Irene Radford, Author of The Dragon Nimbus Series
I have
been writing stories ever since I figured out what a pencil was
for. Combining a love for Medieval history and a fascination with
paranormal, I concentrated on fantasy writing.
I am a member of an endangered species, a native Oregonian
who lives in Oregon. As a service brat, I've lived in a number of
cities throughout the country until I finally returned to Oregon in time
to graduate from Tigard High School. I earned a B.A. in history
from Lewis and Clark College, where I met my husband. We
currently make our home in Welches, Oregon, where deer, bear,
coyote, hawks, owls and woodpeckers feed regularly on our back
deck.
My real life isn't quite as organized as I might like. Most of the time I have to use my floor as a filing cabinet and have to rely on my day-planner as my brains.
Growing up in the shadow of two very large older brothers and a
tall, elegant older sister, I had to prove myself smarter and
more beautiful than the others in order to survive — just like any
normal runt of the litter. The smarter part I still believe.
I tried a lot of different things searching for my niche in life.
History fascinated me early on and I stuck with it through
college. Needlework began as a necessity. I always made my own
clothes and loved fancy knitting and embroidery. Then, in my mid
twenties I discovered tatting at a county fair. I had found the
hobby — more likely addiction — of a lifetime. Tatting led me to
the Portland Lace Society and the International Old Lacers. Then
I discovered bobbin lace, the ultimate puzzle. I've won several
local and regional prizes for my work and still play with it,
though I no longer have the time to let it consume me. Check out
the dedication to The Loneliest Magician. Creating a patch for a
dragon wing out of lace was the best part of this book.
Ballet is still a passion of mine. I gave up seeking a career as
a dancer in high school when I realized I'd never have the length
of leg or masochistic tendencies to make it as a pro. I taught
youngsters the rudiments of ballet for many years until a broken
ankle robbed me of the flexibility and balance I needed to
continue teaching. That dark moment in my life brought me the
best revelation of all. Writing.
I no longer had reasons to put off becoming a writer. Without
ballet and jobs to divert my mental and physical energy, I
finally had the incentive to take my writing seriously. For years
I'd kept it secret, indulging in it, binging in writing between
midnight and 3AM once a year when my husband and son went
camping. Now I had the confidence to announce that I must work at
it openly. I must devote my time to it in order to know if I
could succeed or not. I joined Romance Writers of America. I
invested in typewriters and then computers. I read. And I wrote.
The rest is history yet to be made.
Check the
links on this site for upcoming books and special events. I hope
I get to meet you at a con or a booksigning soon. Feel free to e-mail
me with
questions and comments about the books or life in general.
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