Look at the size of this question list.
When is the release date for the first book?
Tentative release is first quarter of 2026.
Why so long?
For a number of marketing and editorial reasons. Everyone wants this book to be the best it can be. Editing will take a little longer because this is the first book in what will be at least a duology, and we need to make sure that we establish direction.
But also, Tor is being very considerate of the BDH. They know that we have self-published projects that we promised to deliver so they are giving us a very generous timeline.
Does 2026 mean all 3 books are coming out that year? Yay, book binge!
No, it just means the first book is scheduled for 2026.
Will it be longer than the average Kate Daniels novel?
Yes. We have not been given a word limit. Right now, the book is the size of 2 Magic Bites put together.
If the title of book 1 is Maggie the Undying, what is the series called? Will all the books have character names titles? A titling theme like your other series?
Also
I have a question about the title. While I love it, it seems to me it’s unusual to have such a title for a fantasy book. I personally love the contrast of a down-to-earth name like Maggie with the epicness and mystery of the undying part. Was this something you had to fight for? Or did they readily accept it?
Before publication, all titles are working titles. Everything is subject to change. This is our internal pet name for this project. We are very attached for it precisely for the reason you listed. The down to earth Maggie who is mysteriously Undying.
Honestly, we have yet to fight for anything with Tor. It’s early yet, so I am sure at some point we will be calling our agent to complain, but not so far. The editorial is amazing. Okay, so when you are an aspiring author, you base the idea of the editorial process on fiction: movies, TV, books. You imagine these deep conversations about the characters and plotting, and your editor remembers all of the character names and their motivations.
In reality, commercial fiction turned out to be a little bit more like a conveyer belt. The editor reads the book, and you have their attention for a little while after the editorial letter, but they are quickly moving on to other projects. You basically have this one moment, the initial editor input, to make your adjustments and that’s probably that. You don’t generally call your editor to chat about plots and character arcs.
Working with Stephanie Stein has been like movie editing. It was so welcome and unexpected, that we actually called our agent after the second editorial session to gush.
Looking forward to the contests a few years from now to name books 2 and 3. Maggie the Unyielding, perhaps…?
Perhaps. Who knows?
Related (I think anyway): Will Maggie the protagonist of all 3 books?
Possibly. We know that there will be at least one duology. These books are going to be very thick. Maggie will be the protagonist; however, we are planning on a number of bonus scenes from other characters’ points of view.
What is a pre-empt deal?
Typically, unless contractually obligated – and you will find that under the Right of First Refusal – when a book is being shopped, it goes to several publishing houses at once. Sometimes nobody wants it. Sometimes multiple people want it, and then it goes to auction, where publishers bid against each other.
Pre-empt is what happens when the publisher sees a book, grabs it, and yells, “Mine! Hands off!” They accomplish it by offering the author and agent a chunk of money large enough to keep the book from going to auction.
So I read seven figures and think woooooooow, could you put that number in perspective for us? How does it compare to your other traditionally published series, and also what does that mean for other other going projects?
Since I try not to lie to BDH, this is our largest deal to date but not our first 7 figure deal. But let’s put it in perspective.
- 15% goes to the agent
- 32-35% goes to the government. The tax bracket at that level is 40%, but there are tax-deductible business expenses, etc.
- The rest is broken down over the period of three years and contingent on delivery and publication.
So, while the number is impressive, in practice it’s a little smaller. And we are a business with several employees, many contractors, and all of the associated business expenses. But that said, we are so incredibly grateful and fortunate.
Did Maggie appear anywhere else as an Easter Egg character?
No.
Do you need to change the plot for the trad pub edits?
Yes. The plot changes following all editorial feedback for every traditionally or self-published published book. It is very rare when an editor looks at the manuscript and says, “It’s perfect, don’t touch it.” Sometimes these plot alterations are significant and sometimes they are minor.
For this book, they wanted more. More world, more characters, more banter, more… just more. We are very happy to oblige. They will rue the day they said, “Write a thick book.”
Will it really be 3 volumes?
We don’t know. The first volume is massive right now. The problem with the original draft was trying to fit the story into the typical 95K length and UF/paranormal structure. It was like trying to stuff one of those oversized comforters into a grocery shopping bag. It went in, but it was so twisted and wrinkled, it didn’t even make sense. We remember being very frustrated with it.
We were able to unpack a bunch of subplots that were previously only mentioned in passing. People got more page time. I think we might cut stuff in the last third, because all of it was summarizing those subplots and they are now their own little branches of this tree. So, we don’t know.
Did you want to make Maggie a series? Or does it ever happen that the publisher reads your manuscript and says oh I love this so much and now I want a series? (And as an author do you wish you had more single books vs series?).
That’s unique to each book. Some stories are very clearly standalone books, and some are impossible to stuff into a single book. Maggie will be as long as her story takes. We are planning on an oversized duology for now.
Do you worry about the BDH sanity? Like, do you think we are amazing but also do you sometimes worry about us?
Yes, you are a little scary. I mean, we thought we plugged all the holes with this deal. It was securely hidden. You found it anyway.
What was the original intent for the announcement?
To wait until the cover was made and give us more breathing room to write in obscurity. However, as we said above, BDH is scary and scarily efficient at finding out book news.
Do agreements with publishers say if you can or can’t work with another publisher at the same time, or maybe they have right to first refusal? I could see it being easier if you used different pen names for each publisher, but did Ace give you flack for working with Avon or vice versa, or is that not uncommon in the publishing world?
This is very much on case-by-case basis. A lot of it is contractually driven. Most contracts specify some kind of exclusivity, and it makes sense. If the publisher injects a lot of money into a book, they want to protect their investment.
On a personal level, Ace and Avon were very lovely. There was no friction, they shared us at NY Comicon, and we have a picture of our two editors together somewhere. Kate and Hidden Legacy are technically in different genres. Ace doesn’t publish romance and even if we had stayed with them for Hidden Legacy, it would have come out through Berkley.
We have completed all of our contractual obligations so we were completely free when this deal was made.
Congratulations! Wow. I read so many SFF authors from Tor, so I know you’ll be in excellent hands. This reminded of your “How We Got Published Story,” where you said that you submitted Kate manuscript to Tor and editor Liz Gorinsky really liked it. But it didn’t work out and instead Ace bought the series. Time is a funny thing. Now you’re at Tor almost two decades later. Full circle. 🙂
Indeed. But a lot has changed in 17 years. This is a different Tor.
I see that the announcement says romantasy, so for sure we’re getting some romance? Is it going to be more of a slow burn like Kate Daniels or a slightly faster slow burn like Hidden Legacy?
It is not a high heat romantasy like Fourth Wing or ACOTAR. Our protagonist is in her mid-twenties, she is astute and aware of people trying to use her, and there is a lot of danger and intrigue. There are multiple love interests, so yes there is romance, yes there are hot moments, but they are not jumping into bed right away. As Maggie says, “I wouldn’t trust these bastards to pass me the salt at lunch.”
Here is one romantic interest for you to enjoy. Snippet has been edited for spoilers. Lute is a friend, not a romantic interest.
I started down the sloping street. He joined in, walking next to me. Lute’s face behind him was sending all sorts of danger signals.
No worries, I didn’t trust this guy any further than I could throw him.
“Every time we meet, you rise in station,” the man said. “Today you look like a noblewoman. I can’t wait to see what’s next. The colors of a Great Family, perhaps?”
“Let’s endeavor to not meet again, my lord.”
“I’m not your lord.” He offered me a wolfish smile. “But I could be.”
“You could be dead,” Lute advised from the back.
“Your guards keep threatening me. One day I may decide to do something about that.”
“That won’t be necessary, my lord.” I stopped. “Please continue on your way. We will wait until you pass so we do not inconvenience you with our presence.”
There was no point in asking him for his name. He would lie. Nothing he said could be trusted.
