Penguin.com (usa)

My science fiction reading began with A Wrinkle in Time, which I expect I knew nearly by heart, and then with all the Andre Norton and Robert Heinlein novels I could find in the library. Later there was Dune and Stranger in a Strange Land, the science fiction that everyone was reading, but I really had no awareness of science fiction as a community until I went to work as Jim Baen's assistant in the late 1970s. I came to Berkley in 1982, and was Editor in Chief first of Ace and then of Ace and Roc. Ginjer Buchanan has now taken over as Editor in Chief of Ace and Roc, but I still work with a number of wonderful authors, including William Gibson, Stephen R. Donaldson, Guy Gavriel Kay, Joe Haldeman, Robin McKinley and Patricia A. McKillip.

I've been actively involved in the science fiction and fantasy community since 1968, first as a fan and reader, and starting in 1984 (auspicious year that!) as an editor. I've always been passionately interested in good writing—be it what I work on, what I read for pleasure (mostly historical fiction and non-fiction) or what I watch on television. And I watch a lot of television! I've edited a lot of great authors over the years. Choosing just a few to name is difficult, but they include Allen Steele (my first acquisition way back when), Jack McDevitt, Sharon Shinn, Charlie Stross and Charlaine Harris.

I taught myself to read at the age of 4, started with fairy tales, moved on to my dad's science fiction collection, and haven't stopped since! I've been with Ace since 1996 and Roc since December 2003. When I'm not reading, I catch up on TV, listen to Chinese rap, and spend way too much time playing video games. Authors I work with include Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Karen Chance, and Anne Bishop.

I joined Ace and Roc in 2004 and I love my job. Where else do you get to talk about werewolves, vampires, and whether the term half-elf should be hyphenated for a living? I always loved to read way past my bedtime and I still read omnivorously: fantasy, young adult novels, mysteries, history, you name it. I also like trashy TV, the BBC news, green tea ice cream, and running on the West Side Highway (where I can wave to my native New Jersey). Some of my fabulous authors include Glen Cook, John Levitt (look for his book in November 2007!), and Jeanne C. Stein.

Growing up in Idaho I read while riding my bike to school (it's much easier to read while riding the subway). I still get anxious if I don't have something word-filled nearby, be it novel, comic book, magazine, or cereal box. I'm obsessed with monster movies (special place in my heart for anything zombie), fuzzy animals, cooking (and the eating of) unhealthy foods, country music, and travel (anywhere and everywhere). I've been living and working in NYC since 2006, and in April of this year came to Ace/Roc. I'm lucky enough to help Anne and Ginjer with their amazing authors, and am constantly re-star-struck by the fact that I get to work with the likes of Patricia Briggs, E.E. Knight, Jeff Carlson, Ilona Andrews and Joe Haldeman.

As Susan Allison's assistant, and the newest member of the Ace editorial staff, I am excited at the prospect of working with a number of my favorite authors. In addition to fantasy and science fiction, I have a strong interest in cults, conspiracies, and children's literature. When not at work, I can usually be found scouring used book stores for old Jules Verne novels or sitting in the movie theater.