A Perfect Blood is a Finalist at Goodreads choice awards

Thanks to you, the readers, A Perfect Blood has made it through the first two preliminary rounds and is a finalist in the paranormal fantasy category of Goodreads annual reader choice awards!  Thank you, everyone who has been active in voting for their favorites in all twenty categories over the past couple of weeks. This is your last chance to pick your favorite and vote one last time before the winners are announced November 27th. The link takes you to the front page with all the categories. A Perfect Blood is in the paranormal fantasy genre, but do check out all the rest.

Also, I’m headed into Nicola’s tomorrow to sign the orders that have come in. If you’re looking for a signed book for gift giving this year, now would be a good time to do it. Nicola’s page at Kim’s website

They will ship international, and they ask that you email them at nicolasbooks@tds.net for a shipping quote before ordering.

A Perfect Blood a semifinalist in Goodreads reader choice awards

We have moved to the semi finalist round in Goodreads reader choice awards, and now is your chance to vote for all your favorites in twenty categories. You’ll find A Perfect Blood in the paranormal fantasy section, but do check out the others. Goodread Reader Choice Awards This particular voting period runs from November 12th to the 18th, and from it, five from each category will move on to the next round.

Yesterday was a tough slog at the keyboard, but I’m looking forward to a better day at the desk today. I’m just about at the halfway point for the rough draft, and it’s starting to become tangled. Someone made a big mistake, and Rachel is ready to walk away and let them deal with it themselves.

 

A Perfect Blood is a Goodreads nominee

I’m pleased to announce the Goodreads Choice Awards are going on right now, and A Perfect Blood is a nominee! Opening round is from now to November 11th, Semifinal is the 12th to the 18th, and the final round is the 19th to the 27th, so it give you three times to vote for your favorite, not just in paranormal fantasy, but in twenty categories. I do believe you must have a “bookshelf” in Goodreads to vote, but I really am not sure.

If you’re not familiar with Goodreads, it functions a lot like Amazon in that you can leave reviews, but what I like about it is that it is more like a community, where you can display  on your “bookshelf” the books you’ve read, the ones you’re reading, and even the ones you want to read. There is a logarithm running out of sight that does pretty well with suggesting books you might like by what you’ve read and how you’ve rated them!  You can hook it up to your FB, or not. Your choice. I’ve linked to mine, but the button to keep your reading private is in your face and easy to use if you want it that way.  I had a fun day or so poking around in it trying to become familiar with my author page, and I do believe I will be giving away one of my early advanced reader copies of EVER AFTER through a Goodreads give away just to get a feel for how they work.

But for now, there’s just the contest. -grin- If you are a member, you can find A Perfect Blood in the Paranormal Fantasy section. Happy Voting! (If you’re a member, link will take you to the main category page of voting. If you’re not, it might take you to a sign-up page. Someone let me know for sure, yes?)  Link to vote

 

 

Happy Halloween!

I do believe that Halloween ranks up there with my favorite holidays. Six tubs of stuff come up out of the basement to decorate my home, and when they go back down empty, it feels like I have room for at least another tub or two. This year I didn’t decorate much outside, and now I’m kind of glad because it is shaping up to be one of Michigan’s cold, windy Halloweens where you have your snowsuit on over your Power Ranger costume. One year we went through 16 bags of candy, though admittedly it was a weekend evening, not this miserable mid-week, coldness. This year, I expect fewer kids, though quite honestly, I don’t think the kids care how cold it is. I never did.

But traditions must be followed despite adversity, new ones created sometimes because of them, and I’m wearing my brand-new pumpkin socks today. The spooky pumpkin cookies are baked, and there is a dish of candy corn out. Tonight we’re having stew, and my mom is bringing over doughnut dough to fry up after Tricks-or-Treats is done. I do believe she has just started a new tradition. I hope so.

