Doranna Durgin

Dun Lady's Jess, Doranna Durgin's first published fantasy novel, received the 1995 Compton Crook/Stephen Tall award for the best first book in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres; she now has over twenty novels on the shelves and more on the way.

Earlier this month I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:

I'm reading so many things! All at once!

At the bedside, I'm reading Julie Czerneda's Rift in the Sky. It's hard to be objective about Julie's books because she's such a good friend, but the truth is that I found her work before I ever realized that she enjoyed mine, and we have many things in common as writers and people -- so in the end it's only natural that I wait for her releases with anticipation! Her stories are always interwoven with the most fascinating biological foundation, as well as characters that are utterly true to themselves, their origins, and their species needs. She always manages to give me a good kick in the heart, too. Rift is no different!

At the table, I'm reading Sandy Ganz & Susan Boyd, Tracking from the Ground Up. It's one of two tracking books I have, and while the other is highly recommended under just about all circumstances, this is the book that complements it. The first is methodical and exacting; this one gives you more tools and a more organic thinking process, and that's what works best for me and my dogs. This is a totally new training discipline for me and I'm finding this book a useful resource.

Off to the side, I'm indulging in a re-read of Rebecca York's Killing Moon. This one just struck all the right notes for me the first time around. I'm hard to please with shapeshifter type books not only because I write them myself, but because of my environmental ed and parks naturalist background, never mind the time I spent living out amongst it all and the years I've spent understanding the way animals think since then. I want my critters to feel like critters, even as the characters work within their relationships and their magic. This book did that for me.

Visit Doranna Durgin's website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue