I’m lost, which series is Augustine from?/ I’ve read everything I don’t remember an Augustine? /Is Augustine someone from This Kingdom?
Augustine is the character from the Hidden Legacy series. We first meet him in Burn For Me, which is the first book.
A section of the wall slid aside. The receptionist looked at me. I stepped through the opening into a vast office. We must’ve been in a corner of the fin, because the wall to the left and straight ahead consisted of blue glass. A white, ultramodern desk grew seamlessly out of the floor. Behind the desk sat a man in a suit. His head was lowered as he read something on a small tablet, and all I could see was a thick head of dark blond hair styled into a short and no doubt expensive haircut.
I approached and stood by a white chair in front of the desk. Good suit, in that color between grey and true black people sometimes call gunmetal.
The man looked up at me. Sometimes people with talent in illusion minimized their physical flaws with their magic. Judging by his face, Augustine Montgomery was a Prime. His features were perfect, in the way Greek statues were perfect, the lines of his face masculine and crisp but never brutish. Clean-shaven, with a strong nose and a firm mouth, he had the type of beauty that made you stare. His skin nearly glowed, and his green eyes stabbed at you with sharp intelligence from behind nearly invisible eyeglasses. He probably had to have protective detail when he left the building to fend off all the sculptors who wanted to immortalize him in marble.
The glasses were a masterful touch. Without them, he’d be a god on a cloud, but the hair-thin frames let him keep one foot on the ground with us mere mortals.
“Mr. Montgomery,” I said. “My name is Nevada Baylor. You wanted to see me?”
Montgomery valiantly ignored the purple tint of bruises on my face.
“Sit down, please.”
He pointed to the chair. I sat.
“I have an assignment for you.”
Andrews, Ilona. Burn for Me: A Hidden Legacy Novel (pp. 29-30). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Is the baby tiger ok?
Who do you take us for? Yes, the baby tiger is okay. Nothing bad happens to Kitty.
Does this mean the series is now back, and we’ll have Arabella’s trilogy?
No. You get Augustine’s novella with bonus Arabella scenes and her shorts from the blog. No promises for anything else.
Will Beast Business be available from your direct store? Is it an exclusive? Will it be on Amazon, B&N etc?
Beast Business will be available from all the usual retailers and our store.
Which formats will Beast Business have? When will they be available?
We are starting with the ebook, print paperback, and audio to follow. Print will be shortly after or on the release date of the ebook, while the audio will be a few months out. We are looking for our perfect Augustine audio reader. As always, the price of the POD print edition will be horrendous, but we have to make at least $1 from each sale, or we will be taking a loss.
We will announce the exact dates as they come in.
Will the audiobook be traditional narration or dramatized? Dual POV?
The novella is dual POV but we have made no decisions in regard to audio yet. It is a shorter project and not all audio readers work on shorter projects, but we are in process of reviewing the auditions.
Is it really coming out this January? 2 weeks from now January?! Can it be true?
We are aiming for the tail end of January. It’s the matter of getting the edits done. If we miss this deadline, we will have to push it to summer, because we do not want it to intrude on This Kingdom publishing window. Nobody wants to wait till summer, so January it is.
When does BB happen in the timeline?
A couple of months after Baylors buy their house.
Is this the same artist as the Hidden Legacy special edition?
Yes! Helena is amazing.
Is this Augustine’s real face or Augustine as he illusions himself to look?
If only there was a novella that might explore that question and give us some answers.
Detail Police: Why is Diana not blonde? Why does the cub not have 4 nostrils and a tentacle collar and 4 eyes and is not blue? Are Augustine and Diana the same age, because she is older than Cornelius?
It is so nice to see you guys still being that passionate about the series. It warms my evil heart. Let’s take these one at a time. Diana is not blonde because she changed her hair, which you can find in the first snippet of this novella.
Zeus does not have four eyes.
A creature waited next to him, indigo blue, with a spray of ghostly black and paler blue rosettes and spots across its fur. At least two and a half feet tall at the shoulder, six feet long, with a thick neck crowned with a fringe of tendrils, a short wide muzzle with dagger teeth, and wide paws as big as my hand. It reminded me of a tiger.
Andrews, Ilona. Wildfire: A Hidden Legacy Novel (p. 90). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
and
There was something feline about it, something reminiscent of the broad powerful tiger, but its nose was a complicated thing of four nostrils, and the fringe of tentacles that ringed its neck moved on its own. The beast looked at me with an understanding, as if it was a lot smarter than any Earth animal. It was just odd. Really odd and unsettling.
