The reaction of readers to Terrorists was fascinating; no one complained about the subservient women, but they did (men particularly) complain about the methods Zahra IbSada used to achieve her ends. There were a number of online posts about misuse of medical knowledge and so forth; but on the other hand, there was a sense among a lot of readers of triumph, and justice being done. Now isn't that strange, that the criticisms would come because Zahra used her power, not because some of the women were meek and obedient?

As an accomplished classical singer, do you find that music and writing feed one another?

Absolutely! I often say that anyone who wants to write fiction should first be an opera singer. In my opera performances, I learned how to build characters, to understand how they move and look and communicate. I also learned the essentials of dramatic scenes. Every classical musician learns form, tension and release, and how to elaborate a theme. Writing teachers say, "Dramatize, don't narrate." It's the same in music.

Is it hard to balance both passions? (You did so nicely in your first trilogy of books, and in The Glass Harmonica.)

I don't think it's hard to balance them; but I do want to sometimes write books that aren't musical, as in Terrorists of Irustan, which has not one note of music in it. Still, having said that, Terrorists is in a subtle way based on the opera Tosca, in that the protagonist is a woman whose very nature is also her undoing.

What drew you to writing?

My first stories were ones I made up to tell my son. When he was little, we took turns telling stories to each other. (He's eighteen now!) Otherwise, my writing comes from the same source as my singing--that need to create that all artists know well, and that can be very hard to explain.

What kills creativity, and how do you stay inspired?

I think too much busyness can kill creativity, especially for some personalities who need calm and quiet to flourish. I tend to be a very high-energy person who has always juggled a lot of activities--I taught college, raised my son, sang concerts, and wrote novels, all at the same time! As I grow older, I find I don't want to do so much juggling, but I still can if I need to. Staying inspired, though, is a gift from God! It's why the Enlightenment poets used to pray to their Muses, begging for inspiration. I do have techniques to search for ideas; sometimes I need to sit very still (hard for me) and let my mind cook; other times I need to exercise or do housework, something that doesn't actively engage my mind, and let the brain serve up whatever is simmering in the depths. I don't actually believe in writer's block; I subscribe to Anne Lamott's philosophy, that the mind is just sometimes empty, like an empty well, and needs a bit of time to fill up.

The Terrorists of Irustan is one of my desert island books--I would have to have it with me. What books would you want with you were you trapped on an island (and not competing in the latest Survivor)?

I can't express how much it means to me to think that one of my efforts would be your desert island book--what a tremendous endorsement! I recently re-read Terrorists, actually, because I'm using that universe again, and I also found that it held up over time, even after the drastic change in the world situation since September 11th. My desert island books would probably include Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis, Possession, by A.S. Byatt (not sf), and the wonderful novel Halfway Human, by Carolyn Ives Gilman, one of my favorite books of the last decade.

In your Locus interview, you talk about what inspired The Terrorists of Irustan, that being your husband asking what if the women in Afghanistan rebelled. What inspired The Glass Harmonica?

About fifteen years ago I sang a concert with the Northwest Chamber Orchestra, with Dr. James Savage as conductor. There was a glass harmonica player on the program, and I was fascinated by the instrument. Then Dr. Savage found me a glass harmonica player on the west coast to consult, and he (William Wilde Zeitler) became my friend and close collaborator. We often do programs together now, where he demonstrates the glass harmonica and I answer questions about the book--and once in a while, sing a teensy bit.

Do you think you will ever write outside the science fiction and fantasy genre? What is it about the speculative fiction genre that appeals to you?

I do write some nonfiction on musical subjects, but I love writing sf/fantasy because you can let your mind really run with it. We sometimes say that readers choose our genre because they want to go on a strange journey, to visit a truly alien place. I like to do that when I write. Having said that, I do occasionally consider writing mainstream fiction, but I'll save it for a time I have no sf/fantasy ideas cooking. The only downside to writing in this genre that I love is that the slice of the market is small; but I absolutely believe you have to write the book that is screaming to come out of you, whether it's a profitable one or not. One of the great blessings of my writing life is that I have an agent and an editor who agree! (Peter Rubie is my agent; my editor is Susan Allison, editor in chief at Ace Science Fiction, and one of the absolute best in the business.)

There are female writers out there who are looking to writers like yourself, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursula K. Le Guin, and others for inspiration, and as role models. If you could give these women one piece of advice when it comes to writing, what would it be?

You're giving me too much credit, but I love seeing my name linked with Ursula and Marion (rest in peace, Marion.) I think my advice would be in my last answer--you must write what fires your passion. Readers of my work know that I return again and again to themes that are considered feminist: women realizing their potential, fighting oppression, and particularly protecting children. I didn't set out to write feminist works, but the things that inspire me are those issues.

The Glass Harmonica is now out in mass-market paperback. What can readers expect from you next?

I'm so glad you asked! *g* This December my first hardcover will be out from Ace. It's called The Maquisarde (ma-kee-SARD), which means a member of the maquis, or the resistance (like in Star Trek, only it's not Star Trek.) It's about a Parisian musician who becomes a freedom fighter, set in late twenty-first century Earth (and above.) After that will be The Child Goddess, about a woman Catholic priest who investigates a society of very old children. More information about these books and the earlier ones can be found on my website in about two months (I have one, but I'm building a new one.) I hope everyone will come visit LouiseMarley.com in the spring! Or simply e-mail me with any questions at LMarley@aol.com.

Thanks, Elise. This was great fun, and I hope we'll do it again some time!

And thanks to you, Louise, for taking the time!