Alice Borchardt
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Alice Borchardt (October 6, 1939 – July 24, 2007) was a writer of historical fiction, fantasy, and horror. She lived in Houston and was sister of Anne Rice and aunt to Christopher Rice. Alice Borchardt shared a childhood of storytelling with her sister in New Orleans. A professional nurse, she also nurtured a profound interest in little-known periods of history.
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[edit] Biography
Borchardt was born Alice O'Brien in New Orleans on Oct. 6, 1939. She was one of five sisters. Her father, Howard, a postal worker, helped her apply for her first library card at age 7.[1] "It was the best gift I ever received," Borchardt said in a 1999 interview with the Austin American-Statesman.[1]
Her mother, Katherine, was a feminist who taught Alice to pursue her career goals. The O'Brien family moved to Richardson, Texas, when Alice was a teenager. She began her nursing career in Houston, where she met and married her husband.[1]
After a 30-year career as a licensed vocational nurse, Borchardt faced staff reductions at the hospital where she worked.[1] Rice encouraged Borchardt, helped her find an agent, and wrote introductions to several of her books.[1]
[edit] Literary career
She was in her mid 50s when the first of her seven novels, Devoted, was published in 1995. She is perhaps best known for a trilogy about werewolves in medieval Rome. In The Silver Wolf, Night of the Wolf and The Wolf King, the orphaned Regeane and the nobleman Maeniel, both are part werewolf and part human, contend with bullying chieftains, embattled emperors and supernatural interventions. The last book in the series was published in 2001.[1]
On July 25, 2007, Bill Crider reported that Borchardt has died.[2] This was confirmed by an obituary in the Houston Chronicle.[3] In addition to her husband and Rice, who lives in Rancho Mirage, Borchardt is survived by sisters Tamara Tinker of Daly City, Calif., Karen O'Brien and Micki Jenkins of Dallas. She is also survived by two nephews, Christopher T. Rice of Los Angeles and Daniel Tinker of Oakland.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Obituaries; Alice Borchardt, 67; author wrote historical romance novels in second career after nursing. Mary Rourke. Los Angeles Times. California; Metro; Metro Desk; Part B; Pg. 8. August 3, 2007.
- ^ Bill Crider's Blog 2007-07-25
- ^ Author Alice Borchardt, sister of Anne Rice, dies at 67, Renée C. Lee, Houston Chronicle, 2007-07-30.
[edit] Books
In the tenth-century French town of Chantalon, Bishop Owen and his lady, Elin, marshall their forces in a desperate struggle against Viking raiders, but when Owen leaves to seek aid from his kinsmen and is captured by Bretons, Elin is left to defend Chantalon alone.
An unwilling pawn in the plotting of the Rome of Charlemagne's time, Regeane is betrothed by her depraved uncle to an unknown barbarian lord. Unable to refuse lest he betray her as a shapeshifting wolf-woman, she is strangely attracted to a dark wolf prowling outside the city gates.
- Night of the Wolf (1999) (prequel to The Silver Wolf)
As the powerful forces of a conquering Rome sweep across ancient Druidic Gaul, an epic battle erupts between the shapeshifter Manael, a werewolf, and Dryas, the powerful Druid priestess summoned to destroy him.
- The Wolf King (2001)
Compelled to leave her life with Maeniel in his mountain stronghold, Regeane is drawn back to her father's Saxon roots in order to defend their lands, their souls, and their way of life from Charlemagne. Faced with such a powerful and implacable foe, there seems to be little choice left to Regeane. She must try to find a way to get close to the most powerful ruler in the world, and put a stop to the persecution of her shapeshifter kin forever. Beautifully written, richly detailed and magnificently told, this brings a unique and breathtaking trilogy to a triumphant close.
The daughter of a powerful pagan queen, Guinevere grows up under the protection of a Druid and a shapeshifting man-wolf, until the sorcerer Merlin forces her to fulfill her destiny as Arthur's queen.
- The Raven Warrior (2003)
In Dark Age Britain, wild magic and superstitions hold sway. Even now that she has accepted the power of the Dragon Throne, Guinevere faces the threat of the Saxons and must strike first to protect her people. At the same time, Lancelot must prove himself as a man and a warrior.