Andrews, Ilona. Wildfire: A Hidden Legacy Novel (pp. 95-96). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
It’s hard to draw that kind of nose on a tiger, especially when it’s that small, and Kitty is very young, so the tentacles are still forming, which is explained in the novella. The tiger is most definitely blue. Some of you think she is white, but she is not.
This is a white dress/blue dress situation.
I will also pause here to say that right now every book cover – not an exaggeration – is accused of “being AI.” We made a conscious decision to keep Kitty as tiger-like as we could and gave that description to Helena, because if Kitty was drawn with four nostrils, some people would assume it was an AI-generated image gone wrong. The potential fallout to the art and to the book was not worth it.
Augustine and Diana are roughly the same age. At the beginning of the series, Augustine is in his very early thirties, while Cornelius is 28.
Also, this cover is gorgeous, but it cannot possibly match the mental image of every Hidden Legacy reader because there are tens of thousands of you. While Helena is definitely an art Prime, there is no magic like that.
When will GA rerecord the books with the new Augustine?
They will not be rerecording them. So many people worked on them and the original actor gave a wonderful performance. He is very talented and his performance was inspired. It’s more that Catalina’s trilogy will get a different Augustine.
I thought the novella was a serial?
No. We only posted a couple of snippets. Serials require so much time, and we are putting in over 2,000 words on This Kingdom #2 every day.
When is the Spanish edition coming?
Mod R tells me June 9th, but please check with Hidra directly.
We are seeing two audiobooks of Inheritance on sale.
Correct. We are doublechecking this, but this is probably caused by our distributor stepping in. Initially, the Inheritance audio was exclusive to Audible/Amazon but now, after 90 days passed, our distributor will pushing it to other retailers. You are seeing that preorder.
My Turn
Now I have a question for you. We had a bunch of how-to writing articles on the blog, which we mostly archived. I’m not great at teaching. First, I’m not an expert. I know how to write commercial fiction, but I have none of the education that would train me for explaining how to do it. Second, fiction is also strange. What works for one person doesn’t work for another. You can really damage people with feedback if they are not ready for it, and I feel like I do more harm than good.
However, Mod R mentioned that people are still looking for the articles. I can bundle them together for you into an ebook reference, if there is enough interest, but I would have to charge a couple of bucks for it to recoup the time investment and editing costs.
I think the topics were something like how to fold time, how to write a chase scene, difference between show don’t tell and passive voice, basic story structure, etc. We did a class one time on the worldbuilding based on economy, and I think I still have the write up for that somewhere. For those who are still asking about the alphahole article, I took it down ages ago and I don’t have a copy of it.
I don’t think there will be enough interest in any of this, but if you want it, we will consider putting it together. If you want it, let us know in the comments and tell us which topics you want to be covered.
Looong time BDH reader, blog consumer and lurker of the comments section… first time poster.
I love your work and would devour a craft book of collected writing advice, no matter the specific topics covered (e.g., business advice, tone and character voice, staying motivated to write, plot mapping, fight and chase scenes, managing a worldbuilding project sustainably, etc.). You guys are incredibly inspiring authors and each release is a highlight for me.
Seriously, I’ll take anything I can get. Your creativity, your consistency, the sheer polish of your craft and the way you centre the heart and humanity of each piece front and centre are what I aspire to in my own writing.
House IA publishes a craft book? Sold! And I’d pay full-price for it 🙂
The moment you hit send and “see” that typo lol 😆
+1 for the writing book!!
Kitty is adorable. 😀
Yesterday evening while out for a walk with hot hubby, we ran into one of our neighbors, and neighbor’s friend. We start chatting. Neighbor’s friend and I realize we both read books. NF and I then discover we both read urban fantasy. THEN we realize we are both part of the BDH. We proceeded to completely ignore hot hubby and neighbor in favor of talking the sun down. I learned NF has yet to read the Edge series but is in love with Hidden Legacy and Innkeeper and Ryder. We were out there for an hour in the dark, talking plot and quotes and favorite authors, and it was just what I needed to destress from the day. Thank you both so much for telling stories that give us new friends!
+1; your voice (as it were) adds so much color to the subject. Worldbuilding/economics very much yes!
Sure, I would pay a couple of bucks for the writing ebook.
Honestly I buy anything you write but I have not been disappointed yet. I like the parts I have read on the blog.
Creating a compelling villain is a topic I like. You do such a nice job of making them interesting and a good match for the protagonist.
I am interested in all those writing topics, and would buy an ebook with the related posts/class notes in it.
Also the list of publishing people you may or may not interact with directly, what their job is and isn’t.
