Look who showed up in episode 52 of Dungeon Crawler Carl webcomic.
Hehehe. We are returning the favor in Maggie#2.
Meanwhile, Ada has made it to Germany.
The German translation will be coming in paperback in February 2027. Gorgeous cover, right?
Questions
Where is Mod R? Has she quit/been fired?
Mod R took a few days off to deal with a home repair situation. She is back, so the comment space is once again safe from my moderation. I’m sure all of us will breathe a sigh of relief.
Beast Business Audio?
As you’ve probably read, Audible has unrolled a weird royalty scheme that nobody fully understands but all of us believe will result in less money for the authors. We looked at alternatives for releasing this audio and got some excellent offers from several publishing partners. However, we decided that we need a baseline to understand how exactly this royalty scheme will work. We are going to sacrifice Beast Business to test it out.
The preorder should go up early next week. The projected release date is December 12, I think. Same deal as before – it will be exclusive to Audible for several weeks and then go wide. We need to figure out what amount of money we will be getting. We will link the preorder as soon as we know it’s live.
Where do I pay for free fiction? What’s the catch?
Free fiction is available free of charge on the Free Fiction section of the site and in the app.
(Taking off official press release hat for a moment: I have gotten several of these, I suspect mostly from new readers, and the tone is slightly puzzled. There is no catch, guys. The Horde devours, and it must be fed. Help me out, what am I missing here? Do most authors not release free fiction?)
Maggie’s free fiction will be eventually edited and collected into an ebook. Possibly a print book, if there is a demand. However, some shorts will remain free here, on the site and in the app.
We should be enabling the Vault feature in the app shortly, which will allow you to save some free fiction, keeping it safe from archiving. Katorna’s short is marked as Vault, so you will be able to save it. It will not be removed from the site.
Speaking of apps, by the last report from the beginning of September, we were approaching 5,000 downloads. BDH is mighty! I will be emailing the android beta testers today to connect them with the developer.
Wow!!
Official First!
Welcome Back Mod R
Thank you 🙂
Yayy!! ❤️ TKWNKM and ❤️ DCC so it feels like kismet
Congratulations on the German version of the Inheritance!
To anyone who is new to the Horde: when HA means free fiction, they mean it. No bait and switch. No carrot and stick approach.
The rest of the Horde may plead desperately for more snippets, and they give us them in their timing. 😊
Forgot to add: welcome back from the house situation Mod R!
Some authors have open and “premium” sections of their websites, with the “free fiction” available to premium subscribers only. So it’s free, but you have to pay to access it.
Thanks, HA, for not doing that!
Love dungeon crawler Carl! Can’t wait to read Maggie #2!!!!
Yes, so exciting on both counts!!!
Your free stories are just another reason we all love you guys so much❤️❤️❤️
Re: your free fiction question. I believe it was more common in the early 2000s/2010s for authors to keep a blog and release free fiction snippets and short stories.
But recently, I’ve noticed that most new authors write bonus content for special editions, new paperback editions, preorder incentives, etc. Some indie authors do dangle free fiction as an incentive to sign up for their newsletter.
Obviously this doesn’t apply to everyone, but I can’t think of another author who releases as much free fiction as you do (even not counting serials) on their website. No newsletter or purchase required.
I can think of one other author, K. M. Shea, who has a comparable amount of free fiction available on her site no newsletter or purchase required
For every novel she releases she always writes 4-5 bonus short stories with those characters and releases them one by one each time the novel reaches certain number of sales but once released they are always there on her site entirely free to read.
She also used to do quite a few character interviews along with yearly character popularity polls where you could leave questions in the comments and then she interviewed both the winner & last years winner together.
Just like Ilona & Gordon she’s an author who truly loves & appreciates her readers and interacting with them. She calls them her champions.
Unfortunately recently she’s had to take a break from writing due to health reasons and it may be awhile before she is able to return to it 😔
Super excited about the vault feature. I miss revisiting some of the fun snippets like Rogan and the nine month stomach bug. Good luck with the home stuff Mod R. Hope everyone has a wonderful day.
