Mod R left me with a list of questions. But first, a funny. I was looking at a house for sale on Redfin the other day and saw this.
How can you tell that a Texan is selling their house?
Hehehehe.
I tell you what, I missed HEB in Florida. The first time we went to Publix on the beach, which was hideously expensive and super busy. My plan was to pick up a few things for a quick marinade and make fajitas. I am standing in the condiments aisle – no Southwestern marinade. No Southwestern sauce. None. Zip, zero, nada.
I am used to fifty million marinades, but I usually make my own anyway. But at least I can get a quick spice packet, right? Nope. No spice packets.
I grab Worcestershire, because I have to grab something, and stomp over to the spice section. There in the corner I find the lonely jar of cumin. I get that, chili powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. And I found limes.
I dry rubbed chicken and beef for the fajitas. Oh the travesty.
Alright, let’s get on with some answers.
How do you keep the character “voices” distinct and separated so that they maintain their uniqueness in the books?
Eh. Um. It just kind of happens. We naturally slide into the character’s skin and it goes from there. Some characters are much easier than others. Luther and Roman are both very distinct, and so is Grandma Frida and Arland. But Richard was a massive pain. He was portrayed as a reserved character, and so to make him appealing, he needed to have a rich inner life, meaning we had to make sure he thought to himself for three paragraphs and then say one word.
Overall, the more complex the character is, the harder it is to write their dialogue and thoughts. Especially if the character’s arc is transformative. Catalina was a challenge, because you have anxiety, insecurity, sensitivity, coming of age, and natural aversion to violence, all wrapped into a ball and forced to grow up and take charge over the course of several books. So if you’re struggling, it may not be a bad thing. It might simply mean that you’ve built in some complexity into the character.
Try to avoid the trap of thinking of your characters as entities that are separate from you. As in “I wanted to write this scene but Bob told me he just doesn’t feel like it.” Authors use this because some readers think it’s cute and because it gives them a convenient shorthand to describe a complex creative process.
Your characters are figments of your imagination. If you are having issues with them, it’s because something is wrong with the character or the scene. Saying that the character doesn’t want you to write the scene excuses you from the responsibility of figuring out where the problem is. It’s a dangerous crutch that can lead to procrastination.
How do you play ball with so many worlds and universes? It is amazing to see how far Gaston has grown ever since the Edge books or how you bring back other characters that you have had in different facets of your different series- I find that intriguing.
We get bored easily. I think I am just wired that way. I have right now in my head the complete basic plot for Hugh 2, 2/3 of the plot for Maggie, a large chunk of the other thing I don’t want to talk about yet, and basic ending plot for Sweep of the Heart. I also on average read over 20 comics every week and I have no problem keeping the storylines and characters separate.
Where I fail spectacularly is remembering what we have written. Someone asks me, “On this page in Magic Strikes what did you mean?” and I am like, “Ehhhh? What did it say?” Once it’s written, it’s out of my brain to make room for new stuff. One time this nice academic came to the signing and he was very excited to talk to us about the chaos theory in Gunmetal Magic and I drew a complete blank. It was 4 books ago and I had forgotten all of it by that point. He was so disappointed. He probably thought we were frauds.
Like here is what I remember about Gunmetal magic: weird Egyptian crocodile dogs, Roman on the bridge, and there was Anubis in there somewhere. Oh and Raphael and Andrea had a fight. That’s it. I don’t know what the plot was.
I am doing a splendid job maintaining my writerly mystique and professional reputation today, aren’t I?
What are the odds HA will continue writing romance while self-publishing?
I think there is some confusion between romance in the story and Romance as a category. To be classified as category Romance, the novel has to meet certain criteria, the primary of which are: the romantic relationship between the characters is the primary focus of the story and their relationship must end in HEA (Happily Ever After.)
A story can have romance in it but not be classified as Romance. Patty Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series has great romance, but it is not categorized as a Romance. It’s an Urban Fantasy.
