Kim Harrison's Blog, page 18
April 13, 2016
Lookie, Lookie. Kim’s got a cookie
Look what dropped on my doorstep last night! Boxes of them! Mmmm, must think up a give-away . . . But until then, this one looks good on my desk between my teapot and the notes and phrases-I’ve-not-used-yet stuck to my monitor. It will be my reference book and get all gnarly with dogeared pages and broken binding.
As promised, the novella I released last summer as an e-short is in the front of this, in print and sort of a primer to the world and characters as well as the . . . I don’t want to call it magic . . . special inherited skill, perhaps? that Peri possesses. Sideswiped felt like a pilot to me in pace and amount of info I dropped on you, and it might help you find your feet if you are just getting into the Peri Reed Chronicles. Already reading the series? Then it adds a nice little backstory that I’m going to really dig into in that third book.
Want to check Sideswiped out without investing the entire eight dollars? Sideswiped is still available as an e-book for a buck.[image error]
April 8, 2016
Lost Mr. Fish. Gained Mr. Gimpy
It’s been a weird week, and I’ve intentionally been keeping it off the blog as who really needs to know about my headaches, but I lost Mr. Fish this week. His tank is already washed and tucked away under my back room sink for the next time I have a moment of weakness in the pet shop. He was a long-running thread through the entire Hollows series, and though there were actually three Mr. Fishes on my desk while I wrote The Hollows, the passing of this one feels significant.
But even as I write this, with the threat of snow bearing down on me again, and my hardy spring bulbs wilting under the continued onslaught, there is a robin in my yard. Not just any robin, but a big, bright male, with an injured wing. He’s been in my yard now for over a month, putting up with the crap weather we’ve been having, his wing drooping to trail on the ground as he eats the worms that have been as confused about the weather as I have.
I kept waiting for him to be caught by one of the local cats, or even the hawk that comes to bother my neighbor’s chickens. (And yes, I live in the city.) But perhaps the cold weather is keeping the house cats inside and the chickens in their coop. The robin is still in my yard, his wing still lame and drooping, but he is flying now, at least enough to get to the bird bath, his night roost, and to fight off the other robins that dare to come in my yard. Today, as he sat on the edge of my birdbath, insulted that it was frozen, I decided he needed a name–because he had become important to me. So he’s Mr. Gimpy. I’m not that imaginative when it comes to names, it seems.
The picture below may or may not have him in it. I’m having a devil of a time getting a picture of him. He’s surprisingly fast for a lame robin.
February Robins
The e-sales of “Waylaid” are still going well, so thank you again to everyone who is leaving a review on Amazon and B&N. It’s amazingly gratifying to see your thoughts, and it gives me hope that the release of the mass market of The Drafter, which is like, days away now, is going to have a good showing.
I usually don’t promote my mass markets this heavy, but I did a bunch of email interviews that should be showing soon, and I’ll let you know when each of them come to my attention. If you happen to see one, let me know so I can tell everyone else. I also have some nifty wallpapers to share with you. I’ve only got the small version here, but click the image to go to the website for the higher resolution copies. I really need to get one made up for the smart phone screens . . .
Also, I’ve been in contact with Nicola’s, and for those of you who took advantage of the rare chance to get my earlier titles personalized and shipped to you, you’ll be happy to hear that I’ll be going in next week to, you know, sign them. (laugh) The two final titles in the Truth series are available this month, and I’m trying hard not to lose them in the glitter and glitz of The Drafter mass market coming out. Just click to go right to Nicola’s order page, and be sure to tell me who you want the book signed to. International is okay.
If you’ve never heard of the Truth books, these are the first four titles I broke into print with. (First Truth, Hidden Truth, Forgotten Truth, and Lost Truth.) They are traditional fantasy, but the language is comfortable and the attitude pure Kim Harrison. It’s funny, but I still miss Useless. I think he’s an earlier, nice version of Al. The both share that same broken feeling of lost power and the willingness to share it with a young woman before he leaves the earth.
Just click the image to go to Nicola’s.
