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!
As always, your health takes first place! Hopefully you will be better soon. Have fun on Maggie 1 and 2! I’ll just reread all the Hugh day installments we’ve had so far. Sending much love!
Thank you!
Oh dear, it’s always something isn’t it? It will be great if it’s medication related. I am currently dealing with neuropathy in my feet (really hurts!) even though my A1C is 5.9.
You sound like you are pushing thru all this, bravo! Sending my prayers your way!
Awwww, thank you for the real talk update.
I’m so sorry to hear about the hands. But congratulations on all of the progress and exciting updates that keep happening with Maggie! As sad as I am to have to wait over a year for Maggie to be published, I CANNOT WAIT! A whole new HA world to look forward to! And 200k words! It will be like Christmas and a birthday present all rolled into one.
Please take care of your health! You only have one body, and we want you to be here for a good long time so you can keep entertaining the voracious BDH! Hugh can wait, especially because a full novel is always better than a novella.
I am sending all best wishes for your good health. I am looking forward to Maggie, but you being well is much more important.
I’ve said it before and will again- you and Gordon write it, then I will read it.
❤️💪🏼🙏🏼
Thank you! <3
I hope you feel better soon. I just got great news on my medical tribulations. No permanent vision damage. Ocular hypertension and NOT glaucoma or macular degeneration. I've been out of work for almost a whole month due to vision issues. 10 more days and I can return to work finally. I will now imagine you patting my head for some good luck in the health department 😉
I feel as if I’ve received a gift in the form of HughDay. I am grateful for the care that you are taking to write the story as it needs to be written. Now, I can look forward to that rough pastry dough dessert, when it is perfectly made.
Thank you isn’t sufficient, but I thank you all the same.
Thank you for providing such a wonderful distraction from the real world while you had the time. Please take care of yourselves, health is so important. I look forward to exploring the world of Maggie and congratulations on your book deals.
Dear Ilona, Nerve pain sucks. I hope it is medication induced so that as you back off the meds the pain will continue to diminish. Your books are wonderful. We love Hugh and can wait, because we’re getting Maggie! We know that y’all work hard to write the very best books you can and your craftsmanship and artistry shows that. Oh, and congratulations to Amanda!
This snippet will hold me until it’s done no matter how long it takes. Thank you. And a wonderful scene.
Thank you for this!!!!
As always, love what you are willing to share:) Hope your medical issues sort themselves out in a favorable to you way. There are pros & cons to living a longer life. The pro being you are not dead & presumably can enjoy life for many years to come. The con being that our bodies, marvels that they are, do tend to require much more upkeep/maintenance (like any antique!) the older we get. And our internal systems may decide to produce stuff that clogs up the smooth workings we prefer. Count the blessing & keep the liniment handy:)
love your work, whenever I get to read it – thank you always
I’ve loved having hugh snippets to read, but please don’t put too much pressure on yourselves! We will manage to wait (somehow) for whenever you’re ready.
Thank you and take care of yourselves!
That’s FANTASTIC news on Maggie, and we all know from the snippets it’s well deserved!!
Can’t (here’s that word) w@it to read it.
It seems to me we the BDH are extremely spoiled, with all the snippets, serials, and updates that you share with us, so thank you for being so generous.
I hope your medical issues resolve themselves soon, and Gordon’s recovery is going well. Take care.
We’re sad to wait longer for more Hugh and Elara adventures, but glad you are feeling less medication side effects and so happy for the growth of Maggie’s world. The BDH will be here when Hugh is ready and will rabidly devour all “life of the Andrews” updates in between. It will all work out! Be happy and well.
Oh no, Miss Ilona! Side effects are worse than the problem sometimes. I do hope you find something that works for you and that you recover fully very quickly. Take care.
I am sorry to hear you have not been feeling well. Hopefully it clears up sooner than later.
Nothing you write is filler. Don’t forget we’d read grocery lists and then go off on wild theories about what would be cooked.
you take your time and do it right and stay healthy!
It seems like you guys go through a fair share of unexpected crap. I really hope everything eases up for your health.
While I adore Hugh, and these chapters have been so well written, I’m super excited for This Kingdom. From someone who reads and re-reads, I think all those words should keep me busy for awhile! And congrats on the cool developments.
Take care!!
I honestly thought Vanessa was going to be the person who was sacrificed against the tree. I think she “left” before the plants started dying.
We were going to be cut off eventually. Farewell, Hugh! We’ll get you eventually.
