ILONA ANDREWS

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author

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On Changes

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Some of you have noticed that the website looks different. Some of you are terribly disturbed by this. Also some of you pointed out that the website looks different on mobile devices

A graph showing breakdown of visitors to the site with mobile users accounting for 50%, 21% for tablet and 29% for desktop

This is the current breakdown of the visitors to the website. As you can see, more than 50% of you access it on your phone. Of the remaining, 21% used tablets and only 29% still stuck with a desktop.

We access the site on the desktop for obvious reasons of having to edit images and write the posts. When we read other people’s blogs, we typically use a tablet as well.

The previous site did okay on some mobile devices and not quite as well on others, so in the interests of making everyone’s experience the best it can be, we opted for a cleaner theme.

You will also notice changes to the blog page. A lot of people end up looking for a particular post and since we literally have thousands of posts now, it’s easier to find a specific one if you can look at them at a glance.

You will see tweaks in upcoming weeks, like changing font sizes in some places, new layout on the book pages, etc. They will be minor, and the look of the website won’t change that much. Because we are still on a deadline, we will be updating piece by piece when an opportunity presents itself.

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Comments

    • I know! I am reminded of a neighborhood grocery store that re-organized it’s shelves. A friend works there and she told me that one guy said the store re-organization upset him more than his divorce or losing his parents. Hmmmm…

      • I am living through a grocery store realignment. It’s messing deeply with my shopping associations and it makes grocery shopping vaguely threatening. I now feel sorry for all those lab rats that are put in different mazes constantly.

        • You have my sympathies. Our main grocery store did a major overhaul a few years back, and I swear, I’m still traumatized. Even the poor staff didn’t know where the stock was. They kept moving things around and giving you maps of where things were supposed to be at any given time. The maps were very definitely not accurate.

      • I know! My store has reorganized everything and I am lost! Why? ? yesterday it took me forever to find the parmigiana. It’s a cheese! Why did I you take it out of the cheese aisle! For Pete’s Sake!

        • My local Whole Foods has located one brand of lip balm between prepared food and the hot bar. I suspect I don’t want to know the reason.

  2. I like it, and change is good. Although I was wondering who the blond gentleman and the brunette were above the cover pic for Sapphire Flames are? This is on my phone.

    • Perhaps way off base here, but Derek and Julie? Or Arabella and her, as yet unknown, love interest?

      Love the new website! Now I’ll have to try it on my phone since I usually am “stuck” on my desktop.

    • The top of the site toggles through a bunch of options as far as I can tell. But the one with the blonde dude in a suit with the red haired lady in the background (Although it’s more of an ambiguous dark color as a background picture) is the new art for Silver Shark – one of the Kinsmen stories.

  3. Tablet user – like your site and think it’s great that you had time for the change while you’ve been so busy. I like that your site isn’t static – you’re always posting and updating. Your blogs are often the highlight of my day, so well written and usually make me laugh. Curly hair, a moat, yarn or a new recipe – it’s always fun, entertaining or interesting. Thanks guys.

    • +1
      I have to admit the whiners are a constant source of entertainment. lol
      I keep trying to figure out if they are joking, or if they seriously believe you have no right to do whatever you please to your own website.

    • +1
      And golly, grocery store comparison. I food shop differently from how I peruse this delightful website. ? (one can be a chore while the other is not.)
      Carry on redesigning and once again thank you for updates.

  4. Two comments from a desktop (1920×1080) user: All of the content is below the fold (with 3/4 of the page showing only a relatively low resolution image), and the two column format makes it more difficult to tell at a glance if there were new posts. Dates on blog posts on the blog front page would be welcome, as would a squeeze of the header.

  5. I like it. It’s very clean. I don’t know what it would look like on other devices. I only look at your site on my desktop.

  8. I am usually on my laptop when I am reading your posts.
    The new layout looks really good to me.
    Since you mention it, I will probably try it out on my tablet and phone just to see what it looks like.
    Of course, I’d be here if it looked terrible – I’m that addicted – but I wouldn’t tell you it was good.

    OBTW – I am impressed with the gentleman complaining about his grocery re-arranging things. Most of them are moving things constantly, so you will spend time looking for the item you want. The more time you spend in the store, the more likely you are to see something else you want… (That’s also why the bread and milk are in the back of the store. Sneaky!)

    • What’s annoying is when they move things around but don’t update the signs at the same time. I rely on those signs since I don’t shop every week and don’t have the store memorized, so it’s rather hard to find stuff when the signs are wrong.

  9. At work I view it on a desktop. At home I view it on a tablet. I’ll occasionally check it on a phone if I’m stuck in line somewhere. So I’ll periodically hit every access method, but mostly the first two.

    I do really like this font, though. What is it?

  11. I’ m disturbed…but it has nothing to do with your blog, which usually un-disturbs (and I KNOW that’s not even a word) me. I think it’s pretty.

