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Sword & Sorceress 22 Interviews: the Deborah J. Ross edition
Nov. 21st, 2007 | 09:30 am
Today we are pleased to present an interview with Deborah J. Ross. Deborah has written numerous novels and short stories, recently edited the "Lace and Blade" anthology for Norilana Books, and wrote "Pearl of Fire" for Sword & Sorceress 22.
1.) Tell us a bit about yourself.
My misspent youth was passed in California and Oregon, growing my hair long, protesting everything and gathering useless academic degrees before realizing the true "work of my heart" was storytelling. As Deborah Wheeler, I wrote 2 science fiction novels, JAYDIUM and NORTHLIGHT, as well as short stories in ASIMOV'S, FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION, SISTERS OF THE NIGHT, STAR WARS: TALES FROM JABBA'S PALACE, REALMS OF FANTASY, and almost all of the SWORD & SORCERESS and Darkover anthologies. My most recent projects -- under my birth name, Ross -- include Darkover novels with the late Marion Zimmer Bradley: THE FALL OF NESKAYA (DAW 2001), ZANDRU'S FORGE (DAW 2003), A FLAME IN HALI (DAW 2004), and THE ALTON GIFT (June 2007), and an original fantasy series, THE SEVEN-PETALED SHIELD, based on my "Azkhantian tales." My most recent "new" project is editing LACE AND BLADE, an anthology of elegant, witty, sexy, romantic fantasy for Norilana Books. I live in the redwood forests near Santa Cruz with my husband, writer Dave Trowbridge, two cats, and a German Shepherd Dog. In between writing, I've lived in France, worked as a medical assistant to a cardiologist, revived an elementary school library, and have been active in the women's martial arts network and local Quaker community.
2.) What made you take up writing?
I can't remember a time when I didn't write. I think I made my first book, complete with illustrations, in 4th grade. I didn't take my writing seriously, though, until I became friends with Marion Zimmer Bradley in the early 1980s and she encouraged me to submit a story to the very first SWORD & SORCERESS. The rest, as they say, is history.
3.) Tell us about your S&S 22 story "Pearl of Fire".
I wrote the first page on my annual retreat at Laguna Beach a few years ago, and it just sat there, not going anywhere. When I heard there was to be another SWORD & SORCERESS, it poked my imagination. I had a dream about looking into a mirror and seeing a brass dragon, illuminated by the moonlight -- and then the rest of "Pearl of Fire" just wrote itself.
4.) Can you share an appropriate teaser paragraph from "Pearl of Fire"?
Okay, here's the dragon:
My mother lifted her face to the moon. It turned her into a stranger, a woman of silver.
"You want answers, Rayzel? You must see them for yourself, what the Pearl of Fire has made of you."
She led me to the trough. The water was very still. I could see the moon reflected there, glorious and shining and pure. I stepped closer, into the place my mother indicated. The cold bright light touched me, too.
"Look."
I bent over, expecting to see my own face, streaked with dust and sweat, a smear of dried mud over one cheek bone, my hair disheveled and tied back with a bit of string.
My breath froze in my throat. I shied away, for an instant unable to absorb what I saw in the water's smooth surface. An illusion born of moonlight? A fragment of a forgotten nightmare?
My mother's strong hands held me fast. Where could I run to, anyway? Slowly, slowly, I looked again.
A dragon glowered back at me, every curved metal scale and jagged spinal ridge, each fang like a curving dagger limned in sharpest clarity. Bronze tinted the moon-silver reflection. Molten crimson lurked behind the opaque eyes.
#
Be sure to visit Deborah's homepage at http://www.sff.net/people/deborahjross. She also has a blog at http://deborahjross.livejournal.com/, and a sff.net discussion topic at http://webnews.sff.net/read?cmd=xover&gr
This was the final interview in our series. I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to be interviewed; it definitely made for some good reading, and even inspired some vigorous discussion. And if you'd like to read more from our interviewees, well, you know where to go.
(Be sure to check out the complete interview series at the Book of Screed.)
1.) Tell us a bit about yourself.
My misspent youth was passed in California and Oregon, growing my hair long, protesting everything and gathering useless academic degrees before realizing the true "work of my heart" was storytelling. As Deborah Wheeler, I wrote 2 science fiction novels, JAYDIUM and NORTHLIGHT, as well as short stories in ASIMOV'S, FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION, SISTERS OF THE NIGHT, STAR WARS: TALES FROM JABBA'S PALACE, REALMS OF FANTASY, and almost all of the SWORD & SORCERESS and Darkover anthologies. My most recent projects -- under my birth name, Ross -- include Darkover novels with the late Marion Zimmer Bradley: THE FALL OF NESKAYA (DAW 2001), ZANDRU'S FORGE (DAW 2003), A FLAME IN HALI (DAW 2004), and THE ALTON GIFT (June 2007), and an original fantasy series, THE SEVEN-PETALED SHIELD, based on my "Azkhantian tales." My most recent "new" project is editing LACE AND BLADE, an anthology of elegant, witty, sexy, romantic fantasy for Norilana Books. I live in the redwood forests near Santa Cruz with my husband, writer Dave Trowbridge, two cats, and a German Shepherd Dog. In between writing, I've lived in France, worked as a medical assistant to a cardiologist, revived an elementary school library, and have been active in the women's martial arts network and local Quaker community.
2.) What made you take up writing?
I can't remember a time when I didn't write. I think I made my first book, complete with illustrations, in 4th grade. I didn't take my writing seriously, though, until I became friends with Marion Zimmer Bradley in the early 1980s and she encouraged me to submit a story to the very first SWORD & SORCERESS. The rest, as they say, is history.
3.) Tell us about your S&S 22 story "Pearl of Fire".
I wrote the first page on my annual retreat at Laguna Beach a few years ago, and it just sat there, not going anywhere. When I heard there was to be another SWORD & SORCERESS, it poked my imagination. I had a dream about looking into a mirror and seeing a brass dragon, illuminated by the moonlight -- and then the rest of "Pearl of Fire" just wrote itself.
4.) Can you share an appropriate teaser paragraph from "Pearl of Fire"?
Okay, here's the dragon:
My mother lifted her face to the moon. It turned her into a stranger, a woman of silver.
"You want answers, Rayzel? You must see them for yourself, what the Pearl of Fire has made of you."
She led me to the trough. The water was very still. I could see the moon reflected there, glorious and shining and pure. I stepped closer, into the place my mother indicated. The cold bright light touched me, too.
"Look."
I bent over, expecting to see my own face, streaked with dust and sweat, a smear of dried mud over one cheek bone, my hair disheveled and tied back with a bit of string.
My breath froze in my throat. I shied away, for an instant unable to absorb what I saw in the water's smooth surface. An illusion born of moonlight? A fragment of a forgotten nightmare?
My mother's strong hands held me fast. Where could I run to, anyway? Slowly, slowly, I looked again.
A dragon glowered back at me, every curved metal scale and jagged spinal ridge, each fang like a curving dagger limned in sharpest clarity. Bronze tinted the moon-silver reflection. Molten crimson lurked behind the opaque eyes.
#
Be sure to visit Deborah's homepage at http://www.sff.net/people/deborahjross. She also has a blog at http://deborahjross.livejournal.com/, and a sff.net discussion topic at http://webnews.sff.net/read?cmd=xover&gr
This was the final interview in our series. I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to be interviewed; it definitely made for some good reading, and even inspired some vigorous discussion. And if you'd like to read more from our interviewees, well, you know where to go.
(Be sure to check out the complete interview series at the Book of Screed.)