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ILONA ANDREWS

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author

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HA Update: Coming up for Air

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I like how serene the above image is. That’s how a lot of people picture writer’s daily work. They do not picture me laying on the carpet in the study, because I’ve been in the chair for the past x hours and my back was beginning to hurt, and saying things like, “It won’t work because she can just poison him.”

And my husband saying back, “I’m not married to the oozes.”

And me saying, “I am married to the oozes, I like the oozes, I just can’t see it.”

“Because there is no logical reason for him to be across the battlefield and if he runs through, he dies. Let’s cut it.”

“It’s 3,000 words.”

“Eh. We will write more words.”

The edits on Ruby Fever are eating every available minute of time. We are still here, we’re are just buried. Please bear with us.

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Comments

  4. Enjoy the coming up for air before going back to writing, edits, and whatever else.

    I have a question that maybe Mod R can answer. When will the Nook pre-order for Ruby Fever be available? When I go out to Barnes and Noble, and go to the Ruby Fever page, the pre-order is for the actual book. Thanks!

  5. I like oozes, but I wouldn’t say that I am married to them. I trust the authors to responsibly manage the ooze.

  6. Save the ooze for Kateverse; seems like something that happens a lot there, especially in Unicorn Lane.

  7. I’m so thrilled that Ruby Fever is close to being published! This is my most anticipated HA book ever, and that is saying something.

  8. Things I’ve learned:
    1) Now on the lookout for oozes, I hope they stay
    2) There will be a battlefield, can’t wait!
    3) doing edits sound hard

    Best of luck! Can’t wait for Ruby Fever <3
    (also very aware today is Thursday and just 1 more day for another chapter)

  9. House Andrews: we love you.

    Take care of you too.

    also, why would anyone want to be married to the oozes? I mean, it sounds…. moist and squishy. Gross.

  10. Thank you for the update.

    We in the BDH tend to worry when you are quiet for a long time (for whatever definition of “long time” we come up with?) and start posting strange theories about what might have happened to you.
    While these theories are amusing, the furor gets tiring pretty soon.
    Thanks for preventing that.

    Oh, yeah – I’m looking forward to “Ruby Fever” a lot. It sounds like a doozy of a book.

    • Oozy doozy perhaps?

      We are looking forward to “Ruby Fever”. Is it the fever that causes the oozes?

  11. You guys hang in there and take your time i have patience. And don’t work yourself to death that doesn’t help anyone if you can take a day and relax go for it

  12. You know we wish you the best. Smokes bombs and teasers of other unreleased books will result in a whole bunch of praise from the BDH.

    • Carol, my daughter lived overseas (Viet Nam then Chile) for several years and I gave her BVHs on a regular basis. Hugs were one of the things I missed the most with her being so far away.

  15. Is the happy medium for a troublesome ooze something that eventually dries in place, like caulk? Or do you need something that actually becomes less viscous over time, like when you heat honey? You all have the most interesting puzzles.

  16. I hope things are otherwise well.

    I’ve had my pre-order in for a while now, and am looking forward to August 23rd rolling around.

  17. I love your priorities.

    Books first, blog second. LOVE the blog, but while they obviously feed off one another, the blog is here because of the books, not the other way around.

  18. I have had back problems, and they are no fun. Please take care of yourselves and each other. I will buy and read whatever you write (knowing that it will be superb) and I will wait patiently for as long as it takes (knowing that it will be worth the wait).

  19. It’s been one of those weeks, in one of those months, in one of those years… I feel for ya! Hang in there, eventually this time too will ooze past 😉

  20. “We will write more words.”

    A more calming utterance, I cannot imagine.

    Thank you for all you do!!!

  21. I’m all in for the oozes.

    You are both amazing, wonderful extraordinary authors you will get through the edits and BDH will love and devour the book.

    Sending warm fuzzies, tea, hugs and everything else your way!

  24. Does Gordon’s military background help when writing some of these battle scenes? I’m writing something myself but I can’t wrap my head around the way House IA are able to so beautiful choreograph the battle scenes.

