The Book Connection...: Interview with Kim Antieau, Author of Her Frozen Wild

Kim Antieau has written many novels, short stories, poems, and essays. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, both in print and online, including The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Asimov’s SF, The Clinton Street Quarterly, The Journal of Mythic Arts, EarthFirst!, Alternet, Sage Woman, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. She was the founder, editor, and publisher of Daughters of Nyx: A Magazine of Goddess Stories, Mythmaking, and Fairy Tales. Her work has twice been short-listed for the Tiptree Award, and has appeared in many Best of the Year anthologies. Critics have admired her “literary fearlessness” and her vivid language and imagination. She has had nine novels published. Her first novel, The Jigsaw Woman, is a modern classic of feminist literature. Kim lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, writer Mario Milosevic.

Her latest book is Her Frozen Wild.

Learn more about Kim and her writing at www.kimantieau.com.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband, writer Mario Milosevic. We both work part-time for the library system where we live. We love to hike, watch movies, and spend time together. I’m fascinated with folk and fairy tales. I study them, read them, and re-imagine them. I’m also interested in permaculture, gardening, and sustainable food systems. We live in a county in Washington State where it is against the law to harm Bigfoot. I love that there’s a law on the books in my county that essentially protects a fairy creature!

Where did you grow up?

I grew up out in the country near the small town of Brighton in Michigan. I was the second to the oldest of five girls. I was a tomboy through and through. I was outside running around in the woods from dawn until dusk—barefoot most of the time. I loved taking care of my animals, being in the woods, riding horses, being outside under the stars. In the summer, before we had air conditioning, I used to sit between the rows of corn and play in the sand with my little trucks. It was the coolest place to be, underneath those tall beautiful green cornstalks. When I was a little older, I’d sit under one of the big old oak trees writing novels all summer long. When I was about twelve years old, there were UFO sightings in Ann Arbor, which was just down the road from where I lived. The rumor was that space aliens were coming to get girls and women! I remember I folded up some clothes and put them in the top drawer of my dresser so I could grab them in case the aliens came. I was ready to go! I’d stand at the edge of the marsh and watch for swamp gas, fairies, and UFOs.

When did you begin writing?

I began writing soon after I could read, probably when I was five or six. Before that, I drew pictures to make them into books that told a story.
Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I write during the day.
What is this book about?

In Her Frozen Wild, archaeologists uncover a frozen tattooed female mummy in the Altai in Siberia. But when they take a DNA sample and put it in the worldwide DNA database, they discover her DNA matches almost perfectly with Ursula Smith’s DNA, a Portland archaeologist who is peripherally involved in the project. Nobody can explain how this could have happened since Ursula is in Portland and has never been to Siberia, and the mummy is 2,500 years old. Despite being terrified of flying, Ursula travels to Siberia to unravel the mystery of the “lady.” She meets Sergei Ivanovich Polyakov, a Russian doctor who graciously invites her into his home. After they become lovers, she discovers Sergei has the same tattoos on his body as the tattooed lady. He tells her that they have met before, and she is destined to save the ancient shape-changing People. Ursula can’t imagine she is destined for anything, but she goes with Sergei and a shaman to one of the sacred timeless caves where her mother supposedly vanished thirty years earlier. When Ursula allows the shaman to tattoo her, she is thrown back in time where she has to unlock the mystery of the People and their link to her past in order to save them and Sergei.

What inspired you to write it?

Years ago I read a National Geographic article about the discovery of an “ice maiden” mummy in Siberia. She was tattooed, and she was buried with horses, a long conical hat, and other items that made archaeologists believe she was a priestess or shaman. When I read the article, I got chills, and I knew then I would have to write about her.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My husband, Mario Milosevic.
Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

It’s available in print on Amazon. You can also buy an e-reader version on Amazon kindle, Barnes and Noble, smashwords, or at any of your favorite e-bookstores.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

Keep writing! Remember when you get a rejection, that’s just one person’s opinion. Move on! Once you get a contract, don’t just sign it. Make certain you understand the contract and don’t give away your rights! That hurts you and other writers.
What is up next for you?

I have a bunch of new projects. Some are complete and some are near completion. Butch: a bent Western will be out in a few months, along with Desert Siren. I’m finishing work on Whackadoodle Times and Pricked: A Jane Deere Novel. I wrote them while on retreat in Arizona this winter. Whackadoodle Times takes place during a week in the life of Hollywood screenwriter Brooke McMurphy, a week where everything seems to fall apart. I’ve never laughed as much or cried so hard as I did while writing this book! Pricked is about Jane Deere, who has been on the run for a couple of decades. The novel starts when she stops running for a time to start a new life in Tucson. She begins to solve some of the mysteries in her own life as she helps the new people in her life solve some of their problems.
Is there anything you would like to add?

Thank you so much for the interview. I had fun!