From Mod R:
If it’s Friday, it’s winner time!
The much-coveted prize of last week’s Secret Giveaway was a galley of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying 1), the new fantasy isekai series by Ilona Andrews. A galley is a plain-bound (no illustrated cover, sprayed edges, very likely pre copy-edits version of the Advanced Reader Copy). We do not have an exact ETA on when the galleys will arrive, but one lucky person today will have one heading for them as soon as they are ready!
Without further ado, the winner is:
Amanda says
March 25, 2025 at 4:00 pm
I absolutely love your books but don’t think I’m hardcore enough to be transported into most of them. Certainly not the Kate Daniel’s or Edge worlds, although I think I’d like living at Gertrude Hunt. One of my first sci fi reads was Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and I think as long as I had my towel, I could travel around that universe for a bit.
Congratulations!
I will contact Amanda privately with details and arrangements about the prize, from the modr@ilona-andrews.com address on the email provided with the comment. If we do not hear back from you by Wednesday, April 2nd at 12:00 pm Central, we will chose a different winner in your place, so please keep an eye on the blog and your inbox.
Happy weekend!
Harvest Day
“You have got to be kidding me.”
Hugh stood on the side passage on the first floor of Bailey. Elara was next to him. Three of the centurions, Stoyan, Lamar, and Sharif, waited a few feet away. Bale and his century were on duty today.
This spot gave him an excellent view of the great hall. The last time they’d used it, they’d hosted Rufus Fortner, the head of Lexington’s Red Guard.
The tables were gone. Most of the chairs were gone too, except for the single row against the two side walls for those who had trouble standing. Fall garlands draped the walls, with wreaths of wheat and oak branches encircling the decorative weapons he’d ordered hung on the walls for the Fortner’s visit. Young maples grew from big barrels, spreading red and orange leaves.
A long red carpet stretched from the doors all the way to the back of the room, where two long banners streamed from the high ceiling, one the black and silver banner depicting a dog bearing his fangs and the other the green and white banner with a cauldron filled with herbs, the symbol of the Departed. Beneath the banners, on a raised platform, stood two thrones carved from wood in painstaking detail. Apples, pumpkins, gourds, bunches of wheat and herbs, and baskets of fall flowers decorated the platform around the thrones, spilling to the main floor.
On the side, just below the right throne, a huge wooden barrel waited with a stack of paper cups by it. He remembered the barrel. They had filled it with beer for Fortner’s visit. He didn’t recall a white table on the side, bristling with skewers. Hugh squinted at it. Fruit dipped in chocolate.
Elara’s people flittered through it all, making last minute adjustments.
He had no problem with the maples, the pumpkins, or the wreaths. Even the barrel. That was fine. Nobody said anything about the thrones. Or the cornucopia that threw up around them.
“Walk me through this again,” he said.
“We are going to go and sit on the thrones,” Elara said. “The doors will open. People will enter, mostly families with small children. They will greet us with a small gift. Something the children picked themselves. We will wish them a happy Harvest Day and then they will get a cup of spiced Harvest cider. They will think of a wish, drink their cider, and then Nadia and Rue will give them a skewer with chocolate dipped fruit.”
“You want me to play Harvest Fest Santa Claus?”
She nodded.
He stared at her.
“You agreed to it,” Elara reminded him.
He had agreed to it. The night after he came back from Aberdine, she’d spent an hour trying to deal with Amelia’s curse. Finally, she touched her fingers to the young woman’s forehead, and he felt a pulse of magic from her. It washed over him, soothing and cool, and Amelia’s rigid body relaxed. The curse was still there, Elara told him. She had only slowed it to a crawl, but it was alive and growing, and if they didn’t find a cure soon, it would consume Amelia. His wife had just bought them time.
He was already grateful, and then she invited him back to her suite. They sat at a table on a secluded balcony off her bedroom and she’d served him the chicken she made.
Elara’s chicken tasted like childhood.
Hugh couldn’t recall eating it frequently when he was a child, but something about the combination of flavors and savory herbs threw him right back to that blissfully happy decade before he turned seventeen and began killing in Roland’s name. It tasted like summers in Occitanie, where winds had names, and the long sandy beaches flirted with the turquoise sea. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine sitting at the scarred table on the veranda of the old bastide that used to be his home. He would’ve spent the morning in sword practice, studied after that, then ridden a horse to the beach and swam until his body could no longer move. The house with its stone façade and pale blue shutters would be to his left, the pool and the view of the sea nestled between green hills to his right, and when he finished eating, his father would come to quiz him on things he’d learned that day.
It was bittersweet, and he savored every bite, while she promised that she would get her witches to look into the curse and talked about the Harvest Day preparations. If she had asked him to jump over the balcony rail at that moment, he might have done it. She’d asked him to be the Harvest King instead. The fool that he was, he said yes.
Now he was standing in the middle of the main hall, wearing an embroidered white tunic, brown pants, and a red Celtic cape cloak. And Elara was standing next to him. She wore a light green gown with ridiculous trumpet sleeves. It clung to her chest, flowing over her waist to her hips, where it flared into a wide skirt. Her hair was down and streamed down her back like a white waterfall. A flower crown made with purple asters, bright yellow goldenrod, and red maple leaves rode on her hair. She looked like she had walked out of Edmund Leighton’s Accolade. All she needed was a sword and some fool to kneel before her.
Nadia, one of the women close to Elara, approached, carrying a wooden box.
“I’m afraid to ask,” he said.
Elara opened the box and took out a flower crown twisted together from golden oak branches, red maple leaves, and clusters of small purple berries.
