Steampunk Novelist Emilie P. Bush and Illustrator William Kevin Petty are teaming up to launch the first book in a new genre – The Steampunk Picture book – and they are looking for support from the Steampunk Community.Petty’s delightful drawing of Steamduck (a featured illustration from the forthcoming book) graces the T-shirts the pair are hoping will raise the cash necessary for the printing their new project

Her Majesty's Explorer: a Steampunk bedtime story. The shirts, along with postcards and stickers, can be viewed at the Coal City Stories ETSY store. http://www.etsy.com/shop/CoalCityStories

About Her Majesty's Explorer: a Steampunk bedtime story: AutomatonSt.John Murphy Alexander walks the world exploring for the Queen. He sees the most extraordinary landscapes, creatures and weather. He gets very, VERY dirty. Exhausted, he returns to HQ and gets ready for a well deserved rest and some sweet dreams. This gentle book, written by Steampunk novelist Emilie P. Bush and brilliantly illustrated by William Kevin Petty, is the perfect wind-down for a little adventurer. Look for it in the Spring of 2012.

About Emilie P. Bush- Former public radio show host and author of the Steampunk novels Chenda and the Airship Brofman and The Gospel According to Verdu, Ms. Bush writes for The Steampunk Chronicle and lectures on publishing throughout the Southeast. Her stories are available at your favorite book retailer, Amazon.com, and in ALL digital formats at Smashwords.com.

About William Kevin Petty - National Guard Captain William Kevin Petty has taken on Her Majesty's Explorer as a labor of love, and he works on his illustrations during his down time while serving with the U.S.Army in the Middle East. Look for his work in Steampunk Magazine and at Allied-Aethernautics.com.

The pair really take an interest in interacting with their fans, and communicate regularly through the book’s facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/HerMajestysExplorer ), citing milestones in the development of the storyboards, how the weather is in Iraq, and offering giveaways for those who “LIKE” the book. “The following grows every day,” says Bush. “It’s really going to be something special, something new in the Steampunk world. I haven’t been this excited about a project in a long time.” Her Majesty's Explorer: a Steampunk bedtime story is scheduled to launch the last week in February 2012 and will published by Bush and Petty’s joint imprint Coal City Stories.