ILONA ANDREWS

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Dirty Words and a Vote

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Hi all, Mod R here.

Come to Chernobog’s side, he has Orro cookies now.

I’m so glad everyone is having fun with the character Frinnterviews!

It’s time to decide the next couple of guests who will visit Gertrude Hunt and tell us about themselves. Vote carefully, there are goodies made by Orro at stake.

Let’s also clarify a few things about the Friday Talks, because they keep coming up in the comments:

This is an opportunity to find out more about our favourite underdogs and underlogs, so the focus will be mainly on supporting characters. Protagonists will likely not be featured, as they’re explored enough in the narrative or have reveals coming up at the right time in future sequels. So no Derek, Julie, Elara etc for now. I’m going to use that dirty word again, but we must w*it for the full stories to be published and not spoil our fun.

Which brings us to…

I know you all want to see favourites from the Innkeeper series come chat with Dina and Sean- but Sweep of the Heart comes out in less than a month (the timer is up on the home page) and we have to be pa*ient because at this time pretty much anything an Innkeeper character says could be spoiliminating (spoiler+ incriminating? No? I’m trying to make it a thing). That’s why we’re going to focus on characters from the other Ilona Andrews series for now.

Without further ado (and with explanations of where they come from this time):

Next Friday Talk guest is:

  • Augustine "Pancakes" Montgomery (Hidden Legacy) (18%, 1,412 Votes)
  • Luther, Biohazard Wizard at Large (Kate Daniels) (15%, 1,227 Votes)
  • Bug (Hidden Legacy) (14%, 1,151 Votes)
  • Grandma Frida (Hidden Legacy) (13%, 1,038 Votes)
  • Erra (Kate Daniels series) (12%, 962 Votes)
  • Leon (Hidden Legacy) (12%, 924 Votes)
  • William, Lord Sandine (Bayou Moon, The Edge series) (5%, 370 Votes)
  • Desandra (Kate Daniels) (4%, 341 Votes)
  • Konstantin Leonidovich Berezin (Ruby Fever, Hidden Legacy) (4%, 312 Votes)
  • Runa (Hidden Legacy) (3%, 218 Votes)

Total Voters: 7,955

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You vote whilst I go wash my mouth out with soap. Thank Chernobog I didn’t have to use “d*layed” as well. Yuck.

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Comments

      • It could be that people are missing the vote button. It’s small, light grey with white lettering. Is there any way to update it to a larger button, different color (black with white lettering?) or maybe “Vote Here Now” so that it’s more noticeable than “Poll Results”?

  5. Desandra mostly because I want to know how the heck she bagged Nick!!!

    And how she felt about her abrupt move to Atlanta and being a single mom.

  8. I wanted Bug! There is a great backstory there. He is third on the the list at this time. Come on ppl, let’s push Bug to the top!
    Go, Bug, Go!

    • I have always rooted for Bug.
      I would love to know more about him and I don’t see him getting his own story. This looks like his best chance.

      That said – there are no bad choices here. I would enjoy knowing about any and all of them. I guess I will just have to be (gasp, shudder) patient…

  9. I now have to go back and re-read. Maybe it’s just because of it being Monday but there’s a name on the list I don’t remember.

  12. I actually also wanted to chime in with a request for Greg, the Order’s diviner and Kate’s guardian. I read this one line where it’s stated that he was especially effective against vampires. How???????? And also, what kind of a relationship did he have with Kate’s mother? I know he fell in love with her, but was it real or was it her 2nd insurance policy after Voron. On second thought, let’s hear more about Kate’s mom. I feel like her motivations were very one-goal-of-Kate-survival focused, because she was dead by the time we met Kate. So we got Kate’s take on it. But what kind of person was she to have fallen in love with Roland, who is all sorts of yuck. Fundamentally broken and irredeemable, someone with power who has knowledge of consequences and yet is immature enough to believe himself above them. And once we know more about Kate’s mom, Greg & Anna, let’s also hear about Nick – who is on the inside? Clearly, I am on a Kate reread.

  13. I know she’s not on this list ModR but a catch-up with Charlotte and Lady al Ran to find out what happened with Sophie prior to her reemergence in Innkeeper on a future list would be great!

