E.C. Ambrose, a prolific Sci-Fi author who makes her home in Nashua, NH, once asked an astrophysicist friend why he went into the field. He replied that reading Ray Bradbury’s books made him want to go to Mars. “When I read Bradbury, his work had a similar effect: he made me want to help people believe they could go to Mars,” said Ambrose.
Ambrose first began writing simple stories in second grade. At the ripe old age of eleven or twelve, she knew she wanted to be a writer; it was just a matter of working at it. And she has followed that plan ever since. Her latest book, Drakemaster hit bookshelves on April 14, 2022. Like most of her books, Drakemaster lies within the niche of historical fantasy. The setting is 1257 AD and involves an ancient map carved in a cane, a disgraced descendant of Chinggis Khan, and a secret Chinese society in a desperate race across medieval China to locate a clockwork doomsday device.
Ambrose, most inspired by authors Mary Doria Russell, Ray Bradbury, and Peter S. Beagle, is currently working on her next book. “It is set during WWII,” she said. “It is about a young Lithuanian who learns the secret art of animating machines with magic, and uses it to raise a warship sank by a U-boat.” Such is the imagination of the author who also recently finished up her trilogy of books in the Dark Apostles series. “I choose among my inspirations the project I think my readers will be most excited to have,” she said.
“Of the protagonists/villains in my books, my favorite is Brigit, in the Dark Apostle series. She is fighting for the right of her people, the witches, to survive,” said the author. “It’s just that she’ll sacrifice anyone and anything else to succeed.” When asked about her favorite hero in her work, she replied, “Hamish, in The Forest of Bone, who, as a rat shape-shifter, never believes he was meant to be the hero.”
When not writing books, Ambrose educates other writers on topics ranging from craft to book marketing. On May 14, 2022, she will be among a group of sci-fi writers in a moderated discussion presented by New Hampshire Writers’ Project (NHWP). NHWP, a writers’ professional organization, has recently introduced a new series called “Speaking Of … Sci Fi: Reaching the Outer Limits of Great Storytelling” is the latest conversation in the series and will be moderated by Jeanne Cavelos. Other sci-fi authors participating are James Patrick Kelly, R.W.W. Greene and John P. Murphy.
The panelists will be discussing what makes sci-fi unique from other forms of writing, why they gravitated towards science fiction as a way of telling their story, what the unique challenges are, and how they create worlds that not only seem possible but probable. Members of the public are invited to register for the event by visiting https://nhwritersproject.org/2022/04/25/speaking_of_sci_fi/. The discussion is taking place virtually through the Zoom platform.
E.C. Ambrose is a member of NHWP.
About New Hampshire Writers’ Project
Founded in 1988, the New Hampshire Writers’ Project (NHWP) is the state’s largest literary arts nonprofit organization. The NHWP fosters and celebrates New Hampshire writers and provides a supportive community to writers of all ages, experience levels, backgrounds and genres. NHWP core programs, publications, website and annual 603 Writers’ Conference provide writers and readers with opportunities to meet each other, network and learn more about the art of writing and the business of publishing.
