Deborah J. Ross's Blog, page 123
March 30, 2015
Rosemary Edghill on "Learning to Breathe Snow" in GIFTS OF DARKOVER
On a wondrous planet of telepaths and swordsmen, nonhumans and ancient mysteries, a
technologically advanced, star-faring civilization comes into inevitable conflict with one that has pursued psychic gifts and turned away from weapons of mass destruction. Darkover offers many gifts, asked for and unexpected. Those who come here, ignorant of what they will find, discover gifts outside themselves and within themselves. The door to magic swings both ways, however, and many a visitor leaves the people he encounters equally transformed.
Gifts of Darkover will be released May 5, 2015, and is now available for pre-order.
Here Rosemary Edghill chats with editor Deborah J. Ross about "Learning to Breathe Snow."
Deborah: Tell us about your introduction to Darkover. What about the world drew you in?
Rosemary: I don't even remember the first Darkover book I read, but it was a really long time ago. Back then, there wasn't much fantasy out there. The closest you got was the subset of space opera stories called "Sword and Planet"-- think Leigh Brackett, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Anne McCaffrey (whose "Pern" novels totally qualifiy). I think Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series was her way of writing fantasy at a time when fantasy was impossible to sell: there's no true magic on Darkover, frex, and the Darkovans are all lost colonists. So I loved the series for the sense of a huge history and prehistory that it had, and for the swashbuckling adventures.
The other thing about Darkover was that it used to be very fan-friendly, so there was the Darkover Newsletter, and a bunch of Free Amazon groups, and of course all the Darkover fanzines. I was very much involved in fandom and fanzines, and a friend of mine was both a fanzine publisher and a member of a Free Amazon group. So that really deepened my interest and involvement with Darkover, long before I sold my first professional work.
Deborah: What do you see as the future of Darkover?
Rosemary: I think it will go on forever! I'd love to see series set in different time periods, too: my personal favorite is the Recontact, but I'd love to see stories set during The Founding and the Ages of Chaos, too. The wonderful thing about Darkover is that it's such a huge rich complex world that there will always be more stories to tell about it.
Deborah: Is there another story you would particularly like to write?
Rosemary: I want to write another story about Ercan Waltrud (from "Learning To Breathe Snow") and I want to do more stories about the Cultural Reconciliation Office. Given the background MZB evolved for Darkover, with first and second waves of galactic colonization and a Dark Age for Earth lying between them, I thought it would be inevitable that the Terran Empire would have a mechanism in place for dealing with rediscovered colonies. Darkover can't be the only one.
Deborah: What inspired your story in Gifts of Darkover? Tell us about your story in Gifts of Darkover.
Rosemary: "Learning To Breathe Snow" (I wrote it with frequent collaborator Rebecca Fox) was our second story written with the background we came up with for "Second Contact". Following canon, the Terrans have moved the Terran Legation from Caer Donn to Thendara, and the culture-clash continues.
One of the fun things for us as writers is that MZB's canon isn't consistent. In the stories she wrote first, it's the Terran Empire. Later, she calls it the Terran Federation. So of course we wondered: what if both names are true? Does the Empire transition to a Federation during the period of Recontact? If so, why? With that question in mind, we set up the Terran Empire as something that needed to be toppled (though not by Darkover of course) and gave it an Evil Agenda. Though of course, as a huge bureaucracy, the Terran Empire is neither quick nor efficient. Nor even, in many ways, entirely in agreement with itself.
Deborah: What have you written recently? What lies ahead? (feel free to expound on your recent and forthcoming books!)
Rosemary: I'm currently working on the middle book in a trilogy, one I write under a pseudonym. After that, I have a book set in the "Bedlam's Bard" universe, though it won't feature any of the characters we know from the other books. Right now Rebecca and I are working on a new Valdemar story for the next anthology. It's a lot of fun writing in that universe, and sussing out the Darkover "in-jokes" Mercedes Lackey has sprinkled through her canon. (Take a look at a map of Velgarth, and you'll see what I mean!)
Rosemary Edghill describes herself as the keeper of the Eddystone Light, corny as Kansas in August, normal as blueberry pie, and only a paper moon. She says she was found floating down the Amazon in a hatbox, and, because criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot, she became a creature of the night (black, terrible). She began her professional career working as a time-traveling vampire killer and has never looked back. She's also a New York Times Bestselling Writer and hangs out on Facebook a lot.
technologically advanced, star-faring civilization comes into inevitable conflict with one that has pursued psychic gifts and turned away from weapons of mass destruction. Darkover offers many gifts, asked for and unexpected. Those who come here, ignorant of what they will find, discover gifts outside themselves and within themselves. The door to magic swings both ways, however, and many a visitor leaves the people he encounters equally transformed. Gifts of Darkover will be released May 5, 2015, and is now available for pre-order.
Here Rosemary Edghill chats with editor Deborah J. Ross about "Learning to Breathe Snow."
Deborah: Tell us about your introduction to Darkover. What about the world drew you in?
Rosemary: I don't even remember the first Darkover book I read, but it was a really long time ago. Back then, there wasn't much fantasy out there. The closest you got was the subset of space opera stories called "Sword and Planet"-- think Leigh Brackett, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Anne McCaffrey (whose "Pern" novels totally qualifiy). I think Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series was her way of writing fantasy at a time when fantasy was impossible to sell: there's no true magic on Darkover, frex, and the Darkovans are all lost colonists. So I loved the series for the sense of a huge history and prehistory that it had, and for the swashbuckling adventures.