    (Great selection this time though!)

  15. Bug! Bug! Bug! Bug!!

    With profanity and zing and evil humour!!! And of course surveillance of someone….

  16. I seriously think Desandra should be interviewed…by Sean. I mean, here’s werewolf sex on a stick, questioning werewolf sex on a stick. What’s not to love? Of course, Dina might linger in the hallway, just to keep an eye on that lusty lady.

  17. Any word on the Sweep of the Heart audio? I just checked and there is no pre-order link yet.

    I voted for Leon, but will be happy with any of them!

  20. Oooooo so many amazing options wanting my vote! Today I voted Leon, but Bug is a definite runner up, and I’d love to hear more about Runa (although Orro’s food being handled by her might cause our favourite chef to relive past events ????)
    I will happily await the next vote for more favourites!

  21. maaaan so many awesome choices! I chose Run though, because I want to hesr how things are going with Bern. And how her brother is doing. As fun as Grandma Frida, Leon, or Desandra would be their insanity is somewhat predicable.

  22. Honestly, I would like to see them ALL so would love to see the “losers” included in another vote! I voted for Erra but omg, Luther would be amazing – how does he “see” other people’s magic? Is this his innate ability or can all wizards see it? Augustine… I mean, I mostly like Augustine for his looks so 😀 Luther would be better 😀

  23. I voted for Grandma Frida. I am betting she would be a hoot!

    However, an all button would have gotten my vote as well.

    • Ditto on Grandma Frida!
      She and I are ‘of an age’, and mechanical. If you’ve never had to lay on cold cement under a vehicle dripping dirty oil in your face, you wouldn’t understand…

  25. Oh Wow! I would looove to sit in on an interview between Sean and Lord Sandine!!!! He is sooo not a “supporting” character though?!.

  27. Genuinely surprised that so few of us wanted to know more about House Berezin and the Russian Imperial Dynasty. Fingers crossed for next time!

    • I voted for Konstantin. But it was a close thing. Very close. William and Bug, and then Bug especially, nearly knocked him out of my running. This was a painful poll ????

  28. that was soooo hard!!! so torn between so many of those characters!

    voted Augustine but would also love Luther, Runa, Gma Frida, Erra, Leon… ????

    thank you Mod R for organizing and to house Andrews for offering! so much fun!

  29. I’m over here chanting Luther Luther Luther… cause I think he’s bloody brilliant and should have a stand alone short story… a day in the life of Magical BioHazMat.

  30. I went William. His thought process was very muted and limited so I really am hoping that he is doing better and is enjoying having a family.

  31. For the next poll, how about adding Barabas or Christopher, or both! Would love to hear more of their story!

  32. I voted for Erra, and hope that if/when we get to her, there’s mention of how things are going (or not) with Damian Angevin.

    My second choice is for sure Luther, but only get to vote for one!

  33. I voted, but I really don’t care because they are all fabulous. Though the idea of Erra being interviewed by Caldenia is AMAZING.

  35. I flipped and flopped through Luther, Desandra, and Augustine for several minutes and settled on Luther; because where did he come from, how does his magic work, and what’s his private life like? We know a little about Augustine and Desandra but not much about Luther other than he is a power.

  37. I was going to vote Augustine, because he is who I am second-most interested in, but then I saw that LEON was in this week’s voting!!!!!! He’s who I have wanted to know about the most. I think he has the potential to be the most complicated person, given everything we know about him.

    I have a thing I wonder about (for fictional characters, yes, but my brain connects when I develop an emotional connection with characters). I don’t expect this to be addressed—not my stories to tell, so irrelevant—I just want to throw it out there. Maybe others think the same thing: If the Baylors are such a close family, why don’t they *talk* to each other?

    They are always saying/thinking that they have to protect the entire family, rather than thinking of it as a full partnership (although Catalina changed a lot with that and the final battle shows that change).

    They also hide stuff. Why does Arabella hide who she is and what she can do? Why did she hide all that stuff we learned in her “interview”? Self-sacrifice always seems doomed after a while. I imagine we would see something similar with Leon. Nevada did—don’t know how much she still does. Same with Catalina. I’d bet everyone does.

