Ilona: We could maybe do a series summary graphic for new readers?
Me *about to make a mistake*: Leave it to me, I’ll make a mock-up. It will be brilliant!
Live footage of my brain trying to describe the series I’ve read roughly Graham’s number worth of times:
So I come to you, on this, the day of your Mod’s need, for assistance.
Please help me figure out small intros (2 sentences max for each main series, the shorter the better) that would guide new readers to House Andrews books. They should roughly mention what the reader can expect in terms of genre and main attention-grabbing points. Or simply your favourite things about them!
If your description is used, you will get a signed IA book- open internationally. YAY 🥳
I will show you what I made, for guidance, but…it’s not great guidance 👀. “Not as sci-fi as you expect!”. Give me strength.
HIDDEN LEGACY: Romance and detective work amongst rich and powerful Houses with magic talents to spare. The Baylor sisters will more than hold their own.
INNKEEPER: Sentient B&Bs keep aliens comfortable and secret on Earth. Come for a holiday at Dina’s, stay for the space vampires, philosophical chickens and a Universe worth of adventure!
RYDER: By popular fan request, Kate’s daughter makes her return to magic ravaged Atlanta, in a new guise and under a new name. Will she find herself and banish the evil that threatens? (Kate Daniels Universe)
IRON COVENANT: Even badass warlords meet their match. Hugh D’Ambray, the ultimate antihero, and Elara Harper, the abomination witch, have decided to tie the knot. Can the world survive the not so happy couple? (Kate Daniels Universe)
KINSMEN: Romance and adventure in a futuristic society modelled on the old feuds of Sicily or Corsica. Not as sci-fi as you expect!
THE EDGE: Existing between our world and the world of magic, the Edge breeds hard people with hearts of gold. Rustic fantasy, romance and found family.
BDH activate!
::chants “for the horde, for the horde”::
“For the Alliance!!” Wait, wrong online community. Sorry. ????
Hahahaha +1!
Lol I just wanted to scream ——Sylvanas is my Queen!!!
Hahahaha
Innkeeper: Welcome to the Gertrude Hunt, intergalactic refuge and inn. Do no harm or Dina will kick your a$$, even if you’re the local hot werewolf.
I like it
The Anti-Fairy tales. Magic and women who save themselves and everyone else. Meeting their “match” means no second best.
That is my overall impression of what you write.
I second, third and fourth this!
True.
Innkeeper: An inn and innkeeper protect earth and humans from the knowledge that we are not alone. Werewolves, vampires, space chickens, and a former galactic despot are only a few of the aliens you will meet at the Gertrude Hunt. Come for a visit, stay for the magic.
Nice!
+1 this was terrific, and if I had read this summary before knowing IA would have picked up the series. The space chickens kill!
+1
????
This one! ????
Excellent!
I love this! Nicely done.
You might also mention which series are finished as some readers only want to read a whole series. (Not me:)) Also stress the kick ass strong female characters
“Southern girl, who runs a cosmic bnb, meets a hunky werewolf. So many words… they finally hook up and it is glorious.”
And I loved each and every one of those words. Sorry – couldn’t resist 🙂
+1
+ 1!
Love this …
Oh I’m so on this. Will post later. Initial thought for KD:
If you like your your swords and sorcery with some shape-shifting amd snark, this post-magical-apocalypse series set in an alternate Atlanta is not to be missed. Cutting straight across the urban fantasy genre, the magical world of Kate Daniels is so real I keep expecting the tech to fall outside my window. She is a mercenary with a heart of gold, deep secrets, and a very, very sharp sword.
+1
+1
+1
Yes, very nice
Kate Daniels:
Urban Fantasy with loads of action, snarky humor, and a bit of romance. Each book is a breathtaking, wild ride with a flawed, yet lovable heroine leading a cast of characters you will cheer, laugh and sometimes cry for.
Very good!
KATE DANIELS: Urban fantasy classic. Magic returns to the world with a vengeance. Kate just wants a simple life, if only the vampires, ancient wizards, and gods would cooperate.
HIDDEN LEGACY: Romance and detective work. A family with more power and magic than their low profile suggests, mixing with the rich and powerful.
INNKEEPER: All powerful InnKeepers host alien guests on Earth and keep them hidden. Resolving threats to the guests and among them is the challenge.
RYDER: Kate’s daughter returns to Atlanta to fight evil before it can hurt her family, but she has to do it alone. (Kate Daniels Universe)
KINSMEN: Family houses in space, feudal society, magic and tech. But, focus on the people and their stories of triumph and growth.
THE EDGE: Between the world of tech and magic, rugged individuals carve out meaningful lives and even run into magic royalty.
+1 for your Kate Daniels!! Love this.
For Ryder, suggested edit: “… but she DOESN’T have to do it alone.”
Awesome post, your descriptions were great.
+1 I like these!
For Ryder:
“…she has to do it alone, but no one will let her.”
+ 1 for Kate Daniels, really catchy
Hidden Legacy: What happens if someone developed a vaccine to bring out magical power in you, or turn you into a monster. Would you take it?
Ooooooh fun
Innkeeper – Where science becomes magic the inns guard the earth from the crossroads of the galaxy. And Dina DeMille is willing to host any guest she can. With a broom, a dog and an empress wanted by assassins she must navigate the the things we all face – bills, rude customers and space vampire politics. And of course, the hot werewolf next door.
i love it!
+1 Nice one!
+1
Excellent
+1!
This is great!
Excellent, the winner!
You had me at “the hot werewolf next door” 😉
Very good, but lacking the philosopher chickens (or a schism in space chicken philosphy)
Personally I think that the last sentence is misleading. If I didn’t now this book with the part of the hot werewolf I would expect the romance/sex part to be the major focus of the series. Which it is not.
The rest is good though!
Kate: magic is back & eating Atlanta… really slowly. Sexy annoyed shifters, teenage werewolf sidekicks, corporate undead, & sarcasm so deep hip waders wont help.
Ryder: you thought magic was done with Atlanta? Silly you. The sexy shifters are still annoyed, the corporate undead have gone LTD, & good luck with the scarcasm because I dont think she’s actually joking.
Iron: He’s a bad guy… no good guAHHH! … good guy may be stretching it. Somebody has to sleep sooner or later & everybody knows where that is.
+1 I love this so much. It made me laugh out loud!
Whenever I read the word “sexy” in a book description I put it in the romance section meaning I expect sex to be the main focus. That is not a bad thing, but does not fit the series I think
Kate Daniels:
Ancient magic threatens her city, her allies, her family. Kate Daniels unflinchingly sets herself and her magic against unsurmountable odds. The werelion has other ideas . . .
+1 great suggestion!
+1 Good one
+100!
Kate Danials: Urban Fantasy Classic
Modern tech and ancient magic alternate in waves while monsters play in Atalanta. Follow Kate as she cuts through the waves and determines which monsters are friends or foes, or both.
+1 Love it!!
+1
Good luck with this. The whole reason I even look at goodreads is because blurbs are just not enough sometimes. There have been several incidences when I’ve put off reading a book thinking it’s not quite my thing and then having got round to it love it and think if the blurb hadn’t been so off-putting I’d have got there sooner. Kudos to anyone who can sum up the awesomeness of any of the Ilona Andrews series’ in just a few words.
Yes, thank you. I too shall await those who can succinctly distill the complex Ilona Andrews series into a few sentences.
Kate Daniels: Trying to keep her head down as magic and tech fight over a ravaged world spawning monsters and gods doesn’t seem to be working – good thing Kate’s sword is always sharp.
Yeah good luck! Choosing the right words to describe the fantastic worlds they have created in just a few sentences is going to be tough!
Blood Heir:
How far would you go to save your family? On a quest to protect the people she holds dear, Julie returns to stand between the God of Fire and his plans for imminent conquest/destruction. Now, if she could just get her allies to stop trying to help her . . .
+1
+1
+1
+ 1 – cannot improve on this.
But how about (for others):
KD
Skilled mercenary Kate Daniels needs to keep a low profile, but as magic and technology vie for supremacy, gods and monsters stalk the ravaged streets of Atlanta and she is drawn into an epic battle to save the city and people she loves.
Innkeeper
For centuries, sentient B&Bs have secretly housed space vampires, refugee werewolves, philosopher chickens and other visiting aliens. For her own reasons, Dina Demille will never turn a guest away. The service is peerless, the food is to die for, but guests have their own secrets and no one said being an innkeeper was safe.
+1 For Hannah White’s and Merran’s descriptions…
+1
+1
+1
+1
Oh this one is great
Not sure how to make it, but in annotation, I would tie Innkeeper and Edge series together as Edge is starting point/prequel for Innkeeper, ever since tie-in scene in Innkeeper 2 prologue.
BTW: I am glad, George finally dealt with Spider, though I expected it earlier.
+1
Oh, that’s when the tie-in came out! I was scatching my head bald trying to remember.
Once these clever blurbs for beginners is done (and I’m loving how they are coming along), how about a cast of characters, with clues to links like that, for the absent-minded who read too many books and can’tkeep them straight? (Don’t shoot me!)
LOVED the ST clip. I remember the original. Not sure if I can post this here but here are both clips (ST:TOS & ST:TNG) side by side. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQAG0JEb718
Instead of saying not as sci fi as you’d expect (I like all genres). I’d say just leave that part off.
The only reason I haven’t read Kinsmen so far is because I don’t like sci-fi as a genre.
This has actually made me curious about it now.
Oh read it, they’re so good!
Would you like ideas sent via email, in the comments here, another way…?
The comments, please! 🙂
Kate:
As the magic and tech struggle for dominance and makes life unpredicatable, Kate, a trained assasin struggle to make ends meet, protect her friends an navigate the dangers in post-shift Atlanta. A series full of action and a detailed world come to life in the 10 book series with a number of spinoffs that enriches the story. Do you love swords, shapecharngers and mythical beasts? The this is the series for you.
Innkeper
Magical Inns exists across the universe, and the mythical Innkepers duty is to keep them and their guests safe. It takes a lot of skill, a lot of know-how and a buttload of magic to do the job. Dina however does have more than the innkeper job on her plate, she must find someone who knows what happened to her family! Sci-fi with interesting worldbuildning and a dash of romance. Try it, come for a visit in Gertrude Hunt!
Okay, I’ll take a stab. This kind of blurb writing is always hard for authors. Somehow a little easier when it’s not for our own books, though.
Kate Daniels: Classic Urban Fantasy. Magic and technology clash, while Kate fights to keep people safe from monsters and ancient Gods, caught between her own secrets and her growing involvement with the local shifter Pack.
Hidden Legacy: Romance and magic. The Baylor family detective agency just wants to keep their business open and the family safe, but when an investigation throws them among the rich and powerful magical Houses that rule Texas, they’ll have to come to terms with their own family secrets to survive.
Innkeeper: SF/Fantasy Romance. Dina and her magical Inn provide safety and comfort to beings from all over the cosmos: space vampires, werewolves, and retired assassins. They all bring their problems to Dina’s door, where she must maintain secrecy and peace for the good of Earth…and if she ever hopes to find her missing parents.