“Who are you?” He stopped and circled me like a fighter preparing for a sparring match. “Why don’t I know you? Who do you belong to and where have they been hiding you?”
I made a “go on” motion with my hand.
“Are you shooing me?”
“Yes. Will you please go?”
“At least tell me your name.”
“You don’t need to know her name.” Lute stepped forward. He had about four inches of height on the man and probably at least 50lbs of hard muscle. “You heard my lady. Move on.”
“Size isn’t a substitute for skill.”
Lute reached for his sword.
I stepped between them. “Please leave.”
He sighed. “If you wish…”
“I wish. With all my heart. Go. Be free! You are released into the wild.”
“We’ll meet again,” he promised.
“Let’s not.”
He turned on his foot and marched down the street. I exhaled. Finally.
“I’m going to need an explanation,” Lute told me. “For all of it.”
Dear BDH, further explanations must wait until the first quarter of 2026.
Why are the French and German rights reserved to NYLA while Tor is the contact for all other translations?
Because our agent is a publishing world shark. When Nancy enters the room with publishers, her boss music starts playing. It sounds like this:
So, no more urban fantasy?
Well, you do want Blood Heir 2 and Iron and Magic 2, and Innkeeper… 6? I guess Innkeeper is more SF. We plan to deliver.
You previously wrote that you finished the first Maggie novel quite a while ago. Does that mean books 2 and 3 are already being worked on? I hope so because two years between releases seems interminable!
No, we are instead making the first book very long… Honestly, we are aiming for a quicker than 2 years turn around between the releases.
What’s the editing process like for a brand new publisher and editor? Do you feel like you have a lot of freedom? Is it awkward working with a new editor since you’re not used to each other’s styles yet?
We covered that above in some detail. We’ve been extremely fortunate to have worked with some of the best editors in the business. Anne Sowards has an incredible eye for detail and an uncanny way of reading the manuscript as an editor and a reader at the same time. Erika Tsang is spectacular at steering relationships and finding way to ratchet romantic tension but still keep a ridiculous level of action going. We have learned a great deal from both of them.
Stephanie Stein is amazing. It wasn’t awkward at all. We had this zoom where we just sat and pulled the book apart, trying to find the better direction and it was very easy and low pressure.
Do you think we’ll still get self-published work between the Maggie releases?
That’s part of the reason for 2026 release date.
I believe at this point you’ve worked with three of the “big five”? That is absolutely amazing!
Yes. Hopefully we’ll stay with Tor for a bit.
What was the most exciting thing about the entire process of bringing Maggie to life, from when you both first came up with the idea all the way to today’s lovely announcement? How did you handle it, and move past it to focus on the next steps without losing the euphoria?
This is a ridiculously grabby project. It’s not the matter of euphoria, it’s more like it consumes you. And it doesn’t matter if you take a break, coming back to it is like falling down the rabbit hole. You are gone.
The most exciting thing… Well, obviously finding the publisher, editor, and marketing team that loved it. We did have to pivot sharply because before we sold it, it was this little book. After we sold it, it was a whole different thing. We had a zoom, and Ilona was worried that if there was a long delay, we would miss out on isekai trend, and Devi Pillai, our publisher, looked at us and said, “We are not concerned about trends for this book.”
That was terribly exciting.
But we are writers at a core. Today we figured out how to fit two pieces of the narrative together and it was so exciting, we dropped what we were doing to discuss it. We were putting together garage shelves. Dropping heavy garage shelves is not always advisable. We were legendary titans (according to Tor) for whole 5 minutes. The rest of yesterday we were frustrated writers who realized that the garage is dirty and filled with spiders, and cleaning it is the matter of life and death and must be done immediately.
Snippet? 🥹 The three-chapter expert disappeared so it would be cool to have something new.
See above.
Why a preempt and Tor? From what I googled, authors have to be super sure about the preempt publisher because they forego the chance to go to auction.
You are right. In this case, Tor’s team understood the book. They read it in less than 24 hours and they knew exactly what it was and how to make it better. That was a huge factor.
How long did it take to get a publisher once you went on sub?
24 hours. Yes, we have sat on this for months.
Am I right to assume that this is the hoped for new reader foundation book (I can’t remember what you called it, the book to bring in new readers)?
Anchor series, and we will see. This maybe the thing we will be famous for but even if it’s not, just the opportunity to get this book out there is so worth all of the work
Did anyone spot the line underneath where it said something like tv rights? Did I misunderstand?
We have a film agent, guys. He is awesome, his name is Sean, and he is working hard on our behalf. But Hollywood is fickle and getting a screen adaptation is a very long shot.
Do you already have the ideas for where the 3 books are going? Did Tor want to know if that’s already in your head?
Yes.
If a subscription box approached you/Tor to make this one of their monthly books, would you be interested in it?
That is up to Tor. We will say that the cost might be high, because the book is thick enough to be used as a weapon.
Will the series come to US/ Will you find publicity in the states for the series?
This is Tor, the US publisher. Not Tor UK, the UK publisher. So, it’s the other way around: the books are coming out in US and we are selling the foreign rights.
Why wait until 2026 when the first book is already finished?
Three reasons:
- We are still working on the draft, editing and expanding
- We have a lot of side projects we must complete for the BDH
- Tor would like to do a full round of publicity for this book, which means they want to give the critics and reviewers several months to read it. A lot of review sites have long queues.
I am a little scared. Both Game of Thrones and Outlander are very violent, and due to all the awful rape scenes, etc, I have not been able to stand either one of them. Will this series be dark? I am used to your funny and not quite but very lighthearted series. I am just looking out for my mental health.
In real life, rape is a major traumatic event. Its impact is so terrible that even reading about it makes people deeply uncomfortable. From the creative point of view, it would hit the narrative like a meteorite, shattering the plot and setting everything on fire. There must be very valid reasons for it to be in the story. You have a 30-book long body of our work to review. How many times have you seen graphic sexual assault on the page?
That doesn’t mean that we are pretending that sexual assault doesn’t happen. It is acknowledged, and it happened to some characters in the past. Its ramifications are apparent. However, it is not something we plan to portray in detail.
Rellas is a high-contrast high-saturation kind of world. There are splashes of shocking violence, moments of vivid beauty, and even cozy times. It is R rated. It is more violent than Innkeeper and it tackles heavy themes on occasion because villains must villain, but if you can stomach Kate Daniels, you will likely be fine.
Is this grimdark?
No. Grimdark tends toward a depressing tone overall. Maggie is hopeful. The world is messed up – otherwise it wouldn’t need someone to save it – but it is definitely a ray of light kind of story.
Is this the comp Ilona and Gordon used or is this direction with Outlander and GRRM something from publisher’s side?
That actually comes from Jeaniene Frost. The deal announcement was originally tailored to people in publishing, not the general public. We included it because that specific deal announcement was posted by a Spanish agent and that’s what kind of torpedoed our can’t confirm or deny position.
If you are familiar with Asian entertainment, specifically anime, donghua, manga, manhwa, and dramas, you know that isekai or portal fantasy is an established genre. But in Western publishing, that is not the case. We needed to quickly explain what the book is about. It is about a woman who is transported into a different world, like in Outlander, and the world is a medieval fantasy, like Westeros. These are frames of commercial relevance.
If we had a closer-matching popular fantasy franchise out there that would have worked, we would have used it. But we don’t, so there it is. When you are pitching, you want to compare your work to something so popular that everyone knows what it is.
Omg, so is Maggie basically what would happen if one of the BDH got dropped in the middle of Blood Heir, but DnD style?
Yes. It is not DnD. There are no elves and dwarves running around. We really aimed for a whole different world, but yes. You have it exactly.
Is Maggie inspired by the BDH?
In part. Maggie is inspired by fandoms. By the act of liking a fictional world so much that it becomes a part of your life and you wish it could be real, so you could go into it and fix all the things. But then of course, once it is real, you have to survive in it.