    This is just one of those things that my weird brain gets frustrated with, even though I remind it that these are fictional characters and not my stories to tell. Now that I have shared it and it’s out in the universe, maybe my damned brain will shut up. ????

    Thank you for including Leon in this week’s voting. I am very excited.

    • Unfortunately this is human nature, which doesn’t change nearly fast enough. This kind of cr@p goes on all the time in real families, just without the supernatural trimmings. Everybody has different pieces of the puzzle; no one can put them all together because everyone is “protecting” each other. That goes on right until the lid blows off and sprays emotional debris on everyone in range. Don’t ask how I know this.

    • I dont agree I alweis seen Leon as simple. Not mistake that as stupid please. Leon is cuning and sharp but his smart in my opinion was alweis more on a instinctive thinker… I dont know if what Im saying make sense. Leon in my opinion has a hight social EQ but not much of a deep thinker or planer. Like if I wanted a complex step by step plan made I would go ask Bern but if I found myself in the middle of a surprise chaotic situation and need someone plan what to do next I probable would do what Leon say after I made sure Leon objectives are right like survive instead doing something fun/impressive/idiotic.

  38. This was a hard list to vote. I agree we should have an all the above option. That would make for interesting interviews. 😀

    I voted for Luther after thinking “what?! No! All these great picks, but one vote”.

    Psst…more cookies for Roman with black coffee. That should keep Chernobog happy.

  39. I still want to know more about Grandma Frida. She is such a hoot and serious about her machines and weapons.

  40. this is impossible to choose from, but i want desandra because i just want more of velvet plums and apricots

  42. I had to vote for Bug. I can only imagine him asking Dina for an introduction to the folks who helped her to find Beast.

  43. Couldn’t decide between Bug, Leon and Frida. Since Luther and Augustine are currently at the top, I opted to further the cause of pushing Bug up in the rankings.

    • To be fair, we have had Arabella interview, and I think we all want her to be MC in the future ????????????????

  46. This is hard!!! I want them all!!

    My top 5:
    Bug (Hidden Legacy)
    Leon (Hidden Legacy)
    Erra (Kate Daniels series)
    Augustine “Pancakes” Montgomery (Hidden Legacy)
    Luther, Biohazard Wizard at Large (Kate Daniels)
    (so I guess I don’t have them all).

  47. I have a nomination: Hector Marais, the police officer from Innkeeper. I’d love to know how he processed all the things he learned.

  48. I can’t vote either and can’t see the results. Any would be good though I lean toward Leon and Hidden Legacy characters. Or how about that Dragon rider from the snippet?

  49. I guess I’m with the majority, that’s a tough choice.First I thought Augustine. No, let’s learn more about the Russian house. Oh no, hang on, Luther is in there. Smart, talented, sarcastic and somehow after all he’s seen and probably done, still one of the good guys. Yep. Going with Luther.

  51. OMG how can Erra not be everyone’s first choice? And I say this having voted for Augustine last time. But I don’t think Erra wasn’t an option last time!

    Does she visit Roland as well? Does she think she’ll eventually rule the entire territory formerly occupied by the US? Tell us more about her system of governance that isn’t a totalitarian monarchy! Ahhhh!

    • Speaking only for myself, I’ve seen way more backstory on Erra already than on most of the other characters. Same with William. We know basically nothing about Luther beyond his current job. And we’ll probably hear more about Era’s future in books already penciled in on the schedule, whereas Luther’s past is much less likely to make it into print.

        • You are absolutely right, but I have to admit that it’s the third question I asked that was most important to me. I’m a total governance nerd, and the brief overview of Erra’s government that they gave us in Blood Heir just whetted my appetite for more. What do they use for currency? What are their imports and exports? WHO are they trading with, if anyone (of course they’re trading with someone)? Since Julie listed the ways the US had failed her, what exactly IS the quality of life for the poorest people in Erra’s not-exactly-queendom? Is there social mobility, and if so, how does one rise (or fall)?

          I could go on for hours. I won’t. But I could.

          • That’s also the one I think most likely to be answered in future books, since HA excels at world-building.

