Kim Harrison facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dawn Cook
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Harrison at a book-signing event for A Perfect Blood, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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| Born | September 30, 1966 Midwest |
| Pen name | Kim Harrison |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | 2002 to present |
| Genre | Fantasy |
Kim Harrison (born September 30, 1966) is a pen name of American author Dawn Cook. Harrison is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 best selling Hollows urban fantasy series, but she has also published over two dozen books spanning the gamut from young adult, accelerated-science thriller, anthology, and a unique, full-color world book, and has scripted two original graphic novels set in the Hollows universe. She has also published traditional fantasy under the name Dawn Cook.
The Rachel Morgan urban fantasy series is set in an alternate history in which a worldwide pandemic caused by genetically modified tomatoes led to the death of a large portion of the world's human population. Under the name of Dawn Cook, she writes the Decoy Princess and Truth series, published in the first few years of the 21st century.
Harrison has received praise from fellow authors, and has reached the #1 spot on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Early life
Kim Harrison was born and raised in the Midwest. A self-proclaimed "former tomboy," she grew up the only girl in a family of boys. Despite her love of writing, she took an unorthodox approach to it, and claims to have avoided English courses beyond the basic requirements in high school and college.
Career
Harrison began her career with writing traditional science fiction, but began writing contemporary fantasy after deciding to focus more on character development. She spent the better part of a decade struggling as an aspiring author before meeting her current agent at a writing convention. He then introduced her to Diana Gill, who became Harrison's editor. Together, they produced Dead Witch Walking, and her first book was published in paperback by HarperTorch in 2004. Since then, she has written twelve more books, two graphic novels, and extensive world book in the Hollows series, also called the Rachel Morgan series, (most with titles punning off Clint Eastwood movies) and contributed to multiple anthologies, with prequels to the Hollows books, and one with a young adult story.
After the success of her first novel, Harrison was able to resign from her day job, devoting herself to writing full-time. Her favorite author is Ray Bradbury. She references music as one of her strongest writing influences, providing song lists for several of her characters. In her spare time, she communicates with fans via her self-maintained website and blog.
Harrison is a member of the International Thriller Writers.
The first two Truth books were originally one book, which was split into two separate books for publishing. That the two are the same, and that Cook was Harrison, was disclosed in a May 2009 Locus magazine article.
I'm glad it's out in the open, because it is hard to maintain these two separate identities, and remind your friends or family when you go out, "I'm Kim today, so don't call me Dawn." The division has served its purpose. I'm still going to be Kim, but now if somebody calls me Dawn I won't have to say "Shut your mouth!"
