It’s been said before but it is very true. You can tell a great author when they step away from their tried and true genre and still deliver a can’t-put-the-book-down read. Let’s see what our guest is up to…welcome to the blog Kim Harrison!
Kim: Thank you, Lexi. I’m so pleased to have this chance to talk to your readers.
Lexi: All of us here at Reading Between the Wines are so excited to have you! *cue the wine rack* The Hollows is an amazing series and we have no doubt you could continue writing in that genre forever as we could continue to devour everything you put out. But you have taken a step away from urban fantasy into sci-fi, specifically time travel. (Yay!!!) How long have you wanted to write a time travel novel?
Kim: I’m not sure I’d truly classify The Drafter as a time travel book in the traditional sense. It’s more of an exploration of how time works and how we might get around the linear aspect we’re trapped within. As for how long I’ve wanted to write a book about time? Well, I’ve played with time on and off for about fifteen years. The protagonist in my traditional fantasy Lost Truth (Dawn Cook) actually goes back in time and then rejoins her present day, lured by a charismatic ghost. I wrote a three-book YA series, Madison Avery, where grim reapers/timekeeper, are able to replay bits of time in order to save lives that were in the balance. So you might say that I’ve been working toward this for a while, developing the rules I like to play with and creating or cultivating the words to make the theoretical seem real.
Lexi: Time travel boggles the mind and opens so many doors. What was your biggest challenge in writing this highly technical piece of The Drafter?
Kim: I didn’t do a lot of research into time travel itself—unless you count the movies, books, and whatnot that I soaked up as a kid and still do today. Extrapolating technology beyond what we have today into the near future was probably my biggest hurdle. Because The Drafter takes place only fifteen years into the future, I couldn’t rely on interstellar travel, matter transports, or flying cars to set the stage. I had to look at what was available right this moment and guess where we’d be in twenty years. Technology is moving fast, and even some of my “projections” are already reality, especially in the automotive arena.
My way around that was to focus on how things change rather than what. How we shop, pay for stuff, be entertained, get around, remain healthy: you’ll see bits and pieces through the books that alone don't amount to much, but together successfully convey the feeling of “future.”
Lexi: When you are the one coming up with the theory you get to also make up the names. The Drafter is a great title and I like that term for the time traveling ability Peri holds. Did this term ever change like a chameleon or did you have it figured out before you started writing?
Kim: I love making up names and once told my husband that I became a writer so I could name more than just our two boys. The title shifted a lot, but the term drafter had only a few challengers. For a while, I called them jumpers, because they jump in time, but quickly discarded it because it’s been used before. Before that, I called them weavers because they weave a new present, and you can still see remnants of that idea in that most of the main characters have a first or last name that touches on the weaving industry. (Reed, Denier, Heddle, Swift, Twill) But drafters stuck as a homage to the writing process itself of rough draft, redraft, final draft.
Lexi: As with your other books The Drafter has plenty of mystery and questions and you give Peri a tight timeline with her prior employee, the covert government organization, hot on her heels. We know you can keep a plot moving with loads of action. When writing The Drafter, how did you balance the action, romance, and suspense?
Kim: I wish I knew how to answer that, but it’s mostly done by feel. I will say that this is the first time in a long time that my editor has ripped out chunks of my work to get a faster pace. I lost a lot of world building and character motivation on the cutting room floor in the name of pacing, but it’s more thriller than I usually write, so I relied heavily on my editor this time. This second book I turned in much leaner.
Lexi: I am incredibly excited to read this book! I am also excited to see that this is book one in The Peri Reed Chronicles series. Do you know a number of books planned yet? There is time travel, a corrupt government agency, and a love interest….I am crossing my fingers for double digits.
Kim: There will be three, but that’s what I said about the Hollows too. I’ve already got something begging to be written, so I might just cap it at the original three, regardless.
Lexi: Thank you so much for stopping by, Kim. You are such a talented author and we are very excited for you and your release of The Drafter. Congratulations and we hope to see you for book two!
Kim: Thank you, Lexi. I am so glad to have this chance to talk with you and your readers.
The Drafter
(The Peri Reed Chronicles #1)
by Kim Harrison
Hardcover, 432 pages
Published September 1st 2015 by Gallery Books
ISBN 1501108697
Detroit 2030. Double-crossed by the person she loved and betrayed by the covert government organization that trained her to use her body as a weapon, Peri Reed is a renegade on the run.
Don’t forgive and never forget has always been Peri’s creed. But her day job makes it difficult: she is a drafter, possessed of a rare, invaluable skill for altering time, yet destined to forget both the history she changed and the history she rewrote.
When Peri discovers her name on a list of corrupt operatives, she realizes that her own life has been manipulated by the agency. She joins forces with a mysterious rogue soldier in a deadly race to piece together the truth about her final task, unable to trust even herself.
About the Author:
Kim Harrison is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Hollows series. She was born in Detroit and has lived most of her life within an easy drive of it. When not at work on her latest project, she spends her time landscaping her new/old Victorian home or out on the links with her mom. Her current vices include good chocolate and exquisite sushi. http://www.kimharrison.net/
GIVEAWAY:
The publisher is offering one copy of The Drafter to give away to one US reader. To enter, just leave a question or comment on this interview and then fill out the rafflecopter below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The names you've picked so far are cool. Loved the Rachael series so much if you write more than 3 for this world it would be great.
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I'm soooo excited for this new book!!! I loved her other series :) thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. I have been really excited for this book. I loved the Hollows series and have been eagerly awaiting a new book from Ms. Harrison. Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read this book!
Thanks for the chance to win!
i enjoyed the interview
ReplyDeleteKim, You sound like such an awesome person. An old Victorian is something I'd like to have. Share some pictures if you can. Thanks to this blog, Between The Wines, I got to meet you, and was introduced to your work. Good job all the way around.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the interview and now I'm even more interested in reading this new series. :D
ReplyDeleteI have heard amazing things about this book/series as well as previous series that I really need to pick one up soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the great interview.
I've just read my first book of Kim's. This one sounds very interesting--more my style!
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