I’d also love a reference/writing advice book. I have zero ambitions of becoming a published writer, but I do like to write as a hobby, and also DM a Pathfinder campaign (think DnD). Even if I have no intentions of earning any money from it, I still want my stories to be the best they can be, or in the case of the pathfinder campaign, my players to have fun and feel immersed. The self-doubt is real.
A book to just remind me that, hey, this is hard for everyone, here are some tips that may possibly, but maybe not help, would be awesome.
Why is it Augustine Montgomery in the excerpt? I could not get past that…
Because Beast Business is the new Augustine Montgomery novella 🙂
I would happily buy the writing ebook.
A little late to add my “please compile an ebook reference” comment! Your way of writing is unique which tells me how you think is equally different. The insights are worth the investment.
Yes please, I’d buy that reference book!
Your blog is where I first learned of alphaholes. Loved that article. it crystalized a lot I had thought; reading bad romance books with male protagonists that were assholes pretending to be alphaholes. I do not enjoy books where women fall in love with guys that mistreat them.
Grumpy guys with hearts of gold – 👍.
Hot assholes – 👎
Seconded.
Just finishing Inheritance. Every book you have ever written is on my favorites list. I’ve listened to them all several times. Of course Kate is my favorite, but inheritance may just very well surpass it. I can’t wait for the next one not sure if it’s only gonna be a two book or more but you never ever disappoint the two of you. Thank you so much for a wonderful reading.
Umm just a thought the hoard wants all the books. Sort of goes with the devouring name….
and love the kitten!
Stephen King wrote a book about writing called “On Writing” its amazing and I recommend it when ever someone says they are interested in writing but would like a reference book.
I highly suspect I would love reading your reference articles in a book format just as much as King’s. Please publish the series as a book, I’ll happily pay.
Interested in the chase scene, fight / battle scenes, the worldbuilding class would be awesome too. Also, not sure if you ever had one but if you had an article on foreshadowing without being too blatant I’d love to read it.
Thanks for everything you all do, its appreciated!
I’m sooo excited about Augustine’s novella, and I’d be happy to pay for the writing book. As a cheap New Englander, it’s very interesting – I never mind giving IA money – it makes me happy that you have it.
Now… pushing it…. any chance the writing book is also an audiobook READ BY AUTHOR?!!! Hearing and reading the snark would both be excellent.
Ditto!
[old, old, old school reference…]
Cheers!
I would definitely buy your book on writing!
I would love to have a copy of your how to articles! I always forward them to my son as he is an aspiring author and graphic artist.
Augustin is similar to what i pictured but better looking in Helena’s image. So happy to finally get Augustine’s and Diana’s story! and kitties!!! I’d be interested in purchasing the writer’s tips book. Especially directly from your store.
I would buy it 🙂
Yes, I would be interested in your how-to writing articles, as your writing style is delightful. Reading and reading your books continues to be one of my favorite pastimes.
Re: reference book
I will buy whatever you publish. My granddaughter is a newbie writer and it will be a wonderful birthday gift for her.
I am re-reading the Hidden Legacy and when I encountered Zeus, the image that flashed in my mind was the blue tiger in Kpop Demon Hunters (aka Derpy). Derby doesn’t have a frill of tentacles nor four nostrils, but could we imagine Zeus as a visual cousin?
Looking forward to Augustine’s novella!!
I would definitely purchase an ebook of your writing articles. Interested in all of them including the business related ones. 🙂
I would be happy to have the writing posts in one ebook. Of course I’d pay for that.
I was one of the recent searchers, so yes, very interested in the writing articles! =) And absolutely willing to pay $3-4 for the wisdom.
Def interested in learning world building – truly any aspects
ooooh yes please for the how-to book. pacing , world building, chase scene, story structure, folding time… please please please.. and also more HL and more Kate and Curran and more Dena and more of everything…. please!!! pretty please!!! more for the BDH!!!
I would be interested in any and all of the writing how-to topics in ebook form! Especially story structure. Thank you for showering us with awesome, HA! I’m so stoked for Augustine & Diana.
+1 book on writing! and yay, Augustine and Diana! (and Kitty!)
Yay! Augustine’s and Diana’s story is coming so much sooner than I thought.
+1 to publishing your writing articles. I’d be especially interested in world building articles and stories of how you crafted your current series’ worlds and magic system. And any insights that you have on writing trilogies and longer book series (like Kate Daniels).
I would be interested in purchasing an ebook! Many of the writing articles have stuck with me over time because your candid way of breaking down these broader topics really resonates, and it’d be incredible to have it all in one book!
My heart almost stopped when you did “push to summer” for release. Akkkkkk! January, January is the hope.