Oh, I miss pregnancy announcement tooo. It lives free in my head
waiting for an email ..all chalant. hopefully hopeful.
Congratulations on the downloads! anxiously awaiting our BDH android testers.
To answer you question, not many authors offer free fiction these days. Any snippets, sneak peaks or bits and pieces are behind services like Patreon or substack that require a paid subscription.
This! 100%
This feels like a targeted post. I’m on the third dungeon book and I’m fighting off a Maggie reread.
I think it’s telling me to read Maggie.
I feel like I should warn you, book 3-4 is where DCC goes from fun to absolutely amazing. Plan accordingly.
I concur. DCC has sucked me in good and proper. So much fun to see the cameo!
I’m currently on the fourth DCC book AND in the middle of a Maggie relisten! lol this felt so targeted. Now I can’t wait to read Maggie 2 to see a DCC Easter egg!
I love that there will be a DCC Easter egg! Being very chalant waiting but it’s getting harder!
There is demand for it.
So who put the cameo in there? Was it the team, that draws the webtoon or the author of DCC? Was it planned? I was very excited to see your Blog post. Didn’t read the webtoon yet, only the books, so i would have missed it!
And I would like to add: huge thank you for your free fiction. I do not see it often
“Maggie’s free fiction will be eventually edited and collected into an ebook. Possibly a print book, if there is a demand”
I’m very chalant in saying YEP there is a demand. ( and I didn’t read the other comments yet, but I’m pretty sure that it’s said a lot).
+1 for print, please!!
I don’t know why this is even a question, but the answer is Yes, there will be a demand. Or at least a request, and a most likely lot of whining if the answer is no.
+10000000000000000000 for print please
I need this, the BDH need this!! We are chalant!!!!! and we are already making grabby hands 😁😁😁
(begging it also available to me in the UK please pleeeeeeeeeeeease!!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 )
HAHAHAhaha. There’s no if… with BDH :))
I havent read the DDC books yet but this cameo is so cool!!! Love seeing Sushi and her pile of fish and (ofc) Maggie bludgeoning something to death. 😂
DCC was one of the books I read to get over my Maggie book hangover so I think this is superb! I love Sushi is also in the pic!
Me too! So happy the series is finally available in print!
Sushi is best fish fairy, regardless of IP!
yay sushi!!!
I confirm the demand! I will pay. Add in some artworks and I will pay more. Wooohoo.
“what am I missing here? Do most authors not release free fiction?”
They do, but hide it behind a newsletter or free Patreon (I don’t know how it works) subscription. Usually, you have to sign up to some third party service to get a download link.
Android app! Android app! Android app! Android app!
🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
OMG that DCC comic is perfect! Definitely BDH members.
I love DCC! So different from your books. If Carl and Donut appeared in Maggie’s next book, I would try to get Dinniman to sign it 😄
Can’t wait for the android app!
I feel responsible for the Free Fiction thing…everytime someone posts about TKWNKM withdrawals…
I first tell them that anything IA is equally amazing and should be consumed.
Then I have been telling them about Maggie snippets on the free fiction part of the website…
Actively recruiting for the horde!
Surprisingly I do read free fiction on other author’s sites (Raven’s Moor for Kelly Armstrong is on chapter 8 and Jasmine Mas but she does mostly cut scenes) but there are not many so I can understand the confusion…..I love love rereading my favs of yours on days I need a dopamine boost.
Mod R, welcome back!
Congrats on the publication in Germany for inheritance!
Side note… where is the spoiler channel for maggie1? I have theories!
I would like to give Mod R at least a few more days, because the spoiler thread will have to be moderated. 🙂 No worries, it will be coming.
KK. Thank you, and no stress either. It will be a fun place to brain worm now or later. 🙂
You can’t fire, sack, lose or replace Mod R. Who else can deal with the Horde on your behalf… or Steve for that matter?
Will look forward to a DCC reference- something from Princess Donut would have me in fits!!!!!