“No.”
“You promised.”
She was looking at him with her beautiful brown eyes. He looked at her face for a moment too long and surrendered to his fate. How bad could becoming a king for one day be?
He bowed his head, and she put the crown on his hair.
“You look lovely, Preceptor,” Lamar offered.
Hugh looked at him for a minute.
Lamar grinned back. Stoyan’s face was perfectly neutral. Sharif cracked a razor-thin smile.
“Hugh?” Elara asked.
He sighed.
She smiled at him. The magic was thick today and that smile was regal and witchy. His eldritch queen, the Ice Harpy, asking him for a favor.
Oh what the hell, why not? “Let’s get this over with.”
#
A three-year-old boy with round cheeks and dark hair clutched a yellow astra flower to his chest.
“Go ahead, Bao,” his mother murmured.
Bao looked at Hugh, looked at the sword by the throne, and made a beeline for Elara. She gave him a smile, and Bao offered her his flower.
“What a pretty astra!” Elara cooed.
They had seen at least two hundred people in the last couple of hours. Most of the ones under 5 went to her. He got older kids and a surprising number of adults. The Departed believed in Elara with all their heart. They brought flowers, fruit, and walnuts, deposited their gifts on the cornucopia pile, made their wishes, and drank their cider. And then they lingered, watching others do the same. The grand hall was full. People talked and mulled about, and he’d spotted more than a couple of his Iron Dogs in the crowd.
The pile of gifts by his side of the throne was growing unwieldy. Fruit, mushrooms, weird rocks from the children. One kid brought a grasshopper. A little girl brought a “pretty worm” which turned out to be a scarlet snake and caused a bit of commotion until Sharif grabbed it. The snake was safely released outside, and the culprit was rewarded with a chocolate strawberry.
He didn’t mind. He understood now why Elara wanted this. The smiling faces, the content conversation, the abundance of food, it swirled together into communal happiness, and it wrapped around them all like a warm blanket. They were together, secure, and happy. The Departed needed it, but Elara herself needed it more. He could see it on her face. In this moment, his wife was truly happy.
A hush fell onto the hall. He raised his head.
Vanessa stood on the red carpet.
She looked exactly the same: arrogant face framed by dark hair, a body that was almost too ripe, with big boobs, long legs, and tight ass wrapped in a red sweater dress. Back before the wedding, he’d used her as a distraction. He’d made the terms clear from the start, but it had gone to her head anyway, and eventually she tried to use it against Elara. They had words, as Bale would put it. To call it a fight would be giving Vanessa too much credit. Elara sliced her to pieces with ten sentences. Going back to her job as a paralegal after she imagined wielding power as his mistress proved too much for Vanessa. She fled in the morning.
She stood on the carpet now, and there was something not quite right about her face.
The two families behind her turned and walked off the carpet to the walls. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Bao’s mother pick him up and scurry to the side. The hall was silent now.
An ice-cold power flared to his left.
He glanced at Elara.
Her face was rigid with rage. Her magic burned around her, a glacial invisible flame, a seed of a hurricane threatening to burst. The edge of it seared him, and only his willpower kept him from recoiling. She was Death.
The Departed stood frozen.
“Take it off,” Elara ground out.
Vanessa grinned.
“Off!”
Vanessa’s scalp split. The skin sloughed off her, like a biohazard suit, curving to the sides.
A slender middle-aged woman bared her teeth at them. Thin, her features sharp, her light skin coated in a grease streaked with blood, she stared at Elara with triumphant disgust. Magic wrapped around her, a dark, violent miasma.
The last of Vanessa’s skin peeled off, falling to the ground in shreds. How the fuck…
Elara’s magic convulsed like a furious colossal viper.
In the hall, the faces that were happy just a moment ago turned into cold, grim masks. The Departed stared as one, and he felt it again, that collective power binding them. The cheer, the happiness, and warmth were gone, snatched away by the Departed. Everything Elara treasured, everything she looked forward to, ruined. It was the wedding all over again.
He felt something stir inside him and realized it was rage.
“Brooklyn.” Elara spat the name like it was poison.
The woman raised a bony hand and stabbed her finger at Elara. “The reckoning is here, niece—”
“Aarh sapawur eseran.”
The blinding flash of agony tore through him. He’d sank so much power into the words, the grand hall quaked.
Brooklyn froze like a statue. Unable to move, unable to speak.
The entire hall stared at him, shocked.
“Elara,” he said into the silence, keeping his voice casual. “Why don’t you ever bake me anything from those shows you like to watch.”
Elara’s eyes were big as saucers.
He gave her a pointed look.
She cleared her throat. “What would you like me to bake you?”
“I think I would like some rough puff pastry.” That was the only thing he could remember from his trip to the ledge.
“What?”
“I’m a rough man. I should have some rough puff pastry.” What the hell was coming out of his mouth…
The spell’s hold shattered. Brooklyn stumbled forward.
“Aarh sapawur eseran.”
The pain slashed through his gut like a sword. It took everything in his power not to wince.
“I’m having a conversation with my wife.” He hammered each word out like he was carving it into stone. “Will nobody rid me of this annoying thing?”
A dozen Iron Dogs congealed from the crowd. They swarmed the petrified woman. In seconds she was gagged and tied. They tipped her like a tree and carried her out of the hall.
Hugh turned to Elara. “When am I getting my desert?”
“I will make it tomorrow,” she said softly.
“Thank you, love.” He turned to the hall. “Now, who is next?”
For a moment nothing happened. And then a family with two children shouldered their way out of the crowd and approached, carrying some pears and a bundle of wheat.