April 5, 2016
Thank you for a great release day!
Thanks for a great release day, guys, and I’m hopeful “Waylaid” has a great first week. I don’t normally watch Amazon or B&N lists, but “Waylaid” is doing well, popping up in Espionage, Romance, and Mystery, which is a good place for it to be, I think. I’m hopeful that it remains strong on the list for at least the rest of this week.
A special thank-you to those of you who are leaving reviews because they help to sanctify the book itself–that it’s viable and has worth–and justifying my work seems to be one of my goals right now, even though it’s not the way I typically function. So thank you. Every review helps.
I’m hopeful that a lot of the readers from the Hollows who fell in love with Rachel and the gang will see your reviews and give Peri a try. Peri is not Rachel. She has her own set of issues, because really, how could there be another Rachel? But the core of strength and determination, and yes, a few trust issues are there, revolving around the man she loves. Sound familiar? So spread the word to your Hollows-reading friends who might have missed it.
For those of you resistant to change, I wrote this so you can check Peri out for a dollar. Yes, I know you can buy an entire book for a dollar if you go to the right place, and I fully expect “Waylaid” to be included at the back of something in a few years, but think of your job. Do you really think it’s fair when your boss of twenty years asks you to take a pay cut to match the incoming wage of the guy who just started?
I’m hopeful people read “Waylaid” and give Peri a chance now that the mass market of The Drafter is coming out in a few weeks and there will be a second price drop on the electronic version. If you go on Amazon, they have both a paperback for 11.73 and a mass market for 7.74. I believe the paperback with the original cover is UK, and the mass market with the blue cover is the U.S. version. I’m not sure why the UK version is popping up first, but this is the one you want.
B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-drafter-kim-harrison/1120840886?ean=9781501108747
For your visual consumption today, I have for you, my Bloodroot. I’ve had them in the ground for a few years, and not only are they beautiful in the spring, but they give the Mason bees something to eat when it’s still cold. Mason bees are America’s original bees, and pound for pound, they pollinate better and are not aggressive. It took me five years to encourage them to move into my garden beside my back door, five years of planting food sources, eliminating pesticides/fertilizers, and bringing in the tubes they like to live in in sort of a communal subdivision of individual bees. I look for them every year, and I’m delighted to be able to share them with you again.
April 4, 2016
Waylaid released today
Happy Book Birthday to both Rachel and Peri! E-books come out on Monday, and the Hollows/Drafter mash up has gone live this morning. Don’t have a nook or kindle? No problem. Both retailers have free software that lets you read it on your computer. I can’t imagine that this won’t be included at the back of something someday, but don’t count on it being anytime soon.
For the price of a coffee, a glimpse of what might happen if the two worlds collided: A little bit of Peri, a little bit of Rachel, a little bit of Jenks, and a tiny slip of Al, because somehow, he’s become the narrator of this drama, refusing to let anything happen without him being involved. But that’s kind of what demons do . . .
Buy buttons below:
March 30, 2016
Last Chance For Truth Books
The end of March is tomorrow, which marks the end of your month-long chance to get two of my earliest titles, First Truth and Hidden Truth, autographed and personalized to you. I’ll be going in to Nicola’s next week to sign these bad boys, and then Nicola’s can drop them in the post for you. International is fine, and it’s likely the last time I’ll be offering to personalize these for a long, long time. It won’t be too late to order them until Monday.
I’ll have the other two titles available next month, and so on until all my back list has been run through. Hidden Truth and Lost Truth will be available next, which rounds out Alyssa’s, Lodesh’s, and Strell’s story.
Click book to go right to Nicola’s. To order a personalized copy, please make a note as to who you want it personalized to in the note section when you order. Any questions, just email orders@nicolasbooks.com International is okay. I noticed that their page said the titles might not be available, but I have checked, and they say they can get them.
If you order both books at once, I’ll slip in a signed cover flat for The Drafter mass market as a thank you.