Do I remember correctly, when some early Maggie was posted, Ilona was worried that it might not be commercially viable? Yielding lots of BDH vows to purchase anything HA might offer? Or was that the dragon girl snippets? Did the support from the BDH help Tor decide to dive in? Although, honestly, they’d be nuts not to
Ilona is still worried that it is not commercially viable. This is a sore subject in the Andrews Household. Moving on.
How do you anticipate this changing your plans for your other series?
Mostly, not at all. Some things might take a little longer to finish, but overall, Tor made no effort to restrain us from publishing continuations and conclusions of our existing series. They were incredibly understanding.
I don’t consider Tor for fantasy/romance. Actually tbh I associated with Robert Jordan’s many descriptions of arms under “bosoms” and braid tugging (oh the 1990s/2000s were dire for fantasy with romantic, er, elements
Times are a-changing. We have an article for you. Tor has branched out.
I’m really interested in the genesis of the project from secret passion project, to possible new anchor series, to possibly only 1-2 books, to a 3 book contract. Sounds like Tor was super excited to snap this up (as they should be!)!
This was a first for us. It happened very fast, and yes, Tor did snap this up. But for us, it is still a small, quiet, passion project.
With it being a 3 book contract, is this a firm 3 and done trilogy or will there be the possibility of continuing?
Also
Will there be hardcovers and paperbacks?/ Will there be ebook?/ Will there be audio?
It is so early in the game. We don’t know yet. But we would expect hardcovers, paperbacks/trade, ebook, and audio.
How do you think Maggie fans will be different to the other Kate fandom and the Innkeeper fandom?
They would be more… sensible?
Will there be a Luisa Preissler cover for it?
We do not know yet. We don’t know what direction the cover will take or who will be doing it. Although it would be very fun to see the cast of characters through the lens of Luisa’s creativity.
As a huge fan of transmigration stories, I still find it surreal that HA has written a transmigrated-into-a-novel-world story, and that such a renowned US publisher was smart but also adventurous enough to invest in it.
We are so glad.
Will there be a truck-kun?
Okay, this one is hilarious. For those of you who are not fans of isekai, a disproportionate number of heroes and heroines end up in a different world after a fatal accident with a truck. It’s more of a meme – Ilona actually has seen a bus to be the culprit more frequently. But no, there is no truck-kun.
Is “Maggie” a fantasy romance (plot & romance get equal focus) or a fantasy with romantic elements (the romance thread is secondary to the main plot development)?
Maggie is a fantasy with romantic elements. Plot and romance are heavily intertwined, but it is not a genre romance. It is intrigue and subtle manipulation of events and royal politics, and dazzling sword fights. And romance.
This concludes the Q&A.
We wanted to talk a little bit about the sudden explosion of this announcement. One of the reasons why we were really happy that Tor wanted to delay the big reveal was because we are very swamped with work. We are working on this manuscript as we speak. The announcement had gone so wide, our realtor emailed it to us.
So we ask for your patience while we navigate this new landscape and get used to it.
I will be one of the fluffy branch of the Horde. Patience and waiting are my words right now since you and Gordon are so swamped with life and all the book writing.
Mod R is going to have to take the task of reigning the Horde in as you go about what you need to do. 🙂
Again, congratulations!
Whoa! I never am first for a comment. This must be my day. 😀
Also joining the BDFH(?) ! Y’all do what you need to do.
Team Fluffy Horde forever!
I love “Fluffy Horde”! It is a perfectly descriptive oxymoron of how I see my Horde membership, so huge kudos for not only being first, but inspiring what is clearly a significant clan within the whole BDH 🙂
And we will wait patiently for the BHFH version of the Horde cup, with a little Eeyore stuffie instead of a skull, sparklers instead of swords, rainbows and unicorns… Well, perhaps a sticker we can add to our water bottle? Asking us to be sensible is a stretch, I’m afraid. It’s all because we love your work so much!
Joining the BD Fluffy Horde! Take all the time you need to do what you like. We wait, patiently. And we reread.
Im joining team fluffy!!
Team Fluffy as well! Thank you for your generosity in sharing with us! We are waiting happily for all future treats!
Adding myself to the Fluffy Hoard.
Thank you so much for all you do to make us a happy and word soaked hoard!
Wow!!
Ditto
The BDH sensible? Perish the thought.
I love the thought that new readers to Maggie will be more sensible than us. I’m pretty sure we will drag them into the BDH!
Heh heh heh
Right?!
“They would be more… sensible?”
ROTFL!
Have you *seen* the craziness around readers waiting for George R R Martin’s next book?
Or recall the Harry Potter fans waiting impatiently for the next installment in the series?
Great fantasy books spawn their own Hordes.
Maybe with Maggie, the BDH will gain new members with different characteristics. But I predict there will still be much non-sensible book devouring going on 🙂
Right?!? That one made me guffaw.
I definitely laughed out loud at the hopeful optimism that the new readers will be more sensible. LOL, they may if they manage to stay away from the blog… or the internet. All roads lead to BDH!!!
Literally snorted at the thought that the readers would be more sensible. I literally have been waiting on the edge of my seat like crazy to know when each of their projects would drop.
Congratulations!!!!
I always wondered why something like (whatever number) Wing exploded onto the NYT Best Sellers List when you had such wonderful books for so long and didn’t. I want you guys to be comfortably seated on that List for a long time so that I can say “I’ve been reading them since dinosaurs roamed the earth, you Stoopid band-waggoners” and sneering down my nose.
(Meanwhile….waiting, waiting for Roman…..)
Nooooo! Don’t keep the gate closed to the new BDH members! THEY WILL ONLY MAKE US STRONGER!!!
True. Not to mention the give-and-take. How many of the BDH now have dipped their toes in the webtoon-waters thanks to HA? And how many anime fans can we now lure towards doorstopper fantasy novels? In the end, more fans means more space for more content creators! 😄
Not closing the gate! Just wanna say “I told you so” to those not part of us yet when they find the ALs
I too am looking forward to sneering. I am seeing myself in a very Caldenia way rather than an Erra sneer.
Thanks for all the explaining.
I plan to be a silent, friendly member of the BDH and to just be happy about all the great books to come.
It is good to know, that good books are in the future. It makes life better.
Thank you for the post answering all the questions, even questions I did not think to ask. I loved reading it.
Wishing you two both well, I want to say peace, during this exciting new relationship with your new publisher and everyone involved!
+1
I am so happy Tor has proven themselves to be as sensible as I thought they are. (I find that I have a LOT of books published by Tor. So many that I actually read their web site, which I do for no other major publisher).
Congratulations!
I’m looking forward to Maggie and all the rest of your work. Fortunately big books aren’t an issue for me. All books weigh the same on my Kindle. 🙂
I love your writing so much I can’t wait! (I had to check that it is still 2024 – grrr) I read a lot of books, and you are still the only authors without a single weak book. That is just amazing.
Here is hoping that you are excessively compensated!
Congratulations again! So happy for you and for all of us in the BDH! it would be amazing to be a beta reader if you have any need!
I would quibble that portal fantasy is very much an established subgenre in fantasy. Even the isekai trope that the character die before transiting (no, Truck-kun!) isn’t an innovation.
Sorry, it’s an “old man shakes fist at clouds” moment, I know. Let me just tie an onion to my belt and I’ll be on my way.
Going back to Andre Norton’s Witch World, Simon Tregarth arrives from a portal in standing stones. I think I read that in 1960ish in junior high school. Portals have been around for a long time. Yes I am old too but still looking for new books and new worlds. I think I need to look into this isekai you mention.
I read those books and enjoyed them.
I really liked her books where the main character mentally bonded with an animal companion she did many variations of that theme.
Very much so. I am doing some remodeling and must limit the bookshelves again. Andre Norton is still a keeper.