  25. Hello, I wanted to re-read the first chapter of Ruby Fever but when I clicked “Read Excerpt” the first chapter is not available. Only the back of the book snippet.
    Has the chapter moved to another location?

    • Hi Claire,

      The chapter is getting edits too ( the process is LIVE!) and will be back shortly ????.
      Please bear with.

  27. I’m a visual thinker. The things my poor brain conjured up when I read “married to the oozes” were… interesting… (by which I mean from mildly disconcerting to downright scary). That said – can’t wait for the book, with or without ooze!

    • I thought of blobbie from Hotel Transylvania marrying some humanoid persons. And made my self stop there.

    • same, I cringed a little cuz the first thing I thought of was an oozing catepillar…. and now I think I regret making this comment.

  28. We will wait patiently. ????

    In the meantime, possibly hire a masseuse for your back. You’ve earned it.

    Hugs.

    • ++1
      So agree… You, your health and sanity come first, especially with us. No matter how impatient the BDH may be. Take care of you — and the masseuse sounds like a great idea.

  29. Buried is exhausting! I feel your pain. Got two supposedly “built out completely” courses 2 weeks ago and have been scrambling ever since. I’m sure it will eventually come together… just don’t know how sane I’ll be when it does.????

    Just glad you guys do what you do so people like me will have something wonderful to read! You’re the best!

  30. I’ve written words; I’m learning to write music. Neither of those is good for your back. But at least, there’s an ooze for that.

  32. omg, funny!! if it helps, we’re all out here on tenterhooks and wishing the best for both of you and for RF, too. Ooooozes…..heh

  36. I’m glad you can come up for air, even if for a short while. And yes, sitting in a chair for too long is definitely no bueno for my back (yet I still do it- have to start setting an alarm for each hour to remind me to get up and walk a bit)

  37. awww good luck! To be honest, I’ve always pictured fantasy writers as mad scientists concocting plots over their desk xD

    Do you guys have a standing desk? That might help. What my work ergonomist told me is that rather than just sitting for X hours or standing for X hours, what’s most important is to keep in frequent movements and take breaks. Like every 30 min/1 hour take a 5 min walk etc.

  38. Hmm. No capitalization on ooze, thus no cute ooze personality. Perhaps a type of magical poo, but I am thinking Arabella put an end to something nasty.

  39. 1) you guys have the BEST conversations lol

    2) We love you guys, please don’t burn yourselves out!

    (I am not being nice. This is absolutely 100% enlightened self interest. If you burn out, we don’t get more yummy books. JK! Lmao)

  40. Yeah, save the words in a file, you may want them. However, sending tea, chocolate and whatever Gordon likes to drink. Bonne chance.

  41. I love these posts.

    Maybe save the 3000 wds and just dump it on us later? For funzies?

    Writer conversations are the BEST.

  42. I can so easily hear Ilona’s Russian accent and fatalism in “Eh. We will write more words.”
    Looking forward to the next opus, authorfriends

  44. Since there doesn’t seem to be a better or more appropriate place to bring this to your attention…maybe modR has the solution and answers…

    Fated Blades … isn’t available at libraries …I’m sure it’s will be eventually…all part of the legal contract exclusivity and whatnot (which is fine and just the world we live in with Amazon) … that being said is a date known for when it will be released in libraries?

    On a secondary note … fated blades is a kinsmen universe story right??
    When I navigate around here on this site the fated blades book isn’t listed there… just a heads up.

    Have a great day and if there isn’t any resolution or answer no worries
    I only wanted to give a heads up.

  46. Ha, in my line of work “oozes” can be blood; purulent abscess; odiferous pus; blood+pus; or combinations thereof ???? I understand the oozes.

  48. Thank you for keeping us in ooze loop. Sympathise with back- age is a terrible thing ????

    You are fabulous ❤️.