Don’t let the pure fantasy covers put you off if you’re a diehard urban fantasy reader. I won’t kid you and try to tell you they aren’t fantasy, they are, but there’s no purple prose here, the language and attitudes comfortable. My love for dragons shows here, and my propensity for small, powerful defenders that sit on your shoulder and keep you safe. Clearly, dragons haunt me still a decade later.
These were not only the first books I got published, but the very first book(s) I had ever written, and if you want to watch an author learn her craft, this is a great place to see it. (laugh) But the characters still ring true to me after all these years. The books were marketed for the adult market, but I am totally comfortable with recommending them to younger readers. They are also a great vehicle to open up a safe discussion about prejudice if you care to read these at the same time as your kids. Curiously enough, one of the protagonists and the villain share a similar flaw, one overcomes, one doesn’t.
Don’t forget, Waylaid will be out next week! For the price of a coffee, a glimpse of what might happen if the two worlds of the Hollows and Peri collided. It’s got Rachel. It’s got Jenks. And it’s got Peri. Oh, and a cat. It’s got a cat, which no one is going to notice, but he’s there because felines are magical and they ignore rules. No one ever notices the cat.
March 18, 2016
Peri Reed Chronicles book two cover release
It won’t be out until November 22, but the cover is finalized and available for sharing, so spread the word. I absolutely love the colors in this one, and it shares that same hot/cold look that “Waylaid” has.
It’s been a very busy week on the blog with the cover release, pushing out everything else that’s been going on in my office such as orchids blooming and grass baskets growing tall. If you missed anything, I’ve got a recap. Just click to go:
“Waylaid” will be out in a matter of weeks, the Hollows/Peri mash up for less than a dollar. (retitled LEYLINED in the UK) It’s got Rachel. It’s got Jenks. It’s got Peri, and just a whisper of Al, because he’s somehow become the Morgan Freeman of the Hollows. Click for more info and outlets.
I can’t call them tour T’s, but the shirts are up and available, featuring the “I’m Broken, Don’t Fix Me theme of many of my characters, where our greatest strengths lie in being less than perfect. Prices and sizes at the end of the link.
The back cover of THE OPERATOR so you know what it’s about.
Links to get your personalized Truth books, the first thing I wrote, and suitable to read with your kids to open up the dinner conversation and talk about real-world prejudice without them even realizing it. Finding strength in our faults. It’s in here.
March 17, 2016
Almost there . . .
Just one more piece to be revealed. I’ll have THE OPERATOR cover for you in all its glory.
As I mentioned to a reader on FB yesterday, this book is only coming out as a mass market and e book, which means the only way you can get a signed/personalized copy will be through Nicolas. They don’t have their order page up yet, but it’s over six months out, so I think we have time.
For those of you who haven’t heard of me talk about Nicolas before, they are my local store who I’ve been working with the last six years or so have an outlet for people who can’t come to a signing. They are absolutely wonderful, and they will even ship overseas.
Right now, they are handling the I’m Broken, Don’t Fix Me signing campaign that is currently going on. For the rest of the month, you have the rare chance to get FIRST TRUTH and HIDDEN TRUTH personalized and shipped to you. I’ll be featuring two other of my backlist titles next month, and so on until we get to THE OPERATOR in November. The books have always been available, but Nicholas is letting me personalize them for a short time, and once this is over, I likely won’t be able to do it again.
Don’t let the pure fantasy covers put you off if you’re a diehard urban fantasy reader. I won’t kid you and try to tell you they aren’t fantasy, they are, but there’s no purple prose here, and the language and attitudes are comfortable. My love for dragons shows, as well as my propensity for small, powerful defenders that sit on your shoulder. Clearly, dragons haunt me still a decade later.
These were not only the first books I got published, but the very first book(s) I had ever written, and if you want to watch an author learn her craft, this is a great place to see it. But the characters still ring true to me after all these years. The books targeted the adult market, but I am totally comfortable with recommending them to younger readers. They are also a great vehicle to open up a safe discussion about prejudice if you care to read these at the same time as your kids. Curiously enough, one of the protagonists and the villain share a similar flaw. One overcomes, one doesn’t.