I agree It can be said that Alice Wonderland Narnia and maybe even Peter pan can be called old classic portal fantasy2. Theres even an internet conversation of an colege studant explaining to the literature professor that Dante Inferno can be called an selfinsert isekai of the catholic bible hell. While old western fantasy doesnt have a library section with full of those books portal fantasy is one of classic subgenres of the fantasy genre. Every story with a fairy helm or underworld or some other dimension can put there even If they normaly dont get called that. Ive read some supernatural romance that could have take old the portal fantasy name.
In my experience of reading many isekai manhwa/manhua/manga, and also portal fantasy fiction, I have found that all portal fantasies start with a choice. there is a choice to be made, about whether or not they open the door at the back of the cupboard, they go through the rabbit hole to explore where it leads, or step into the magic circle leading to adventures unknown. The story always begins with the character coming across a door/ entry into the world, knowing nothing about what they are about to step into, but choosing to take that first step anyways and then rising to the challenge and growing into a necessary role.
isekai, on the other hand, tends to start with the Main character (MC) knowing everything they can about a particular story/work of fiction. Which of course they use as a way to escape their daily troubles in real life. many Isekai MCs are busy students or business men & women, or working in a low paying job, or as a doctor etc. where they see the form of fiction as their only way out of escaping an otherwise dull and monotonous life. sometimes they have a lot of debt, sometimes they have lost their closest family, sometimes they are relentlessly bullied. They have no hope and they find it in fiction. often times they get into an accident, with truck-kun, a bus, falling in a river, or going to sleep, and when they wake up they discover that they are a new world, with a new face, usually being asked a question by someone they do not know.
The MC usually has a moment of oh shit, especially if they discover that they re a villain of the story. sometimes they are a starting plot device character, meant to die to push the original main characters (OMC), into taking up their roles. Sometimes they truly are a un-named side character or extra. Knowing what role they are sometimes takes a little discovery, and then leads the MC to taking steps to change the story, whether to prevent their own demise at being cast as the stories villain, or to capitalise on the future of the story so they can then live a care free easy life. Some MCs even choose to fangirl over their favourite OMC, happy to watch from the side lines as the plot thickens, usually with disastrous results.
Isekai genres are also known as transmigration genres usually start with the MC wanting to do what they can to get back into their own world, or coming to terms with their own passing, and then discovering or making their place in the new world that make them invaluable to those around them. The duke from the wintery north with blue or red or gold eyes and black hair is always going to be the main Male love interest, especially if he has to defend his dukedom from monsters or a rival country. The blond haired original female lead is always going to turn out to be the villain, manipulating the publics mindset against the MC. There will be magic, and fighting, there will be character arcs and trying to avoid death flags. There will be the inevitable moments when the MC realizes that they have changed one thing too many, and now has no idea where the story will lead, and then scrambles to try to set it right again, which only results in a greater deviation from the narrative.
And there will also be a moment where a potential love interest declares the MC interesting and thus solidifies their role as the Main Love Interest.
Both portal and isekai fantasies are favourites of mine, so I have read many of them, and I am most looking forward to getting my hands on the House Andrews take on the Isekai genre.
Thank you for this explanation! I’ve read many portal stories over the decades, and couldn’t understand why they didn’t count.
“How do you think Maggie fans will be different to the other Kate fandom and the Innkeeper fandom?”
“They would be more… sensible?”
hehehehehe. Looking forward to being a more sensible member of BDH.
Thank you for taking the time to answer all these questions! I’m so excited for Maggie, and so glad HA will still be continuing Innkeeper, Hugh, etc. as planned. Appreciate the transparency and candor so much. Sending lots of calming vibes for the garage project!
This brought up a memory of the portal in reverse. Kasey Michaels did a Maggie Kelly series where the author’s fictional characters suddenly manifested in the real world- from the Regency period to modern day NYC.
HA Maggie the Undying with a BDH type portaling into the book world will be fantastic as all previous books have been. As well as a lesson to some of us.
Be careful what you wish for!
I love these:
“They will rue the day they said, “Write a thick book.”
“… the book is thick enough to be used as a weapon.”
😋
Sounds like we’ll need to shop for one of those stands that can handle heavy books so we don’t hurt our backs trying to pick it up.
+ 1, maybe +10?
If you want to recuperate from Beryl, this also pretty old lady (73) invites you to Michigan. We can compare overstuffed bookshelves and Kindle entries.
I always say a doorstopper. If they get into James Clavell or War and Peace page numbers, they probably will rue the day. 😀
Someone else who is a Witch World fan! My original paperbacks are faded and ragged around the edges. I read “isekai”, looked up the meaning and then looked at my husband: “Weren’t there always portals?”
+1 That made me both chuckle that they wanted it bigger and thrilled that we get mooooooooore words! Yes! These are my kind of people. They recognize amazing and fully support it! 🥳
“Ace and Avon were very lovely… they shared us at NY Comicon”
Ace: Ok, I get Ilona and Gordon from 8am to 12pm, they have an hour for lunch, then you get them from 1pm to 5pm.
Avon: That won’t work. We have to schedule time for them to be with the BDH. I’m a bit scared of the BDH and I’m afraid of what they’ll do if we don’t give them time with Ilona and Gordon.
Ace: Dude, I hear ya.
LOL. Probably accurate.
I’m seriously laughing at this part: They would be more… sensible?
Sensible, hah, man that’s a good one. Whew!
“How do you think Maggie fans will be different to the other Kate fandom and the Innkeeper fandom?”
“They would be more… sensible?”
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Ahem.
Anyway.
Congratulations and kudos to the Andrews writing team. May your garage shelves be an easy installation.
On another note – “ How do you think Maggie fans will be different to the other Kate fandom and the Innkeeper fandom?
They would be more… sensible?” 😏 uh sure okay then but the BDH will entice them to the energetic side.🤪
I so want a TV series, *waves hands at* those fickle studio folks.
Yeah, I read that and thought, isn’t putting sensible and fans together a non sequitur? (Not sure I have the usage quite right.)
I think the term is oxymoron. A sentence or phrase of conflicting words like deafening silence and sensible BDH.
So excited for you both! Hope that there is a kind balance between everything.
I did not ask a question on the first thread and did not see it answered here, so I’m going to go out on a limb.
I don’t mean to sound greedy because I am thrilled to have Maggie coming, but does this mean no Puffles??
There is room for other projects, so let’s see what will be announced 😊.
It’s never say never until the official announcements!
Thank you Mod R! 🙂
“We have a lot of side projects we must complete for the BDH”
I feel so loved! 🙂
+1
Yes, but I don’t want them to feel trapped into writing something that doesn’t align with their current creative mood. That’s a recipe for burnout. You guys do you!
“..into the wild” lol thats hilarious can’t wait and thank you for doing the Q&A
“No page limit”…”Write a thick book”. This is like going to my favorite restaurant where you are allowed only one serving of dessert and now I can have the whole cake. My dreams have come through. Congrats House Andrews!!
+1
+1!
I’m sorry that you were forced to answer all these questions early because the BDH is thirsty and always looking for news. That being said, I am super excited to read this and very happy for you both. Congratulations on the deal!!!
Thank you for all the lovely info. It’s quite exciting.
I guess Maggie and Co. will give me something big to look forward to. I am pretty old as of last month (75) and I am always glad for another carrot dangling out there to keep me as active as I can manage. (Digging out from Beryl has been my top job recently. No fun.)
I am also really anticipating “Sanctuary” – yay, Roman!
So, thanks again. Enjoy your newly masculine Tuna!
If you want to recuperate from Beryl, this also pretty old lady (72) invites you to Michigan. We can compare over laden bookshelves and Kindle entries.
Thanks! I wish I could. I could add another state to my total.
Even if my doctor okayed it, I’m not sure the cats would forgive me. They are already unhappy that we’re moving.
And they know where I sleep…
patience patience zen.
I am so glad you’re going with Tor though! one of my beloved fantasy authors is with Tor now and they have just recovered her works. They seem to genuinely invest in and care for their authors.
Exciting times! Patiently waiting with a wiggle of excitement!