Hugh smiled at them and waved for Irina to start pouring the cider.
The Last Hughday
From Ilona:
Hugh d’Ambray, living his best Henry II life, heh.
This week brought a lot of This Kingdom work. We pulled together a ton of material for the maps, drew the sketch of the world map, noted the major landmarks, then wrote everything out in text, moving from north to south on both sides of the map. Then we redid that same map with the political landmarks. We pulled together the city map, edited it to match the new manuscript and sent that in. Hopefully that is enough for the artist to get started. Then we worked on the cover copy for the publisher insider galleys.
I had forgotten how much work it takes to release a book through the traditional publisher. The fault is entirely mine. I’ve gotten used to self-dictated release schedule, where we determine the deadlines, the number of edits, and the cover copy. When the cover copy goes back and forth 7 times, with several people concentrating on making it the best it can be, it puts things in perspective.
Not that we cut corners when we self-publish, but usually it’s our agent and us and we are mostly on the same page. We don’t have the marketing department to guide us or the expertise of an editor who is very good at what she does.
This week, we have also gotten out first foreign rights offer. I can’t say anything about it except that it is a really good offer. We will need to review the documents today. We always read the contracts.
This is now two separate publishers who have chosen to place a big bet on Maggie.
It’s both exciting and nerve-wrecking. I really hope the book is strong enough to meet the expectations, but that’s not the biggest stress factor. We’ve written this book. It’s done. It’s too late to worry about it. It will do or it won’t.
The second book is due in November.
We’ve sent the “where are we going” summary to our editor yesterday. If it’s green lit, great. If not, we will need to adjust. The first book is almost 200K. This one will likely be of significant length as well. It’s a lot of story and there is still a lot of work left on Maggie #1. Copyedits, galley proofread, etc, etc.
All of this means that we cannot give Hugh 2 the attention it deserves. Especially not while serializing it. If this was a novella, it would be one thing, but this is a novel and it is complex. We will have to bump it back until Maggie #2 is done.
I thought we could knock it out, but apparently we can’t. This is humbling. In a way, it is a testament to the strength of the book – it requires undivided attention. But still, I really, really wanted to get it done before starting on the sequel. Not only we need to finish the story, but we need that extra release, because Maggie 1 won’t be published until March 31 of next year.
The problem is also the hands. A few months ago I developed this fun new nightmare where my hands and feet, and sometimes arms and legs, go numb. There was a lot of nerve pain with a dash of allodynia. I learned to sleep on my back with both hands in braces. There was a variety of possible diagnoses, none of them good, but right now the consensus is that this is a medication-induced side effect. I’m off the meds and getting better so we will see if this improves over the next few months.
It slowed me down quite a bit. At some point I couldn’t even sit in the chair for longer than an hour or everything went numb. You never plan for crap like to happen, but sometimes it does.
Anyway, for these reasons, we are pushing Hugh 2 to the backburner, so we can meet our contractual obligations. We may have a shorter project for you as a serial. We are not sure yet. Mod R has read it and she feels it would be a good serial.
No worries, we will figure out something fun in the meanwhile. Happy Friday!
first?
certified 🙂
Hughday!
Yay!
and congrats Amanda
+1 🥳
Thanks for doing all this! The giveaway and the snippet! 🤗
Thank you!
Honestly, I just want you to take care of yourselves, so that we can get the stories whenever you can manage them! Also, I know I’m not the only one eagerly awaiting Maggie, even as Hugh plays king quietly in the background.
In the meantime, there are plenty of your books to reread, and a number of graphic audio presentations of them to enjoy 😉
Well said, Rachel. House Andrews health is paramount! While we were all eagerly awaiting Hugh #2, we want the best for Ilona and Gordon. And now we have Maggie #2 to wait for. Hurrah!!
+1
Exactly! Take care of yourselves and the rest will fall into place.
You give us so much here. I’m sure whatever you have as a “filler” will be well received.
Congrats on the international rights!
May I humbly try a little subconscious persuasion here for the shorter project you’re considering?
puffles….. puffles….. puffles….. (imagine that whispered in an eerie voice) 😉
I’m sure that whatever it is will be great, but I couldn’t resist! 😁
+100 plus 🤣 I never would Jane right of the quiet subliminal, but that’s a keeper
What Rachel said! 💯
Ditto
+1
Please take care of your heath. That comes first. Eagerly awaiting Maggie is putting it mildly. Also eagerly awaiting Hugh but contracts with deadlines must understandably come first.
That said, Hugh freezing that… person… then discussing how he wants Elara to make him pastry from her cooking show and having people haul the frozen one away while they continue the party to make his wife happy… priceless!
In a weird way, that was a perfect ending point for a pause on Hugh. He is falling more every day, he is protecting her, he is working towards the good of the group, he has a redemption arc solidly going on.
I totally agree about Hugh (good pause point) and Maggie. And here’s to keeping our favorite authors healthy and sane!
Very well said. I am so excited for Maggie and new GraphicAudio releases!!! I have a huge emotional investment in Hugh and I want the best Hugh story I can get and I’m willing to wait even if I have some impatient chaotic horde moments in my brain. Thank you Ilona and Gordan for sharing your wonderful gifts with us.
Ditto! Please take care of yourselves first! ❤️
+1000 to everyone else’s positive comments about HA prioritising its own health and well being over the expectations/requests/desires of the BDH – thanks to HA the BDH already has LOTS of toys in our sandpit to keep us all happy.
Agreed!! we appreciate everything you guys provide. Despite being a ravenous horde, we want you all to be a happy, healthy and stress free as possible. Hoping for smooth planning and exciting times with Maggie 1 and 2.
