Steampunk adventures and espionage with Her Majesty's Agents
Tales from the Archives V – Six Part Two
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives V – Six Part One
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives V- Five
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives V- Four Part Two
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it
Æther Feature: Steampunk from Buffalo
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Tales from the Archives V- Four Part One
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Summer Steampunk Bundle
It’s going to be quite a summer here at the Ministry! The release of The Mystery of Emerald Flame has already made it exciting, but we’re not done with the adventures. We here at the Ministry are excited to be part of this amazing steampunk
Verity Fitzroy and The Mystery of Emerald Flame
We’re very excited to continue the story of the Ministry Seven, as they unravel ancient mysteries, and run into a few familiar characters. Out now on ebook exclusive to Amazon and Kindle Unlimited, we hope you enjoy the second book of Verity Fitzroy and the
Tales from the Archives V- Three Part Two
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives V- Three Part One
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tale from the Archives V- Two
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives V- One
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Saying “Goodbye” Is Never Easy
When I think of exceptional endings, there are a few that spring to mind… Captain Jean-Luc Picard dealing out a new hand to his officers. “Sam Beckett never went home.†The final scene in Black Adder Goes Forth. Saying goodbye is always hard, and I
Tales from the Archives: A 2017 Christmas Special
A Very Happy Christmas from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday
Operation: Endgame Preorder LIVE!
We have delightful news, Operation: Endgame the final book in Eliza and Wellington’s adventures now has a general release date. Those of you who backed the Kickstarter for this book will get their book before this, but for those who missed out, Boxing Day you’ll
Report from Motor City Steam Con 2017
Our journalists have just returned from their third sojourn to Detroit, Michigan—just like our intrepid agents Eliza D Braun and Wellington Thornhill Books. Though they did leave a great deal less destruction in their wake. Their first visit was to the now defunct Up in
COVER REVEAL- Operation: Endgame
So here it is…the cover of the ‘final’ adventure of Eliza and Wellington coming in October. Join Agents Books and Braun on their final adventure with the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences! Â There is no time to rest for Eliza D Braun and Wellington Thornhill Books.
New Anthology: Clockwork Cairo
Diversity is steampunk is one of our main goals. We have worked to offer a place for voices from around the world, to dive into our world. So it was wonderful to be approached to be part of this anthology but the editor Mathew Bright.
Æther Feature: Chronotography
If you’ve been to any steampunk event on the east coast of America, then you have probably seen Babs Who Takes Photos—Babette Daniels clicking away. A charming woman with a lot of energy, who has created some truly memorable steampunk imagery, she’s one of the
Æther Feature: Cover Reveal— The Perils of Prague
Today the Ministry is honoured to be part of the cover reveal for the Perils of Prague, the first in a new series of novels, by Doc Coleman. You will, dear reader, remember Doc from his Tales from the Archives episode, The Cross of Columba.
Audiobooks for the New Year
Our journalists have finished the recording of not one…but two audiobooks. The first is the Curse of the Silver Pharaoh, our first young adult title which was released in print and ebook format in September. Back then it hit #1 on Amazon in Teen and Young Adult steampunk.
All the Hues
The Kickstarter of 2015 was a rousing success, and the Ministry raised enough money to do two books. However we also made enough to reach our somewhat ridiculous goal of funding Countless Hues of Crimson. If you remember Dawn’s Early Light, this is the book
Tales from the Archives: A 2016 Christmas Special
A Very Happy Christmas from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday
A Jolly Bundle for the Holidays
We here at the Ministry love a good deal. We buy our tea in bulk, and head to the shops on Boxing Day for the sales. Our journalists also love a good deal, and apparently being part of one. Last week they were part of
SPECIAL ÆTHERSYNDICATION: The Geek Wolfpack Podcast and the Nerd Out App Kickstarter
Greetings, Faithful Patrons and Ministry Agents! We at the Archives are preparing for our final season (and yes we are using the term “final†rather liberally…) of Tales from the Archives, but we wanted to share with you this episode of the Geek Wolfpack Podcast, featuring
̠ther Feature РOutlawed Faith
We love to see other creatives diving into steampunk, and we love it when they are ambitious. Steampunk has a lot of fashion, literature and music. What it really hasn’t had is much in the way of the moving picture. Costs are high, but there
A Tale of Two Events
Our authors are rolling towards the end of their events this year. Only one more remains—Philcon in November. October has been a busy month, but in a wonderful way. First our journalists went to Strasburg, Pennsylvania to attend Steampunk Unlimited. This is the fourth year
Verity Fitzroy and Her Adventures
September 30th, the ebook of The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh will arrive, and with it the first novel of Verity Fitzroy and the Ministry Seven. Shortly after it will be in print and audiobook versions. Right now, her previous adventures in short story form are
COVER REVEAL – Countless Hues of Crimson
So it has come to this point in the Ministry adventures. The cover reveal for the story our journalists never expected to write. However, their Kickstarter backers pushed them up to the level where they said they would write it, so they’re going to have fun with it, by Jove. If you
Motor City and the Ministry
Back in 2013 Tee and Pip attended Up in the Aether, a steampunk convention in Detroit, Michigan. They fell so much in love with the city and the people, that Detroit ended up in their book, Dawn’s Early Light. So when they were invited back
COVER REVEAL- The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh
So this is a new adventure for the Ministry, and now we have a new cover as well. Designed by Starla has once again done a wonderful job for us, and we hope you’ll take a moment to pre-order The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh
Ghostly Reviews
The Ghost Rebellion is out there in all its formats, and we are starting to get reviews in. From My Words…in words and pages. I want to add, I love that we have a couple that still function and interact as individuals paired together. They
Those little scamps
So now the Ghost Rebellion is out in the wild, and we’re very excited to see how many people are enjoying it, but our journalists are not resting on their laurels. Right now they are hard at work on Operation: Endgame the final book for
Events oncoming…
With the release of The Ghost Rebellion, our journalists are free to run amok…or at least get out a little bit. First up tomorrow, is our Facebook party to celebrate the launch of the fifth novel. We will be having games, giveaways, and special guests. We’re
The Rebellion is here
Finally, the fifth book of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is available. The book that our readers and listeners helped us bring to life. From authors Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris, the award winning steampunk series continues… The chase is on! After rescuing Queen Victoria
Release date for Rebellion
So we have been fielding queries from people who missed the Ghost Rebellion Kickstarter, but still want to purchase book five. Next Friday, June 17th is the release day for to the general public and we are very excited, so here are all the details
The Ghost Rebellion arrives…nearly…
So as of this Monday, our backers got the ebook edition of The Ghost Rebellion. The delivery of a new book is always nerve-wracking, but our journalists were too busy to contemplate it over much. Hundreds of books have descended on them, turning their house
New Fairytales from our journalists
As you may be aware our journalists have as a little aside, dabbled in steampunk novelette fairytales. Pip Ballantine produced Mechanical Wings based on Wild Swans, and The Little Clockwork Mermaid. Tee Morris produced Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device. Finally Mr Morris released the
Author Spotlight – Dan Rabarts
As we prepare for the launching this year of the final season of Tales from the Archives, we thought it might be a grand idea to highlight the authors who have helped us along the way. These are writers who have created wonderful characters and
The Ghost Rebellion cover spread
A few months ago we revealed the beauty of the cover for The Ghost Rebellion by Starla Huchton, but really that is only half the story. Today we can share with you the full beauty of the cover art, which is revealed in the print
Steampunk and Vegas
Our journalists have just returned from the RT Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were the captains for the steampunk track, and had quite the marvelous time. They also had the chance to teach at Linnea Sinclair’s Pre-Con Bootcamp. Filling eager minds with knowledge
Verena and Eliza
When Verena Vorsatz visited to pose for our covers, Michael Ward of Go ForWard Photography also took some candid shots. The first one is powerful, and really does capture the spirit of Eliza D Braun The second…well let’s just say character and author have a
Author Spotlight – Phil Rossi
As we prepare for the launching this year of the final season of Tales from the Archives, we thought it might be a grand idea to highlight the authors who have helped us along the way. These are writers who have created wonderful characters and
Author Spotlight – Starla Huchton