We love your books. Sensible isn’t a word that pops into mind when I think of the BDH. That answer made me laugh. Essentially, you write it, we buy it and love it. I have a hard time picking my favorite of your books. It could just be whichever of your books I’m re-reading at the time. The Lollipop snippets have me re-reading Hidden Legacy at the moment, and it’s such a great world with amazing characters that I love. But I feel that way about Kate and Innkeeper. I’m sure Maggie will be the same. I look forward to it. Thank you.
Once again, congratulations!! House Andrews SO deserves this. Thanks for sharing with us what you can at this stage.
The BDH will do EVERYTHING.IN.ITS.POWER. to help every last comma and exclamation point written by HA be commercially successful.
I’m just so happy. It will be a long wait.
So exciting to hear more about the new book- congratulations! Also glad to hear about the continuations of series already dear to the BDH- Magic and Iron, Blood Heir… Wilmington?? I can’t promise to be a fluffy branch of BDH and “sensible” eludes me, but I can be more like one of those predator birds who waits patient and silent until the moment is right to strike.
I love the comparison to a predator bird. It fits my member of the horde personality so well.
You guys are so good to the BDH! Seriously! Thanks for answering questions and having patience with the crazy that is us. ❤️ I have been checking the blog daily for weeks waiting and scanning for updates on Maggie – now it’s time to practice being zen and w*!t for 2026! In the meantime: only 12 days until Roman! Sending all the good energy to you and the quest of the garage shelves!
Thank you for giving us info- I loved reading it and snort laughed a few times. Even your blogs are entertaining, no wonder the BDH formed!
“Will there be a truck-kun?” my question exactly!! specifically White Truck-Kun! HAHAHA
In all seriousness i’m so excited about this!
I had never heard that term before. Is there a bus-kun equivalent for TV? I remember a few years ago where 3 different shows in the same week had someone getting hit by a bus. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional and that they just happened to air in the same week, but it brought to mind the old “there are no original plots in Hollywood anymore” line.
I should have paid more attention to see if they were hit by the same bus.
You used one of the BDH’s favorite swear words in that last sentence, but somehow I don’t think any of us actually minds. Congratulations on the contract and the editor, and have fun with the books.
Patience is something I do pretty well till the release date is really close. Fortunately, I live alone so nobody looks at me strangely when I get worked up over how close the release date for Sanctuary is.
I’ve gotten in the habit the last few years of taking off the Tuesday of a scheduled book release by any of my favorite authors. I’m too old to be staying up all night reading and going to work the next day, so now I can start reading ebook at midnight, go as late as I can, then sleep in and finish when I wake up. I’ll camouflage the day off by taking that Monday off, too. 😉
Of course, months later when I look at my work calendar, I can’t always remember exactly why I took a Monday and Tuesday off, but odds are good it’s for a book release.
I love you guys. I’m stoked for you for landing this deal with Tor and CANNOT WAIT to read it (and yes, I will be buying multiple formats because I can now totally afford it and you deserve ALL THE THINGS and I deserve hardbacks from my favorite authors).
I’m not quite to “buy the Subterranean Press versions” flush, but let work have a few more good quarters but I’ll do that too (for me, I know you guys don’t make much on those and it’s for the fans – of which I’m definitely one).
The more I hear how thick this book is going to be the bigger the grin grows on my face. I can’t wait to read it. Congratulations again. You guys deserve all the best things.😁
Yes!
Yessssssss
Wowee Congratulations!! So happy that you are pleased with so many aspects of this old and new thing. I’m so thrilled, I can’t tell you how glad my heart is -literally my heart is so happy right now.
Thank you so much for being such shining amazing people and amazing talented authors. Love House Andrews so much.
[also sorry in advance, but chalantly mentioning Puffles here because I just can’t forget]
This was fascinating to read, thank you! And I loved the comment on the BDH inspiration, given how many of us have mentioned which of your worlds we wouldn’t mind being dropped into hehe. I’m still so excited for you, I can’t adequately express it.
Having loved the Tapas Innkeeper installments, I still goof off on their site occasionally. The themes that repeat have become clear. Death by truck!
I am very excited.
I have a question about book covers. I feel like this topic was partially covered with the decision to update HL.
When do covers get created during this publication process? I kinda assume toward the end but I don’t actually know. What elements do they look for when deciding on the art? I’m sure it tries to be eye catching but how unique is… to unique? (Not sure if that last question made sense)
Thank you for the answers!
Ha! BDH being sensible, only Chernobog knows if it will ever happen!
Congratulations. Now to wait patiently (hah) for the very thick book.
Maggie the Undying sends me straight to thinking she’s like Captain Jack Harkness.
Thats all I have to add to this amazing blog post. 🙂
Or Coyote. He apparently dies a lot, too, then comes back the next day.
Don’t know yet how quickly Maggie comes back to life, but Jack was usually back within a few hours.
So if you die then come back to life, are you then one of the undead? Talk amongst yourselves.
Thanks for answering our questions and the link to the article! Can never have too many books!
BDH fandom being sensible.
I will say chatting about your books to my 21 year old grand nieces was an interesting experience! I’m not sure they could believe that I enjoy urban fantasy/fantasy/paranormal.i loaned them a book so they could hear your author’s voice!
Congratulations! So exciting!
Ahh, this Q&A has me so hyped! I didn’t even read all of it – will come back when I calm myself down haha.
I kind of stumbled across the phrase that you had a word limit on so many of your books. Therefore as the temporary (very temporary) leader of the BDH, I, (regaly waving hand) Do hereby rescind any and all word limits on any book that is under your care and control. Please now feel free to type all you want. If by any chance you run out of words be assured that we of the Book Devouring Hoard will provide more! 😁😁😁😁
Still willing to wait, although I never said patiently.
Thank you for all the joy you have provided.
Seconded.
The universe wanted Maggie. I am so glad this is happening! Sorry that it is creating more stress for you. 🙂
I think sensible will quickly become a new BDH swear word.
Sensible, hah, the joke’s on you!
Have you met the more mainstream big fantasy fans? They be nuts!
I used to hover around Baen’s bar which was OK, but then my brother showed me Discord and some other site (don’t recall the name, lots of pictures), and it was brutal. Some of those fans take it serious! Too serious. Creep up on a dark night with a bowie knife serious. I was out of there!
You’ll be looking back on the days of our simple united horde and wondering where it all went wrong as we wage war in our factions of righteousness over hidden meanings in a misspelled word.
I am so happy for you to find great publishing people to work with. I am a fluffy BDH, I understand bringing a book out takes lots of time. I didn’t realize you were still writing it. I LOVE long books!
I agree with mysterious lord. Every time we see Maggie, she rises in station.
First she was a bunch of disjoined snippets, nothing connected, but each equally delicious; then she had a name, a secretive project that Ilona has dived into; then we got 3 chapters, and the promise of a book of great potential; and now Maggie is part of a Great (publishing) House!
Also, you think Maggie-drawn BDH will be more sensible? You’re right, Maggie does live in a more hopeful, optimistic world.
I’m so thrilled for you. There must be no better feeling than to have your passion project grabbed up like this. I’m looking forward to it.
I’m tickled pink and purple that an isekai novel is coming from you two! I’m even more excited that I will be able to devour more of your words in one setting! I really appreciate y’all taking the time for the Q&A, I almost died laughing over Truck-kun.
I’ll be over here, enjoying the anticipation, and wishing you both all the best 😘
While I’m sorry you didn’t get the reveal you expected, I’m definitely excited about exploring a new world by Ilona Andrews.
In the past you’ve talked about book length being somewhat correlated with genre. Do you think that the recent success of books like Fourth Wing is influencing the creation of longer books? I know fantasy in general has always had some very large epics (Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson come to mind), but do you think their book length is due to their prior sucess making them an exception to publishing norms? Do you see a trend towards longer books in general in a traditional publishing model?