The other thing about Darkover was that it used to be very fan-friendly, so there was the Darkover Newsletter, and a bunch of Free Amazon groups, and of course all the Darkover fanzines. I was very much involved in fandom and fanzines, and a friend of mine was both a fanzine publisher and a member of a Free Amazon group. So that really deepened my interest and involvement with Darkover, long before I sold my first professional work.
Deborah: What do you see as the future of Darkover?
Rosemary: I think it will go on forever! I'd love to see series set in different time periods, too: my personal favorite is the Recontact, but I'd love to see stories set during The Founding and the Ages of Chaos, too. The wonderful thing about Darkover is that it's such a huge rich complex world that there will always be more stories to tell about it.
Deborah: Is there another story you would particularly like to write?
Rosemary: I want to write another story about Ercan Waltrud (from "Learning To Breathe Snow") and I want to do more stories about the Cultural Reconciliation Office. Given the background MZB evolved for Darkover, with first and second waves of galactic colonization and a Dark Age for Earth lying between them, I thought it would be inevitable that the Terran Empire would have a mechanism in place for dealing with rediscovered colonies. Darkover can't be the only one.
Deborah: What inspired your story in Gifts of Darkover? Tell us about your story in Gifts of Darkover.
Rosemary: "Learning To Breathe Snow" (I wrote it with frequent collaborator Rebecca Fox) was our second story written with the background we came up with for "Second Contact". Following canon, the Terrans have moved the Terran Legation from Caer Donn to Thendara, and the culture-clash continues.
One of the fun things for us as writers is that MZB's canon isn't consistent. In the stories she wrote first, it's the Terran Empire. Later, she calls it the Terran Federation. So of course we wondered: what if both names are true? Does the Empire transition to a Federation during the period of Recontact? If so, why? With that question in mind, we set up the Terran Empire as something that needed to be toppled (though not by Darkover of course) and gave it an Evil Agenda. Though of course, as a huge bureaucracy, the Terran Empire is neither quick nor efficient. Nor even, in many ways, entirely in agreement with itself.
Deborah: What have you written recently? What lies ahead? (feel free to expound on your recent and forthcoming books!)
Rosemary: I'm currently working on the middle book in a trilogy, one I write under a pseudonym. After that, I have a book set in the "Bedlam's Bard" universe, though it won't feature any of the characters we know from the other books. Right now Rebecca and I are working on a new Valdemar story for the next anthology. It's a lot of fun writing in that universe, and sussing out the Darkover "in-jokes" Mercedes Lackey has sprinkled through her canon. (Take a look at a map of Velgarth, and you'll see what I mean!)
Rosemary Edghill describes herself as the keeper of the Eddystone Light, corny as Kansas in August, normal as blueberry pie, and only a paper moon. She says she was found floating down the Amazon in a hatbox, and, because criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot, she became a creature of the night (black, terrible). She began her professional career working as a time-traveling vampire killer and has never looked back. She's also a New York Times Bestselling Writer and hangs out on Facebook a lot.
March 27, 2015
Thunderlord snippet - Useful Knowledge
Please remember that this is a work in progress and drafts have a habit of changing drastically from inception to finished book.
From Thunderlord Chapter 10
“There you are! Good morning!” Kyria emerged from behind one of the larger trees. Her cheeks and nose were red, the healthy glow of exercise in cold air. She’d bound her skirts to her legs with strips of cloth, and she moved with assurance. She carried an armful of sticks of various lengths and thicknesses.
“You’re looking much better!” She shoved the wood into Edric’s hands and bent to inspect the roasting meat.
A short time later, both of them were sitting on the insulated ground, contentedly chewing on the bones. Kyria had packed the water skins with snow the night before, and it had melted, leaving delicious-tasting water.
“How did you do all this?” Edric gestured to the fire and the remains of their meal. “And how did you know to make a shelter?”
“My younger brother Rakhal taught me trapping, and I picked up the rest along the way. We used to trap game all winter, when food supplies ran thin. Father was furious when he found out I kept doing it after my brother went…left home. But really, why should it make a difference if I wear skirts or breeches at home? The traps work just as well and people have to eat! I do confess that I borrowed your knife, the one in your boot.” She slipped it out from the top of her own boot and offered it, hilt first, to him.
“You’d best keep it for the time being,” he murmured, more than a little impressed.
I owe you my life.
And I owe you mine, he imagined her saying.
From Thunderlord Chapter 10
“There you are! Good morning!” Kyria emerged from behind one of the larger trees. Her cheeks and nose were red, the healthy glow of exercise in cold air. She’d bound her skirts to her legs with strips of cloth, and she moved with assurance. She carried an armful of sticks of various lengths and thicknesses.
“You’re looking much better!” She shoved the wood into Edric’s hands and bent to inspect the roasting meat.
A short time later, both of them were sitting on the insulated ground, contentedly chewing on the bones. Kyria had packed the water skins with snow the night before, and it had melted, leaving delicious-tasting water.
“How did you do all this?” Edric gestured to the fire and the remains of their meal. “And how did you know to make a shelter?”
