tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142841592024-03-05T06:21:18.092-05:00Kim HarringtonI write books for kids, teens, and YOU. Hi!Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-46639369255686852872014-05-14T08:59:00.001-04:002019-12-19T16:18:42.407-05:00Forget Me ExcerptDo you want to read the first two chapters of FORGET ME? <a href="http://shelf-life.ew.com/2014/05/13/k-a-harrington-forget-me-exclusive-excerpt/">Entertainment Weekly</a> has the exclusive! Check it out: <a href="http://shelf-life.ew.com/2014/05/13/k-a-harrington-forget-me-exclusive-excerpt/">http://shelf-life.ew.com/2014/05/13/k-a-harrington-forget-me-exclusive-excerpt/</a><br />
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And if you like what you read, you can pre-order now from <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780399165290">IndieBound</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-K-Harrington/dp/0399165290">Amazon</a>, or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forget-me-ka-harrington/1117163797">Barnes & Noble</a>.<br />
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FORGET ME releases on August 7th. Yay!<br />
<br />Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-48681554114909834252013-10-21T09:33:00.000-04:002013-10-21T09:33:23.531-04:00FORGET ME reveal!You guys! I'm so excited to share more about FORGET ME with you, including the fantastic cover!<br />
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Drum roll please...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6BqLw0Ija5CNtRJVfK5nbwl77VcX_1m0D-OhlWvPS-P1UOGiwe4aoeyLEVga-XxcGiKxbr2Lbzjk0kLyNSFNzL3mW57VBolEpN1N_bHzUnPJeKWAdVKenTcV7leYv-0that6IA/s1600/Forget+Me+Final+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6BqLw0Ija5CNtRJVfK5nbwl77VcX_1m0D-OhlWvPS-P1UOGiwe4aoeyLEVga-XxcGiKxbr2Lbzjk0kLyNSFNzL3mW57VBolEpN1N_bHzUnPJeKWAdVKenTcV7leYv-0that6IA/s320/Forget+Me+Final+Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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(clicky clicky to make bigger)</div>
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<b><em>Two names.
One face. A dangerous secret exposed.<o:p></o:p></em> </b><br />
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<b>Morgan never minded her boyfriend Flynn’s dark and private nature. She found it mysterious
and alluring. But now he’s dead, and she can’t move on. She feels much
like her dying town, River’s End, with its overgrown amusement park and
abandoned houses: once happy…now rotting away.</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>Hoping for some closure, Morgan uploads her only photo of Flynn to the social media site
FriendShare along with a note to say good-bye. But she’s shocked when the facial recognition
software suggests she tag him as Evan Murphy. She’s never heard of Evan. A quick search reveals that he lives in a nearby town and looks <em>exactly</em> like Flynn. Same eyes, nose, jawline. Only this
boy is very much alive. D</b><b>igging through layers of secrets, Morgan questions everything she thought she knew about her town, her boyfriend, and even her
parents’ involvement in this massive web of lies.</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b><i>Forget Me</i> is a heart-pounding novel that draws you in and keeps you guessing until the very end.</b><br />
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YAY! (Sorry. I'm a little excited.)<br />
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FORGET ME is a contemporary thriller (no paranormal). And it's a standalone. It releases August 14, 2014 from Putnam. I absolutely love the cover. The merry-go-round is in the book (in the abandoned amusement park). The hazy guy in the background and repeated the font treatment are very thriller-y. I adore it.<br />
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You can add FORGET ME to your <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18311425-forget-me">Goodreads shelf</a> or pre-order now (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-K-A-Harrington/dp/0399165290/">Amazon</a>, B&N, IndieBound).<br />
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Feel free to share the cover far and wide. I am delirious with excitement over this book and want everyone to know about it! Thanks!<br />
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<b><br /></b>Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-50768078392626768012012-12-31T09:24:00.000-05:002012-12-31T09:25:22.593-05:00How I got the idea for THE DEAD AND BURIED<i>The Dead and Buried</i> releases officially tomorrow! So I thought now would be a good time to share how I got the idea.<br />
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Sometimes an entire book lands in your head in one
daydreaming session. And sometimes a book comes together in pieces, over years
and snippets written in your idea notebook. <i>Clarity </i>was the former. <i><a href="http://kimharringtonbooks.com/Books.html#Dead">The Dead and Buried</a></i> was the latter.
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I always wanted to write a haunted house book. I’ve loved
the genre since I was a little girl and it’s no coincidence that some of my
favorite novels of all time are ghost classics. But the genre has been done to
death. I didn’t want to rewrite the same story that had already been done. So I
waited for inspiration, for a fresh spin. And it came to me in three parts.</div>
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1. One day I read an article in the real estate section
about “stigmatized properties” (a.k.a. murder houses) and how they can be a bargain
for families looking to trade up to a nice town or that dream house they always
wanted. And I thought THERE IT IS. That fresh spin. My haunted house is not a
traditional 100 year-old drafty monster. It’s a benevolent looking McMansion on
a typical suburban street. And the ghost? She’ll be a fresh one. Someone who
continues to affect the lives of the townspeople. </div>
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So now I had my house, but I still didn’t have a main
character I wanted to play with.</div>
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2. Apart from any supernatural ideas, I’d also been
interested in writing about, in a subtle way, the theme of educational
inequality (resources in rich towns vs. poor towns) and the immense amount of
competitive pressure many students find themselves under. Teen readers are very
concerned about grades, homework, and college, but you don’t often find mention
of this in paranormals. I wanted to include these themes in a book, but in an organic way. Not just plopped in for the sake of it. </div>
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One day, I was lunching with a friend. She grew up in a very
rural area with a graduating high school class of under thirty kids. She’s
brilliant and school was easy for her. Then she headed off to a highly
competitive college where <i>everyone</i> was smart and driven like her, and it
was a shock to the system. I thought…wow, creating a character with that
background could help me play around with those ideas I wanted to include. But
in what kind of book?</div>
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And then I thought…the ghost book.</div>
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My main character could be a fish out of water, taken from a
town where school was easy to her and placed in a highly competitive high
school full of academic pressures. How would her family afford to uproot
themselves and move to this wealthy suburb? By purchasing a murder house, of
course. One where the Queen Bee of the high school lived until her untimely
death last year. And my little fish out of water, Jade, now finds herself in
the dead girl’s house and school, surrounded by the dead girl’s old friends…and
boyfriend.</div>
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3. The last piece was essential. I needed my main character’s
motivation. Why would she care about this ghost girl? Why risk her life to
investigate her death?</div>
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What happens on page 127 (my favorite scene in the book) was
inspired by a real-life middle of the night scare with my son. I can’t go into
details because it would spoil what I consider a big turning point in the book.
