From: Megan (megan.guberski@noaa.gov)

I’ve been thinking about writing for a while, but was waiting until I had something unique to say. But life is in the doing, so here I am adding my unoriginal voice to the multitudes praising the lyricism of your writing and the depth of your characters. Though I enjoy all your books tremendously I have to admit a certain preference for Aud. I think I get a bit of a crush on her each time I read The Blue Place and Stay. I’m very much looking forward to the release of Always.

Mostly I wanted to thank you for creating protagonists of integrity and depth, who do not think being gay is something to get all tortured and upset - or for that matter, ecstatic - about. Your books gave me hope for a better adult life while I spent my adolescence rotting in Small Town Washington. The pride inherent to Aud and Lore helped give me the strength to keep living though ridicule and fear until I was old enough to insist on a brighter future for myself. So, thank you for all the time and effort required by each book, they have made a difference in my life.

It's my pleasure. My writing reflects my perspective: people are just people, no matter what their age/sex/sexual preference/colour/physical ability (etc.). We all do glorious--and supremely stupid--things.

This probably sounds weird, but writing well makes a difference in my life, too. I constantly try to live up to my ideal of myself as a person and a writer (if you want to read more about this, take a look at a long--very long [grin]--interview/essay/rant I wrote on the Aqueduct blog last month). I think it's easy to get complacent about ourselves. Writing--having everything be so public--keeps me on my toes.

From: Ann

I am a student of Language, Gender and Power. I have decided to research on the language and gender treated in your novel 'Ammonite'. What was your purpose in writing 'Ammonite'? How did you plan to treat language and gender in this novel? Thanks a lot.

I wrote Ammonite for more reasons than I can shake a stick at. I wrote because the story was burning a hole in me. I wrote because I needed a book contract for immigration purposes. I wrote because I was too ill to get a real job. I wrote because I love writing; I love going to new places with new people and seeing what happens. I love researching, I love connecting the dots and making new patterns. I love fucking with people's heads.

But I suspect what you're really asking is: what was my conscious design for Ammonite, what effect did I intend the story to have on the way readers thought and felt about language and gender? It's tempting to say, 'I didn't,' i.e. I didn't make any conscious attempt to mess with readers' mindsets in that way, that politics really wasn't the point--but that would be just a tad disingenuous...

...But only a tad. I really do put story ahead of anything remotely resembling 'message' or 'theme'. I agree with Louis B. Mayer when he said, 'If you want to send a message, try Western Union'. Ammonite is the story of Marghe and how she had to choose to fight or admit change. The need to explore how women are human in, of, and by themselves without reference to men, was icing on the cake, a happy little paradiddle just because I could.

From: Linda (EvergreenLM@aol.com)

One of my favorite television series is Law and Order SVU. A new character has been introduced this season - detective "Dani Beck" (Connie Nielsen).

I cannot see her that I do not think of Aud. She looks as I would imagine Aud to look and they operate emotionally in a very similar way--only this character is straight. To be otherwise would just be too much for prime time. Sigh.

Do you ever foresee the Aud triology going to film--indie or otherwise? I can wish can I not? :)

I'd love to see Aud on screen--large or small--if we could figure out how to translate her properly to a visual medium. Film, they say ('they' being, well, y'know, people), is about what characters do and say; books are about what characters think and feel. I think that's simplistic, but as a sweeping generalisation it highlights the difficulty of turning books into film, or tv.

A few weeks ago I started writing the The Blue Place screenplay. It's proving, ah, instructive. As usual, I'm simply assuming Aud's dykeness and not making an issue of it. I think prime time is almost ready for this. Almost.

From: Always! (cindy_russell@msn.com)

No question just a really big YAHOO!!! I cannot wait for the new book. Thank you so much.

You don't have to wait another minute. It's here. There's been interesting discussion. For the first chapter and reviews, go here

From: caz (yilyil8@yahoo.com)

Nicola,could you would you ever consider another book as Blue Place / Stay ???? A continuem Fantastic and Yeh unfortunately takes a lot to keep me involved - love when you can't figure the story out on the first page. Thanks Pleeezzzzeeeee.

Your wish is my command. Always is now available everywhere.

From: Deanna

Read The Blue Place which I borrowed from the KCLS (King Co Library System) and noticed you're in this neck of the wood. Do you still teach women's self defense? If so, in the Seattle area? If not, do you have recommendations for other classes or schools. Thanks!

I no longer teach self-defence. I can recommend Home Alive as a starting point for learning. Then if you want to keep going and learn martial arts, I'd suggest Seven Star (kung fu) or Feminist Karate Union. But start with self-defence. It's a much more useful set of skills than martial arts.