So back in the late 80s there was this wave of urban fantasy novels suddenly (it seemed to me at the time) coming out, pulling various bits of faerie and magic and fairy tales into the contemporary world in a way that I hadn’t quite seen done before. I remember it as beginning with War for the Oaks and Moonheart and Wizard of the Pigeons, and of spreading out from there, into many of the books that I devoured as they were passed around among my circle of college friends, books that seemed, well, just different from the books I’d devoured in high school. I kept reading these books as I graduated and started writing more seriously. I don’t remember when, amid all that reading, I first picked up Terri Windling’s Bordertown series, but it’s always been tied up in that time and those books, for me.
Which is why there was some serious squeeeing when I was invited to write a story for ellen-kushner and blackholly‘s new Welcome to Bordertown anthology. Because getting to play in Bordertown is, well, like getting to go back to the place I was when (before when) this whole writing journey began.
Earlier this week I had word that my story had been accepted for the anthology. I double-checked about five times, to make sure I’d understood properly, and to make sure no faerie dust had slipped in and changed the words.
Welcome to Bordertown is due out in 2011 from Random House, and I’m beyond thrilled to be there!