Ryder: Urban Fantasy, Kate Daniel’s Universe. Trained in magic by an ancient God,
Princess to a lost Empire, Kate’s daughter returns to Atlanta under a new name, and with a new face. An ancient evil threatens everyone and everything she loves, and she’ll have to defeat it while keeping her presence a secret from her powerful family. Easier said than done, especially when a certain werewolf keeps complicating her life.
This is my favorite Ryder bit so far! ????
+1 These are really good!
Nice!!!
+1, especially for your Hidden Legacy!
Innkeeper suggested edit – “retired tyrants” ?
Great blurbs!
+1 Love these!!!!
+1
Wow, thanks everyone! I always think I’m kind of terrible at blurb writing, but it is fun to practice when it’s not my own books, ha ha. Then, it’s just torture.
I do like the tyrant word change, but I also think either word fits Caldenia.
+1 for Hidden Legacy!
+1 for hidden legacy
Kate Daniels:
The balance between magic and technology has been disrupted so the world shifts back and forth between the two. Kate Daniels is a reclusive mercenary who must navigate the politics of a dangerous world to help save it from itself.
Hidden Legacy:
The Osiris serum was released into the world, awakening latent magic in some people’s genetic code, creating the haves and the have nots. While they have magic, the Baylor sisters are little fish in a big pond, trying to run a detective agency to support their family and make the world just a little bit better.
Innkeeper:
Aliens exist and use Earth as a waystation or vacation destination. Innkeeper families are those who run the sentient waystations that aliens stay in while on earth. But these inns need guests to function and survive. The Demile family just wants to nurture their inn and survive the alien politics that they get dragged into.
Ryder:
Set in the Kate Daniels world, Kate’s adoptive daughter is all grown up. An ancient evil god is rising and he has his eyes set on killing the Daniels family. Prophetic visions reveal that Julie, now known as Aurelia, must stop the god and avoid her mother or else the world will burn.
Iron Covenant:
Can you redeem the most evil of villians? Set in the Kate Daniels world, Hugh D’Ambray is a warlord antihero who has hit rock bottom. With many enemies and no allies, he must find a way to keep his few friends alive, even if that comes at the cost of marrying the abomination witch, Elara Harper.
The Edge:
There are two versions of Earth. One version has magic and the other does not. Where the two meet is known as the Edge and the people who live there, rejected by both, straddle the line as rugged survivors with hearts of gold.
I got nothing for Kinsmen right now. Also, I have a still sealed Subterranean Press version of Small Magics that I’d like to send y’all so you can give it away to someone. I bought a copy for myself and then got it for Christmas in 2019. The second copy should go to someone who loves your worlds just as much as I do.
+1 These are very good.
IC: Bad boy, White Witch, marriage of convenience.
KD : Swords and Shapeshifters. The secret daughter of a God, and the Shapeshifter king in an alternate Atlanta.
Iron Covenant: Urban Fantasy Romance, Kate Daniels Universe. Once, Hugh D’Ambray served as the most feared warlord of an ancient God. Now, he’s lost everything, and must find a way to survive, and save what’s left of his loyal legion. Elara Harper, the abomination witch, needs a husband with an army if she’s going to keep her people safe. Will these two unlikely allies make a formidable force against their enemies? Or will they kill each other before they get to the wedding night?
You’re on a roll! I like this for Iron Covenant, but I think Urban Fantasy might be a better descriptor. If someone is looking for a romance, they might be disappointed. ????
+1 Great blurb! I’d be very interested to know how you’d write it for the series, versus the one book.
That’s harder to do until more of the series is out and we know more of the overall direction. But I’d love to try that once that occurs.
I think I saw the FB graphic that inspired this, and the blurbs were all 7-10 words… I can’t seem to get quite that short yet, but here are a couple of stabs:
KATE DANIELS: Shifters, Vampires, magical beasts… another normal day in post-Shift Atlanta!
HIDDEN LEGACY: Nevada’s latest investigation – and the sexy Prime magic-user who keeps butting in – threaten to turn her whole world upside down.
RYDER: Dealing with murderous gods and cosmic monsters is easy. Facing your friends is a lot harder. (I stole this straight from the website!)
IRON COVENANT: Can this villain find redemption and keep his people safe? (Kate Daniels Universe)
The Iron covenant.
One of the most hated characters ever written has to marry a beautiful and mysterious lady to protect his men and md save her castle from known Evil then a different Evil turns up. You will totally fall in love with both of them and laugh and cry and grab your pants in suspense at this most specular journey. Also has a unicorn horse.
KD: Post-apocalyptic urban fantasy where an independent merc amasses friends and family of other mercs, shape shifters, and magic users while saving them all from magic wielding invaders.
Kate Daniels
Badass lady and her kitty fight in a post apocalyptic world with vampyres, shifters and Evil gods. Funny, dramatic and heart breakingly good so good that the fans were given a extra story for their good (sort of) behaviour
“Badass lady and her kitty” HAHAHA
Thank you, Ilona Andrews for the challenging post.
Kate Daniels series: are you tired of technology with the endless zoom meetings and viral pandemics? Come visit Kate Daniels world of magic, swords, vampires, ancient deities and riding mules. Classic urban fiction with a twist.
Hidden Legacy series: Have you ever wondered if rich, narcissistic, feudal families can be brought to justice by regular people? The Baylor House investigative agency / sisters crack cases and find romance.
Innkeeper— Could you pull off running a bed and breakfast in a suburban human community for alien beings? Dina does and finds her werewolf mate.
Gotta go. Out of time for today. Good luck mod R.
Kate Daniels: Urban fantasy meets post-apocalyptic. A unique world where magic and technology rise and fall without warning. Savor the slow rise of a true power couple as they protect Atlanta from ancient forces who seek to own or destroy it.
Hidden Legacy: Urban fantasy in an alternate history. Follow the Baylor family as they grow in love and power to find their place among the magical elite of Houston.
Innkeeper: A seamless blend of science fiction and fantasy. Sentient Inns provide hospitality to aliens stopping by Earth, and protect humans from their existence. Vampires, werewolves, and sentient space porcupines that love to cook like you’ve never seen them before!
Part of me is so tempted to just write “read ask these books. They are great. Trust me.” ????
+1 especially for your Kate Daniels!
I keep seeing it in the blog but I’ve either missed or blanked out the explanation. What exactly does BDH stand for?
Book Devouring Horde- The IA readers. For…obvious reasons 😀
Thank you very much. I see the reasoning and love the acronym. ????
Book devouring horde.
It’s a take on the Hope Crushing Horde from the Innkeeper series. All of us who read any of the Ilona Andrews books and comment on the site are called the Book Devouring Horde. 😀
A slogan I’ve seen on here “We devour your books and want more, more, more!”
Also, mentioned in a post comments where we made recommendations of other authors because so many of ua read so much. Voracious devouring the back catalogue of many authors.
Ryder:Kate’s daughter is back with a new name and a new look. Blood magic, ancient powers, and an old love help her save her family(and Atlanta) from a Big Bad.
Innkeeper:Fun, swordplay, great food, and shifters, vampires, aliens, in an ever changing environment.
Hidden Legacy.
Sisters in a world of high magic houses fraught with intrigue and danger set in this urban fantasy thriller series with all of the good feels of love and drama. Cleverly written this book series is the one where you will obsess months after reading.
INNKEEPER: A little inn that doesn’t receive human visitors… because the destiny of planets is decided by the alien customers inside.
Innkeeper
Space vampyres and werewolves centred around this sentient Inn and young Innkeeper who is trying to find her lost parents whilst keeping the guests happy and the locals from knowing that this isn’t a ordinary place to stay.
Adventures, plots, a chef and a police officer will entertain the socks right off of you.
IRON COVENANT: Once upon a time, April Fool’s…..bit back; and suddenly, Horrible Hugh d’Ambray is learning a whole new dance!
Hugh is broke, hungrey, hungover and worst of all, married!
Throw in a white horse, and…PUT DOWN THAT COW!
Snorted my iced tea. Thank you for that.
Oh my gosh, this is exactly what I need! Looking forward to it!
Kate Daniels: Urban Fantasy with a twist. Magic is back in the world (intermittently) and it really doesn’t play well with technology. Kate is just trying to survive and make a life using her wits, snarky banter and a very eclectic skill set. This proves difficult when dealing with vampires, would be gods, and a very sexy shapeshifter.
I would throw in shifters for the Kate one since they are a popular draw for many.
Never done this before, but sounds fun! Giving it a try! 🙂
Kate: Classic Urban Fantasy of a woman descended from an ancient bloodline with a hidden past and dangerous powers meets a shifter king as they fight to protect their home of post-shift Atlanta from gods and monsters. Snarky banter and epic smackdowns included.
InnKeeper: Atypical Sci-Fi of a quaint, sentient and magical BNB in Texas is the galactic pitstop between worlds. Stay for a restful night and get acquainted with the inn’s primary residents: the lovely host, galaxy’s most wanted aristocrat, a sexy ex-military werewolf and a cosmic vampire lord. With the special appearances of philosophical space chickens and traditional bargin-loving foxes.
+1 I really enjoyed your Innkeeper
+1 for Inkeeper !
Kate Daniels: Swords, shapeshifters, snark, and unsexy vampires in magic-riddled Atlanta!
Hidden Legacy: Urban fantasy with superpowers, hidden bloodlines, and romance
Innkeeper: Secret intergalactic B&B with vampires, werewolves, and space politics (oh, and romance)
I love this, here are my few sentences.
Kate Daniels: When the pendulum swings and magic overwhelms technology ancient powers awaken. Old bloodlines are born anew. Follow Kate Daniels, the woman with a sharp sword and keen wit as she finds her place in a world filled with old gods and new.
Hidden Legacy: Personal magic is the arbiter of power, welcome to Houston’s elite world of wealth and privilege. The Baylor’s are pulled into a world where trust is measured in inches and opposing forces can level your home with a thought. To succeed in this perilous world, the Baylor’s will need to face their history to determine the course of their future.
Innkeeper: The universe is infinite. With galaxies in her eyes and stars on her robe, join Dina Demille for a stay at Gertrude Hunt, the inn for weary galactic travellers. Have tea with interplanetary leaders, sit a spell in the apple orchard and relax. Only one law must be followed, the Inn and it’s guests must always remain a secret.
Ryder: Coming home is hard, coming close and not making it home is terrible. To save the family she desperately wants to come home to, Aurelia Ryder needs to slay the dragon. No one ever said being a princess was going to be easy.
Iron Covenant: When the most hated man alive is abandoned by his god, allying with a witch considered an abomination seems like a good plan. If only megalomaniacal gods and beasts would now leave them alone everything would be perfect.
Kinsmen: Living a simple life is never in the cards when you’re at the mercy of forces driving different worlds. Intrigue, subterfuge and romance can all be found in the Kinsmen universe.
The Edge: When multiverses collide there is a no man’s land where both worlds exist simultaneously. Join the inhabitants where technology and magic live in an uneasy balance. Come for the rustic atmosphere and stay for the romance.
+1 These are phenomenal!
I loooove these!
These are so good!
+1 – Well done!