“My younger brother Rakhal taught me trapping, and I picked up the rest along the way. We used to trap game all winter, when food supplies ran thin. Father was furious when he found out I kept doing it after my brother went…left home. But really, why should it make a difference if I wear skirts or breeches at home? The traps work just as well and people have to eat! I do confess that I borrowed your knife, the one in your boot.” She slipped it out from the top of her own boot and offered it, hilt first, to him.
“You’d best keep it for the time being,” he murmured, more than a little impressed.
I owe you my life.
And I owe you mine, he imagined her saying.
March 24, 2015
Deborah Hangs Out - Summary and Video!
I had a lot of fun on Juliette Wade's "Dive Into WorldBuilding" hangout. It was great to have a chance to talk about The Seven-Petaled Shield...and a bit strange to see myself on video. Here I am!
We were very fortunate to be joined by author Deborah J. Ross, who came to talk to us about her wonderful trilogy, The Seven-Petaled Shield. She told us that it was inspired by an exhibit of Scythian art that she saw, and was a way for her to branch out beyond the tired tropes of pseudo-Celtic and Western European fantasy.
The Scythians were nomadic horse-riders in the central Asian steppe. They had shamans called enarees who, among other duties, would be asked to test the truthfulness of any charges brought against someone in their community. Enarees were men who wore woman's clothing and occupied a cultural niche in between the men's world and the women's world. One fascinating thing about them was that they kept the Romans at bay for hundreds of years.
Deborah began by writing four short stories set in a fantasy version of the Scythian world, known as Azkhantia. She wanted to write a novel, and found the right additional axis of tension when she realized she's referred to a place called Meklavar as "where witches dwell." She then expanded Meklavar into a society based on very ancient Judea. The Meklavarans have a very old written scripture, and literacy is very important to them, as is the knowledge of languages. Any given Meklavaran will typically know 3 or 4 modern languages and 2 extinct ones. Their magic is based in the scriptural stories.
She elaborated on this using parallels from the real world, where echoes of earlier goddess-based religions remain in scriptures of the traditions that followed them. She was also inspired by the tale of King Solomon's seals and the genie. When something has been pent up - something that needs very badly to stay pent up - we can forget things, and wind up in trouble. In The Seven-Petaled Shield, the empire of Gelon goes after Meklavar, and accidentally releases an evil genie.
The story focuses on the viewpoint of women, in part because she didn't want it just to be "Lord of the Rings with a twist." In this world, the solutions to problems can't come by the sword.
The "Seven-Petaled Shield" of the title is a set of seven magical jewels. Six of these occupy the points of a six-pointed star, and the seventh lies at the center. Each jewel has a different kind of power associated with a particular attribute (courage, strength, etc.) The six brothers with the jewels were magically linked and were able to defeat the evil power of Fire and Ice, which was made up of incompatible elements left over from the creation of the universe.
The story begins with the siege of Meklavar, in the person of Tsorreh, the young second wife of the king. Deborah explained that she wanted Tsorreh to be young, but old enough to be educated and have strong cultural heritage. She is part Mekalavaran and part Isarran (Isarre is something like Phoenicia.) In the siege, she chooses to save the library, saving the things that make her people unique. Just before she and her son flee, she inherits the central gem of the shield, which changes her power and perceptions. Her biggest strength is in making friends and having compassion.
Deborah wanted to make sure enemies were not demonized, and she wanted to explore how to resolve conflict in non-violent ways.
During the story, Tsorreh's son Zevaron believes that his mother has been killed, and becomes consumed by desire for revenge. Deborah explained that she drew on her own experience of her mother's murder to explore his character. In the end, she says she is the person she wants to be, and not defined by that experience. Her journey to healing is reflected to some extent in the story. She also looks at how people come to believe that "your pain will be over when X is destroyed."
There is love in the story, though Tsorreh's first marriage is political. Deborah says almost all her stories have love in them. The meeting of Zevaron with the Azkhantian warrior Shannivar was one of her earliest imaginings for the story.
Deborah placed the emergence point for Fire and Ice at the northeast corner of the steppe. She therefore did a lot of research on Mongolian life. Horses and camels are very important to the people there, and friction between clans is far less because just staying alive in this environment is so difficult. The culture as a whole comes to support the border clans who are those who clash most often with outsiders.
Deborah describes Shannivar (for whom the second book was named) as a very clear viewpoint character, easier to write than some of the others. She was excited to see Shannivar illustrated on the cover of the book as Asian, wearing clothing she could reasonably fight in! Shannivar's place in the Azkhantian culture allowed her to explore the question of how the culture might reasonably balance women fighters with the need for family and child-raising, as well as the need for a high birth rate. In Azkhantia, men and women are pretty equal until they are teens -they all ride, shoot, hunt, etc. Then they can participate in a ritual called The Long Ride, which is a status-raising activity. Once they have killed an enemy in battle, which is a prerequisite for marriage, women come under more pressure to settle down and take part in more settled activities like raising children and making felt for tents. Shannivar, however, is not interested in marriage because she wants glory.
One fascinating element of the story is how both Shannivar and Tsorreh experience love, but in neither case does that love hamper their drive or their power to achieve what they want.
