This is a tale that has enough creepy-old-house, unmet resolutions, judgments, deception, revenge, and secrets lurking in the darkest of corners that will keep an eager creepy-mystery reader focused. 

The main character, Lindsey Waters, suffered trauma in her childhood, and circumstances compel her to meet old memories and questions head-on. The hired handyman introduces himself to be her childhood and long-heard from friend Benjamin Newsom. Nearly immediately after meeting at the Inn on Hanging Hill, they hear footsteps on the upstairs floor. This intruder triggers the angst and mystery of who he or she is and what this person is after. 

There are a host of interesting characters that play a vital part in unfolding this story. Old friends, memories, and threats make this a page-turning favorite of mine. Christy Barritt is a USA TODAY Bestselling author, and in my opinion, she has earned that title.

​This story entertained me while I listened on Kindle during my battle with Covid. Light hurt my eyes which were so sensitive when reading or watching television, and exhaustion hindered me from doing what I wanted. 

I will always view this story as one of those novels that spared me from dull, endless days during my healing and recovery. I highly recommend Christy Barritt’s THE INN ON HANGING HILL. Let me know what you think of her novel! 

Greetings all,
 
I just wanted to give a shout-out to my friend, Amy Robnick Joob, who is so inspiring and genuine! I’m celebrating her Christian Indi Award! If you’ve not read UNSTUCK, Step into the New I hope that you will give it a try! You may just come away inspired and closer to the Father God and feel that your time in these pages equates to time well spent!
 
Blessings to you,
Susan Marlene 

 
This exciting regency steampunk adventure, THE EMPEROR'S AERONAUT, begins in 1819 Truro, located in Cornwall, England with Loveday Penhale holding a hammer! She is a spicy lady who uses her intelligence and doesn’t allow society to dictate who she should be. Her interactions are genuine and laughable as she meets each challenging person and the social rules of her day—with courage. Her creativity with things steam-powered or cogs and pulleys is fascinating.

Captain Arthur Trevelyan of Gwynn Place, Cornwall suffers an injury that had drastically altered his life, but not his worth. He must find a way to believe that. The man is a marvel of strength and determination and I enjoyed seeing how he pressed on and overcame difficult circumstances even though hampered by injury. His handsome face and wealth make him quite the catch but does he want to be caught?

Celeste Blanchard is a young lady who enjoyed educational opportunities that were unique for this time period in Paris, France. Her mother is a disgraced Air Minister, and her deceased father sparked love of flight and ballooning in her when she was a child. Napoleon is Napoleon--his expectation for Celeste to marry an undesirable stoked strength in her character, and she will not allow herself to submit. I love how every bit of her security unravels as she tries to succeed.   

Emory Thorndyke, of Trevithick Steam Works, is hard working, compassionate, and extremely passionate about making steam engines work safely. If Loveday is right, the man doesn’t think women should work in a man’s world. Still this man has some twists and turns to consider about people’s opinion of him.

This novel was given to me for an honest review. It is my first Steampunk adventure to read—ever. I’m ready to plunge into book 2 for my heart is in a great hurry to enjoy those pages. This sweetly romantic and cleverly written story holds twists and turns written with the most delightful voice. Well done Shelley Adina and R.E. Scott—these novel pages reveal a match well made between writers. My hope is that you two continue to invent and create even more amazing characters and plots that twist my worry into a knot like you did with THE EMPEROR’S AERONAUT!
 
QUESTIONS FOR SHELLEY ADINA AND R.E. SCOTT:
Curiosity got the better of me, and I had to look and see if there was a Truro in Cornwall, England! How did you find this quaint place? Have either of you visited this real location (in our time period, of course.)
 
Regina: Some readers may be familiar with Truro, as it was featured in the Poldark series. We chose it in part because that’s where Richard Trevithick, England’s inventor of the steam engine, practiced his craft.
 
Shelley: My best friend is from Truro, and I’ve visited there. The visual connections and sense of familiarity that Poldark might create in readers’ minds only add to our world-building of a steampunk version of this 12th-century town.
 
Who came up with Prinnypunk? What a clever intro to your story. 
 
Regina: That was Shelley’s brilliant idea! Prinny was the affectionate name for the Prince Regent during the Regency period.
 
Shelley: And the “punk” part is the subversive nature of women daring to pursue their potential as inventors and engineers in a time when such a thing was unheard of in polite society.
 
Since you wrote this novel together, did one of you write Loveday scenes and the other Celeste into the story? Did you decide how the whole story would go before your words hit the ink on the pages? This just fascinates me! 
 
Shelley: We spent a lot of time talking over all our choices in the mechanics of writing, since we live a thousand miles apart! In some partnerships, one author writes a draft, and the other revises it. There’s the James Patterson method where one writes a detailed synopsis that the other turns into a novel. But with our very full writing schedules, it seemed to make the most sense for each of us to take a heroine and write her chapters turn about. So once we’d agreed on a synopsis, I wrote scenes from the point of view of Loveday and Arthur…
 
Regina: …and I wrote the scenes from the point of view of Celeste and Emory.
 
Shelley: And it appears that our voices blend so well that people can’t tell who wrote which!
 
What are your favorite qualities about Loveday, Arthur, Celeste, and Emory? 
 
Shelley: For Loveday, her mind fascinates me. She doesn’t see a piece of furniture like a chest of drawers, for instance—she sees what it could do if only this or that bit of engineering could be applied. For Arthur, I love his nobility. Not in a snobby sense, but in his sense of justice and fair play. And, of course, his ability to see past society’s conventions to the nature of Loveday’s and Celeste’s talent.
 
Regina: For Celeste, I love her determination. When she sets her sights on a goal, she achieves it, one way or the other! For Emory, I like his matter-of-fact nature. He takes things at face value and takes people at their word. So, even when some thought Celeste a spy, he accepted her claim otherwise.
 
Is there anything you would like to share about your story with your readers?
 
Shelley: Readers have already sussed out that Loveday and Arthur are the great-grandparents of the heroine of my 22-book Magnificent Devices series. I hope they enjoy the Easter eggs I’ve planted! If a reader hasn’t been introduced to that world, they can enjoy ours for its own sake—we have such fun in it!
 
Regina: I can’t wait for readers to dive into book 2!
 
Do you have any maps, drawings, or historical facts you would like to share about this story?
 
Regina & Shelley
We have a Pinterest board at https://www.pinterest.com/reginascottpins/the-regents-devices-steampunk-adventure/ where readers can see some inventions, clothing, and other pictures that inspired our stories.
 
Where do you want to meet your readers concerning social media?

Website: https://www.reginascott.com
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Website: www.shelleyadina.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magnificentdevices/
Twitter: @shelleyadina