+1
For Kate: In the future, as magic comes back and technology falls down, new Powers rise. Kate Daniels, a merch, begins a journey that would put her in the sights Of those Powers.
For INNKEEPER: Aliens exist, and Earth Is the secret neutral meeting point Of the Universe. Diana runs a special Inn, a place where tired interspatial travelers can rest, or hide, o try to start a world ending war…
I meant Dina, not Diana, freaking auto correct
Inn Keeper: Whether they come for relaxation or refuge, somehow adventure is always part of the stay at this sentient interstellar waystation. Inn Keeper Dina Demille welcomes all to the Gertrude Hunt: follow the rules, mind the dog, and enjoy your stay!
Loved it!
I’d describe the Edge series (which remains probably my favourite) as more Southern Gothic than rustic. With outright fantasy elements instead of ‘magical realism’. It’s great!
Agreed
Mentally exausted herione must solve the murder of her father figure, the investigation complicates her life. Also starring; vampires as deadly flesh puppets, lovable but deadly shapeshifters who make the heroine´s life difficult, and a world that couldn’t decide between and technology so switches between one or the other, complicating life even further. Urban fantasy series, with a little romance and lots of humor (10+ books).
Everyone did a great job! I’m sold! I will read them right now! Oh wait….
Note: I haven’t read any of the comments yet, so if any of my suggestions are similar, it’s entirely coincidental. I had a lot of fun writing these!
KD: Urban fantasy in the heart of Atlanta. Magic is back, and it is eroding hundreds of years of technological advances. The world is teetering on the edge of apocalypse, leaving Kate to force it back into order at the edge of her sword.
HL: Romance detective series in a modern urban fantasy setting. The world is full of magical assholes, but they don’t stand a chance against the Baylor Investigative Agency. The Baylor sisters will use every trick in their arsenal to stop the criminal elite of Texas.
Innkeeper: Welcome to Gertrude Hunt, a sentient bed and breakfast to visitors from the stars. There is only one rule: no one on Earth can know!
Ryder: Going home is never the same. Return to the world of Kate Daniels, where her daughter is back with a new name and face. This time, it’s Julie’s turn to protect Atlanta and the mother who gave everything for their city. (Kate Daniels Universe)
Iron Covenant: Hugh D’Ambray, warlord to the greatest evil wizard that ever lived, desperately needs a new job. Hunted by his former master, Hugh is ready to marry the White Warlock, an abomination even scarier than him. Can this not-so-happy couple stave off disaster and war… on multiple fronts? (Kate Daniels Universe)
Kinsmen: Sci Fi Romance. The Kinsmen are augmented humans and the leaders of the future, but still feud like the families of old Italy. Rustic charm and sci-fi tech blend seamlessly in these tales of romance.
The Edge: Fantasy romance. Welcome to The Edge, the borderlands between our world and a realm of magic. Never quite fitting into either world, the Edgers are tough, charming, and will fight tooth and nail for their families.
Now that I’m done, I can’t wait to see what everyone else wrote! Great blog post, so much fun.
Hidden Legacy: People have magic, this makes our heroine´s job as a private detective both easier and harder as she must track down a manchild megalomaniac with the help of magically powerful and slightly emotionally damaged ex-soldier now billionaire. The story is good, and the romance is not as cliche as it sounds. Don’t read the official synopsis (contrary to what it will try to tell you, this series is urban fantasy, not erotica) but I promise you it is amazing.
Kate Daniels: When the world is swamped by magic waves and old terrors come out to play, what else can a woman do than pick up a sword, wipe the blood off her face, and go to work? Set in Atlanta, Kate Daniels will follow a path she swore she never would in order to save the people she is not supposed to love.
Hidden Legacy: Houston’s elite class is steeped in prestige and glamour, the top families rife with strange, wonderful, and deadly magical abilities. The Baylor sisters’ have just become their private detectives, with their own family secrets on the line with every investigation. Throw in devilishly handsome Primes insistent on disrupting their lives and these three sisters are in for a wild ride.
Maybe I’ll add more later, for now my lunch break is over!
+1, I love both of these!
Ryder: To stay one step ahead of fate, Aurelia must return home yet stay hidden from those she loves most. With death on the line, she is back in her old stomping ground of Atlanta, racing to defeat a god who wants her as his queen. Yet with each move she makes, she cannot be sure if it is a step in the right direction or a push closer to the destruction of everything she loves.
My last addition, unfortunately I haven’t read Kinsmen and it’s been a while since I read IC or Innkeeper.
I would order the series:
Kate Daniels: Urban Paranormal Fantasy. There is a balance for everything, But what happens when balance is thrown off? Set in a world where magic and technology are at odds, meet Kate, one woman on a mission to keep her family and city safe from threat.
Iron Covenant: Set in the Kate Daniels Universe. After being abandoned by Roland and defeated by Kate and company, Hugh D’Ambray sets out into the world to come across Elara Haper, the abomination witch. She has her own problems and doesn’t need to add Hugh to the mix, but life is seldom fair and the two have to get hitched. But watch out for the speed bumps along the way.
Ryder: Set in the Kate Daniels Universe. After being adopted by Kate and Curran, Julie leaves to find herself and learns of a terrible fate is in store her mother. With the help and knowledge of family and allies she has a chance to change the future.
Hidden Legacy: Urban Fantasy. Science has brought magic to the world. Houses are families with a particular brand of magic, but what happens when someone powerful goes off the deep end? Nevada Baylor is about to find out, having been tasked with bringing in said person in.
The Edge: Rustic Urban Paranormal Fantasy. Imagine a place between our world (the Broken) and a world of magic (the Weird) then you would have The Edge. Rose Drayton live here with her family and is trying to get by and improve her magic and having done so has gotten the attention of a powerful noble and trouble as well. Danger has come to the Edge and Rose is determined to stop it.
Innkeepers: Urban Paranormal Fantasy. We are not alone in the galaxy and Earth is a neutral zone for almost all creatures, kept secret by Innkeepers. Dina Demille has trouble in the neighborhood around her Inn that threatens this and takes measures to stop it.
Kinsman: Urban Space Fantasy. Worlds are run by Clans in the style of the mob.
I always look for the romance — I want to know which series have the romantic arc as a subplot, like Kate, and in which the romantic arc is part of the main plot, like Hidden Legacy. Maybe a flow chart? E.g., if you’re looking for action, do you prefer a kickass heroine? If yes, Kate’s your girl. If you want an anti-hero warlord, head towards Hugh. If you’ve read both just want more more more, ta-da! Julie. Looking for romance? If you like magic and technology, try Hidden Legacy! Looking for a grittier read? The Edge is for you! …etc.
Innkeeper: Where science meets magic, Dina runs an intergallactic sentient Inn on earth that is part sanctuary and part B&B for the weary cosmic traveler. Dina must keep her guests safe their endeavors secret from locals and a local cop with too much intuition. Hilarity ensues as werewolves, vampires, and a giant space porcupine chef with Shakespearean ambitions join her in her endeavors. Will she solve the mystery of her family and find love amid the chaos?
Kate Daniels: Magic has flooded the world and now shapeshifters, witches, vampires and more are battling it out in Atlanta. The city needs Kate – a sword carrying, magic wielding merc – to help keep the peace.
Hidden Legacy: The Baylor family detective agency takes on rich and powerful magical Houses in modern Houston. But what will happen when the magical elite start to learn about the Baylor sisters’ magic?
KATE DANIELS: Hiding in plain sight as a mercenary, Kate navigates magic-ravaged Atlanta with a quick wit, sass mouth and a sharp sword. Shapeshifters are sexy, vampires look like candy and ancient powers are awake and wreaking havoc.
HIDDEN LEGACY: Baylor Investigative Agency: Experts in cases of frauds, cheating spouse, finding missing (or hiding) persons, domesticating mad, rich, handsome, intelligent minds, and reforming womanizing gorgeous assassins. Houston’s Houses, the pillars of the magical community gets shaken to the core as the outing of House Baylor also outs the worms hiding in their midst.
INNKEEPER: The BnB where a carnivorous grandma stays with lifetime residency is managed by Dinah. Dinah the impatient meddler said the werewolf. Dinah the beautiful said the vampire. Whoever you believe, know that aliens are real and they are here, eating breakfast served by a crab chef.
IRON COVENANT: They say what goes around, comes around. If so, then Hugh really deserves to have a wife who is called an abomination. And the abomination, Elara deserves a husband who is a bastard. All’s well that ends well. Follow Hugh as he woos his abomination while battling an ancient power and an old nemesis.
I was actually just describing these yesterday, to a co-worker looking for recommendations!
Kate Daniels series: Urban Fantasy, somewhat post-apocalyptic, based in Atlanta. Long running, completed, series with vampires, shifters, and magic that comes in waves.
Hidden Legacy (my favorite!): Paranormal romance, based in Houston, TX, with magic being introduced via a serum discovered during vaccine research for the flu. Great world building (that was a general comment made on all of these) with each current trilogy focusing on a different sister.
Innkeeper Chronicles: Light sci-fi, also based in Texas. Earth is an important stop on the galactic interstellar highway (not exactly true but gave her a frame of reference), but earthlings aren’t ready for aliens to be common knowledge, so interstellar/inter-dimensional travellers stay at inns. Hijinks ensue.
I’m just going to sit back and read everyone’s synopses of each series. Have fun picking Mod R!
By the way…I remember that episode of STNG with Data and Mr. Scott. That scene was hilarious!
The Edge: Between our world and the magical Weird, lies the Edge inhabited by the outcasts of both worlds and their feuding families. When the Edge is threatened by a series of mysterious magical threats, its citizens must use their magic and wits to defend their families as they resist falling in love with the suspicious Agents of the Weird.
Innkeeper : intergalactic B&B set on earth. Only series (author) capable of having vampires and werewolves coexist with aliens.
You forgot philosopher chickens from outer space.
This was so much fun to create…
Kate Daniels: Mercenary heroine and shapeshifting lord team up in magical Atlanta to defeat ancient gods, professional vampires, and magical mayhem. “Here kitty, kitty.” Don’t let the sharp swords and snarky dialog scare you away from your next great Urban Fantasy read.
Hidden Legacy: The Baylor family detectives use truth, temptation, and technology to discover secrets and solve cases among powerful magical Houses. I’m not lying when I say you’ll not be able to get enough of this Fantasy Mystery series.
Innkeeper: Dina’s magical broom and sentient B&B keep the universe of space vampires, werewolves, and ancient aliens under wraps. Plan to be swept away by this Fantasy series.
Ever wondered what would happen if magic returned to our world, and myth and legendary creatures, can become real, what it would be like? In this Urban fantasy, the world of Kate Daniels can answer this question and many more. Can Kate, a sword carrying magical loner, with the help of very intresting characters, go from revenge raised mercenary, to one of the heroes of Atlanta?
Alas, I am utterly incompetent in anything like this.
Same! But I’m enjoying reading what others have come up with. 🙂
+1
Kate Daniels: The book which created the urban fantasy genre! Kate is the original bad ass fmc who stabs first and questions later. (And even if its not the original it was the first one I read!)
