Why write?

Because I can’t make myself stop. Believe me, I’ve tried!

If you didn’t write, what would you do?

Probably something totally useless and self destructive, sort of like an Australian Shepherd puppy locked up in an apartment all day while everybody is gone to work. Think of shreds and tatters everywhere…

If you could hunt any speculative fiction creature ever imagined (except one of your own), would you?

Of course.

Which one?

A flying horse, dragon, or any other winged critter as long as it was rideable.  Actually, I’ve always had my eye on one of Anne McCaffery’s dragons. A queen, of course. The telepathic link is a cool extra.

Why?

To ride it of course! What a silly question.

If you could have any speculative fiction creature ever imagined (except one of your own) as a pet, would you?

Of course. When have I ever had the good sense not to acquire odd and troublesome pets?

Which one?

Either of the above rideable and flying choices aforementioned.

Why?

Same purpose. (I’ve had to make do with a Cessna, but it’s not the same, believe me.)

You are on a holodeck: You’re sitting in an intergalactic bar, sipping your favorite beverage, waiting expectantly for someone to take a seat at your table. Which author from any era does?

Zena Henderson

Why?

She’s a good friend, even though we managed to miss each other in this life.

What do you talk about or do?

Ah, we have a few drinks and talk about our characters, publishing, and teaching school in rural New Mexico.

More importantly, which chair does he sit in?

She sits down on my right, so that we can both watch the assorted patrons at the bar, because we both love to watch people. And the others hanging around.

Why Aron? What initiated his story and made you complete this particular tale?

Ah, Aron had showed up in the internal landscape some time before, with his burden of genes and love. He had a wintry air to him, so I was looking for the right place to let him work out his story. And lo…RotB happened along.

What appealed to you about being included in Rage of the Behemoth?

I love this kind of invite, where I have a particular constraint – this time a particular type of world – and I have to create a story to suit. For me, all aspects of the story have to be integral. That is, the world, the plot, and the characters all have to be equally important and intertwined. Aron needed winter, and I let the winter world create the dragon, Blenath, and the villain. And they gave me the plot. So it all worked. Stories like this grow for me like a crystal. I love the process.

Do you write/read aloud to/with anyone (family member or friend)?

I don’t write with anyone right now. When my sons lived at home, they used to be over-the-shoulder involved. I give my work to readers at the second draft stage, but the first draft plus tends to be solo. Not for any reason, I’m just not living with anyone /writing with anyone right now.

Quick: For each of the below, what’s your first thought in regards to the future of genre fiction:

Publishing: Dying, dead, on life support – or just going through a change? If it’s any of the first three, will it be euthanized or revitalized?

Oh, this is just a change. I think we’ll see a wider and more accessible (for both readers and writers) publishing world, but we have some painful transitions to get through first.

Reading Formats: Print, electronic, audio, or interactive?

All of the above. I doubt it’ll be restricted, but the options are expanding.

Books: Hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, other?

Hard to say. I see print as the most expensive of the media, the one for collectors and die-hard paper-readers. The form will be whatever they’re willing to pay for.

Preference for reading/writing: Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Horror Fiction?

SF is my first love and, in my opinion, potentially the most powerful of all genre. (Good literature and you make people think about tomorrow, too. How cool is that??). But I write mystery, alt-history, fantasy, YA, and the occasional mainstream, too. I read everything, across the genre spectrum, although it has to be really sophisticated and well written to entice me.

Thank you for your terrific answers, Mary – and for being a part of Rage of the Behemoth!

Mary Rosenblum’s “Blood Ice” appears under the ‘Frozen Wastes’ theme in Rage of the Behemoth. Mary is a graduate of Clarion West, and has been publishing speculative fiction and mystery short stories and novels since 1990. Visit her at www.maryrosenblum.com.

An opening excerpt

Aron reined his ice stallion in as they neared the crest of the pass. The animal tossed his head, curved horn gleaming like blue ice in the level beams of the setting sun, pawing the traffic-hardened snow with a three-clawed foot.

The highway below was empty. It usually teamed with traffic in this season when no ice storms raged down from the Northern Wastes, tribute coming up from the warmlands, ice-agates carried southward by the traders. Aron frowned, his uneasiness increasing. You must come. Elinda’s words replayed for the thousandth time in his mind. The king is dying and neither Jorsan nor I alone have the magic to hold back the ice and keep the springs warm. We need you, Aron. Jorsan will intervene for you with the king. Aron eyed the white fangs of the Barrier Mountains, the teeth that held back the raiders from the Northern Wastes. With the help and magic of the boundary kingdoms.

He had never meant to come back.

We need you Aron…

Watch for review praise for “Blood Ice” and Rage of the Behemoth!

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