Pippa and the Great Clock of Candle

Here is a little snippet of my current middle grade fantasy steampunk novel.  The title of it is called Pippa and the Great Clock of Candle.  Everything written here belongs to me.  Thanks!

The Great Clock gonged the hour of 9 am, rattling the City of Candle alive with the scream of steam and the tics of machinery. Everything was open now. Every business threw open their doors and windows, bringing their carts round the front, showcasing their fine work. The streets started to fill as the city began its day by going about its routine. Made possible by the fine, elderly, 1,000 foot hovering clock tower above them that reigned omnipotent punctuality over the lives of the city-folk.

It was Pippa Cogsmith's favorite time of the day, aside from noon that pounded the lunch break, the six o'clock hour that clanged closing time, and the 9 o'clock hour that donged the lights out, in which all gaslights throughout the city were dimmed to nothing, as if by magic upon the clock's command. It never stopped folks from living past the dark hour, though. Pippa often stayed up late with candle nubs, and watched the city outside dance under the stars, candle-lights glowing and forming shadows behind lace curtains. Music and singing filled the tavern down the road, and it flitted into Pippa's and her sister's room. She would drift to sleep listening to it, until she was woken by the 6 am pounding of the Great Clock tower, encouraging the city to wake. And the day would begin again, and Pippa would rush out into the raggedy brick laid roads, having bet her father that she could make it to the ground docks before him.

I hope to continue writing more of this.  Leave a comment below if you'd like!  Thanks for reading!