Jim Butcher

This week’s Dresden Drop brings new Q&A events, writing classes, preorders for a deluxe edition of Storm Front, and a spotlight on some fabulous fanart! Read on!

Both books in this summer’s Dresden Duology are out in the wild! You can now read Peace Talks and Battle Ground, volumes 16 and 17 of this anticipated 25 book saga.

“This is urban fantasy at its best, combining spectacular magic and deeply explored character.” —Publishers Weekly

Still need a copy? Support your favorite local independent bookstore or order in hardcover, audio, or ebook through the Jim-Butcher.com Store. You can grab a signed copy from Mysterious Galaxy and Barbara’s Bookstore (though we STRONGLY recommend confirming availability of signed stock before placing your order at either place) or a book with a signed bookplate from Worldbuilders.

---

Friday, Friday, Friday!

Jim is going to be BUSY this Friday, October 9th! In the morning, he’ll sit down for a Q&A hosted by James Marsters and a series of personalized meet-and-greets at a Virtual New York Comic Con, and in the evening, he’ll teach two writing classes virtually through Arizona State University.

NYCC: 20 Years of Harry Dresden: 11:30am-12:00pm ET / 8:30am-9:00am PT

Join Jim Butcher and series narrator James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as they dive into the world of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Chicago’s first (and only) Wizard P.I.

NYCC: Jim Butcher Meet-and-Greet: 12:30-1:30pm ET / 9:30am PT

Join bestselling author Jim Butcher in a personal online one-to-one video meet and greet! Ticket includes a branded video recording of the experience as a memento and a copy of Battle Ground with a signed bookplate. ONLY 30 SLOTS AVAILABLE.  

ASU: Fundamentals of Writing: 8:00-9:00pm ET / 5:00-6:00pm PT

The first of Jim’s two writing craft classes covers the fundamentals. This class is FREE to the public! Register at the link to watch via Zoom, or watch it on Facebook. This event will NOT be recorded, so you’ll need to catch it live!

ASU: Scenes and Sequels: 9:30-11:30pm ET / 6:30-8:30 PT

The second of Jim’s two craft classes covers “scenes and sequels,” a subject Jim broached in an excellent LJ post back in 2006. In this paid two-hour workshop ($89 for ASU students, $99 for guests), he’ll go into much more thorough examination of these essential structural elements of fiction. This class filled up before we could promote it, but interested parties can join the waitlist.

---

Q&A Replay

Did you miss last week’s Q&As? Check out Jim’s interviews at Barbara’s Bookstore and Muskogee Public Library.

---

Grim Oak Press’ Storm Front On Sale Now

Shawn Speakman of Grim Oak Press has unveiled a full-color deluxe edition of Storm Front, lavishly illustrated by Chris McGrath, and you can preorder your copy now!

---

Magink Begins

We’re super jazzed about an endeavor by artist Adam Mathison-Sward, who you may recognize from his work on Jim’s short stories “Christmas Eve” and “Everything The Light Touches” and Worldbuilders’ bookplate for Battle Ground.

Every day in the month of October, he’ll be posting a new inked Dresden Files illustration, and every Saturday, he’ll livestream his work! You can vote on each Viewer’s Choice illustration in the prior Monday’s illustration on his Instagram, which for this week is here. Follow his work on Instagram or Twitter! Here’s his schedule and October’s pieces so far:

---

And that’s it for this week! Visit Jim-Butcher.com every Tuesday this year for weekly Drops of never-before-seen artwork, microfiction, interviews, contests, sample chapters for Peace Talks and Battle Ground, or other tasty tidbits in our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Dresden Files. Join our new mailing list and follow @jimbutchernews on twitter to ensure you don’t miss a moment, and check the announcement post to catch up on prior Drops.

We’ll make this quick, because we know you have a book to read. At long last, Battle Ground is here!