Omg chiii so excited for the announcement and as someone who is a huge fan of Wheel of Time and Brandon Sanderson novels, Tor is very used to books as murder weapon largeness format. I still remember Brandon Sanderson initially wanted to do memory of light as a 1 books and I think they hit physical publication limit. So excited for yall, one of my favorite authors has made it big. So i guess I should start a re read of something
>We had a zoom, and Ilona was worried that if there was a long delay, we would miss out on isekai trend
Speculating as a “very involved” reader – I think 2026 is going to be a great time to release isekai/portal fantasy. Looking at what I am seeing getting released on kindle unlimited, it feels like a rising wave that hasn’t quite hit mainstream yet, so a few years from now should be about right for a mainstream novel. I’d be a good hook for younger readers who grew up on Royalroad / LitRPG / Light novels, and are searching for something with a bit more “meat” / more narrative polish but still exploring similar themes. (But I’m sure you and the publisher know that already in much greater detail than I). Not surprised to see it get picked up so quickly!
The moment I heard the Maggie books are going to be very thick I was so happy. I love your writing and the longer the book is, the better.
I remember the “green dye dress scene” snippet from Maggie and I just know the book will be amazing.
I’ve read every book you’ve ever written, all of the special editions, etc. I have been a fan since the moment I saw “Magic Bites” on the new release table at a Barnes and Noble.
I’ve bought every book that you release on release day. I regularly go to Barnes and Noble and try to find the paperback or hardcover versions before the official publication date.
So I’m very happy you got a great book deal with Tor. I look forward to reading Maggie.
I’m anxiously waiting for Roman’s book right now, naturally I read the serial version on the blog but I’m waiting for the big epilogue you indicated is in the published book. Roman’s cover for Sanctuary is so pretty.
“We know that there will be at least one duology. These books are going to be very thick. Maggie will be the protagonist; however, we are planning on a number of bonus scenes from other characters’ points of view.”
I am so happy to hear that working with Tor sounds like a great experience so far. You all deserve to be treated with that kind of respect and care, and it can only make everyone’s lives better. This is really exciting news.
Excited and looking forward to the new series😀 but…..there are so many stories ( Arabella’s, Kate’s , ect) I would love to hear(read).
“I wish. With all my heart. Go. Be free! You are released into the wild.” “We’ll meet again,” he promised. “Let’s not.”“
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
‘For this book, they wanted more. More world, more characters, more banter, more… just more. We are very happy to oblige. They will rue the day they said, “Write a thick book.”’
Are you SURE the people you’re working with at Tor aren’t secret BDH members? Because this sounds exactly like something someone in the BDH would say.
Also, thank you for taking the time to answer our exhausting list of questions!
we have to wait how long? are you mad? I’ve been waiting for this book since the first snippet, even when I couldn’t remember which author has released the snippet.. it took up space in my brain.. now you tell me I have to wait more than a year? sigh…
Hopefully the fact the announcement went so wide might allay some of Ilonas’s anxiety about the commercial viability? And BDH being more sensible? Hahahaha
Two things:
1) I’m sorry you had to scramble after the sneaky, sneaky book paparazzi revealed the announcement. I have no idea how they even managed.
2) I don’t mind multiple romantic interests as long as one seems more likely than others so I can cheer on the correct ship. I can’t handle second lead syndrome. But hey, it’s your book and I’m sure you’ll do it justice 🙂
Thank you for taking time to address all our questions!
I feel the same way about the romance interests! In stories I’m emotionally invested in, it can almost feel like a betrayal if I’m shipping the wrong boat. I know it’s irrational, but if you can’t dramatically claim “I’ve been betrayed!” over fictional characters in the BDH, where can you?
Fluffy, chalant Horde. That’s us. Possessing our souls in patience . . .
. . . all while internally doing the Tigger bounce in excitement.
I am just so happy for you. Can’t wait to buy it! 😊
“Will there be Truck-kun?”
HAHAHAHAHA!
Congratulations on successfully finding Maggie a home!
(I meant to comment on the previous post, but life intervened and it had exploded by the time I got back online)
What is this sensible horde you speak of?
I love how you specified friend not love interest. you know BDH well…
I am so happy for y’all.
Congratulations!
Two comments:
1. Maggie Fan are more sensible????? Did you not have enough coffee when your wrote that — or are you on your 4th pot?
2. I am sorry that this side bar has blown whatever work schedule was for the week. But I have so enjoyed the BDH’s enthusiasm for this new project and also greatly appreciate the time and effort you put in to respond to all our question. (Hell, just sifting through all those comments and getting the questions must have taken a good hour.) Thank you for all that you do.
Just one more question that I am sure Tor will not provide the details for: How many Tor receptionists, file clerks, editors and high-on-the-food chain-Poo-Bahs are members of the BDH? 😀 ? 😀
can I pre order the book now
Thank you for taking the time and effort to answer some burning questions! I am beyond excited and happy to hear the news!!
I can see why you and Tor moved so quickly on this. I think this is going to be AWESOME, especially since you’ll still be able to work on your other projects. Frankly, it sounds like the folks at Tor who worked on this deal are very likely members of the BDH, ha ha.
I have read alot of Tor pub books, I am drooling for Maggie! This is so exciting, I am vibrating with happiness. When I first started devouring books they were of the epic fantasy genre; Micheal Moorcock, Dune Chronicles, Wen Spencer, Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey. To have this news from HA is a dream. Can’t wait to read this new adventure, congratulations HA! And it’s many pages, many pages😍
Thank you for taking the time to answer some of the never-ending BDH questions! I’m so happy to hear about no size limit for Maggie! It’s great for us and also for you as it doesn’t limit your creativity.
Sorry to break it to you but expecting sensible from future BDH members is a pipe dream! Hehehe
“Well, you do want Blood Heir 2 and Iron and Magic 2, and Innkeeper… 6? I guess Innkeeper is more SF. We plan to deliver.” Squeeeee! You love us, you really love us!
Yes, much squeeeeee! I also want Iron and Magic 3, someday, as it was touted as a trilogy. Will have to see where Blood Heir 2 goes. And yes, more Innkeeper, please! I am really hoping to get to see Maud’s wedding. But it is pretty much a given that darn near anything written by House Andrews will end up on my bookshelf and/or my kindle.
I am just so excited about this! But do not worry! I can be patient! I thinks! Eeeeee!
Congratulations!!!! So excited for you all and us 😁😊
“Do you worry about the BDH sanity? Like, do you think we are amazing but also do you sometimes worry about us?”.
I read this then immediately pictured Mod R finding out that BDH had heard about the deal, whispering to herself in dawning horror “They know…”, then dashing off to sound off the BDH-Code Red-Descent is Imminent alarm.
I feel a bit like a suck up saying this, but I’m not really surprised Tor snapped this series up. I could imagine they view their decision with the Kate Daniels series as a missed opportunity and didn’t want to make the same mistake again. I can say with all honesty that there are very few authors that seem to be able to tick all the boxes: amazing world building, compelling characters (I mean, you guys were able to give a truly hated villain his own series), imaginative and fresh storylines, and a well thought out plot. I love the humor you guys add to it as well, but I figure that can be a little more subjective. Most of the authors I read tick several of the boxes or tick one of the boxes so hard that I can disregard issues with the other boxes. To quote Innkeeper, “Look, it can be fast, good, or cheap. You can have any two but never all three.” You guys have managed to have all three and that’s why BDH will buy any story in any genre you decide to venture into.
That’s actually not a bad guess about what happened 🤣
That should be a t-shirt in the gift shop, a cartoon Mod R with a horrified look on her face and a “they know” bubble or a panicked Mod R running and shouting “they’re coming!”. 🤣🤣
+1
Need that Tee Shirt Now 😁🤣 When can you set it up?
We could wear it on release day like fans wear jerseys to games, lol
Tor is my jam – I practically have a line item in my budget to buy everything they publish. So IA + Tor = me drawing big puffy hearts in my notebook.