Nevada’s trilogy is categorized as Romance. It would not exist if you took Rogan out. If there is no relationship, that entire series falls apart. Same with Catalina, although I will warn you, Ruby Fever, because it had to tie a lot of loose ends, has a lot more of external plot and action.
Our comfortable spot is probably somewhere closer to Kate’s series, where we have a lot of action and there is romance, but the romantic relationship is a subplot rather than the main plot. Hugh and Elara are the perfect example of that. Which isn’t to say that we will never write a romance – we just did Fated Blades. But right now it feels good to stretch a little bit.
Will you do any Curran POV like Jeaniene’s Other half of the Grave?
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Also contains the complete Curran POV.
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Does having dedicated fan base make it easier to try out other stories/genres, or does it make you feel more pressure when you want to branch out?
Yes.
Heh.
The answer is yes to both. Yes, there is a massive amount of pressure, but at the same time we are very fortunate that our work appeals to so many people that even if we did do something off-the-wall, at least some of our readers would follow us. We hope.
So from now on will you publish as House Andrews pseudonym?
No. Or at least not right now. House Andrews would look pretty odd as an author tag line. Also, it is about customer retention. It’s very hard to grab a reader, but it’s even harder to retain them and get them to switch from project to project. “Ilona Andrews” has a lot more followers than “House Andrews” would. When people who don’t read our blog see House Andrews, they would have no idea it’s us.
But we did change other things like bookplates.
Which reminds me, we need to sign a couple hundred of these today and send them to the bookstore.
Well, this concludes today’s blog post. I have news on all sorts of fronts, and I cannot share any of it yet. More to come once we wrestle this innkeeper scene to the ground.
Thank you for answering questions. I will follow you in any direction you care to take your writing.
Thanks for information! Hope the wrestling goes smoothly and you get the scene pinned. ????
Moved from Texas to Virginia, and I miss HEB! I was told XXX store is just like HEB, from people who visit family in Texas.
It is NOT like HEB. It’s nice, but it’s not HEB. It’s also expensive. HEB is probably the only thing I miss from Texas, honestly.
I also missed the bluebonnets and indian paintbrush every spring when I moved to VA. I lived in Blacksburg for 8 years and I’m back in the horrible heat, so I now I miss the mountains and the fall colors.
Sorry if this is common knowledge, but who/what is Maggie?
You’re lucky to only be wondering about Maggie. I’m also wondering about Richard. Haha!
Hi Jamic, Richard is from The Edge series. https://ilona-andrews.com/the-edge/
Same here. But then, I am old and was forgetful when I was young(er).
Richard I remember. Maggie I’m drawing a blank on at the moment.
Ha! I was wondering how Maggie and Richard were too.
Thank you for explaining who Richard was. Now who the heck is Maggie?
Isn’t Maggie the name of Christopher’s dog? I could be wrong. ????
Otherwise, Maggie’s name is new to me too.
Christopher’s dog is the only Maggie I could come up with. I’m not sure how she’d do in a book of her own.
I didn’t get that either.
Thanks for taking the time out to answer the questions. The picture did make me laugh!
Awww I love these Q&As. Also I don’t care what you write, I will read it. Grocery list, to do list, doesn’t matter!
They are building an HEB near me! It will be an hour away and in a heavily congested area – but I cannot wait to go!!
Umm. Regarding “2/3 of the plot for Maggie.” Who/where is Maggie?
See! Y’all really can’t move away from Texas with HEB head quartered here in San Antonio. I don’t think any grocery store beats them for products, price, and predictability as well as their community service.
Thank you!!
Question about Grendel if I may?
Is his magic separate from the mist in Morrighan’s hidey hole? If so, how did he end up in there? And does it also mean he is immortal?
Thank you. I love scenes with Grendel in it. I especially love that scene where Andrea threatened to vomit beside Grendel’s if Kate cooked the undead head in the tray she was holding. But I guess from your admission that you won’t remember that. Lol!
Maggie? Maggie? Maggie????
*readers start going through every snippet ever released to find Maggie….
*readers all love Maggie already (no idea who she is!) haha
Thanks for the post
Christopher’s dog is called Maggie, but that’s not much help!