But when it happened in real life, it had a non-supernatural reason. (After you
read the scene, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.) Nonetheless, it
FREAKED ME OUT. But a writer’s mind always plays the “what if” game. So I
thought…what if it hadn’t been [harmless thing it really was]…what if it had
been [thing that happens on page 127]? </div>
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And then I had my motivation.</div>
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Three ideas, spread across months of time, finally clicked
together to create <i>The Dead and Buried</i>. So when people ask me how I came up
with the book, I say, “It’s kind of a long story.” Sometimes you just have to
wait for things to come together.</div>
Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-45152639353098453642012-12-03T12:16:00.000-05:002012-12-03T12:18:01.606-05:00The Dead and Buried ReviewsI'm delighted with Publishers Weekly's <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-5453-3302-3">review of The Dead and Buried</a> and happy to share it with you guys!<br />
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<i>Having moved from rural western Massachusetts to an upscale Boston suburb, 17-year-old Jade Kelley thinks her biggest problems will be making new friends and putting up with her stepmother. She didn’t count on being haunted by the ghost of Kayla, the popular mean girl who died in Jade’s new house under suspicious circumstances earlier in the year (that’s why the house was a steal). Jade ends up in the middle of a romantic triangle with two boys tied to the dead teen, but the real race is to figure out what really happened to Kayla before the impatient and vengeful ghost takes out her anger on Jade’s family. <b>As she did in Clarity and Perception, Harrington continues to demonstrate her gift for threading paranormal elements into thrilling mysteries—haunted old estates are a dime a dozen, but there’s something especially creepy about ghosts lingering in suburban cul-de-sacs and McMansions. Harrington’s crisp prose, humor, and fluid storytelling serve the mystery well,</b> and coded diary entries from the deceased Kayla let readers play detective along with Jade.</i><br />
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Kirkus also gave it a great review, calling it "spine-chilling" and "lively and fast-paced." Kirkus says readers "will keep trying to guess the real murderer until the final pages. Downright, satisfyingly creepy."<br />
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YAY! CHOCOLATE FOR LUNCH! :)<br />
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Also, don't forget to read the first teaser from the book, posted <a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-dead-and-buried-teaser-1.html">here on the blog</a> yesterday, and come back every Sunday until release for a new teaser.Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-13912448742259468542012-11-26T11:46:00.000-05:002012-11-26T11:46:27.001-05:00Tropes and the UnexpectedLast
week, I blogged about how I think "The Walking Dead" does an amazing job
<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-writing-tip-from-walking-dead.html">subverting tropes</a>. Today I’m sharing how I attempted to do the same while
writing <i><a href="http://www.kimharringtonbooks.com/Books.html#Dead">The Dead and Buried</a></i>.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sonia
Gensler did <a href="http://soniagensler.blogspot.com/2011/10/bulletproof-kinks-revisited.html">a post</a> a while back on “Bulletproof Kinks.” Which isn’t as dirty as it sounds. It actually just refers to any kind of plot,
setting, character, etc. that you are consistently drawn to. For me, it’s
always been haunted houses. When I was a little girl, if there was a ghost
story in the Scholastic Book Club flyer, that would be the book I wanted. The
late ‘80s and early ‘90s were awesome for me because almost every publisher had
a horror line in mass market paperback and they were churning those things out
like crazy. I spent all my babysitting cash on haunted house books. And even
now, whenever I see a book about a ghost or haunting, I’m like HERE’S
MY WALLET. TAKE MY MONEY, BOOKSTORE.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So
obviously I’ve always wanted to write my own haunted house book. But the
problem is, when you’ve read that many, every idea seems like it’s been done to
death. There’s only so much you can do with a ghost story. I wanted to put my
own spin on it. So I made a conscious effort to take a look at haunted house
tropes and clichés…and turn them on their heads.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Examples:<o:p></o:p></div>
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1.
<b>The house itself</b>. When you think “haunted house,” you think of a big,
scary looking home. Probably old. Maybe isolated. Maybe even with hidden
staircases and rooms behind bookcases. I love reading about those houses. But I
didn’t want to write one. I thought…what if my haunted house was…ordinary? What
if it was a typical new-ish McMansion in a well-to-do suburb? A house you can
picture yourself in. A house you might actually live in. A house that feels
familiar. A hundred-year-old Victorian haunted by a ghost is expected. The
supernatural disturbing a new colonial? Unexpected.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2.
<b>The ghost</b>. Many haunted houses have old ghosts. Spirits that have driven
out occupants for years and years. A legend old townspeople whisper about. So I
made mine a fresh death. A girl who died only months before. A girl whose effect on
others is still seen and felt.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3.
<b><i>Is</i> the house haunted</b>? Another trope has the reader wondering,
sometimes for the entire length of the novel, whether or not the house is
actually haunted. (Example: <i>The Turn of the Screw</i>. Sidenote: I’ve read two YA
retellings of <i>The Turn of the Screw</i> this year and, really, I could read one of
these a month. I love them. I want MOAR TURN OF THE SCREW RETELLINGS.) Again, as much
as I love to read books like this, I didn’t want to write one. Whether or not
the house is haunted is not my plot. I made it straight-up obvious that the
ghost is real from a certain scene on and that’s where my book morphs from
ghost story to murder mystery.<o:p></o:p></div>
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4.
<b>Just leave, dude!</b> How many times have you read a haunted house book or
watched a movie and thought, DUDE JUST LEAVE! GET OUT! Yeah, me too. So I
needed to have a reason for my main character to stay and “no one believes me”
isn’t good enough. There has to be something more. So I gave her a big, <i>huge</i>
motivation. It’s a spoiler, so I won’t tell you what that reason is. But it was
key to creating the book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lastly,
I also worked hard on character tropes and bringing out the unexpected in
seemingly familiar characters. But I can’t give you specifics because, well,
spoiler city. I just hope you enjoy the read. :)<o:p></o:p><br />
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Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-57519774568563492022012-11-12T14:41:00.000-05:002012-11-12T14:41:08.871-05:00Directory of Writing-Related Posts and Tips<br />
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With all the NaNo-ing going on out there, I thought it might
be helpful to create a mini-directory of all my writing-related posts and tips.