As we prepare for the launching this year of the final season of Tales from the Archives, we thought it might be a grand idea to highlight the authors who have helped us along the way. These are writers who have created wonderful characters and
Author Spotlight: Nathan Lowell
As we prepare for the launching this year of the final season of Tales from the Archives, we thought it might be a grand idea to highlight the authors who have helped us along the way. These are writers who have created wonderful characters and
Cover Reveal- The Ghost Rebellion
So here we are, with the first of the fruits of the Kickstarter we funded last year. Backers will be getting their copies in May, but the book will be available to the general public on June 8th. What’s more, you can pre-order the ebook
Author Spotlight: K T Bryski
As we prepare for the launching this year of the final season of Tales from the Archives, we thought it might be a grand idea to highlight the authors who have helped us along the way. These are writers who have created wonderful characters and
Book Cover Shoot – an author report
Our journalist, Pip Ballantine takes over the blog today, to share the experience of a book cover photoshoot made possible by our readers and listeners. So after our hugely successful Kickstarter campaign to fund The Ghost Rebellion, we were excited to be ordering up our
Steampunk Hands Around The World — My Favourite Thing
This month is steampunk Hands Around the World. An event that I think shows just how global this movement has become. Talking about my favorite thing is so hard. I would be tempted to say people and run down a list of the generous, creative
The Ministry and the Pineapple
If you are not aware…pineapples play a big part in Countless Hues of Crimson (available for sale in December) Yes, Kickstarter backers helped fund the Victorian erotica mentioned in the beginning of The Diamond Conspiracy…and as a symbol for this our journalists in their wisdom
Tally Ho! A New Year with the Ministry
Well last year was a gallop for us here at the Ministry. We launched book four from our journalists, Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine, The Diamond Conspiracy. We picked up best steampunk from the RT Convention in Dallas for Dawn’s Early Light. We started and
Tales from the Archives IV – Ten
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives IV- Nine Part Two
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Æther Feature — Absinthe Heroes
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Final week of the Kickstarter and Award News
And so it draws to a close. At 9.30PM EST Sunday, November 15th the door closes on the Kickstarter campaign to fund books five and six of the Ministry. We have fully funded The Ghost Rebellion as well as Operation: Endgame. We have locked in
Tales from the Archives IV- Nine Part One
Today’s Tales from the Archives is brought to you by the Ghost Rebellion Kickstarter which is going on now. We have funded both books, but we have one more stretch goal in sight, the writing and production of Countless Hues of Crimson, which you may
Æther Feature – 6 Inconvenient Realities of Victorian Dress
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Tales from the Archives IV – Eight
Today’s Tales from the Archives is brought to you by the Ghost Rebellion Kickstarter which is going on now. Please help spread the word and consider supporting the campaign which will be bringing you a new Ministry novel in print, audio and ebook. The
The Ghost Rebellion Kicks off
So with excitement and a smidgen of trepidation, the Ministry Kickstarter for Book Five of the Ghost Rebellion is live. We are planning to get the Ghost Rebellion into print, audio, and ebook format—but the Ministry also has other plans. We’d love to fund the
Book Five Kickstarter
This weekend, the Ministry Kickstarter begins. We are all nervous and excited here in the office. However, our latest episode of the Tales from the Archives will be arriving in conjunction with this momentous event, rather than today. We hope you will enjoy the story
More Canadian Steampunk
When PC Haring and KT Bryski got together to write an epic story for Agent Brandon Hill, we knew it would be something special. You’ve listened to the podcast, now you can purchase the ebook. Taking pity on the plucky intern in the Archives of
The Ministry’s Fifth Book
We know since the arrival of book four, our readers and listeners have been anxious for news on the next. However, we have been reluctant to talk about it, since so much was up in the air. You see, we always considered the adventures of
Happy Birthday, Verena Vorstaz!
Oh I say! Today, the Ministry celebrates a very special birthday! Verena Vorstaz (also known as V for Cosplay) surprised our journalists with a series of photographs and moving picture clips of an uncanny Eliza D Braun cosplay. Verena is a talented cosplayer, runway model,
Tales from the Archives Volume IV — Seven, Pt 2
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives Volume IV — Seven, Pt 1
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
4 Things GSN’s Steampunk’d Got Right
Today is a very special ÆtherFeature as our journalist, Tee Morris, is taking the helm and sharing his thoughts on a new offering in steampunk. Enjoy this spoiler-free review of Steampunk’d, the competition pitting teams of creative steampunks against each other’s imaginations… This morning, my
Aether Feature – Splendid Tea Pot racing
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
New Collections
Our journalists are finally catching up with their work, and putting out the Tales from the Archives in ebook form. And now here come the collections, since you, our dear readers seem to like them so much. Can you believe we are already up to
Tales from the Archives Volume IV — Six
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Æther Feature – Olive
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Tales from the Archives, Volume IV — Four
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Two new ebook Short Stories
We have two new ebooks available for you this month, from Katarina Bordet and Michael Ventrella. One takes in the grandeur of the Austrian Empire…the other let’s loose a Mummy in Barnsley! The Mummy of Barnsley by Michael Ventrella Northern England, 1894 Agent Ernest Throckmorton
Æther Feature – Steampunk in New Zealand, Part the Second
From Rotorua, our intrepid journalists, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris, traveled to the South Island of New Zealand. It is here just a few hours south of Christchurch, that steampunk has taken a hold of a town; and in turn, a town has embraced steampunk
Tales from the Archives, Volume IV — Three
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
̠ther Feature РSmog Riders
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Dawn’s Early Light Winners
Thanks to all those that entered the competition to celebrate the release of Dawn’s Early Light. We had over a thousand entries, and luckily the rafflecopter gadget chooses winners rather than our previous method involving guinea pigs, cheese and a roulette wheel. So without further
Æther Feature – Steampunk in New Zealand, Part the First
Our journalists spent two weeks last month back in New Zealand, and the steampunk they found there was wonderful. So the next few Æther Features will be spotlighting the steampunk scene in New Zealand. Our journalists were, along with Gail Carriger, Guests of Honour at
Tales from the Archives, Volume IV — Two
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Spirit Sanctus – ebook
The new season of Tales from the Archives is now on a roll, and fortnightly there will be new stories available for your ears. However, if you would like to read the stories, then we also have ebooks available for your eyeballs as well. Today
Æther Feature – V’s Eliza cosplay
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Tales from the Archives, Volume IV — One
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Dawn’s Early Light Wins
Yesterday it the winners of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards were announced, and we here at the Ministry are delighted that the winner of the steampunk category is the third book in the Ministry series, Dawn’s Early Light. You remember Dawn’s Early Light, don’t you?
The Diamond Conspiracy is HERE!
The fourth book (fourth, can you believe it!) is now available, in print, digital and audio. Your can now order from your local bookstore or Amazon – Barnes and Noble – Kobo or get the audiobook from Tantor Audio For years, the Ministry of Peculiar
Celebrate with the Ministry!
We wanted to run a giveaway to celebrate the Diamond Conspiracy. We wanted it to be something useful. If the winner didn’t have enough pence for an ereader they could have it. If they wanted to buy books, they could have that. If they wanted
Steampunk Book Trailer — The Diamond Conspiracy: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel
After an extremely cold night in Virginia’s capital city and weeks of production, Imagine That! Studios and Ace Books present the official book trailer for The Diamond Conspiracy, the fourth volume in The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series from Ace Books, written by Pip Ballantine &
̠ther Feature РGaslight Fantasy?
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
The month of the Diamond Conspiracy
Yes, it is finally here…or it will be at the end of the month. The Diamond Conspiracy is becoming available on the 31st of March. For years, the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has enjoyed the favor of Her Majesty the Queen. But even the oldest
Aether Feature: Karen Memory
 These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Christmas with Sophia
Our authors had a lot of fun writing this story for Christmas…perhaps too much fun… But it is now available on all ebook platforms or you can buy directly from us. After all…who wouldn’t want to go home for a very del Morte Christmas? Just
A New Year’s Gift for our readers
Happy New Year! One of our fine readers asked, and we thought it was a fine idea—so here is our very own reading guide for all the fiction currently in the Ministry files. You will find all the Tales from the Archives, Ministry Protocol stories,
Into the Future!