I’m not creative so I can’t help with wording. But, would it be too much to add series complete or series in progress at the end of each description? I’ve seen authors do that before and really appreciated it!
KATE DANIELS- If you want a story about a kick ass heroine hellbent on keeping everyone she loves safe, that takes place in an apocalyptical Atlanta, where magic holds sway, then this one is for you.
Nope sorry mine is way worse than yours. (Which I thought sounded fine.)
Between the mundane world and the world of magic exists the Edge. A thin border that merges technology and magic. Those cast out of the world of Magic have carved out their own world here. A world where Family means as much as Magic and only the cunning survive.
On an average street, in small town America, an unassuming B&B Inn earns itself a reputation as the last, best hope for those in need of refuge.
The Gertrude Hunt is not your average Inn and you won’t find it listed on Travelocity. This Inn caters to a more Galactic Traveler and her Innkeeper is quickly earning a reputation in inter species mediation.
Join us for 5 Cleever dining, magic, battles and the room of your dreams.
Aliens and Vampires and Werewolves (oh my)..
Eh, here’s my best try. THanks for the challenge, Mod R 🙂 Your post was hilarious. “give me strength”, hehehe!
Innkeeper: When werewolves and vampires leave their home planets to visit Earth, where are they to stay if not for a sentient inn in Texas? Here, Dina rules supreme as the innkeeper and host to countless alien species. If only matters of the heart were as easy as opening a portal to the opposite end of the galaxy.
Kate Daniels: After the magic apocalypse, some people just want to live quiet lives in Georgia, drinking lemonade on their porch and slaying a magic monster with their sword now and then. Kate Daniels was one of them. Sadly, she’s not one to turn away from a challenge, so when trouble comes knocking, she throws a knife at it.
Hidden Legacy: In a world where magic has replaced wealth as the ultimate form of capital, those with magical power form corporations and amass millions. Small, family-owned businesses like Baylor Investigative Agency need to stay on their toes to survive. Luckily, sisters Nevada, Catalina, and Arabella have a few tricks up their sleeve that will help them navigate a world populated by monsters from other realms, ruthless CEOs with magical powers, and cocky telekinetic billionaires.
+1 Hidden Legacy
Kate Daniels : the adventure of a merc with a mouth stomping over the toes of the high ups of the magical forces of a post apocalyptic Atlanta where magic and technology can’t coexist.
Hidden legacy : follow the seemingly normal Baylor family investigate in a world where huge magic wielder incorporate themselves in Houses to enforce their power.
Innkeeper : in these books, you’ll witness aliens settle their conflicts in the most neutral ground of the Galaxy : the Inns. But to make sure everyone stays level headed you need to be stronger than those you host.
Kinsmen : in a future shaped by family feuds and wars, we follow badass heroines clawing their way through their goal.
The edge : there are three reality,ours as we know it, another one is its exact mirror with magic ever present and finally the last sits like a border between the two with very little magic and resources.
KD: Kate Daniels was raised to be a sword slinging, cold blooded killer with one goal in mind: kill her biological father. The issue? She has a heart. Shapeshifters, vampires, witches, and more await in Kate’s journey as magic and technology toy with Atlanta.
HL: What happens when you put a human lie detector, a secret siren, and a mythical beast in one family? You get the Baylor sisters. Follow the Baylor family as they investigate crimes and conspiracies involving Houston’s magical elite, and fall in love along the way.
Love these!
It’s way too long, but almost 10 years ago Sarah Rees Brennan recommended the Kate Daniels books and described what she loved about them, which may give you some ideas: https://www.sarahreesbrennan.com/2012/06/kate-daniels-and-the-sleuthing-identity-crisis/ .
Squee! Sarah Rees Brennan was how I learned about Ilona Andrews way back in 2010. I love it when authors you love recommend other authors to read.
Thanks for sharing – loved the review and may just have found a new author 🙂
This may be longer than you need. Feel free to edit and to use any parts of this that you might find useful!
KATE DANIELS:
Urban fantasy featuring a protagonist with secrets who must navigate a world where the forces of Magic and Technology randomly trade places and claim dominion. Magic is winning and monsters that used to be thought mythical are now just really dangerous, but Technology isn’t giving up without a fight so you better have something besides a spell up your sleeve. The slow-burn romance doesn’t get a pay-off in the first few books, but it is worth the wait. Same point-of-view character throughout the series and each book can stand alone, but best read in sequence to get the over-arching story the series tells.
IRON COVENANT:
When we met Hugh D’Ambray in the Kate Daniels books, we thought we knew this villain and we rooted for his death. It turns out that all was not as it seemed and maybe Hugh is not exactly who we thought he was. He will drag himself from the despair that wants to destroy him to save his Iron Dogs and he will sacrifice whatever he must to do that— even if that means marrying Elara Harper (abomination, ice harpy, other not-nice names depending on who describes her). Elara has a fortress to protect her people, Hugh has the army to man that fortress. Watching these two battle it out in overt and sneaky ways is laugh-out-loud funny in spots. Who could ever have guessed that an ice harpy might be just what Hugh needs to save him from the abyss? (Kate Daniels Universe)
RYDER:
Kate’s daughter Julie has spent the last eight years helping Kate’s aunt raise a kingdom in California. Raising New Shinar came at a cost and Julie no longer looks, sounds, or smells as she did. But her heart is the same and when her friend on the Witch Oracle of Atlanta warns that danger is approaching that will kill Kate and the rest of those Julie loves, she travels back to the city of her birth to save her family and friends. One big problem: if Kate figures out who Julie is and gets involved in the trouble Julie is wading into, then all possible futures show a dead Kate. Julie (now in the guise of Aurelia Ryder) must save her family while keeping it all a secret from them. Considering the magic and abilities of her family, that secrecy will be the hardest part of her task. That and the fact that her girlhood crush is also back in Atlanta and he has made his own changes, becoming even more deadly and dangerous. Her new face guarantees that Julie will be noticed, but will he know that it is her? (Kate Daniels Universe)
HIDDEN LEGACY:
Suppose you found a formula for a concoction that could bring out the latent magical abilities in ordinary humans— what would you do with it? Why, give it to everyone willing to risk taking it, right? What could possibly go wrong with that? A lot. It was such a supremely bad idea that the drug was locked away, but the changes made bonded to the genetic make-up of those who took it and they have passed on these gifts (sometimes small, sometimes awe-inspiring) to generations of their offspring. Society has reordered itself to account for these powerful families, called Houses, that are found inside the borders of practically every country on earth. If you have a small, family-run detective agency, you realize you have no business getting involved in any of these affairs, but sometimes you aren’t given a choice. The Houses had better look out, though, because the Baylor Family Detective Agency might have a few surprises in store. Set up in three trilogies, the point-of-view character of each trilogy is one of the three Baylor Sisters.
KINSMEN:
Mental powers meets the Mafia might be a good way to describe this series. While there are science fiction elements, the mental powers of the kinsmen are what makes this series feel as much fantasy as sci fi. There is romance and adventure in each book with a different point-of-view character in each.
THE EDGE:
The magic-rich lands of the Weird cannot touch the magic-less lands of the Broken (our world) directly— there must be a buffer, a strip of land where there may be magic, but magic is not steeped in every grain of earth. That land of neither magic nor mundane is called the Edge. It is mostly a lawless place where your family and your connections are your only safety and you might get raiders from the Weird looking to capitalize on the fact that those in the Edge are mostly thought too weak to defend themselves from someone with strong magic. Each book has a new point-of-view character and is a good stand alone read, but the books should be read in sequence to get the full over-arching story. The romance in each book is more sweet than steamy and there are some characters who weave their way from one book to the next.
INNKEEPER:
While technically science fiction, this series reads more like urban fantasy. The protagonist (Innkeeper Dina Demille) for most of the books mentions in the first book that any science sufficiently advanced may as well be magic to those who do not understand it. The Gertrude Hunt Inn is a bed and breakfast that exists in our world, but which caters only to a very particular clientele. It seems that earth is the only known planet to have a 12-way jump point (very advantageous for space travel and not something anyone wants their enemies to control). In order for this resource to be used by all, earth leaders made a deal. The earth would be neutral and have Inns all over the globe that would cater to travelers from any of the interstellar species who wished to visit. These visitors make one iron-clad promise: maintain the secrecy of the inns and keep secret the fact that there are other inhabited planets from the backward folks who live on earth. The Innkeepers are all-powerful on their own grounds, but less so off them. The Inns are at least partially sentient and they need a steady flow of guests in order to thrive— which sometimes leads an Innkeeper into a difficult decision about who to allow as a guest. Dangerous guests are still guests, after all. The slow-burn romance isn’t culminated in the first few books and there is a mystery that weaves through the books that we get clues on as the series progresses.
Kate Daniels Series: While Magic and Technology duke it out over Atlanta, Kate Daniels it fighting to save Atlanta’s citizens. Kate may not be able to save everyone, but she can damn well try and no Shifter Lord or anyone else is going to stop her, so they might as well jump on the Kate train and fight with her.
That’s marvelous! Love it.
Innkeeper Series: Gertrude Hunt Bed and Breakfast is not your typical small town B&B and Dina Demille is not typical Innkeeper. Space Vampires, Werewolves, and Galactic Tyrants are welcome to stay at this Inn, but you had better believe Dina will keep everyone safe, even from each other and do anything to keep the secret of just what this Inn really is.
+1 for Innkeeper!
I’m not a native speaker, but would still like to propose my idea 🙂
Kate Daniels:
Imagine our world, where normal science-based life is unraveled by magic waves. In this urbane fantasy, Kate tries to survive the changed Atlanta streets, keep her head low and her few friends safe. Being a poor merc in a world full of monsters, human and otherwise, with no reliable tech and only blade to protect herself, it is not an easy task.
Hidden Legacy Series. Baylor Investigations is a small family owned business and has no business investigation Houston’s magic elite. But Nevada Baylor will do anything to protect her family and the business she fought so hard to keep afloat, even if it means going toe to toe with the deadliest magic users in the city.
no business investigating Houston’s elite. OOPS!
+1 for Hidden Legacy- liked your family business vs no business word play!
KD: Magic exists but in waves, Atlanta is occupied by shifters,wizards,witches, vampires like you’ve never seen,and God’s. One woman stands with and against all. Oh, and there is sword fighting too.
Edge: alternate earth, one side is magic the other is broken. The middle is a mix of both keeping them separate. Strong families survive the problems of evil plots.
Innkeeper: all aliens are welcome to Gertrude Hunt. You must obey the rules or the Innkeeper will open a door and you may regret it.
Hidden Legacy: if you have a problem with magic and you need help the Baylor family will help you til finished if you hire them.
Since there aren´t many Kinsmen suggestions yet and I totally love Silver Shark, here goes:
Romance and adventure against a backdrop of ancient and futuristic elements. In a world that combines lush nature and modern buildings of glass and steel, powerful families rule. Their abilities, initially caused by human augmentation, are almost indistinguishable from magic, dangerous and sometimes unpredictable. In a novella series of family feuds and power struggles, protagonists have to realize that for a better future, they cannot let their past define them. Whether they seek revenge, survival or love, they all find challenges that test the very essence of their being.