+1
+100000000
+1
Everything said above
Ditto! Thank you for adding so much enjoyment to my life.
+1
+1
Congratulations Amanda. enjoy. Now back to read Hugh.
Best wishes to the authors! I’m grateful for any free fiction you feel up to sharing with us. I’m so excited to meet Maggie next year, and will apply re-listen to GAs until that lovely day comes!!
Hope you recover well !
Thank you
Aww, more waiting for Hugh?! He’s torturing us, isn’t he? Oh well!
So excited about Maggie and good luck on the next book! Hope you feel better!
The maps sound awesome and well worth it!
Sorry to hear about your health but thank you for a lovely instalment. Congrats on all the good things coming your way it is well deserved but don’t worry about getting additional stuff out, do what you need to and we can wait.
After all the fandom has waited 3 years for the final instalment in Gideon the ninths story and are no less ravenous!
+1 except I don’t get the Gideon ref. Anyway I’m glad for the good and sorry about the bad. Hope God will ease up on you.
We can wait for the serial but take care of yourself first!
Thank you 🤩
Yes, what NP said – those two simple words are not said enough for the joy and humor your written words bring, again Thank you!
Your books, your decision. Looking forward to Maggie 1&2 and Hugh 2 when you get to them. Thanks for letting us know.
Thank you for these glimpses into Hugh and Elara’s lives
We will wait.
We’re taking the long view: the happier and unstressed the authors are, the better for us as readers.
I had never heard of allodynia and long with the numbing – I imagine it’s been tough. It is no hardship to know that 2 Maggies are on the way and Hugh is slightly behind them. Please take care!
along with the numbing (typo)
I’ve never heard of it either. I legitimately thought I was losing my mind. 🙂 It is a very weird thing. For me it feels like random sunburn or cold water dripping but only on some random spot somewhere by your elbow or on your thigs.
I found that hanging from a ring ( inflatable rather than hard) in a pool was very good for me. I have no clue as to whether this was clinically significant, purely palliative, or just an opportunity to get away from the gadgets and demands, but it made a big difference. I started at 15 minutes and worked up to 45. If you have the opportunity I highly recommend the practice.
Many thanks for sharing your gifts of storytelling with us.
Robin, I too really like do this. It takes so much pressure/gravity off the body in addition to just being relaxing. What a great suggestion:)
I start my work day swimming laps for about 20 minutes (not strenuously) because the combination of weightlessness, gentle exercise, and just stretching everything makes a huge difference to my day. I really notice the difference on days when I can’t swim.
But I’m spoiled because my community center has an arthritis rated lap pool, which means that the water temperature hovers around 90 degrees and is soothing rather than brisk.
My Dr recommended adding a B complex vitamin to counteract a medicine that was causing a similar problem. It works astonishingly well. That is in addition to a multivitamin. YMMV. Hope you feel better soonest.
Just re-read Innkeeper as anti-stress reading. Thankyou for giving such a wonderful story to escape into.
I’m so sorry. I have a couple types of nerve pain from nerve damage plus mostly in remission nerve pain from CRPS after a severe nerve injury. The nerve injury healed, but the pain didn’t stop, and drs could immediately tell there was a problem because my hands were different colors and noticeably different temperatures.
If none of your drs have mentioned biofeedback, it might be an option – I did the skin temperature one for CRPS (essentially, meditate with deep breath patterns until my hands were the same temperature).
The problem with biofeedback providers is that a LOT of them fall, IMO, somewhere between a scam and snake oil. Mine is a neuropsychologist who specializes in complex medical patients. Biofeedback is a very small percentage of what he does.
For the other types of nerve pain, I do best with distraction for pain relief – a tens unit is the best distraction I’ve found. Gabapentin worked but I can’t think when I take it, so I can’t take it. Alpha lipoic acid helps me a little, but supplements aren’t regulated, so that’s a risk. Getting my inflammation markers down helped a bit – we think LDN is did that. Not positive, but it’s the only intervention with a correlation and I’ve been on and off it a few times because it’s expensive.
I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m recommending just alternative medicine. I’m a strong supporter of western medicine, but it sounds like your drs are already doing all the commonly known things. As always, talk to your Dr before considering trying anything – I consult with my PCP and relevant specialist/specialists before trying anything.
I’m glad going off meds is helping.
Thank you for the Hughday, as well as the updates on Hugh and Maggie. Completely understand about needing to focus on Maggie’s books until returning to Hugh – especially with publishers getting involved.
Also, I hope the numbness issues resolve themselves soon! I appreciate everything Ilona and Gordon write, so definitely take of yourselves! <3
…. hughh… cryy…..hick…cry….
Me too. Super bummer.
I know, right? As authors, you have the right to choose which books to work on. As readers, we have the right to be disappointed. You started talking about Hugh 2 during the pandemic in 2020, but said that book was too dark to write at that time. It’s been a long five years. I hope your health situation improves.
So sorry to hear about your pain issues. My late husband was injured years and years ago and developed pain that wasn’t necessarily related; it was life changing. He eventually got past it, but I know what he went through to get there. I hope the situation will continue to improve!
Thank you for today’s Hughday, but we can w@!t Thinking of a second massive Maggie will help.
Thinking of you!
wow.. Maggie must be amazing if 2 publishers want it at this stage! Must. Be. P*tient. Please be sure to take care of yourself. That is the most important thing to focus on!
While I am disappointed Hugh2 has to be delayed for a bit, I totally get when life just get jumbled up and you have no choice but to stop and set it right. Good luck working out all the kinks in your plans and best of luck with your health issues. The BDH will be right here when you need us.