  49. Of course, you know Horde’s insatiable curiosity! Now we want to see the oozes… Save the oozes!????????????????

  52. Hugs.

    I so feel the back pain. I’m sure you have probably considered the following but would like to suggest – look at your chair (replace if more than 2-3 years old) and look into massage which can be a life saver (but can be problematic in a pandemic.)

    I offer happy thoughts of wind-swept beaches.

    I’ll still be here whenever you get the final product(s) out. I will always throw money at anything you offer. I often buy multiple copies (paper, electronic, etc) as I love you all’s work so much.

  53. Shiatsu neck and back massager is the best thing I have ever used for my back pain next to ibuprofen/Tylenol. You can buy it on Amazon. 35,300 people can’t be wrong. ????

  54. As this January seems to be 75 days long, you do have time to rewrite 3000 words. Ruby Fever will be memorable for many reasons. Thanks for a smile today!

  58. How many of us could say “I AM married to the oozes” and have it mean a thing to anybody?!

    Funny funny.

  59. I spent *a lot* of time on the floor when the kids were small. And I spend time on it every morning now for yoga and leg lifts. The cat walks underneath during the asanas and insists on scritches during leg lifts; the pup watches from under the table; the adult dog supervises from the chair. The floor is actually a pretty good place to be, especially when you’re trying to get your back to line up properly. I’m not married to the floor, but I do love it.

  60. I must be a little punchy too — I just noticed that “bear” (as in “bear with us”, above) is just one letter away from “beer”, … which sounds like a good idea at the moment (been a long day) …

    Hang in there, this too shall pass, and other such homilies.

    As ever, thank you for your work; probably why your work is so good, as you two are ruthless in trimming stuff that (you feel) does not work, leaving a better book for your readers.

  61. Hope you have lots of tea and sustenance to keep you both going! What you write will be awesome! Thank you!

  65. Take your time, masterpieces take alot of time and energy. We will be eagerly waiting when it’s ready.

  67. I sort of thought the ooze and poison and battlefield were in Hugh’s next book? Savannah kept wanting to poison him.

    Regardless, here’s hoping you can relax your back and get some time out of the chair soon, and that Ruby Fever will cooperate rather than fight you more on the edits. Take care of yourselves, we will be here when you’re able to post.

    Off to preorder now, thanks for the link, ModR!

  68. Sorry to hear you are buried.

    Thank you for your wonderful books. It has been a tough week, and your books, tea, and chocolate are what is helping me through.

  69. Oooo……would live to be a fly on your office’s wall……(i am that desperate to see your books in work)

    That said, be safe, healthy, and take your time, coz the BDH ain’t goin’ nowhere…..

  71. I appreciate that your fight scenes/ dangerous scenes actually have logic and cause-effect thoroughly thought out. As a martial artist, it always bugs me reading about characters doing things that make no defensive sense or where the authors are so lazy they just let most of the intense stuff happen off-screen. Gracias!

  72. You are the beginning of the trailer for The Lost City: “Delete, delete, delete.” No serenity is needed.

  73. I play with clay I get it it’s hard when the art you’ve been working on for hours just isn’t right at least in my case I can say it’s only mud smash it and make something new with the results

  74. Dear House Andrews, thank you very much for the glimpse into your life as a writer! I hope your back gets better. And hopefully you made a good decision regarding the ooze…
    A lot of jobs aren’t what most people imagine ???? I’m a veterinary doctor for farm animals. Someone once asked me, whether I help all the cows calving. Ah, well – no! Not even close… (I get to help only with the difficult cases.)
    I wish you all HA and BDH a good day

  76. These conversations are epic- just the possibilities for the scenes they refer to, wow.
    Whatever you decide to settle for will surely be amazing to read.

    In the meantime hopefully your back can get some rest and may there be something relaxing for you in store for a well-deserved break.

  78. Wish I could offer a shovel but that would in no way be helpful. Good luck, we’ll be here ????

  79. Thank you for your persistence, the hodag, the oozes, the space chickens, Orro and so much more. Did I mention the ripper of souls? And ripper cushions?

    You have earned all my patience. Many thanks for all the joy you’ve brought.