Gosh I dont think many authors interact with fans or do any sort of freebies. I’ve never found anything like this community and it’s so very appreciated. The audio thing is interesting. I avoid Audible at all cost and I’m p*tiently w*iting for Maggie and will wait for BB to buy elsewhere. I hope a viable option presents itself for future books but I ultimately will buy everything
We strongly favor wide distribution but we need to know how this royalty model works, so we will have to wait several weeks before we go wide. That was the original plan with Inheritance, but they royalty scheme did not kick in at the time.
It is so convoluted.
Saw an article on Petiteknit, a Copenhagen knitting design company.
Thought of you.
I can’t wait for the android app!!! in my experience no most authors don’t do free fiction. several do blogs but not necessarily freebies like you guys. I am very thankful for it.
Seriously gorgeous cover for the German edition of The Inheritance!!
Yay for the many updates!!
Gorgeous cover, love the wall w it’s glyphs. Very well done.
Dungeon Crawler Carl? Maybe part of the BDH? If so, excellent!
About the free fiction that has the newbies asking whats the catch; welp you guys don’t realize that this isn’t common. The quality and quantity of free fiction content that you have available is quite impressive. Other sites have sparingly updated their blog never mind their free fiction.
Putting all that aside, I adore this blog and the peeps that comment. Such a wide variety of topics and the diversity is refreshing. Thank you for sharing this space and keeping it positive.
Very grateful for the non-paywalled free fiction, free fiction which is not just cut scenes, and regular blog posts with hints and snippets! BDH loves you!
Gorgeous cover on the German edition!
I binged the DCC books, like I read the first seven within a month, and they’re fun but also… a lot, because while I loved the humour, they’re in essence also pretty dark… I’m wondering if the webtoon would make that better or worse, because one’s own imagination tends to be scarier than something actually on paper 🤔😉
where can we volunteer for android beta testing? I beta’d for the new sbt app if that counts?
There was a post a way back, I believe the testers have been chosen now 🙂
*YAY* snippet!!
My mind in seeing the note that this will be included in another ebook immediately went to – GREAT they already wrote the spin-off and have plans for publishing it, maybe before Maggie2?!?! I did wonder for a second when you found the time, but quashed that thought immediately as un-BDH like 😂😂
Anyhow, on the free fiction and blog – echoing a lot of the other comments, there are not a lot of authors that do free fiction (especially serials the way you do) and definitely not in this quantity. I am known in my family as the reader but the only blog I follow (religiously) and that my family knows about because I regular burst out laughing when reading it – is yours…
So THANK YOU for the many hours and days of enjoyment you have brought the BDH and your generous sharing of free content and comments!!
And I realize now that in my excitement about the Maggie related snippet I made two posts into one… 🤣
My brain was obviously overstimulated by getting two for one when checking the blog just now.
We have missed you Moderator R. Welcome back!
A vault option? 🤩🤩🤩🤩 You are so good to us.
I don’t know about most authors, but I release free fiction, sometimes as a serial story (I learned that from you) on my blog. I then take it down after a while and eventually I either publish it or publish it with other stories if it’s short. I have a blog store that is not at all fancy. I usually have a free download in there. Most authors who have their own store have a freebie or two. But other than that, a lot of authors don’t even have their own blog these days so they can’t readily release free fiction other than to publish a story to retailers and make it free.
I know a few authors will do a free story download via bookfunnel. I have received newsletters with the link to free “first in series” fairly often.
And I do post free short stories from other authors at my blog when I get together with them and we decide we all want to post stories. Kind of like you did a while back with Mihilak and a few others? I vaguely remember there being some links to other authors with stories.
But your blog is the only one I know of that has a repository of stories that I can just visit and read. I’ve already read them all, but sometimes I’ll go back and read one or two of them again especially if I find I am missing a particular character!
I very much appreciate the freebies you post. But most authors don’t maintain a blog or a place where they can post and host stories. I guess some do so on patreon these days, but there is no real free tier on patreon anymore so those aren’t technically free.
Also thank you for posting about audible. I only have one professionally narrated audio book and I did not upload it to audible. The terms were…scary? Indecipherable? Seven years. Apple distribution rights. And I could not, for the life of me understand what I would be paid. I could barely guess. So I opted not to join their contract. I’m not saying it’s better elsewhere. Just that it was too much of a head scratcher and too long-term for me to want to play.