Reggie asked, "How did the finished story diverge from your plan?" Deborah said that she knew the characters would have to find the various pieces of the shield, but initially had no idea how that would be accomplished. She had also put a lot of importance on a prophet character who bore some resemblance to Jesus - but he ended up being less important in the final draft. Shannivar's story was initially the last third of the book, but Deborah decided she needed to develop the details of Tsorreh's captivity. She wanted everyone to have internal journeys as well as external. Shannivar was given more room to develop from a talented girl to a war leader.
Deborah told us the moving story of her friend Bonnie Stockman, who was her best friend and taught her a lot about horses, helping her to develop Shannivar's relationship to her two horses. Deborah dedicated the book to her, but Bonnie became very ill before the book was to be released. DAW printed a single 8.5"x11" copy so that she could see it before she passed away. Deborah had very glowing words for DAW's relationship with her and their willingness to get her involved in the choice of her own cover art, by Matt Stawicki. She would like to see The Seven-Petaled Shield turned into an ongoing series - and so would I!
Thank you so much, Deborah, for coming to speak with us about your amazing books.Here's a link where you can purchase them.
And here's the video of our discussion, if you'd like to learn more!
We were very fortunate to be joined by author Deborah J. Ross, who came to talk to us about her wonderful trilogy, The Seven-Petaled Shield. She told us that it was inspired by an exhibit of Scythian art that she saw, and was a way for her to branch out beyond the tired tropes of pseudo-Celtic and Western European fantasy.
The Scythians were nomadic horse-riders in the central Asian steppe. They had shamans called enarees who, among other duties, would be asked to test the truthfulness of any charges brought against someone in their community. Enarees were men who wore woman's clothing and occupied a cultural niche in between the men's world and the women's world. One fascinating thing about them was that they kept the Romans at bay for hundreds of years.
Deborah began by writing four short stories set in a fantasy version of the Scythian world, known as Azkhantia. She wanted to write a novel, and found the right additional axis of tension when she realized she's referred to a place called Meklavar as "where witches dwell." She then expanded Meklavar into a society based on very ancient Judea. The Meklavarans have a very old written scripture, and literacy is very important to them, as is the knowledge of languages. Any given Meklavaran will typically know 3 or 4 modern languages and 2 extinct ones. Their magic is based in the scriptural stories.
She elaborated on this using parallels from the real world, where echoes of earlier goddess-based religions remain in scriptures of the traditions that followed them. She was also inspired by the tale of King Solomon's seals and the genie. When something has been pent up - something that needs very badly to stay pent up - we can forget things, and wind up in trouble. In The Seven-Petaled Shield, the empire of Gelon goes after Meklavar, and accidentally releases an evil genie.
The story focuses on the viewpoint of women, in part because she didn't want it just to be "Lord of the Rings with a twist." In this world, the solutions to problems can't come by the sword.
The "Seven-Petaled Shield" of the title is a set of seven magical jewels. Six of these occupy the points of a six-pointed star, and the seventh lies at the center. Each jewel has a different kind of power associated with a particular attribute (courage, strength, etc.) The six brothers with the jewels were magically linked and were able to defeat the evil power of Fire and Ice, which was made up of incompatible elements left over from the creation of the universe.
The story begins with the siege of Meklavar, in the person of Tsorreh, the young second wife of the king. Deborah explained that she wanted Tsorreh to be young, but old enough to be educated and have strong cultural heritage. She is part Mekalavaran and part Isarran (Isarre is something like Phoenicia.) In the siege, she chooses to save the library, saving the things that make her people unique. Just before she and her son flee, she inherits the central gem of the shield, which changes her power and perceptions. Her biggest strength is in making friends and having compassion.
Deborah wanted to make sure enemies were not demonized, and she wanted to explore how to resolve conflict in non-violent ways.
During the story, Tsorreh's son Zevaron believes that his mother has been killed, and becomes consumed by desire for revenge. Deborah explained that she drew on her own experience of her mother's murder to explore his character. In the end, she says she is the person she wants to be, and not defined by that experience. Her journey to healing is reflected to some extent in the story. She also looks at how people come to believe that "your pain will be over when X is destroyed."
There is love in the story, though Tsorreh's first marriage is political. Deborah says almost all her stories have love in them. The meeting of Zevaron with the Azkhantian warrior Shannivar was one of her earliest imaginings for the story.
Deborah placed the emergence point for Fire and Ice at the northeast corner of the steppe. She therefore did a lot of research on Mongolian life. Horses and camels are very important to the people there, and friction between clans is far less because just staying alive in this environment is so difficult. The culture as a whole comes to support the border clans who are those who clash most often with outsiders.
Deborah describes Shannivar (for whom the second book was named) as a very clear viewpoint character, easier to write than some of the others. She was excited to see Shannivar illustrated on the cover of the book as Asian, wearing clothing she could reasonably fight in! Shannivar's place in the Azkhantian culture allowed her to explore the question of how the culture might reasonably balance women fighters with the need for family and child-raising, as well as the need for a high birth rate. In Azkhantia, men and women are pretty equal until they are teens -they all ride, shoot, hunt, etc. Then they can participate in a ritual called The Long Ride, which is a status-raising activity. Once they have killed an enemy in battle, which is a prerequisite for marriage, women come under more pressure to settle down and take part in more settled activities like raising children and making felt for tents. Shannivar, however, is not interested in marriage because she wants glory.
One fascinating element of the story is how both Shannivar and Tsorreh experience love, but in neither case does that love hamper their drive or their power to achieve what they want.
