Shaun Farrell: A Fistful of Charms has Rachel using powers that are somewhat shocking and unexpected, but you do an excellent job showing why she was forced into such actions. How do you think these choices will effect Rachel in books to come?

Kim Harrison: Nothing good, that’s for certain. Rachel hasn’t even begun to see the ramifications of her choices. Though she thinks of the future, she’s a very “now” oriented person. It doesn’t help that she’s unaware of her potential and making decisions on that. It’s easy to say, “I’ll go this far and stop” if you think that that’s your limit. But if she knew what I do, she’d probably move back in with her mom and open up a charm shop. As it is, she’s going to keep digging herself in deeper in the long term for those short-term solutions.

SF: Rachel’s choices strain her relationships with everyone in her circle throughout the book. Which of these relationships interests you the most?

KH: As much as I plot the books out, I honestly don’t know from book to book who is going to end up taking a hit either physically or emotionally. Though I love the other characters impacting Rachel, Ivy and Jenks are the original two, and the three of them together work so well and have such a strong commitment to each other that it is this relationship—the one between Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks—that is my favorite. The interplay between them is complex, tragic, and erotic at times—but solid as bedrock. Rachel survives some very dangerous situations, and any other character is likely to walk away when things get tough. But not Ivy. And after leaving them once, not Jenks. And that is why this three-way relationship is my favorite.

SF: A Fistful of Charms brings Nick back into the picture after being absent for most of Every Which Way but Dead. It was really interesting to see his perspective on things and what he’s been doing. I think readers will be very pleased with those developments.

KM: I do too. I’ve heard from a lot of readers about Nick’s absence, and bringing him back needed to happen. The way Rachel and Nick parted left too many unanswered questions even for me, and I wanted the reader to know unequivocally just what was up with Nick.

SF: Jenks’ character arc is also very interesting, and you make some hints that his life may be coming to an end. What can you tell us about Jenks’ future?

KH: Ah, Jenks. That short life span of his is an issue that I will be dealing with as the books progress. About all I’m going to say is unless something comes out of the dark and smacks me like a 2X4, Jenks will be around until the end of the series. I have a way already in place for him to live past his normal span—it just needs to be realized. I can’t have a book without Jenks. I just can’t do it.

SF: If you could change one thing about Rachel Morgan from your first three books, what would it be?

KH: Change Rachel? Never! I love the way she jumps to conclusions, even when they’re wrong. I envy the way she lives her life by making decisions with her heart as much as her head. She makes mistakes. She does all she can to fix them. She sees the worst in people, and the best. Strong, vulnerable, and a unique fashion sense. I like Rachel just the way she is.

SF: Last we spoke, you were under contract for six novels, but you were writing as if the series was open-ended. Has you contractual situation changed at all to guarantee more books?

KH: I have been contracted for three more, bringing the total up to nine, which has pleased me to no end. I adore long-term plotting, and I’m looking forward to it.

SF: Each book you write seems to sell better than the previous. Will we see a Kim Harrison hardcover in the future, or perhaps re-issued collector’s editions of your previous books?

KH: The reception the books have gotten has left me both wide-eyed and blinking in astonishment. I never expected them to take off the way they have, and that they are doing so well is a testament to how my editor and the amazing people at EOS/HarperCollins got behind it. As it happens, the next Hollows book after A Fistful of Charms is scheduled for a 2007, hard cover release. You can already find the books in a hard cover format through a UK book club and the SFBC. Links to them are on my website.

SF: Any plans for a book tour for A Fistful of Charms?

KH: Yes! As I write this, the dates/times are still being finalized, but if all goes well, I will be showing up this June and July in Charlotte NC, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, and finally Atlanta GA. I’ll be putting the detailed information up on the website as it comes into me.

SF: What is different about the way you approach novel writing now versus when you wrote your first novel?

KH: There is a radical difference in my approach now than during that first novel. One thing that hasn’t changed is the depth I become involved in the characters’ lives and the joy I find in sharing them. What has changed is the techniques I use to organize my thoughts and get it all down on paper. I plot a tremendous amount more, now, having four distinct “varieties” of plotting, ranging from handwritten ideas thrown down on paper to actually detailing out the entire chapter’s dialog before I write it. I no longer work on the weekends at the computer after finding out how easy it is to burn out. I’m a lot more relaxed about it, too, trusting my editor to keep me on track and my agent to keep my busy. I’m still happiest when working, the quiet of the house balancing against the chaos in my head.