So here you go! It’s a writertipapalooza!</div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2011/05/on-writers-block.html">On Writer’s Block</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2011/02/on-character-names.html">On Character Names</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-settings.html">On Settings</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2011/08/writing-tip-dont-block-flow.html">Writing Tip: Don’t Block The Flow</a> (especially helpful for NaNoWriMo)</div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2011/01/idea-factory.html">The Idea Factory</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2012/04/fun-with-news.html">A Revisit to the Idea Factory</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2011/01/in-which-i-pass-on-some-editing-tips.html">In Which I Pass On Some Editing Tips</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2012/03/writers-not-so-small-choices.html">A Writer’s (Not So) Small Choices: Part 1 Character Names</a>
(several writers share their insights on naming characters) </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2012/03/writers-not-so-small-choices-part-2.html">A Writer’s (Not So) Small Choices: Part 2 Character Appearance</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-get-published.html">How To Get Published Part 1</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-get-agent-part-one-query-letter.html">How To Get An Agent Part 1</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-get-agent-part-two-research.html">How To Get An Agent Part 2</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-get-agent-part-three-query-go.html">How To Get An Agent Part 3</a> </div>
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<a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-get-agent-part-four.html">How To Get An Agent Part 4</a> </div>
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Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-64045394426848192792012-10-23T15:29:00.000-04:002012-10-23T15:29:00.536-04:00Foreign CoversI always update the Book Covers album on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kimharringtonauthor">my Facebook page</a> with foreign covers as soon as I get them, but today I thought I'd share a few here, too.<br />
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This is CLARITY in the UK. I adore this cover. It came out from Scholastic UK this past summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5dHHhfAyZxggVyCaMfhRG3NQPb8kggK0q8QL1ZVP1_owuiLcFdLK2f0vv1mBWOuJKM5Rw2AboWc9_DzH7yM22bMnhmSsdjcQVA_rBLxe0gGtEpXFW8ujtyFlLFsP5lBMJR3lHA/s1600/ClarityUK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5dHHhfAyZxggVyCaMfhRG3NQPb8kggK0q8QL1ZVP1_owuiLcFdLK2f0vv1mBWOuJKM5Rw2AboWc9_DzH7yM22bMnhmSsdjcQVA_rBLxe0gGtEpXFW8ujtyFlLFsP5lBMJR3lHA/s320/ClarityUK.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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And here's the sequel! PERCEPTION, coming from Scholastic UK on March 4th, 2013.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNnhD1RF6haIpwwh1BZx4gnVr8V7CXiFRgIoOP82FeP6wxl64ScnTUoRIBts34QJgGAUdzSKb786Tp-pyEvhYk2jIiHFm2SbeufCp7Tdb1ccfmGonUHl_K89db8ZSSMEPPzdpuA/s1600/PerceptionUK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNnhD1RF6haIpwwh1BZx4gnVr8V7CXiFRgIoOP82FeP6wxl64ScnTUoRIBts34QJgGAUdzSKb786Tp-pyEvhYk2jIiHFm2SbeufCp7Tdb1ccfmGonUHl_K89db8ZSSMEPPzdpuA/s320/PerceptionUK.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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My standalone, THE DEAD AND BURIED, will also be making the trip across the pond! Scholastic UK will release it in October 2013 under the title THE KILLING OF KAYLA SLOANE. Check out this amazing cover!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sy0iIcbz7fk4O16Zn8VGXiuqvPmvaDeaYujHQrEfUWPivZbdLRLqL3S2MVhBG9Cli8mtlwM9rDVGeJ8374mklfzWgH6tEy7KprkAifgBZWoLSnLxDWruhTXF4RUmrAVcksnUCA/s1600/KillingofKaylaSloaneCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sy0iIcbz7fk4O16Zn8VGXiuqvPmvaDeaYujHQrEfUWPivZbdLRLqL3S2MVhBG9Cli8mtlwM9rDVGeJ8374mklfzWgH6tEy7KprkAifgBZWoLSnLxDWruhTXF4RUmrAVcksnUCA/s320/KillingofKaylaSloaneCover.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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CLARITY released in Germany this month. The title translates to I SEE YOUR SECRET.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiELzGHM-2Ei0aWhW_X5CbXLt7MfRac_knR7boN1LxpDTMixgquY2v2sKiVpoU9otXBObOzbXhIzimou0NaKgiTM22Q4pMpSe2cv-CO4e9jXyDphsqlK46i294s6wTAaVoOq6qCQ/s1600/GermanClarity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiELzGHM-2Ei0aWhW_X5CbXLt7MfRac_knR7boN1LxpDTMixgquY2v2sKiVpoU9otXBObOzbXhIzimou0NaKgiTM22Q4pMpSe2cv-CO4e9jXyDphsqlK46i294s6wTAaVoOq6qCQ/s320/GermanClarity.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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And here are the French covers of CLARITY and PERCEPTION (already released).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlvKe55noJJW6mbjE03oYS85YSEH0wlQNYcDQ6hruisJ5znDjwQquDTeUxYKebW21ezPlHVpsosXN8yvVN_Q03Nl-wx6bqQATxoegCq6Ek0s8RipGALYHjRaCRDf-ZKVC-Ra6ww/s1600/Clarity+France.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlvKe55noJJW6mbjE03oYS85YSEH0wlQNYcDQ6hruisJ5znDjwQquDTeUxYKebW21ezPlHVpsosXN8yvVN_Q03Nl-wx6bqQATxoegCq6Ek0s8RipGALYHjRaCRDf-ZKVC-Ra6ww/s200/Clarity+France.jpg" width="134" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4n9-l6vZ_sMSDjg0uYj2mYsrcvPzMaYUiOzXCdIuABNMjAgEwDefUM1vy1MEZvSicu3Ul1bgHX58CmULqoPKhNrzPrwmfIV_pwoUEYT3AA7m4sADC_CwcVa5gGBUFPimPz7bR9A/s1600/perceptionfrench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4n9-l6vZ_sMSDjg0uYj2mYsrcvPzMaYUiOzXCdIuABNMjAgEwDefUM1vy1MEZvSicu3Ul1bgHX58CmULqoPKhNrzPrwmfIV_pwoUEYT3AA7m4sADC_CwcVa5gGBUFPimPz7bR9A/s200/perceptionfrench.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
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<b>Which foreign cover is your favorite?</b><br />
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<br />Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-83206601280065899292012-05-03T08:23:00.000-04:002012-05-03T08:27:30.271-04:00Why I Wrote Sleuth or DareWell, it’s not why I wrote the series. I write because when I don’t my brain gets itchy, but that’s a whole other post. I’m specifically talking about why I created the characters of Norah and Darcy. And that’s kind of personal.<br />
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When I set out to write <em>Sleuth or Dare</em>, my middle grade mystery series, I thought about myself at age 10 and what kind of book I would’ve wanted to read. Growing up, I was a voracious reader and loved anything suspenseful or spooky. But I was also very interested in math and science. To be blunt, I was a nerd. And, despite the many books I read, it was hard for me to find characters that reminded me of myself. <br />