Ok, so the last sentences are questionable, but with a mostly different cast of characters and different storylines, it really depends on what you´d prefer to use as overarching theme that ties them together. For me, that is emancipation and identity – Meli has to let go of her need for revenge and Claire has to define who she is once she can´t be a soldier anymore.
Opinions, anyone?
I tried to keep it somewhat cheeky. I struggled with Kinsmen because I read only one of them a while ago…but oh well. 🙂
KATE DANIELS: Kickass sword fighter slices first and asks questions later in magic-ravaged Atlanta. Loyal to a fault, she will take on any manner of beast to save those she loves. The key is to not lose herself in the process.
HIDDEN LEGACY: Appearances are everything among the magical elite in Houston, but the Baylor sisters and their small detective agency are not afraid to ruffle some feathers and expose the truth. Or more like, escape exploding buildings and dodge magical warfare strikes.
INNKEEPER: The B&Bs are alive with the sound of…alien chatter and moving walls? Not a typical weekend getaway, be prepared for possible intergalactic adventures and unexpected extraterrestrial guests.
RYDER: What’s the daughter of a kickass sword fighter to do? Why, cut her own path through life, of course! Welcome back to Atlanta, where ancient powers rise, everyone has powered-up, and you might as well forget staying incognito for long. (Kate Daniels Universe)
IRON COVENANT: Bad boy turned…well, bad boy with a new plan. When Hugh D’Ambray decides to marry, you know it’s not going to be conventional. Elara is immensely powerful and paired with Hugh, they’re a force to be reckoned with…and to reckon with each other. (Kate Daniels Universe)
KINSMEN: Dating is tough, whether on Earth or in the far reaches of the universe in an advanced society with a wealth of personal information at your fingertips, ulterior motives galore, and unique powers abounding. No holds are barred when you always get what you want and a new prize is in sight.
THE EDGE: This is what you get when you live on the divide between our world and a magical fantasy world. A little bit of normal, a lot of weird. A little bit of romance, a lot of adventure. Living on the Edge takes on a whole new meaning.
+1
*bad boy turned…a new leaf? Maybe? Lol ???????????? I have fun reading your summaries~^^
Thanks!!! 😀
*Smart, intricate fantastic world(s) filled with an interesting population centered on MCs that you will wish were real. You will devour every single W O R D!
*This would be applicable to ANY of your boks/series–I tell my friends that there are not ANY wasted words in your novels.
PS-I don’t care if I win, I just wanted to say, literally, what I believe. Thank-you for your books that have offered me hours-days-weeks…of fantastic escapeism!
Open your eyes to the life of Kate Daniels as she asskicks her way to putting her magic riddled world back together, one monstrosity at a tìme. Lions and tigers and vampires, oh my.
IC: Where the ultimate bastard meets the abominable witch in Kate Daniel’s world. Sometimes, two wrong’uns can make things right …
Hahaha, funny, this one would’ve made me want to read IC (if I hadn’t already).
Oh wow love this one!
KATE DANIELS: The definitive urban fantasy. As magic warps the city of Atlanta, Kate fights to protect her chosen family from ancient evils – and her own destiny.
IRON COVENANT: Urban fantasy meets romance – maybe? The ultimate antihero meets his match, finding a strange kind of redemption and stabbing a lot of people along the way. (Kate Daniels Universe)
RYDER: By popular demand, Kate’s daughter makes her return to magic-ravaged Atlanta. With a new face and a new name, she’s determined to vanquish the biggest threat Atlanta has ever seen (Kate Daniels Universe)
HIDDEN LEGACY: Paranormal romance that imagines detective work amongst rich, powerful Houses full of magic-wielding elites. The Baylor sisters solve mysteries, kick butt, and find love.
INNKEEPER: Urban fantasy. Humor, romance, and intrigue collide at a sentient B&B. Come for the shapshifters, stay for the space vampires.
KINSMEN: Romance and adventure in a futuristic society that combines magic, technology, and good old-fashioned lust for power.
THE EDGE: Urban fantasy. The Edge is the place where our dimension overlaps with a magical one. Rustic fantasy, romance and found family. And lots of swamps.
Honestly, I kinda like Mod R’s. But my brain is completely fried at the moment so my opinion’s not worth much, and any blurb I wrote at this point would be worth even less. I will just enjoy the examples you all bring to the table, after I straighten out as much of this mess as I can manage.
Kinsman: danger and romance on planets where war is fought with enhanced humans and on mental and physical landscapes.
The Edge: A pocket between the normal and the abnormal, but which is which? A blend of two worlds that can only be found by the few and only a few would enter.
Kate Daniels: Angry badass meets fuzzy kitten. Fuzzy kitten is an ancient Lion over 7 feet tall. Necromancy and god-like relatives frolic about.
Iron Covenant: Sexy psychopath meets his chicken-eating female companion. Both crazy, both badass, both… like chickens?
Ryder: Man stalks old family friend through their hometown for a weird reunion with lots of gore and breaking and entering.
Hidden Legacy: sexy sweaty dungeon. Ferrets running about to the tune of mission impossible. Grandmother from hell.
Innkeeper series: Sometimes a cute puppy is not a cute puppy, it’s not even a puppy. HGTV meets witchcraft. Also intergalactic chickens. Always chickens.
I love that I’m not the only one who fixated on that one dungeon scene in Hidden Legacy ????
These would not do as intros for new readers, but boy oh boy, they are funny if you know the books!
????????????????????
For the Alliance! But seriously, I met House Andrews at a convention a few years ago and found out they played the above referenced game. Gordon wrote “For the Horde” on my tote bag 😀
Kinsmen description:
On a world where Family and vendetta are a way of life; how do those removed from the Family, or the immigrants earn a place? What would you do to remind someone of the past, or better still make sure they can Never repeat that mistake?
Innkeeper: our guests are our priority
HIDDEN LEGACY: In a city where the social elite are the magically powerful, and cold, hard power dominates, a tight-knit family of private investigators must hold their own– and hold on to their morals. One by one the Baylor sisters will find love and come into their full power as they stand together to protect the city of Houston in this vibrant, funny, and utterly convincing urban fantasy series.
Iron Covenant: A Tale of Redemption. Bad boy goes good, meets the Harrigan of his dreams (or nightmares).
* You could also replace “vibant” with “romantic”
KATE:
The return of magic creates a technology apocalypse, and shapeshifters and vampires prowl the crumbling streets of Atlanta where Kate Daniels, a young mercenary, uses her sword to combat evil while hiding from her god-like father.
INNKEEPER:
Dina Demille is the newest Innkeeper on Earth. With space vampires and werewolves running amuck, keeping her alien clientele a secret in the Texas suburbs isn’t easy.
HIDDEN LEGACY:
A small family-run investigative agency gets embroiled in the schemes of Houston’s powerful magical elite, exposing family secrets, and introducing the Baylor sisters to sexy, ruthless killers.
Why not a haiku?
We all hated Hugh
but then everything changed.
“Put that cow down NOW!”
+1
AWESOME!
KD: Do you like snark, slow-burn romance, high-octane action in an alternate Atlanta, where magic and tech battle for control? Try this series with ancient gods, modern mythos, shifters, and an extremely capable warrior heroine
The Edge: Ever wonder just how much magic lurks just over yonder in Appalachia or rural Louisiana? For fans of Celtic and Norse myths, try these alternate world adventures with a little romance mixed in
Kinsman: Magical talents set families and clans apart from one another in the science fiction romance setting. Taking inspiration from Italian families and their feuds, the Kinsman universe features clever heroines and the brave men they save.
HL: What would happen to Houston after people learn to marry for magic talents? Join the brave Baylor sisters as they solve mysteries and learn to hold their own in a society of powerful magic users – while dealing with traffic and floods.
Hidden Legacy: In the treacherous world of the elite magical Houses, the Baylor sisters are in a class of their own.
Kate Daniels: In a dangerous world where magic and technology clash, Kate Daniels fights to defend her city from deadly forces no matter the cost.
These are all so good. Mod R, I really love yours, a lot. I could just pick and choose, one from this person, blend the ones from these two people ….
Mod, you have a very tough job here. Cheers!
KD: In a world of shifting magic and tech, Kate will put herself between evil and its intended victims every time. Magic comes and goes, but a sword always works.
Innkeeper: Gertrude Hunt; home of magic and host to the universe. How does a newly awakened Inn with a new Innkeeper survive? With a little help from magic, a local werewolf, and a surprisingly different shih-tzu.
Hidden Legacy: I just wanted to be a detective. It was a family thing and we were great at it. Then HE showed up, and we had to hold our own against the elite of the magical families. Thankfully, we had a few hidden legacies of our own.
New take on Urban Fantasy. Vampire tropes broken then stomped into dust. Magic versus Technology universe forming new approach to post-apocalyptic future. And flat out, no reservations, the number one kick-ass mercenary, Kate Daniels.
and on a completely different note, is there even a hint, some inkling of a short story or novella of the way Desandra and Nick got together?
Not the most writerly intros, but hope it helps anyways!
KD: Magical big bads in post-magicpocalypse Atlanta vs. Kate Daniels: badass loner merc – except she’s not so good at the loner thing because she keeps making friends and taking in strays. Oh, and there’s a were-lion 😉
HL: Ride-or-die family find and claim their place in Texa’s magical high society. Queue romance, intrigue, and a whole lot of violence and murder.
Kate Daniels
Set in a near future Earth where magic regularly crashes back into reality, Kate Daniels fights the things that go bump in the night. Packing a well-honed saber and some serious attitude, Kate joins with allies ranging from mercenaries to demigods. With the help of Curran, the enigmatic Beast Lord of Atlanta, she faces a destiny she cannot escape and a battle she can’t afford to lose.
Ryder
In the universe of Kate Daniels, new dangers face the next generation of heroes. Julie, Kate’s adopted daughter, is back in Atlanta and racing against time to stop an insane god from bringing hell to earth. Helping her is Derek, wolf-shifter, childhood friend, teenage crush and current pain in the neck. Together they face overwhelming challenges including a murderous beast, an ancient evil and, most difficult of all, their own pasts.
Innkeeper
What’s hidden behind the doors of the Gertrude Hunt, the cutest bed and breakfast in Red Deer, Texas? Just an intergalactic tyrant, a genetically engineered werewolf and a vampire knight of the Holy Anocracy (don’t give him coffee.) Ensuring the safety and comfort of these guests is the highest priority of the Innkeeper, Dina Demille. Welding the magic of her inn, she reshapes reality and fights interplanetary terrors, all while making sure the pillows are fluffed and the neighbors stay none the wiser.
Hidden Legacy
Nearly two centuries ago an elixir awoke magical abilities in the human population. In present day Houston the magically gifted Baylor family runs the Baylor Investigative Agency, which specializes in bringing arcanely powered criminals to justice. But many secrets are buried in the Baylor family’s past, and some legacies won’t stay hidden.