  81. I am sorry that Ruby Fever has and is causing such stress in your life. Myself, I am really looking forward to the story. I do think that this series has moved your writing another step higher. You have done a nice job of keeping details tight and making the story flow through the novel while adding just enough historical reference for everything to be deliciously believable. Thank you

  82. You may want to try the “Standing Desk” concept. I’ve made it to six hours a day and at first it was rough but it smoothed out. Basically find a telescoping desk and use that for so many hours per day and build up to where you can spend the day doing it. It has done WONDERS for my back.

  83. love your real life. Hang in there and lay on the floor as much as needed. Just started learning Chi Gong (sp?_ ) from a friend. Found it nice for my , yes, really, bad back.
    Kindness sent your way.

  84. Oh you poor dears! Just keep breathing in and out. Don’t worry about the BDH. We are loyal and will fill our cups with patience. Big virtual hugs to you both

  86. Y’all gotta take time for yourselves. Step away and “fill the well” whatever that looks like to you. Of course we know that you have deadlines , bills, etc. but….breaking to do WHATEVER, will help you be more clear when you come back. I know you KNOW this but I suspect that you both hold yourselves to higher standards than you hold anyone else to. X many hours is TOO MANY hours. Just saying.

    Your fan base is loyal and understanding. I’m sure a lot more so than the publisher 🙂 Pace for the Marathon not the Sprint. The voice your books have is so comforting and necessary, especially right now when it is hard to find things to look forward to or excited about.

  87. thank you for the giggles. i’m grateful to be part of a world where oozes exist and need to be debated.

  88. Oozes? No, no, I won’t ask. I want to be surprised. You have my deepest sympathy. I hate the edit and re-write phase of writing. But I think that because you do it, and do it well, is why we love your books so very much. Hang in there, take breaks as needed, and know that we, the book reading hoard, will adore your book when it gets finished.

  89. English isn’t my first language, and I’m not sure what ooze means here. Like mud? Can someone explain, please?

    However, thanks for the anecdote, I love picturing you laying on the floor while discussing fictional battels. And I’m totally with you with the laying on the floor thing. I’m kneeling, though. I’m currently studying for my final exam at university for months now(for some degrees we have state exams here instead of a master thesis), and I really can’t sit on this same chair in front of my PC anymore. Only one more month to go though, yay!

    So, I wish you speed recovery for your back, Ilona 😉

  90. Aaaand here are the limitations of my understanding of english.
    Did not understand the oozes thing…. Scrolled down the comments hoping for a little bit of clarity… and you know what, you all made it worse with all your jokes. Huh. Guess I have to wait for the book, maybe the context will clear it a bit… *should have listened the english teacher instead of dozing off, sigh *

  91. This reminds me of the time I was at a restaurant and a couple of guys came in and sat near me. You could hear bits of conversation:

    “If you get in close, you can take his head with one stroke ”

    “Double tap with a.45 is qucker.”

    “Where’s the fun in that? And think of the noise.”

    As I was finishing lunch, a couple of police officers came in. A woman at the table next to me jumped up, went to the officers and pointed dramatically at the pair. One officer listened to the woman whilst the other stepped outside. He came back in a couple of minutes with a book in his hand.

    The woman got huffy, stomped back to her table and sat down.

    The officers made their way to the two gentlemen and got John Ringo to autograph the policeman’s copt of “Under a Graveyard Sky” , the first volume of the Black Tide Rising series probably the very best zombie apocolypse series ever written. The other guy was the co editor of the companion anthology books.

  92. Stretching is always good for backs. As are kittens. Ciara (kee-ra meaning dark one) Slik McTailchaser.

    • Hey Ruby’s Mom ( do you have it going on? :D)

      The limit for uploads is 1 MB in WordPress- what usually helps is taking a screenshot of the photo and uploading that 🙂

  96. Thank you for working so hard on the Ruby Fever edits! The Hidden Legacy series is my favorite UF romance out there! Looking forward to the next installment so much. 🙂

  97. You guys are fabulous, I’m always willing to wait for fabulous! It takes time to create. I paint and feel like even a watercolor takes forever before I’m willing to call it complete. Even than I never feel like it’s totally done. I can’t even imagine writing a book. So thankful for those who do!

