Effective communication was vital to competent leadership. It avoided confusion, inspired trust, and clearly detailed the leader’s goal, the path to achieve it, and the consequences of failure.
“Drop the crossbows and step away from the baby direbear or I will gut you like a fish.”
The two poachers jerked. I had come up through the woods behind them, and I was very quiet.
The shorter man on the left dropped his crossbow. The taller one on the right realized he was facing a lone woman, crunched the numbers, and leveled his weapon at me instead. I threw the rock I had picked up from the forest bed. It smacked him in the forehead. He yelped and went down.
Past them, in the clearing surrounded by tall mast-straight pines, a juvenile dire bear gave us a puzzled look and went back to munching on some spring clover and dandelions. Technically, he was an arctodus, a giant short-faced bear. When fully grown, he’d weigh about 2,000 pounds and his head would be higher than mine when he was on all fours. But dire bear was shorter and punchier and indicated the right level of threat.
“I’m tired of keeping yo u alive, Keith,” I told the shorter crossbowman. “This is the third time we meet like this.”
If brains were leather, Keith would have just about enough to saddle a junebug.
Quick note: our extended family in Western North Carolina is fine. There is property damage, but everyone is managing. Thank you for worrying.
I haven’t been able to write for a month. Nothing is wrong, I don’t have a writer’s block, and it’s not because of some weird problem. I’m excited to write. I’m just tired. Very tired. To be honest, I kind of crashed after the Dragoncon.
A typical comfortable writing schedule for us is 1 book per year. It has been a very long time since we could afford to do one book per year. Eventually you have to pay the piper, so I spent last month taking the much needed space to breathe after pushing hard for about 3 years. And if I had my way, I would likely not do anything until the end of the year. Even this morning, I logged onto my computer and thought, “I could just play Nightingale. Mmmm, Nightingale.”
But, like everyone else, we have kids and bills and bills and kids, and the don’t write/don’t eat is a thing. So we are beginning to work on Wilmington 3 and simultaneously expecting the latest round of edits on Maggie.
It will be a couple of weeks before you get the first post in Wilmington because we want to write ahead a bit, but we anticipate the serial starting around Halloween at the latest.
We have to entertain you until then, so if you have any questions you wanted to ask or topics you wanted explored, drop them into the comments below.
I would love a post on tea, what you’re drinking now or some of your favorites. Or a brief conversation during tea with one of Jeaniene Frost’s characters and one of your characters chatting together. Or tea with you and Jeaniene. 🙂 Honestly tho, I am happy to wait while you write. We’re always here, patient and supportive (well, sometimes). 😉
I too would love to see a tea post. My morning tea is Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold (a strong breakfast blend) but I am interested in other teas that make a good afternoon or evening choice or a terrific iced tea. No rush, I agree with everyone else here — take care of yourselves.
I’ve not tried it myself, but reports on it are all thumbs up: the liquid tea is BLUE. Azure ( something or other,sorry)has Sweetpea in it, and turns purple when you add lemon. It’s pricey for me, but maybe not for you. If you try it, please let me know, alright?
You don’t have to entertain us! Just knowing you’re back to writing is good, tho I’m a bit concerned about the energy levels being reported. Another week off not doable? Or as much off as Maggie allows hehe.
Great little snippet! Thanks!
Quick question about the Wilmington years. Did Keelan appear any of the earlier books. I know Kate gave us a quick back story but I couldn’t find any other references. Just curious, I love the character.
No, Keelan’s debut happened in Magic Tides 🙂
I’m very happy your family is safe, mine is safe as well in South Carolina, just without power. However, my uncle is very resourceful and they are in their camper with a solar powered generator. Smart!
Desperate question: do you have any tea recommendations that actually keep you awake? Please 🙏
Not to keep beating this drum but as I mentioned to Elizabeth above, I found Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold is a great “wake me up” tea. I’m looking for a milder non floral tea if you have any recommendations.
I like Tea & Company’s Meridian Chai for an afternoon pick-me-up, I drink it plain. There’s no pepper in it so it’s not bitey like most chais. Black tea with cinnamon, licorice root, ginger, cardamom, and clove.
There’s also Guayaki Yerba Mate for a swift kick, but it has a more grassy taste and can, er, “stimulate the digestion”.
And Yorkshire Gold is amazing!
I am a sucker for all the love stories. How do you decide who hits the lottery of love in your cast of characters?
The tortuous unrequited love is painfully exquisite.
As others have said, your health and well being should be your top concern right now. Take time for you. The BDH can do the “W” word. Sending healing thoughts your way!
Covid is an absolute b**ch. it is taking people longer and longer to get over and it’s changing people in fundamental ways. So the fact you had to take a lengthy break makes absolute sense.