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Let's get to know ten-year-old Kim, using my old copy of <em>My Book About Me</em> by Dr. Seuss that my parents kept all these years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oh7I_5MgIjO-MkMZD_mpd3W3_FIg-ywZZSGH-rL5qY3y5O7tX5iYHmoE0jpJy3zxCk-D93gdK0GI4gqS8qQlCwoDkcl1uylnaUkSE9JNFEjh0_1B5bJlBrCBU8dgcqcpzt1Mdw/s1600/seuss1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oh7I_5MgIjO-MkMZD_mpd3W3_FIg-ywZZSGH-rL5qY3y5O7tX5iYHmoE0jpJy3zxCk-D93gdK0GI4gqS8qQlCwoDkcl1uylnaUkSE9JNFEjh0_1B5bJlBrCBU8dgcqcpzt1Mdw/s200/seuss1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<em>My penmanship wasn't spectacular, but I practiced!</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMalTRfvlPiF-09VKkeDLnUgGaPN9rUv3FqFauo9_jmCXcquXlm2LT534kTTIryaQM36cqempsWBWzh6jYrEnrpXeFM_b9QCFqbHWe8BKDA-YJVHeXbCQY6IU2nYTiKwOq0Ljx8g/s1600/seuss2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMalTRfvlPiF-09VKkeDLnUgGaPN9rUv3FqFauo9_jmCXcquXlm2LT534kTTIryaQM36cqempsWBWzh6jYrEnrpXeFM_b9QCFqbHWe8BKDA-YJVHeXbCQY6IU2nYTiKwOq0Ljx8g/s320/seuss2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Ah, irony. It's not that I didn't like writing. I didn't like writing <u>in school</u>. They wanted me to write a theme about how I spent my summer vacation, and I wanted to make up stories about monsters and psycho killers. But, yes, I loved math.</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNibqv-Vi9jjWL2GqOYOABeic9_J5BGno1thST90YZJTw6j0Lewz5U7cgLgH2z7REzaWucYC0EWw4R9DytngZ3xPZjw559Y3mSXvANvxQqcSJa-KO35FGIjsAV3e_mg87QJl7_zA/s1600/seuss3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNibqv-Vi9jjWL2GqOYOABeic9_J5BGno1thST90YZJTw6j0Lewz5U7cgLgH2z7REzaWucYC0EWw4R9DytngZ3xPZjw559Y3mSXvANvxQqcSJa-KO35FGIjsAV3e_mg87QJl7_zA/s320/seuss3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>I was also, apparently, a liar. I had not traveled 100,000,000,000 miles by plane. But lying came in handy with the whole writing thing. </em></div>
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So that's who I was. Now that I’m a grown-up and a parent, I’m very sensitive to gender stereotypes. I think everyone has a few THINGS that make their heads EXPLODE. For me, it’s the message that math and science are for boys. Like the “I’m too pretty to do homework” <a href="http://jezebel.com/5836173/jcpenney-will-destroy-your-daughters-self-esteem-for-just-999">T-shirt debacle</a> or the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO0cvqT1tAE">doll who complained</a> “Math class is tough” when her string was pulled. This is my head when I see these things:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpAPDbUSMQmHTzBeTSlSEli3IIY9YTJ5GTVQ1G5ntX6riYeaPEbu1NjE_i42ljCUnn9b1_vkx6OB-ThUurKCCVaBjk9JiAk2M2SJx5XL8PzgeFMfOCpCLm6HTET09Klgg0B1OIA/s1600/headexplode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpAPDbUSMQmHTzBeTSlSEli3IIY9YTJ5GTVQ1G5ntX6riYeaPEbu1NjE_i42ljCUnn9b1_vkx6OB-ThUurKCCVaBjk9JiAk2M2SJx5XL8PzgeFMfOCpCLm6HTET09Klgg0B1OIA/s200/headexplode.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: Mr. Masterson</span></em></div>
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So when creating the heroines of my <em>Sleuth or Dare</em> books, I knew right away who they would be. <br />
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My main characters, Norah and Darcy, are nerds and proud of it. They excel in math and science. They have their own interests and hobbies that they unapologetically geek out over. Norah’s biggest aspiration isn’t to become one of the popular girls. It’s to be an astronomer. In her spare time, she stargazes through her telescope and checks her favorite astronomy blog. And Darcy is a tech guru and spy gadget lover. They work together to solve mysteries for their detective agency, Partners in Crime.<br />
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When people ask me what message I want kids to get from my books, I like to say that I write only to entertain. But, if I’m honest, I’m also writing for myself. For that ten-year-old nerd who had trouble finding herself in a book. If kids, especially girls, take anything away from <em>Sleuth or Dare</em>, I want it to be that they are awesome. They can accomplish anything they set their minds to. And that nerds…are heroes. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lihOtDhpfkFQgTlZRIoH5_HCUqyVJ0Ak6_Ytl7yNZTuXW6hBfmZRjDPNiTyPM75m0cP8aEkGkIOyZZw9GHgtPB8Y7RmDrBkCg4Dc0IKopQEc9uz0Cl_v1C_zGKbgtP8BHftyyg/s1600/kimnerd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lihOtDhpfkFQgTlZRIoH5_HCUqyVJ0Ak6_Ytl7yNZTuXW6hBfmZRjDPNiTyPM75m0cP8aEkGkIOyZZw9GHgtPB8Y7RmDrBkCg4Dc0IKopQEc9uz0Cl_v1C_zGKbgtP8BHftyyg/s320/kimnerd.jpg" width="168" /></a></div>
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<em>Ten-year-old Kim with her glittery purple sweater, purple cordu</em><em>roys, and purple glasses says HI!</em></div>Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-63638380460464346162012-05-01T08:25:00.000-04:002012-05-01T08:25:40.505-04:00Sleuth or Dare #1: Partners in Crime Releases Today!<em>Sleuth or Dare #1: Partners in Crime</em> is officially out in bookstores today! *throws confetti*<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/hybrid?filter0=kim+harrington">IndieBound</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleuth-or-dare-1-kim-harrington/1106345447">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sleuth-Dare-1-Partners-Crime/dp/054538964X">Amazon</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAz2qrQvS7z0WMDLA1_hh84A3MeE908Z4fYSqVTEuLJqh3amgJU04Y2EC-JfGfp9pXfojoVVLlZMl6f5zxEW7d3BRroRwT-_F11aA5JhW2-v85vxN9x0TUI7HmStK18DkV-ZwH-w/s1600/SleuthorDare1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAz2qrQvS7z0WMDLA1_hh84A3MeE908Z4fYSqVTEuLJqh3amgJU04Y2EC-JfGfp9pXfojoVVLlZMl6f5zxEW7d3BRroRwT-_F11aA5JhW2-v85vxN9x0TUI7HmStK18DkV-ZwH-w/s200/SleuthorDare1.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
<em><strong>Whodunit? </strong></em><br />
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<em><strong>When best friends Darcy and Norah have to create a fake business for a school assignment, they come up with a great idea: a detective agency! Darcy loves mysteries, and Norah likes helping people, so it's a perfect fit. </strong></em><br />
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<em><strong>But then their pretend agency gets a real case. Someone is missing, and it's up to Darcy and Norah to take on the search. Unfortunately, there's someone else out there who doesn't want the two detectives stirring up any trouble.... </strong></em><br />
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<em><strong>With the help of hidden clues, spy gadgets, and trusted friends, can Darcy and Norah crack the case in time? </strong></em><br />
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This book is the first in a series of three. <em>Sleuth or Dare #2: Sleepover Stakeout</em> comes out 6/1/12 and <em>Sleuth or Dare #3: Framed & Dangerous</em> releases on 7/1/12. These are middle grade books for ages 8-12. They have mystery, suspense, humor, and friendship drama, and I love them LIKE WHOA. More details on why they're so close to my heart to come in a separate post.<br />
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But right now, to celebrate #1 being released into the wild, I'm giving away TWO signed finished copies. Enter below and thanks so much for passing on the word about my new series!<br />
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<br />Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-37084392796370626922012-02-28T08:02:00.000-05:002012-02-28T08:02:59.417-05:00Perception Reviews<em>Perception</em> is officially out this week! People who pre-ordered have started to get their copies. It's...out there!<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780545230537">IndieBound</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perception-Clarity-Novel-Kim-Harrington/dp/0545230535/">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perception-kim-harrington/1031034197">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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So I thought I'd share some of the exciting reviews that have been coming in!<br />
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"...the believable characterizations, the suspense and the well-crafted plot twists score. A smart, paranormal mystery ride. – Kirkus Reviews<br />
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Clare “is a strong female lead who, throughout the story, gains confidence and depth. A fast-paced psy-chick mystery.” – School Library Journal<br />