            • I agree wrt the exceptional world-building but — and this is exactly how it should be — we’ll only find out if it helps the character or story. Julie is loyal to Erra and rightfully feels the US failed her. So the discussion with Nick emphasizes that, as well as letting us as readers know that we can’t make assumptions about what a monarchy means in a radically different culture.

              Since that’s now established, and the story is happening in Atlanta, while I can always hope we’ll get more governance conversation, I don’t expect it.

  53. You would have had to list both Bug and Leon! I want a story with the pair of them working on a case together – they’re my favorites of the male characters in Hidden Legacy, and I have never managed to choose between them.

    But I was intending to vote for Luther this time, so I did.

  54. For me, it was a tough call between Grandma Frida and Bug, but everyone on the list is of interest. Really enjoying the interviews and cannot wait for the Innkeeper release. Also enjoying the Graphic Audio of the Innkeeper series.

  55. It would be cool if we could have a ranked choice poll. That would make it more clear to everyone that they are voting on order, not whether an interview will happen.
    It would also play games with the response, which would be amusing.

  56. Thanks to Chernobog! And its always a pleasure the humor you bring Mod R.

    Waiting is worth it, I want to know about allllllllllllllllllllll the fun folks! Choosing one was hard!

  58. Well, I voted but my feelings are really summed up by the Queen song: I want it all, I want it all, I want it all and I want it now! ????

  59. I am infuriated that I can’t vote for more than one. I think Grandma Frida would invite the Innkeeper family to their compound to trade recipes and security secrets. Augustine would try to sneak in just to see if he could. But I’m going to vote for Sean and William to chat, and possibly trade thoughts on fatherhood. (Squeeeee!)

    On a side note, I loved the interview with Arabella mostly because she was so elegant and refined throughout, only to end with “BTW, I’m taking all the cookies.” I love that kid!

  60. Thank you so much!
    I am loving these interviews and Mod R’s posts.
    Some computery things broke today because our Purchase Order numbers went from 9 to 10 digits last night. I definitely needed the smiles.
    I’m excited for the next edition ????

  61. I’ve been tested for p*tienc*. I’m negative.

    Fun choices! I’m sure Luther has some hair-raising stories to tell, but I do hope that Bug and Grandma Frieda get a turn soon as well.

  62. Once you start interviews of characters from the Inn series (yes, I can w*ait), I’d love to see an interview with Orro where he talks about working at the Inn and earth food.

  64. Oh my gosh! This is the absolute worst list ever! I seriously want them all… aargh! Now I have to go eenie meenie miney mo the list… thank you!

  66. Man, I’m so torn! they’re all excellent choices! I picked Runa tho. I liked her. She was plucky, loved Bern and was a devoted sister/daughter!

  67. Did you have to add Desandra and Runa to my already long list?! ????
    I’ll be a faithful Wizard at large grouie and vote for Luther again, but want to hear from Pancakes, the above ladies, and Era with Caldenia (as suggested from someone) as well!

    Thank you HA and ModR for this new Frinnpointment!

  70. I want to know more about the giant Russian bear man. He seemed a lot more fun than his brother. Knowing about Henry would be fun too.

    • Interviewing Konstantine would give us the dirt on Mikhail, was my cunning thinking process 😀

      Well, the biased dirt, and then we can make up our minds 😉

      (My well known hatred for Illusion Mages at play here :D)

  71. >spoiliminating
    How about spoilincrInnating, just to keep with the theme? (Hey, Shakespeare made up words whenever he wanted. Why can’t we?)

  72. I was torn between Luther and Bug, but Luther won. They are both my favorite quirky side characters.

  74. Never d*layed! I can be pa*ient and wa*t with so many great choices, I am not even disappointed that my first choice isn’t winning. I want Orro pastries – I feel that he could master the impossible and give me buttery gluten free pastries (I am a coeliac).

  75. After the first two guests, it was very hard for me to decide. Some have a certain mystique – if we learn more will it change the way I view them? In the end it was really hard, but I went with Bug!

  76. At some future date I would like to see an interview with Cornelius the animal mage and maybe his daughter Matilda too.

