Harrison, Kim 1966-

PERSONAL:

Born 1966, in the United States. Education: Holds a bachelor's degree.

ADDRESSES:

Home—SC. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer.

MEMBER:

Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

WRITINGS:

"RACHEL MORGAN" SERIES

Dead Witch Walking, reissued edition, Eos (New York, NY), 2004.

Every Which Way but Dead, HarperTorch (New York, NY), 2005.

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, HarperTorch (New York, NY), 2005.

A Fistful of Charms, HarperTorch (New York, NY), 2006.

For a Few Demons More, Eos (New York, NY), 2007.

Contributor of novella to Dates from Hell, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2006, and short story to Prom Night from Hell, HarperTeen (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Kim Harrison writes novels that are a mixture of horror, mystery, and fantasy. In her "Rachel Morgan" series of books, the author focuses on a witch and private investigator in a world where all humans have died except for those who are supernatural, such as vampires, witches, elves, demons, and pixies. Commenting on her first book in the series, Dead Witch Walking, Harrison noted in an interview on the SF Site Web page: "I melded the most bizarre characters I could think of in the most bizarre conflict I could think of. What I got was pretty much the first chapter of Dead Witch Walking. It didn't sell either." The author added: "But I fell in love with the characters, decided to try developing them into a full length novel."

In Dead Witch Walking, readers meet Rachel Morgan, a supernatural bounty hunter and marshal. Along with her pixie backup, Rachel is on the case of a leprechaun rainbow fraud. Furthermore, Rachel wants to get out of the Inderland Security (IS) organization she works for and ends up on their hit list as a turncoat. Charles de Lint, writing in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, referred to Dead Witch Walking as "fast-paced and loads of fun." De Lint went on to call it "the perfect read when you want to just get away from things for a bit and vicariously live the life of someone … who views the world and its problems through the prism of a quick-witted wiseacre." Lara Apps, writing on the Bookslut Web site, commented: "In addition to being an entertaining and imaginative read, Dead Witch Walking is also well-written."

Every Which Way but Dead finds Rachel making a bargain with a demon involving the sharing of souls so she can capture the head vampire of The Hollows (Cincinnati's underworld). Jen Talley Exum, writing on the Romantic Times Online, noted: "You won't find a fantasy heroine sharper, funnier or sexier than Rachel Morgan—or one as entertainingly screwed up." Kristine Huntley wrote in Booklist that Every Which Way but Dead is part of a "smart, supernatural series."

In The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, Rachel takes a case hunting a serial killer of witches. In the process, she encounters an old nemesis and continues to struggle with her personal life, including advances of a vampire-like nature from her vampire partner Ivy. "This unusually strong urban fantasy benefits from intricately detailed world-building and intriguing characters," wrote Exum on the Romantic Times Online. A contributor to the Curled Up with a Good Book Web site wrote: "To put it simply, Kim Harrison and the world, characters and plots she creates in her Rachel Morgan series of novels are simply outstanding. ‘Engrossing’ doesn't even begin to cover it."

A Fistful of Charms, finds Rachel hunting for her ex-boyfriend Nick and a pixy who have disappeared in northern Michigan along with a powerful artifact. Referring to the book as an "engaging and fast-paced read," Romantic Times Online contributor Natalie A. Luhrs added that Harrison "introduces … moral ambiguity into Rachel's character." A Publishers Weekly contributor referred to the novel as a "strong entry" in the series.

Rachel has retrieved the "Were" artifact in For a Few Demons More and finds herself enlisting the help of friends and former enemies as her nemesis Trent Kalamack, a master vampire named Piscary, and others seek to take the artifact from her. A Publishers Weekly contributor commented that "this titillating tale includes a shocking finale." Writing in the Library Journal, Nanette Donohue noted: "The well-crafted world of the Hollows continues to grow more complex."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 2005, Kristine Huntley, review of Every Which Way but Dead, p. 1768.

Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2006, review of For a Few Demons More, p. 1248.

Library Journal, February 1, 2007, Nanette Donohue, review of For a Few Demons More, p. 63.

Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October-November, 2004, Charles de Lint, review of Dead Witch Walking, p. 34.

Publishers Weekly, January 30, 2006, review of Dates from Hell, p. 46; May 22, 2006, review of A Fistful of Charms, p. 37; January 8, 2007, review of For a Few Demons More, p. 37.

ONLINE

Bookslut,http://www.bookslut.com/ (June 24, 2007), Lara Apps, review of Dead Witch Walking.

Curled Up with a Good Book,http://www.curledup.com/ (June 24, 2007), review of Dead Witch Walking and The Good, the Bad, and the Undead.

Far Sector SFFH,http://www.farsector.com/ (June 24, 2007), Shaun Farrell, "Shaun Farrell interviews Kim Harrison (New Interview)."

Harriet Klausner Reviews,http://harrietklausner.wwwi.com/ (June 24, 2007), Harriet Klausner, review of Dates from Hell.

Kim Harrison Home Page,http://www.kimharrison.net/ (June 24, 2007).

Romantic Times,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (June 24, 2007), Jill M. Smith, review of Dates from Hell; Jen Talley Exum, review of Dead Witch Walking, Every Which Way but Dead, and The Good, the Bad, and the Undead; Natalie A. Luhrs, review of For a Few Demons More and A Fistful of Charms.

SF Site,http://www.sfsite.com/ (June 24, 2007), "A Conversation with Kim Harrison."