Kim Harrison's Blog, page 70

Birds win

See, this is why the birds win out over pie in my yard. I watched this little guy hop around outside my office yesterday for about an hour. It’s a baby robin, (bottom right corner) and you can see the mom in the upper left. I have yet to see the baby jays, but I know they are around because an adult has been quietly taking peanuts and cherries. He’d be loud about it if babies weren’t involved, and Guy saw them perched in a row yesterday. I know a lot of people don’t like jays, but they are cheeky and smart, making them among my favorites. Even as I’m writing this, he is back in my yard, calling to bring the sound of fall to me on the longest day of the year. (well, actually, it’s tomorrow . . .)

I had two little cups of cherries for lunch yesterday. They came from California since Michigan cherries have yet to hit the store. And that’s just fine with me.

Cherry Tree Trouble

Two days ago I noticed the birds were enjoying my cherry tree a little more than usual, flying off with my cherries before they were really ripe enough for me to enjoy, so I netted it. And then watched the birds kind of . . . disapear.

So I asked the question at my FB page if I should keep it netted and have pie, or un-net it and have birds. I do believe pie won by a rather large margin, but I can buy a pie, (and cherry is my favorite) but I can’t buy birds, soI took the net off and I’m waiting for them to come back. I figure it will be today sometime. They weren’t very happy to find the net there.

The Undead Pool:Synopsis!

Lookie, lookie! The release of THE UNDEAD POOL is months away, but things are starting to happen. No cover yet, but we have a cover synopsis! I don’t think you have to be a member of Goodreads to read the book’s blurb, but you do to register your vote that you want to read it. (It’s not a contest, but it is a vote.)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17285883-the-undead-pool

Thank you, Diva, for finding this.

Oh, and if you_do_ have to be a member to read it, someone tell me so I can copy and paste here, otherwise, go to Goodreads to check it out. Goodreads is one of those reader-based sites I like to support when I can.

Also, if you’re really, really excited, I found this on Amazon last night. No cover synopsis, but it’s progress. THE UNDEAD POOL

Evolving Pond

I finally have a few pictures of the pond I put in last month. It’s is still evolving, but it’s got enough plants and critters now to be pleasant to look at. I found a top-notch nursery/water plant/fish place on Baker Rd. They are brand new, and have downtown Ann Arbor pricing at a country lot , (which hurts. Ow) but both the fish and plants were unique and vigorous, which you don’t always get at the big-box stores. The tiny Japanese Maple actually came from another part of the yard that I thought was getting enough sun, but clearly wasn’t. It should do better here. Raccoons have visited, prompting a false bottom of heavy pavers, (Thank you, Guy!) which gives the fish a happy place to go at night. This is the fourth pond I’ve put in, and I think it’s my favorite.

And I’ve got my pond outside my office window again. I’ve already had a robin bathing in it, which grounds me in a way nothing else can.

Want to get your hands on some exclusive content this summer?

Whatcha doing this summer? Want access to exclusive content to some of Harper’s biggest authors? They’re having a contest to “reinvent” the book, and they’re offering prize money for your working ideas that mix Harper’s content and your tech savvy. Follow the link for more info, but the short of it is they will look at your working ideas. It’s a chance to do something creative with well-known authors content and show off your skills, and trust me, that doesn’t come around very often. Good luck!

PS. I managed to go three days before I caved and broke my internet vacation. I get better odds finding the center of a tootsie pop.

http://booksmash.challengepost.com/

Vacation:

Taking a vacation from the internet to recharge. Back when I can’t stand it any longer.

Summertime busy

Working steady on the rewrite now that I’ve gone through it once to take out the found typos and answer the small stuff. It’s the global changes that I enjoy most about the rewrite process, and I’ve got a lot of them in this manuscript, taking out a character, putting one in I hadn’t intended, changing the villain focus from a force of nature to something more concrete and easy. So far it’s working. Chapter one was a bear, but it should go faster for a few chapters while things set up. I cut out a whopping four pages from chapter two, but the shocker was the new last sentence of it, something I didn’t expect at ALL! Which is why I love rewrites–the surprises that come from a handful of new ideas and concepts that sort of burst into culmination as you write it, and then you look at it and say “Damn! I either did something really good, or really bad right here.”

Too bad I won’t know for almost a year, eh? -laugh-

But I think you’ll like it.

As for “therapy,” I’ve got a new knitting book I’m working through to use some of the new yarn I fell in love with. The Giraffe is actually my own pattern, a huge modification of the horse pattern I’d worked with last month that is using up some local homespun/dyed yarn I picked up last year at the farmer’s market. But the Jellyfish I followed to the letter. Ah, except for the last bit. The yarn is wrapped, meaning there is a cord core wrapped by

colorful, stretchy thread. I thought it would be fun to unwrap a yard or two and use the core for the inner tentacles and the stretchy bits for the outer. It’s kind of hard to see in the small picture, but I think you can click it for a bigger one. Looks like that imperial probe on Hoth if you ask me. Kim on Ravelry

I’m going to do a octopus next.

And the next Hollows book will be called . . .

Ya know, I actually watched a Dirty Harry movie last night while working on adapting my horse pattern to a giraffe. (More on that later.) It seemed apropos after getting the title for book twelve, and yes, we’re calling it THE UNDEAD POOL.

Woot!

Not that bad!

Got a lot done this weekend in the yard, mostly revolving around putting in a pond, which was nice. I brought it with me from my previous house, and it had been up in the garage rafters all this time. Birds are already using it, so I’m thrilled. My original, much smaller pond I put in when we moved is getting lots of activity, but I can’t see it from my desk, hence the new one.

So you can imagine I’m ready to sit at my desk for a while and not move anything but my fingers. Phew, I play too hard. I really do.

I hope everyone who wanted took advantage of the DEAD WITCH WALKING Amazon daily deal this Sunday. It was fun coming in from the yard periodically and watching my numbers shift. Thanks guys, for helping spread the word! You really are the best.

You like a good deal? I’ve got one!

Early heads up! DEAD WITCH WALKING will be Amazon’s daily deal this Sunday, which means it will be 1.99 for a very short time. I know if you’re like me, you’re going to be out in the sun, (Yay sun!) but you have to come in sometime and check your email! If you’re wanting to start your e-collection, or add to it, or even better, gift it to someone you know might like it, this is a very good way to do it for less than a cup of dessert coffee. (Grande, extra hot, whole milk, no foam, with a shot of raspberry in it. )

I’m sorry but I don’t know if this offer ends at the U.S. border or not. Also, I noticed on the page this morning that Amazon is offering free kindle reading apps to read on your computer or mobile device, which is very cool.

And again, this is Sunday only. The price will not reflect the sale price until then.

http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Witch-Walking-ebook