  79. I would think Bug would know more about his world and the other characters in that series than any other character, Pancakes would be a close second. Crossing my fingers.

  80. I’m one who managed, but assuming feedback is welcome, I’d like to provide the same feedback – button could use some enhancement around visibility. Thanks.

  81. Oh, so hard to choose but narrowed down to Bug, Leon, and Grandma Frida… So. Hard. To. Pick. One…

  84. Wow. Whoever came up with the idea of interviewing secondary characters on Fridays deserves a big clap. I love learning more about these story worlds.

  85. Will the whole list be worked through in rank-order, or will some of these folks turn up again in a future poll? I had at least three I wanted to pick!

  86. I voted but just like last time, I’m happy with whomever gets interviewed on FrINNday!
    Thank you HA and Mod R for giving us tough choices!

  88. This was much harder thanI would have expected. I voted for Augustine because he just intrigues me. But Bug would be an amazing interview. Grandma Frida would be an amazing interview. And if you would consider doing 2 characters at 1 time – Grandma Frida and Bug together in an interview? I never did drugs but I’m thinking that the two of them together would be trippy, man. ????

  90. Since Bug and Luther are so close (virtually a tie), I would like to throw a challenge out there–an interview with both of them. They are both so **unique** in their own special ways, I think it could be highly entertaining to see them riff off each other.

  94. So hard to choose!! I went back & forth between most of them. I finally landed on Bug because he makes me laugh with all his whatthefuckery. 🙂 (No pun intended, and no, I didn’t squish him, hahaha)

    Really glad you’re doing these interviews, so much fun!

  95. OMG! Where is the “All of the Above” choice???

    Seriously love each and every one of them, because HA has the bestest characters. I almost chose William, because I love “Bayou Moon”, but made the final choice for Grandma Frida, because Mee-Maw was not on the list. I just rewatched “Moana” and “Princess and the Frog” with my kid and the older ladies have got some sass and verve that are awesome!

    If Grandma Frida gets a Friday Interview, can Baba Yaga be pouring the tea? Pretty please, with honey?

  96. love the FrInndays Interviews, but thought Grandma Frida might be next from the first vote. Now it looks as she gets to keep her secrets a little while longer, although I would have loved to see her pictures (the ones she’s been snapping constantly) and look forward to when she might be visiting the Inn.
    The good thing is all the other choices will be spectacular as well and as I only had one vote…..

  97. Thank you, Mod R! I enjoy your tone. :^)

    But (FWIW)…”spoiliminating” sounds to me like ‘spoiling + eliminating’ (not incriminating).

    Other options, maybe:

    spoicriminating
    inspoilinating
    spoiminating (which also sounds like it contains “sperm” with a Brooklyn accent (think Three Stooges) so Not Exactly SFW)

  98. Me, to my engineer & other tech husband: honey? The one I voted for isn’t winning, so I turned on BitDefender and had it connect me from another location and it still knows I voted.

    Husband: there must be a cookie somewhere.

    Me: will you come help me rig the vote?

    Husband: …

    Husband: No.

    Note: given the number of people voting vs. the number of locations I could have connected from, I couldn’t even have moved Erra up one. And I knew that before I tried.

    • I understand the impulse. I am glad you have such an amazing relationship with your husband that he considered modifying a poll for the awesome HA character vote and then said no. Top marks for understanding that you were completely serious and recognizing the importance of HA characters to you. It is nice when your loved ones can understand and respect what is important to you lol.

  99. This might have been the hardest vote ever. I’m happy with any of them.

    ModR – those were some pretty terrible words. Shame. Shame!!!

  100. I assume that the Sweep characters will appear once the new book comes out; at that point, Orro will be high on my list.

    I don’t mind being able to vote for only one — there will be only one on Friday, so we only vote for one. Then that person will be off the list, and we can vote again next week.

  101. This was a hard set of choices! I want more on all the Beylors and Baylor-adjacent people. Can we add Penelopy Baylor to the next list, so we can ask how her romance with SGT Heart is progressing? Please?

    • Ohh that is a good point….would Penelope give us an answer though? I am not sure but I want to know too.

