April 14: BittenByBooks.com Q&A

[kimluvs2read]

When will Jim start answering the questions?

[Knight Disciple]

When will Jim start answering the questions?

He already is. Look for stuff with "ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER" as the username. He's just taking a few at a time, and they're getting swallowed by the other comments.

Edit: My only fear is the questions of some getting lost in the shuffle.

[Maltese Falcon]

Grrrr.
I get service unavailable.

[Priscellie]

Grrrr.
I get service unavailable.

Try again in a few minutes.  The site's under a pretty heavy load!

[Maltese Falcon]

Drats it's over.

So much learned, so much still unknown.

[Spot]

Today's Q&A just underlines how great Jim is as a writer and as a person. I had a great time reading all his replies, snarky and otherwise.

[Priscellie]

Yup!  Five long hours of brainpicking.  I can't wait to see the discussions that get kicked off as a result!

[Spot]

Yup!  Five long hours of brainpicking.  I can't wait to see the discussions that get kicked off as a result!

The forums are already overloaded, I think. I keep getting random "time out" errors. What can I say, as a rule us nerds tend to be passionate.

[Jessica]

Info!

# Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 12:52 pm

“When Queen Mab heals Harry to become the Winter Knight does she also heal his burned hand?”

No.

Mab digs scars.


Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 12:51 pm

“Would you ever consider writing another novella from Thomas’ perspective?”

Oh, absolutely. Probably will, in fact, write up a short piece or novella about what Thomas has to do to pay off Lara for saving Molly at the end of Changes.

“Your website says you already know how your Dresden series will end. I was wondering, when you started on this great adventure, did you know how many books you would write and how many subplots you would create? How far from your original story have you ventured?”

I originally planned for 20 books, but it took me 12 books to fit in the events of what had originally been planned for 10. So, it might take us 22 to 24 books to get to the big old honking apocalyptic trilogy which I’m planning to use as a kind of capstone for the series.

“Does Eb know about Thomas?”

Harry doesn’t know, one way or the other.

“Would like to know so that (kidding here) becasue I so want to throttle you for leaving us with the cliff hanger…. WAAAAAAAA. (had to get that off my chest; Loved Changes and I want the next book, NOW).”

Cliffhanger? What cliffhanger? Cliffhangers are when you DON’T know what happened to the character, or how they will get out of their predicament, or how the story is gonna end.

The story of Changes, the rescue of Maggie Dresden, finished. Harry set forth to rescue his daughter, no matter if it cost him his life–and it did. The story got told, it wrapped up more storylines than any two or three other books in the series, and ended. Of course there’s an issue of “where does the story go from here,” but honestly, how is that different from /any/ of the past ten Dresden Files?

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 1:01 pm

“1.) Are we going to find out for certain (not speculation) who hired the hitman in Changes?”

Absolutely.

“2.) Are we going to find out where the Hexenwolf belts came from in Fool Moon?”

Several folks have already worked it out, actually. The pieces are there if you want to put them together, though eventually I’ll state it outright.

“3.) When will Harry finally get the whole truth about his past? (As in his mom, grandfather — who they REALLY are/were?)”

I doubt he’ll get much more truth than any of us do. As far as who people REALLY were… well. What Harry knows so far is all accurate. I’m really not sure of the direction of this question.

What? Professional assassin for the White Council and powerful wizardess who consorted with the White Court aren’t interesting enough?

[Jessica]

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 1:09 pm

“I am interested in knowing if we will ever get back to Mouse’s comment about “winning” Harry. I’m totally mystified. ”

It might help to know that while Mouse and Lea are both using the same word, winning, they are talking about entirely different meanings of it. As a result, Lea was mystified, too.

“I am also highly intrigued by the Gray Council showing up as 12 in number.”

Thirteen, actually: Harry was already there.

“So we found out who 2 of them were, i’d like to know how many of the rest we already know and how many of them haven’t been formally introduced to us yet.”

Hang on, counting… You already know six of the folks who showed up at Chichen Itza, excluding McCoy and Vadderung.

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 1:15 pm

“I have two questions, First are you still into and attending NERO?”

Actually, I helped out a little with the founding of an organization made from a group of chapters who broke away from NERO to found their own gaming system. It’s called Heroic Interactive Theatre, and you can find out more at http://www.heroicit.net.

We still game at the same site with the same folks, but we’re using a different rules system.

“Second, Is Toot-toot’s increase in size due to his actions, or the title and followers he has acquired doing Harry’s bidding?”

It’s due to /Harry’s/ actions, mostly. Toot done hitched his star to Harry’s wagon. As a result, he’s taken actions he never would have taken on his own, some of which had major consequences. Toot has effectively become a much more powerful being than he was as an independent dewdrop faerie. The physical growth is a reflection of that fact.

I mean gosh, where do you think the Sidhe came from in the first place?

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 1:21 pm

“1)i just saw a post in the last 2 days about Lionsgate possibly working on a Dresden film. I know you briefly touched on the topic of a film at your Seattle signing, but can you confirm if this is a new development in the last couple days, i.e. there could be a Dresden film in the works?”