When it rains it pours, but in your case it rains books! I’m so happy for you both. You’re so generous to share your decisions with us – I hope all of your fans realize how lucky we are that you take the time to connect with us. Congratulations and full steam ahead!
I’m sorry about your hands. It’s so hard when our bodies fail us, isn’t it?
Congratulations on the foreign book offer! SQUEEEEE! The BDH is apparently now going for world domination.
*sniffle* Bye, Hugh! I’ll miss you.
I am sad that Hugh (& Elara) are going on furlough; I was waiting for the continuation of the story since Hugh #1, and was really enjoying the snippets/serial.
That said, contractual obligations come first, and I applaud your discipline that has you carving out 6+ months to ensure you get the best book delivered in a timely manner. Hurrah to you … (raspberry) on having to wait for more Hugh & Elara, but it is what it is. I wish you smooth progress on Maggie #2.
Good luck with the numbness issues. I had an issue with numbness in left hand (fingers) and left side of my mouth that started about a year ago … boy, when you say “numb” and “left” in the same sentence, you get all the attention from the medicos. I’ve learned to say “tingling” instead. Have seen a couple doctors, but so far no clue as to what this is about (although I have ducked out of the scans that were ordered). I wish you good luck with your diagnoses and treatment. Glad to hear that slacking off one of your meds seems to be improving things.
Please get the scans! If only to rule out the worst possible outcome.
thank you for this lovely installment. It’s just so fun watching this relationship grow little by little.
And thank you for the explanation, why you’ll pause it for now – you don’t own us words, but it’s easier to wait when I know why.
I hope working on the other books (the ones with harder deadlines) is not only work but fun for you as well and that your body will behave itself again soon.
Congratulations Amanda!🎉🎉
Hope you feel better soon Ilona. Sending good vibes you way.
Imagining Hugh on his throne holding a piece of rough puff pastry, with his pinky out, just made my day. 😁
Which fruit preserves do you suppose Elara would serve with the puff pastry? Quince? Pawpaw? Ground Cherry? Maypop? It needs (I think, yes, I know I have no vote…) to be something native, and uncommon and experiencing a resurgence since things got magical….
Maybe she’ll ask Kate for some golden apples of immortality? Kate did say it made a good jam…… 😄
Maybe…dragonfruit?
fantastic
thank you
so very sorry for your personal situations, thank you for sharing snippets
I pray that Illona gets healed of her afflictions very soon & completely. Thanks for the connections of your materials, that hopefully will continue to come to us for a long time.
Thank you for the Hugh and the updates. I’m so sorry to hear of your health struggles, but thrilled to hear the encouraging news about This Kingdom and it’s successors. Carry on!
I am always very happy with whatever you can spare for us. Thank you.
Thank you for the last Hughday and congratulations to the winner!
While I’ll miss reading Elara and Hugh, I’m so excited for TKWNDM that I can be p*tient.
Thank you again for the last chapter and may your continued work go smooth or if not at least let any problems that come up be interesting.
What is this p*tient word. Do not speak blasphemy in front of the BDH 🙂
Don’t fret Hugh, we’ll hear from you soon. Waiting …
Hugs…..Wishing you all peace.
Thank you for the update…
Wooohoo!!! Another offer on the book. You both ROCK!! I’m thrilled for you. Your health is the TOP priority; please take care of yourselves!!
I hope you know the BDH adore you and want you to be in the best of health 🙂
congratulations again and we will wait….. lol without too much impatience hahaha
Congratulations Amanda! 🎉🥳🎇
Please, take care of your health. Hugh and Elara can wait. Hugh can be king of the Harvest for a while longer.
Maggie in all its books should be the focus, along with your health. Mod R can wrangle the Horde if we get too much.
I agree with the others, there’s plenty for the Horde to read and listen to while being chalant and fluffy. 😁😎😊
Hugs Ilona – I hope you feel better soon and take all the time in the world needed. We can be a patient horde.
As always, please take care of yourself first! I’ve been enjoying Hughday very much, but I totally get the priorities you guys have to make. I hope this doesn’t sound too whiny – but we’ve w*ited this long, we can keep w*iting. It will be worth it. And I have plenty of new Hugh to chew on just from this few chapters!
And…Maggie!! Will. Be. So. Good!!!
Happy Friday!
We may be the Book Devouring Horde, but we love our authors even more than we love their books. I’d rather you spend time on the new stuff and rest when you can than overload, be in pain, and give me more snippets.
Waiting is no fun, but I’d much rather wait than you be in pain.
Amen!
Hopefully this medical condition resolves soon. I’m 70 and it seems that for me one medical condition resolves and another one moves into the vacant space, like demons in the Bible. 🙄
So glad you’re taking the time you need. We will be p*tient and w*it. I’m just going to picture Hugh eating his “rough puff” dessert with delicious chicken and wandering in to sit on his throne from time to time. He’s so gone it’s hilarious!
Congratulations Amanda on winning the competition. I am sure you will enjoy the early access into Maggie’s world and her adventures.
Congratulations House Andrews on the foreign rights deal. I believe that your creativity and hard work deserve to reach the widest possible audience and if the traditional publishing route supports reaching even more readers then good. This member of the BDH enjoys all your books whether traditional or self published. ( Though Innkeeper will always have a special place in my heart and on my shelves because I discovered Ilona Andrews as an author via the weekly serialisation of Clean Sweep.)
I hope your health improves Ilona and the symptoms plaguing you disappear . That you’ve finished the Maggie book , done a huge edit of the story while battling health challenges is a credit to your determination.
