With Timely's release coming in just five days (I'm not screaming you're screaming!), it is my tremendous honor to be able to write a spotlight post about the very first story in the anthology: the "Clockwork Toymaker" by Olivia Cornwell. Centering around a broken-but-loving father searching for the courage to visit his daughter in the hospital, this is a story with heart. I found myself drawn to it in the same way that I am with many of my other favorite stories, and I enjoyed it as much the second time I read it as I did the first time. It's bursting with sweet father-daughter love, as well as that special kind of whimsy that comes with airships and clockwork mechanics.

It might be easy, in a story like this, for Liam to come across as a bit of a coward—after all, Sylvia is the only family he has left and he’s delegated all hospital communications to a friend. But Cornwell does a great job of painting him as a realistic, three-dimensional father with very human fears and flaws. He wants what’s best for his daughter, even if he can’t quite face up to the fact that their life is never going to be the same. But, ultimately, he does—with the help of a little girl named Maggie, who allows him to sit with her until he feels brave.

Liam and Maggie’s unique friendship is another sweet highlight of the story, with Maggie providing an ear that is enough like (and unlike) Sylvia’s that Liam finally finds the courage he needs through talking to her. All in all, this is an excellent start to a wonderful anthology, and I can't wait for y'all to read it!

When I was planning this post I thought it would be fun to interview Cornwell, (because who knows a story better than its writer?), so without further ado I present to you the author herself! Interview

1. What inspired you to take the "Clockwork Toymaker" in the direction of steampunk?
In its very first draft years ago for a college course, I remember loving the idea of a toymaker whose toys consist of clock parts. Steampunk is a genre I also really love, and I’ve wanted to explore further. So it was my first foray into the genre, and I gave it all the gears and steampunk-ness I could muster.

2. What’s your favorite thing about the story?
Liam is probably one of my favorite things about the story. I love his character, and his arc. I love the way he interacts with children, and how he can connect with them.

3. Did the story ever change in unexpected ways during writing?
Originally, Sylvia wasn’t going to survive the accident. But I realized that original draft I’d submitted for school was an incredibly depressing “Christmas time” story, so Sylvia survived. I’m really glad I changed that!

4. What was the most challenging part of writing it?
Probably as I was writing the first draft. I wrote it in a little notebook during my preschool students’ naptime. So I had a small window to write in, mixed with trying to keep my students from going nuts.

5. Do you have any “fun facts” you’d like to share about the story?
This short story is within the same world/setting as a longer novel I wrote during my first ever NaNoWriMo! The novel focuses more on a relative of Noah’s, but Liam is a major character, and there’s a murder mystery element and Liam being generally adorable.

6. If you could meet any of the characters from the story, who would you pick?
I’d love to meet Liam. Mostly to give him hugs and tell him it’s all gonna be okay, but also maybe to watch him work and snoop around his workshop.

7. What do you hope readers take away from reading The Clockwork Toymaker?
To not waste the time God has given us when things look dark and lost. There is hope, and we can use the time left to us to get up and heal. To be brave enough to choose to keep moving forward to healing.
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​After a tragic airship accident, clockwork toymaker Liam Killian is left with a broken heart and a surviving child, but no courage to go visit her. He throws himself into his work only to find that his hands won't stop shaking. When he finally makes it to the hospital, he befriends a little girl named Maggie, who gives him the courage to face the future, with all its pain and uncertainty.

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There's a lot to look forward to in this anthology. (You can grab your copy of Timely starting June 26th!)