Reggie asked, "How did the finished story diverge from your plan?" Deborah said that she knew the characters would have to find the various pieces of the shield, but initially had no idea how that would be accomplished. She had also put a lot of importance on a prophet character who bore some resemblance to Jesus - but he ended up being less important in the final draft. Shannivar's story was initially the last third of the book, but Deborah decided she needed to develop the details of Tsorreh's captivity. She wanted everyone to have internal journeys as well as external. Shannivar was given more room to develop from a talented girl to a war leader.
Deborah told us the moving story of her friend Bonnie Stockman, who was her best friend and taught her a lot about horses, helping her to develop Shannivar's relationship to her two horses. Deborah dedicated the book to her, but Bonnie became very ill before the book was to be released. DAW printed a single 8.5"x11" copy so that she could see it before she passed away. Deborah had very glowing words for DAW's relationship with her and their willingness to get her involved in the choice of her own cover art, by Matt Stawicki. She would like to see The Seven-Petaled Shield turned into an ongoing series - and so would I!
Thank you so much, Deborah, for coming to speak with us about your amazing books.Here's a link where you can purchase them.
And here's the video of our discussion, if you'd like to learn more!
March 23, 2015
Margaret L. Carter on "Hidden Gifts" in GIFTS OF DARKOVER
On a wondrous planet of telepaths and swordsmen, nonhumans and ancient mysteries, a
technologically advanced, star-faring civilization comes into inevitable conflict with one that has pursued psychic gifts and turned away from weapons of mass destruction. Darkover offers many gifts, asked for and unexpected. Those who come here, ignorant of what they will find, discover gifts outside themselves and within themselves. The door to magic swings both ways, however, and many a visitor leaves the people he encounters equally transformed.
Gifts of Darkover will be released May 5, 2015, and is now available for pre-order.
Here Margaret L. Carter answers questions on her story, "Hidden Gifts."
Tell us about your introduction to Darkover. What about the world drew you in? The first Darkover book I ever read was The Bloody Sun (the original edition), and I was enthralled by it. At the time, I didn’t know it was part of a series. That novel makes an excellent introduction for a reader because it’s told from the viewpoint of an outsider. (Even though the protagonist spent his childhood on Darkover, he thinks of himself as Terran and is learning about the world almost from scratch.) I love the motif of a character who uncovers buried secrets about his own past and unsuspected truths about his own nature and talents. Later I picked up the first anthology, The Keeper’s Price, which presupposes a lot of knowledge about the setting, but I was intrigued rather than confused. The handling of culture clash in the series fascinated me, and when I read The Shattered Chain, I was completely drawn in.
What inspired your story in Gifts of Darkover? The guidelines for Darkover stories often mention “unusual use of laran." I wanted to do something with one of the most unusual laran phenomena, teleportation, which (I think) is shown in the novels only in the context of matrix work. What experience might make a person unaware of the extent of her power desperate enough to perform such an act on her own? For a protagonist, I chose one of my favorite character types, the “Ugly Duckling” who discovers her “swan” traits only when pushed to her limits. In a way, this story echoes my first Darkover tale, "Her Own Blood” (in Free Amazons Of Darkover), which also features a nedestra heroine discovering her laran.
What have you written recently? What lies ahead? About a year and a half ago, my husband, Leslie Roy Carter, and I released Legacy Of Magic, prequel to our “Wild Sorceress” fantasy trilogy. In 2014, I published a couple of paranormal erotic romance novellas, Romantic Retreat and Merry Twinness. Also in that year, I had a paranormal romance novel, Sealing The Dark Portal, which features a heroine exiled here from another world, pursued by creatures from alien dimensions, and protected (at first without her knowledge) by a werecat bodyguard. I’ve recently sold a horror-erotic-romance crossover, Crossing the Border, a novella with Lovecraftian elements, for release in October 2015. Presently I’m working on a “next generation” sequel to my horror novel From The Dark Places, which also includes Lovecraftian motifs.
Margaret L. Carter holds degrees in English literature and worked for many years as a legislative editor for the Maryland General Assembly. She specializes in vampires, even having included chapters on Carmilla and Dracula in her PhD dissertation. In addition to vampire-related lit-crit such as Different Blood: The Vampire As Alien, she's had horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance published. Her latest novels are Sealing The Dark Portal, a paranormal romance with Lovecraftian elements, and Legacy Of Magic, a sword-and-sorcery fantasy in collaboration with her husband, Leslie Roy Carter (prequel to their “Wild Sorceress” trilogy). Margaret and Les, a retired Navy Captain, have four sons, two cats, a St. Bernard, eight grandchildren, and now a great-granddaughter. Information on her works can be found at Carter’s Crypt:http://www.margaretlcarter.com
technologically advanced, star-faring civilization comes into inevitable conflict with one that has pursued psychic gifts and turned away from weapons of mass destruction. Darkover offers many gifts, asked for and unexpected. Those who come here, ignorant of what they will find, discover gifts outside themselves and within themselves. The door to magic swings both ways, however, and many a visitor leaves the people he encounters equally transformed. Gifts of Darkover will be released May 5, 2015, and is now available for pre-order.
Here Margaret L. Carter answers questions on her story, "Hidden Gifts."
