  I was born in Exeter, New Hampshire. My father, a university professor, was very successful in obtaining research grants and guest professorships, and during my childhood and adolescence we moved around almost as much as a military family, never staying in one place for more than a couple of years at a time. In addition to several U.S. states, I've lived in Ireland, England, and Germany, and traveled throughout Europe. I graduated from Vassar College with a degree in Comparative Religion--which didn't do much to help me find a conventional job, but did satisfy my fascination with world belief systems, an interest that enduringly informs my writing. After that I supported my writing habit through a variety of ill-paid and often peculiar jobs (the weirdest was probably my stint as a research assistant/housekeeper/dogsbody for an egomaniacal self-help book writer whose elderly husband spent much of his time in the basement with his huge collection of porn), winding up eventually as the financial manager of a not-for-profit corporation (a very strange place for a “D” math student to find herself). Several years ago I joyfully left the world of salaries and offices behind (no panty hose! Ever again!) to begin writing full-time, a decision that has made me a good deal poorer but a great deal happier. I enthusiastically wrote stories and poems as a child, but never had any ambition to be a writer, despite the fact that my mother is a published novelist. I began my first novel, The Lady of Rhuddesmere, as an excuse to take a year off between high school and college. I honestly can't remember why I thought I could just sit down and write a book; the sum total of my "serious" writing efforts before that was two short stories produced as part of an honors English class. But I'm thankful for my egotism, or perhaps my naievete, because by the end of the first chapter I was hooked, and before the book was halfway done I knew that I'd found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Nearly ten years later, thanks to the efforts of my dedicated agent, Lady was finally published. Two more young adult fantasies followed: Worldstone and Guardian of the Hills. I made the transition to the adult market with The Arm of the Stone and its sequel, The Garden of the Stone. A second, unrelated duology followed: The Burning Land and The Awakened City. Trilogies or longer series are the standard in fantasy, but for some reason two books seems to be my limit--perhaps because I can only envision one novel at a time, and must get to the end in order to see how, or if, the story should continue. Currently I'm working on a number of short stories--a new direction for me, since I haven't seriously tried to write short fiction since I was in college. Writing "short" is a challenge, but after the sustained effort of my last duology it's also a relief, and I'm enjoying the opportunity to play with different styles, voices, and subjects. I have a feeling the novel itch won't leave me alone forever, though. My professional affiliations include The Author's Guild, Novelists Inc, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, where I'm Vice-Chair of the Writing Scams Committee. Along with other intrepid scam hunters, I wage a vigorous campaign against the huge variety of literary schemes and scams that prey on writers. As part of that effort, I created and maintain Writer Beware, a website of warnings about literary fraud. Ann Crispin, Writer Beware Chair and my best pal, shares a blog  with me, where
we discuss
scams, writing, publishing, and, occasionally, ourselves.I live in Amherst, Massachusetts, with my wonderful husband Rob (who doesn't understand my need to write, but fully supports it), and two cats. In my spare time (and often, if I'm honest, in what's supposed to be my writing time) I'm a keen amateur gardener, a voracious and eclectic reader, an enthusiastic hiker, a dedicated movie buff, and a bit of an exercise and nutrition nut. I'm also a regular book reviewer for Fantasy magazine and SF Site, and my articles on writing have appeared in Writer's Digest, among others. In 2006, I'm honored to be serving as one of the judges for the World Fantasy Awards. A selection of interviews:
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