came up with if it ever happened!