Edge
There is a world of fast food chains, 24-hour gas stations, and endless traffic jams. There is also a world of magic, castles, and sorcerers with hearts of purest evil. Between these worlds is the Edge. A chaotic frontier that exists in both and neither, the Edge is home to a determined few that make their lives in this unforgiving place. With grit and determination these families must face threats from both the worlds that surround them and the deadly land they call home.
Never read Kinsman and poor Hugh defies explanation. Good luck Mod R! Thanks for the fun activity! ☺️
Good ones for Innkeeper and Edge!
KD: Technology has fallen to magic that comes in waves to ravage the world. In a dramatically transformed Atlanta, mercenary Kate Daniels cuts through her foes from magical creatures and enemy mortals with a blade while trying to help those in need, all while navigating a world of shapeshifters, psychically marionetted vampires, and trying to avoid detection from her father that wants her dead.
Innkeeper: if Babylon 5 was a sentient puppy-like Bed & Breakfast run by a kindhearted innkeeper looking for her missing parents, and shapeshifters and vampires were just aliens.
I don’t love it, but hey I’m throwing it out there. 🙂
Iron Covenant: Truly “bad boy” villian agrees to marry powerful Witch for all the right reasons – save their people, their homes, and their way of life in a post apocalyptic world. The sparks explode as they fight for dominance and learn a little about getting burned and a lot about leaning in.
Kate Daniels: A sword in one hand and often times both, Kate’s on a journey to avenge her parents in a world bouncing between technology and magic, filled with shapeshifters, ghouls, vampires and mutant bunnies! Can Kate learn to wield her own magic while dodging the lion King of the Shapeshifters who wants more than just a bowl of milk?
Hidden Legacy: 3 sisters, their extended family and an armory full of weapons run a PI agency and solve cases for their clients while determined to stay off the radar of the families that rule the magic Houses in Texas. Can they hide their own magical abilities as each sister meets her match in power and in love?
KD: Welcome to Atlanta. Magic erodes technology’s reign, toppling skyscrapers and warping the world. Old forces are awakening, and they’re intent on domination. Does Kate have the courage to embrace her legacy and save the city she loves?
HIDDEN LEGACY: The Baylor sisters, balance PI work, family, and love amongst the rich and powerful magical Houses of Houston.
Oops, ignore that first comma. ????
Iron covenant- sometimes the villains of the story can save the world
Kate Daniels: Magic and technology control the world by turns; when tech rules supreme, your car engine will run. When magic takes hold, watch out for things with claws and wings dive-bombing the freeway. This is Kate’s world; buckle up.
Iron Covenant: Hugh D’Ambray spent most of his life serving a megalomaniacal superman as his personal bulldozer. Elara Harper gets called a freak by people who live in chicken-legged houses and work inside giant turtles. When everyone hates you, the best option is to join forces in mutual loathing. Right?
Innkeeper: Welcome to Gertrude Hunt. Breakfast with our resident genocidal space tyrant will be served at 8am, and the local werewolf will be working the barbecue this afternoon. Please direct all inquiries to the ceiling, or your hostess Dina; we hope you enjoy your (preferably killing-free) stay.
Hidden Legacy: One knows your secrets, one steals your heart, and one chills your spine. The Baylor sisters are getting pulled into the underworld of Houston and its magical elite, but don’t worry; they always bring a gun to a knife fight.
The Edge: On one side, the ‘normal’ world with dead-end jobs and bills to pay. On the other, a skewed version full of magic and monsters. In between lies The Edge, and its residents who do their best not to get swallowed by either.
I like these, too. Best Hidden Legacy blurb, I think.
I love this Hidden Legacy blurb!!! 🙂
You know what you need to add to the series descriptions? The song that best fits the series. Or the song that can be modified for the series.
Only because I wanted to get “Working at the Krahr Wash” in somehow.
If you love strong-willed women, loyal to a fault, sword fights galore, witty banter, and tantalizing plots blending sci-fi and magic, then Ilona Andrews is for you. Her books suck you into alternate worlds, exploring good vs evil while incorporating the universal themes of family, love, and forgiveness. And really great sword fights!
Kate Daniels – Magic has returned to the world, leaving chaos and devastation in its wake. Kate Daniels is trying to make her way in the world as a simple swordswoman. Can she make a home in Atlanta before her past catches up and destroys everyone she holds dear?
Hidden Legacy – When magic is genetic and Prime talents can level cities, family is everything. The Baylor sisters had no plans for romance or power, and want nothing more than to run their detective agency in peace, but when sinister forces threaten them, Houston will learn that the Baylor family is more than up to the challenge.
Innkeeper – No matter what galaxy you hail from, the Inns of Earth can accommodate you. Dina can coax her Inn into bending space and time to make her guests as comfortable as possible. But Gertrude Hunt is a small Inn with only 2 stars. Will she be able to handle vampires, werewolves, and a retired galactic empress, all while finding her lost parents and improving the inn’s reputation?
Ryder – A return to the magical, apocalyptic world that Kate Daniels left behind. Kate’s daughter has returned to Atlanta – but this is not the homecoming she wished for. Her face is different, her magic has changed, and her presence must be kept secret at all costs – or the evil that threatens the world will kill everyone she cares about, starting with her mother.
Iron Covenant – Hugh D’Ambray had everything – power, glory, and a seat at the right hand side of the most powerful man in the world. Then he was cast aside, and now all he has is an arranged marriage to Elara Harper, the abomination witch, and more blood on his hands then he could ever hope to wash off. Can he protect those he is responsible for, and maybe even find love? A part of the Kate Daniels Universe
The Edge – In the boundary between our world and a world of magic, the Edge breeds folks who are hardy, insular, and rough. But such traits do not make them immune to love, even when dark magics threaten their sliver of the world.
Mod R, I hope you don’t mind but I used yours as inspiration and only changed bits of it.
Kate Daniels: Urban Fantasy Classic. As old magic and technology fight for dominance, a post-Atlanta city is no more than a playground. Follow Kate as she slices a path through the carnage for her and her loved ones.
I tried Hidden Legacy but wasn’t happy with it. (I will post it anyway in case it helps someone else with theirs)
Hidden Legacy: Investigative romance. Follow the Baylors as they fight for a place in the world of the magical Houston elite.
KATE DANIELS: Armed with her sword, magic, and a whole lot of attitude Kate faces paranormal problems and ancient forces while trying to keep her past hidden in order to protect those she loves.
For Innkeeper:
Aliens are out there, but they want to visit here. Stay at a B&B where the beds are soft, the food divine, and the laws of physics are optional. Just don’t give the vampire any coffee.
Love it!!!
I love the inkeeper one!! ????
IRON COVENANT: Warlord Hugh D’Ambray and witch Elara Harper must wed to form an alliance. Each needs the other, neither can be trusted. Is betrayal inevitable or will they be able to work together to save their people?
Kate Daniels: Magic and technology fight for supremacy in a world where one minute your driving your van and the next Monsters out of mythology walk the earth. Through it all Kate Daniels will challenge even the gods themselves to protect those she loves.
Ryder: Julie Lennart finally returns home to Atlanta, but things aren’t as she remembers. Trouble is brewing, and this time her mother can’t step in to save her. Fans of the Kate Daniels series are thrilled to see the tales of the prodigal daughters return.
Iron Covenant: When those who rely on Hugh D’Ambray drag him back from despair he finds that there is hope even for the most despicable of men, if they can protect it. D’Ambray will have to battle hard to protect his new home, as well as his new love…
Hidden Legacy: Running a private detective agency is difficult at the best of things, now imagine the cheating bastard you’re following can shoot lightning or call a panther to take you out. Follow the Baylor sisters as they work to keep their business afloat in these tales of magic and mystery.
Innkeeper: The world is so much bigger and more complicated than you can imagine. But even aliens need a place to rest. And they bring such interesting troubles with them. Follow Dina’s struggles to keep her alien guests happy…. and hidden.
The Edge: Where two places touch there is always an edge where elements spill from one to the next. Watch as those who balance on that edge endeavor to find more than anyone can really hope for in a place where a world of magic touches our own. After all, happy endings are hard to come by…
Yeah I got nothing for Kinsmen…. I hope these help. If nothing else they were fun to write!!!
INNKEEPER: Welcome to Gertrude Hunt, the magical inn that reshapes itself to accommodate guests from around the universe. Join Dina as she uses her wit, diplomacy, and magic to hide the existence of aliens, protect her guests, and keep them from killing each other.
KINSMEN: Sci-Fi Romance and Intrigue. [HEA/COMPLETE]
In the future society where we set our scene, Kinsmen families have leveraged their special abilities to form business dynasties across the multiple settled worlds, separate but equal and “alike in dignity.” But all families have their black sheep, and Kinsmen deals can be made or broken with a single thought, or on the edge of a blade…
THE EDGE: Urban Fantasy Romance / Fantasy Romance. [HEA/COMPLETE]
There are two worlds: the Broken, a world much like our own; and the Weird, a world full of magic and wonder. “The Edge” exists in a space between, and its people struggle to survive on the fringes.
To Edgers, family is everything. With the arrival of a blue-blood from the Weird, Rose Drayton and her brothers will forge new bonds of family with the most unlikely allies… and possibly save all three worlds.
KATE DANIELS: Urban Fantasy Classic. Adventure with romantic elements: [Series arc COMPLETE]
The pendulum has swung again: the wonders of our technological age are crumbling as a new era of Magic rises.
Kate Daniels is trying to live a quiet life, just her and her magical sword. Taught all her life to hide in plain sight, to reject even simple companionship, to run if anyone gets close… But when gods and monsters walk the earth, and ancient forces converge upon Atlanta, Kate will no longer run. Instead, she will cut a path to safety for everyone she has learned to love.
IRON COVENANT: Urban Fantasy with dark romance elements—Kate Daniels Universe. [One of three complete—ON HOLD]
Hugh may be a very bad man, but he’s an excellent Iron Dog. Now the leash that made him into a monster has been shattered, he’s determined to find a home for his fellow Dogs. If only there was a princess who needed someone to guard the gates…
Elara might not be a princess, but she does have a castle… and fresh bread. Good enough. The White Lady is anything but helpless–if you require a demonstration, she’d be happy to eat your soul–but she does have enemies that will require the viciousness of the Iron Dogs to help defeat.
BLOOD HEIR: Urban Fantasy with romantic elements—Kate Daniels Universe. [ONGOING]
Back by popular request! A prophecy from the Witch’s Oracle sends Kate’s daughter back to magic-ravaged Atlanta.
Though Julie has changed, one thing remains true: she will keep her mother safe, no matter the cost. With her new face and form, she’ll work in the shadows as Aurelia Ryder. But in order to banish the evil that threatens all she loves, Julie will have to balance what she left behind with what she’s worked so hard to become…
HIDDEN LEGACY: Paranormal Romance with action/adventure elements. [Nevada Baylor Trilogy: HEA/COMPLETE. Catalina Baylor Trilogy: 2/3 books, ONGOING.]
The Osiris Serum changed the world, unlocking magical talents in some and turning others into monsters. Today, the highest tier of magical Talents known as Primes rule their family Houses, all but exempt from the laws that govern non-magical humans.