  12. I only access on my laptop and yes, my first response was dismay. But I think it’s like any change, and the re-arrangement of grocery aisles is probably on point, or walking into your in-law’s living room, only to find that they’ve drastically re-arranged the furniture . The only reason I’m dismayed is because it’s new and temporarily disorienting.

    It’s not hard to navigate, and if I can shop at Costco, where they regularly move stuff around, I’m sure the change in website won’t cause me undue pain. LOL
    I’m glad it will be better for phone users.

  13. I’m on my laptop now. This site looks very good. I used my tablet last night, and the site looked just as good. Intrigued, I’ll have to check it on my phone.

    Last night I scrolled through the menu, and it worked better than ever. I decided to refresh my memory regarding Gerard. Have you edited Gerard during the past six months? It seems different.

    • Accessing the site by phone shows me a slight difference. The comment indentation appears greater. Succeeding comments in a thread get narrower faster

      I presume the Gerard story hasn’t been changed in the past six months. It seems shorter.

  14. It looks great on my phone :)! I love that the header background cycles through images from your books (it makes me want to sit down and re-read all your work, but dishes are calling my name!)

  15. Very nice re-design, had to permit the CDM scripts from unpkg.com to get the search and menu to function correctly.
    The additional control prefetching will make this site faster, tracking is still clean even with google-analytics scripts blocked.
    Personally I am not a fan of uninitiated third party connections due to the additional attack vectors created, hopefully unpkg.com will not not fall victim to another malicious redirect attack like the April 2017 debacle, fingers crossed.

    Love the new cover and finding it hard to resist a tantrum because it is not already out, I wonder of something a monthly subscription (like Patreon or SubscribeStar) model would work financially for you.
    Addicts to your writing would probably pay a couple of bucks a chapter for unedited gratification.

    Thanks and best wishes to you and your team.

  17. For what it’s worth,I like the changes. It makes you blink initially because it’s new and shiny but I really like it. Very cool and I love the layout of the blog. The two column format on the desktop version is great for me. As someone who doesn’t come every day this makes it easy for me to check for images/titles I haven’t seen yet. In know dates are often the traditional blog but I really like how you guys make the focus more the title/image so much easier to remember when you can’t check daily but lack reasonable brain function to remember the day/date you last checked. The phone view is also really cool. Both forms are really easy and user friendly-at least for me. Absolutely love it!

    • I like the new look, and figured it had to be redone to accommodate tablets and phones. I’m restricted to a desktop/laptop. (It’s a neurological MS thing) Updates keep things fun and interesting. <3

  18. I use desktop at work and tablet at home. The website looks awesome on both. I admit I had a jolt of, “opps, did I hit the wrong link?” yesterday, but then I saw the Sapphire Flames title. It was like – oh whew, Ilona updated the website, cool, I’m good. LOL

    • Addendum to previous post – I also think it’s really cool that the picture at the top of the screen is changing each time you access a different tab….or if you’re like me – every time you check the blog, maybe a few (several-but I’m not counting) each day 🙂

  20. Random thought…I’ve just noticed that all book birthdays seem to fall on Tuesday. Granted, it’s taken me several years to notice this, but … why? Now that I’m part time, I can make sure that is my day off, because I’m so not going to wait. Just wondered…

  21. I am traumatized and may never recover. The agony. The horror. The utter betrayal.
    But seriously, the only thing I don’t like about it, is the way the background image changes to your featured image for each post, lol. I think that’s only because, when I first clicked on the link, I thought there was a mistake that changed the background for the ENTIRE site. Once I verified that it hadn’t, it was all good.

    Also, “Sapphire Flames” has been preordered, yay! My birthday present to myself, lol. ♥

  22. I think it looks really nice! Very eye catching and even though I do not enjoy change I can live with it:) I am an “old school” mostly accessing via my laptop and it is working well for me.

  23. I don’t care for the new site. I am not as technically literate as many of your readers. It takes me quite a while to adjust to the change. I too would like dates. I realize that I am in the minority. Of course I still come and read the blog. It often is the highlight of the day. I also know that when you work with something for while it is nice to change. I am glad that you take the time to make it better for most.

  24. @Ilona
    Is there any way to make comments “voteable”, for example by adding an “agreement counter”?
    I notice that several comments consist of “me too”, “me three”, “I agree”, “same here”, “+1” etc. I think it would improve the readability of the comment section, as those who just want to agree could “like” the comment to show their support. If a comment chain gets too long, my mobile phone shows a narrow letter column on the right, which is pretty much unreadable.

    • I get it but voting plugins eat a lot of bandwidth and also there is this popularity contest thing about it that I’m not very comfortable with.

      • I see. I understand the bandwidth problem, but still… meh.
        Also: Yeay, I got an answer from Ilona ?!
        And, on a totally unrelated sidenote, I am on my fifth reread/ listen of Iron and Magic ❤. Love the story and the narrator is incredible!