So excited for you and for the BDH!
“For this book, they wanted more. More world, more characters, more banter, more… just more. We are very happy to oblige. They will rue the day they said, “Write a thick book.””
mwahahaha! thank you tor! yay for a thick book!
and thank you for taking the time to share this with those of us who hadn’t heard, and for answering all these many questions too.
This is so exciting! I look forward to preordering and quietly anticipating 2026.
I appreciate y’all.
all this shiny and we still have our favorite volhv to countdown! we’re a truly spoiled horde😀
Thanks for the answers. I started to say the BDH would be cool for a bit and give you guys some room because it is a lot! I am however a member of the horde, am well acquainted with my fellow members and that would be a bold faced lie! I just want to squeeeee, sit and spin in all the possibilities and cackle with glee at all the comments . So I am pretty tame lol.
Wah-hoo-hoo!! And yay!! 🎉🎊🎉
Maggie!! In a big book!! Looking forward to all the words!! 📚
And all the adventures of everyone else continue!! 📚
And Roman on 7/30/24!! 📚📚📚
I will of course be waiting calmly and will preorder as soon as it hits my preferred market. I was wondering, though, if at some point you could do a commentary on why it typically takes a new book that’s published through a traditional publisher a year and a half to two years to actually be released onto the market.
That subject was addressed before- see https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/the-problem-of-publishing/ for example.
There is a publisher schedule, which keeps things organised so, for example, two books with the same trope or similar title etc don’t get released in the same week by the same publisher. A newly-purchased manuscript will usually have to give priority to the ones already slotted in.
Then the printing schedule- large scale printing being one of the main advantages of traditional publishers. This is exacerbated by the lengthy paper crisis going on for several years.
Ofc traditional marketing strategies are also different from self-pub and while the usual steps (edits, more edits, proofreading, creating a cover) are basically the same, they can take a lot longer in-house than when you deal directly with separate contractors one hires for self pub.
awesome!!!!! the hardest part (aside from waiting mostly patiently) will be making some nice generous room in the bookshelf to squeeze in the new one’s well be getting. or it might just be time to build another one.
Did the garage shelves get up? What happened to the poor, dislocated spiders? (:
Lovely snippet! Try to give yourselves leisure time as well as trying to feed the book hunger of your adoring Horde! Today it finally cooled off enough to bake. The husband came home early because he thought the honey saffron milk bread would be done. Apparently he wasn’t listening closely enough when I called and told him I had just started the 1st rise of the dough. He got to wait 20 minutes for the rolls to be done. He does really like them.
I’m so happy I could skip around like a Lees with an apron full of gems. Maggie lives rent free in my head and I think about it regularly. The snippets and chapters hooked me. Congratulations!
I am unbelievably excited for more HA books!!!
I honestly don’t pay attention to the publisher or any of the marketing etc. I just come to this blog, find out about new books, get excited and then go read them 🙂
*Happy dance!!*
I’m simply so happy to know there’s a new series and a new world coming up. Thank you for all the wonderful stories of hope and strength and HEAs. Your stories are what I turn to when I just needed to get away. Now just need to pace the re-reads and re-listens 🙂 and wait for the store to open :).
Maggie doesn’t know his name (even though she has obsessively read and re-read these books) and he doesn’t know who she is and is surprised by it . . . was he ALSO thrown into this book world?? Ooooo, so many possibilities and thoughts to think until 2026!!
This is exciting and hopeful news. You are really amazing writers and creators. Congratulations again!
I just don’t know how you put up with us…. the BDH needs to be swatted on the nose with a rolled up newspaper from time to time…
That’s why we have Mod R. 😀
so exciting! thank you for the Q&A! loads of millennials and younger are familiar with isekai, thanks to Inuyasha’s popularity worldwide, so this will be a best seller easily.
There is no doubt that this is commercially viable. None.
There isn’t an avid fan out there that hasn’t had a fantasy of stepping into a fictional world, whether for a day or an extended period of time.
Fans in general will eat this up.
“So we ask for your patience while we navigate this new landscape and get used to it.” It sounds as if this recipe needs to sit and simmer for a long time to have all the spices and flavors meld properly; I’ll wait until it has reached it’s peak. Many things above piqued my interest, and my twisted mind; I’ll just go with this:
“How do you think Maggie fans will be different to the other Kate fandom and the Innkeeper fandom?
They would be more… sensible?”
Us??? Sensible????? (Insert prolonged, insane laughter of you choice here.)
Congrats, again!! As always, thank you for being so kind and generous to the BDH and answering all of these questions. It’s amazing that the BDH and the release of self-pubbed titles were considered in coming up with the Maggie timeline. I really hope this new series and Tor will expand your readership! So happy to hear that you’re in good hands with the Tor editorial team.
While I’m super excited to read Maggie, I’m happy to wait until 2026 because I know it will be worth it. I still remember the two year wait in between Burn for Me and White Hot! And I discovered Kate Daniels when there were only four books in the series, so I’ve had to wait for all the sequels after that.
Just thank you. Thank you for writing so much so well. Thank you for sharing and explaining what you can when you can. Thank you for years of enjoyment, past present, and future. Just thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to answer questions.
“How do you think Maggie fans will be different to the other Kate fandom and the Innkeeper fandom?
They would be more… sensible?”
This made me laugh so hard.
Congratulations! and thank you for giving us something new to obsess over.
To that point, recently Audible sent me a list of books I’ve read so far this year; only one of them was not written by House Andrews. It’s not obsession, it is awesome storylines and great narrators. If you looked at my Graphic Audio list you would see a similar listening pattern. I’m grateful that all of you (Mod R included) are a part of my life.
So happy for House Andrews. Sorry you got blind sided by the announcement. Also super happy for me as you are still planning on working on other project that I LOVE between now and 2026. Thank you.
I am so excited for this new venture. Thank you for the Q&A.
one observation and one question (lol)
From the little I’ve learned here, it seems to me that The Edge series is isekai adjacent and has a truck-kun to start. (I know not *really*, but also I do think it could apply!!!)
For promotional reasons can we get a short of Maggie in her current time period using an overly large book to bonk an intruder? Just when you have a minute. L O L.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Thrilled for you and eagerly waiting for Maggie! At my age I shouldn’t be wishing time to pass quickly but til then I shall enjoy whatever else you have in store for us. 😁
This is the funniest answer I have ever read:
“How do you think Maggie fans will be different to the other Kate fandom and the Innkeeper fandom?
They would be more… sensible?”
Clearly wishful think on the part of the authors, and in no way are they going to get sensible members of the BDH. Sorry, not sorry.
but but what about Sean and Dina etc, ??????????????????????????
It is addressed in the post, the schedule to 2026 is specifically so the authors will be able to continue the self published series 🙂
I am very excited for you both and glad that you seem to be having a lot of fun with this book. thank you for all the answers to questions that I didn’t know I had, lol. I’m looking forward to which ever book comes out next. Please don’t burn yourselves out in the process. The BDH will wait, impatiently, its true, but we will wait.
How do you think Maggie fans will be different to the other Kate fandom and the Innkeeper fandom?
They would be more… sensible?
Bahaha…..good luck with that!!!!!
I AM SO HAPPY that you get to write as long as you need. Like, other than you and Patricia Briggs, my fave books run from 400-800 pages EACH. One series I love spans 9 books.
I am sooo excited. And congratulations! You deserve all the rewards!
“If you are familiar with Asian entertainment, specifically anime, donghua, manga, manhwa, and dramas, you know that isekai or portal fantasy is an established genre. But in Western publishing, that is not the case. We needed to quickly explain what the book is about. It is about a woman who is transported into a different world, like in Outlander, and the world is a medieval fantasy, like Westeros. These are frames of commercial relevance.”
What about Narnia?
“Is not an established genre” doesn’t mean no works exist 😊.