Thank you for Hugh and Elara. That was a wonderful snippet. Makes me long for Fall even as Spring approaches. I hope we can see a bit of the Centurions lives beyond their duties like Bale hanging out with the Druidss, Sharif maybe playing ball with the kiddies and Stoyan romancing his way with ASL when the serial picks up again.
Congratulations on Book2 of Maggie even before Book1 is out the door. Looking forward to the series.
Take care of yourselves. Health is everything so be sure to but that before anything else. This makes me open up my reading horizons as I w@!& for your releases. There’s always the re-reads!
Love Hugh and Elara!!! Also love you guys! And you taking care of yourselves—BDH will still be here, fluffy as ever, when Hugh returns. Love this and can’t wait for all the good things you do! Thank you for working so hard!💜💜💜
Fell to my knees at Target!
But seriously, take all the time you need for the books. We would rather have good books later!
And Hugh can still use power words. Bet that freaked out so many people! 📚
Sending very gentle hugs!! Medication side effects are exhausting – physically, mentally, and emotionally. Tea for the win, hot or cold. 🫖
And more Maggie!! 📚📚
Wonderful chapter! Totally understand the need to prioritise. Take care. Don’t burn out.
No Hugh? Guess I’ll just have to wait it out. At least I’ll have Maggie to keep me occupied.
Health is first and foremost. All the best for your recovery.
But huuuuugh 😢
Thank you for the snippet, I’m very much looking forward to this story. I’m sorry for the health challenges. Please take care of yourselves, that is most important.
I’m sure Maggie will be very well received. As will her sequel.
We want you to be healthy and happy, so work when and on what makes you happy.
Thank you for Hugh today. I hope you hands are better soon. Yea for March next year and Maggie 1. Yea, Maggie 2 is starting. The best to both of you.
This installment of Hugh was FABULOUS! And I’m so excited to hear about the Maggie successes! I have faith the stories will pour out as they are meant to do. Taking care of yourself is the first priority. In the meantime, I’ll hold Hugh close in my heart and put Maggie on my calendar with lots of alerts!
Take care of yourself. Whatever you publish, whenever you publish – I’ll be there. Happy Friday!
You guys are always so generous with your fans and with your time and now we will wait excitedly for whatever you guys have time to do. If that means nothing until next March we will happily wait for the best possible version of Maggie. Happy Friday!
P*tience may be a bad word around here, but myself and BDH included can have as much p*tience as we need if it means you are healthy and comfortable! Take all the time you need. We will all be here ( after many re-reads) when it comes back.
Thank you for the snippet and all the fun stuff! have a good weekend!
Oh man, so sorry to hear about the meds side effects. They can indeed be disabling, as a number of friends have discovered. Glad it was identified and sincerely hope you continue to improve!
Completely understand that the contract requirements get first priority! Hugh and Elara can wait. We want you to enjoy your work on it first and foremost. That said, thank you for the new snippet! Enjoyed it so much! Hugh as king of the harvest is such a smile inducer.
And many congrats for the foreign publisher offer! And many congrats to Amanda! (Just a bit jealous tho.)
it takes as long as it takes! take care of yourselves so there can be more!!
I’m so grateful you share this much of yourselves with us all throughout the year. Take as long as you need, and I promise to be here when it’s ready.
Chronic disease stuff stinks. Take care of yourselves first and foremost as we want you around as long as possible.
+1!!
That’s a real shame, I was so looking forward to the second Hugh book for years, these weekly snippets were great. Oh well, good luck in your new endeavour with Maggie.
I was actually wondering how you hold two books at once in your head and write. Health and mental health are everything. Go be the awesome people you are and continue to create this new world. I love Hugh and I know he isn’t going away. And, not for nothing this installment was awesome!
Hugh can w*it. We’ve survived this long without Hugh 2; your health takes priority! And since Maggie 2 has a deadline, Hugh can pretend to be a gentleman? white knight? gracious lord of the manor? and step back, think deep thoughts and dream about rough puff pastry.
Get well soon!
(And I’m still giggling about Hugh playing harvest king.)
First, I am so sorry to hear about your health issues and I hope and pray you are well very soon.
Second, I love the second Hugh book, but knowing it will be a full novel and knowing that we WILL be getting it in the not-too-distant future is enough for me to be pseudo-patient and wait for it to come out. Everything by Ilona Andrews turns out to be more than worth the wait!
Thank you for the parts of Hugh 2 that we have so far, I am so invested in this story! You have to do the work on Maggie’s universe that you have contracts for, any grown up will understand that. Also, I can’t wait to read all the Maggie books, either, so this is really a win/win for the Horde!
God bless!
Thank you so much for posting the Hughday.
We understand completely and will be patient, promise!
Thank you for the Hugh Day and super large congratulations on Maggie 2! Woot! You guys are so kind and generous.
Hope you feel great asap.
I’m sad about Hugh, because I love the story, but it is blindingly obvious you are doing all you can to juggle your projects. I just want to say that so far, you have done such an excellent job of bringing out the good in Hugh and Elara both. It was a reminder that deep down people are basically good and just trying to survive , even if they do f’ed up things. You have turned a monster into someone I am rooting for, which cannot be easy. So, I am glad you are leaving them at a happy feast, and here’s hoping they get some of that chocolate. Heres wishing good health and hapiness for you both. And I mentioned this in another comment, but if you haven’t done so yet, check out the Bear Valley bald eagle cam. Those two baby chicks will make your day.