  98. Your work is always worth the wait. We will just go back and re-devour your previous books while we wait! (For the 7th time, because they’re that much fun.)

  99. No worries….you’ve got this! I am sure whatever you write will be wonderful! In the meanwhile, I will sit staring out the window and waiting for Snowmageddon to begin tonight. Weather reports say 4-20 inches…a nice exact number that lets us know what to expect! ???? I am thinking tomorrow will be a good day to stay inside and cook or bake something yummy, watch movies, etc….I can’t wait! I LOVE snow days! ????

    • We just had a heat wave where I am ～ snowmageddon sounds like bliss! Mmmm baking and cookies.. enjoy!

  100. Thanks for the update . Pre-covid if you guys went silent for a few days , I was eh…. they’re busy, they’re writing , they’re on vacation etc . … Now, I get anxious and I know how ridiculous that is but it is what it is .

  101. Epsom salt bath if you can swing it? Just pour the whole bag in. Right before bed. It’s great ????

  102. I feel your pain, take care, thank you very much for your hard work during this difficult time ????????

  105. I will give you a quick hug so as not to take up too much time. Try not to worry too much because it will come right at the end. ( and if it’s not right it’s not the end)

  106. @illona, I’m looking for a really good earl grey tea, and is loose tea best and easy to use? Where did you say you buy your tea from? Thank you for the writing and all you do.

    Susan

  107. I will be happy to wait for ya’ll to work out Ruby Fever, and even still happy to hear SWEEP,chapter five when it comes.

  108. Whatever you write is Pure Gold and however long it takes is however long it takes.. look after yourselves and I hope somehow it all becomes a bit easier and fun again???? it’s all worth waiting for.. and until such time you’ve left us with multiple bountiful amazing loved universes to revisit and explore. You guys are THE BEST as someone else said.. Steady goes it ???? a nice cup of tea and some timeless time to breathe and be ????

  109. I am all admiration for the craft of writing. The idea that you can write 120k words at all. But but ifvyou have to cut 3000 words could you post them on the blog. We can read about oozes now and then when Ruby Fever comes out, we can nod sagely and applaud your editing choices. Also oozes what oozes…?

  110. Next time you want to write something totally different, save this conversation. Because it’s comedy gold ????. UF series about a pair of married writers anyone?

  111. Sorry we the BDH are putting you to so much work. The only thing I can say is we appreciate all the work and we will buy it honest. Please take a little time for yourself. You have earned it and more

  112. It’s never bothered me to wait for good books to come out. Take your time and finish the book when you are happy with it. The BDH are (mostly) patient! We are also aware that the real world gets in the way.

  114. I love reading your blogs on personal life to my husband. He in man speaks quietly smiles, which translates into hearty laughter.

  117. Hello I’m really happy too read the book you write after I pay for it . Stop stressing take a break. Have a cup of tea. Remember we all love you.

  118. I always wonder how authors can be sedentary long enough to write that many words. I would need a personal trainer to move me.

  119. I think this is an interesting window into publishing. Just because the book is done, it doesn’t mean the book is finished

  120. I don’t know if this is the right place to leave this comment, but I just wanted to say how much I truly enjoyed the graphic audio version of Clean Sweep.
    I’m late to the party because I had to wait to buy it, but it was worth the wait. The cast is amazing and it really brought the book to life.
    I can’t say enough good things about it. The performance was flawless, and obviously the writing was amazing but the actors really elevated book to the next level.
    Anyway this is my long winded way of saying thank you once again for sharing your talents and imagination with the rest of the world.
    I know Ruby Fever is going to be amazing too.

  121. Thank you guys for your hard work and perseverance. Maybe schedule a massage therapist to come to the house and work on you both? You deserve it.

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