Thank you, House Andrews, for creating wonderful worlds and letting us visit them
Thank you, and please take care of yourself!
I am very excited for the second offer. You all work so hard and it shows in everything you put out there for the BDH and public-at-large.
I will practice pat*ence and have visions of hefted cows dancing in my head, meanwhile. I am enjoying all the GA releases immensely as well.
Do not worry about us BDH members. We shall persevere and focus on sending you love, blessings, and healing energy to get well. Know that we love you and take care of yourself. Plus, thank you for putting Hugh in a flower crown!!!
Please take care of yourself, Hugh is worth the wait! Sending good wishes.
Be well. Be gentle with yourselves. That is of utmost importance.
Thank you for the wonderful snippet! My jaw about dropped when I read Nov for Maggie 2 draft, seems so soon. I’m impressed by your writing capability. Completely understandable about Hugh. We support House IA regardless of schedule constraints, sending a virtual hug.
Hugh is a ridiculous romantic. He literally puts his wife’s happiness above all. That is some power couple goals right there. It warms my soul.
Lovely Ilona, the hands not working and the braces are the stuff of my nightmares still. I lost the use of my hands for a long time and I know the agony of those dreaded braces all too well. I wish I coud take that pain from you, it pulled so hard on my mental reserves to remove my hands and ergo my independence, I cannot imagine how much it has ruined your writing schedule.
I have many tools in my toolbox now to help. I sincerely hope you have an excellent physiotherapist. It must be cramping your relaxation as well given your love of all things yarn.
Feel free to ignore the below, but it’s my list of things that helped:
Theraputty- think playdoh with more effort.
tens machine with glove attachments
icing
physio
strength work- very slowly small weights, lifting the weight through range with the palm facing down, to the side and upways.
thinking positive thoughts for the healing process.
Thank you for always being so honest about the progress (or lack thereof) for the books. Wishing quick healing.
Advice to HA from a Movie Villain – the Six-Fingered Man: “Get some rest. If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.”
And making sure the already-contracted-and-paid-for work is done on time and well obviously is more important than doing other stuff “for free”or even “on spec” that you might make money from it in the future. We in the BDH completely understand that Adult Fact of Life even if we occasionally want to throw toddler temper tantrums over it.
Meanwhile, the picture of Hugh sitting on a Harvest throne wearing a crown of flowers and probably nibbling on a stolen skewer of chocolate-dipped fruit while smiling at children is … mind-boggling, honestly.
I hate side effects from medicines. Every new one I take, I get a monster version of one of the side effects. Stuffy nose equals my sinuses feeling like they will explode.
Feel better soon!
Great chapter!
It’s not covered by health insurance, but I have become a believer. I understand if this post gets deleted. But I have listened to your health issues for a while, and I’m selfish. I want to read both of your stories for years to come. So consider something non traditional.
https://www.mindbodyelements.com/blog/what-is-muscle-testing
Thank you for the Hugh-days while they lasted. They were awesome and I’m sure the book whenever it comes out will be the same.
We are the BDH for a reason and will always want moar! but not at the cost of your health so please take care of yourself!
I’m doing a 2nd listen of the GA Magic Binds – soooo good!!!
To House Andrews: what I appreciate about you, and I’ve read A LOT of books over the past 61 years, is the level of communication and the intimacy of it. You allow your readers to share not just your created worlds but also your lived in world. In doing so you become valued friends who are cared about deeply. What you create and share with us is a valuable gift, making our lives so much richer. I will always, until the day I am no longer in this world, wait patiently for your wonderful gifts. Thank you.
Ditto a 1000%!!!!!
+1 1000% best books, blog, and reading community in my known universe. 😎
Looking forward to Maggie. Will Hugh 2 be next….pretty please??????
As sad as I am for no Hugh anywhere close to yet I am so excited about Maggie! Contracts must be honored! (I said that in my head like I was High Clan Liaden lol) I am pretty sure considering HA track record that I will want Maggie II at least as much as I do I & M II lol. The health stuffs sound scary! Positive thoughts and prayers for your recovery!
Hugh 2 will be percolating in the back of your heads while you’re working on your deadline for Maggie 2. Whatever comes, it will be worth waiting for.
And do take care of yourselves.
The statement “I want to grow old and gray with you” was never written by someone who has grown old and gray.
I wish you and Gordon all the best. The books will come in time, we just have to wait for them.
I am really looking forward to Maggie. 200k is my favorite size. It’s long enough to last a leisurely week reading, or devour in a few days. I will probably do both.
