Charmed Destinies: Counting Crows\Drusilla's Dream\Moonglow » (Reprint)

Mercedes was born in Chicago on June 24, 1950. The very next day the Korean War was declared. It is hoped that there is no connection between the two events.

She was raised mostly in the northwestern corner of Indiana, attending grade school and high school in Highland, Indiana. She graduated from Purdue University in 1972 with a Bachelors of Science in biology. This, she soon learned, along with a paper hat and a name tag will qualify you to ask "would you like fries with that?" at a variety of fast-food locations.

After spending time in jobs ranging from artist's model to lab technician at the Mosquito Genetics Project to short-order cook, she took training and became a computer programmer. About this time she discovered science fiction conventions and the Society for Creative Anachronism, and began attending functions of both, more often in costume than not.

Mercedes had always written from her early teens, and developed this hobby by writing fan fiction for various amateur magazines. In the 1980s she took a job programming computers for a major airline, and as a consequence moved to Oklahoma, where she continued to write. At this time she met both Marion Zimmer Bradley (author of The Mists of Avalon) and .C. J. Cherryh, both of whom helped mentor her from the ranks of the amateur into those of the professional writers.

In 1985 her first book was published. In 1990 she met artist Larry Dixon at a small science fiction convention in Meridian, Mississippi, on a television interview organized by the convention. They began working together from that time on, and were married in Las Vegas at the Excalibur chapel by Merlin the Magician (akatheReverend Duckworth) in 1992.

They moved to their current home, the "second weirdest house in Oklahoma" also in 1992. She obtained her wildlife rehabilitators license and began rehabbing birds of prey; so far her patients have ranged from a hummingbird to a great blue heron, but most are American kestrels, red-tailed hawks, barred owls and great horned owls. She has many pet parrots, the smallest of which is a hand-raised peach-faced lovebird, and the largest of which is a blue-and-gold macaw.

Mercedes has over 50 books in print, and some of her foreign editions can be found in Russian, Czech, Polish, French, Italian and Japanese.

She has continued her hobby of costuming, although now she costumes Barbies and porcelain dolls as the characters from her books, usually sending these items to charity auctions with autographed copies of the relevant books. She also does art needlework and beadwork, sometimes combining these hobbies with her doll-making, usually sending these as gifts or to charity auctions, as well. She always has several of these projects going at any one time, because they give her the opportunity to think about her stories while her hands are busy. Her current projects are a planned series of "Gothic Fairy" dolls with hair of colors not found in nature.

A night owl by nature, Mercedes is generally found at the keyboard between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

When Rachel Lee was 9 years old, her mother would tell her to go out and play, but, instead, she hid in the basement reading and writing stories. Now, four decades later, Rachel would like to go out and play in the Florida sunshine.

Catherine Asaro was born in Oakland, California, and grew up in El Cerrito, just north of Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. in chemical physics and M.A. in physics, both from Harvard, and a B.S. with Highest Honors in chemistry from UCLA.

Three classic stories of timeless love and tantalizing fantasy…

Counting Crows by New York Times bestselling author Mercedes Lackey

In Lady Gwynnhwyfar's dark, lonely court, her only ally was noble Sir Atremus, a warrior willing to fight for her honor. But would her powerful spell capture his heart—or tumble the kingdom into chaos?

Drusilla's Dream by USA TODAY bestselling author Rachel Lee

Every night Drusilla Morgan dreamed of courageous and handsome Miles Kennedy. Their quest: to battle evil and find true love. Yet when the sun rose, would Drusilla's fantasy man become a reality?

Moonglow by Nebula Award–winning author Catherine Asaro

In a world where kings married for magic, Iris Larkspur was required to wed the prince—despite the spell that kept him deaf, mute and blind. Healing her bridegroom would take a power greater than any she'd ever known—one only two bonded hearts could provide!

Marlyn K. Roberts - VOYA

This teaser launches the new Luna line of books that debuted in January 2004 and consists of romantic fantasy novels. There are three novellas in this omnibus. Counting Crows by Mercedes Lackey is the story of Lady Gwynhefar (not the one who married King Arthur; this reviewer was confused by the name for several chapters), who is given in a "glove marriage" (in the absence of the groom, he is represented by a glove) to the rough, loutish Lord Bretagne to secure the safety of her father's kingdom. Although she at first believes that she can tame Bretagne, she soon accepts the futility and finds that she loves one of his lieutenants instead. Although the novella form is rather short, the story drags on a little too long-there is much description of the spells Gwyn performs in order to spend her life with her true love. Drusilla's Dream by Rachel Lee is, perhaps, the most charming of the three stories. A young painter by day/computer operator by night fantasizes about saving an imaginary kingdom, only to discover that her fantasy is shared by the night shift's sysop. Catherine Ansaro's Moonglow is the sweet but rather predictable story of a prince who suffers traumatic deafness, muteness, and blindness after the murder of his parents, and is cured by the love of his soul mate. This book is a light diversion, to be indulged in when one's mind is exhausted from hard work or studying. There are some relatively detailed, although not offensive, sex scenes that keep this one out of the league of younger teens who might enjoy the romance. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P S A/YA (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult-marketed book recommendedfor Young Adults). 2003, Silhouette/Harlequin, 377p., pb. Ages 15 to Adult.