Take more time, be a lump on the couch, most days that’s about all anyone can do. Do not feel guilty for it. Eat all of the good food. Snuggle with all of the pets.
Questions: what’s Gordon’s favorite color?
Do y’all ever go fishing? What’s the biggest fish each of you has caught if you do?
Coke, Pepsi, or Dr Pepper? Or dark horse of Cheerwine since there is fam in Nc?
As much as i love Kate Daniels, I’m still desperately waiting on the next Hugh book 😆
and Maud book
(and even Arabella though I know that’s probably wishful thinking at the moment)
I’m trying to phrase this without it coming through as me trying to tell you what to do, if it comes through like I am please understand that’s just me not being a good writer rather than my intent.
Glad to hear the family is ok.
I’ll be glad to see what you produce, I’ve really enjoyed the Wilmington books so far.
I hope you’ve recovered enough that you can make good progress on it without getting frustrated or wearing yourself out.
If you find you need a break or to take things slower than you’d like to get back into things I think you’ll find the vast majority of fans will understand and accept it.
Looking forwards to seeing it, and hanging for Maggie.
I would love to see a place for recipes either that y’all created or reader create and submit for what they think food in the books taste like. Like every time I read a Kate Daniels book and it talks about Honey Muffins, I would love a recipe to try. Also every time I read about the passion cones, apple pithivier, mango salsa, or anything Orro makes I wonder what it taste like and want to try to make it and eat that while I reread those scenes.
Hi Tamara,
You may wish to check out the “Recipe” or “Cooking” tags here on the blog for many of the recipes you mentioned:
Mango pico de gallo https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/its-thursday-yay/
Pithivier – https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/a-pithivier/
https://ilona-andrews.com/category/blog/fun/recipe/
https://ilona-andrews.com/category/blog/fun/cooking/
just to get you started
The June bug saddle comment should be on a t-shirt. Sums up the people I meet beautifully!! Thanks for the chuckles!
So glad family in North Carolina is fine! Sorry you are so tired, but I totally understand. Been there, done that, burned the t-shirt.
Maybe a fun mini-excursion might be installments on “The Adventures of Sargent Teddy”???? I bet he has stories to tell! What awesome characters you write! Happy sigh.
I also am dying (not literally) to know more about Tulip’s dam. She must be something special!!!
so lovely to hear from you all again. things were very tricky after sudden family death. still not finished but getting stronger.
do you realize how important you all are? having spent too much time recently getting beat up by smarter people than me always like to go back to our team for inspirations and courage. thanks always
Best wishes to you Cheyanne. Sorry for your troubles, and hoping things continue to improve.
You do NOT need to entertain us. Take a break. Do what you need to/want to do. The horde will not only survive, but thrive knowing you are well.
Family first. Do what needs to be done for both you and your extended family who were in the storm’s path. Our prayers are with you. Keep safe and take care of yourselves.
“We have to entertain you until then, so if you have any questions you wanted to ask or topics you wanted explored, drop them into the comments below.”
I’ve been meaning to ask this for quite some time, so here we go.
For context : I used to write a lot of fanfics growing up, even managed to finish a story once, but when I started reading in English (simply because I figured out that a lot of series I read were sometimes 2/3 books ahead in their original language vs French, and even sometimes were simply not translated at all, so, to 15yo me, it was time to stop pretending English was useless) and now I read exclusively in English.
I’ve also, coincidentally, stopped writing at all. It’s been years now.
I simply can’t right in French, anymore. Each time I write down a word, I stare at it hard, half-convinced I’ve just made it up. When I talk, I even do stuff like use a English word that I “frenchised” without realizing and keep on going, until someone interrupts me.
“Pourquoi il est pas fixé ?” (Why isn’t it fixed ?) Here, I used “fixé” using the English ‘meaning’ of the word, as in, it was broken, now it’s not. Except, in French, fixé, now, would mean “stuck to the wall”. As in, ‘I hang shelves on the wall’. The right sentence was “Pourquoi il est pas réparé ?” . Réparer = to fix something.
It goes on an on. If I write something down, I have a garbage mix of both languages.
I thought I maybe should try to write in full English, but I wonder if I’m good enough to pull it off, without sounding like a high schooler.
So I guess my question is, as a (I think?) bilingual writer, how did you go about it ?
Thank you for your time & I hope you’re doing okay.
Glad you and yours are safe. Im also glad you’re listening to yourself and taking it easy where you can. Rest matters.
As you asked for questions that we ponder – here’s my latest one.
M-scanner – If some colours are hard to see on white paper, would black paper work better? Could they be printed on light and dark paper to see what shows up.
