About Kraken Publishing:
Karen J Carlisle publishes her writings under the imprint Kraken Publishing – she’s always had a fascination for cephalopods of all kinds. She writes Victorian mysteries, steampunk, fantasy and cosies with a twist.
Karen is currently working on a secret project, and writing the second book in her steampunk adventure duology, The Department of Curiosities, set mostly in Adelaide.
Blood Ties is now available.
Because villains are the heroes of their own story.
A dark mystery on the high seas in a new series.
Ever wonder that happened to Doctor Jack (The Adventures of Viola Stewart)? His journey continues in the first book of the James Findlay Journals.
Available direct from author in eBook and paperback
or from online stores.
Book trailer
About Karen J Carlisle:
Writer. Artist. Gardener. Chocoholic and tea lover
Karen J Carlisle is an indie author and illustrator of steampunk, Victorian mysteries, fantasy, and cosies with a twist. Her short stories have featured in the 2016 Adelaide Fringe exhibition, ‘A Trail of Tales’, ‘Where’s Holmes?’ and ‘Deadsteam’ anthologies, and she was short-listed in Australian Literature Review’s 2013 Murder/Mystery Short Story Competition.
She currently has five series. The Adventures of Viola Stewart (Victorian steampunk mysteries), The Aunt Enid Mysteries (cosy fantasy/paranormal mystery series set in Adelaide), and the Holmesian series, Mrs Hudson Investigates (eBook only), and James Findlay Journals – a darker, gaslamp series of mini adventures. is her latest series She is currently writing the second book in her steampunk adventure series, The Department of Curiosities.
Karen lives in Adelaide with her family and the ghost of her ancient Devon Rex cat.
She’s always loved dark chocolate and rarely refuses a cup of tea.
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(Read more about Karen on her website)
Other books include:
The Department of Curiosities, the first book in her second series (duology) of books set in her Victorian steampunk world. This series is set in early to mid 1880s, with new characters, and is a rollicking steampunk tale of adventure, a heroine, mad scientists, traitors and secrets. All for the good of the Empire.
(Second edition, 2023 – eBook and paperback. Available now– from author and online)
View Booktrailers HERE
Cogs and Conspiracies is a steampunk short story collection:- Five short tales set in a world of steampunk and alternate history, with adventures from England to the Antipodes. Here be villains, gadgets, mechanical creatures, secrets and conspiracies. All in time for tea.
Available in Paperback and eBook direct from authoror from online stores. (2023)
Mrs Hudson Investigates (2022) – original short eBook series of Holmesian mysteries featuring Mrs Hudson, John Watson, and Mary Watson.
With the help of Mary Watson, Mrs Hudson proves she is just as canny as the Great Detective. I mean, what can’t a woman do if she puts her mind to it?
Find out about Karen’s other short story collections HERE
The Adventures of Viola Stewart is a three-book series of Victorian mysteries, set in the late 1880s. Viola Stewart is a widowed optician with a penchant for detectiving who, with her friend, Doctor Henry Collins, chases secret societies and uncovers nefarious plots.
(Covers updated 2022 -2023)
Available Direct from author or via online stores.
Her ongoing series, The Aunt Enid Mysteries, are cosy(ish) fantasy mysteries set in Adelaide. These skew more to the Aussie cosy end of the genre, with hidden magic and occasional dark humour.
Great Aunt Enid is your average seventy-something year old. She love to cook, is a regular at bingo, and spends hours in her garden talking to her army of garden gnomes and fussing over the colour of her hydrangeas.
And only she stands betweenthe Dark and the fate of the world.
A Fey Tale – Aunt Enid is back, but something’s changed…
A deal with fairies… to solve a mystery… and prevent a war.
Faires and magic. It’s all real!
Find out how Arthur Conan Doyle’s visit to Adelaide in 1920, and Adelaide’s mysterious fairy doors inspired the book.
Available direct from author (Buy your print copy here – Australia) or as eBook or print online.
Your BONUS prequel mini-adventure is available in eBook/digital format with newsletter subscription.
CLICK HERE if you need to know book trigger warnings.
You can find Karen on Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, Mastadon, and youTube
and support her on Patreon to receive sneak peeks, exclusives, behind the scenes, and more, or buy her a cup of tea at Ko-fi.
You can find Karen’s art, cover designs, and other creations feature on her Kraken Creations website (currently in construction).
