Who is Dr. Dana? Chapter

I can trace back my writing life to one illuminating moment. Imagine if you will, itês 1977, a ten-year old girl is sitting in a movie theatre, popcorn clutched tightly in one greasy hand, staring in amazement at the Millennium Falcon soaring across the stars. I left that theater, head over heels for Han Solo and started writing stories for him with an idealized version of ME (well a much older me) as his girl, Crystal Diamond (What? I was 10, cut me a break). Iêm not sure what about Han overshadowed my three other loves, Spock, Sulu and Randolph Mantooth but it was something compelling enough to start me writing.

Most of the 80ês were spent writing Star Trek, Robotech and Elfquest fanfic. In addition to my own original fic, of course. I still have a novel I wrote back in the late 80ês on old Apple IIe floppies. I even had an agent for it but she got arrested for fraud (Go figure). I went to a private college in Waynesburg PA, a place so weird and haunted they set an X-File there (or at least part of it). Itês like a giant Fundamentalist commune with a college of kids who were your usual partying college kids despite it being a religious school stuck in the middle of it, which still didnêt explain why humans were never seen on the streets in the light of day. I was one of those over achieving nuts. In the course of four years I earned separate degrees in chemistry and biology, was only one or two classes short of a degree in history and English and had additional minors in drama and math. I was in the cast or stage crew of every play for 4 years (about 3 a year), played tenor sax in the jazz band (even got to play for Bush the Firstês inaugural festivities), played sax in the symphonic and marching bands as well, was in the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority for 4 years, three of which as an officer and still found time to hit as many Frat parties I could, and get branded as a ghostbuster and psychic to the dorms. Writing-wise I was even invited into a Star Trek workshop but their overly strict guidelines scared me off of ever wanting to write one professionally.

In the 90ês I went to podiatric medical school, met some great friends, dated a ballet dancer (he was fun) and still wrote my original fic and all my fanfics. I did a residency in Harlem and another on Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. I loved upstate New York, hated the big city and loved the Black Hills and the Lakota people even more. Theyêve woven their way into my fiction and I hope they stay there. Did asome hanging out in Deadwood with some Lakota youths whose band is now big on the Blues scene (Indigenous, check them out!).

The late 90ês had me practicing home health in Columbus Ohio and doing nursing home doctoring in Madison Wisconsin (HELLO WISCONSIN!). I became a published writer in "real” magazines during this time. You can find my published works such as "Reed My Lips” in Pulp: A Fiction Magazine, "Blood Sacrifices” in Bloodsongs, "Wolf Skin” in Mausoleum, and a chapter of my novel Machiavelli Moon excerpted for critique in the September ê99 issue of Writerês Digest. And I learned how mercurial horror magazines were when "Crisis in Faith” in A.R.T. Arbitrary Random Thought and "Midnight Lace and Bayou Nights” in Imagination Station went under before those stories could be published. I also fell into two great by mail critique groups First Draft and Link (if you want to know more just ASK).

As for watching Buffy and Angel, which are my current fanfic faves, I started watching Buffy back when it first came out. In second season I fell in love with Angelus, Spike and Dru and when it looked like they were gone for good, so was I. My medical practice was putting a huge crimp in my TV watching time and I was more interested in Star Trek, X-Files and Roar (what can I say, I still like Heath Ledger). Sharon got me back into the shows and the fan fic has been spilling out ever since.

The twenty-first century is seeing me back in school after a hand injury ended my medical career but on a positive note, Sharon and I have finished the first book in our fantasy series and started the next two. Also, my Buffy/Angel fan fic has become award winning which is so darn cool. Smallvilleês been knocking around in my head too so be warned. You may see its fanfic appearing here someday.

DANA FAQêS

1. Are you a pack rat? No, Iêm a collector

2. Do you have a cat who thinks heês a god? Iktomi isnêt just named for one, he believes himself to be one. Heês even used his god-like powers to force my mother to make him a purple velvet cat bed to complete his ascension to a higher plane

3. Why do you move every one/two years over the last decade? I get bored. Seriously. I just like traveling around. Iêve learned so much and itês helped my writing

4. Where do those story ideas come from? Dreams, some of them, real life. If you listen to people, youêll hear stuff so darn weird if it was depicted as fiction no one would believe it

5.   Kirk or Picard?Picard, gotta go with brains over brawn and that accent is to die for

6. Angel or Spike? Even though heês not my usual type gotta go with Spike (evil second season Spike) and I wouldnêt say no to Giles either.

7. Who did I want to be when I grew up? Either Emma Peel or Eleanor of Aquitane

8. Did you ever been asked to play psychic? Oh yes, by a lot of people looking to find ghosts. I was asked to help T.A. the parapsychology class at my underfgrad complete with various displays of ability. As for working as a police pyschic, I have but not officially. I was contacted by friends on the NJ force to do just that.

9. Did you say psychic? Ghosts like me, what can I say? Well, itês that or Iêm nuts, your call.