When the Baylor sisters’ detective agency is forced to pursue a fire-starter Prime on a terror spree, Nevada, Catalina, and Arabella will have to learn navigate the cut-throat world of Prime society. As they work to stop chaos from destroying Houston, they’ll find love and uncover secrets that define their hidden legacy.
INNKEEPER: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance. [ONGOING]
Others have done better…
Kate Daniels: She lives by the sword and expects to die by the sword till she meets the Beast Lord. In a world where magic and technology fight for dominance and anything is possible.
Here are my suggestions:
Kate Daniels: Classic urban fantasy. As magic and technology battle for the upper hand in the world, Kate must use every drop of power and knowledge she has to save Atlanta and the ones she loves.
Hidden legacy: Love and conspiracy on a whole other level. Magic equals power among the Houston elite. The Baylor sisters purposely stay clear of it all until they have no other choice but to expose some family secrets.
Innkeepers: For centuries Earth has been a neutral ground and special B&Bs have kept aliens safe and hidden on their visits here. Gertrude Hunt is open for business and Dina DeMille will bend the laws of physics to accommodate you. Literally.
Ryder: Eight years after she left Atlanta, Julie Lennart is back with a new name, new face, new number of enemies. And this time she has to fight them alone or doom the woman that raised her. (Kate Daniels Universe)
Iron Covenant: Who do you become after the worst version of yourself? Hugh d’Ambray, ex-warlord and mass murderer, and Elara Harper, abomination and a witch, just want to keep their people safe, grow some herbs and get married without it turning into a bloodbath. Now only if their enemies, past and present, would comply. (Kate Daniels Universe)
Kinsmen Universe: The future belongs to genetically enhanced families that fight between themselves with the passion of a Shakespearean play. Business, power, love – everything balances on the blade of a sword.
The Edge: Between our ordinary and technological world and the other, where magic rules and power defines your destiny, lies the Edge. Its people are hard, fight dirty and will do everything to keep their loved ones safe. Cross them at your own risk.
I love that these hook you in, keep you wanting to know a bit more
I saw the Chloe Neill post on Facebook. Here are my suggestions
Kate Daniels: Magic, Mystery, Monsters, Oh My!!
Iron Covenant: Taming of the Shrew meets Magical Post-Apocalyptic World. But who is taming whom?
Innkeeper: Earth as a Galactic vacation and conference destination — just don’t tell the natives!
Hidden Legacy: Powerful magical elites, private detectives, romance, and the family that works together snarks together!
Within her inn, Dina holds unrivalled power, but for the safety of her alien guests and earth she steps out of her comfort zone and right into the way of hand and troublesome werewolf Sean Evans. An aristocratic space tyrant, honourable knights and a melodramatic hedgehog chef make this a read like no other.
Wanna buy all of them! Sorry not helpful. Kate Daniel’s : All legends/myths are true. Witness one mercenary’s adventures til she faces her greatest for, her father.
Hidden Legacy: Being a private detective is easy when you can tell if someone is lying to you. Surviving a magic conspiracy group and having a partner named “Mad” Rogan is the hard part.
Two sentences to describe a series of IA books is not a possible task to set. This is why book blurbs are impossible to write to describe a book.
Looking to read for years to come with reliable authors who produce varied content? Pick a series, any series.
KD came first, IC followed characters and continues, BH is third and continues. Magic and technology don’t mix, so they switch the world between themselves and make a mess of each other as humans and a host of magical creatures try to find a way to survive.
The Edge and Innkeepers are connected lightly. The Edge came first. Find out what “living on the edge” really means! Expand your horizons into space and magic and aliens who refuse to follow the rules and must be controlled by Innkeepers on earth, arbitrators in space.
The Baylors of Hidden Legacy bring you magic, mayhem, and family feuds. They also bring love and friends and solutions to people in need.
How can you possibly intrigue anyone into any series in two sentences? Introduce each series with a description, then include opening chapters to the first books in each series and let people judge for themselves. My husband bought the first KD book, I wasn’t going to read it, but it was here, I had read what I bought, I picked it up, and I bought the entire series as soon as I read it. Then I started looking for what else the authors had done. The first chapter of a book will tell you if it will intrigue or not, so I’d include that in your sampler as bait to the new readers. Get ready to produce a tree house full of the books, because they’ll be as hooked as we are, once they begin reading these works.
I wish to sound a note of caution about the word “snark.” For me it has become a cliché in the book descriptions on Amazon. Many authors seem to describe their strong female heroines as “snarky” when what they really are is rude and immature IMHO. House Andrews’ strong female characters are outspoken, courageous and occasionally irreverent, not at all the same thing.
I wholeheartedly agree :). It also gives me nothing but negative connotations now.
Totally agree! Whenever I see “snarky” in a blurb on Amazon, I roll my eyes so hard that I can see my brain. It makes me not want to read the book.
KATE DANIELS: Classic urban fantasy! Magic and ancient powers flood the world and treat Atlanta as their playground. Kate Daniels is the estranged daughter of a powerful wizard with godlike power. Follow Kate as she tries to protect Atlanta, and everyone she loves, from the coming magical apocalypse.
I know these are not quite what you wanted, but my brain went this way and I hope the BDH will find it entertaining.
Kate Daniels
A badass merc battles a resurrected god and a shapeshifter king
In a world where magic and tech switch like alternating currents.
One is family and the other wants to be
And Kate Daniels will succeed in deterrence.
Iron Covenant
What do you do with a witch called an abomination?
What do you do with an evil warlord who’s been fired from world domination?
In the world of Kate Daniels, two wrongs make a right—
Maybe there’s redemption and romance after the fight!
Aurelia Ryder
Kate Daniel’s adopted daughter is back in Atlanta in disguise,
With a new name, new face, and working for the Order as Knight Ryder.
To save her world she must hide from her family or suffer their demise,
But does she succeed in confusing her old friends the shapeshifters?
Hidden Legacy
Magic Houses rule the roost in Texas,
Above the law and fighting feuds to consolidate power.
House Baylor is an upstart House with a murky background to perplex us
Their hidden abilities, though used for good, once unleashed, make others cower.
Edge
Between two worlds, one magic and one not,
Exists a place where the in-betweeners are caught.
The Edge is where the misfits of both worlds survive,
And weird and dangerous creatures thrive.
Innkeeper
There are inns on Earth that protect galactic guests,
That hide this fact from the natives at their behest.
Arbitrators, werewolves, vampires, and philosopher chickens come
While world-destroying flora and deadly enemies that attack this home
Are banished elsewhere. Universal hospitality at its best.
+1! So this!
+1 to Stacey Brown’s – Innkeeper: Welcome to the Gertrude Hunt, intergalactic refuge and inn. Do no harm or Dina will kick your a$$, even if you’re the local hot werewolf.
Ilona Andrews Innkeeper Chronicles –A magic Inn, space werewolves and vampires, a lot of really unique aliens, a strong heroine, romance, mystery and action! A fun and humorous series.
Kate D: In a world where the war between magic and tech is balancing towards magic, even though some think they still have a fighting chance, the forgotten old powers of magic are awakening. The series is about her becoming. She hunts and kills the despicables, mourns the innocent lost lives in her path, she’s changing every living being around her, correction, even the unliving, bending knees of unbelievable powerful forces. What she gets? Power, riches? No, a family
Taken from Jonathan’s Hidden Legacy: When magic is genetic, the House is all. The Baylor sisters’ detective agency fights for family & love in the shark-infested waters of the Houston elite. (Or family, love & country)
The Edge: In the space between worlds, exiles & criminals learn to fight for love.
Here’s my take on a few
Ryder
Julie left home to grow up and figure out who she is. She came back to fight off a magical force growing in strength until she can figure out how to destroy it before it consumes her, annihilates her family and those she loves.
Hidden Legacy
Showing your magic in this world can mean having everything including wealth, power, and enhanced abilities. The Baylors chose to hide their magic until they must do the only thing that they can to stay safe by becoming a House and use their magical talents to begin a family legacy like no other.
Kate
Always a loner until the death of her mentor, Kate takes on shapeshifters, vampires, and other magical creature in post-shift Atlanta to discover the truth about her past and her future. In this new world, Kate has her sword and her magic to lead her to her destiny, to love and to family.
Inn Keeper
Galactic inns may be a dime and dozen but on earth there are only a few inns where an alien can rest their weary head (without exposure of course). Welcome to the Gertrude Hunt Inn where Dina your innkeeper takes hospitality to a whole new magical level whether you are a galactic vampire, the Hope Crushing Horde or a former tyrant who just want a place to read and maybe write her memoirs.
KATE DANIELS: Kate Daniels has been using her skill with a sword to make a living as a mercenary in an Atlanta caught in a tug-of-war between the world as we know it and one where magic rules. Kate’s been trying to stay under the radar, but when she gets her tangled up with the local Pack of shapeshifters, impeccably besuited necromancers, and bureaucratic Knights of the Order, she’s going to need more than a sword to survive all the hazards of the magic apocalypse. Kate will face down vampires, dark gods, ancient evils, ancient evils she’s related to, and worst of all, politics.
HIDDEN LEGACY: Sisters Nevada, Catalina, and Arabella Baylor all have unique magical talents they tried to keep under wraps to avoid being exploited by the rich and powerful Houses formed by the strongest magical families. But when Nevada gets entangled with the deadly and alluring Mad Rogan of House Rogan and the Baylor family secrets start coming to light, they must form House Baylor and sink or swim in the glittering and dangerous world of the Houston magical elite.
INNKEEPER: Dina runs a B&B out of an old Victorian house in a Texas suburb. Her neighbors think she’s odd enough, but it’s weirder than even they know: Dina’s house is an Inn, a way station for galactic travelers, and within its walls Dina and her broom can create miracles in the name of good hospitality.
RYDER: Julie Olsen Daniels, now Aurelia Ryder, Princess of Shinar, is banking on the fact that no one will recognize her after a stolen god’s eye changed her appearance, her magic, even her scent. She must avoid her adoptive family to defeat a dangerous prophecy and get the best of the god whose eye she stole, but returning to Atlanta will put her new identity to the test as she comes face-to-face with old allies, new enemies, and the one person she left Atlanta to avoid.
IRON COVENANT: Warlord Hugh D’Ambray would like to retreat to a hovel and lick his wounds in peace after a brutal defeat, but for the sake of his army of Iron Dogs he’ll suffer life in a castle, married to its beautiful White Lady, Elara Harper. Elara is an Abomination, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want her people safe. Adopting a homeless army sounds like a great idea, but to make it work she and Hugh will need to get married and keep up appearances. Or at the very least refrain from killing each other.
KINSMEN: On the colorful dahlia-filled planet of Rada, an assassin who can control a hidden weapon lies in wait at the local bakery, carefully baiting a trap for the head of a rival family and interstellar tycoon with baked goods. But is she plotting to kill him or steal his heart? Elsewhere in the universe, on a planet ravaged by a centuries-long war, a telepathic cyberwarrior hides as just another refugee. But maintaining her cover when she is brought to Rada becomes more and more challenging when faced with the planet’s beauty…including her new boss.
THE EDGE: Next door to this world (with its box stores, parking lots, and no magic) lies one full of magic, wonders and monsters. Between the two is the Edge, where inhabitants must face threats from both worlds, as well as from other inhabitants.