  25. I use a tablet when I’m settling down for bed, my work laptop when I’m in between projects (work from home), my personal laptop when I’m not at work, and my phone when I’m out and about waiting for a store to open. That said, so far so good with the new website. 🙂

    I like the new changes. Very cool to see the different art work when first entering the website. I do enter at my own risk since I’m part of the BDH! 😀

    Am I disturbed yet? Nope and won’t be.

  26. I always have a tough time when things change, but I think it’s incredibly nice of you to take your readership into account and update your website to make it work well for people. It can be a lot of (often thankless) work and you’re on a deadline too! Kudos to you.

  27. Looks good to me. I almost always use my desktop to access your site. I prefer the big screen for your blog. I remember (a few years ago?) when you use to change the header on the home page. Lots of Kate and Curran themes. Sometimes the change matched the season. They were awesome. I miss them. Is it too late to have a few Nevada and Rogan themes?

  28. I use my laptop usually since I read it at work/lunch 🙂
    If there is a long snippet then I read it only phone when I go to bed!

    I love the new site! I loved the old site!

  29. I am good with whatever it looks like as long as I can still read the blog and all the snippets, etc. I read it on my desktop and tablet, primarily. Rarely on my phone but in a pinch I will use it.

  30. I like the new website layout! I like the fact that you guys update your website regularly and care enough to try and make things easier! Thank you authorlords.

  31. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out, but I managed it and it works fine. I swear some humans are as neophobic as the hottest horse around.

  32. It IS different….and I am sure that we will all adapt quickly to all the new pretty (consider me already adapted).

    The amount of time (unpaid) you both put into this blog (which is essentially a fan service) is amazing, and, is much-appreciated.

    Thank you.

  33. Hello, I was looking at the new release schedule and I’m embarrassed to ask (but I will anyway) – Are you still doing “Technomancer?” Just wondering, not demanding. I can see that the schedule for this year is very full and if not I will simply have to dream about the sexy Russian magic man all on my own.

  34. I so don’t care how it looks like as long as I can read what’s in it. On my phone looks fine as usual.

  35. Hmmm, I’m pretty sure I almost had a stroke when I first clicked on the new website. My brain was both horrified (CHANGE) and ecstatic (Cover for Sapphire Flames) at the same time. It really didn’t know what to do.

    Now that I’ve gotten used to it, I like the new site.

  36. DISTURBED??? I’m VERY disturbed … at least, that’s what the psychiatrist says … hee-hee, hee-hee-hee … no, wait, where were those meds …
    Ah, back in the real world, I like the image. And whatever I’ve noticed of the ‘new look’.

  37. Mostly desktop or Surface Pro here. I think the changes look great!

    The one thing you might look into when you get some time is installing an ssl certificate. It is pretty easy these days and a lot of hosts provide Let’s Encrypt certificate support which means it is free. Chrome, in particular, is getting whinier about a site being “Not secure,” so it might be worth it.

  38. This is the very first time I’ve ever looked at the blog on my phone. Looks OK but I much prefer the desktop. So I’ll go back to that 🙂

  41. Yep, absolutely use my phone! Nice changes you guys made! Oooooo, aaaahhhhh! Yay Catalina book is coming!
    Now I gotta go browse around in here a bit…..

  42. lol “Disturbed”. I browsed over this morning, went “Ohhhh Ilona’s been busy w the website again…… I like it” and focused on the new cover this morning. ??‍♀️ You’ve changed it several times over The years. Every time I thought it was perfectly fine as it was but somehow your updates are always better. So carry-on great and mighty AuthorLords, I trust you.

  43. I like the new look. Much easier to maneuver on my tablet. Main menu fonts seem really small but I just zoomed in.

  44. Me really liking the website updates! First night, my first reaction was “Oooh, soo cool!” I primarily peruse via iPad, then laptop, then desktop and lastly mobile (not viewed yet on it though).
    I recall when I really didn’t like the site overhaul approx right after Clean Sweep was finished online. I’d been tagging you guys almost two years and it was unnerving to change habitual mouse clicks to actually think how and where to navigate the site. Yes I was a trained clicker. But ever since then I’ve been rolling with any and all adjustments. *grin*
    Change will always happen so keep tweaking away! Keeps the dust from settling. *snort*

  45. My job duties have changed 3 times in the past two months and I’m moving to a different office. I’m alsooving to a different house. Bring it on!

  46. I am not disturbed !
    By much, changing my grocery store is grounds for major trauma. Who the h… goes to the store to NOT find what you’re looking for.

    I skip all the busy work, find the beginning of post, read comments. What is disturbing about a glimpse of ilona & gordon’s mindset ( view) Now I have to go compare …

  47. Mobile user. The new look is very slick. Good job.
    And I find grocery store resets and remodels very traumatizing. And tiring. Walking up and down the aisles searching for stuff for hours. Shudders.

  48. I love it. I never got pictures before. Just a box that told me registration has been disabled. The version’s pretty. 🙂

  49. I enjoy your sense of humor so much. I wanted to comment on that before overall, for all the books I finally gave in and read, but I couldn’t really figure out where.

    So. Much.

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