Kim Harrison's Blog, page 88

It’s fair week!

Yep,  it’s fair week!  And I’m already tasting that cotton candy and smelling the fumes from the tractor pull. I ran out of time this weekend and so didn’t get a craftwork entry into the fair, but I’ll still be going through the barns looking at everyone else’s.  I’ll probably end up with another goldfish for the pond because I can’t resist trying for them.  Should be fun!

But first, the work . . .  I’m trying to get this latest rewrite done before the end of August so as to clear my schedule for a few months before tour starts January 22.  It’s possible, but I’m going to have to concentrate.

Happy Friday!

I’ve got a lot on my plate today, so short post today.  Have a great weekend!

A Perfect Blood

I know a lot of you are waiting for the release of EVER AFTER, the next full-length Hollows addition, (1/22/13)  but I looked at the calendar today, and made a little squeal.  Those of you who are waiting for the mass market of A PERFECT BLOOD don’t have long to wait now.  It’s up on the boards  for preorder, with a scheduled release date of September 25.  Whoo-hoo!  Talk about a nice little break for when you’re getting back to normal, either in school, or kids back in school, or whatever.  :-)  More

Barnes and Noble

Books A Million

Amazon

Booksense To find an independent store in your area.

Like most of the mass markets, this one has a little something extra.  I wanted to do something different this time, so instead of a new short, I rewrote one of the chapters from Trent’s point of view.  OMGosh, the stuff I found out while doing so.  Holy cow!  We get to see Rachel through him, and Al.  Finally get into that little elf brain of his.

I’m also wondering if the mass market might have a chapter of EVER AFTER. . .  I seriously don’t know.  September 25  is really early for one of my mass market releases, but EVER AFTER is coming out an entire month early as well.

Gardening

So some of you might remember that I have a garden this year.  Planted some summer squash, peppers, and . . . zucchini.  Thank goodness it started to cool off, because I was making cake out of the stupid things just to get rid of them.  It was pretty good cake, but something in me just kind of went, ew.  We are now down to one zucchini sitting by the sink, and though I’ve not been in the garden for a few days, I don’t think there’s many left. I’ve not seen any flowers recently.  Next year, I’m back to pumpkins.

Cha-cha-cha-changes

Yesterday I turned on the floor heater and rearranged my office space to make room for the incoming, summering plants.  Now one of my dogs is reluctant to come into the room, being oh so sensitive to change.  But with a little coaxing this morning, she managed it.  It’s not all that different, but I moved the barrister bookcase (old glassed cabinet) to a different wall, covering up my view of the compost pile and giving me one of my deck.  The view of my cedars is better as well, but I did have to go outside and shift my bird feeders a smidge since I shoved my desk over and back.  I can’t believe the stuff I’ve collected in less than a year, but it all found new homes, and it feels bigger.  Maybe my dog is right.

 

Feels like fall

It feels like fall, but we’ve got an entire month left of summer here.  I’m looking forward to the fair in a couple of weeks.  I’m thinking about entering my crocheted apples, just for fun.  Too bad they don’t have a Mr. Fish category.

About the mugs . . .  I suppose I should have made it clear Friday that the picture went with the post the day before.  My bad.  I’m sorry.  I forget that not everyone comes to the site to get Kim’s drama, but uses email.  There are one or two available if you’re interested.  I’ve not said anything on FB about them because they are not a Manic Monday, and each mug needs special attention to detail.  They’re a bit more expensive than a Manic Monday, too.  Ordering info is at the drama box, Thursday, but basically they cost 39.99, and you have to email Guy at vampcharms@comporium.net.  US only, please.

I’m working on copy-edit again this week, but I’m looking into next and planning out what I want to do.  I’m staring down book 13 again.  Last year, I chickened out and wrote an entirely new book with new characters and such.  This year, I have to do it.  I like writing “The End” but it takes an extra drive to do it.

Okay, now it’s Friday.

Phew!  Made it to another one!  I’m glad it’s cloudy and damp, because I’d be hard pressed to put in my 8 hours today.  Ahhhh, not really.  I’ve been enjoying, yes, enjoying this latest copy edit.  The story is good, and I’ve been fine tuning it to dovetail into the next.

I’ve been puttsing around in my art program, too, and almost have a new banner for you.  Just need a few more things . . .

Mugs:  You want a picture.  Fair enough.  Hear’s a sample, but this might not be the mug you get.  Guy has a variety, and the Pale Demon  mug is not available, but it’s very much first come, first served.

Feels like Friday, but it’s not.

Must be Thursday . . .  And wonders of wonders, it’s raining.  It might even get through the trees if it keeps up for another hour more.

Guy is still working his way through a storage closet, and much to his horror, he found a box of 16 oz mocha mugs.  Some of them are signed and numbered, some are just signed, but they area all the big, glossy mugs that we used to have every book release.  I don’t know why he still has them.  I think a few were no-pays, and some we set aside for a promotion that never happened, but if you’re interested, have a US shipping address, and $39.99, give Guy an email at vampcharms@comporium.net.  This isn’t a Manic Monday, more of an early Casual Friday. He’s getting serious, so until he has money in hand, the mug is not yours.

Loving this weather

I never thought I’d say it this year, but I’m loving this weather we’re having.  Mid 60s at night, and peaking at 90 for an hour or two in the day.  Still no rain, but I’m hopeful that we might get something out of the two lows chugging toward Michigan.  The sun’s angle has shifted to hit the back of my office, a promise of cooler temps to come, and my plants summering outside are starting to come in again, one by one.

These are three of my favorites that I acquired this spring, trying one last time to keep little trees in little pots alive.  I thought I was going to lose the elm, but the begonia took right off.  I still might see the elm drop his leaves this fall, but I think he’ll make it, regardless.  Way in the back is a bay leaf.  I had one of these about 20 years ago and it died from the cold.  This particular one almost kicked the bucket for the same reason when it got chilled in shipment, but the last two leaves hug on, and now I’ve got a new batch of growth.  Yay!  I’m watching all three like a hawk right now because the temps are dipping into the 50s at night, so nightly relocations into my office are required.

My office is filling with light again, and it feels good.

New banner up at website

I putts around yesterday in my art program, splicing together a new banner for the website with elements from the cover of EA.  This isn’t the cover!  Just chunks of it.  I’ve a small picture here, but you can see the big version at the website.  www.kimharrison.net  I’m really liking the gold, black, shade of salmon that the new cover has going, especially the gold.  :-)  Since I was messing around, I built a few new pages and updated the front page for INTO THE WOODS release coming up this October.  Cleaned things up and got ready for the start of a new round of promotion.

I’ve got a new banner started for here as well, but I’m not happy with it, and will probably putts more this weekend.  Add a few more elements.   Today I start on copy edit, and with that, my last attempt to find a freebie lurking among the text.  I’ve got a few ideas, but cost and mailability is a factor.  I may be curtailing my usual send me a SASE campaign this year for freebies only available at signings.  We’ll see.