The end of the year is nigh, and we here at the Ministry have had a grand year. It was full of fun and achievement. Dawn’s Early Light was released into the wild in paperback, ebook and audiobook. Ministry Protocol, the Fate Core based roleplaying
Tales from the Archives: A 2014 Christmas Special
A Very Happy Christmas from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday
New ebook short stories
Some people don’t like audio…strange but true. For the last few years we have been offering 99c Penny Dreadfuls on all the various e-platforms. As Season Three of Tales from the Archives draws to a close, we are happy to offer, Foothold by Paul Ellis,
A Victorian getaway
Our journalists travel all over the world for conventions and book signings, but during this year they didn’t get much time for a holiday. So when they had a free weekend they escaped to scenic Delaware. Yes, Delaware. Mostly that was to do with Tee
Tales from the Archives III: Ten
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Æther Feature: Ticker
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
The 2014 RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards
The Ministry is pleased as punch to be nominated in the 2014 RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards nominees. We’re nominated in the best steampunk category along with some other wonderful books and authors. Congratulations to Delilah D Dawson, Karina Cooper, Lynn Viehl and Meljean Brook as
Tales from the Archives III: Nine
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Remembering the Fallen, Welcoming Others Home
Our brothers and sisters of investigating the strange and unusual, the Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical, are celebrating Veteran’s Day today in the Americas, and we tip our bowlers and bonnets to them all. Today, across the Empire, we pay different honours. We remember
Report on S4: Steampunk Saturday at Shaharazade’s in Shepherdstown
Back on September 13th, the Ministry had the joy of hosting a steampunk tea at Shaharazade’s Restaurant & Tea Room in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Our journalists Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris were joined by Tiffany Trent, author of the Unnaturalists, and one of the authors
Tales from the Archives III: Eight
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
COVER REVEAL- The Diamond Conspiracy
Apparently it has been leaked onto the Aetherwebs, and we here at the Ministry have admitted defeat…but in a good way. The cover for the Diamond Conspiracy is here for all to see! Miss Braun is once again wearing trouser and Mr Books is…what is
Tales from the Archives III: Seven
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Æther Feature: Writing Young Adult Steampunk
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Sixty-nine Shades of Darjeeling – The First
It’s been a week of tea drinking…lots of darjeeling, but with some sidetrips to assam and points north. Look for a post on Thursday about our little adventure to Shaharazade’s Exotic Tea Room, where I took a break from darjeelings. During the week however, I managed
Sixty-nine Shades of Darjeeling – Intro
Our journalist Pip Ballantine has ventured out into the world of tea exploration, and has sent back this report as she tries to learn more about wonderful darjeelings. These posts will be appear on Mondays, and we hope they inform and entertain… Welcome! This all
Ministry Protocol…now in your ears!
After weeks of slaving over the audio equipment, our journalists have finally been able to release the audio version of Ministry Protocol. Dividing up the work between themselves, Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine have read all of the wonderful stories in the anthology, and it
Æther Feature: How Amelia Chain Brings the Punk
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Begging Your Forgiveness
Unfortunately, we here at the Ministry are once again short-staffed. (Terrible thing, cut-backs don’t you know). While our journalists have their noses pressed to the grindstone getting the first round of edits out for the Diamond Conspiracy (due in March next year), they have rather
S4: Steampunk Saturday at Shaharazade’s in Shepherdstown
Our journalists are hosting a steampunk tea in charming Shepherdstown, WV, and they’d love you to attend! Tiffany Trent, author of the Unnaturalists, and a Ministry Initiative contributer will be joining Tee and Pip at Shaharazade’s Restaurant & Tea Room, 141 W German St, Shepherdstown,
Happy Birthday, David Warner!
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences wishes David Warner the happiest of birthdays! This fine British actor is multi-faceted, to say the least. From crime dramas such as Midsommer Murders and Wallander, to science fiction classics like Tron, Time Bandits, Doctor Who, and various Star Trek properties,
Dispatches from the Ministry
We here at the Ministry are always looking for ways to maintain contact with our agents. However recently, it was pointed out to us that we are missing a beat. Though we have a Ministry Facebook, Twitter, Google+, tumblr and pinterest account…we were missing out
Happy Birthday, Nikola Tesla!
Our favourite mad science consultant for the Ministry, Nikola Tesla, celebrates a birthday today. We came across this picture in the Archives, circa 1894-95, where we see Nikola on his travels across America, enjoying a relaxing afternoon on the beach. Wait. Hold on a
The Secret of the Diamond Conspiracy is out: 31-3-2015
We have managed to declassify information on the fourth Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences books. We have a publication date which is the 31st of March 2015…and we even have information on the contents of the book. Your support with pre-orders of said book makes a
New Tale: Blessings of Baalsheim
Something new from the Archives, a new story from Mr Reed. Once again available on all platforms, but buying direct gives the Ministry the best return (and keeps us in tea!) Blessings of Baalsheim by Nobilis Reed In the Spring of 1869 Mrs Isabel Burton
Tales from the Archives III: Six
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
New Ministry tales for your aether reader
This week sees the arrival of three new offerings from the vaults of the Tales of the Archives, a story from Lisa-Anne Samuels, Suna Dasi, as well as Collection 7 of the Tales from the Archives. All of these are also available on all ebook
Æther Feature: Still Think Steampunk is Dead? You Must Not Be Watching Penny Dreadful.
Showtime, back in May, offered up a free preview—the first episode—of a new series featuring Josh Harnett, Eva Green, and Timothy Dalton. The show was advertised as gothic horror; but amidst the breathtaking fashions, the epic sets, and its beautiful design, steampunk makes its presence
PNR Radio appearance + giveaway
In partnership with ILoveVampireNovels.com, author Arial Burnz is the host of the podcast PNRradio.com, where she features entertainment that goes bump in the night. If you love paranormal and fantasy books, TV shows and movies, you’ll love PNR Radio! Guests include bestselling authors (e.g., Nalini
Tales from the Archives, Volume III: Five (Part Two)
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Something new…
We here at the Ministry are all about choices and options. Our podcasts, our audio books, and our digital books are available in as many platforms as possible, and now we bring you the ability to buy from us directly. We are often asked which
Tales from the Archives, Volume III: Five (Part One)
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Æther Feature – Eliza D Braun Cosplay
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Tales from the Archives, Volume III: The “Meet the Ministry” Panel from DemiCon 25
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Ministry Protocol Wins!