Tell us about your introduction to Darkover. What about the world drew you in? The first Darkover book I ever read was The Bloody Sun (the original edition), and I was enthralled by it. At the time, I didn’t know it was part of a series. That novel makes an excellent introduction for a reader because it’s told from the viewpoint of an outsider. (Even though the protagonist spent his childhood on Darkover, he thinks of himself as Terran and is learning about the world almost from scratch.) I love the motif of a character who uncovers buried secrets about his own past and unsuspected truths about his own nature and talents. Later I picked up the first anthology, The Keeper’s Price, which presupposes a lot of knowledge about the setting, but I was intrigued rather than confused. The handling of culture clash in the series fascinated me, and when I read The Shattered Chain, I was completely drawn in.
What inspired your story in Gifts of Darkover? The guidelines for Darkover stories often mention “unusual use of laran." I wanted to do something with one of the most unusual laran phenomena, teleportation, which (I think) is shown in the novels only in the context of matrix work. What experience might make a person unaware of the extent of her power desperate enough to perform such an act on her own? For a protagonist, I chose one of my favorite character types, the “Ugly Duckling” who discovers her “swan” traits only when pushed to her limits. In a way, this story echoes my first Darkover tale, "Her Own Blood” (in Free Amazons Of Darkover), which also features a nedestra heroine discovering her laran.
What have you written recently? What lies ahead? About a year and a half ago, my husband, Leslie Roy Carter, and I released Legacy Of Magic, prequel to our “Wild Sorceress” fantasy trilogy. In 2014, I published a couple of paranormal erotic romance novellas, Romantic Retreat and Merry Twinness. Also in that year, I had a paranormal romance novel, Sealing The Dark Portal, which features a heroine exiled here from another world, pursued by creatures from alien dimensions, and protected (at first without her knowledge) by a werecat bodyguard. I’ve recently sold a horror-erotic-romance crossover, Crossing the Border, a novella with Lovecraftian elements, for release in October 2015. Presently I’m working on a “next generation” sequel to my horror novel From The Dark Places, which also includes Lovecraftian motifs.
Margaret L. Carter holds degrees in English literature and worked for many years as a legislative editor for the Maryland General Assembly. She specializes in vampires, even having included chapters on Carmilla and Dracula in her PhD dissertation. In addition to vampire-related lit-crit such as Different Blood: The Vampire As Alien, she's had horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance published. Her latest novels are Sealing The Dark Portal, a paranormal romance with Lovecraftian elements, and Legacy Of Magic, a sword-and-sorcery fantasy in collaboration with her husband, Leslie Roy Carter (prequel to their “Wild Sorceress” trilogy). Margaret and Les, a retired Navy Captain, have four sons, two cats, a St. Bernard, eight grandchildren, and now a great-granddaughter. Information on her works can be found at Carter’s Crypt:http://www.margaretlcarter.com
March 20, 2015
Thunderlord snippet - Temptation
Please remember that this is a work in progress and drafts have a habit of changing drastically from inception to finished book.
From Thunderlord Chapter 9
Luck rode with them, for when they reached the main track, they saw no sign of their pursuers. Without any need for speech, as if they had one thought, they urged their horses into a rough, ground-eating trot. Edric had already traveled this section of trail twice before, but now he counted every minute, every hoofbeat. The wind fell away, and the air, which had been growing progressively more chill, turned milder, but he was not lulled into believing the clouds would dissipate. This was the pause as the storm gathered force.
“There!” Edric broke his silence to indicate the crossroads, now only a short distance away. The side trail was but minutes away….
Clouds darkened the sky. The air tasted of lightning to come.
Closer, now…Kyria on his heels, the pack horse’s gait jarring his bones… He could see the flat place where they’d camped and the main road leading down and away, curving around the shoulder of the hill --\Two riders emerged from behind the hill, followed by three more.
Behind Edric, Kyria let out a cry of dismay. Edric hauled on the reins. The pack horse resisted, dipping its head. Kyria’s horse crowded its rump and it threatened to kick. Edric jerked the horse’s head up, trying to think. They had enough room to turn around, but this trail would only lead them back to the fortress.
They hadn’t been spotted, not yet.
He glanced up at the clouds, denser now and laden with promise. The wind picked up again. Use me, pleaded the storm. I am yours for the taking, all the power of wind and lightning….
Something inside Edric yearned to answer the storm, to seize control of it. He had the power to save both of them, to save Kyria, and all he had to do was reach out with his mind. Use his Gift, as he had been born to do….
March 16, 2015
Jane M. H. Bigelow on "Healing Pain" in GIFTS OF DARKOVER
On a wondrous planet of telepaths and swordsmen, nonhumans and ancient mysteries, a technologically advanced, star-faring civilization comes into inevitable conflict with one that has pursued psychic gifts and turned away from weapons of mass destruction. Darkover offers many gifts, asked for and unexpected. Those who come here, ignorant of what they will find, discover gifts outside themselves and within themselves. The door to magic swings both ways, however, and many a visitor leaves the people he encounters equally transformed. Gifts of Darkover will be released May 5, 2015, and is now available for pre-order.Jane M. H. Bigelow talks about her story, “Healing Pain.”