+1
It’s funny the foods you learn to take for granted. I don’t even really like ketchup, but living in a place where it wasn’t a common condiment, the few times I wanted it were suddenly an issue. My brother moved from our Midwestern hometown, which until recently had very little cultural diversity but has had a large population of Mexican immigrants and therefore great Mexican food (a couple of places don’t have an English language menu and I didn’t know enough Spanish as a kid to read the menu; I had a couple of meals where it’s a good thing I was an adventurous eater!). One of his major surprises in the area he moved to was how difficult it was to find excellent authentic Mexican food; and he’s fluent in Spanish and very extroverted so if there was anything to find he would track it down. …I also had „Mexican“ food in Australia, clearly made by someone who had heard about Mexican food and thought „oh surely not.“ it was tasty, but only a passing nod to actual Mexican cuisine.
So true. We moved from NJ to California and the pizza transition was brutal. We did find a place with owners from NJ (they announce it loud and proud everywhere), so we started going there because it was, although not perfect, the most acceptable. After nearly two decades out here, we like it better than the ones we get at our old haunt in NJ. Tastes change.
And when we move away, I’m going to be very tragic if I can’t find a good source of avocados. Definitely taking their availability for granted out here.
I also find the grocery assortment interesting, especially condiments. The post’s experience with packet mixes is one of those “Oh yeah, some parts of America really like spice packets, marinades, and sauces”. I’d be so lost if you gave me a ranch packet.
I live in a very diverse area with lots of suburbs & am lucky that if someone asks for an Asian market, we can converse with “What kind? Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Philippino, Indian?” We have so many sauce bottles & jars in the fridge and in some cases, probably three different kinds of the same family like soy product or vinegar because each country has different tastes (and by region within those countries). But pre-made dry sauce packets? Do those in ramen count?
I spent a year in Australia in the mid-90s in a smallish college town. I had to teach the “Mexican” restaurant how to make a quesadilla. The sauces were marinara (tasted Italian with no cumin even.) It was ok just not Mexican.
This is where we all miss Mod R, who would’ve posted the snippets where we meet Maggie already.
I think she’s the one who watches the horses go by, then tries to convince the retired knight to help her. That’s all I’ve got, though, along with a vague idea that she foresees her landlady’s death.
Oh, yeah, the little mystery girl in Blood Heir. Can’t remember if her name is Maggie but that’s a good guess.
I think Kim means the one from the snippet from the totally new thing, unrelated to KD world, with the bald-faced grullo stallion. No, autocorrect, I certainly do not mean grill.
And the kid in BH goes by Marten, though it’s not her birth name, which I don’t think we know. I did wonder how Julie knew it was Marten and not Martin when the kid told her. I’ve had the same question with some other authors’ characters. It’s one of my weird little OCD things, wondering about homonyms in speech.
Her name is Deira. She gave her name to Namtur when she became his apprentice. I laugh at the scene after that since Namtur freezes everyone except Derek. ????
Ah, good memory. Perhaps I should reread, as soon as I finish rereading Harbinger (Wen Spencer’s latest).
I just re-read this. Namutur freezes all of them. Derek breaks out of the hold first, which Namatur considers impressive. Ascancio breaks free a moment later, but I’m not sure if it’s because of his own strength or because Namature decided to let them go
There was some comment about the name referring to the animal and that is spelled marten. It’s a member of the weasel family, goes through the trees in a flash, hard to catch, hard to find, quite attractive.
I know exactly what a marten is, and have since I was younger than Marten. I just wasn’t sure how Julie recognized, from hearing the name spoken rather than reading it, that it was Marten rather than the name Martin, as most would likely assume.
HEB is the best. If we moved out of TX I would miss it terribly. FYI I’d follow House Andrews 😀
Also, Patrick Stewart tells a story of flipping channels in a hotel room and pausing on Star Trek. He starts watching it, wracking his brain to remember which one it is, when room service arrives and catches him at it.