Another piece of wonderful news from the Ministry, our anthology Ministry Protocol has won the Steampunk Chronicle Readers Choice, Best Fiction 2014. If you want to watch the award ceremony, then you absolutely can! Thanks to all our wonderful authors that helped make this project
FREE ebook – Silver Linings
We here at the Ministry are celebrating not only our win at the Steampunk Chronicle’s Readers Choice award, but first month of Dawn’s Early Light being out in the wilds of publishing. To that ends, we are giving away Silver Linings. This short story is
Tangi A Te Ruru/The Cry of the Morepork
Last year, our journalist Pip Ballantine was lucky enough to be accepted into an anthology whose purpose was to explore the multicultural aspects of steampunk. Alliteration Press ran the very successful Steampunk World kickstarter, and raised over their goal. This enabled the wonderful artist James
Tales from the Archives, Volume III: A Special Preview of Dawn’s Early Light
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Our journalists visit Seattle…with
Our journalists have always longed for distant Seattle…and now they get to go there…at least their voices do. Shannon and Matt sit down to talk with Tee and Pip about steampunk and Dawn’s Early Light. [display_podcast]
Functional Nerds welcome our journalists
Functional Nerds is the new podcast from author/blogger Patrick Hester and musician/blogger John Anealio focusing on science fiction and fantasy media: television, film, comics, and new media such as fan films, audio dramas, online animated comics and more, technology, gadgets and all things Apple as
Tales from the Archives, Volume III: Four
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Our journalists get all mythy and witty
The MythWits bring you the very best in geek pop culture. A weekly live video show, on-demand video channel, and audio podcast. Specializing in informative interviews and convention coverage all with a heavy dose of comedy. And now they meet Pip and Tee, live from
Our journalists get all Geekily
Our journalists ‘get their…achemmm…geek on’ with the lovely folks of Geek Radio Daily. After consuming a proper meat pie they talk the geek news of the week (oh good grief see-through skulls!!) and what they have been watching. We begin to suspect they need to
The Way of the Buffalo and our journalists
Our journalists journey into the north of the country, but not quite as far as Canada. They join Hugh O’Donnell and Pat Toner talking about steampunk, and what they plan to be up to in the coming weeks. (Hopefully not resting on their laurels) Unfortunately
Tales from the Archives III: Three
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
The Break of Dawn’s Early Light
You’ve waited for it. We’ve waited for it. Now it is here. Dawn’s Early Light is now out in the wild. You can find it in all your brick and mortar stores, as well as on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Mysterious Galaxy. Here’s what
Fan Appreciation – Portraits
Catching up with all the lovely readers and listeners as we approach the release day for the third Ministry novel, Dawn’s Early Light, has been heartwarming. The number of people who have told us how excited they are to have new tales of Eliza and
Our Journalists Appear on Geekually Yoked
Our journalists continue their journey to blogs and podcasts far and wide in anticipation for NEXT WEEK’S release of our latest adventure, Dawn’s Early Light. Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine sit down with Rachel and Leeman of Geekually Yoked, billed as the World’s Best Married Christian Geek
Fan appreciation – Hypersteam
Today we are posting an image made by G A Jack Hammerquist. Our journalists met Mr Hammerquist (Alan Smith) at Octopodicon, prompting us to initiate our search of the archives for this lovely line drawing of a hypersteam train he had sent us some time
Win with the Ministry
As we tick away the hours and days towards the release of Dawn’s Early Light, the competition heats up… And that means winnings available to you! Both we here at the Ministry and our allies over at Ace Books, are giving away with reckless abandon.
The return of Mr Langton!
We can now confirm with great joy, that Dawn’s Early Light will be getting an audio release through Tantor Media, and that the amazing vocal talents of Mr James Langton will be bringing it to you. After the fine work he did with Phoenix Rising
Tales from the Archives, Volume III: Two
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Friday Frivolity: Wherein Our Journalists Get Geeky on Technorama
Continuing their journey across the global ætherweb, our fearless journalists join the fine chaps at Technorama, a Parsec-winning and long-running æthercast of the highest quality and caliber. Sadly, Chuck Tomasi was not present for the interview; but this did not mean Tales from the Archives‘
Our Journalists Appear on the MythWits
Moving along in their travels across the blogosphere and podosphere, our journalists stop by the MythWits podcast, an æthercast available both in audio and in video that delves into popular culture, convention appearances, and all things of a more “geeky” nature. Pip Balantine finds herself
Our Journalists “Get Nutty” on the Nutty Bites Podcast!
Oh, I say! Should our journalists talk of such intimacies amongst the sexes? Well, who are we to judge here in the Archives? Our honourary agent and delightful hostess “Nutty” Nuchtchas, Tek the Clockwork Doctor, our journalists Tee Morris & Philippa Ballantine, and Heath Fowler, & Angela Fowler,
Editors Roundtable from John Mierau’s Serving Worlds
We are so pleased to introduce John Mierau’s Serving Worlds æthercast here on the Ministry website. Continuing in his series of roundtable discussions, Mister Mierau invited our journalist, Tee Morris, to join other editors of the finest caliber: Ann Vandermeer David Gatewood John Joseph Adams This
̠ther Feature РThe Artifact Hunters, finding inspiration
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
First Review – Dawn’s Early Light
The waiting is always the hardest. It is now less than a month until the arrival of Book Three of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series. Dawn’s Early Light will be touching down on the 25th of March. We are all on pins and needles
Tales from the Archives, Volume III: One
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it
Our Journalists Make New Friends from the North
How delightful! Our delightful intern, Katherine, has reached out her friends in the chilly wilds of Canada to sit down with our journalists and talk about the Ministry’s upcoming release of Dawn’s Early Light. Tee and Pip also talk about the challenges of writing steampunk
̠ther Feature РAn Ode to Steampunk
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Reader Guide
Happy New Year! One of our fine readers asked, and we thought it was a fine idea—so here is our very own reading guide for all the fiction currently in the Ministry files. You will find all the Tales from the Archives, Ministry Protocol stories,
Aether Feature – AETHERANGELEGENHEITEN
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Reading Guide
Happy New Year! One of our fine readers asked, and we thought it was a good idea—a reading guide for the Ministry stories. This pdf lists chronologically by year the stories are set. You will find all of the Ministry Protocol, Tales from the Archives,
Tales from the Archives: A 2013 Hanukkah Special
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Mistletoe Bloghop
It’s that time again. The time to begin hopping under the Mistletoe. We here at the Ministry have collaborated with some wonderful authors to bring our readers and listeners the chance to win some rather awesome prizes. Go to the main page to enter for
Multi-cultural steampunk anthology Kickstarter
Our author, Pip Ballantine is very proud to be part of this new steampunk anthology being kickstarted. Steampunk World It is easy to find excellent stories of American and British citizens… but we rarely get to see steampunk from the point of view of the
Bewitching Book Tours Hot Holiday Giveaway
It’s that time of the year…time to win! Ministry Protocol is one of the fine books you can win in this giveaway hosted by Bewitching Book Tours! Use the rafflecopter below to enter, and check out the books available. 1 Kindle Fire HD 8.9
Æther Feature — Building an Anatomy of Steampunk—An Insider’s View
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, writers, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour
Octopodicon
So our journalists are soon heading to Oklahoma for the fun and frolics of Octopodicon. They will be signing and selling while there—including paper copies of the Ministry Protocol. Here’s where you can track them down. Friday 2:00pm   Tee & Pip Reading/Book Signing 5:00pm
Ministry Protocol now available
So all the backers have had their books shipped, and so the Ministry can now open up sales of the paper copies to the general public. This is the anthology that was part of the 152% funded Kickstarter we ran, along with Galileo Games back
Journalist appearance at James River Writers Conference
The James River Writers are a longstanding writers organisation, and also happen to be located in the hometown of our journalist, Tee Morris, Richmond, Virginia. So when the invitation came, both of our journalists were very excited. Richmond is a historic city, set on a
The Protocol lands
After a really amazing, and successful Kickstarter campaign, one of the projects funded was the Ministry Protocol: Thrilling Tales from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences. This anthology of short stories expand the world of the Ministry beyond the novels alone, and provide glimpses of the
Æther Feature — The League of S.T.E.A.M.