So many different things drew me into the world of Darkover that it’s hard to decide what came first. I think I may have started with The Spell Sword; I know I read it early on, and Andrew Carr’s adventures make a wonderful introduction to the world. The rich detail of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s world, the fascinating paranormal powers that some people there had, the clash of cultures between Darkovan and Terran societies: I loved it all. I first found the books when I was working at a back-office job in a brokerage, and Darkover had the excitement and big questions that my daily life noticeably lacked. Life’s become more interesting since then, but I’m still hooked on Darkover.
That cultural clash inspired my story. What happens when someone wants the best of both worlds, not just for themselves, but for their people? Taniquel’s father might have lived if the people around him had been able to combine Terran and Darkovan medical knowledge instead of each fearing and discounting the other’s resources. Taniquel also must deal with a question that transcends cultures: How do you rebel effectively against people who genuinely, but mistakenly, believe that they have your best interests at heart? People whom you respect, like, and even love?
I’m currently writing a short story about a young alien attempting to study earth culture in the middle of Denver, where I live. His attention to earth’s art and architecture reveals some surprising details of his own civilization’s history. Leaping several millennia here, I’ve done a short historical fiction piece set in Egypt’s Middle Kingdom just as the Kingdom begins to disintegrate. It’s for a still-untitled anthology created by the Egyptian Study Society; it should be published sometime this summer. There are also a couple of ideas that I thought were short stories but stubbornly refuse to stay within that length.
Speaking of novels, I’m revising a fantasy novel set in an alternate Bronze Age world where magic works, and both deities and donkeys may speak to people if it pleases them to do so. Layla’s a former gem thief turned jeweler. She had meant to leave politics, magic and love behind when she left Tzakende for the great trade city of Issrandar. Both her friends and her enemies have other plans. It’s one thing to fight the machinations of her old enemies the Exemplars of Order. When friends need help, Layla finds she can’t turn them down. An earlier book set in the Thilassthian Empire, Talisman, came out through Pronghorn Press. It’s currently available through Smashwords.
There are certainly other Darkover stories that I’d like to write. They’re still more concepts than stories, but here are a couple.
I’ve always wondered why no one skis there. Wouldn’t cross-country skis be a useful way to travel the less mountainous areas, especially if you wanted to go quietly for your own private reasons?
Another idea begins when a Terran woman working at the spaceport attends a cross-cultural event in Thendara. She politely assures one of the few Comyn ladies present that the Terran’s mother does perfectly well without her, as the mother has nine other children to raise, and the eldest are old enough to be of help. How does the Comynara react? Is this a comedy or a drama, I wonder?
Jane M. H. Bigelow had her first professional publication in Free Amazons of Darkover. She has always been interested in history and in fantasy; Darkover fit her interests so perfectly that she no longer remembers just when she started reading about it. She says it’s wonderful to play in Marion’s sandbox again. Jane has published a fantasy novel, Talisman, as well as short stories and short nonfiction on such topics as gardening in Ancient Egypt.
March 13, 2015
Thunderlord snippet - Making Contact
Please remember that this is a work in progress and drafts have a habit of changing drastically from inception to finished book.
From Thunderlord Chapter 8
Once more, Edric focused on his starstone. This time, instead of imagining the wide area of the valley and the trail rising beyond it, he shaped his mental probe like a spear aimed at the top of the promontory. For a long moment, he felt nothing. He might as well be trying to contact a star on the other side of the galaxy. Then he felt – heard – something, low and monotone, rough-textured but straight – stone! Shaped stones!
From time to time, Edric had taken his place in matrix circles tasked with mining metals and other minerals from deep within the earth. He knew how to penetrate layers of rock for what lay beneath, although he had always been part of a team, minds joined through the skill of their Keeper, bodies safeguarded by their monitor. Still, he remembered how it had felt in his mind to pass through rock as if it were water, moving between the tiny particles.
Gently, gently now,he cautioned himself. These walls were much thinner than the sheets of rock he had worked through in the Tower.
The next instant, he was through. Instead of the density and mineral taste of stone, he touched the diffuse lightness of air, punctuated by the tangled nets of brightness that marked living people. Were it not for the distance and his own imperfect skill, he might have been able to determine their numbers and locations within the fortress.
Elation blurred his senses for a moment before he wrestled his emotions back under control. Pride, stupid pride had all but destroyed not only his own Aldaran but Scathfell as well, only a generation ago. He must never forget that.
Once more calm, he shifted ever so slightly, shaping a mental call: Kyria!
At first, there was no answer, only the near-emptiness of air, the anonymous knots of brightness…and then he felt glimmer of something more, an imprint of her distinct personality, like a spill of candlelight in a moonless night. He’d sensed her laranbefore, uncertain and untrained. Now doubt evaporated as he let go the last of his barriers. In some ways, the contact resembled gazing into a distant, oblique mirror of his own mind, yet she was distinctly feminine…strong-willed and clinging to both strength and will to fend off the terror that coiled tighter and tighter around her…
I’m here! You’re not alone!
March 9, 2015
Deborah Dives Into World-Building
I'll be the featured author on Wednesday's "Dive Into World-Building" hangout, hosted by Juliette Wade. I'll be talking about how I created the world of The Seven-Petaled Shield, especially the languages. And anything else you want to know!Wednesday March 11, 3:00 pm PDT.
It's easy to join from your Google+ account. From your own home page, type the message under "Share What's New" and send it to Juliette Wade. She'll send you an invitation (and will post the URL once the hangout has begun).