How is Catalina doing? Another short story? Miss the Baylor’s and the Bear!
P.S. I know patience equals precious..
Also in Innkeeper loved the chicken getting his due..How about the dog? He can have a short we all buy? Like a back look of how she gets him..
Or a short on the wolves..they are always weapons and family dra..
So many questions…,but as always
slay well and don’t forget you side kick..get it.
When you make Wilmington 3 could to do a blog post with maps and a reminder of the geography / layout from the first two books? I found them helpful when I was reading the first time but can’t seem to track down the links again.
Hi Jo, here you go https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/maps-krakens-and-blueberries/
It was the first result when using the Search function with the words “Wilmington map”. What did you try 🙂 ?
I would LOVE to have a map that showed where the BDH are all around the world.
Perhaps it is a topic to explore or broadly a question, but I hesitate to broach the subject. I suspect others in the BDH are wondering the same thing, or something similar. Then again, it may just be me who, while I adore Dina and Sean and all the kerfuffle around the Inn (is it wrong to want to be Caldenia if I ever get the chance to conquer worlds?), am, in a word, obsessed with Maud, Arland, and Helen. I want to read about the wedding. I want to know what kind of fresh headaches, fears, and hells Helen will visit upon her parents when she’s a teenager. Frankly, my mother, may she rest, read all kinds of romances and mysteries, and in my young years histories and historical fiction. Above the Barbara Cartland’s and all the others of that ilk (my opinion my friends, if you love Cartland, keep loving her) the romance of Maud and Arland outshines them all. Heck, they even beat my other favorite couple Eve and Roarke from the In Death series. So, we could hear about Maud’s wedding plans? The search for the dress and/or armor fit for a wedding? What does “Say Yes to the Dress” look like for vampires? Will Arland officially adopt Helen? To all intents and purposes he already thinks of himself as her father and she, well, I’m guessing Melizard is a faint memory by the end of Sweep of the Blade, if not before.
I lovr the short and I’m glad everyone is ok.
Although I will have to work w/ my addiction of all things House Andrews, you all deserve a huge break. So glad you are listening to your bodies and gave yourself some time. Continue to work at the work/life balance. As for your extended family, I’ll put them in prayer. The footage from Helene is unbelievable and the devastation will take years to recover from. Hopefully, people who have been trapped will be rescued soon.
I recently saw French editions of some of your books. The “Dynasties” with the burning figures are very interesting covers. It would be cool to hear about that process, and how the themes/titles are chosen, if you are involved (at all).
Foreign rights are sold to local publishers from the respective countries, the authors have very little involvement or say-so in the process generally. But I will include your question in the lists 🙂
YES! Sometimes one must take time for themselves for their mental health. I’m glad the family is okay- but still praying for them and all in NC, and keeping the calender clear is a wise precaution( but you don’t need me telling y’all that. LOL). The snippet above really intrigued me. I love Arctodus! I hope it’s part of something later to come?
Take care, and don’t work too hard. Write on! 😉
It’s part of Wilmington 3, as announced in the body of the article 🙂 . Kate is defending the prehistoric animals they ended up with in Magic Clams.
I have often wondered with all the drastic weather events that have happened in Texas and across the rest of the United States and even the world…if you would consider writing a book about Adeyemi Ade-Afefe . A weather mage story written with your level of eloquence and research… I can’t help but wonder.
I know you are booked up ( pun intended) but I wanted to throw the idea out there.
But of course your health is your priority. I, like so many others, want you rest and let your body heal.
Yay to beginning Wilmington 3. It’s a little embarrassing just how often I have listened to the audio book versions of the first two. Looking forward to learning what happens next.
I can see why playing Nightingale might be more appealing, though. Today has felt a bit like that for me too. It has just turned daylight savings time here and that always does a number on my energy levels and focus for some reason.
Vampire protocol question, in Sweep of the Blade, if Melizard had been arrested, tried for the betrayal of his employer, convicted, and executed, would Maud still be in her rights to claim a blood debt?
As we’re collecting questions: how do you write as a team? I can understand how individual authors write, how does it work for you when you’re a team?
Please take all the time you need for you, and much as I enjoy your blog – it’s one of my favourites, please don’t feel you need to always keep us entertained!
Regarding your October 1st blog post.
Apologies should not be needed when it comes to an emergency, especially if it’s family.
We hope Gordon’s extended family in W.N.Carolina are safe. Worry about them and consider everything else a background issue that can wait.
We wish you all the best.
Roger and Nancy
Will there be more stories featuring Julie & Derek?
Blood Heir 2 is expected, but we need Wilmington Years 3 first to set up the story properly 🙂
Family first. It was a close call for me during Harvey and I still have flashbacks. Especially during Helene and I am in Texas. Hugs and prayers for all.
