Following hot on the successful heels of Peacemaker, the delightful Marianne de Pierres is back with Mythmaker!
Virgin’s in a tight spot. A murder rap hangs over her head and isn’t likely to go away unless she agrees to work for an organisation called GJIC with Nate Sixkiller as her immediate boss. Being blackmailed is one thing, discovering that her mother is both alive and the President of GJIC is quite another. Then there’s the escalation of Mythos sightings, and the bounty on her head. Oddly, the strange and dangerous Hamish Burns is the only one she can rely on. Virgin’s life gets… untidy.
The book is out in October from Angry Robot Books.
What do readers need to know about Marianne De Pierres, and which story of yours would you recommend to a new reader? 
I guess you would say that, for the most part, my stories are never predictable. Also, I write across genres: science fiction, fantasy, YA, children’s, and crime. So perhaps it’s me that’s unpredictable! A creature of whim with a passion for stories about female empowerment. I find it hard to recommend where to start with reading my books because they are quite different from each other. I’d suggest checking out the blurbs and being guided by what appeals to you.
Who were/are your literary heroes/influences?
SO many! But to narrow it down: D H Lawrence, Carlos Castaneda, A. C Clarke, Octavia Butler, T. H White, Anya Seton, Sigrid Undset, Ian Macdonald.
Where did the inspiration for the Peacemaker/Mythmaker series spring from?
I grew up on a diet of Zane Grey novels, so it was really just a matter of time before I wrote my own style of Western. Naturally it was going to have strong speculative elements. 🙂 I couldn’t help myself. And setting it in Australia feels right. It was based on a short story I wrote a few years ago that was published by Cat Sparks, and later reprinted by Fablecroft.
You write across several different genres – what do you like most about each of them?
SFF is extremely liberating. I feel like I can let my imagination go wild when I’m writing it; whereas, contemporary crime is kind of soothing and fun. However, the more I write, the harder it gets to write without being dissatisfied. I’m always searching for the perfect expression of the idea. Nothing ever seems good enough.
Name five fictional characters you’d invite over for coffee and cake?
Nicole Wakefield (Rama series), Ash (Mary Gentle), Divine Endurance (the cat), Nxynissa (God’s War – Kameron Hurley), DI Steel (Stuart Macbride)
Twelfth Planet Press is bringing out your Tara Sharp series – how did that come about?
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Alisa before on my short story collection, Glitter Rose; so we’ve been keeping an eye out for another project. When Allen and Unwin passed on the next Tara Sharp book, I hoped it might fit with TPP’s new Deadlines imprint. They already publish Livia Day, and I thought Tara Sharp worked well with that. Fortunately, Alisa did too!
What first drew you to writing?
Reading. But also… I wanted to write since I was so young, it feels a little bit like it was in my DNA. My sister writes, so does my brother, so did my grandfather.
You’ve got an extremely active website community – how did you go about building that up?
Time and commitment. 🙂 It’s fun mostly, so that helps. I now have a group of great reviewers and bloggers who help me out. I couldn’t do it without them. We’re all committed to books and reading. They are very talented, but most of all they are consistent. It’s an important quality in a writer! 🙂
What’s your favourite story – short or long form – ever and why? 
Absolutely cannot answer that. 
What’s next for Marianne De Pierres?
In the works is a SF thriller entitled PHARMAKON (part of my current university studies), book 4 of the Tara Sharp series, a picture book, and a SF screenplay. When I get a chance to create something new, I’m dying to work on a TV series.
Marianne de Pierres is the recipient of a 2014 Curtin University Distinguished Alumni award for significant and valuable contributions society. This award was given on the basis of her feminist science fiction. She is author of the award-winning Sentients of Orion and Peacemaker series. Her young adult Night Creatures trilogy was on the recommended reading lists for both the Stella Prize and the Victoria Premier’s Literary Award. Marianne also writes award-winning humorous crime under the pseudonym Marianne Delacourt. She is a writing educator, a proponent of New Media, and has been involved in several successful creative partnerships.