The Asian market is dominated by several formats and mediums that explore this trope. The most popular Western works that utilize it have been published 75 years ago. These two are not the same.
sorry know have Tell you this often but please change things for german , the puplisher the least 3 years are Not good whit the Translation from eng to german !
whole chapters is lost in the last Catalina book….
Hi Chris,
The missing chapter issue was addressed and resolved immediately after the publication in 2022. Please update/sync your copy of Ruby Fever 🙂
Unfortunately, authors don’t have control over their foreign translations, beyond selling foreign rights to interested publishers.
Congratulations! I adore Tor and I am so excited that they snapped up this amazing book and are allowing you what sounds like all the things creatively including blowing off word count. Tor publishes many authors with passionate followings who are looking for that next great (big, thick like a brick) book :-). My only question, which I didn’t see anyone else had asked, is whether Tor is ready for the BHD?
I thought that question too. My internal answer was no.
The powers that be at Tor are going to be shocked, feint, or do a giant happy dance. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Adding myself to the Fluffy Hoard.
Thank you so much for all you do to make us a happy and word soaked hoard!
I’m so excited for you. Congratulations, again.
As I have stated before – you all write, I buy and read, then reread, then buy the audio book and so forth.
Thank you so much!!!
Sensible? It’s a lot to ask. LOL You all write epic books.
You said… “Well, you do want Blood Heir 2 and Iron and Magic 2, and Innkeeper… 6? I guess Innkeeper is more SF. We plan to deliver.”
I say :: overloud dramatically emotional voice:: Yes, thank you universe! Yes, thank you IA! Just YES YES YES
::breathes:: Oh and I can’t wait for Maggie either ☺️ BDFH 4eva
And Arabella… I would really love to get Arabella’s trilogy, whenever it can be done.
I seriously appreciate that sexual violence is not a prominent feature of IA books… that on the rare occasion it does happen, it’s essentially “offscreen.” I won’t read GoT or Outlander. I read the first Outlander book and decided to not bother with the rest b/c that type of violence was so awful. During my Patti Briggs – Mercy Thompson series rereads, I skip the section in her third book where she gets raped, even though it’s not graphic. Can’t handle it.
same! one of many reasons I so appreciate IA books
Hooray!! I look forward to reading these books!!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
I am so happy for you!
I know, I’m just a member of the Horde, but this is fantastic for you and for all your fans.
Take care. Enjoy life. Be happy.
Just want to say how happy I am for you, and for us too obviously. It’s lovely to hear your enthusiasm about this book and working with Tor. Congratulations! Very excited about all of this!
I’m striving for Fluffy, but sensible is right out.
Just wanted to say congratulations on your new book deal, you have earned it.
Maggie is all well and good, but I want Dina!! Yeah yeah yeah, bad fan, go away, will be elected but I need Dina! Or at least Hugh?
As the article explains, the schedule will allow the authors to continue with the self-published series 🙂
Booo to duology, go go hexology. Please and thank you.
Thank you AL for answering all those questions about Maggie.🤗
And a iskai book from you guys, yeah! And if you think those new fans will be “… more sensible”, 🤣
Thank Tor to only take 24h to see greatness, they must be BDH members 😂. I love also the more words! More words from you guys is necessary.
I am part of the BD fluffy horde 😝, and now I have another goal to continue fighting my metastasic cancer (1 more chemo treatment, yeah!! Then maintenance treatment for 2 more years), it is good for my mental fighting + all the other books we are all rooting for (Innkeeper and Maud’s wedding, Iron and Magic 2 and what’s up with those cows, Blood heir 2, Wellington, more Roman ….)
BDFH 4ever, we are grateful for the ALs 🤠
Yes I do want Iron and Magic 2. Cry! And I just read Sweep of the Blade for the umpteenth time, Maud is my favorite. I mean, come on! Klaus is RIGHT THERE at the last sentence! It’s cruel, is what it is.
“Go. Be free! You are released into the wild.”
Ahhhhh if this is just a snippet, how much banter is there in this world?? I laughed quite literally out loud!! Thank you for sharing.
And fantasy with only a romance element? SIGN ME UP!!! I’m so excited! We are truly spoiled by our author sans. Your worlds are always such a delight to immerse myself in, always so intricate and realistically unexpected. All the kudos and appreciation. Thank you again and good luck with the garage!
Thank you for taking the time to answer BDH questions. HA is awesome!
Justice for truck-kun!
Congratulations House Andrews!! This sounds like a fabulous opportunity for both old and new readers.
And congrats to the BDH! Not only a fabulous thick book to look forward to in about 1.75 years (not really that long when you think about it!), but more books in our favorite series coming out to enjoy in the interim.
“For this book, they wanted more. More world, more characters, more banter, more… just more. We are very happy to oblige. They will rue the day they said, ‘“Write a thick book.’”
Why am I hearing someone go “Muhahaha!” right now?
I never post because there are always so many people that have already said what I was thinking, BUT OMG IM SO EXCITED , I SQUEALED SO MUCH reading this and I kept raising my voice until all three dogs and spouse had no choice but to stop what they were doing to listen to me read snippets.
Congrats HA, I am so, so, so very excited to read this in 2026. Honestly, I also hope Hollywood gets a taste of you guys in the future too.
Looking so forward to it. Although… please, no love triangles. I hate love triangles.
All I want to say is I AM SO DAMN EXCITED. I have been an avid manga reader since a child (talking 1000+ series). Thus, to see my favourite authors take on isekai is like having my two favourite worlds collide to form a whole new galaxy. I am one ecstatic fluffy BDH member. Take all the time you guys need because we all know it will be WORTH IT.
Congratulations to HA! This is like winning an Olympic Medal!
There is one confusing statement though. You said: “This may make us famous”. I look out over the BDH and BDFH, and call on Mod R to confirm; But You Are Famous.
So glad to hear that Maggie is going to happen. Also, looking forward to Santuary at the end of the month, and all the other wonderful books that will emerge in the coming months. Imagining/writing/editing and all the rest of it is hard work, so thanks much for this long Q&A. I’ll just join with many others by saying, “You write it, I’ll read it.”
All of this sounds amazing, congratulations on the book deal!
And thank you for being patient with us and keeping us in mind in regards to your other worlds/series.
Have a nice day and take care!
I started reading online and published manga/manhwa and light novels because you posted about Innkeeper being published as a manhwa on Tapas. I went and read it and then read some of the ones you recommended in another post and got addicted to them. I’m delighted to hear that you are writing an isekai portal fantasy yourself and will patiently wait to read it. Congratulations! Also, thank you for introducing me to a whole new genre!!!
we will, of course, wait patiently,in our reading chairs, with our fingers hovering over the pre-order button on our favorite book site.
but seriously, thank you for all your creativity
I realize this is an….unusual sort of question, but here goes.
You briefly mentioned your realtor. Is your realtor one of the BDH?
Isekai from House Andrews and a tome too ? We humbly accept the challenge.
Maggie got Narnia’d. Though I doubt she’ll get to go home at the end.
Groovy; thank you!`
thank you for so many details!! very very excited for you both and us!! congrats!
With regards to Maggie being a thick book, I say the thicker the better. I prefer long books. Otherwise, you have to say goodbye to your friends before you get started good.
“[Q:] How do you think Maggie fans will be different to the other Kate fandom and the Innkeeper fandom? [Gordon:] They would be more… sensible?”
Ha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! “Sensible-” Snort.😂
We’ll cure them of that quickly enough, when they become as obsessed and fluffy as we are and join the BDH and don their Tin Foil Hats and select their unsinkable ships and start fluffily…er…encouraging- yeah, encouraging- HA to get on with more of Arabella’s story or Julie’s or Hugh’s or Maggie’s or Pancakes’ or Puffles’ or Roman’s or a new side character who’s story we’ve decided we want, and stalking publishing news for more info they can share with the rest of us.
No worries- we’ll make them welcome and they’ll fit right in.
Also, the most important question: when will it be available for pre-order? 😁