Kim Harrison was on the phone from her home in small-town Michigan (she'd rather not say where), taking big-city pride in her place in the popular urban-fantasy subgenre (she is the reigning queen) and her latest thriller, "Pale Demon."

It's the ninth title in her New York Times best-selling "Hollows" series, which some have called "paranormal lite." Urban fantasies – which can be dark – are always set in cities, mostly in contemporary time, and are populated with fantastic characters.

"I got in just as (urban fantasy) was budding and feel like I've helped shape it," said Harrison, whose book sales total 2.5 million. She is quick to distinguish her tales from "paranormal romance," in which a love affair is essential to the plot (the "Twilight" series, for instance).

Harrison's Sacramento-area fans can meet her at The Bee Book Club event at 6 p.m. Thursday, when she will answer questions and sign copies of "Pale Demon" at Borders, 2339 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento; (916) 546-0168.

Booksellers are among Harrison's biggest fans. Just ask at two Berkeley bookstores that specialize in fantasy and sci-fi.

At the 34-year-old Other Change of Hobbit, senior employee Jan Murphy said, "She's one of our big, big authors and has a very dedicated following. When (people) see there's one of her books on the new-arrivals shelf, they're very happy. And we're always glad about that."

At Dark Carnival, owner Jack Rems added, "Her books do very well for us; she's a big deal and has a strong fan base. (Those) who come in for her books are singularly well-informed about her. They always know what's about to come out next."

In "Pale Demon," detective-witch Rachel Morgan must travel cross-country in time for the yearly witches convention in San Francisco. Rachel dwells in the Hollows, "an alternate world that exists in Cincinnati." To make the road trip, she must team with an elf, a pixie and a vampire. Complicating things is a "legion of assassins out to ensure they never meet their destination."

Given all this, let's get to the key question: Do witchcraft and magic work in the real world?

"I've never tried them, and I don't believe in magic," Harrison said. "I make up all this stuff, I don't do any research. Readers e-mail me and say, 'I practice Wicca (modern witchcraft) and you're spot on,' and I say, 'That's a surprise to me.' "

Stress led to writing

Then just how did Harrison – whose real name is Dawn Cook – come to stir the cauldron for so many fans?

The "tomboy at heart" grew up in Michigan and graduated from "one of the smaller universities" with a degree in science and technology. Years later, "I followed my husband's job to South Carolina."

Tim Cook was a waste-control consultant who retired to "help me with the books and pick up my slack. He goes by 'Guy,' and my readers know him as 'the Guy in the Leather Jacket.' I hate to say he's a househusband, but if he doesn't cook, sometimes we don't eat. Uh-oh, he's in the other room, laughing. I didn't know he could hear me."

Before the couple left Michigan, Harrison was laid off from her job at a chemical company and opened a day-care center. "When the kids went home at the end of day, I needed an escape from the stress. So I started writing," she said. "It never occurred to me I could actually do this for a living."

In South Carolina, she "found the writers group that helped me hone my skills. The fact that I didn't know how hard it was going to be to get published was actually a saving grace, because I assumed I would be published if I just worked at it. Before I knew it, it was five or six years later and my work was getting noticed."

Writing as Dawn Cook, Harrison published two titles in her "Princess" series and four in her "Truth" series, all traditional fantasies. Then (as Kim Harrison) came the "Hollows" titles and her Madison Avery young adult fantasy novels (the third due in June).

After 13 years in the South, the Cooks returned to Michigan. "My parents are getting older and I wanted to be closer," she said. The Cooks have two sons: One is 20 and serves in the Marine Corps, the other is 15.

Harrison doesn't write on weekends ("I need to recharge"), spending them landscaping her spacious yard in the warmer months. "I plant trees and make walls out of stone."

And in winter? "I've been learning how to reupholster furniture. And I love to bake. And I'm training my dogs, two Chihuahuas named Alex and Zander, so when you put the names together …"

Fantasy universe

For as normal as her real life seems, the universe Harrison has created in the "Hollows" series is downright bizarre.

"(The series) started as a short story and just grew," she said. "The alternative world in the books is out in the open, where normal people live side-by-side with the supernaturals (called Inderlanders). You know your neighbor is a werewolf and you're a little nervous about it. You know there are laws to protect you, but whether those laws always work is kind of iffy."

Making the Inderlanders a "real" part of normal people's lives allows Harrison's readers to "connect deeper with the stories. (The Inderlanders) are dealing with the same issues as real people – making the mortgage, noisy neighbors, job insecurity. And I can hit some issues really hard, like prejudice, but I don't preach."

About 20-something protagonist Rachel Morgan, Harrison said she "has the charm of the girl next door, but she's a loner still trying to find her way. She has a wonderful heart, but something nasty might come out of her mouth if you cross her."

With the rise of paranormal novels, vampiric TV series, shock-filled movies and websites devoted to all things spooky, it's clear we love the chills. Why is that?

"We do like to be scared, but in a safe environment, so books and movies are perfect for that," Harrison said. "We used to look to outer space (to scare us) and we could imagine things coming from there, but now we've been in space and seen what's there. I don't want to say it's dead, but it's a lot more interesting to have the magic closer to home.

"If we can imagine our neighbors are witches, it makes the world a little sparklier."

Graphic novel is latest

Harrison will cross literary boundaries this summer when her graphic novel "Blood Work" is published. "I'm going to (the graphic-novel fan convention) Comic-Con in San Diego in July to celebrate," she said. "I had a lot of fun writing the script, but I had more to say than a graphic novel would let me."

Looking at the titles in Harrison's "Hollows" bibliography, a clear punning pattern emerges. "The Good, the Bad and the Undead," for example.

"All the titles but the first one play on the names of Clint Eastwood's films or films he's directed," she said. "I love his spaghetti Westerns and his character's brevity. Besides, how else am I going to get this guy's attention to direct the movies of my books, right?"

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