SF: What is your writing schedule like?

KH: Mmmm, I’m usually up by 7:00 and at the internet keyboard weeding through my email and answering the posts on the website. It gets me moving/motivated, and by the time I’m done, the caffeine has kicked in. I shift over to the work computer until about eleven, where I take a break, eat something, remember to take a shower, and get dressed. I pop back on to the internet about then, too, answering the gottas and generally procrastinating until I get back to work about noon. Most days I work right through to 6:00 or 7:00, hitting the internet before I call it a day and answering personal email from readers. It’s a harsh schedule when you look at the bare bones of it, but the perks are great: lots of music, lots of snacking, lots of opportunity to procrastinate on the internet under the name of research.

SF: You recently had a novella published in a collection called Dates From Hell. Has your work appeared anywhere else recently?

KH: No it hasn’t, but if all goes well, there will be more such short stories/novellas as time goes on.

SF: Tell us about the decision to write an Ivy/Kisten novella for Dates From Hell.

KH: The decision to write about Ivy and Kisten was an easy one, stemming from my mild frustration of having to see Ivy only through Rachel’s eyes. The chance to write from Ivy’s point of view was irresistible. It allowed me to share more directly to the readers just what kind of demons Ivy is fighting, her hard past, and why she makes the choices she does. Rachel makes decisions about people from how they treat her, not from their history, leaving the past unseen right where it is. I think it’s one of the reasons Ivy likes her so much, but it makes it very difficult as a writer to tell Ivy’s past, especially when Ivy is afraid that if Rachel knew it, she would leave.

SF: How does your increasing fan base and popularity impact your writing time?

KH: I’ve had to slow down as well as become a lot more efficient with my time. I have pretty much lost my early morning hours to PR work, expecting to spend about 7-10 hours a week on it, including answering posts, updating the website, answering interviews, and such. I’m not complaining. When I saw what was coming, I sat in the corner and shook for a while, then made a decision to devote a portion of my day to the readers so I could remain as active as I reasonably can with them. I do it because I want to. I like talking with them and seeing what they’re pulling from my work. They are a cool bunch of people.

SF: Has anyone approached you about film and television adaptations of your work?

KH: As it happens, I have been approached a few times about film, and I direct all such inquiries to my agent and promptly put it out of my head. There is a ready-made audience screaming for a kick-butt heroine who is as vulnerable as she is strong, but I wouldn’t want anyone touching the Hollows unless they loved the characters. Otherwise, something would be lost.

SF: Your fans know how much you love music. Do you have any favorite bands you’ve just discovered?

KH: Yes, yes! Music. That is where my muse lives. Musicians are my heroes, the people I get all fan-girl about and the quickest way to get me babbling. I’ve a lot of respect for music artists. They can do in three minutes what I take five hundred pages to do—and they do it in rhyme. You asked about any favorite bands that I’ve just discovered? I’ve been listening to some Flyleaf lately, and Fiona Apple, finding that Fiona’s irony and push-on-regardless lyrics are right in line with Rachel’s mindset. But my favorite bands usually touch on the state of society or one person’s struggle with their demons: NIN, Offspring, Tool/A Perfect Circle, Garbage, and Godsmack. Maybe some Korn every now and again when I’m writing something really angry.

SF: Kim, is there anything else our readers at Far Sector SFFH should know?

KH: I can’t think of anything right now, but I bet I will later. . . . I would like to add that I have an up-to-date website www.kimharrison.net with lots of extra stuff on it ranging from pictures of past signings to Trent’s waffle recipe. I’m active on my Yahoo lists, which you can get to from the website. Don’t expect me to give out any spoilers or answer any how-to writing questions there—it’s where I go to relax, kick back, and listen to the banter. I’m looking forward to putting some faces to the names this June and July as I get out of my chair and get a signing pen in my hand.

SF: Thank you so much for talking with us again. Here’s to book five!!

KH: Thank you, Shaun, for asking me back in time for the release of A Fistful Of Charms. It’s been wonderful talking with you and your readers.