A Clockwork Murder
Todd's current novel is a steampunk mixture of Sin City and The Lord of the Rings. The story stars a gnomish alchemist by the name of Zook Terpin, who solves mysteries in the tradition of the Amateur Sleuth. The story is a hybrid: a mystery that takes place in a fantasy world, which means it will appeal either to a very wide audience, or to no one. You can be the judge.
The story is written in the tradition of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series and its modern incarnation, Randy White's Doc Ford series, however, instead of satirical commentary on Florida, A Clockwork Murder pokes fun at fantasy settings in general, and the modern version of fantasy seen in online role-playing games like Everquest and the World of Warcraft. If you like Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series, Glen Cook's Garrett, P.I. series, or Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, you'll enjoy A Clockwork Murder.
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What is steampunk?
Steampunk stories take place in worlds where the technological level is Victorian age/Industrial Revolution era, and machines are powered by steam or by clockwork mechanisms (e.g. wind up clocks with springs and gears). The plots are more akin to science fiction, mystery, or thriller novels rather than your typical high fantasy. The same is true for A Clockwork Murder, so that's why I sometimes refer to it as a "Steampunk Fantasy".
Why write a Hardboiled Fantasy, and just what the heck are you talking about anyway?
Hardboiled mysteries have specific plot traits/format (e.g. someone dies at the beginning, the main character spends the novel figuring out who did it and stopping them) which I enjoy, but the settings are often blah (to me). Fantasies have great settings--which I've loved ever since my dad read me The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and the Xanth series back when most parents would have been reading choo choo books to their kids--but after reading countless fantasies, I'm feeling a bit blah about the typical plots.
My idea: write a story in a fantasy world, but have the plot follow the typical mystery plot. Specifically the amateur sleuth style. So that's all there is to it: fantasy setting/hardboiled mystery plot.
I managed to write just such a story, but since I have a weird sense of humor, I made the main character a gnome named Zook Terpin.
Who is Zook Terpin, gnome alchemist?
I'll let him tell you himself: Hello and welcome to my world. I'm Zook Terpin, master alchemist and gnomish businessman. But don't let that fool you. I'm no garden gnome with a flowing white beard, red pointy hat, and stupid grin. No, I'm a gnome from the old myths and legends. A short, bald guy with a keen mind, a taste for adventure, and a penchant for fashion.
OK, so what's going on with the novel?
I'm currently shopping around A Clockwork Murder, the first novel in the Zook Terpin series. I've had some good nibbles and feedback from agents and editors, but haven't sold it or gotten an agent...yet. It is just a matter of querying enough people and finding someone who falls in love with the writing.
In the mean time I have written the sequel (Working Title: Goblin Poison); though I won't do major editing until after ACM sells.