Hugh will just have to wait. His power words don’t work out here:)
Take care of yourselves
Great snippet. thanks for sharing.
Honey, as much as this Hugh 2 is getting really good, I understand you having to shift things around for your schedule. But know that ANYTHING you write is excellent! So whatever little serial you want to put out there will immediately grab the BDH’s attention and we will voraciously eat…I mean read it with enthusiasm! Y’all just know how to create a world that sucks us in!! 😍🤗
Thank you for Hugh Day! Please put your oxygen mask on before helping others!!! The BDH will continue to devour while we wait!
As a loyal part of the horde. I will say that I saw this dropped hours ago and tortured myself by waiting until I had a calm moment to read it. Thank you.
The important thing is that you take care of yourself. Again, as a member of the horde, we do not need the whole story if you can’t manage it. Snippets (from anything) lighten my Fridays. I would be happy with Hugh, Sookie, tea parties & chats, recipes, yarn, Olasard (and what, exactly, do he and the inn think about each other?) Shadow, squirrels, kids, Eeyore PJs, or anything you care to give us.
Again, thank you.
Whatever works for you best. We will read anything you write.
Everything could wait, except your health. Please, please take care of yourself. It sucks when our body fails us.
Thank you for the last Hugh day and stopping it. Hugh and Elara deserve your undivided attention. 🙂
Thank you for the snippet and all the exciting news! Sorry to hear about the health problems, those are never fun.
I’m enjoying all the GA releases while I w*it, so awesome.
Happy Friday!
This was wonderful and a joy to read on a rough day recovering from knee replacement surgery.
You will do what you can as you can, and the BDH will love everything we get.
I hope your health issues resolve swiftly and with minimal pain. It is rarely that easy, but I’ll keep hoping.
Puffles ?
Thank you so much for all the hard work, the Horde must simply be (or act convincingly) shalant.
Health and paid deadlines come first, and I for one am thankful for any post at a given time, be it Hugh or videos about Tuna refusing to move from the desk.
Congratulations and condolences in one. I actually gave out a bark of laughter at seeing your November deadline. It was nice knowing you both. LOL. I know how long your worked on the first Maggie and now to finish and have to do it all again? Oy vey. I can’t wait to read This Kingdom next year. So exciting.
Congrats to Amanda! I am incredibly jealous but happy for them!
I absolutely loved this snippet. The imagery of the hall and memories that the taste of the chicken brought back, the cozy feelings, the disgust/horror of Vanessa’s skin peeling off, then glee of Hugh defending Elara’s happiness. Lovedlovedloved.
And while I love Hugh and want Hugh Book 2 badly, I wholeheartedly am okay with it being delayed. Contracts come first and you guys already have a lot on your plate. They want Maggie 2 in 7 months???😱 That’s absolutely nuts to me, but then trying to write Hugh 2 too? That can’t be humanly possible.
7+ years ago, I developed chronic pain for the first time from overworking. It was very humbling, frustrating, expensive, and years of battle. After that, all my priorities and what I became willing to do for my job changed.
I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but please be kind to yourself. I’m sure delaying is disappointing, but your health comes first! You don’t owe us an explanation, but it’s appreciated. And as always, thank you!! ❤️
look after yourselves and, of course, your contract obligations! I’m looking forward to more Hugh when he gets here, but in the meantime I’ll continue with my reread of KD.
You have so much going on, and you are amazing writers. Thank you (from the bottom of my heart as someone who started reading when you released Magic Bites). Hugh two looks to be amazing – and the “pretty worm” made me literally snort with laughter and then continue to laugh hysterically. I am certain that Maggie and any future release will be awesome. My biggest wish is that you take care of yourself – and worry less about any complaining. Most of us (and I know you know how strong (and slightly crazy) the BDH are) will wa*t pat*ently, even if we occasionally whine and complain. But I, for one, would much rather you be ok, than anything else. Your life and well-being is way more important than our ridiculous expectations and obsessions lol. Sending love, grace, and joy to you. Heavens know you and your books have brought more to me than I can properly express.
Thank you for the wonderful Hugh snippet – with rough puff pastry 😉
All the best with finishing up Maggie 1 and with Maggie 2 – hopefully the foreign rights help with cashflow without another release this year.
Glad to hear the numbness is alleviating – all best wishes for a rapid recovery.