Creating is a much different process than consuming/enjoying. At this stage, reading or rereading HA books is like falling into comfortable worlds. It’s restful. I imagine for HA, there’s a ton of other associations and new ideas, paths not taken, more stories, etc.
I like Richard’s book and the only thing I have against him is that he shut The Edge down.
Good luck with wrestling. I’m just so living for Innkeeper.
I’m sorry to ask this, blaming pregnancy brain,
Who is Maggie?
????
Thanks for all your guys’ hard work, it can’t be easy leading the BDH. I have the same problem with once I have it written I forget about it unless its a major point. Glad to know I am not alone!
Ok, I did search the whole site for “Maggie.” Nothing left to do but wait until House Andrews reveals details about this character.
So do you ever reread your own books to remember the plots? Doesn’t that make it hard to keep continuity going, or is that what the editors/beta readers for?
[Entire Horde]: MAGGIE?!
HAHAHAHAH yes. Do you suppose she did that on purpose?
Had to laugh, too! Thanks for the update and I hope the “wrestling” goes well.
I’m so glad to hear you say you can’t remember what you’ve written – that happens to me a lot too. I do a ton of academic writing, and I’ve been known to say to my student, “has this been published yet?” They just kinda look at me quizzically as they mumble…”yes, we published that last week.” As you said, once it’s out there, I don’t need to remember it anymore. Thank you for validating!
For the love of all that’s holy will someone please tell us who Maggie is?! I don’t want to go through my kindle searching every book but if I have to….
So. I quick searched mentions of Maggie in calibre. (Not in depth)
Maggie (and Cash) in Magic Bleeds – hmmmm
Maggie (the dog) in Magic Bonds – would be different. . .
Maggie (Derek’s dead sister) in Magic Triumphs – ooooohhh
Maggie Brewster (lazy eyed prophet) in On the Edge – oooohhh
And of course it could be the unknown heroine from The Blade master/Mystery Project snippets. Oooohhh.
Wait, “2/3rds of Maggie” who’s Maggie? What did I miss(or more likely forget)?
In love with the bookplate.
Maggie??
I leave you alone for like 2 hours and you all start obsessing. Carry on. Hehehehe.
And now you know for certain that Mod R earns her salary! 😉
rofl
????????????????
Yes, yes we do! We have earned our moniker, thank you very much! ????
But you are partly to blame by throwing “Maggie” out there. ????
Even if it wasn’t on purpose it certainly keeps us entertained with wild speculation. Next thing you know we’ll be requesting a book with Maggie the dog and her happily ever after.
Now we neat a portmanteau for Maggie and Olusard.
Need. Geez.
Maglusard, Olggie? Can’t get it to work /hmm
but…but….but… (lip trembling), we like to obsess.
Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet: A Wisconsin supper club drink originating in the 1950’s. A Milwaukee area college student favorite in the 1970’s.
Theater tour to New York City during 1978 college spring break. Bartenders lost their minds – “how do you make that?” and “what an awful thing to do to an Old Fashioned!”….
????????????
????????????
Someone I know was on a business trip in NYC (from Wisconsin). The restaurant they were going to had a power outage & gave the bar patrons free drinks. One ordered a Brandy Old Fashion, and had to talk the bartender through the recipe. The bartender used the top shelf brandy (actually Cognac) for the first 2 drinks. When the customer ordered a third, my friend caught the bartender’s eye & suggested he find the cooking brandy for the next one. The customer mentioned to the group that the bartender had finally gotten it right that time. ????
What I remember about Gunmetal Magic was there is a character named Colleen! JUST LIKE Me! Ha ha I never see my name in anything so that was fun.
Me…Hugh 2 thought out plot yes yes yes….2/3 Maggie, oh okay not sure who that is, but happy something else is coming….but Hugh 2 yes yes yes….please please please. Nice name plate.
Thank you!
And I have learned shopping is all about location, location, location.
Trying to find Green Goddess dressing outside the South is hard. Trying to find file’ spice in the East is hard.
Thank goodness for international markets and family!
green goddess! ack. I remember that…here in CO. I don’t think I have seen it in decades. It was good too.