Here’s what people are saying:

“This is urban fantasy at its best, combining spectacular magic and deeply explored character.” —Publishers Weekly

The arc begun in Peace Talks comes to a deadly, destructive finish in the 17th “Dresden Files” book—and nothing will be the same again. — LibraryJournal

“Things are going to change, for Harry more than most—in ways from which he may never recover… sets the stage for a new direction in Harry’s life.” —Booklist

Still need to snag a copy? Support your favorite local independent bookstore, preorder a regular copy through the Jim-Butcher.com Store, or order from one of our virtual signing partners in the section below. Or if you’d rather immerse yourself in the dulcet decadence of James Marsters’ performance, snag the audiobook from our store or through Jim’s publisher.

---

Virtual Events & Signed Books

Last night, Jim hung out with Matt of Mysterious Galaxy and a cohort of fans. If you missed it, you still have plenty of opportunities to hear from Jim and ask your questions all this week. The booksellers in this list are also offering signed copies of Battle Ground, so jump on that!

BARBARA’S BOOKSTORE CHICAGO: 9/29, 8:00pm ET / 7:00pm CT

FREE Virtual Q&A via Crowdcast TONIGHT, moderated by Dresden Files creative consultant and Peace Talks/Battle Ground trailer director Priscilla Spencer. Signed copies available for purchase.

BARNES & NOBLE: 9/30, 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT

FREE Virtual Q&A via B&N’s Facebook, moderated by Jim’s editor Anne Sowards. Signed copies available for purchase.

MUSCOGEE MINICON: 10/1, 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT

FREE Virtual Q&A event! Come chat on Discord with Jim and representatives from the Muskogee Public Library. Unfamiliar with Discord? Learn more here or watch the livestream on MPL’s Facebook page. No books will be sold or signed in conjunction with this event.

You can also order a signed book from Mysterious Galaxy or buy a book with a signed bookplate from Worldbuilders. Here’s a reminder of the gorgeous Adam Mathison-Sward art on the Worldbuilders bookplates:

---

Illustrated Storm Front On Sale Thursday

Shawn Speakman of Grim Oak Press has unveiled a full-color deluxe edition of Storm Front, lavishly illustrated by Chris McGrath!

Preorders now through the end of September are open ONLY to fans who own the limited or lettered editions of Shadowed Souls. Orders will open to the general public starting this Thursday, October 1st, at 11am PT. And international fans rejoice: this is available worldwide!

---

Visit Jim-Butcher.com every Tuesday this year for weekly Drops of never-before-seen artwork, microfiction, interviews, contests, sample chapters for Peace Talks and Battle Ground, or other tasty tidbits in our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Dresden Files. Join our new mailing list and follow @jimbutchernews on twitter to ensure you don’t miss a moment, and check the announcement post to catch up on prior Drops.

ONE WEEK remains until the conclusion of this summer’s Dresden Duology, and we have a slew of tantalizing treats to get you suitably psyched! Check out the reveal of the Worldbuilders bookplate, visual transcripts and behind-the-scenes images from the Battle Ground trailer, and the announcement of a new illustrated version of Storm Front!

Still need to snag a copy of Battle Ground? Support your favorite local independent bookstore, preorder a regular copy through the Jim-Butcher.com Store, or order from one of our virtual signing partners in the section below. Or if you’d rather immerse yourself in the dulcet decadence of James Marsters’ performance, snag the audiobook from our store or through Jim’s publisher.

---

Worldbuilders Bookplate Reveal

The team at Worldbuilders is proud to reveal Adam Mathison-Sward‘s exhilarating bookplate art, featuring Harry and Butters’ climactic polka-powered ride from Dead Beat! Preorder a copy of Battle Ground with a signed bookplate and enjoy Adam’s fabulous artwork while supporting worthy charities. You can also shop the rest of Worldbuilders’ Dresden collection.

---

Announcing An Illustrated Storm Front

Shawn Speakman of Grim Oak Press has unveiled a full-color deluxe edition of Storm Front, lavishly illustrated by Chris McGrath!

Preorders now through the end of September are open ONLY to fans who own the limited or lettered editions of Shadowed Souls. Orders will open to the general public starting October 1st at 11am PT. And international fans rejoice: this is available worldwide!