I know what it’s like to go through a disaster and didn’t want to post this lighthearted photo on your post today. I know that you’ve been keeping your ears and eyes open for something entertaining and thought to send this
Well it won’t let me post the photo but it’s a picture of a Buc-ee’s on I-75 that just opened up a people size lazy River type pool of Mac and cheese inside a huge Buc-ee’s It’s a funny photo with the caption Why we love Buc-eye’s. I spend a lot of time in Te as for work and sometimes in your neck of the woods…Buc-eye’s is a hoot and knowing the owner…I wouldn’t be surprised if this was true or just a gimmick. I haven’t sampled their Mac and cheese but I’m a big fan of the banana pudding. Hope this gives you a laugh
I really liked the character quizzes that appeared once. Can Mod R do those while you work half-time?
3/10/2024. Just received your latest post.Thank you for posting the info from Ashville NC, we have son and family down the highway in Greenville SC, and while they are ok, their area has so much damage.
Visited there in 2014 and visited Biltmore Estate and were stunned at the beauty of the area, so we send much felt best wishes to everyone caught in this event. Living in Tropical Nth Queensland, we’re very familiar with weather similar to this and it’s scary. I had to put some perspective on the amount of rain and the equivalent is our Wet Tropics annual rainfall in 3 hours. No wonder it was so overwhelming. Best wishes to everyone, the World is equally shocked.
I’m so glad your family is safe. Sending all the hope for a speedy rebuild and recovery. I’m so sorry this happened.
Glad they’re okay.
You do you. Nothing else counts.
Hey! I know this is off topic but there’s a fantastic yarn store in Asheville that is open for online business since the post office is open. Thought you’d want to see it. purlsyarn.com
Will there be more Julie books in the future?
Yes 🙂, but Wilmington Years 3 has to come first.
You can check on the status of any of the series by visiting the Release Schedule page https://ilona-andrews.com/release-schedule/
Unless a series has the status Finished/Finished for now, more books are in plans.
i love the kate books but i like to read more about hugh ?
is the next Story possible ore Not ?
Hi Chris,
Yes, a Hugh sequel will be happening 🙂
I am so sorry you are that tired. I am sorry you have to get to work anyway. I am even more grateful for the fruits of your labor. Ok I gotta say it, keep those iron levels up and get plenty of playtime in. Ok thats it for unsolicited medical advice. Lol. Looking forward to the next installment. I did not know you had ppl in NC. My heart goes out to them. I also don’t know why when we had so much info on the storm so early the admins of the municipalities and states didn’t warn their ppl and help them leave to at least 3 states over for a few days? Can’t be that expensive. Alright I hope we come up with some good and entertaining questions for you while you recover.
I am so glad your family is okay. I do have a question and I think it’s been answered before, so forgive me if it has and I just don’t remember. Whatever happened to Anna, Greg’s wife? She told Kate about her vision in Magic Bites, but I don’t remember what happened to her after that. Did she and Kate just fall out of each other’s orbits or was there something else that occurred to cause their falling out?
Question: Have you been reading anything fun? A new author that you enjoy?
I am quite fond of Ghastek and Rowena. Will they be included in the Wilmington series?
P.S. Good to know I’m not the only one still recovering from Dragon Con. This year’s highlight for me was meeting the two of you after your Friday night panel (well, that and getting a photo taken with actor Anson Mount).
Questions I’ve always wanted to ask… Growing up, I don’t remember authors writing extended books in a series. When did that start? Also, what’s with authors naming their books “This is a Book: The Novel.” Why do they feel the need to tell us upfront it’s a novel? And, if you wrote in a different genre, like historical romance, would you use a different pen name? Why or why not?
I have something I probably missed. BDH, can any of you wunnerful people answer this?
_White Hot_ (Nevada #2). Forsberg was surveilling Senator Garza and caught House Howling murdering Garza via lightning. Elena took a copy of the video to Baranovsky. then the four lawyers set up a meeting with *someone* to exchange the vid, secured by 16 of Rogan’s people.
Everyone above died, Olivia & Howling snagged the USB, and no one else appeared for it. Who else originally agreed to the exchange?
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I’m currently re-reading the Kate Daniels books, and am wondering why bicycles aren’t owned and used by everyone?
They’re really simple to operate and understand, so surely they should still operate when the Magic is up?
Or, for that matter, what about the foldable kick scooters all the kids are riding to school these days?
They’d both cost less to run, and be less work to cleanup, than horses.
Thanks for ALL the books so far – When are we going to see a continuation of Kate in the wilderness they claim?