5 (Night Shade Books) Copyright ©  2010 by Rachel Swirsky All rights reserved.
~ * ~      AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION   I would love to say something mysterious about myself, but I’m afraid my life is rather mundane. I live in Bakersfield, California, home of the Fighting Drillers, with my husband (1), pet cats (3), and backyard full of strays (innumerable).
 When I started writing “The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window,” I was wondering whether it would be possible to tell a coherent story from the perspective of a summoned creature. Since the creature would generally only be called in crises, it would be a story that flashed between moments of intense conflict, with much of the plot missing or happening behind the scenes.
 At the time, I was also wondering how one might create an anthropologically believable matriarchy. Some socio-biologists claim that the kinds of male and female sex roles we see recurring in various cultures are based on inherent differences in male and female physiology—primarily the vulnerability that comes with being pregnant and nursing small children.
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
Book