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour to
Happy Birthday and Happy Delivery Day
Today just happens to be the birthday of HG Wells, one of the grandfathers of steampunk…. and it also happens to be the day we have delivered the aether version of Ministry Protocol. What a wonderful coincidence. So if you were one of
The Protocol draws close
Things have been happening behind the scenes here at the Ministry. We’ve got the second round of edits of Dawn’s Early Light, and it is looking like another action packed adventure. The anthology Ministry Protocol e-book should be going out to backers, and there after
An Unexpected Victory
The Parsecs celebrate the best in speculative fiction podcasting each year, and are presented at DragonCon in Atlanta, GA. Last year our journalists attended the Parsec Awards, and Tales from the Archives won two wonderful trophies for best short story (large cast) and best short
Ministry Protocol COVER REVEAL
After a whirlwind Kickstarter, we are finally ready to reveal what we’ve been hanging onto for over a month…the cover of the new anthology set in the world of the Ministry! Here’s the official Ministry release… The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels are a multi-award
Signed from the Ministry
Our journalists travel far and wide to many conventions, booksignings, and even the odd railway event. Usually they are their own travelling shop, thanks to the aether magic that is the Square. However, the sad truth is that they cannot be in all places all
A Belated Note of Thanks
Our journalists wanted to pen this thank you two weeks ago, but the editing of Dawn’s Early Light became of prime importance. But fear not, the gears are still moving. So we made our goal in the Kickstarter…and then some. We not only reached our
Sekrit Agents Kittehs – Three
This week Sebastian practices questioning Viola. We’re not entirely sure Viola enjoys the experience. Check out the Kickstarter for the roleplaying game and the anthology here. We’re at 51% funded, and we’ve added new levels and announced our first stretch goal! So please share Sebastian’s
Cover reveal— Dawn’s Early Light
Covers are curious creations. Writers write, and then send their stories into publishing companies. They are the ones that arrange the covers, and it is always a nerve wracking event. When they arrive, authors hold their breath. Ace Books has, as the Americans would say,
Sekrit Agents Kittehs – Two
This week Viola helps the Ministry Initiative out. Check out the Kickstarter for the roleplaying game here. We’re at 32% funded, and we’ve added new levels so you can find the rewards you want. Coming in the next few days, announcements about stretch goals. We’re
Ministry hopping
This is the week of the bloghop, organised by the delightful PJ Schnyder, in support of the Ministry Initiative. What is that you ask… Galileo Games and Imagine That! Studios have teamed up to bring you an ambitious steampunk project! The Ministry Initiative is a
Sekrit Agent Kittehs— One
It’s all hands to the pump here at the Ministry. Everything we have is pouring into the Ministry Initiative, so we can bring some amazing new stories and a roleplaying game into the world. So, we’ve had to cut back on some things—like the budget
The Ministry Initiative
It has been a long time planning, but it is finally here. In conjunction with Galileo Games, and using the talents of some truly incredible professionals, our Ministry Kickstarter is off and running. In the next month we need to raise $20,000 so that we
Licensed to Thrill— Agent 008 Delilah S Dawson
The Ministry Protocol bring you stories from all over the globe, by some of the finest voices in steampunk, science fiction, fantasy and romance. Delilah S. Dawson is a native of Roswell, Georgia and the author of the paranormal romance Blud series for Pocket, including
Licensed to Thrill— Agent 007 Alex White
May 15th is very near…the clock is ticking The Ministry Protocol bring you stories from all over the globe, by some of the finest voices in steampunk, science fiction, fantasy and romance. Files on the participating agents have now been declassified and we can finally
Licensed to Thrill— Agent 006 Jared Axelrod
May 15th is very near…the clock is ticking The Ministry Protocol bring you stories from all over the globe, by some of the finest voices in steampunk, science fiction, fantasy and romance. Files on the participating agents have now been declassified and we can finally
Licensed to Thrill— Agent 005 Dan Rabarts
As the countdown begins… The Ministry Protocol bring you stories from all over the globe, by some of the finest voices in steampunk, science fiction, fantasy and romance. Files on the participating agents have now been declassified and we can finally reveal them in this
Licensed to Thrill— Agent 004 J.R. Blackwell
The Ministry Protocol bring you stories from all over the globe, by some of the finest voices in steampunk, science fiction, fantasy and romance. Files on the participating agents have now been declassified and we can finally reveal them in this series J.R. Blackwell is
Licensed to Thrill— Agent 003 Jack Mangan
As the countdown begins… The Ministry Protocol bring you stories from all over the globe, by some of the finest voices in steampunk, science fiction, fantasy and romance. Files on the participating agents have now been declassified and we can finally reveal them in this
Æther Feature — Steampunk & Glamping
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour to
Licensed to Thrill— Agent 002 Tiffany Trent
As the countdown begins… The Ministry Protocol bring you stories from all over the globe, by some of the finest voices in steampunk, science fiction, fantasy and romance. Files on the participating agents have now been declassified and we can finally reveal them in this
Licensed to Thrill— Agent 001 Leanna Renee Hieber
As the countdown begins… The Ministry Protocol bring you stories from all over the globe, by some of the finest voices in steampunk, science fiction, fantasy and romance. Files on the participating agents have now been declassified and we can finally reveal them in this
Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice Award
The winners were announced, and the Ministry was absolutely chuffed to find out that the Janus Affair has won the fiction category! It was an honour to be in company of such people as John C White, Ben Hamby, and Major Jack Union. Other
Æther Feature — The Gearheart: Last Days of the October Squadron
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour to
A Tribute to BioShock Infinite: Quantum Physicist Rosalind Lutece
As you all know, our journalists are enjoying the experience that is BioShock: Infinite. So it shouldn’t surprise you at all that a cosplay has captured their eye today… No, this is not a painting nor is it a screen capture, but cosplayer LaynesLionRedCat from Russia,
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — Twelve
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
BioShock Infinite: A Steampunk’s Perspective
We are pleased at the Ministry to invite one of our journalists to discuss about a new æthergame which is all the rage currently, so with any further fanfare, please indulge Tee Morris as he gives his own personal account of BioShock Infinite. To use
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — Eleven
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Steampunk Style
This is what happens when steampunks decide to make a music video. Look out for the Ministry novels at 2:15 with our journalists behind them… We have reports they had a wonderful time with so many talented folk, and Mr Morris was able to revisit
For Your Consideration: The Janus Affair for SPC’s 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards
Our journalists get quite tickled when the steampunk community gives the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences a nod. They still take a great deal of pride in both the 2011 Airship Award and their 2012 Parsec wins. This year, the Ministry is in the spotlight on The
First pre-order
The Amazon link for the third book of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels is now live! We are quite excited by this, because not only does it have the back cover commentary, but also a new publication date. November 26th 2013! After some concerns
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — Ten
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Æther Feature — STEAM FU(NK): African Martial Arts in the Age of Steam
These features as a way for the Ministry to highlight artists, musicians, and makers of all variety. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps we might endeavour to
Happy Birthday, Jules Verne!
Today marks the birthday of imaginative mind and part-time consultant for the Ministry, author Jules Verne. Yes, I am sure, good citizens, you find Verne’s works reflecting the Empire and Her Majesty (God save the Queen!) in a rather nasty light; but I do wonder
Steampunk Romance Gears Up For Action
Victorian-era people were fascinated by technology and engineering. Hence, writers and artists channeled that fascination into what has come to be known as Edisonade style stories. Those tales were generally about inventors and their fantastical devices and had a reputation for strong action-adventure elements and
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — Nine
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
A Daguerreotype Message of Frightful Importance to Jim C. Hines
Sunday was quite the day for our intrepid journalists, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris. Not only were they hosting the lovely (and exotically Asian) P.J. Schnyder and enjoying cake pop madness over the weekend, the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences was alerted of a mention of
Phoenix Rising on Glossi
We here at the Ministry have a great deal of content about our work available, audio, images, and even some video, but until now everything has been very scattered about. One of our journalists discovered the new development Glossi, and had created this issue all
Æther Feature — A Peek Inside the Secret Mind of an Author
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Tales from the Archives — A 2012 Christmas Special
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it
Æther Feature — Water Globes and Curious Inventions
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
YOU can join the Ministry!
Another secret has escaped from the Archives. Yes, it is true you can join the Ministry. Thanks to Galileo Games, a roleplaying game is underdevelopment where you can play agents, solve mysteries, foil plots, and uncover mad conspiracies. It will be based on the FATE
Æther Feature — Deadlance Steamworks
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Thanks for all the LIKES
The Ministry Facebook page has reached a 1,000 Likes, and to celebrate we are running another competition. Yes, this time we are giving away a signed set of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences hardbacks (the Science Fiction Book Club edition) as well as a signed
Best wishes of the season
It has been a bumper year for the Ministry, and we are certainly entering Christmas on a high note. Our Facebook page reached 1,000 Likes! So we will be announcing a fun new competition on Boxing Day, as well as the winner of the Box
Æther Feature — How I Came to the End of the World
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Tales from the Archives Volume 2 — Eight
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop: A Very Steampunk Christmas
It is that time of year; where folk (and particularly writers) go a little holiday crazy. The Ministry is proud to be one of the sponsors of the Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop. All of the other fabulous sponsors can be found right here – so
Æther Feature — Gilded Trailer Release
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
A Christmas Tale from the Ministry
Last year, Mr Morris wrote a short story for podcast, but due to some sort of mix up with the paperwork, it was never produced in electronic format. This oversight has been corrected and now this tale ‘In the Spirit of Christmas’ is now available
Æther Feature — Olivia M. Grey on Publishing & Marketing Realities for the Emerging Author
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Æther Feature — Birthrite
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Æther Feature — The Steam Powered Tales of Awesomeness & Imperial Amerikan Air Corps
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Finalists!