I giggled when the lady druid was named Fiona – equating the name with Fiona the San Bernardino squirrel that visits Jackie & Shadow & the eaglets. 😉
I didn’t know there was a squirrel visiting!!! brave squirrel..
It’s okies about Hugh. I’m sure everyone will understand that we want you at your best and to give all y’all stories the attention they deserve. medicines can cause so much chaos. I’m on plenty of medicines for different chronic illnesses. It can be scary at times.
Thank you for all y’all hard work!
Hang in there and get well soon! Hugh two was fun, but I hope the whole horde keeps in mind this is your livelihood and people depend on you so it isn’t just you and your hubby. Looking forward to Maggie!
Please take care of you! We, The Horde, can cope.
Pleeae take care of yourself and Gordon. We can wait abd practice being chalant!
peace and grace,
Marianne
I am so glad you are feeling better!! Hopefully the medication adjustment keeps you on the mend. Also, thank you for your literary creations. I will read absolutely anything House Andrews writes so if a short serial is next then I look forward to it!
What Rebecca said. Side effects are so tricky. I hope you get a course of treatment that works for you. Any book of yours works for me.
I’m having a tiny sulk because I love post Roland Hugh; he’s just so deliciously naughty. Curran, Sean and Rogan are great but Hugh, he’s tiramisu; and there’s nothing worse than an inferior tiramisu so I’m glad you are doing him justice. He’s worth the wait.
Get well soon and thanks for the update.
Congratulations (and pox on) Amanda!
Aww, Harvest Fest Santa and Mrs. Claus are adorable! And thank you, Iron Dogs, for ridding Hugh of that troublesome aunt. (Does this mean that Vanessa is no longer among the living?)
Congratulation HA for the foreign rights offer! Hope the contract is to your liking. And do you mean the second Maggie is slated to be out in November 2026? Or just the first draft?
Also, I am disappointed about Hugh, but I totally understand why!
Finally, I hope the numbness and nerve pain stops happening soon!
The first draft of Maggie 2 is due this November (2025) – as in 7 months from now!
Oh, wow! Yikes.
That’s fast. Tor won’t know what hit them when the Horde buys, buys, and buys.
Then word of mouth gets out, and it will be buy, buy, buy again (not using the Backstreet Boys song here. 😉)
Maggie 2 comes out, and we do it all over again.
Tor will be saying, “what just happened?”
The response? “The Horde!” 😂
Thank you for the snippet! I hope your numbness keeps getting better and good luck with Maggie 2 I hope the book cooperates with you.
Take care of yourself!!! That’s the most important thing! Thank you for what you have given us!
I had a nightmare some weeks ago and you were in it. Very weird, I know but in that nightmare I was going through hard moments and at some point found myself in a taxi with you Ilona and Gordon. For whatever reason I started crying and telling you all my current problems (the nightmare kind problems) while thinking at myself “what are you doing?? They don’t even know you!”. Then you, Ilona, reached out and held my hand and suddenly the dream changed to this peaceful feeling and then I woke up. So in short, thank you for hunting my nightmares :-D.
Seriously though, you, your books are always there when I need them. They are my safe place, my old trusted friends. We are your fans, we’ll be there for you just as your books are there for us. Best wishes for your health and we’ll wa*t then instantly buy, devour and demand more of whatever you publish, whenever it becomes available :-).
Thank you for one more Hugh!
+1
Oh. Almost all of this is lovely. Hugh is amazing. Elara makes me so happy. The story had me and I’m happy to w*it!
Maggie 2!!!!! And soon(ish) Maggie 1!!!
AND AND AND a potential project for a serial?!
And hopefully good news on the numbing front?
Amaze. So good. Many thanks to HA for the incredible scene, the wonderful news, and the background updates.
So much to look forward to!
Oh good heavens, it never rains but it pours. I hope the med change is enough to fix it. Speedy recovery!
Hugh is my baby and I love him. That said, he only exists because you guys made him up. I’ll state the obvious: you two have lives and obligations and don’t write for my individual amusement. Whenever y’all get around to writing Hugh 2 (II?), it will have been worth the wait.
I’m super excited about all the Maggies and can’t wait to read them. Also, a serial is great news!
Thanks for all you do!!
💕💖💗
Hi Ilona,
Sometimes numbing in the Hands can be caused by the T4 in your spine being misaligned. Sitting for hours writing can create zero impact injuries. It helped me to sit and move about like I’m taking a bikini pic with my chest popped up. Hunching forward made it unbearable and the numbness is kinda scary. Doing posture enhancing exercises was life changing. Thank you for the latest chapter and for all you choose to share, I wish you both the best.
Thank you for mentioning that! (Off to poke the rest of my desk job family to work on our posture. )
Please take care of my favorite writers. Wishing you the best. Tina from Berlin
Oh, I love this so much. Will wait as long as it takes.
Sending love and rough puff pastry 😅
You have NEVER ever produced anything which failed to exceed anybody’s’ expectations.
We understand completely and are happy to hear that the medication side-effects are going away.
Be well!
Congrats Amanda!!!
Thank you for this installment of Hugh. I hope things go well with your hands, medical stuff is so hard. The BDH will try very hard to be the horrible patient horde, right guys? Because we love HA and when HA is happy we get more to devour. Congratulations on the foreign language publication offer Maggie sounds Amazing and I know it will be worth the wait.
congratulations Amanda…..
I’m going to miss Hughday.
Looking forward to whatever comes in between Maggie’s story.
Have a great weekend.
It’s all good! “Loved the snippet & I know Maggie will blow our socks off. ❤️❤️❤️ congrats on the big offers. May all your books end up on HBO so that I can continue to live there.