A-a-a-a-and some good news for those of you who enjoy a little visual presentation with your literature, Blood Crime finally hit the shelves yesterday! Ta-da! I’m so pleased with it. If you’re not familiar with the first graphic novel Blood Work, these two stories showcase Rachel interning under Ivy at the I.S. before Dead Witch Walking takes place. They are from Ivy’s point of view, and we get to see a little more into the vampire mythology/trap, not to mention her fall in love. If you’re still mourning Kisten, he is in there, though I’ll be honest in that he never looked the way I saw him in my mind’s eye. Blood Crime should be available just about anywhere they consistently shelve my books, but here’s a link to my website for more info and a few places that will have it if you are having trouble. BLOOD CRIME

I’m also pleased to tell you that Blood Work, the older sibling, just now made it to the e-world, meaning you can read it on your Nook. I believe the rest of the platforms will follow soon. (link to e-Blood Work)

Tomorrow, I’ve got news about Perfect Blood making the list for Goodreads choice awards for best paranormal fantasy for 2012. Contest is running now, and I’ll give you all the particulars tomorrow, but if you know what I’m talking about already, you can find Perfect Blood in the paranormal fantasy category.

Manic Monday, lightening round

Manic Monday is over. I am so totally overwhelmed right now. The hardcovers went unexpectedly fast, and I’m shocked and embarrassed that I misjudged this so badly. We didn’t get anywhere near the hour window. Guy feels as bad as I do, so we’re going to keep it going a short time longer with the understanding that the A PERFECT BLOOD are gone. We have hard covers for Pale Demon and Black Magic Sanction and White Witch, Black Curse that we were going to offer later, but if you will take one of these instead, we will ship them to you at the same price as A PERFECT BLOOD. Please give Guy a day or two to reorganize and contact you to see if you would like your pay-pal refunded or the other title offer.

Again, I am embarrassed that we misjudged this so badly, which is why I’m trying to make it better. 
Manic Monday ends at 12:30 EST

Update 10/25 : Manic Monday-ers. Guy has contacted everyone who had a choice of an alternate book or funds refunded and is waiting to hear back from you by Friday noon, EST. If you sent him funds and haven’t got an email from Guy, then your book is already on the way to you. Thank you again for your understanding. It was shocking how fast they went.

Want a signed Harrison book? In celebration of the mass market of A Perfect Blood hitting the NY Times list, I’m giving away signed copies of the hardcover for postage and handling.

We’ve got about 70 of these, so between noon and 1:00 EST today, paypal Guy your address and the appropriate shipping and handling to coldtoastwritingsllc@comcast.net and if you are among the first 70, we will send you a signed hardcover of A Perfect Blood. We think this will take about an hour, but if they are all claimed before the one-hour window, I will repost here and at FB and of course refund any paypal monies that slipped in the meantime.

Again, wait until noon, EST, or your money will be refunded. Put Manic Monday in the subject line so he doesn’t get them confused with the Tour T’s being offered right now as well.

USA will be $4.10
Canada is $10.70 and will take a few weeks extra shipping time.
International is $19.95, and it might take up to six weeks.
Everything should be in the post by Friday. Seventy pieces of mail take some time to address.

Make sure you put your current address in at the notes to seller space.  **** No address in the notes to seller space, and your money will be refunded.****

As for me, I had a great weekend with decorating and moving leaves around, but I ate way too much sugar. I think it’s the shifting seasons that pull me into bad eating habits. It’s either that, or I’m in the kitchen a lot more. But regardless, it started Friday night with me making shortbread for dinner, then doughnuts and a carmel apple for breakfast on Saturday, and ending on Sunday with making (and eating) maple sugar candy for dinner. (recipe in The Hollows Insider)  I tried pouring the candy into pumpkin molds this time, and it worked out fantastic. After fifteen years of making this recipe, I finally think I might have this down. Dude, this is really good stuff, but if the only thing it has in it is maple syrup, whipping cream, and butter, you know it’s not good for you.

I think I’ll be eating cereal and yogurt today.

Back at home, and back on the lists!