Ooh, I a fictional cross reference of two series I actually enjoy; but sadly I don’t read the webcomic just the books and have no idea who this is – they appear human but it’s not how I picture Katya which means it probably is! Still love it though 😄
It’s not Katya or any other DCC character, it’s Maggie! Whoever makes the Dungeon Crawler Carl webtoon gave Maggie and Sushi a cameo 🙂
Ahh, this makes far more sense! My mind just figured someone from DCC was making a reference to This Kingdom rather than Maggie was making a cameo appearance in it. Thanks for the explanation 😃
Welcome back Mod R! “Has she been fired “ lol. We certainly go to extremes here among the BDH! speaking of audible, and also knowing this is HA’s post, there’s a certain book out there now set partially in Transylvania. Are we listening while we wa*t for Maggie #2?
“If there’s interest.” HA!! This is the Horde you’re talking about, OF COURSE there’s interest. Like, right now interest. Or maybe yesterday interest.
You go Maggie! Love Dungeon Crawler Carl!
Welcome back Mod R!
Yes, Thank you for keeping your snippets free! We love all the fiction you share on the site. ❤️❤️
🙂
To answer your question, most authors do not release free fiction, that I know of.
Baen has some free fiction on their site, but IMHO as a correspondence clerk with an English degree, the editing leaves much to be desired. The typos, omg the TYPOS.
Then there’s fanfic, but again, typos; and a stunning and rather sad amount of it is just pwp masquerading as an actual story.
Free fic (that’s worth paying for) on your blog is a rare and treasured gem. So, thank you, oh great Authorlords; and may your tea always be perfect and your bank account always be full.
A lot of stuff these days goes behind paywalls though some authors still include things in mailing lists.
One of the first things I say to recruit new Horde members is: “AND they gift us with free stories! Which later may become a whole new book! And even a series!”
Nope, none of us have ever heard of an author giving us free goodies like candy sprinkled from a piñata. And the way the Horde will immediately pounce on it like sugar-starved kids at a 7-year-old’s birthday party.
Same feeling ☺️ 🥳🪅
The blog and the BDH community are very unique. I don’t know of any other author who share so many freebies with such quality. Most have a FB/IG page or a Patreon and that’s not free.
I’m in France and I read your posts every morning; it’s a cozy place where I always find joy, comfort and laughters.
House Andrews is the best as far as I am concerned.
“IF THERE IS A DEMAND”…🤣🤣🤣
Understatement of the year
So true 🤣
I’m glad I’m not alone. lol
OMG I am so jalous of german people I want the inheritance in french too and this cover is great!
Also I NEED this extra book of Maggie in paper not only ebook please please please There is a demand!
Free? Mind blown.
Thank you for every snippet and extra that you do.
Amazing picture and a cool subtitle.
Good day, Ilona, Gorden and the Glorious ModR
As a main-stream published author, you are (in my experience) wildly ahead of the pack. Other authors have sites, but none as active and well-maintained as yours.
I know all this is extra work for you, but if an author does not feed their Horde between projects, it won’t grow or will grow slowly.
Some self-publishing authors are trying to follow your lead, with mixed success, as they simply do not have your experience and overall skill. But kudos to them – they will get there!
Some fishy business is going on in that dungeon crawl ^^
Thank you!
As of an hour ago I am a proud android app tester.
So far I’m loving it and I’ve only been browsing a bit.
ich freue mich auf die Deutsche Übersetzung . vor allem auf eine Fortsetzung der Wirtin Geschichten und der Dina Welt.
Print, please. Pretty please with a cherry on top, too.
“The Horde devours, and it must be fed.” yeah, I need that on a shirt or something. lol
+1!!!
Re: Free fiction, no, I haven’t seen many authors release free fiction. Especially not the way/as often as you too. I have a friend who has many shorts about the length as your free fics. 70+ published novels. But her short works are mostly paywalled on her Patreon. Given that she is absolutely prolific on Patreon ( several posts a _week_, in contrast to many people’s single post a month), the paywall ends up being a great ROI for fans.
But still….not free.
Also, I love that cover!!! They did such an amazing job!!