Once again you did it, fine supporters of the Ministry. The Janus Affair, our second book, has made it to the finals of the Goodreads.com Best Science Fiction of 2012. To be in the company of the other 9 finalists is quite the honour, but
Æther Feature: Crowdfunding Your Fantasy — The Fast and the Furious
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Æther Feature — Shanghai Steam
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Steampunk in In D Tale
So our journalist Pip Ballantine has had a article published about the recipe for steampunk in the latest issue of the delightful magazine InDTale.com This is a magazine that specifically looks at publishing for independent or small press authors. It is free to sign up
Once More Unto the Breach: The Goodreads 2012 Choice Awards
Esteemed agents, faithful readers, and those of you who have cheered for our honours and awards, Miss Braun and I come to you once more as we did a year ago from this time. We are thrilled to announce that, yes, there are times where
Æther Feature —The Extraordinary Contraptions
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — Seven
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Æther Feature — European Steampunk Convention 2012: After Action Report
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
You Liked Us Competition
Well the news is out, and now we can make the official announcement… We just signed a contract with Ace books for the next two books of the Ministry, and we delivered the first draft of the third book Dawn’s Early Light to our editor
The Ministry is everywhere…
We have news on several fronts today. It has come to our attention that not everyone visits webpages anymore. Apparently there is also something called Facebook. The Ministry has overlooked the rise of this behemoth while distracted by mad scientists and such. This failure has
Æther Feature — Green Bunny Hats
 Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Æther Feature — Sightmares
 Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Æther Feature — The 2012 European Steampunk Convention
 Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Æther Feature — Days of Steam: A Website to Watch
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Æther Feature — Steampunk Books for Children: Where are they?
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
Æther Feature — Lantern City: A Project of Infinite Promise
Every Thursday, the Archives will feature artists, musicians, and makers of all variety, entered for your approval here in the Archives. With so many talented individuals to choose from, we know it is a challenge to feature every clever creative worthy of note, but perhaps
In Which Our Intrepid Journalists Head North, then South
While the summer is drawing to a close, it appears our journalists are not slowing down even in the face of adversity. What makes the travels of Mr. Morris and Ms. Ballantine so much fun is that these travels are not done alone. We hope
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — Six
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Our journalists on SF Signal
Our two journalists, Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine went on the aethernet with acclaimed authors, Gail Carriger, Cherie Priest, Paul Di Fillipo, and Jay Lake to talk steampunk in all its glory. Hilarity and fine conversation flowed.
Our journalists fall into the rift!!
Our journalists are spotlit on the Chronic Rift podcast. Apparently they are quite busy…which we at the Ministry are sure is completely untrue…because they found some time to sit down and chat with Michael Faulker. They chat about Ministry business, and reveal far too much!
Good Show! (At least, that’s what the 2012 Parsecs say.)
Last week, the fine ladies and gentlemen behind the Parsec Awards announced their illustrious finalists for the year of our Lord 2012. The Parsecs is truly one of the most prestigious awards in æthercasting, now in its seventh year of presentation. It is bestowed to æthercasts portraying
Everyone loves something for free.
And we are not talking about those raggamuffins from the Ministry Seven. We are talking genuine free books from the Ministry. Goodreads.com is one of the aethernets most popular places for readers to discuss books. It is also a popular place for readers to win
Where in the World Will Our Intrepid Journalists Appear?
I say — our intrepid journalists cannot seem to sit still. With friends near and far joining them at a variety of events, it appears that August will be quite the banner month. Are you wanting a signature from the award-winning authors behind The Ministry
Fantastic and cheap news
The publishers of the Ministry’s second volume; the Janus Affair are celebrating the arrival of Comic Con in San Diego by dropping the price of a handful of wonderful books. This includes the Janus Affair for a mere 99c. It is for the American market
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — Five
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Wherein Our Intrepid Journalists Make New Friends Overseas: The Books & Braun Germany Premiere
As we reported from the Ministry ætherblog, Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel (released under the title, Books & Braun: The Sign of the Phoenix) has been released in Germany. Breaking barriers of language, distance, and improper references, our intrepid journalists Pip Ballantine
Thoughts of Germany
The German edition of Phoenix Rising (called the Sign of the Phoenix) has made it to the bookstores. Our good friend in Austria Katharina Maimer sent us evidence that they got there. It is very exciting for all of us here at the Ministry. The
All the JRs
The second season of the Tales from the Archives moves on. Today we released The Emperor’s Fist by J R Murdock. We now have a complete set of J R’s after J R Blackwell’s Women of the Empire was released a few weeks ago. Mr
Disasterpiece Theatre Returns… Unfortunately.
We thought those ragamuffins from the æthercast at Disasterpiece Theatre were done with the Ministry in their original pitch to our journalists… We were so very, very wrong. [display_podcast] Hosts Alex White and Stephen Granade once again draw their sights on The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, casting Jason
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — Four
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
A Taste of Janus
We’re delighted to announce that the first 68 pages of the Janus Affair is now freely available. Please pop on over to the HarperCollins site and have a sample. Our journalists have reported having a wonderful time at Book Expo America, and gave away many
Brute Force and tool abuse
Thomas Willeford of Brute Force has begun posting irregular (at this stage) videos of how he makes some of his creations. Brute Force is behind most of the beautiful creations seen in our Janus Affair trailer. He is both incredibly smart and charming, but now
The Downfall of the Ministry: Hollywood Agents Tackle the “Phoenix Rising” Film Project (NSFW)
To you, our loyal listeners and readers… To you, those who have stood by the Ministry through the darker times… To you all who stood for us on the day of The Janus Affair launch this week… [display_podcast] We are so very, very sorry. Find
A Steampunk Book Trailer from Imagine That! / Baldgroove / Brute Force Studios
Currently on TeeMorris.com, our journalist is busy revealing a behind-the-scenes look at his project within a project. As many of you know, our intrepid journalist collaborated with Baldgroove studios in the previous year to produce a right bit of fun — the Phoenix Rising book
All the goodies released
Today is our release day for the Janus Affair. Now everyone can get the second part of our derring do adventures. This release date is a little different in that it is not just the mass market paperback release date- but also the audiobook and
Jammy Dodgers, tea, and a book trailer
We’ve received word from our intrepid journalists, that they have arrived safely at Balticon, and have procured the necessities of life. Apparently Jammy Dodgers and tea are among them. So if you are attending Balticon please do take the time to pop over to their
The final countdown…
One final week to go, and the Janus Affair will be out—not just in paperback, but also in audio and hardback version through the Science Fiction Bookclub. Reviews are starting to come in, and it is always lovely to know people are enjoying what we’ve
Two Weeks and counting…
Two weeks from today the Janus Affair hits…according to Amazon that is. Though the official release date is a few days later, Amazon will start shipping that day. The reviews are starting to come in. You can check them out here…but here are some of
Ministry merchandise
Yes, the Ministry store is finally open. Bags, mugs and even teapots. Please let us know if there is anything else you would like to see—we aim to please.
Phoenix Rising and Eliza Braun examined…
When one is reviewed, it is one thing, when one is used as an example of feminism in steampunk…that is just cool. Watch as Brittany Marczak uses Phoenix Rising and Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series in her Feminist Analysis of Steampunk Senior Research Presentation.