Sorry about your hands. I can sympathize. Years of being on 200mcg of thyroid seemed to cure my carpal tunnel but the Docs took me off and put me on 100mcg and it’s back with a vengeance. I hope the recovery is faster than mine. The Drs still can’t find an answer so it looks like Mayo for me
Ilona, I’m sorry you have to deal with health issues, but I’m glad that you’ve decided to prioritize self-care.
Also, if you had to pause on serializing Hugh 2, this is such a great stopping point because we have Hugh behaving all besotted while seemingly confused by his own actions! 😂 The bigger they are . . .
Sorry about the health problems. Will pray they continue to get better. Very disappointed to hear about the Hugh delay, but do understand. We wait for Maggie. Thanks
The most important thing is that you take care of yourselves and are still having fun! This may be your job but it is also a bit of a vocation, you should be able to enjoy the process!
We can wait, and will! I’ll keep y’all in my prayers 🙂
Thank You for giving us all those extras like Hugh day… but please take all the time you need for your health instead, plus the next submit date is way more important too, better be focused now as much as possible, and maybe add way later (like earliest in November) some little snippets, if you are sure to be on time, even have some time in reserve…., and only if the mood/energy/… even allows it.
Ooooo! Hugh used power words!
I will miss Hugh Day but I will survive.
HA, do what you need to do.
As long as I can get links to purchase your new books to feed my addiction, I’m good. 😁
I will miss Hughday. No question but knowing he & Elara will be back is a comfort & I am patient.
Please take care of your health, both of you. Consider if your health fails then there may be NO MORE Maggie, Hugh, Helen etc & then what will you do? Or us for that matter😂😂.
I know something about medication mixing😡. My partner was given medication which reacted badly with his epilepsy meds & he now has pseudo Parkinson’s – all the signs & symptoms of Parkinson’s but NOT Parkinson’s . He can’t be treated for Parkinson’s because he HASNT got Parkinson’s !!!!!
So please be careful!!! I await patiently for Hugh & Elara but in the meantime I’ll read anything else you have to offer lolololol.
Nerve pain/numbness is the worst! Hope it improves. Have loved the peek into Hugh but totally get it that he’ll have to wait….i am a patient soul on the fringe edges of the BDH. Looking forward to Maggie and so glad for you that it seems to be catching good attention from publishing world!
Your wellbeing always comes first. We will wait. Patiently.
But just for clarification – maybe I am a bit slow today: I got that you cannot continue Hugh as a serial, but did that mean you want to complete it „behind the curtain“ for this year anyway?
Just curious; first priority is your health, second is that we get your books when they are ready whenever that may be. Serials are always a nice bonus, but we will manage without one.
PS: Wearing Vanessa’s skin; quite literally I“m guessing. Yuk. What a nice person.
No, Hugh is going on the back burner for now and work will be on the Maggie sequel 🙂
Thanks for the clarification. So be it.
Thank you for what you have shared of Hugh 2. I’m enjoyed every bit of it. That said, please take care of yourself. Side effects can be no fun. I’m currently taking a weekly med for osteoporosis that leaves me in pain for two days. The benefits will be wonderful – if it works, but the pain is disheartening.
If waiting for a new book becomes unbearable, I can and will reread everything you’ve written. I’ve done it before and have become richer for it. I appreciate everything you share with us. You take care of you.
Sending healing thoughts and positive energy!
I respect your decisions. I am sad to see Hugh leave us awhile, but I can’t imagine the pressure of needing to get book 2 turned in before book 1 is even released. I’m cheering you on!
I hope your hands get better soon!
Congratulations, Amanda! I’m so jealous.
Your health matters the most. The horde will wait patiently, rereading all our treasures again. Work on yourself. You got this.
Dear Ilona, you don’t owe us any free stories. I really appreciate that you gave us something new each week, and I’ll miss the Hugh-Elara dynamic, but of course your priority has to be taking care of yourself and delivering the books you’re being paid to write (congrats on the foreign rights offer!). Actually, I don’t know of any other author willing to give away a serialized book on their site.
Have you looked into speech-to-text technology? I tried one years ago and it was accurate but slow. Maybe it’s better by now & might save you some typing.
Wonderful Hugh day! If this is the last for a while, it was a magnificent one. I hope your side-effects pass quickly.
In an indirectly related question, have you tried yoga? Hours at the computer put the body under a lot of unnatural stresses, pinch nerves, cut off circulation. Yoga is a gentle way to get things back in alignment. most physical therapy exercises are based on yoga.
Sauna is another way to help, as it helps you to sweat out the drug residuals. i have no sauna, so I substitute a very hot bath and settle in with a book and something to rehydrate with until it cools.
