Ratha and her clan are the Named, a band of intelligent wild cats whose society is based on herding deer. the Named have laws, language, traditions, and leaders. they also have enemies. the predatory raiders of the unNamed are driving them close to the edge of survival. then ratha, a mere yearling, discovers what she calls the “red tongue”—Fire. Her new weapon gives the Named a new defense, but it also rouses the ire of Meoran, the tyrannical clan leader. soon ratha finds herself in exile among the un- Named, but determined to survive.
Born in England in 1952, I moved to the US with my family in 1957. I worked in oceanography, electrical engineering, test equipment design and mechanical engineering before I wrote my first book, Ratha's Creature (Atheneum-Argo Margaret K .McElderry 1983) , the story of a prehistoric wildcat who learns to tame fire.
Since then I have continued to write fantasy and science fiction for children and adults. I continue to be fascinated by big cats, as showcased in Tomorrow's Sphinx (cheetahs in Tutanhkmen's Eygypt) and Jaguar Princess (were-jaguars in Aztec and Olmec Mexico).
My stories tend to show sociological themes as well, exploring the changes that are brought about in culture through technology. I also enjoy creating plausible and workable alien critters ( the aronan fliers in People of the Sky). The central theme of my fiction is evolution, having been influenced early by the works of C.S. Lewis, Olaf Stapledon , and Arthur C. Clarke.
I have degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering, biology and chemistry and have continued working in technical areas in addition to writing fiction. I became involved in building and designing electric vehicles and spent a year in Norway working on a production EV. I have also participated in electric vehicle racing in the Arizona Public Service Company-sponsored Solar and Electrics competitions, held from 1991 to 1998. My electric Porsche 914, known by her racing number, 13, was a well-known competitor in these races. I was also involved with the Women's Electric Racing and Educational Team (WE'RE-IT) when we raced the Porsche and our converted race-Rabbit, #6 Hop-along.
After moving to a remote site in California's coastal mountains, I and my partner put together our own solar and wind systems and experimented with a power-generating waterwheel. A naturalized citizen of the US, I now live with my partner-become-husband, Chuck Piper, in the hills west of Patterson, California.