If you don't have a Google+ account, you'll be able to view the hangout and read a summary at a later time. I'll post links to that.
Hope to see many of you there!
March 6, 2015
Thunderlord snippet - Taking A Rest
Please remember that this is a work in progress and drafts have a habit of changing drastically from inception to finished book.
From Thunderlord Chapter 7
They went slowly, for the horses were still fatigued from the long, hard climb the day before. The trail dipped, less steeply now, winding as it followed the contour of the mountainside. The land here was still rugged, but from time to time, glimpses revealed softly-rounded hills covered with forest and open meadows that marked the sites of fires from years ago. The trail widened, but did not branch. Edric began to worry that they would have gone too far before he found a credible excuse for leaving the company. He was relieved when Francisco called a halt in a little open space, a crossroads of sorts. To each side, patches of hardy mountain grasses grew between clumps of low, wind-twisted brush. Two smaller paths diverged from the main road, but neither showed any sign of recent traffic.
“We’ll rest here and let the horses forage,” the captain said, dismounting.
“But should we not press on?” came Dom Ruyven’s plaintive voice. “The day is still fine – why do we tarry?”
“My lord, the horses have been working hard on short rations. If we wish them to carry us all the way to — to our destination, we must allow them to recover their strength.” Without waiting for an answer, Francisco set about loosening his girth, hobbling his horse, and slipping off the bridle. His men proceeded to do the same, as did Alayna, who jumped down without any help.
Edric, having left his own horse to browse, walked over to where Alayna had spread her cloak on a flat stone and sat, face tilted to the sun, eyes closed. Francisco had set up rotation of sentry duty, taking one of the first positions himself, and Dom Ruyven was nowhere to be seen, presumably attending to private matters behind one of the taller bushes.
“How fare you, damisela?” Edric asked, relieved to see the color in her cheeks.
“In body, much better now that we are over the pass,” she answered. “In mind…there is no help for it, is there? I cannot rescue my sister, although she certainly would come after me, were our positions reversed. It is so unfair! You see what terrible manners I have – it is all her fault, you know, and she would tease me for saying so. There! There is your proof that I’m doing better, for I would not have prattled such nonsense a day ago.”
“No, I don’t think you would have.”
“Will you not sit beside me? The sun is very pleasant, although tonight is likely to be just as cold as before.”
Edric could not restrain himself from grinning. “I hardly think your guardian would approve.” He sat down.
From Thunderlord Chapter 7
They went slowly, for the horses were still fatigued from the long, hard climb the day before. The trail dipped, less steeply now, winding as it followed the contour of the mountainside. The land here was still rugged, but from time to time, glimpses revealed softly-rounded hills covered with forest and open meadows that marked the sites of fires from years ago. The trail widened, but did not branch. Edric began to worry that they would have gone too far before he found a credible excuse for leaving the company. He was relieved when Francisco called a halt in a little open space, a crossroads of sorts. To each side, patches of hardy mountain grasses grew between clumps of low, wind-twisted brush. Two smaller paths diverged from the main road, but neither showed any sign of recent traffic.
“We’ll rest here and let the horses forage,” the captain said, dismounting.
“But should we not press on?” came Dom Ruyven’s plaintive voice. “The day is still fine – why do we tarry?”
“My lord, the horses have been working hard on short rations. If we wish them to carry us all the way to — to our destination, we must allow them to recover their strength.” Without waiting for an answer, Francisco set about loosening his girth, hobbling his horse, and slipping off the bridle. His men proceeded to do the same, as did Alayna, who jumped down without any help.
Edric, having left his own horse to browse, walked over to where Alayna had spread her cloak on a flat stone and sat, face tilted to the sun, eyes closed. Francisco had set up rotation of sentry duty, taking one of the first positions himself, and Dom Ruyven was nowhere to be seen, presumably attending to private matters behind one of the taller bushes.
“How fare you, damisela?” Edric asked, relieved to see the color in her cheeks.
“In body, much better now that we are over the pass,” she answered. “In mind…there is no help for it, is there? I cannot rescue my sister, although she certainly would come after me, were our positions reversed. It is so unfair! You see what terrible manners I have – it is all her fault, you know, and she would tease me for saying so. There! There is your proof that I’m doing better, for I would not have prattled such nonsense a day ago.”
“No, I don’t think you would have.”
“Will you not sit beside me? The sun is very pleasant, although tonight is likely to be just as cold as before.”
Edric could not restrain himself from grinning. “I hardly think your guardian would approve.” He sat down.
March 5, 2015
A March Gift for YOU!
Over at Book View Cafe, I'm offering a free ebook copy of Azkhantian Tales, my collection of short fiction set in the world of The Seven-Petaled Shield. (Maybe you'll enjoy it enough to post a review?)Across the Azkhantian steppe, warrior women ride to battle against foes both human and supernatural. From the world of The Seven-Petaled Shield come four fantasy tales, originally published in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Sword & Sorceress.
Prophecy links a mother and daughter in an unbreakable bond.
A young woman defies tradition to become a shaman.
When twins are magically divided, the survivor searches for the other half of her soul.
A warrior woman discovers that to wield a magical blade dishonorably carries a heavy price.
The giveaway ends March 7, 2015.
Here's the link to the BVC newsletter, with all the nifty details.