I would be very interested in not having to use the wayback machine to find the writing posts, yes. absolutely $5-$7 worth of interested
I like all the topics you mentioned PLUS I love the articles where you explain the publishing process and/or your experience with the publishing process, traditional vs self-pub etc. I also appreciate when you identify each of the players and what a good one should be doing for you: agent, copy editor, beta readers etc.
Why am I interested? The number of people who suggest I write a book is slowly increasing. Unfortunately my career and real life are getting in the way. I do still think of my stories fairly often but they are not distracting me from career yet aka forcibly grabbing my attention until I put them down on a page. So my compromise to those who suggest I write is “maybe as my semi-retirement gig or as a hobby”, maybe I self publish or maybe I just pay to get 15 copies printed and hand them to friends & family. But I digress, I’d rather learn/bookmark tips and shared knowledge from one of favourite authors of all time (held my attention through HS, college, young adult hood and 30s) than to only take notes from “Self Publishing for Dummies or Writing for Dummies”. Eventually I’ll take a few creative writing courses and do my own research but I’d love to combine that with IA/HA’s first-hand knowledge.
+1 to first paragraph.
I found your writing articles very helpful and would buy them as ebook.
I would buy the ebook on how to write. As to what topics — anything you want to share!
I’d love the how to in an e-book format
I’d love the reference book. I talk about you and misquote something you said about how great authors are really great revisers to my students every semester.
Grocery lists and sticky notes aside, I would definitely enjoy paying for an ebook from your “How To” blog posts.
Most of the Book Devouring Horde (BDH) — um, not hoard as in a pile of valuables, though, perhaps, we are? — listed here seems to want the “House Andrews Writes: The blog post guide to our success” cobbled together into an ebook of some sort.
My caveat would be:
Upsell it! Add your favorite recipes and charge for a “Author Tips and BDH Favorite Recipes” book (per previous BDH comments).
My cousin’s husband recently wrote a cookbook that sells for $59.99 a pop!
(Yes, it is printed in color. Yes, it includes photos. Yes, it’s more like a coffee table book. Yes, it is a hardcover. Yes, it has 330 pages… but, it’s not a writing guide! And, it’s not written by my favorite author!)
I’d pay $5 to $9.99 for your insights and recipes in ebook format… more for a print-on-demand, obviously.
Mmm… Apple Cake, or Mango Salsa? Hm.
Cheers!
I remember that you used Red Riding Hood (I think) as an example in one of the “how to” articles and I really wanted that book! Just from those few scenes. Magic.
I would definitely buy the reference book!
Thank you for putting together this list.
I have a lot of books about writing (that I’ve bought over the years, not that I wrote), majored in English in college and have dual minors in creative writing and history from a state university that has center of excellence for writing and even got one of their scholarships for it while attending.
I say this not to toot my own horn but to give my opinion context. It’s not like I went into the field with same degree, besides writing too-long comments on blogs.
I’ve been through the classes, and they were good ones. So is your writing advice. Your storytelling is solid, worlds relatable (especially important since they’re also fantastical), and have improved over time.
You clearly tell us not everyone is the same, and these are simply the things you’ve learned and have worked for you. Your insights show through. I’d buy a writing book from you even if I still never write again in my life. Even just being an avid reader, the writing “behind-the-scenes” give us more depth, understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation.
So, please keep it coming. And publish the damn book. 🙂
I would absolutely buy the writing compilation if it was available.
When my husband was 16 he was so inspired by David Eddings he wrote a novel, and still (proudly) has his rejection letter from a publisher.
Life caught him up, and though he had two original musicals being performed in Austin Texas this Holiday season, he hasn’t tackled a novel since.
He is a new horde member, just working his way through Kate and the gang, and loves HA’s writing style.
I would buy two copies on preorder.
Writing craft book, yes, please. I first found this site from the alphahole article and have enjoyed every single craft post.
I’m interested in your book of writing lessons!
Thak you. I am so interested in the ‘how to’ write. I would be happy to pay. But I get that it needs to be worth the bother.
I love the idea of a writer/writing ebook, and I would have zero angst about paying for it, even tho you are not pro teachers. I would want any topics regarding fantasy world stuff, and generally applicable stuff like diff between show/tell, pacing, how much description & where. I know how busy you are, so I appreciate that you’re even considering this.
