Sandra M. Odell
David Milner Is, fiction, December 1, 2010
What books and/or stories have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work?
My reading tastes range far and wide, but for inspiration I tend to stick close to home when it comes to speculative fiction. The collected short stories of Harlan Ellison have perhaps been the biggest influence on me as both a writer and reader. He brings a passion to the page that lingers long after the words have slipped once more between the covers, whether the glorious trickster in ' "Repent, Harlequin!" Said The Ticktockman ', the tormented mother in "Soft Monkey", or the tangled family relationships in "Cat Man".
Conversely, the lush detail of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Saint Germain novels leaves me wanting more because I can't step through the page and into her incredible settings. She adds a depth of physical detail that engages all of the senses.
My hope as a writer is to marry Ellison's passion with Yarbro's detail to create a story where the reader can't help but ask "What next?" and then reach toward the page hoping to touch the answer.
Biography
Sandra M. Odell is a 43-year old, happily married mother of two, an avid reader, compulsive writer, and rabid chocoholic. Her writing credits include publication in Jim Baen's UNIVERSE, audio production on The Drabblecast, and upcoming publication in Horror Bound Magazine's "Fear of the Dark" anthology. She is a Clarion West 2010 graduate.