Believe it or not, I have just got back from New York late yesterday after taking the opportunity to fly to SC instead of MI to truck a van of stuff from storage back North.  Guy and I had a smidgen of a color tour, first from the air which isn’t as pretty as you might think unless you’re looking at the shades of turned earth (which were beautiful), and then a slow two-day slog back over the same territory in a rental truck. Oddly enough, on the way back there’s a spot of color in the smokey mountains and then a strip of blandness where the leaves are past their peak, and then another spot of color right around lower MI. I didn’t miss my one-year-old little trees turning, which I was afraid I might. They were green when I left, but I know little trees turn fast. As expected, they are fading fast, but I did see the orange and can imagine their glory in fifteen years or so. It’s going to be breathtaking, especially if the hundred-year-old yellow trees around them hang on a little longer. We’ve had an arborist out to help us with them and he says they’re healthy, but nothing lives forever unless you’re one of those dawn redwoods.  :-)

So today I’m back in my beloved office and looking at a week’s downtime in the past, more than ready to get lost in the Hollows for a few weeks–the music is on, the rain is a soft hush, and the leaves have made the world yellow up, down, and in between in a slow steady drift.  Ahhhhh, simple needs are anything but simple, even if they make for happy people, and I’m happy today with a slow excitement for what is going to land on the page.

But I said I was back on the lists, and that makes me happy too and it is one of the most complicated things in my life.  My editor called with the news yesterday that  Into the Woods will be debuting on the NYTimes hardcover fiction list at thirteen, tied with book twelve, which I think a delightful number this time of year and with this kind of book. Anthologies are devilishly hard to predict, and to have readers excited enough and a publisher willing to help promote it has given it a very nice birthday number. Thank you, guys–you’re the best. I worked to give you something to become excited about, and you made the effort to get out and pick it up on that first week or two.

A Perfect Blood, is again on the lists, too.  It’s been out three weeks and debuted at fourteen, has left the list and come back this week at thirty on the mass market. Again, thanks to the readers and a proactive publisher. I think that SafeCo (?) has it available for a ridiculously low price, and I saw it in Walmart for only pennies more, which makes me happy. Some of you have waited so long. If you’re only now reading it, I hope you find it worth the wait. It’s only going to get better from here on  out.  :-)

Perfect Blood to old school Santa Claus, yes, these things go together–today.

It’s a grab-bag of mish-mash today! First, I finished up signing INTO THE WOODS last night, and wow, I have to thank you guys for your response. I’d say my hand is tired, but you know the voice is the first thing to go. -grin-  I left some signed stock, so if you are desperate and can’t get out to Comic Con NY (where I’ll also be signing) you can order one from here. Order signed INTO THE WOODS

Second, but actually this should be first, on the way to Nicola’s, my editor called, and you guys pushed A PERFECT BLOOD up into the New York Times list!  It hit at a very respectable 14 on the mass market. Not bad for a book that has been out for almost a year and hit #2 on the hard cover list.  Smiles, smiles, smiles. Thank you!  It feels pretty good sitting at my desk this morning. Also, Guy was out yesterday and spotted it at the “must read”end cap at a get-all store. I know one chain, especially, is going to have A PERFECT BLOOD at a steep discount, so keep your eyes peeled, and if you spot it, let me know.

Third, I’ve added a booth signing on Friday morning at Comic Con, hopefully before it gets too much the mad house. I’ll be at the Del Rey booth signing very early releases of BLOOD CRIME, the second graphic novel.  This bad boy isn’t supposed to be out until Halloween, but you can get it at Comic Con.  If you miss the signing, you can buy it even when I’m not there, and bring it to another Comic Con signing, of which I’ve got several. My updated Comic Con NY schedule

Fourth, tomorrow I’ll be posting a conversation between me and Faith Hunter about the importance of having friends in the industry, giving you the down and dirty on how we met and what we’re up to now. This is the woman who mentored me and literally shoved me in front of the man who later became my agent. She’s a pushy broad, and everyone who knows her loves her for it, because she pushes you into what she knows you’re capable of. So tomorrow, you’re going to be witness to two ladies gushing all over each other. (grin) You have been warned.

Faith is coming on to my pages here to celebrate her release of DEATH’S RIVAL, number five in her Jane Yellowrock series.  I’m going to give you a link to Amazon only because it’s easy, but you can find it everywhere this week.  Death’s Rival on Amazon And tomorrow, the gushing begins . . .