Loved Hughday as I loved all your serials you kindly shared with us. There is something about reading the book together and speculating in the comments that makes this special and fun.
That said, please take care of yourself, especially where your health is concerned this is the most important and we can surely be fluffy a little longer.
Whatever comes our way will be appreciated and hopefully the contract is the first of many foreign rights – from the snippets I read Maggie will be a treasure indeed.
Love Hugh Day (or any serial day). Sorry their story is delayed because I love this series. It just means more books later.
One clarification – Didn’t Irina die on the cross at Nez’s hand? If not, can we get a clarification in this section why/how she is still alive? [Hugh says how much he hates that Irina’s life is over….right after Elara pisses Nez off for attacking early]
A different Irina to the one who died in Iron and Magic 🙂 . This is the first draft, names may be changed in the final edit to avoid these confusions.
I hope you don’t worry too much about Maggie. Your BDH will eat it up. You can count on us. I’m looking forward to Hugh 2 but I’ve waited a while and can wait a while more.
I have “side effects” from a cancer med that are painful and annoying especially because the side effects from the backup med are much worse so i have to put up with these as long as possible. I’m sending good thoughts and healing light for your side effects to go away and everything to go back to normal.
Well… if you needed a high note to break on, Hugh as Harvest Santa was great. And more good news- a small serial. I really enjoyed today and it was my 10 minute break in the middle of Moving Day- the Groundhog Day issue 20 something.
Glad you are feeling better . Pain is no one’s Best Friend. Try not to get too stressed getting 20K of words in six months. That’s a huge amount of work.
Best of luck to you, Gordon, & Mod R. Together the horde will weather another year.
Health first, always. I’m glad you seem to be improving and hope that continues.
Thank you for sharing everything you have of Hugh 2 so far. It’s been a pure treat and joy. And I know it will be worth waiting for the full book when you can dedicate the time you want to to it.
For now, wishing you lots of luck writing Maggie 2! And I’ve no doubt Mod R I’d correct and whatever else you plan to share on the blog will be excellent. I’ll miss the Hugh snippets, but still glad of whatever you choose to share.
That’s wonderful news about Maggie 1 and 2. I am sorry about the health issues and I hope they begin to resolve now that you are off the medication. I have always been one to plan and do my best, and then adjust because of course best laid plans of mice and men … But in the last three years I have seemed to have developed some type of anxiety with major changes in my life. I plan and do my best while awake and take the lumps when needed, but now I started the house buying process and I have the worst dreams. I often wake up in a cold sweat with difficulty breathing. (Side note- I sleep with a CPAP, and it is functionally perfectly.) It is the dreams. They are always awful. Loved ones lost and can’t find them. I’m forgetting to do something important, and its life life-threatening if I don’t get it done. This started 3 years ago when I sold my house and moved. Now that I am preparing to buy and move again, it’s back. Who knows what is going on in my head. I am on sleep medicine now and that does help. I am sorry about the numbness and hope it resolves soon so you can get back to your normal routine. The books you write are some of my very favorites. I have never set my alarm to wake up at midnight on a release day but I do for your books. Thank you for the wonderful books and best wishes for the foreign contracts.
You take such good care of us. thank you for the free readings and the fun stuff. Being healthy can be so much work, really nasty grueling work and you are both doing the work!
Get well, enjoy your work, enjoy your family, and thank you!
No worries, we can wait!
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this snippet. Maggie must come first, how exciting that the contracts etc are coming in, you deserve it after all your years of hard work. You have nothing to apologise for! God speed the work. Take the time you need to get yourself well and healthy. Lucky, lucky ModR for knowing the delights we have ahead of us! 💕
Happy Friday! The good news is that I’ll love it whenever I read Huge #2 and I will have forgotten the story I’ve already read. Silver linings! Take care of each other.
thanks for the last Hugh Day
Sad to see it go, but glad it ended (so far) on a happy note, Elara and Hugh in peace.
Also loved seeing that Hugh did have a happy childhood until he turned 17.
Question, ‘his father would come to quiz him on things he’d learned that day’ I think that is Roland, yes??
I think it would be Voron
I’ve been enjoying Hugh day and while it makes me sad that Hugh 2 will be delayed, contracts come first. Plus we have Maggie to look forward to. And the Graphic Audio releases. Take care of yourself. That’s the most important thing.
Chronic pain is exhausting- physically, mentally, and emotionally. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this and hope the diagnosis offers a path to relief.
The snippet was fantastic. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but poor Vanessa.
While w**ting for Hugh 2, I’ll just have to buy Maggie, and audio Maggie, and GA Maggie. Congrats on the new publisher. This book is gonna kill it!
Thank you House Andrews and Mod R for the ARC! I was so excited that I screamed and danced around for a bit when I saw the news. It’s my birthday this weekend and I can honestly say this might be my favorite birthday present ever. And thanks to the BDH for the nice congrats from several posts.
Happy birthday! Mine is tomorrow. 🎂🎇
Happy Belated birthday! Sorry saw this today, Saturday, 🤗
It would definitely be hard to top that as a birthday present, ever! Enjoy!
Congratulations! Definitely a wonderful present (even if you do have to wait a bit to get it)! May the rest of your year be just as lucky! 🥳
in things like this theres usually 3 options good, fast and cheap and you pick 2, but right now its fast or good, we can wait, some will whine but im sure theres more then a few other fans of dresden who survived the 5 years he had to stop for person things.and most of the rest are adults who understand. id rather have a great story and wait then rushed and questionable. im a fan of most of your series and already an isekai fan, so looking forward to the new series also. you guys build great worlds.