Biography
Fiona Avery is a writer working in Los Angeles, California but willing to defect to some place more romantic, especially having previously studied as an archaeologist, which entailed such Indiana Jones-like activities as prowling through tombs and pyramids in Egypt (including some she was not supposed to enter). She received her degree in Cultural Anthropology from Indiana University at Bloomington.
Her work covers the full spectrum from prose to screenwriting, with an emphasis on historical, action and fantasy writing. Previous television credits include work on Babylon 5 (starring Bruce Boxleitner), Crusade (starring Gary Cole) and Earth: Final Conflict. She has also written radio drama adaptations of award-winning short stories for Seeing Ear Theater featuring such actors as Timothy Hutton.
She has written many published short stories and articles for magazines both in the US and the UK. Her short story "Luring the Tiger Out of the Mountains", anthologized in 2001, earned an honorable mention in The Year's Best Science Fiction, published by St. Martin's Press. Fiona loves writing about warfare and has read one too many 'Art of War' books in her day. Her first novel, a historical tale about the power and wars of the French monarchy, The Crown Rose, will be published in May 2005 through Prometheus Books. Since 2000, Avery has been placed among the best-selling comics, writing for the Eisner-winning Amazing Spider-Man, as well as Tomb Raider, Rising Stars (now in development with MGM as a major motion picture), Witchblade and X-Men. Witchblade: Obakemono, her first graphic novel, sold at #2 on the charts in July 2002. In 2004, Amazing Fantasy and its continuing series Araña won the Big Apple Award from the office of the Mayor of New York City, and the book's leading character, Anya Corazon was named "Woman of the Year!" by Latina Magazine. The foremost news magazine in the comics industry, Wizard Magazine has listed Fiona Avery in its exclusive Top Ten Creators list, and she is a frequent guest speaker at conventions around the United States and overseas.
All this critical acclaim actually stems from a tendency to write action scenes coupled with character moments. Women who write action are a rare and eccentric species. Her original property, a comic book called No Honor was recently optioned by Platinum Studios and Fiona will be penning a film based on it this year.
Fiona's favorite possession is a chisa katana from around the year 1200 C.E. She balances her tomboyish collection of swords, katana and toy lightsabers by wearing pink. She is attracted to bright, sparkly objects like citrine and silver, however she sadly has to remove them during kendo practice. She has a passion for history. In an antique store, you can usually find her ignoring shop signs screaming "fragile," because if it's comfortable as well as rustic, it usually goes home with her.