---

Virtual Events & Preorderpalooza

Starting Monday the 28th, we have a week of fabulous virtual Q&A events, including opportunities to order signed copies of Battle Ground! (These are actual signed copies, not copies with signed bookplates.)

MYSTERIOUS GALAXY: 9/28, 10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT

Virtual Q&A via Zoom, moderated by Mysterious Galaxy Events Director Constance Summar. Ticketed event: Buy 1 signed copy of Battle Ground OR a $5 ticket.

BARBARA’S BOOKSTORE CHICAGO: 9/29, 8:00pm ET / 7:00pm CT

FREE Virtual Q&A via Crowdcast, moderated by Dresden Files creative consultant and Peace Talks/Battle Ground trailer director Priscilla Spencer. Signed copies available for purchase.

BARNES & NOBLE: 9/30, 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT

FREE Virtual Q&A via B&N’s Facebook, moderated by Jim’s editor Anne Sowards. Signed copies available for purchase.

Note: Jim had a power outage that prevented him from participating in this past weekend’s Muskogee MiniCon event. We’re working on rescheduling that now and will announce the new date and time as soon as it’s available.

---

Trailer Transcripts

Both trailers already have captions for our deaf and heard-of-hearing fans, but we now have visually descriptive transcripts for our fans in the blind community! They may also be of interest to folks who don’t want to undermine their mental images of the characters with live action performers and anyone who wants one more source to mine as they hone their last-minute theories. Remember, two very significant scenes from the Peace Talks trailer haven’t been seen yet…

Read: Peace Talks Trailer Transcript and Battle Ground Trailer Transcript

Haven’t seen the trailers yet, or want to watch them again with the new transcript info in mind? Here are Peace Talks and Battle Ground!

---

Behind the Scenes Photos

While we’re at it, enjoy a sneak peek at the making of the Battle Ground trailer! Photos by Yrene Ramirez and Priscilla Mastrodomenico.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

---

And that’s it for this week’s entry! Visit Jim-Butcher.com every Tuesday this year for weekly Drops of never-before-seen artwork, microfiction, interviews, contests, sample chapters for Peace Talks and Battle Ground, or other tasty tidbits in our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Dresden Files. Join our new mailing list and follow @jimbutchernews on twitter to ensure you don’t miss a moment, and check the announcement post to catch up on prior Drops.

Just TWO WEEKS to go until the publication of Battle Ground, the second novel in this summer’s Dresden Duology! We have all kinds of goodies for you this week to crank your frenzied anticipation up to Eleven, including the third chapter of Battle Ground, three more videos from DragonCon, and the announcement of a new virtual con appearance this weekend!

Have you preordered Battle Ground yet? You can order a signed copy from Mysterious Galaxy, Barbara’s Bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, or a copy with a signed bookplate from Worldbuilders.  Alternately, you can also support your favorite local independent bookstore or preorder a regular copy through the Jim-Butcher.com Store! Or if audiobooks are your jam, snag James Marsters’ reading from our store or through Jim’s publisher. There’s no wrong answer!

---

Trailer Milestone

Last week, we shared the live-action book trailer for Battle Ground, and tomorrow, we anticipate hitting 50k views! As per tradition, we’ll be counting down to that milestone. Join @jimbutchernews on twitter as we rewatch the trailer together and share awesome behind-the-scenes tidbits.

---

Battle Ground, Chapter Three

The third and final sample chapter for Battle Ground is here! If you missed chapters one and two, be sure to read those first.

---

Jim Joins Muskogee MiniCon

Muskogee Public Library will be hosting a free virtual event this Saturday! Come chat on Discord with Jim and fellow authors Lev Grossman, Terry Brooks, Shawn Speakman, Tracey West, and Patrick Carman!

Jim will be speaking at 3pm Central on September 19th, and the session will be recorded for the benefit of those celebrating Rosh Hashana that day. New to Discord? Learn more here.

---

DragonCon Uploads Complete

DragonCon has uploaded ALL their 2020 programming to their streaming service! Two are available for free, and three require a Streaming Membership, a one-time $10 purchase that grants access to their complete programming catalog from this and all past DragonCons for a full year.