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“Sometimes sequels are just okay. PERCEPTION, the follow up to CLARITY is anything but okay . . . it’s amazing, thrilling, an absolute run out and buy and read in the same day book. Chapter one grabs you and doesn’t let go until you’re finished.” – <a href="http://www.thereadiacs.com/preview-perception-by-kim-harrington">The Readiacs</a><br />
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“Perception is an exciting, fast paced read and one I highly recommend picking up. It's one fans of mystery, romance and realistic YA reads will enjoy.” – <a href="http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/2012/02/book-review-perception-by-kim.html">Mundie Moms</a><br />
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“Wow, can a book be perfect? Kim Harrington is back with a powerhouse of a sequel… Perception is a must read book for 2012.” – <a href="http://www.justinsbookblog.com/2012/02/book-review-perception-clarity-2-by-kim.html">Justin’s Book Blog</a> <br />
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“Perception is one of those rare sequels that blows the first book out of the water!” – <a href="http://www.literaryexploration.com/2012/02/review-perception-by-kim-harrington.html">Literary Exploration</a><br />
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“I loved this story! Harrington managed to keep me guessing till the end yet again and she always grabs my attention with those prologues! I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.” – <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/2012/02/perception-by-kim-harrington.html">The Story Siren</a><br />
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“Ms. Harrington writes with a fluid grace, characters and events combining and conflicting with an ease that most likely defies the amount of time spent carefully crafting each sentence, and we find ourselves laughing, sighing, and holding our breath as we sit back and thoroughly enjoy the telling of a good story.” – <a href="http://www.supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-perception.html">Supernatural Snark</a><br />
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“Perception has only whet my appetite once again for this series. If you haven't read Clarity yet, now you have the opportunity to read both these great stories back to back soon!” – <a href="http://yalibrariantales.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-perception-by-kim-harrington.html">YA Librarian Tales</a><br />
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“I love this series! Perception was just as good as Clarity, if not better! From the characters to the storyline, it all blends wonderfully into an addictive read that I really enjoyed.” – <a href="http://www.thereaderbee.com/2012/02/review-perception-by-kim-harrington.html">The Reader Bee</a><br />
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“Perception is an immensely entertaining story, a captivating mystery and a thoroughly enjoyable one-sit-read. This incredibly fast-paced sequel, with characters that are exciting and either lovable, detestable or somewhere in between, is utterly engaging and has such an easy flow.” – <a href="http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/2012/02/21/review-perception/">Fiktshun</a><br />
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“This sequel to Clarity was another amazing murder mystery story that I could NOT put down! Kim Harrington will keep you guessing till the very end, and you'll still be laughing the entire time. I love this series!” – <a href="http://lcsadventuresinlibraryland.blogspot.com/2012/02/arc-book-review-perception.html">LC’s Adventures in Libraryland</a><br />
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“This is an amazing sequel! It had everything I wanted in the book and more. A great plot line, amazing characters and a stalker that makes your hair crawl.” – <a href="http://www.bookswithbite.net/2012/02/review-perception.html">Books With Bite</a>Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-22729753200792957282011-11-22T08:35:00.001-05:002011-12-27T12:52:36.057-05:00Sleuth Or Dare CoversLast month, I was able to share the news about my <a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2011/10/introducingsleuth-or-dare.html">middle grade mystery series</a> and the cover for the first book, <em>Partners in Crime</em>. Well, now, I can share all three covers! It's a covernanza! A covercopia! Okay, I'll stop and just show them to you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAz2qrQvS7z0WMDLA1_hh84A3MeE908Z4fYSqVTEuLJqh3amgJU04Y2EC-JfGfp9pXfojoVVLlZMl6f5zxEW7d3BRroRwT-_F11aA5JhW2-v85vxN9x0TUI7HmStK18DkV-ZwH-w/s1600/SleuthorDare1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAz2qrQvS7z0WMDLA1_hh84A3MeE908Z4fYSqVTEuLJqh3amgJU04Y2EC-JfGfp9pXfojoVVLlZMl6f5zxEW7d3BRroRwT-_F11aA5JhW2-v85vxN9x0TUI7HmStK18DkV-ZwH-w/s320/SleuthorDare1.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdsWQmM73Zc6IGYDty25_rJxZcOHOAqPaqA9FuRHMur_-TnM8nat_cA5keu6cPpJ6rnWnTbFqusUyy2uuMk9ZxFvZCgEhKiJrVkVaVikCvINTiZefXf-s7KjfLE_NX4yrHdbmEQ/s1600/SleuthorDare2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdsWQmM73Zc6IGYDty25_rJxZcOHOAqPaqA9FuRHMur_-TnM8nat_cA5keu6cPpJ6rnWnTbFqusUyy2uuMk9ZxFvZCgEhKiJrVkVaVikCvINTiZefXf-s7KjfLE_NX4yrHdbmEQ/s320/SleuthorDare2.JPG" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRh7j4iC5bUMaQmqpxJb4tTXrh9PNCrdEinnx1MlhD6FX9IvNpU2NAlOgSNMaTa_eRT07F8ARIAxf_8A0js4s75rSxXsNuvE6NBenTb-eIm9K8fxTl2Armd7ELCba8AyX508-c_w/s1600/SleuthorDare3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRh7j4iC5bUMaQmqpxJb4tTXrh9PNCrdEinnx1MlhD6FX9IvNpU2NAlOgSNMaTa_eRT07F8ARIAxf_8A0js4s75rSxXsNuvE6NBenTb-eIm9K8fxTl2Armd7ELCba8AyX508-c_w/s320/SleuthorDare3.JPG" width="220" /></a></div>Click on any of the images to see them in a larger size.<br />
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<em>Partners in Crime</em> releases 5/1/12, <em>Sleepover Stakeout</em> on 6/1/12, and <em>Framed & Dangerous</em> on 7/1/12. And the first two are available for <a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2008/01/buy-book.html">pre-order now</a>!<br />
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What do you think of the <em><a href="http://www.kimharringtonbooks.com/Kim_Harrington_Kids.html">Sleuth or Dare</a></em> covers?Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-25229679732660454742011-03-01T07:44:00.003-05:002011-03-15T08:51:29.548-04:00CLARITY Release Day! Plus a Contest!Today is <em>Clarity</em>’s official release date!<br />
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First, I want to send out a big giant thanks to everyone who has sent me messages on Twitter, Facebook, email, etc. about <em>Clarity</em>. It’s amazing to me that this file from my computer is now a real book that people are excited about. People I’m not related to. People I don’t have blackmail against! That is 10,000 kinds of awesome. So thanks. :)<br />
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This has been a dream of mine since I was old enough to hold a pencil. And today it’s finally coming true. So I’m a bit emotional.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKffK1CEtV3CjV_byQAWOFjmjJm0-3p6HGjVaIA73WjtYmyH1bTdf_V0qYoFeZBne5Xwioy7kJdbgYhKfpUTg2F14nxiuz_tcryzbdkEy_p6i6yMPBCatX0RudDO-h0sxoGqBoWg/s1600/epicsadface.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKffK1CEtV3CjV_byQAWOFjmjJm0-3p6HGjVaIA73WjtYmyH1bTdf_V0qYoFeZBne5Xwioy7kJdbgYhKfpUTg2F14nxiuz_tcryzbdkEy_p6i6yMPBCatX0RudDO-h0sxoGqBoWg/s200/epicsadface.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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No, not that kind of emotional.<br />
<a href="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_leftlcc6W71qf8yek.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" j6="true" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_leftlcc6W71qf8yek.gif" width="200" /></a><br />