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — Three
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
What Is Steampunk? — A Definitive Answer from the Ministry
Agents of the Ministry, as you may have discerned from the chatter within the æther, there has been spirited discussion bandying about on what exactly constitutes steampunk. We have our own definition, of course, but even that has been brought into question. Perhaps it is
Behold the crest
Finally funds freed up in the Ministry (well, actually we just cut back on biscuits for dunking for a couple of months) and we were able to hire the frighteningly talented (seriously we are investigating him!) Alex White of the Gearheart to design a crest
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — Two
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — on the Ætherwebs
We’re delighted to be bringing you the podcast Tales from the Archives every fortnight, but in between we will also be releasing the ebook versions of the previous week’s story. This helps fund the Ministry and makes it possible for you to enjoy the written
The Janus Affair in Audio
We greet the news that James Langton will once again be doing the audio version of the next Ministry book with great enthusiasm. Mr. Langton manages to voice the various members of the Ministry admirably. Publication date to follow, but please enjoy the joy of
Tales from the Archives, Volume 2 — One
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
A call to arms…or at least words
As you are most likely aware, the Janus Affair, the second book in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series, is coming in late May. What you may not be aware of is that if you are a reviewer or a book blogger you can get
Submitted for #SteamTuesday: The Steampunk Chronicle’s 2012 Reader’s Choice Awards
This week — April 5, 2012 — is the last day supporters of the Ministry can vote for the SPC 2012 Reader’s Choice Awards. This honour, courtesy of The Steampunk Chronicle, is an opportunity for supporters of Steampunk to vote for outstanding talent in media,
We have WINNERS!
It was a very hard decision…yes, we know everyone always says that…but this is very much the truth. The entries to the competition were all done wonderfully, but we had to chose a story that fitted with the Ministry Universe, captured New Zealand-ness and was
Coming Soon…
10 April 2012 Featuring original works from P.J. Schnyder, J.R. Blackwell, J.R. Murdock, Shaun Farrell, and many others. Descend into the Archives again for the untold stories of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.
Hardcover Janus
Another piece of lovely news… The Science Fiction Book club has already produced a hardcover (in fact the only hardcover) version of Phoenix Rising, and now we have received a communique that they will be doing the same for the Janus Affair. At a charity
Happy Birthday, Lady Victoria!
Dearest Victoria, On behalf of Agent Braun and myself, happy 18th birthday from the Archives… …and many happy returns from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences. Do enjoy our adventure… …again.
Tales from the Archives (and friends) Chosen for Honours
COMMUNIQUE FROM THE MINISTRY: The Archives just received word from the Director that The Steampunk Chronicle has announced their 2012 Readers Choice Awards. This is your opportunity to vote for outstanding talent in the steampunk community and we are pleased as punch to be featured
To the Fair we go!
It has been made official; our journalists will be present at the Steampunk Worlds Fair. They were there last year, but unfortunately picked up some kind of chill beforehand and were indisposed for several days. They have promised this year to take better care of
Interest in Pinterest!
Apparently our journalists Ballantine and Morris are quite involved in this aether-net place called Pinterest. They have pictures of their cats, and places they have been, and far too many recipes. However what they also have (and of far more interest to us here at
New Steampunk for #SteamTuesday
Happy #SteamTuesday, friends from the æthertweets! We at the Ministry are quite excited about what we bring to you all today. Following a quite successful Tales from the Archives (Volume the First), our intrepid journalist Tee Morris has been hard at work finishing up development
Some Librarian Love
It is always nice to get appreciative comments on the Ministry’s work, but when Wellington ran across this mention he had to have a sit down an a cuppa. You see, there are three pillars in our dear archivist’s world; the British Library (you can
An Ode to Agent Braun (Well, I regard it as such…)
With the assignment of Miss Braun and charged in training her the Archival Sciences, I find myself adjusting my normal schedule here at the Ministry. Quite often, that adjustment means I find myself awaiting the arrival of Miss Braun. In the Archives. If fortunate, before
A Taste of the Ministry
In addition to Phoenix Rising ebook being currently 99c, we now have a free taste of the Archives available for your ereader. Get a free copy of Dust on the Davenport by the delightful O.M. Grey Amazon – Nook – Smashwords Agent Simon R. Boswell, still considered
The Ministry pulls aside the curtain
Clearance has finally been received to reveal the cover of our next ripping yarn. This May 29th from Harper Voyager you’ll be able to read our next adventure. I am rather pleased they caught my best side, but once again Welly somehow managed to avoid
An explaination of Llamas and Lamas
Agent Brandon Hill’s autobiography has been a bestseller in London for weeks, but now the Ministry brings you exclusive extracts of the story. We hope these snippets shed light on the enigmatic and eccentric Agent Hill I was asked shortly after the release of the
Happy New Year from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences!
From Miss Braun, myself, Director Sound, and all of us here at the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, we would like to share with you this lovely Christmas steampunk homage from 2011… May the new year bring you all opportunity, prosperity, friendship, and tranquility. Remember that,
Tales from the Archives – Twelve
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives — A 2011 Christmas Special
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
The Kaiser Calls: A Look at Phoenix Rising’s German Cover
Good Heavens! As if it is not enough that our illustrious publishers at Harper Voyager have decided to offer our award-winning adventure at a mere pittance of 99¢ for your reading pleasure (and for a limited time) but our dear friend and ally from Europe,
Cheap as Chips
Stuck for steampunk presents to give? Or perhaps already blown the Christmas budget but still have people to buy for? Or maybe you’d just like to curl up in front of the Yule log with a jolly good romp? Then the Ministry has excellent news.
An explanation of monkey knife fighting…
Agent Brandon Hill’s autobiography has been a bestseller in London for weeks, but now the Ministry brings you exclusive extracts of the story. We hope these snippets shed light on the enigmatic and eccentric Agent Hill. It was pain and guilt that led me into
Calling all Citizens and residents of New Zealand
The Ministry is delighted to announce a competition which they are running in conjunction with the charming folks of SpecFicNZ. One of our journalists is a proud card carrying member of this organisation whose mission is to promote and encourage the speculative fiction genre in
Submitted for Steam Tuesday: Steampunk in Goodreads’ 2011 Choice Awards
Faithful readers, an update from the Ministry’s wireless! As you have been notified from our intrepid journalists on their Twitter, Facebook, and podcast ætherfeeds, Goodreads — a jolly nice salon where purveyours of fine literature gather to discuss what is recent off the printing press and which favourite classics
An Appeal from the Ministry: The 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards
Esteemed agents and faithful readers, Miss Braun and I come to you upon bended knee…which, if you are working your way across a large room — I assure you — is neither a simple nor comfortable feat. Perhaps you have heard our intrepid journalists, Pip
On titles and teasers
The Ministry has confirmed it, and now we can reveal it. The name of the second Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is… The Janus Affair: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel Intriguing isn’t is? Janus, for those without a classical education, is the Roman
Concerning Airships and Awards…
When our journalists set out to write their first novel together, they were optimistic Phoenix Rising would perform well. What they did not expect is for their book, just six months after its release, to win the 2011 Airship Award for Best Steampunk Literature of
Our Intrepid Journalists Head to New York….TODAY!
Today, our journalists enter a brave, new world. For any Ministry agents and agents-in-training present at the Colonies’ extravaganza New York Comic Con, our intrepid journalists Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris will be arriving today, and once off the train they will not even have time
Our Journalists Appear on the Esteemed Adventures in SciFi Publishing
We are so very pleased that Shaun Farrell, the host of Adventures in SciFi Publishing, took time out of his most hurried of schedules (between hosting his award-nominated podcast, traveling across the North Americas, and adjusting to a new addition to his family) to sit
Tales from the Archives — Eleven
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
The 99-Penny Dreadfuls Promo
Gentle readers hosting æthercasts within and beyond the Empire, we at the Archives are appealing to you to to consider our humble promo for placement in your production. We are doing what we can to spread the word of the Ministry’s movement into the digital press arena.
Tales from the Archives — Ten
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
A New Avenue for the Ministry: The 99-Penny Dreadful
Gentle readers, there are amazing things afoot in the Archives, and Miss Braun and I are teeming with excitement at the possibilities of this new ætherweb movement — the digital press. Of course, the released case files of the Archives are already available in a
An All-Around Amazing Week for the Ministry!
Yes, yes, yes — we at the Ministry do apologise for the silence. We know that many of you are anxious to hear more Tales from the Archives, and rest assured, we are working to bring more lost stories from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.