And lastly, i09 has published a SF/Fantasy don’t miss in October list, and one of my faves is on it.  Go Bram!  I had the chance to read KRAMPUS before it came out, and loved the old school Christmas crashing into even older pagan ritual. And yes, it’s got illustrations.  :-) Jump on over to i09 for the complete list.  io9 Bookshelf injection-October Bram is also going to be at Comic Con, so check the schedule. We have a joint booth signing on Saturday at Harper. Jocelynn Drake is going to be there too, along with Richard Kadery.  It’s going to be a happy madhouse. I can’t wait.

Last day to make your “vote” count for the mass market of A Perfect Blood

Raise your hand if you’re tired of political calls on your phone and political ads on TV that use fear instead of understanding to sway.  I spent the entire weekend away from phone, TV, radio, and internet.  Okay, I’ll admit there was some casual spot checking of the internet for email and posts that needed to be unmoderated, and I watched Gladiator last night as I sat on the couch and recouped from some yard work and kayaking on the lake, but for the most part, I was unplugged and loving it. The weather cooperated, and the trees are beginning to edged into color.

But it’s Monday, which means it’s the last day to get the mass market of A Perfect Blood and have that purchase added into the first week’s numbers.  I never know what to expect with the mass market release.  The hardcover has been out for almost a year, and the e-book has been out just as long, but for a lot of people, it’s the mass market that’s what they wait for. I know I used to. As a young girl with little allowance, who was weighing one hardcover against two paperbacks . . . let’s just say the paperbacks always won.  And if you’re looking for a deal, check the shelves of your local discount store. A Perfect Blood is supposed to be showing up on a few new shelves with a nice price. And don’t forget that the mass market has that chapter rewritten from Trent’s point of view. I’ve been hearing from a few readers who absolutely love it. -grin-

Kim Harrison’s A Perfect Blood mass market

Tomorrow is drop-date Tuesday, when all good little books strap on their boots and go forth into the wilds, hoping to find a home.  And I get to be a part of it this week with the mass market of A Perfect Blood! Harper has continued their tradition of putting the first chapter of the next Hollows release at the end of the mass market, in this case, chapter one of Ever After.  There’s also a little bonus chapter with one of the scenes from A Perfect Blood rewritten from Trent’s point of view.  If you’ve already got the hard cover or e-book, please don’t think you have been slighted or asked to buy the same material again for a look at something new.  (Come on.  You know me better than that.)  You can stand in the bookstore and read the bonus chapter, or you can wait until Harper enables the browse inside feature for the mass market of A Perfect Blood.  It’s traditionally available there as well.

But today, to celebrate, I’m bringing back the absolutely gorgeous wallpaper that Harper made up for you guys last spring.  If you missed it, here’s your second chance to score a beautiful, high def image from the cover.  I’m going to drop it right here for you, but it’s probably going to show up as a thumbnail, so just click it to go to the bigger version, and from there you can copy it to your device for your personal use.

Perfect Blood mass market on the shelf next week

If you have been waiting and avoiding spoilers, the wait is almost over!  The mass market of PERFECT BLOOD will be on the shelf next Tuesday, September 25.  This is the version that will have one of the chapters rewritten from Trent’s point of view, giving us another look at not only Rachel, but Al as well.  I had no idea the things that were going on in Trent’s mind until I rewrote this.

The mass market also has the first chapter of EVER AFTER.

Can’t wait any longer?  Have someone you’re trying to convert to the Hollows?  I’ve got the first four chapters available on line at Harper.  Also lists of where to buy it on line, an audio sample for you audio book listeners, a wallpaper, and even the photos of the tour from the original release.  I keep everything!  A Perfect Blood info

And if you’re looking for a sneak peek into October 9th release Into the Woods, Pet Shop Boys is still up for a reduced price of .99.  Got a dollar?  -grin-  Jocelynn Drake also has The Asylum Interviews out there for her release October 17th, Angel’s Inc.  Links to both at Harper.  E-shorts from Harrison and Drake