The Countdown to #PeaceTalks Continues! Only 11 More Weeks!

/ Marcia

Me, basically. Except for, you know … the really skinny part!

Welp, back again, folks. Still counting the weeks until the release of Peace Talks. We’re down to eleven now, and before long, it’ll be SINGLE DIGITS! Woo and also Hoo! It’s getting closer every day, and I have big news to share with you! The cover for Battle Ground has now been revealed, too! (Thanks for the heads up, Jeanne!) And it’s a real winner. Honestly, I like it much better than the strange blue/pink/lavender wash on Peace Talks. This one just screams action and adventure, don’t you think?

Of course, at this stage of the game, I wouldn’t much care if the cover was blank, just as long as I can get my hands on the books. (Okay, that’s a bold and blatant lie. I LOVE cover art with a passion, especially Chris McGrath’s cover art, and double especially Chris McGrath’s Dresden Files cover art. But you get my drift.) Battle Ground will be available on September 29,  in case you want to go ahead and pre-order. I did. (Surprised?)

Fun Memes of the Day


Harry as a Much Younger Wizard
(Same cover artist: Chris McGrath; Same model: John Paul Pfeiffer)

Last week, we talked about Mouse, Harry’s Foo Dog. Foo dogs are a huge dog named for the Chinese guard “dogs” of old, which were actually statues of lions outside their temples. Not sure if “foos” are an accepted registered breed or not–topic for another day–but there ARE pictures of them online, and here are a few I found, along with this wonderful artist’s rendering of Harry and Mouse.

Don’t know about you, but whatever its origin and no matter what it’s called, one of these guys should deter just about any threat. 😀

To wrap up this week’s posts, I have a little gift for anyone interested. A 1920 x 1080 pixel desktop wallpaper I created, which will save at full size.  Enjoy! (NOTE: If this doesn’t save at full size, let me know and I’ll send you the file.)

I’ll see you next week as the countdown continues. We’ll be talking other Dresden Files characters and how they fit into Harry’s world, and featuring artwork by various folks who seem inspired by this series.  See you then.

26 thoughts on “The Countdown to #PeaceTalks Continues! Only 11 More Weeks!”

  1. I have never heard of this writer or this series, Marcia. It interests me that a lot of famous US books don’t really come over the ocean. It seems that the UK has their famous authors and books and the US has theirs and the two don’t cross over that much. I have learned of so many new books from the US writers.

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    • I’m sorry you don’t know about the Dresden Files, Robbie. Might be my favorite series of all times, for various reasons. And it is hugely popular here, for sure. (Next week, I’ll be sharing some of the merchandise the series has spawned). But just because you aren’t familiar with it doesn’t mean you can’t grab a copy and check it out. Keep in mind that the first book was written many years ago and I believe was started as a college project. It was entertaining. But every single book has gotten better and better, and I’m hoping the same will be true for Peace Talks (#16) and Battle Ground (#17). Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you’ll check out Harry Dresden. 😀

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  2. Same here, Robbie! But I’ve ordered the fourth book in the series after Marcia’s enthusiastic review of the character. My research (!) led me to the fourth because some said that the series took a while to develop into what it is now. That picture of Harry Dresden and Mouse is wonderful and I’m already a bit enamoured!

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    • You mentioned before that you were planning to start with the 4th, but I would recommend starting at the beginning. You’ll miss a LOT of character development, introductions to key players, especially Sgt. Karrin Murphy, and the like. The first books are not boring, believe me. They may have improved steadily throughout the series, but they were well worth the read. Just sayin’ …

      I’m glad you’re planning to check it out, but I do think you’ll be missing a lot of you skip three books. Besides, how can I talk to you about them if you haven’t read them? 😀

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        • Wooohooooo. I think. Now I’m worried you’ll hate them and wonder what I’ve been talking about. 😀 Seriously, you can tell it’s a series finding its way, but many of the character relationships start there, and carry forward. And it’s fun to watch it get better and better. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 😀 ❤

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          • Well, I dithered a bit initially as it didn’t feel right not beginning with the first one. Seems I forgot that I should have plenty of reading time on my hands for a while! I now have Book One on my Kindle. 🙂 ❤ 🙂

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            • I hope it doesn’t disappoint. I remember that I liked it and thought it was definitely worth getting #2, and liked that one even more, and by the time I’d hit #4 or #5, I was totally hooked. Harry is such a wonderful character. Snarky, funny, loving, generous, brave, and always, always trying to do the right thing. And there’s plenty of character growth over time, too, which is always good. Plus, now and then some rather profound moments and dialogue come along, as well. I’ll be interested in seeing what you think. 🙂 ❤

