\\\6,000 word short story prequel to The Airship Racing Chronicles\\\ Christmas Eve 1820. At Rose’s Hopper, a popular London tavern frequented by airship jockeys, all is merry and bright—except Lily Stargazer. Lily and her crew are set to run the Christmas Day Yuletide Race from London to Calais, but not before spending the night swimming in mulled wine and longing for absent lovers. Even the prospect of a Yuletide win can't convince Lily that this Christmas will be better than any that came before. But Lily’s about to find out there really is a Father Christmas.

An opium-addicted beauty. An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile. An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands. Melanie Karsak's Chasing the Star Garden takes readers on a thrilling adventure from the gritty opium dens of gaslamp London to the gem-coloured waters of the ancient world. Lily Stargazer, a loveable but reckless airship racer with a famous lover and shattered past, reluctantly plunges into a centuries-old mystery in a romantic adventure best described as Dan Brown meets Mary Shelley. It all begins on one of the worst days of Lily’s life. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What’s a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium. Lily’s lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.

A sabotaged airship. A recovering opium addict. A messenger with life-shattering news. With the 1824 British airship qualifying race only weeks away, Lily Stargazer is at the top of her game. She’s racing like a pro, truly in love, and living clean. But on one ill-omened day, everything changes. Pulled head-long into the ancient secrets of the realm, Lily soon finds herself embroiled in Celtic mysteries and fairy lore. And she’s not quite sure how she got there, or even if she wants to be involved. But Lily soon finds herself chasing the spirit of the realm while putting her own ghosts to rest. And only accepting the truth–about her heart and her country–can save her. Begin the adventure with Chasing the Star Garden, The Airship Racing Chronicles I.