The Announcement at Dragon Con 2013

Sep 04, 2013

Sorry that you couldn’t all be at DragonCon to hear my special announcement. It would have been awesome if everyone that had wanted to be there had been able to, but I hope the rest of you had a great labor day weekend. Jon and I had a blast!
How do you celebrate twenty years of writing a serious like Anita Blake? I’m writing on the new Merry Gentry, A Shiver of LIght which will be out summer 2014, but if I’ve done all my pages on Merry then I’ve been giving myself permission to work on anything I want to write in the afternoon, or evening. So, what have I been writing? You’re about to find out, because you’ll be able to preorder the first story, Dancing, tomorrow September 5!
I mention a lot of throwaway lines in the Anita books, scenes we never get to see in the novels, because there just isn’t time in the middle of the mystery. One of those never seen scenes is Sergeant Zerbrowski’s annual police family cookout where Anita takes Nathaniel and Micah. I wrote a novelette where we get to finally meet Zerbrowski’s entire family, and see him and his wife, Katie, at home. We also see how Anita, Micah, and Nathaniel’s relationship has grown from the events in Affliction. Anita and the guys happen to be babysitting Matthew, so we get to see them do the whole family thing with all the other cops’ families. Of course, something goes pear-shaped, but then it wouldn’t be a story if everything went smoothly, right?
How do you celebrate twenty years of a series? For me, I’m planning to write some of the scenes we never get to see on stage in the novels, and things the readers, you, have said, “I’d really like to see that.” Well, guess what, me, too.
I’d planned on maybe putting all the short stories in an anthology of Anita stories, and maybe we’ll do that someday, but thanks to technology you don’t have to wait for this first one, Dancing, you can preorder it as an e-special tomorrow, and have it on your computer, or e-reader, September 17!
Depending on how this one does you may get more of the shorter pieces as e-specials, and we might even do more out-takes like Beauty, but starting this month is your chance to encourage my muse and me to keep writing these extra adventures, and sharing them with you almost as fast as I can write them. Come dance, laugh, argue, and prove that love and friendship just might conquer all. Come Dancing with Anita, Micah, and Nathaniel tomorrow.

order at Amazon  or Barnes & Noble

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50 thoughts on “The Announcement at Dragon Con 2013”

  2. I am thrilled!! I’ve always wondered because these gatherings that they went to were mentioned but never shown in the books and I am a huge fan of Zerbrowski. He seems to me part of what helps keep Anita grounded in the “real world”. Looking forward to this…!!

    Take care and keep writing! Thank you.

  5. OMG I am so excited! 😀 I can’t wait to read this and look forward to many more!
    Thank you Laurell, you absolutely rock!

  7. What a wonderful way to celebrate 20 years! Looking forward to release of Dancing. I purchased the copy of Beauty and loved reading it for the additional insight on Anita.

  9. I will be the first in the book store, so Thank You, please keep writing, I have every book you have written, I Love Love your books

  13. Why can’t I find it in the nook store or on google play. It doesn’t seem fair that it is only on kindle and ipad.

  14. I have followed Anita for about 10 years, I think . . . love the stories, and my daughter (14 year old!~) has been following them too. I’m hoping you never stop writing them, I have found very few authors who can hold my attention that long . . . Patricia Briggs, Robert Heinlein – so for me, you’re in very select company.

  15. I wish the e-specials were free. My husband is the only one that works and we have 4kid’s ages 18, 13, 8 and 31/2. I save up what I can to buy your books but I just got a Kindle for my birthday and I love it but I don’t purchase books or games on it I only get the free ones and you are my absolute favorite author of all time. I have all Anita’s books and all of Merry’s books too!

  16. aw 🙁 i hate missing all these e-specials. i love the anita books!! and i hate that i dont get to read these because i can’t afford an e-reader and what not. its sad. but im still a huge fan and cant wait for the next actual book, with a spine and pages in it, to come out!!

    1. Have you tried looking for a free kindle app down load for the comp? I know nook has it but i cant remember if kindle does

        1. i had no idea they had that for pc. im kinda computer dumb though. thank you soooo much!! im totally gonna check it out! i dont want to miss any more of these. THANK YOU!!

  17. Of course I preordered this because yes, us faithful readers want to read these short stories. I find the idea of you releasing a book/collection of your throw-away scenes or dialogue that wouldnt fit into a novel very very exciting. You come up with GREAT quotes and one-liners and I would absolutly love to be able to read some things that couldnt make it into the timeline. Please keep up the wonderful stories and know we all love you and your work.