Best of luck and congratulations on Maggie!
The wait will be worth it. It always is with you.
I have to say, many authors have tried to redeem a villain and no one, not a single one, has come anywhere near to how beautifully you have brought Hugh (I know he’s been kicking and screaming) along to the “liked” and, dare I say, “loved” characters.
Well done!
Please do not make yourself sick, we can wait as long as needed to get the book! Take care of yourself.
Yay! Thanks! Excited for Maggie. Definitely take care of yourselves first.
Nerve pain can definitely make you feel insane. I have had neuropathy and numbness. Mostly, my neuropathy used to feel like I was being bitten by a bug but whenever I looked, there was nothing visible. It happened multiple times a day and was quite painful.
Now, I have *much* milder neuropathy and numbness only once in a while. I had a lot of success with taking Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg (3 times a day). I was fairly skeptical at first, but it worked. It took about 2 weeks to notice a moderate difference. 4 weeks for a significant difference. Eventually (after about 6 months), I lowered the dose to 2 times a day then stopped altogether after about 8 months. Haven’t taken it in a year and I rarely have issues.
Acetyl L Carnitine is also supposed to be helpful with nerve issues, but I haven’t tried it personally as the ALA alone worked for me.
Obviously, one should do their own research on reliable and responsible scientific sources and check with their pharmacist before adding anything to their meds.
Thank you, this was a great place to push the Pause button on Hugh2!
You need to put your health and contractual obligations first. You are always so generous to your readers, in terms of both content and interaction, and we know (at least we should by now) you need time to make each project the best it can be. I hope that for once, the BDH will gracefully back off on its incessant demands and allow you to concentrate on what’s important.
I’m so sorry to hear of your health struggles. I love your stories, but would rather wait for you to heal than imagine you hurting mentally and physically and still struggling to be productive. Please treat yourself with kindness and respect you deserve, and hold yourself to the same high standards you apply to every story you put in print. Your health deserves to be respected, protected, and prioritized.
Meanwhile, I’ll be rereading Kate Daniels from the beginning… or maybe the Innkeeper series? Or The Edge? 😘 I’m sure I can keep myself from going through Ilona withdrawal thanks to your library of books (which I have in ebook and audio).
Bless you!
Katt
Oh, I SO feel for you with the nerve pain in your hands, feet, arms, and legs! While not the same, I suffered from sciatica for nearly 2 years. Couldn’t sit comfortably for longer than 10-15 minutes, couldn’t stand or walk comfortably, and you can’t lie in bed all day without other issues. Heavy-duty meds didn’t do anything. Finally ended up taking 6 weeks of oral antibiotics for an unrelated illness – and the pain disappeared and never came back. Doctors are amazing, but they don’t know everything.
I hope your situation continues to improve while you are off the meds. Take care of yourself and know we are all behind you. If Hugh #2 takes longer, then take longer. The BDH is patient, even when we don’t like to be!
I am sad that Hugh will be backburnered but understand the constraints of health and publishers. So please take care of yourselves because we want you well and productive.
Congratulations on all the Maggie news! I’m so glad that your team is dedicated to see this as a rousing success when it debuts next year.
I’m sorry about your health challenges. Be sure to take care of yourself and your family first. While I’m sad that Hugh has to wait, it’s entirely understandable that you have to prioritize your work based on your obligations.
Take care, breathe joy, and bake something wonderful.
Oh so delightful. Please take care.
In The Princess Bride, Count Rugen tells Prince Humperdinck, “Get some rest. If you haven’t got your health, then you haven’t got anything”
Get well soon.
Please take care of yourself, we can wait for Hugh 2 but your health is so important and we want you to be healthy and pain free first and foremost. Nothing is more important than that and we will hit that preorder link whenever you post it. I’m so excited for all your new projects so don’t feel bad about anything!!
Thank you for this last Hughday! Sending good vibes for your health and the future, and looking forward to lots more marvelous stories, no matter which world you write in 🥰
Bummer!! Don’t usually read weekly stories but i have waited sooooo long for 2nd book I started reading the weekly posts about second book
O well such is the way of the universe Hope your health and happiness continues to be marry
Not gonna lie, this being the last HughDay is sad. BUT I completely understand. Sometimes it’s all I can do to keep the straw above water when I’m drowning at work and it feels like my body hates me. I too have nerve pain that I’ve been trying to deal with, especially coming from my neck. Thankfully I finally have a Doc that cares. 😁
You guys take the time you need to feel better personally. Focus on the required things. Then get back to Hugh. Not that you need my permission 🤣
It’s not like the BDH is going anywhere. We’ll be waiting ♥️
I have secondhand stress reading about you needing to produce a 200k word draft by November. Godspeed! I’ll miss the Hugh chapters, but it’s totally understandable that you need to push it back. Holy cow that’s a lot of writing you need to do!