A Kinetoscope for #SteamTuesday, courtesy of The Creative Penn
Perhaps you were expecting the latest discovery in our Tales from the Archives, but our intrepid journalists have been facing other pressing commitments and are hard at work in readying the æthercast for it’s next installment. Do mind the dust and be patient with us
Our Intrepid Journalists on Steampod 2.0
With Chris Moody manning the helm, our Ministry journalists Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris are the subject of discussion on this episode of Steampod. This is Episode the Fifth for Steampod, although Steampod is hardly a new offering to the Ætherweb. Steampod has triumphantly returned
Tales from the Archives — Nine
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Manassas Meetup
Yes, after traveling from New Jersey to San Francisco, our journalists from the Ministry have finally settled down, long enough to have a get together near where they live. Now is your chance to put on your steampunk finery and join them for a reading
Tales from the Archives — Eight (Part 2)
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives — Eight (Part One)
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Tales from the Archives – Seven (Part 2)
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
A note of thanks from the Archives…
This morning, Miss Braun and I present a short note of appreciation to you, the dedicated bibliophiles, who not only invested the time in our modest adventure across Her Majesty’s realm but also spared the additional moment to share your thoughts on various platforms. The
Tales from the Archives – Seven
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Ginger fun
We here at the Ministry have a serious job- investigating the strange and unusual- but we also are civilised folk. So we have tea. Now while Wellington prefers and assam, and I enjoy an Earl Grey, both of us indulge in a spot of dunking.
BALTICON 45: Book Launch the Second!
Gentle Readers, if you missed our intrepid journalists at the Steampunk World’s Fair, consider yourself most fortunate as they were incapacitated with a touch of consumption. (I did warn Mr. Morris to stay clear of a giant rat, but he insisted his child wanted to
Tee and Pip touch the Monolith
Pip and Tee sit down and chat with Lejon about a variety of things, soldiering through their illness (which may or may not be consumption). Pip talks about her other project Geist, but then the two of them sit down and talk steampunk and the
Interview with the Back Seat Producers
Our dashing reporters Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris leap into the back seat with some old friends. The Back Seat Producers have hosted our intrepid duo before, but this time they get down to the nuts and bolts of steampunk and maybe learn a thing
Tales from the Archives — Six
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Phoenix Rising at The 2011 Steampunk World’s Fair
This week, our intrepid scribes are bound for new and exciting flights of the imagination as they are attending The Steampunk World’s Fair in Somerset, New Jersey. Alongside our scribes, there will be other smashing artisans: Jared Axelrod, author of Fables of the Flying City
Tales from the Archives – Five
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
The Bay and the Ministry
It has been just under two weeks since Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel was released. Everyone in the office has been on full alert with signings, podcasts, blogging and appearances all coming at us like rockets from a fifty-foot tall automaton. However
Ministry signing and photo shoot
The Ministry book trailer was shot in downtown Staunton, Virginia. A beautiful little town, with some amazing Victorian architecture. So it is only right that our authors Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris will be returning there for their second book signing and reading. You will
Release day
It’s been quite a busy day here at the Ministry, and our authors are bursting with delight. Yes, dear reader, the first of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels, Phoenix Rising is out in the wild. We have reports of it on such aetherweb delivery
Authors on the march!
Many times we at the Ministry are asked (well by those that know we exist) ‘what exactly is a peculiar occurrence?’ One of our scribes, Tee Morris deals with this in the RT Book Reviews Meanwhile our other author Pip Ballantine talks about gadgets as
The end result of hard work and vivid imagination…
Oh how clever our Ministry scribes are! With their portable kinetorama device, authors Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris shared (in a most candid fashion) their unboxing of the first four copies of Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel. We know there will be
Tales from the Archives — Four
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Our Sincerest Thanks!
As Miss Braun has said here, we are most excited about the pending release of our memoirs. (I say, the counter to the right seems to be moving faster and faster, day by day.) As we wait, with the release of our kinetoscope and the
The podcast teardown with Tee and Pip
The Ministry is proud to bring you audiofiles from around the aetherwebs of our authors, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris. The Ministry team is this time interviewed by John Mierau, but before then the time streams cross and a most extraordinary discussion occurs!
The power of review
Everyone here at the Ministry, all agents, archivists and even the Director, undergo reviews. It helps someone know how they are doing. The same is true of our authors. We are starting to get reports on Phoenix Rising. Below are a sample of reviews we
Tee and Pip Geek out with Mainframe Pt2
The Ministry is proud to bring you audiofiles from around the aetherwebs of our authors, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris. Now they continue their delightful conversation with Mainframe. We hope you enjoy our little tete-a-tete, we certainly had a ripping time!
Tee & Pip Geek out with Mainframe Pt1
The Ministry is proud to bring you audiofiles from around the aetherwebs of our authors, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris. Today they are talking to the delightful Mainframe about their past endeavours, Phoenix Rising, and being authors. Hilarity ensues, though the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences
Tales from the Archives — Three
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Steampunk Book Trailer — The Official “Phoenix Rising” Teaser
Gentle readers and true believers in the fantastic and unknown, we at the Ministry have completed the official book trailer for Phoenix Rising, the first volume in The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series from Harper Voyager. These are dark days indeed in Victoria’s England. Londoners
By Jove, what is steampunk?
Here at the Ministry we often get asked, what is steampunk? We even have a link to that, but here is a remarkable visual piece that explains it quite nicely and also gives you a look at some of the fashions and gadgets that make
Tales from the Archives — Two
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Help Japan, buy a button
As someone from an earthquake prone country (Christchurch just suffered its own disaster) I feel somewhat lost being so far away from all this pain and misery. Now is the time for communities to pull together and show how much they care. Beyond Victoriana, one
Tales from the Archives – One
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has many forgotten stories in its Archives. Stories of madcap adventures in all corners of the Empire, dark doings in hidden places, and mysterious devices and artifacts that the everyday citizen should never become aware of for fear it would
Another Review as Anticipation Builds
With less than fifty days remaining in the launch of our first adventure, Phoenix Rising, the excitement is reaching a fever-pitch here at the Ministry. Tales from the Archives readies itself for its launch and pre-launch reviews of the novel are coming in. From Germany,
Ministry review
It’s always very pleasant when people enjoy what you do. Personally, very few people have up until now learned about what we do here in the Ministry. So Wellington and I are a little on tender hooks to see how tales of our derry doing
Coming Soon…
Watch this blog for episodes, writers’ bios, and subscription details.
A grand announcement
The ducks have all been placed in a row, and I am able to reveal what we have been working on here in the Ministry. A selection of fine tales about the secret and dangerous goings on within our organisation. We are most fortunate to
Dispatch from our man in Moscow
Ministry agents have reached deep into foreign territory. Queen Victoria’s grand-daughter Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova may be the new Tsarina in Russia, but we never expected the Ministry to make an impact there. Phoenix Rising; a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel will be translated and available
Vundabar!
The news has filtered through the pneumatic tubes- Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels will be available in Germany, Australia and New Zealand. Eliza is wondering about what the covers will be, while Wellington begins working on the translation. The American edition will be out in
Photos in the Archives
Yesterday one of the boffins from upstairs ventured down into the Archives and said that Doctor Sound was insisting we all pose for new photographs. I am sure my Mum back home in New Zealand would like one–but if look all stuffy she won’t recognize
Talleyho! Steampunk in New Zealand!
Recently I have returned to Godzone country, but unfortunately undercover. (A little misunderstanding that involved dynamite, suffragists, and a certain petition). I am fairly sure Dick Seddon is not familiar with the ethersphere, so this communication will remain between just you and I. It was
News of steam – Hendrick’s Horseless Carriage Of Curiosities
In my role in the Archives (sadly this seems to be permenant) I run across some interesting news articles. Wellington says my cataloging of these items will keep me out of trouble, and away from the more fragile items in his collection. Normally this would
Welcome to the Ministry
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is the clandestine English service, which protects citizens of the Empire from the strange and terrifying. We specialize in dealing with secret societies and neferious ner-do-wells. Our Agents span the globe and include the following heroes Agent Brandon Hill from