The following are free:

Favors, Bargains, and Glamours: The Fae in Urban Fantasy
Fae of many forms and intentions appear in Urban Fantasy. Our panelists will discuss the characteristics of the types they use in their work.
Panelists: Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Cecilia Dominic, Lisa Manifold, Bishop O’Connell, and Carol Malcolm (M)

The Dresden Files: Peace Talks Trailer Cast and Crew Panel
Join Jim Butcher, director Priscilla Spencer, and the cast and crew of the Peace Talks Trailer as they recount their experiences on this epic-level undertaking! Suzanne Solomon moderates a hilarious discussion that explores the challenges of filming a book trailer for a fanatically devoted fanbase, which actors are most like their characters, what Easter eggs are hidden in the production design, and more! We’ll also be sharing previously unseen material you won’t want to miss.
Panelists: Jason Bernardo, Jim Butcher, June Dietrich, Liz Fenning, Sarah Flannery, Stephen Gibler, Kitty Krell, Birgit Lüdemann, Wade Morrison, Tonya Nelson, Stephanie Piotrowski, Jeremy Royce, Christopher Showerman, Shelby Smith, Priscilla Spencer, Kris Stone, and Suzanne Solomon (M).

The following require a Streaming Membership:

Jim Butcher: 20 Years of Harry Dresden
Come spend an hour with the mind behind your favorite magical detective as he discusses the pending release of the new Dresden book, Battle Ground, to the things that inspired Jim along the way.
Panelists: Jim Butcher, Chris “Crispy” Lloyd (M)

Necessary Evil: Villains in Urban Fantasy
Villains in Urban Fantasy range from annoying to truly dangerous, and our panel of authors will discuss how the different types affect their characters and the plots of their stories.
Panelists: Carol Malcolm, Eric R. Asher, Jim Butcher, Faith Hunter, Jeanne C. Stein, R.R. Virdi.

Mighty Men of SF and Fantasy
Kevin J. Anderson, Jim Butcher, and Jonathan Maberry talk about their careers–sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, but always interesting.
Panelists: Kevin Anderson, Jim Butcher, Jonathan Maberry, Nancy Knight.

---

Badali Giveaway

Badali Jewelry is holding a giveaway of some of their most coveted Dresden pieces, and TOMORROW is your last day to enter! One lucky winner will score a collector’s set of Dresden Files Jewelry, consisting of an Officially Licensed sterling silver Shield Bracelet, an 8mm Ice Opal Earring (your choice of pierced or magnet), and a Limited Edition Winter Lady Pentacle.

How to Enter:
1. FOLLOW @BadaliJewelry on Instagram.
2. LIKE the original Giveaway post.
3. COMMENT your favorite Dresden Files character on the instagram post.

Bonus entry:
TAG up to two (2) friends who you think would be interested in joining in!

Shop Badali’s full Dresden Files collection on their website. This giveaway runs through September 16th.

---

And that’s this week’s entry! Visit Jim-Butcher.com every Tuesday this year for weekly Drops of never-before-seen artwork, microfiction, interviews, contests, sample chapters for Peace Talks and Battle Ground, or other tasty tidbits in our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Dresden Files. Join our new mailing list and follow @jimbutchernews on twitter to ensure you don’t miss a moment, and check the announcement post to catch up on prior Drops.

HECK YES! This week’s Drop is the explosive new book trailer for Battle Ground, which debuted yesterday at Virtual DragonCon. We also have a roundup of Jim’s other panels from the con, for all your fannish needs. Let’s dive in, starting with the splashiest of this weekend’s surprises!

This book trailer was filmed back in December, concurrently with the trailer for Peace Talks. It was directed by Priscilla Spencer and stars Jason Bernardo as Harry, Sarah Flannery as Murphy, June Dietrich as Ethniu, Liz Fenning as Mab, and Chris Showerman as Marcone.

And after you’ve watched that, check out DragonCon’s Virtual Cast and Crew Panel for both trailers!