Now I’m 80% sure the next post will be “Guys, stop obsessing over Maggie!” Followed by a helpful comment by Mod R sothing the Horde with page references
Thank you for all the author insights! I love to share these with my aspiring author friends.
Also – real estate pic ????????????
Today is Wednesday, can you imagine the frenzy the BDH will be in by Friday?
Who the heck is Maggie?
Very reassured it’s not just me going “Maggie??!!!???”
Your post is making me realize I need to re-read Gunmetal Magic… I remember enjoying it and that we get more of Andrea’s back story (with her old pack), but not much else.
I wish there was an HEB in my area.
Also, can’t wait to hear the news that you can’t yet share. 🙂
I loved Andrea going around town shifted. Her hyena persona is awesome.
Yes, and the guys with their eyes falling out over her…form. Cracks me up every time.
My mother told a story of a famous Irish author (unnamed) coming to speak at her senior literature class in college. One of the bright-eyed and earnest students asked him about what the deeper meaning in a particular scene in a particular book was.
His response? “How should I know. I wrote that book 20 years ago and I was drunk at the time.”
Who and/or what is Maggie?
…..Maggie……
I feel like there’s a Margaret out there I should be remembering. But I’ve got nothing.
So Hugh rides a magical white horse, Bucky, and Aurelia/Julie rides a magical, carnivorous white horse, Tulip. Are these horses connected, or related?
I am so ready for Hugh II.
Thanks.
Does romance as a category really must end with HEA?
Just look at Romeo & Juliet, or some japanese manga/anime. Ayashi no Ceres is a nice example of that. Touya sacrifices his manna to save Aya. He dies about year or two later, leaving Aya and their child. If that is not romance, then I’m st. Nicolas. And without Touya the plot does not work.
Another nice example is Tenkuu no Escaflowne, where Hitomi at the end returns back to the Mystic Moon (Earth), leaving Van.
There are so many examples of romance ending “badly”. In Hoshi no Koe, the girl never sees her lover again as battles at distant star. Iriya no Sora, Ufo no Natsu is an example of summer lifechanging love. Interesting, that works of Makoto Shinkai, have such beautiful art and yet so tragic romance stories (Hoshi no Koe, Byousoku 5 centimeter, Hoshi wo ou kodomo).
“Does romance as a category really must end with HEA?” YES.
“But…” No.
None of what you listed is Romance. They are stories with romance in them. Romeo and Juliet, in particular, is a cautionary tragedy about letting 13 years olds out of the house without parental supervision. That’s not how romance works in real life or in adult fiction. 🙂 The stories you listed are not classified as genre Romance, but as fiction with romantic elements. All ducks are birds, but not all birds are ducks.
People bring this up a lot because for some reason they just want to have tragic endings in category romance. And they want it because Romance as a a genre outsells everything. It’s very simple: if you, as a writer, want Romance money, you need to stick the landing. There are all those other categories: literary fiction, female lit, Nicholas Sparks White People Kissing, mystery, etc where readers can enjoy tragic endings. Romance is not one of those categories. That’s the beauty of it.
“Romeo and Juliet, in particular, is a cautionary tragedy about letting 13 years olds out of the house without parental supervision.”
This summary totally made my day ???? thanks!
Have to agree. I thought the same thing when I read R&J in high school, but Ilona puts it so much more succinctly than I did at the time. And no one in my lit class agreed with me either. “OH! it’s so romantic!” No, it’s not.
Romeo & Juliet is also a cautionary tale about making decisions based on rumors. And no, it’s so not a romance.
Dana Stabenow thought R&J managed their affairs so poorly that she stuck the storyline into one of her Kate Shugak mysteries and made it end properly. Her couple was a little older, of course, which may have had something to do with it.
Nicholas Sparks white people kissing ????????????????????????????????!!
So true, I never understood what’s enjoyable about those books.
YES!
Yes! And I read “Romance”!
+infinity
There are not enough eye-rolling smileys in the world.
Ugh, glad I did not start Ayashi no Ceres. That ending would have made me rage.