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That’s better, Dawson. Thanks.<br />
<br />
So today I release <em>Clarity</em> into the wild. If <em>Clarity</em> is not available in your favorite bookstore, please ask them to order it. (Or it might just be hiding in a box in the back and they haven’t put it out yet. Please ask!) If you’re a New Englander, consider attending one of <a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2008/01/appearances.html">my signings</a>. If you can’t attend one of those, but would still like your book signed, you can get a <a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2008/01/clarity-extras.html">bookplate</a>. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">Note: This contest has ended. Thanks!</span><br />
And now I celebrate with a <span style="color: red;"><strong>CONTEST!!!</strong></span> Buy <em>Clarity</em>, take a picture of yourself with your <em>Clarity</em> (hardcover only), email the photo to me at [redacted], and I’ll enter you in my new contest. <strong>There will be two winners!</strong><br />
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The first winner will receive...an ARC (advanced reading copy) of Meg Cabot's new book <em><a href="http://www.megcabot.com/abandon/">Abandon</a></em>! That's right. The Queen of Awesome has a new trilogy coming and you can read the first book before you can buy it! <br />
<br />
The grand prize winner will receive:<br />
- an ARC of Meg Cabot's <em>Abandon</em> (because I got two and it's double awesome),<br />
- an ARC of Allison van Diepen's <em>The Vampire Stalker</em>,<br />
- an ARC of Veronica Roth's <em>Divergent</em>,<br />
- an ARC of Gayle Forman's <em>Where She Went</em>, <br />
- signed <em>Clarity</em> swag,<br />
- and a massive amount of <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/2011debuts/">Elevensies</a> (2011 YA/MG Debut Author Group) swag (some signed).<br />
<strong>Added: Plus a <em>Clarity</em> T-shirt from my release party! Only a few of these exist!</strong><br />
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Awesome, right? Enter away, and <em><strong>please</strong></em> pass the word on about the contest. The last day to enter is 3/14/11. The winner will be chosen at random on 3/15/11.<br />
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I truly appreciate everyone who has helped to get the word out about <em>Clarity</em> via Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and the truly awesome kidlit blogosphere. Your excitement is contagious—especially to me. So thank you, thank you, thank you.<br />
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High fives to you.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_leut3zxRZZ1qf8yek.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" j6="true" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_leut3zxRZZ1qf8yek.gif" width="200" /></a></div>Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-69561205189857619042011-01-24T11:42:00.000-05:002011-01-24T11:42:37.125-05:00A starred review in Publishers Weekly!I am delighted to share the news that <em>Clarity</em> got a starred review in Publishers Weekly! Here's a little snippet:<br />
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<em>Harrington's well-developed characters and tight plot are simultaneously charming, realistically complex, and intriguing. While recalling classic sleuth stories, Harrington creates a fiery and sharp-witted heroine who's more Veronica Mars than Nancy Drew (Nancy almost certainly never used the term "Skanky McSkankbag"). Clare is a teen detective for the 21st century.</em><br />
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Yes, the esteemed Publishers Weekly just said the words "Skanky McSkankbag." EPIC WIN.<br />
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<a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/reviews/childrens.html?page=3">Click here</a> for the full review (down the page a bit).<br />
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I am so happy. To be honest, even after having sold three books, part of me still feels like this giant fraud. Like my publisher is going to call and tell me this whole thing was a mistake and I suck. Irrational, I know, but I'm sure I'm not the only insecure writer who has these thoughts. Anyway, reading this review has quieted the "you suck you are a fraud" monster who sometimes lives in the back of my brain. <br />
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So cheers to that! If it wasn't -40000 degrees outside right now (slight exaggeration), I'd run up and down the street in joy. :)Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-30869551881552568492011-01-03T11:28:00.001-05:002011-01-03T11:29:24.178-05:00The CLARITY Book TrailerTwo blog posts in one day! I know, it's like Bizarro World up in here. But I simply couldn't wait to post about...drum roll...the CLARITY book trailer!<br />
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I am so excited to show you this. I am also not too cool to admit that, when I first watched it, I actually screamed out loud and flailed my hands in the air. Oh yeah. I did. I am the epitome of composed professionalism. <br />
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Here it is!<br />
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<object height="300" width="440"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P-QksovPERk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P-QksovPERk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="440" height="300"></embed></object><br />
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What do you think?Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-81100397985280143702010-07-02T08:22:00.000-04:002011-09-04T18:35:38.370-04:00How to Get an Agent: Part Four<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today is the last installment in my series on how to get published. You can start from the beginning <a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-get-published.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now the responses are rolling in. You may have one agent interested or be juggling multiple offers. Time for phone calls!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An agent may be calling to offer you representation or just to chat and get to know each other better. You’re both looking to see if you’re a good fit. Remember, you have a chance here to ask questions, too. But you shouldn’t be wasting time asking who the agent’s other clients are or anything that you could easily find online. Take the opportunity to ask things that can’t be found with a Google search. What approach he or she would like to take with your book, for example. And try to gauge the agent’s style (hand holding, hands off, etc.) and see if it’s a good match for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If the agent offers, you don’t have to say yes right off the bat. You can ask for a few days to think about it. They kind of expect that. You should also notify any other agents who have your full manuscript, to give them a chance to toss their hat in the ring if they’re interested. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once you make your decision, you accept the offer of representation and let the other agents know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Congratulations. You are off the query-go-round. From this point on everything is sunshine and rainbows!!!