Click the book to go right to Nicola’s. To order a personalized copy, please make a note as to who you want it personalized to in the note section when you order. Any questions, just email orders@nicolasbooks.com International is okay. I noticed that their page said the titles might not be available, but I have checked, and they say they can get them. I’ll go in to sign at the end of the month, and ta-da! Personalized Truth books.
If you order both books at once, I’ll slip in a signed cover flat for The Drafter mass market as a thank you.
March 16, 2016
The Operator: back copy
Day three, and I have the back cover blurbage about what the book is about for you. The cover itself is starting to give a hint at how beautiful it is. Two more pieces to go.
I wrote the back cover blurbage myself, so I’m all pins and needles and upset stomach that I, ya know, did it justice. It’s bandied about in the industry with rolling eyes and sighs of exasperation that the worst person to try to design the cover and write the back copy is the author, (We always try to make the model look like the hero and talk about what the book is about, not what will actually sell it.) but perhaps with the acceptance of self-publishing, that isn’t a thing anymore. I’ve always had a voice in my covers, but writing the back blurbage is new to me.
In any case, here it is: I think I’m in love with the last line, so maybe there’s something to this “doing it myself” thing.
Peri Reed’s job eats her mind,
but for a special task agent in hiding, forgetting the past can be a blessing.
Betrayed by the man she thought she loved and the agency who turned her into the very thing she fought against, Peri abandoned the wealth and privilege of Opti for anonymity riddled with memory gaps and self-doubt. But when a highly addictive drug promises to end her dependency on those who’d use her as a tool for their own success, she must choose to remain broken and vulnerable, or return to the above-the-law power and prestige she once left: strong but without will—for whoever holds her next fix, will hold her loyalty.
Yet even now as then, a love based on lies of omission might still save her life.
click to preorder
Click to preorder
March 15, 2016
Cover Reveal part two
Day two in the reveal, and we’re starting to see some detail, those hot and cold colors I like so well starting to pop! We’ve got a bright light and a subway staircase, and a little graffiti, but it’s the broken disjointness that really tells you what you’ll find inside. I’m working on the copy edit right now, so we’re right on track for the November 22 release.
I also have a picture of the T’s that go along with this book, not so much a tour T as I won’t be going out for this one, but more of a statement of feeling of Peri’s world, her strength in who she is with all her imperfections. Broken can be beautiful. Broken is where our strength is, our individuality shows, and our courage is born. So don’t fix the broken, celebrate it.
You can get your own shirt at Bedoshirts
March 14, 2016
The Operator cover reveal, part one
One thin slice. That’s all you get today of THE OPERATOR, book two in the Peri Reed Chronicles. ;-) If it takes me a year to write, edit, proof, and market, then by golly, I’m going to let the cover go nice and slow. I’ll have a second piece for you tomorrow, and so on until we get the final, wonderful piece on Friday.
THE OPERATOR is scheduled for late November of this year, and I’m sad to say I won’t be touring for it. Much as I’m going to miss my yearly jaunt out to see you guys, I am a little relieved to be spared the ordeal of trying to putter across the U.S., hitting city after city on time as I battle the current chaos of air flight. Tim and I will be offering T’s, though, and signed books through Nichola’s. More on that later in the week. I’ve seen the T’s, and they are . . . different. Not book oriented as much as homage to an idea that has been dogging my characters for the last handful of books. (Two of which you guys haven’t even seen yet, but you will someday. Maybe. I’m not sure they will be well received, so I’m holding on to them for a while.)
Anyone who has been following me for a while knows how much I love my covers. THE OPERATOR shares the hot/cold imbalance that “Waylaid” possesses. I wouldn’t mind it becoming my cover theme for a while, sort of like powerful women in skimpy attire with cocky attitudes was with the Hollows there at the end. If you haven’t heard me talk about it yet, “Waylaid” is the Rachel-meets-Peri mash up novella that is coming out April 4th. (Amazon / B&N)
I’ll have the back flap description for THE OPERATOR tomorrow . . . Along with an image of the shirts, if all goes well.
