After publishing several short stories (her first professional fiction sale was 1994 to Amazing Stories), some media tie-ins, and a job as an executive editor, she published her first original novel Staying Dead, a "Cosa Nostradamus"-universe "Retrievers" book.[1] The first book of a second series in this universe named "Paranormal Scene Investigations", Hard Magic, was published in 2010. Flesh and Fire, the first novel in the "Vineart War" series, was released in 2009. The "Vineart War" series deviates from the urban fantasy setting of the Cosa Nostradamus books, having more of a traditional fantasy feel. Flesh and Fire was nominated for the 2009 Nebula Award for Best Novel.[2][3]
Gilman currently lives outside Seattle, Washington.[4] She owns and runs d.y.m.k. productions, an editorial services company.[5] She formerly managed the tasting room for Rocky Pond Winery in Chelan, Washington.[6][7]
The world of the Cosa Nostradamus is a world where magic is alive and well in a modern age. Cosa Nostradamus is the name given to the entire magical community – Human Talent and non-human ‘fatae.’
"Wine. A world with a source of magic that is grapes, in the vintages made with each different strain of grapes. Wait, before you wander off, think about that a minute. Think of how much goes into a bottle of wine, from how the grapes are grown to how each harvest is gathered and pressed and bottled. Then add in a touch of magic along with the flavor, binding an intent with each batch. It made for a phenomenal structure to build on. Each geographical area in the Lands Vin has its own particular vintage, its own magical specialty.
The Vinearts, those responsible for crafting each vintage, are a solitary caste, tending their vines and wines and rarely communicating with each other. The creation myth of the vines themselves is based on this structure of each tending to their own specialty. But as the book progresses, it becomes apparent to one Master that this solitude cannot continue as it is. Something is going very wrong in the vineyards, from pests to plagues out of season, and it drives that Master Vineart to break that solitude and try to gather information before the vines are lost.
The threat is very real, and the sense of urgency pulls the reader from page to page. The reader starts following the development of a new apprentice Vineart, where we gain a sense of the Vinearts love for their vines, and the magic that they infuse into their wines. And from there the world widens, as the reader learns of the problems emerging throughout the Lands Vin."[11]
“They say the end is nigh. I think we’re living in the aftermath already.” (Dragon Virus, pg. 69)
"It starts with the little uncomfortable things- visions of apocalypse, Raptures full of dragon wings. And then the dragons become all too real. It is an unexplained mutation, the Long gene, dragons come down to warp the basic recipe of humanity. Babies die, born with mutations that could not support life. No known cause. No treatment.
But then babies start to live, the mutations becoming viable, and the real problems start."[13]