These are witty, I like them! Especially Kate Daniels and Innkeeper! 🙂
Kate Daniels needs to mention the clash between technology and magic. Possibly the weres and vampires too.
Hidden Legacy needs to mention Houston to show more of the Urban Fantasy feel.
On one of my first dates with a boy he asked me to describe what I was reading in 2 words and these are the two words that converted him “Space Vampires”. We’re still together and enjoying all your books!!!!
The edge stretches between the world as we know it and the Weird where magic reigns. Filled with castoffs and criminals, trust is a commodity most can’t afford. Could you survive the edge?
Iron and covenant. He has slaughtered thousands. She gave up her humanity for her people. Can a villain have a happily ever after?
Innkeeper. An Inn requires an Innkeeper. Dina is bound to her Inn, but at Gertrude Hunt the adventure comes to you.
Kinsman: Far in the future, technology and genetics has allowed humans to become weapons. But what happens when two such humans fall in love on the colorful streets of New Delhi?
KD: technology and magic fight it out, our way of life the victim! In the middle Kate, a young woman with a deadly sword and an even deadlier secret. Her secret keeps her lonely – but hey! It’s also a romance!
Innkeeper: my favourite series. Light-hearted space romp based on an intelligent inn on earth, it’s female innkeeper and lots of galactic and sometimes really alien guests. Conflicts, mysteries, romance and philosophical space ????. Beach, where are you?
I actually really like most of your ideas. I think the goal is just specificity because even to a returning reader, where granted I haven’t read your books since the last one that came out (so a few months), some of the phrases are a bit vague, like “ancient forces” for instance. Apt, but it doesn’t bring up a vivid image. Mostly your descriptions are vivid enough to be fair, especially in your officially published work.
Also, I love the BDH and there’s so many great ideas here but for the the adjective-laden descriptions (“stunningly sexy, darkly romantic, bravely badass, morally grey book fit for any Urban Fantasy reader!”) I find I almost always just skip them. .. I trust they have their place, I’m just not sure I’d put them in these short things?
INNKEEPER: Texan Dina Demille runs a sentient inn for casual space visitors and the galaxy’s most wanted alike. She must save her neighbours from a hostile predatory species, arbitrate an intergalactic conflict, and catch the werewolf neighbour who keeps peeing on her bushes. It’s all in a day’s work.
HIDDEN LEGACY: The Baylor sisters are descendants of magic users whose abilities were awakened by the 1887 Osiris serum. Too bad they’re one of many. In the modern world of magical celebrities and war hero billionaires, the struggling Baylor family detective agency must hold their own.
Oooh, I like those!
Kate Daniels: Magic and technology cannot coexist and humanity clings to whatever sense of normalcy it can find. Monsters are real and to get out of trouble mercenary Kate Daniels relies on her sword and sense of humor, both have a cutting edge. When she says “Here kitty kitty” to the werelion leader of the shapeshifter pack she has to face the consequences if she has any hope to save the day, even if it means getting stuck with a teenage werewolf sidekick.
Innkeeper: Creating a place to welcome weary travelers becomes much more complicated when they are on a bounty hunters most wanted list, or they are enemies locked in an endless war trying to negotiate peace, or philosophical chickens willing to die for their truth… Add in a vampire and werewolf determined to fight over your affection and it’s a miracle the inn is still standing.
Hidden Legacy: Nevada Baylor always knows when you are lying. She cares about family, her detective agency, and making the decisions that allow her to look her reflection in the eye at the end of the day. She gets forced into a manhunt for a pyromaniac with magic to burn the city to the ground or lose her family business. Mad Rogan, a dangerous Telekinetic Prime, is after the same man and will do anything to capture him, including kidnapping Nevada to get the answers he wants.
Kate Daniels: A world where Magic and Technology don’t mix, Kate must battle ancient powers to keep Atlanta and her friends safe. Add the leader of the Shapeshifters arduous and trying pursuit of her, and you have the makings of an epic story.
I tried….I love this series and all the others.
Ryder: In the magic torn city of Atlanta, a new threat emerges that can destroy everyone that Julie Owens cares about. It’s been eight years since she left Atlanta, her adoptive mom Kate Daniels, and the werewolf she loves, even if he is so stupid. In that time her magic, her appearance and even her name has changed to Aurelia Ryder. She believes she has to face this threat alone but one werewolf insists on helping.
Iron Covenant: Hugh D’Ambray is a bad man who has cheated, lied, killed and betrayed his way through life. He has hit rock bottom and wants to stay there but his loyalty to his people makes him face life again. To survive they need allies but only desperate people would consider taking a chance on him. Chased by his past and tormented by the present, a new magical threat emerges to test his skills.
Innkeeper: The universe is a vast place and Earth is an interstellar stop for other worldly beings. Gertrude Hunt, an Inn, protects all who shelter in her walls under the watchful gaze of Dina Demille, daughter of Innkeepers, mistress of her domain, if only the space chickens would stop trying to blow each other up….
Kate Daniels: As magic returns to the world in waves, ancient powers awaken to claim Atlanta for their own. Raised by a magic scarred warrior, Kate Daniels will stand her ground in the city that contains all she holds dear. She will defend the weak or she will die trying. However, the magic of gods flows in her veins. If she isn’t careful she will become what she fights against.
I am no good with words so I will not try to write a text. I have a suggestion though:
IMHO it would be usefull to add a paragraph for the authors themselves were you describe what all of their books have on common: great, unusual worldbuilding, strong but flawed, believable main characters and fleshed out support characters that evolve in the course of the series, smart and witty dialogue, rich and entertaining writing style, interesting and surprising plotlines with lots of action and splashes of romance (in hidden legacy more).
I think this fits all their series and for me such information is equally important when considering if I want to read a book. Too often have I read a book where the premise sounded really interesting but I hated the book because the characters were just acting extra stupid to keep the drama going. Or just nothing happened the entire book. Or glaring plotholes, or repetive writing style,….
As a result I am extremely picky with books and never by a book anymore because of two shorts sentences. I want to know what the aurhor stands for, what kind of books they write.
Iron Covenant
Warlord High d’Ambray and castle leader Elara Harper seek refuge from the shadows of their pasts through an arranged marriage to each other. Epic fantasy with touches of romance and horror.
I know I ‘m late to the comments but wanted to say…
Loved reading all of these. So many creative folks here! Not even going to try because mine couldn’t be any better.
I would like to just caution against giving too much away in the blurb. We don’t want to take the mystery and joy of discovery as we read a new story away from new readers. These books are too good to ruin that aspect for someone new the Horde.
Kate Daniels
Urban fantasy where magic is pushing back against technology and all the things you thought were a myth are now a reality. Kate is a reluctant heroine in hiding defending those she loves and her home by the edge of her sword.
Hidden Legacy
Even in a world where magical talent determines your worth and power is determined by the strength of your House, there’s a need for detectives. Join the Baylor sisters as they investigate everything from cheating husbands, to assassinations, to magical conspiracies.
Innkeeper: Deep in Texas a branching space/time portal thinks it’s a Victorian B&B. As The Innkeeper, Dina grows science into magic by guesting & besting interstellar werewolves and vampires and Orros, Oh My (whips and swords optional).
*applause*
Wish I was a better writer, but I’ll try:
Kate Daniels – The story of a mercenary woman, living in an urban world of magic and chaos, has herself many dark powers and secrets. Along with her adventures, she meets extraordinary people that will change her life. To protect them, she will have to charge with her sword through many difficulties, such as Shape-shifters, vampires, witches, gods, and many other mythical creatures…
I want to do the others too,but no time, maybe later
Iron Covenant: In this Urban Fantasy series, Hugh D’Ambray, former wrecking ball for an immortal tyrant and Elara Harper, an abomination in the eyes of the world, must work together in an alliance neither wants for their people to survive. Only time will tell if the constant friction between the warlord and the warlock will turn into real heat.
Iron Covenant Attempt 2:
Hugh D’Ambray and Elara Harper are off to the altar with no love and lots of baggage to give their people a chance to survive. The constant friction between Warlord and Warlock might burn down the castle…or set the marriage bed on fire.
I’ve purchased and read every Innkeeper book. How did I miss philosophical chickens??
Personally, I’d rather see a description of a Quillonian (sp?). A man-sized porcupine five star chef? Yes please!
Hmmm, are you sure Sweep with Me hasn’t slipped through? ???? What a lucky find that would be https://ilona-andrews.com/innkeeper-chronicles-books/
Huh?! 🙂
Ilona Andrews writes strong characters in worlds based on ours but different in interesting ways. These are adult characters so people are injured (and some die) and the main characters have to solve their own problems because no one else can do it for them.
Kate Daniels is a merc with a mouth. Her world is being remade by magic and the monsters might be winning. Kate is determined to do something about it.
Hidden Legacy is what happens when power won’t save you now and you need your family and maybe your love interest to help you put down the monster trying to take over your city.
The Innkeeper series is space vampires, space werewolves, space ogres, space tyrants, and sentient houses. Then there is the space bazaar… (I fantasy cast this all the time…. first would be pro-wrestlers as the vampires so EdgeratedR as Arland, David Bautista as Uncle Soren, Rick Howland as Nuan Cee, Chris Evans as Sean Evans. Anna Kendricks as Dina. Helen Mirren as Caldenia.)
The Edge Series is a fairy tale where the characters live in the between space between our world and the fairy world. Moving between them could kill you and it doesn’t then a magic wielder will.
Ryder is in the same universe as Kate Daniels and focuses on Kate’s adopted daughter. (Spoilers, sweetie!)
Iron Covenant is also same universe as Kate Daniels. Hugh D’Ambray has more than earned his circumstances but his Iron Dogs haven’t so he must find a way to make them safe and secure. Elara and her people need an army to keep them safe. It’s a frightfully good match.
Kinsmen is Hidden Legacy in space and revolves around an arranged marriage that never happened.
The Edge: There is a mundane world and a magical world. In-between lies the edge. In the edge, magic and money are both in limited supply, but the monsters are plentiful. The people survive between two worlds, but belong to neither.
Kate Daniels: Magic sweeps over the world in waves. Causing unicorns and monsters to flourish, and Kate hunts the monsters. But when the magic wanes, the telemarketers call.
Ryder: Magic—both good and evil—has returned to the world. Julie is returning with fresh face and new name. She is on a mission to destroy a god. She has to do it alone, but no one will let her.
Inn Keeper: Dina likes the quiet life. Tea, gardening, and a little romance. She does her best to make her inn and her guests comfortable. However, when most of the guests are werewolves, vampires, or other aliens for far, far, away things are rarely quiet.
Hidden Legacy: The Bower sisters have always tried to keep a low profile, but their magical abilities have made staying hidden impossible. The sisters and their family are forced into the world of the powerful magical elite.
Iron Covenant: Hugh D’Ambray is a homeless drunk. He is also an irredeemable villain and a former warlord with a bloody past. Unbeknownst to him, his friends have arranged his wedding. Will Hugh live happily ever after in a castle with his new bewitching bride?