I purchased my copy of BB directly from your store and was wondering if the audio book will be available as a direct sale as well?
There are a few authors that I follow who also have direct sales of print, ebook, and audio, the ebook and audio are delivered through bookfunnel. I’ve noticed at time those authors will offer a discount sale for a few days as a direct sale before it goes to Amazon and other retailers. In my mind buying directly from the author is more beneficial to the author, but I dont know if that is correct lol.
Chirp will sometimes have my favorite books on sale as an audio book and there is no membership fee. My public library is probably my number one go to, even if there is a long wait for a hold. Thank you very much for making your books available to the library!
As for free reads, some of my favorite authors do still offer free reads. Most of the ones who do are authors that I have followed for a long time. As others have commented many authors do not have a space such as a free blog or newsletter. I do not have any social media, so I am extremely grateful that you do have a presence for people like me.
Thank you House Andrews!!!
When the Audible exclusivity period ends, it’s a possibility 🙂. It will be announced!
I am a proud, card carrying member of the BDH and also an outted member of the cult that is DCC. Long live both!! Thank for the joy that this mention brought me and also the delightful introduction to a new Auntie! Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
I love that cover! Can’t wait for Beast Business!
I love that Maggie and sushi got a cameo in the Dungeon Crawler Carl webtoon, and I am so excited that you intend to return the favor!!! Can’t wait to see that 🙂
SOME DO AND SOME DON’T. I AM THRILLED WITH THE ONES (ESPECIALLY MY FAVORITES LIKE YOU). PLEASE KNOW THAT IT IS APPRECIATED. YOUR BOOK MAGIC BITES IS WHAT GOT ME BACK INTO WRITING.
Yesterday, I reread ALL the free fiction. It made me want to do all the rereads. I’m an Edge fan, and loved the connection to three Innkeeper universe.
I love the cover for the German “Inheritance”. It just looks more like the Ada and Bear in my mind.
+1
I think the free fiction was more common on blogs 10 years ago, but it still exists! I get little shorts in Nalini Singh’s newsletters every couple months, and I think KF Breene does them in her newsletters too? Melissa Cave does them through a separate “fan portal” website, giving us chapters/short stories.
I am looking forward to the android version of the app! Thank you so much for all the kindness and creativity you offer. I shall endeavor to be as challant as possible in these live love lurk conditions.
YOU ARE THE BEST AUTHOR LORDS BAR NONE!!! This BDHer loves reading all the FREE fiction, emails AND of course every book you have written over and over❤️. The books have gotten me through some stressful medical and life times.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Feed me, Feed me, hungry for more stories. yum Yum Yum Yum Yum. 😉
And what about a Spanish version? Please tell me there are plans for it to be released in Spanish. Although, if it were any other book, that would be fine too.
The authors do not control the foreign editions 🙂 Only local publishers can make the decisions to buy the foreign rights, translate and publish.
For recent Ilona Andrews translations in Spanish, Edition Hidra have done a beautiful job with This Kingdom will Not Kill Me: https://www.editorialhidra.com/libro/en-este-reino-soy-inmortal-edicion-especial-limitada_178378/ 🙂
Relative newbie here 🙋🏻♀️
Is there any way to “send a coffee” / venmo (or international equivalent because I don’t think we have it in Europe) as a way to send thanks your way for all the free fictions? 😊
Hi Gaelle,
Welcome and thank you so much for asking! 😊 The best way to support Ilona and Gordon is simply by buying their books, and recommending them to other readers who might enjoy their stories.
Make sure you check the Free Fiction page https://ilona-andrews.com/free-fiction/ and the new readers page https://ilona-andrews.com/start-here/
a serial now would blow their minds, unfortunately it would probably give you a headache too. oh well you know we are the BDH for a reason. you write it we will devour, package it up and sell it, and we (or at least I would) buy it and devour it again.
regardless thank you for all your work, and free stuff, thank you both for everything
For audio, my favourite is Graphic audio or other companies that use full cast. I hope they pay authors fairly.
🤦♀️I read “Horde devours” as Hors d’oeuvres. Then I thought, snippets make great hords devours 🤪. I need sleep.