You’ve waited for it. I’ve teased you mercilessly. You’ve pleaded, begged me, “Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease, Auntie Heather! Pleeeeeeease show us the cover of the first Slayer book! Pleeeease tell us the title!” And I have been a cruel, merciless overlord, and have not shared these things with you.

Until now.

Minions. Today I am going to tell you the title of the first book of The Slayer Chronicles, and reveal to you its cover. Both of these things have been a long time coming.

But before I do so, I’m afraid I have to tease you just a little bit more, with some fangtastic fun facts about the book (which will debt September 20, 2011):

- There are 30 chapters in this book.
- It is the darkest book (so far) that I have ever written.
- You will meet Cecile.
- You will see two characters from CoVT besides Joss & his parents.
- The book mostly takes place in the Catskills in New York.
- The book opens with a not-to-be-missed prologue.
- The first chapter is titled THE NEXT GREAT ADVENTURE.
- The last chapter is titled A SLAYER’S GIFT.
- The first sentence of the thirteenth chapter is: Setting explosives the day before had been immeasurably entertaining–and terrifying–but when Joss woke to a note from Uncle Abraham that said to meet him in the clearing, he was certain that this day was going to be drastically different than yesterday in tone.
- The last word in the book is soon.

Welcome, my Minion Horde, to the world of Joss McMillan, to his series – The Slayer Chronicles, and to the first book of five. The title is FIRST KILL. And this is its cover.

Seek it out, Minions, and pre-order as soon as you can, because this is one journey you won’t want to miss!