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Fire & Ice
Mickey Derringer is having a hell of a year. A year filled with loss, crushing disappointment, personal tragedy, physical trauma, mental anguish, and constant change. It's also a year of personal triumphs, growth, love and enlightenment. All while she's trying to catch the worst serial killer the city has ever known. A murderer whose modus operandi reopens old wounds and rekindles her worst nightmares. "In Fire & Ice, Selina Rosen reveals the subtle evil of a segregated society, while showing the metamorphosis of an intelligent, loving relationship between two people. In view of the pathetic compromise of 'Don't ask; don't tell,' this novel's near-future premise of carding gays and lesbians like illegal aliens suggests a sinister but believable possibility. This should be a warning to anyone who thinks that anything less than total civil rights for everyone would be an acceptable compromise."-- Mark Shepherd, Author of BLACKROSE AVENUE and LAZER WARZ
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
10 people want to read
About the author
Selina Rosen
115 books37 followersSelina Rosen’s short fiction has appeared in several magazines and anthologies including Sword & Sorceress, Witch Way To The Mall, Turn The Other Chick, the two newest Thieves’ World anthologies, Aoife’s Kiss, and Here Be Dragons.
Her novels include How I Spent The Apocalypse, Black Rage, Queen Of Denial, Strange Robby, and Jabone’s Sword.
Her mystery novels, Bad Lands, and Bad City, the first two Holmes and Storm Mysteries, were co-written with Laura J. Underwood.
One of Selina’s recent projects was a novelization of the first Duncan and Mallory graphic novel that was co-written by Robert Asprin and Mel. White, tentatively entitled Duncan and Mallory I.
Selina was honored by Deep South Con/FenCon in Dallas this past September where she was awarded the Phoenix Award.
Check out her website for her continuing series, The House. It’s posted in episodes—approximately two per month.
In her capacity as editor-in-chief of Yard Dog Press, Ms. Rosen has edited several anthologies, including the five award-winning Bubbas Of The Apocalypse anthologies and two collections of “modern” fairy tales including the Stoker-nominated Stories That Won’t Make Your Parents Hurl.
Her novels include How I Spent The Apocalypse, Black Rage, Queen Of Denial, Strange Robby, and Jabone’s Sword.
Her mystery novels, Bad Lands, and Bad City, the first two Holmes and Storm Mysteries, were co-written with Laura J. Underwood.
One of Selina’s recent projects was a novelization of the first Duncan and Mallory graphic novel that was co-written by Robert Asprin and Mel. White, tentatively entitled Duncan and Mallory I.
Selina was honored by Deep South Con/FenCon in Dallas this past September where she was awarded the Phoenix Award.
Check out her website for her continuing series, The House. It’s posted in episodes—approximately two per month.
In her capacity as editor-in-chief of Yard Dog Press, Ms. Rosen has edited several anthologies, including the five award-winning Bubbas Of The Apocalypse anthologies and two collections of “modern” fairy tales including the Stoker-nominated Stories That Won’t Make Your Parents Hurl.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 1, 2011
I have to be honest. I have several of Selina Rosen's books that I have not read. I eagerly go to her readings at SF Cons because they are always enjoyable. I then buy a new book at the Yard Dog Press table only to take it home where it sits because I have papers to grade and so on. When I do have time to read, I tend to pick up the newest release in one of the many series that I like because I often want the familiar. This is not necessarily a mistake per se, but it is a loss on my part.
Our main character Mickey Derringer is a cop who is searching for a serial murderer. To add to her stress, the book opens with the death of her longtime partner Marty, and we find out that her marriage to her wife Chris has ended in divorce. She is also being forced by her department to see a psychiatrist to deal with her many issues, some which are from being shot on duty. Sadly she gets shot twice more in the same shoulder over the course of the book.
The background theme of the novel is Gay Rights. Gay marriage is legal, but homosexuals must carry a card and cannot work in some professions. For example, Mickey can work as a cop because she is lesbian, but a straight woman evidently cannot because it is considered a male job. Likewise, a gay man can work as a hairdresser, but a straight man cannot. The main focus is on Mickey and her emotional issues, but it makes you think about things like, what would be like to live in a world where Bob Fosse, one of the greatest dancers and choreographers of the 20th century in my opinion, could not have been a dancer because he was heterosexual? If, like me, you are bisexual, it makes you wonder where you would fit in at all in that society.
The strongest aspect of Ms. Rosen's story is the dialogue. I am used to reading urban fantasy which often depends a lot on description. I am used to knowing in detail what outfit the character is wearing, what the setting looks like and so on. There is description in _Fire and Ice_, but it is minimal and not really needed. Except for the issues around homosexuality, it is our world and we do not need descriptions to immerse ourselves in the book. It is a world that we are familiar with and it allows Selina Rosen to focus on her characters. The dialogue is what moves the story and builds the characters. For me, it is reminder about what I think is the most important part of storytelling--the characters and what they go through. We know that Mickey is going to catch the serial killer. We know that she will deal with her issues. The question is how and that is what makes the story and keeps us reading.
Our main character Mickey Derringer is a cop who is searching for a serial murderer. To add to her stress, the book opens with the death of her longtime partner Marty, and we find out that her marriage to her wife Chris has ended in divorce. She is also being forced by her department to see a psychiatrist to deal with her many issues, some which are from being shot on duty. Sadly she gets shot twice more in the same shoulder over the course of the book.
The background theme of the novel is Gay Rights. Gay marriage is legal, but homosexuals must carry a card and cannot work in some professions. For example, Mickey can work as a cop because she is lesbian, but a straight woman evidently cannot because it is considered a male job. Likewise, a gay man can work as a hairdresser, but a straight man cannot. The main focus is on Mickey and her emotional issues, but it makes you think about things like, what would be like to live in a world where Bob Fosse, one of the greatest dancers and choreographers of the 20th century in my opinion, could not have been a dancer because he was heterosexual? If, like me, you are bisexual, it makes you wonder where you would fit in at all in that society.
The strongest aspect of Ms. Rosen's story is the dialogue. I am used to reading urban fantasy which often depends a lot on description. I am used to knowing in detail what outfit the character is wearing, what the setting looks like and so on. There is description in _Fire and Ice_, but it is minimal and not really needed. Except for the issues around homosexuality, it is our world and we do not need descriptions to immerse ourselves in the book. It is a world that we are familiar with and it allows Selina Rosen to focus on her characters. The dialogue is what moves the story and builds the characters. For me, it is reminder about what I think is the most important part of storytelling--the characters and what they go through. We know that Mickey is going to catch the serial killer. We know that she will deal with her issues. The question is how and that is what makes the story and keeps us reading.
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