  18. Sooo Very Excited!!! Cant wait for the Merry book!! Thank you Thank you!!! I just started the Anita series but looking forward to all that is to come! Absolutely Fabulous Reading!!!

  19. Never stop writing ! Anita Blake is the freaking best ,better than any other series or show. You are bad ass , KEEP EM COMING !!!!!!

  20. Now that is an awesome birthday present for me. A story from a series I find absolutely fantastic. Side not, looking forward to Merry next book too.

  21. *doing happy dance* This is so one I wanted more on! Cannot wait to read. Soothes my soul. I was so afraid there would be no more Anita. She’s my hero. Thank you! I have my copy preordered!

  22. Can’t wait to read it. it will be a little later for me because I’ve been out of work for surgery for over a month and will not get to go back to work until after the 19th of Sept.
    Thanks for writing this!
    Gail

  23. I can’t wait for it to come out. I’m one of the biggest fan of yours. I have every single copy of your books except affliction. Anita Blake Series are one of my favorites. I even start collecting the comics. Please keep up the good writing. It is always a pleasure to read your books.

  25. I would love to see this, but I don’t do Amazon. Any other options? I support “my” Barnes & Noble. Thanks!

  26. Why is everything always e-books now? I’m old school and prefer books with actual pages that I can stop and start reading without requiring electricity. I don’t even own an iPod and refuse to use a “smart phone” because they’re just too expensive and I don’t need them. When you gather all the short stories and publish them in actual book form, then I’ll be the first in line, but until then, I’ll pass.

    1. Any word on when these novellas and short stories will be published in real book form? I’m with Crystal – I much prefer the actual book over any e-book.

  28. So, if I got this right: the events in this novelette take palce AFTER the events in Affliction, right? I’m a bit behind in reading the Anita Blake series (taking my time to enjoy every page 😉 ) but I’d like to follow the chronological order of events….
    Great idea anyway, it’s so good to have short stories or even mini stories to fill in gaps and keep us entertained while we wait for the next novel! 😀 So, keep them coming please, if possible!

    Thansk a lot!

  30. YAY!!!!!!!!!!! just got done re-reading the entire Anita series, and am currently re-reading the Merry series….. I love your work!!! It makes me so happy, every time. thank you for your brilliance 🙂

  34. Is this an american only release? I don’t understand why people have been able to purchase this but I can’t? I have a kindle and it has 0 results when i search. When i follow the link above Im also unable to purchase. As a loyal fan in New Zealand who owns ALL your books (actual books that is) I feel very sad. And frustrated.

  36. When is the next full length book coming out? I don’t like Micah and Nathanial, prefer Jean-Claude and Richard.. So might skip this one.

  37. I really hope that you can do an actual book of these little stories because my mom won’t do the e-specials. She’s a bit skeptical of everything on the Internet after being tricked by a scam company. 🙁 I know it’ll be amazing though, your work always is.

  38. I have all your Anita and Merry books!! I’m soooo excited to hear you’re going to let us into Merry’s world again! Girl you CANNOT write fast enough for me ha! I’m omw to google play now to dl Dancing. Thank you so much for sharing Anita and Merry with us!

  39. Love your books.in fact I have them all except the latest anita blake.helps me get through my surgeries and trials that comes with it..mercys world is amazing but anita is a kick the hinde we all want to be once in awhile.thank you for your gift of taking us into worlds away from ours .its a ride I love with each book you create.thank you.

  40. I love Meredith and all her men. I am so excited about the new book. I can’t wait. Summer 2014 seems a long way off

  41. I absolutely love reading your novels an novellas. They are my time out. When a rough day has been had picking up your novels (no matter how many times I have read them) helps ease me. They are my escape. Besides they are fun to read.

  42. Just a question – when Anita had to kill Cookie monster she mentioned how hard it was to deal with his killing – having slept with him recently – which book are they together?

  43. As much as I love Anita and her boys and girl, I love merry and her boys just as much. I’m on the third book in the series of merry gentry. This is my third time going thru the series and am looking forward to next years book. Thank you Laurell for your imagination. You make the characters real to us.

  44. Yes! Finally more Killing Frost!

    I like Merry well enough, but the real reason I kept up with the series was because of Frost, and to a slightly lesser extent, Mistral and Doyle. Can’t wait…

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