I’m just the writer, man. Lionsgate doesn’t really keep me up to date on their business, now that they hold the option. Heck, they did not so much as comp me a copy of the DVDs.

If there is a movie in the works, it’s news to me. I’ll find out about it when there’s a press release, just like everyone else.

It’s certainly possible that something is moving, but I find it unlikely that anyone short of a Lionsgate employee or well-placed industry insider would have information like that.

I’d chalk it up to (yet another) rumor until there’s something more solid to go on.

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 1:32 pm

“Could Uriel have chosen to help Harry if he had wanted to, or is there actually some universal limit that prevents him from directly influencing the world in such overt fashion?”

A little of both. Technically, it was /possible/ for Uriel to act directly, but the consequences would have been extreme, both for him and for the mortal world–to the point where you’d have to be moderately insane to do it. Or else, really, really committed to some kind of personal moral compass that was 90 degrees off true.

The last angel to do that is a little notorious.

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 1:34 pm

“Is there any chance of Huginn and Muninn (Odin’s crows) showing up in the future?”

They already did.

[Jessica]

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 1:36 pm

“Was Sirothrax a major dragon like Ferrovax or a minor dragon?”

He was the real deal, though he was in some ways the weakest of the remaining great dragons.

Ferrovax wouldn’t have given a damn about some nobody minor dragon being slain.

#


# Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 1:38 pm

“Are there any plans for a spin-off series following Molly or the Knights of the Cross or any of the other supporting characters that doesn’t directly involve Harry Dresden?”

Not at the moment–though it might be one of those things I run desperately back to a few years after I finish the Dresden Files, frantic to pay of my… gambling debts or… or mob creditors or something.

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 1:43 pm

“Could a single mortal vessel be the Knight for both winter and summer?”

Very. Briefly.

Matter and anti-matter reactions come to mind.

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 1:53 pm

“Was the White Council and the Red court ever at war before this last one? what kind of diplomatic relationship did they have? friendly? peaceful? trying to kill each other at ever other turn?”

Mostly it was small-scale conflicts between individuals. The Red Court has pretty much been headquartered in South and Central America, generally, while the White Council stuck to the wealthier nations of Europe, the US, and the upper end portions of Asia. It moderated the potential for conflict, though individuals fought in outlying areas where those general borders overlapped–places like Chicago.

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 2:08 pm

“How dead is Kemmler? About as dead as Justin, maybe?”

Oh, at least that dead.

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 2:11 pm

“I don’t remember reading that the Doom of Damocles on Molly was taken off, so due to Harry’s current situation, what is going to happen to her?”

Good observation. It was never removed from Molly, and without Dresden around, there is no one speaking up for her and intervening with the death sentence already passed on her.

As for what is going to happen, well… we’ll see.

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 2:19 pm

“With the light-hearted joke where the characters were cast as Lord of the Rings roles who would you put as Gimli?”

Sanya.

# Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 2:38 pm

“Have you ever related Harrys character (not appearance) to someone in real life?? I dont know why, but his funny, sarcastic responses always remind me of Hugh Lauries character in “House””

Oh, I could so totally see Hugh Laurie playing Dresden in a movie. Though I think he could do an excellent Marcone, as well.

Comment by ANSWERS FROM - JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 2:46 pm

“Hi–I have a question about Mouse that I hope is okay for you to answer. I have a hard time picturing what Mouse looks like, other than he is large and has gray fur/hair. What current dog breed does he resemble?”

Mouse looks very much like a Caucasian Mountain Dog–a breed developed by the Soviets for military/security use. They’re frigging enormous and bred for aggression and intelligence.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/3151411683_12e8024363.jpg

http://www.europuppyusa.com/images/dog_breed_info/34_1.jpg

http://www.littlebearcaucasians.org/pictures/Lada-020106.jpg

and the pic most like the image in my head:

http://www.bdxmsc.gov.cn/yzjs/UploadFiles_7855/200905/2009052511135048.jpg

# Comment by JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 3:09 pm

“Is it just coincidence that the Blue Beetle and the Water Beetle are both Beetles or is there a batman (batmobile, batboat, batjet) scenario going on in the background?”

It was more about Thomas poking fun at Harry by naming his cruddy old boat after Harry’s cruddy old car.

Comment by JIM BUTCHER — April 14, 2010 @ 3:22 pm

“Hm, will we see more of Harry Subconscious in any of the books (he is somewhat of a favorite character for me) and will we ever met Mike the Jesus of mechanics?”

We’ll run into id-Harry again, sure. I really ought to have Mike make an appearance, sometime. Let me check the schedule…

“I’ll sneak in a second question to since you worked so much with The Dresden Files, have you ever literally dreamt about something in the Dresdenverse?”

Probably, but my dreams tend to be really hectic and fractured. I mean, one of my dreams is like trying to watch TV while a monkey flips through a hundred channels as fast as he can. I seldom remember them.

[Lionheart]

Wow allot of posts today on the site.  Thanks to everyone that made a post.  On the having to refresh, it's tough once you design a website to change things around too much without cost.  It's been this format since I've been reviewing books almost a year ago.

Rocky Shields

Here is the link on BittenbyBooks to my review for Changes
http://bittenbybooks.com/?author=56