Doyle, Debra
Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author.
(1952-2020) US author who began publishing work of genre interest with "Bad Blood" with James D Macdonald in Werewolves (anth 1988) edited by Jane Yolen and Martin H Greenberg, which was expanded into a novel Bad Blood (1993), which with its sequel Hunter's Moon (1994), both with James D Macdonald, comprises a children's series about werewolves and Vampires. All Doyle's books were written with MacDonald – they were married in 1978 – and we make no estimate of seniority in this partnership, as it gave every evidence of being seamless. Most of their work was fantasy [see Checklist below], most of it for children or Young Adult markets, and much of it being Ties such as their two titles in the Planet Builders sequence, Night of Ghosts and Lightning (1989) and Zero-Sum Games (1989), both as by Robyn Tallis; Horror High: Pep Rally (1991) as by Nicholas Adams; and their two titles in the fourth Tom Swift sequence (see also Tom Swift): Monster Machine (1991) and Aquatech Warriors (1991), both as by Victor Appleton. Robert Silverberg's Time Tours #3: Timecrime, Inc (1991) and Daniel M. Pinkwater's Melvinge of the Megaverse #2: Night of the Living Rat (1992) are also Ties.
Their first novel in their own right, Knight's Wyrd (1992), is fantasy; but the Mageworlds series – beginning with The Price of the Stars (1992), Starpilot's Grave (1993) and By Honor Betray'd (1994), and ending with A Working of Stars (2002) – moves into Space Opera with some flair, though not without recourse to undemanding fantasy outcomes when the going gets tough for the exile princess who becomes a space pilot and stirs up trouble, hither and yon, around the galaxy. [JC]
Debra Doyle
born Florida: 30 November 1952
died Colebrook, New Hampshire: 31 October 2020
works
non-tie series under their own names
Circle of Magic
- Circle of Magic #1: School of Wizardry (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with James D Macdonald [Circle of Magic: pb/Judith Mitchell]
- Circle of Magic #2: Tournament and Tower (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with James D Macdonald [Circle of Magic: pb/Judith Mitchell]
- Secret of the Tower (Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll Communications, 2000) with James D Macdonald [vt of the above: Circle of Magic: pb/]
- Circle of Magic #3: City by the Sea (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with James D Macdonald [Circle of Magic: pb/Jordi Penalva]
- The Wizard's Statue (Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll Communications, 2000) with James D Macdonald [vt of the above: Circle of Magic: pb/Steven Dolce]
- Circle of Magic #4: The Prince's Players (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with James D Macdonald [Circle of Magic: pb/Jordi Penalva]
- Danger in the Palace (Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll Communications, 2000) with James D Macdonald [vt of the above: Circle of Magic: pb/]
- Circle of Magic #5: The Prisoners of Bell Castle (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with James D Macdonald [Circle of Magic: pb/Jordi Penalva]
- The Wizard's Castle (Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll Communications, 2001) with James D Macdonald [vt of the above: Circle of Magic: pb/Shi Chen]
- Circle of Magic #6: The High King's Daughter (New York: Troll Books, 1990) with James D Macdonald [Circle of Magic: pb/Mel Grant]
"Circle of Magic" impostures
The following two items supposedly in the above series were published as by Doyle and Macdonald without their knowledge or permission but were not written by them; they received no payment. (Information from James D Macdonald.)
- Circle of Magic #7: Mystery at Wizardry School (London: Hodder Children's Books, 2003) with James D Macdonald [Circle of Magic: pb/]
- Circle of Magic #8: Voice of the Ice (Sydney, New South Wales: Hodder Headline Australia, 2003) with James D Macdonald [Circle of Magic: pb/Steve Stone]
Mageworlds
- The Price of the Stars (New York: Tor, 1992) with James D Macdonald [Mageworlds: pb/Romas Kukalis]
- Starpilot's Grave (New York: Tor, 1993) with James D Macdonald [Mageworlds: pb/Romas Kukalis]
- By Honor Betray'd (New York: Tor, 1994) with James D Macdonald [Mageworlds: pb/Romas Kukalis]
- The Gathering Flame (New York: Tor, 1995) with James D Macdonald [Mageworlds: pb/Romas Kukalis]
- The Long Hunt (New York: Tor, 1996) with James D Macdonald [Mageworlds: pb/Romas Kukalis]
- The Stars Asunder (New York: Tor, 1999) with James D Macdonald [Mageworlds: hb/Donato Giancola]
- A Working of Stars (New York: Tor, 2002) with James D Macdonald [Mageworlds: hb/Romas Kukalis]
Bad Blood
- Bad Blood (New York: Berkley Books, 1993) with James D Macdonald [Bad Blood: pb/]
- Hunter's Moon (New York: Berkley Books, 1994) with James D Macdonald [Bad Blood: pb/]
- Judgment Night (New York: Berkley Books, 1995) with James D Macdonald [Bad Blood: pb/]
American Civil War with Magic
- Land of Mist and Snow (New York: Eos, 2006) with James D Macdonald [American Civil War with Magic: pb/Steve Jones]
- Lincoln's Sword (New York: Eos, 2010) with James D Macdonald [American Civil War with Magic: pb/Steve Jones]
individual titles under their own names
- Knight's Wyrd (New York: Harcourt Brace/Magic Carpet, 1992) with James D Macdonald [pb/Marco Ventura]
- Groogleman (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1996) with James D Macdonald [hb/Cliff Nielsen]
tied series under their own names
- Robert Silverberg's Time Tours Volume 3: Timecrime, Inc (New York: Harper Paperback, 1991) with James D Macdonald [tie: Robert Silverberg's Time Tours: pb/Kevin Johnson]
- Daniel M Pinkwater's Melvinge of the Megaverse #2: Night of the Living Rat (New York: Ace Books, 1992) with James D Macdonald [tie: Daniel M Pinkwater's Melvinge of the Megaverse: pb/Steve Fastner and Rich Larsen]
- Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict: Requiem for Boone (New York: Ebury Press, 2000) with James D Macdonald [tie to Earth: Final Conflict: Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict: pb/Cliff Nielsen]
tied series under various pseudonyms
as by Nicholas Adams
- Pep Rally (New York: Harper Paperback, 1991) with James D Macdonald, writing together as Nicholas Adams [tie: Horror High: pb/]
- Blood Brothers (New York: Lions, 1994) with James D Macdonald, writing together as Nicholas Adams [tie to the series: Nightmares: pb/]
- Vampire's Kiss (New York: Lions, 1996) with James D Macdonald, writing together as Nicholas Adams [pb/]
as by Victor Appleton
- Tom Swift #5: Monster Machine (New York: Pocket Archway, 1991) with James D Macdonald, writing together as Victor Appleton [tie to Tom Swift: Tom Swift: pb/Carla Sormanti]
- Tom Swift #6: Aquatech Warriors (New York: Pocket Archway, 1992) with James D Macdonald, writing together as Victor Appleton [tie to Tom Swift: Tom Swift: pb/Carla Sormanti]
as by Robyn Tallis
- Planet Builders #2: Night of Ghosts and Lightning (New York: Ballantine Books/Ivy, 1989) with James D Macdonald, writing together as Robyn Tallis [tie: Planet Builders: pb/Bob Eggleton]
- Planet Builders #5: Zero-Sum Games (New York: Ballantine Books/Ivy, 1989) with James D Macdonald, writing together as Robyn Tallis [tie: Planet Builders: pb/Bob Eggleton]
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