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kidding. Next up is possibly editing/revising for your agent. Then comes the submission coaster, which is way worse on the nausea scale than the query-go-round. And there are still no guarantees. Even though your book has an agent now, it still might not sell. So, while you’re on submission WRITE YOUR NEXT BOOK. Seriously. It’ll help keep you sane during this time and might come in handy if a publisher wants to buy more than one book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope this series has been helpful to all aspiring authors out there. And now you know why I couldn’t answer this question with one paragraph in the FAQ. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Good luck!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*tosses glitter*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-72694552745450560362010-07-01T08:21:00.000-04:002011-09-04T18:35:38.370-04:00How to Get an Agent: Part Three – The Query-Go-Round<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week I’m going through the steps of getting published. You can start from the beginning <a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-get-published.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So you’ve started to send out queries. What now?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some agents respond within minutes, some take months, and some only respond if they are interested. Stay organized and keep a spreadsheet so you know where you stand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Never under any circumstances write back something crazy to an agent. If you’re even thinking about writing some vengeful ‘how dare you reject me’ diatribe, then you need to think about whether or not you are ready for this giant Road of Rejection. If an agent rejects you, the only thing you should ever write back is “thanks for your time” and only do that if they send a detailed, personal rejection. After you get a rejection, note it in your spreadsheet, file it away, and move on. Everyone gets rejections.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Always be professional.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In some cases, the query-go-round turns into a whirlwind of quick requests and offers and wonderful phone calls. In most cases, it takes a while. Months. Don’t sit around and twiddle your thumbs. Work on your next book!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Imagine a year from now, you’ve queried 100 agents. Some have asked to read your manuscript, but it all ends in rejection. You’ve spent this year doing nothing because you were certain this book would snag you an agent. It didn’t and you have nothing else to offer. How do you feel? Pretty depressed, I’d think.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now imagine that same scenario except that during the year you’ve finished your second book. So, yeah, 100 agents have rejected your first book, but now you’re ready to query again. Your second book is better than the first and you’re psyched to get back on the query-go-round. Not as depressing. More like…exciting!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Come back tomorrow for the last installment!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-36699239736667977362010-06-30T07:36:00.000-04:002011-09-04T18:35:38.371-04:00How to Get an Agent: Part Two - Research<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week I’m going through the steps of getting published. You can start from the beginning here: </span><a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-get-published.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How to Get Published</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before I get into the nitty gritty, the most important thing you should know before you send out your queries is that legitimate agents don’t charge you a thing. No fees. Real agents make money by selling your book and taking their 15%. Until they sell your book, they make nothing. Please, don’t get scammed. <a href="http://pred-ed.com/pubagent.htm">Preditors & Editors</a> is a good guide to check out agents you’re not sure about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, how to find the perfect agent for your work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You want an agent who is open to new clients and interested in your genre. The top websites I recommend for researching agents are: <a href="http://www.agentquery.com/">Agent Query</a> and <a href="http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/">Publishers Marketplace</a>. Agent Query is free. Publishers Marketplace is $20 per month. It is well worth buying one month to use their database of book deals for research. After that, you can see if you want to keep your membership going or not. I still have a membership even now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Using AQ, you can generate a list of agents. Then use PM to see who else the agent represents, what deals they’ve made recently, and perhaps what they are currently looking for (they may post this on their website and/or blog). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make a list of all the agents you’re interested in. This could be 20, it could be 100. Prioritize them. Don’t email all 100 agents at once. Do 10 at a time. This way, if your response rate is very low, you can change your query letter and perhaps get a better response from the next 10.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some agents want queries via email, some want them via snail mail. Some agents want a query only. Some agents want a query plus the first chapter. Send the agent what they want.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the next installment, I’ll go over the ups and downs of the Query-Go-Round and the most important thing you can do while you’re on it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These are only the websites I used in my search. If you know of another good one, add it in the comments! :)</span>Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-35170135066532910292010-06-29T08:36:00.000-04:002011-09-04T18:38:54.861-04:00How to Get an Agent: Part One – The Query Letter<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week I’m going through the steps of getting published. See yesterday’s introductory post: <a href="http://kimharrington.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-get-published.html">How to Get Published</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many people believe you have to know someone to get published. And, sure, celebrity book deals do nothing to dispel this myth. But the truth is, most book deals are made for people who had no previous publishing connections. They just wrote a great book. Then they wrote a great query letter. The query letter grabbed the attention of an agent and the book made him/her want to take you on as a client. That’s how it worked for me. I had no contacts. No special publishing secrets. I just didn’t give up and I kept on writing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before you start this process, you should know...you will get rejected. Everyone gets rejected. You might get rejected 100 times. That 101st query letter could score you an agent. Or you may have to shelve this book that you’ve poured your heart and soul into and start again with a new one. That’s why this is a tough business. You need to have thick skin. You. Have. To. Want. It. I’ve read that the average number of manuscripts people write before they score their first deal is four. Sure, some people sell their first book. But others write ten before they sell. And you don’t know what your magic number is going to be. (My magic number? I signed with my agent for manuscript number three, but that one didn’t sell. <em>Clarity</em> was manuscript number four.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With those caveats done, let’s move on to your query letter. The purpose of the letter is to sell you and your book to an agent. The letter shouldn’t be too long. One or two paragraphs about the book and one paragraph about yourself. Be sure to include basic info on the book (genre and word count). And for the love of all that is holy make sure it’s written well! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I highly recommend getting your query letter critiqued by fellow writers. Some sites where you can do that include <a href="http://queryshark.blogspot.com/">Query Shark</a>, the <a href="http://www.writers.net/forum/10">WritersNet</a> forum, and the <a href="http://absolutewrite.com/forums/">Absolute Write</a> forums. (I'm sure there are more sites, too. If you know of any, please post them in the comments!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">AgentQuery has a great page on <a href="http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx">How to Write a Query</a>. It really is a must read! Lots of details and links to query letters that worked. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have a kick-butt query letter written? Great! Now you need someone to send it to. So tomorrow, in the next installment, I’ll discuss researching agents and how to find the perfect agent for you.</span>Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-87714618776596112572010-06-28T09:10:00.000-04:002011-09-04T18:35:38.373-04:00How to Get Published<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I’ve started working on a FAQ to include on my website. One of the most commonly asked questions authors get is, “So how do you get published?” And the answer is a little too long to include in the FAQ. So I’m answering it in detail, here on the blog, spread over five days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Note: there are many ways to get published, but I’m focusing on the way I did it. The traditional ‘write a book, get an agent, get a book deal’ way. Even though it took me 10,000 years, that’s how I did it.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Step one in getting published: write a book. Seems obvious, but I’m serious. Don’t worry about agents or publishers unless you have a completed novel. According to my made up statistics, a gazillion people say they want to write a novel. Out of this gazillion, only 1% will turn the TV off, stop <em>talking</em> about writing a novel and actually start it. And out of that group, only a small percentage will actually finish a novel. So before you start worrying about query letters and book signings, see if you’re in that small percentage who can even finish a book. (I was guilty of this myself for a long time. My recommendation for a cure? BIC. The well-known, well-loved butt in chair method. It works.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’ve finished your book? Awesome. Reach around and pat yourself on the back because that is a huge accomplishment! Even if nothing else comes from this, even if it never gets published, you have finished a novel-length manuscript. That. Is. Awesome. Go out to dinner and celebrate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, set the book aside for a week or two. Don’t even think about it during that time. Then return to it, fresh and ready to edit. Send it to trusted, honest, knowledgeable critique partners. Then revise and edit again. Lather, rinse, repeat. When you think it’s in the best shape you can get it in, it’s time to get an agent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How do you get an agent? For that, you’ll have to come back tomorrow!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-71386694481236646392009-10-12T08:41:00.001-04:002010-02-01T15:12:44.590-05:002011 Debut Authors<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s official! Check out </span><a href="http://community.livejournal.com/2011debuts/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Elevensies: Tasty books for 2011</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are a group of YA and MG authors whose first novels debut in 2011. We’re in the early stages now, with new members coming on board each week as they score their book deals. As time goes on we’ll have even more info on our books, discussions about the publishing industry, tips, giveaways and more! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m a member of this motley crew. Head on over and read our bios where you’ll learn 11 random, interesting things about each of us. </span><a href="http://community.livejournal.com/2011debuts/10354.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here’s mine</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Learn who fell off a cliff, who was once a tarot card reader, who met Prince Charles, and more!</span>Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14284159.post-8936768896922961272008-01-01T13:39:00.015-05:002014-05-14T08:49:31.148-04:00Buy the Books<strong>Available Now!</strong><br />
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FORGET ME<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780399165290">IndieBound</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-K-Harrington/dp/0399165290">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forget-me-ka-harrington/1117163797">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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THE DEAD AND BURIED<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/hybrid?filter0=kim+harrington">IndieBound</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0545333024">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dead-and-buried-kim-harrington/1111268717">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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CLARITY<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780545230513">IndieBound</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clarity-Novel-Kim-Harrington/dp/0545230519">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/clarity-kim-harrington/1100040304?ean=9780545230513">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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PERCEPTION<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780545230537">IndieBound</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perception-Clarity-Novel-Kim-Harrington/dp/0545230535/">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perception-kim-harrington/1031034197">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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SLEUTH OR DARE #1: PARTNERS IN CRIME<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780545389648">IndieBound</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sleuth-Dare-1-Partners-Crime/dp/054538964X/">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleuth-or-dare-1-kim-harrington/1106345447">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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SLEUTH OR DARE #2: SLEEPOVER STAKEOUT<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780545389655">IndieBound</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sleuth-Dare-2-Sleepover-Stakeout/dp/0545389658/">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleepover-stakeout-kim-harrington/1108898969?ean=9780545389655">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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SLEUTH OR DARE #3: FRAMED & DANGEROUS<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780545389662">IndieBound</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sleuth-Dare-3-Framed-Dangerous/dp/0545389666">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/framed-and-dangerous-kim-harrington/1109230171?ean=9780545389662">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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You look nice today. Really. That shirt is awesome. I like you.Kim Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08418263881244080814noreply@blogger.com