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    • Yeah, that cover for Battle Ground has me ALL excited! I’m counting the days. Oh, wait. Did I actually just say that? 😀 😀 😀 That particular artist does a lot of Dresden art, and I’ll be sharing more of it ahead. Especially pictures of Harry and Thomas. There are a LOT of renditions of Harry out there, but other than the ones by this artist, my faves will always be the covers. I’ll share several, though, so you can decide for yourselves. 🙂

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    • Yeah, foo dogs (possibly Tibetan mastiffs) are pretty amazing. I wouldn’t want to make one mad at me. 😀
      Glad you liked the meme. That’s how I’ve felt through this LOOOONG stretch with no Dresden fix for six years! OMG. No wonder I’m crazed that the new book is almost upon us. 😀 Thanks for stopping by, Teri! 😀

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  5. Would you believe I haven’t tried any of these books?? I’m afraid that if I start, I won’t be able to stop. Great cover and I love the images your shared. Have fun reading and thanks for the laugh with the skeleton. Waiting for books is so hard!

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    • That’s probably a realistic fear, Diana. It becomes more and more addictive, but it’s a great thing to be addicted to. Once you become attached to Harry Dresden, you just can’t get enough. 😀 Hope you’ll try them someday. 😀 And you’ll have it easy for the first fifteen books. You can read them one after another. (My favorite way to read a series. Straight through.) 😀 Glad you liked the skeleton. SO true for Dresden fans. It’s been far, far too long, but hopefully, he’s back with the one a year program. (Otherwise, I won’t live long enough to see how it all turns out! 😯 ) Thanks for stopping by! 😀

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  6. I love those memes. Trust the guy who did the research, Fu dogs are not real. Tibetan Mastiffs are and they are huge. I included both in Serang, but did not give the mastiffs a name since it’s a fantasy world. I always enjoyed Dresden and am happy to track his comeback with you.

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    • Glad you enjoyed the memes, Craig, and yeah, I gathered “foo” dogs are kind of a slang name for the lion guardian statues. I know Tibetan mastiffs are real, and as far as I could determine, too, they are likely the ones called “foo” dogs. They do have a sort of lion-ish gargoyle-ish look to their heads, and I don’t think you could find a more hulkingly huge and intimidating canine out there.

      BTW, I do have Serang on my Kindle and am hoping to get to it SOON! And I’m glad you are tracking the return of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden with me. (That’s the name of our black & white tuxedo cat we found in our woodpile. And his calico sister is Murphy. 😀 All our animals are named for book characters. 😀 )

      Thanks for stopping by, Craig. And we move ever closer to the big day! 😀

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        • Pretty interesting. The only one I’m actually familiar with so far is Mouse, and I do love him. AND I’m anxious to see what’s happening to Mouse and Mister–and my favorite, Bob the Skull–in the next book! Not so happy about their current predicaments, as described in the last ones. But then, Harry’s whole world has been pretty much turned upside-down. 😦

          And while I know that wizardly adventures are the name of the game in this series, Butcher needs to pay attention to the one relationship that has been constant throughout, namely Harry and Sgt. Karrin Murphy! I will be forevermore disappointed if that isn’t addressed at least somewhat in this next book. He set it up in the last one, and it BETTER make progress. Even SLOW progress. I’ve waited years for that part of the story to fall in place. 😉

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            • Oh, I don’t expect it to become “official” until the final book. I agree that it should be a slow, tantalizing waltz, but they’ve been completely ignoring the MUSIC! 😯 Until Skin Games. Now, I’d like to see it progress a tiny bit, or for there to be some indication that that Harry is starting to realize how he feels about Murphy. Or vice versa. Just some nod to the fact that they are looking at each other differently will work for me. Progress! Is that too much to ask?? (Especially since it was clear from the very first short story and book that they were destined to end up as much, much more than they started out.)

              Plus, together, Harry Dresden and Karrin Murphy would be an unstoppable force! The gal has guts! And determination second to none, not even Harry! Yeah. The Dream Team, for sure. (That’s my story, an’ I’m stickin’ to it. I just hope Jim Butcher sticks to it. 😀 😀 😀 )

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  7. Well, I took your advice and bought the first book in the Harry Dresden series yesterday instead of starting with the fourth book.
    I’m soooo delighted with your advice. I loved this one and it’s hard to believe that something as good as this gets better as the series unfolds.
    Off to buy the next one… 🙂 ❤ 🙂

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    • Wooooooohooooooooooooo! We have a new Harry Dresden fan! Now each book has a different story to tell, or an extension of an ongoing plot, so of course, each reader will have different ones that are their favorites. But there is SO much to the world building, and the magical or supernatural creatures in the series, there’s always something to love in each one. And, then, there’s watching Harry in action and his character growing as it all plays out. If you loved the first one, I predict you’ll enjoy every one of them, with some as special favorites. I’m excited to hear your thoughts as you get deeper into the plots and the world! 😀 Yay! 😀

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