When my wife and I bought TAM a couple of years ago, we wanted to use the site to help shine a light on the artists, writers and creators behind the projects we love. So, it’s with a great swell of pride that I get to talk about “Haven, Kansas,” a new book from New York Times Bestselling Author, Alethea Kontis.
“Haven, Kansas” has taken a long trip from Alethea’s imagination to the book’s published form, and many drafts were read by a lot of her friends over the past decade. This week, the book was finally published in e-book, hardback and paperback formats. It’s a fun, chilling story that feels as if it should be a part of Joss Whedon’s universe.
With Alethea’s permission, we have decided to cross-post a portion of her acknowledgements Patreon post below:
Haven, Kansas started out as a screenplay I wrote over Fourth of July weekend, sometime around 2004. I decided to turn it into a novel in November of 2005 as my first foray into NaNoWriMo. It was the first book I ever finished, clocking in at a little under 40,000 words. Based on comments from my Codex critique partners, I revised it, made it longer. Worked with established authors—dear friends who loved the concept and gave it their blessing—revising it further still. In 2010, armed with more experience after finishing Enchanted, I revised it again. In 2014, based on the recommendations of my agent who loved the manuscript so much she didn’t want to give up on it, I revised it again.
Countless beta readers, countless edits, countless other books and TV shows called Haven, multiple rounds of rejections from every desk in New York because they just couldn’t find a place for it…this little story has been through the ringer. But we live in the future now! At last, I finally have the ability put this long-beloved gem into your hands.
This book has been over eleven years in the making. To thank everyone involved would take another novel. On top of which, two of those original authors who gave their blessing have since passed away.
I am honored to finally share their blurbs with you…
To read the rest, please visit her blog, and you can buy “Haven, Kansas” here:
Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Nook, Kobo US
or get a copy signed by the author here.
You can follow Alethea online at all of the places!