Please get well soon! All the best to you!
Thank you for another Hughday.
We all agree. It’s more important that you take care of yourself. You do so much to take care of us. ♥️ And, we have lots to look forward to.
Please take care of yourself and don’t worry about us waiting. I know how bad constant pain can be, it is exhausting at the very least. Overwhelming at the very most. We can wait.
Quick question for Mod R, and this may have been addressed before, if so, I’m sorry – Will This Kingdom be released in hardcover as well as eBook? (I’m a US reader if that helps). I normally read Kindle but really want a hardcover of This Kingdom for a special spot on my shelf. Also, any thoughts to a special pretty hardcover release? I know it is very early yet and you may not know. Thanks so much!!
Hi Jessica,
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me will be released in print, a paperback with sprayed edges, as well as ebook and audio. All the formats!
Atm, we don’t know about special/fancy hardcover editions, but the likelihood is a very high one 🙂. More details here https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/all-the-questions/
You need to take care of yourself and your family. As much as I want the Hugh and Elara next chapter, I can wait.
I understand about the pain issues, and I definitely feel you. I typed 40+ hours a week for 35 years, and my hands are absolute toast. I’m so very sorry, and you absolutely should prioritize your mental and physical health!!! I just am very disappointed that Iron Covenant is really looking like a one-off.
They aren’t abandoning the series at all. They are just pushing it so that they can focus on This Kingdom and their contractual obligations. Not sure where you got that it is being abandoned? I’m surprised they have actually been able to give us any Hugh at all while working on This Kingdom, writing an epic fantasy that is that long and if you add to it health issues (which can be all consuming) is incredibly time consuming and hard. We just need patience, that’s all. It will come in time. 🙂
Ah, the joys of age,if the alternative (death) wasn’t so dire.
If you live long enough the weird stuff happens and you try to remember when you bounded up and rushed around and hiked the hills easily and slept like a log. You climbed a ladder to your roof, you dug up the turf for a new garden and you crept around on your knees to paint the trim. Sigh!
I am SO sorry to hear about your medical issues. The fear of waiting to find out wtf is wrong, the wondering if it’s fixable, it’s horrendous, and I don’t wish that on anybody. I hope very very much it goes away properly and your limbs are again entirely your own to dispose as you wish!
This installment is a nice stopping point until you can get back to it. Take care of yourself!!
You are my favorite authors, not because I love your stories (I do!) but because of how generous you are to your readers. There is no one like you. If we have world enough and time, there will be Maggie and all the Hughs and Julie and Derek will finally have their day. Take care of your nervous system and steward your creative energy. Thank you for everything you do.
Mod R, although I already have it marked on my calendar, I just wanted to put in a vote for a countdown to Maggie release. I really like the excitement index, and unlike my calendar which exists as a future reference, that I won’t even see until next March, the countdown is an exciting reminder that good things are coming. 0_0
Oh, yes, please. I would love a countdown. Please, Mod R?
Prayers for healing & continued good health – and appreciation for all you do for the BDH❣️
Sorry to hear about your health issues. I hope this isn’t chronic.
Try removing all sugar, even honey, maple syrup, the lot from your diet for 30 days. This may reduce pain and inflammation. It worked for my spouse.
What a bad ass chapter to end Hughdays on! Like Elara needing to give Baile Harvest Day to raise spirits in rough times, so has House Andrews given us Hugh Days. Thank you!
Congratulations on the excitement around Maggie! It’s going to prove well-deserved we all know. Take care of yourselves and your health! While there are many in the BDH there is only two of you. We can be p*tient!
Hope you feel better soon.
While we would adore a continuing Hughday, I feel that I speak for the BDH when I tell you that your health and wellbeing are infinitely more important than our weekly serial. We will happily wait if it means you can recover at your own pace. You have our support and well wishes!
Thanks for this Hughday.
I understand that it will pause for a while because it has to. Contract work is important to get done on time.
We are not owed a Friday snippet (or more!). It is a lovely bonus gift to your fans and we are grateful.
Quite frankly, I would rather have Hugh2 a *bit* later, rather than *much* later because you have overworked and become badly ill.
Please take care of yourselves. We worry.