The Dresden Files: Peace Talks Trailer Cast and Crew Panel
Join Jim Butcher, director Priscilla Spencer, and the cast and crew of the Peace Talks Trailer as they recount their experiences on this epic-level undertaking! Suzanne Solomon moderates a hilarious discussion that explores the challenges of filming a book trailer for a fanatically devoted fanbase, which actors are most like their characters, what Easter eggs are hidden in the production design, and more! We’ll also be sharing previously unseen material you won’t want to miss.
Panelists: Jason Bernardo, Jim Butcher, June Dietrich, Liz Fenning, Sarah Flannery, Stephen Gibler, Kitty Krell, Birgit Lüdemann, Wade Morrison, Tonya Nelson, Stephanie Piotrowski, Jeremy Royce, Christopher Showerman, Shelby Smith, Priscilla Spencer, Kris Stone, and Suzanne Solomon (M).

The other free panel from DragonCon is this multi-author discussion of the Fae in Urban Fantasy.

Favors, Bargains, and Glamours: The Fae in Urban Fantasy
Fae of many forms and intentions appear in Urban Fantasy. Our panelists will discuss the characteristics of the types they use in their work.
Panelists: Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Cecilia Dominic, Lisa Manifold, Bishop O’Connell, and Carol Malcolm (M)

Jim’s other three panels will be posted in about a week, so we’ll link to those in a future Drop. They will require a DragonCon Streaming Membership, a one-time purchase of $10 that grants access to DragonCon’s vast archive of exclusive content for one year.

---

Dresden Jewelry Giveaway

In honor of DragonCon, Badali Jewelry is holding a giveaway of some of their most coveted Dresden pieces! One lucky winner will score a collector’s set of Dresden Files Jewelry, consisting of an Officially Licensed sterling silver Shield Bracelet, an 8mm Ice Opal Earring (your choice of pierced or magnet), and a Limited Edition Winter Lady Pentacle.

How to Enter:
1. FOLLOW @BadaliJewelry on Instagram.
2. LIKE the original Giveaway post.
3. COMMENT your favorite Dresden Files character on the instagram post.

Bonus entry:
TAG up to two (2) friends who you think would be interested in joining in!

Shop Badali’s full Dresden Files collection on their website! This giveaway runs through September 16th.

---

Countdown to Battle Ground

Three weeks to go until the apocalyptic conclusion of this summer’s epic Dresden Duology. If you missed it last week, you can check out the first two chapters at Tor.com!

Have you preordered Battle Ground yet? Support your favorite local independent bookstore, preorder it in hardcover, audio, or ebook through the Jim-Butcher.com Store, or order a signed copy from one of the Signing Tour hosts below:

MYSTERIOUS GALAXY: 9/28, 9:00pm* ET

Virtual Q&A via Zoom, moderated by Mysterious Galaxy Events Director Constance Summar. Ticketed event: Buy 1 signed copy of Battle Ground OR a $5 ticket.

*Note: We’re double-checking this information, as 9PM Eastern is obviously not the same time at 7PM Pacific. We’ll update this post with a clarification and re-confirm the correct time in a future Drop!

BARBARA’S BOOKSTORE CHICAGO: 9/29, 7:00pm CT

FREE Virtual Q&A via Crowdcast, moderated by Dresden Files creative consultant and Peace Talks trailer director Priscilla Spencer. Signed copies available for purchase.

BARNES & NOBLE: 9/30, 7:00pm ET

FREE Virtual Q&A Zoom & Facebook, moderated by Jim’s editor Anne Sowards. Signed copies available for purchase.

WORLDBUILDERS

We haven’t been given dates or times for any potential Q&As, but you can preorder a copy of Battle Ground with a signed bookplate!

---

And that’s this week’s entry! Visit Jim-Butcher.com every Tuesday this year for weekly Drops of never-before-seen artwork, microfiction, interviews, contests, sample chapters for Peace Talks and Battle Ground, or other tasty tidbits in our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Dresden Files. Join our new mailing list and follow @jimbutchernews on twitter to ensure you don’t miss a moment, and check the announcement post to catch up on prior Drops.