I would love a writing tips book. How you outline a book would be fantastic
I’ve been reading all the blog posts on writing and would for sure buy any craft book you write (on top
Of just buying any book you write, I’m pretty sure I have the all by now)
I will buy anything you write, nonfiction included. I’ve spent more than I want to admit on writing guides from writers I like a lot less. I would certainly love a compilation of your writing advice. I am one of the people who failed to bookmark the advice posts and has spent time searching the archives for your advice. If you and J.F. team up, you could probably do a mass market advice book in your sleep. But even just a basic epub of old posts will have a home on my ereader. Sidenote: thank you for the unexpected gift of a novella while we wait for Maggie.
I would definitely buy and read the reference book.
I read the excerpt in which Diana says Matilda is a 9 year old child. But Matilda’s age was given as 10 in Ruby Fire. Does this novella happen before Ruby Fire or was this something I only noticed because I’m a psycho who has read these books too many times?
Either way, I’m excited since I just finished my 10th or so Hidden Legacy re-read and wanting more
The novella happens about 4 months before the body of Ruby Fever, yes. Matilda has a birthday in between 🙂
+1 for buying and reading the reference book. As others said, it has also helped me be a better reader!
Yes please to the ebook!!
Yes, I would happily buy an ebook on your writing tips. You may not consider yourself a teacher, but I’ve taken several writing classes and none of them were as helpful to me as that one article showing the value of editing that you wrote.
I am rereading the series (because I love it and because I’m excited for the Augustine book) and I am trying to get a better handle on how the magic is classified. I found the “World of Hidden Legacy” page that explained that there are three broad types (arcane, elemental and mental), but I wasn’t sure how some of the classifications from the book fit in with them (e.g. Sagittarius, Anti-stasi, Exemplaria, illusionist, siren, metamorph, plant mages, shield mages, oracle, etc.). Also, what is an Enerkinesis? If magic levels are equal but the classifications different, are some weaker/stronger depending on the type (I just remember that Nevada found it more difficult to use her magic against the summoner because they both had will-based magic).
Thank you for writing some of my favourite series! I love exploring the worlds you craft.
I also want to add that I have thoroughly enjoyed the GA dramatizations of Kate Daniels and Hidden Legacy. I normally avoid audiobooks, but the way you write really does make “a movie in your head”. It forced me to slow down an absorb each word, especially during the action scenes where I tend to read really fast because I get tense (even when I know what is a out to happen).
Anyways, it sounds like Catalina’s books may get a GA rendition– so fingers crossed.
I also love your collaborators with arcane society. I sadly missed the Hugh and Julie books, but I got the box set of Hidden Legacy (1-3).
Catalina’s books are definitely getting the GA treatment! 🥰
As for the magic, there will be a recap at the beginning of Beast Business, Augustine’s novella which comes out next week – to refresh and hopefully clarify.
In general, it’s easier if you think of it as…well, magic. Sometimes it will just be a whatthefuckery, to quote Bug. Some powers are just “arcane” and no one can really categorise them. Antistasi for example. Only a handful of people have it in the world and it just does things ™.
The idea is that magic is interested in protecting and keeping its user alive. And it does that in really weird and seemingly chaotic ways, because magic operates by its own rules that don’t match human ideas of reasonable or understandable.
Thank you! I really appreciate this community you guys have built. It really helps me deal with the magical world withdrawals when I finish rereading the series too quickly.
*hugs*
I would love the how-to-write articles
I would like something on this. I like to think I have a book in me and one day when i retire I will sit and write.
Topics like: how to fold time, how to write a chase scene, difference between show don’t tell and passive voice, basic story structure, would be excellent.
Ross
I too would pay for a reference book.
First of all, yes, please bundle your articles on writing! You bring the daily/weekly/monthly/yearly process to life. I especially appreciate the blogs that remind that writers — even the exceptional ones that turn into wildly exceptional authors who keep readers coming back — are human beings who have real lives. Those life experiences show up in the books, helping make characters seem so real it is hard to return to our own daily lives. Instruction in “how to teach” is highly over-rated. You do great at explaining processes, background, and so much more. So looking forward to the release of “Beast Business.” It will be fun to revisit Zeus and friends. Trying so much to be patient waiting for Maggie. Your books are definitely worth waiting for. Take care of your health. Take whatever time you need. You write it, the BDH will read it.
I’d be interested in buying the writing articles.
Catching up on all the blogs – I am so behind – and please please publish all the how-to-writing articles. I would happily pay for them.
I’d pay for the book. The insights you provide are fascinating. I have shared your posts with writer friends to help them.
As for topics, we’re the BDH. All the things.
Do you say em-eye-eye or em-two?
M- ontgomery I -nternational I- nvestigations.
There is no 2 🙂, it’s an abbreviation.
Thank you so much. Just finished beast business and I really really can’t wait for more.