  105. So many good options, so very hard to choose! Looking forward to Friday for the interview at Gertrude Hunt!

  107. Should not have underestimated the BDH “Give us Augustine” subdivision.

    This is what I get now, Illusion mages 😛

  110. Augustine because I’m curious about him, and I’m a bit puzzled at the love he’s gotten. His initial treatment of Nevada as a disposable asset with a hostage family makes it difficult for me to see him as an acceptable ally, let alone the potential love interest some have positioned him as. There’s ruthless, and then there’s giving your people a death sentence because that seems a reasonably convenient option.

  115. Can’t wait to hear what delicacies Orro comes up for the future guests. Something from The Great British Bake Off perhaps?

    Like Pistachio and white chocolate churros, Apricot couronne, Passion fruit and lime Charlotte russe, Chocolate brownie meringue cake with raspberry cream, or Dobos torte.

  116. Ok Im again expressing my deep regret of only being able to vote in one of them. It would be better if I could vote at least in 2 or even 3. That said Im happy that Luther got better position this turn but why Grandma Frida is so low. Yes we could learn more on bug and luther but we alread know a lot on Augustine. The biggest Augustine background mistery isnt even himself but his brother and sister. Last time I voted Frida but if the votes are this way I gonna vote Luther so he can (with some more votes) pass over Augustine at least.

  118. Surprised but glad to see how high Luther is on this poll. I want more of Augustine, too, but the snarky government employee wins my vote.

  124. These are all good characters to learn more about. But for me, and maybe it’s because I just read Ruby Fever and am in a Baylor Family state of mind, I want to know a lot more about Grandma Frida and Leon.

  125. Mod R I am not sure if this would make the entire FrINNday a huge headache, if so then please disregard. Once a person is picked. Could we the BDH maybe write in Qs we would like to ask the character about? Obviously HA knows the things we want to know and I would not want to interrupt their plans. I am very greatful for the side character interviews. Just as an example I voted for Luther, I would like to know more about his magic, even when he first noticed it, how it manifested etc. I am sure that is not a very unique question all things considered. I do not know if BDH comments about what they would like to know about the Friday’s character pick would be helpful or a pit of chaos that would distract from the creatitve awesomeness of HA. I know BDH is an awesome horde but as by definition a Horde is a lot of people and I would not want us, BDH to do something that creates more work or distracts from the fun HA, Mod R, and BDH get from the FrInnDay interviews. Just wanted to put out the idea.

  129. When we get to Augustine (Pancakes), could we pleeeeeeaaaase have Helen visit her aunt and do the interview?

  132. Does anyone else find it rather extraordinary that over 7000 of us voted?
    Way to go, BDH!
    And – pretty amazing community-building, Mod R and House Andrews…

  133. I love a lot of the options here but I would also wonder if we can hear from George or Jack or Sophie in the near future? I want to know what happens w George and Sophie!

    And how is Rose and Declan? I loved them as they were one of my first House Andrews books.

    Since some of them are now connected to the Inn maybe we can’t get them yet but wanted to make sure to mention them! 🙂

    • And that brings up to the spoilcriminating info, some of the things you’ve enumerated can be found in Sweep of the Heart, make sure you don’t miss it 😉

    • I would love to hear from Rose or Declan. My favorite couple was Audrey and Kaldar. They definitely gave off “the cool aunt and uncle” vibe. I do wonder if Cerisse had kids and if it were as crazy as she anticipated.

  136. I would love to learn more about Granma Fridda. . . She makes eyes at Duncan and implies they could be or maybe had been “a thing.” Her hidden talent is interesting especially in how they are turning up in the grands. and by the way — if Runa has a kiddo with a pattern mage — what would that child be? Glad to see the Hidden Legacy series continue in any form. One of my favorites.

  137. ‘Spoiliminating’ will never be a thing. It sounds like spoil mixed with eliminate, or at least that’s where my mind goes. Try ‘incrimispoil’. Personally it sounds better, but if others disagree then okay.

  138. Is there any chance of getting a playlist of the “documentaries” that Sean is recommending to Orro?????
    With all the streaming content available, I find myself falling back and watching old favorites I haven’t seen in years.

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