We chat with author Kim Harrison about Demon’s Bluff, the next thrilling Hollows novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series where Rachel Morgan must go on a deadly journey.
Hi, Kim! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m pretty boring at first look. Second look, too. All the interesting stuff goes on in the background and I find I’m always analysing why people do what they do—with mixed results as my imagination usually takes over. I have been a traditionally published author for about twenty years, beginning with with traditional fantasy before making the jump to urban fantasy when it was just getting started. Right now, I’m keeping busy outside of my office with landscaping my tiny yard to make it more hospitable to the native Michigan wildlife. The city deer are eating everything, so I might count that as a success? I have some skill in developing knitting patterns, and I find calm in patterns everywhere.
My hope is to get back out to Arizona this fall as wide, arid spaces speak to me as much as the moist shady glens of Michigan. I feel the pull to move when the weather changes, and I feel lucky when I can indulge that.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t love reading. The writing came later. Much later. It took spell check to move me past my mild dyslexia and give me the tools to polish my ideas into something recognizable. Now that I have found it, I can’t imagine doing anything else. Writing is how I keep myself balanced.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: James and the Giant Peach
- The one that made you want to become an author: Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The one I’m working on, of course!
Demon’s Bluff is the 18th installment in your Hollows series and it’s out October 22nd 2024! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Morgue. Magic. Ex boyfriend. Demon. Lover. (Not necessarily in that order.)
For readers that aren’t familiar with the series, can you tell us a bit about it?
A witch, a vampire, and a pixy walk out of a bar with three wishes. Four years later, demons are free to roam reality, elves are back from extinction and want to rule the world, the witch council has been decimated, Weres are gaining political power, the source of magic has been found, extinguished and rekindled, and possibly most important, Rachel has fallen in love—for good, this time. I hope.
The Hollows a long-running series, and though it’s more fun to start with Dead Witch Walking, if you are familiar with the genre, you can pick up up the series at any book and enjoy.
Now, what can we expect from Demon’s Bluff?
With every good deed comes a bag of bad luck. Surviving it is an art form.
Rachel has been dodging the new, very young witch council lead by Elyse for a few months. Desperate to remain both out of Alcatraz and in reality, (as opposed to the demon realm) Rachel innovates a way to combine two spells to survive travelling back in time to retrieve what she needs to clear her name and prove she’s not a practitioner of dark magic.
Elyse interferes and Rachel lands right where she doesn’t want to be. In order to get them both home, Rachel must work with the young, powerful magic user who is bent on bringing Rachel to “justice.”
Unless….Rachel decides to leave Elyse in the past.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
Seeing antagonists evolve beyond their beginnings is extremely satisfying for me as a writer. Elyse is strong willed, brought up as an elitist and rightfully confident in her position. Through the story, she realizes that though Rachel does use dark magic, takes instruction from demons, and breaks convention at the drop of a hat, she is still trustworthy, honest, and moral to a fault. Even worse, Elyse realizes that her own “holier than thou” attitude might be more disruptive and corrupt than Rachel herself.
Elyse falls hard. I still don’t know how both women will survive. That’s for the next book.
How do you stay inspired with writing a long-running series?
Though I plot the goal-movement of each story, I never know how the relationships will evolve, and that’s what keeps me interested. That, and my character growth.
What’s next for you?
That’s a hard question. My editor (Anne Sowards) let me start two new series this year in addition to publishing the usual Hollows book. (Thank you, Anne!) It was a relief to get into my “cabinet of awesomeness,”–which is what I laughingly call my completed manuscripts that never found publication over the years–and get a few of them into the light of day. I’d like to work on one or both of them as I continue with the Hollows.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I read The Night Ends With Fire by KX Song and really enjoyed it. I understand she’s working on a sequel.