Revolutionary Girl Utena/Shoujo Kakumei Utena is one of my favorites but it was not built as a romance.
I’m still mad about the endings to the TV shows “Forever Knight” and the original couple from “Silk Stalkings”. I can appreciate what they did for the story/characters but I want clear cut happy endings for my romantic couples!
Try Ayashi no Ceres anyway, it is worth it, despite the unfair End. It will take you on emotional ride that not many anime do. Yes, Utena was great too. You may also want to try Haibane Renmei.
I think this is a off beat question, but where did Kate Daniels name come from? I’ve been reading the series from the beginning again, and it struck me, I can’t find where her name comes from. Could you tell me, please?
Our editor picked it because it was simple, easy to remember, and region approproate.
ok, that’s sure interesting!
Love the bookplate. I really like the little lion head drawing. I know you’ve been using it a while, but I think it rates as iconic. Very artistic.
I’m not mentioning that ‘M’ person.
I visited Nevada recently and I really missed the variety of grocery stores available in California. I joked with my folks that grocery stores win over lower taxes ????
I miss Wawa. My brother was in Jersey for a while and we all loved those stores.
I love Andrea’s story, most especially because of Roman. She should have made Raphael suffer more because what he did in the beginning was a super dick move.
I’m still surprised she was never found or recruited by the Light Keepers.
I’m with HA, whichever direction you want to go. Man to be so talented in writing that you have many series in your head! We are so fortunate to have you guys. Thx.
I feel that if I were a better person, I would know who Maggie is. I consume your books like someone who has been on a deserted island for fifty years with only coconuts to eat. I don’t savor, I don’t sniff, and I certainly don’t chew. Just one huge bite, gulp, and they’re done. Even when I re-read them, which I do often, zero self control. I don’t like that about myself. If I could, I would change. But I’ve tried and it’s not possible. So now I shall be punished by the Maggie mystery until I read every single thing ever written by you. Again. sigh……
On characters and complexity: This is probably one of the best things about your books – the complexity of the characters, all these different emotions/feelings/things driving them in different directions. It is definitely one of the main reasons I like Catalina of much, actually even more than I like Nevada. If I was at a party with all 3 sisters, I would admire Nevada from a distance, laugh with Arabella but be a little intimidated, but probably have the longest talk with Catalina.
I go through spells where I have trouble focusing on normal prose books, and have found that manga and webcomics help. Have you all sold the rights to any of your books to get comic adaptations?
Thanks for the updates!
I absolutely get it about grocery stores. I feel like we spend a good chunk of our lives there lol.
Even though we live on a military base here in NC and I have the privilege of the cheaper commissary I go to the Food Lion. I love their variety and the customer service at any of their stores is always amazing. I’m going to miss it when we move to NJ later this year. I cant even remember if any of the store up there are as good as my Food Lions here.
There’s a lot of regional variance in NJ.
Maggie, Maggie? Maggie! Oh the name of the baby gargoyle who….wait wrong book series. Drawing a blank.
Yeah, I’ve got nothing. My first thought was, “Christopher’s tiny dog?”
It’s probably a new character or someone named Margaret, Magda, or Magdalena we’ve forgotten about.
Hahahahaha, best answer!! 🙂
Hugh 2? Hugh 2! I distinctly heard Hugh 2!!!
Yessss! Yayyyyy!!!! (happy dance) :)))))))))
I see everyone obsessing over Maggie. I just figured it was Kate and Curran’s daughter.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Kate’s pregnant?
Publix frequently has spices that favor Hispanic foods on its International section. And not all Publixes are created equal. A beach location, in prime real estate, may tend to be smaller and more limited than one a bit further inland, for example.
The Publix nearest me is both a touch on the smaller side, and one of the busiest Publixes in the area. It means the stock is in flux and prone to changing. I just lost spanikopita, for example – they don’t carry it any more. Or finger cots. Or my favorite mustard (which isn’t available at any other local supermarkets, either, so that might be a manufacturer issue).
I think I would love H.E.B. if we had them here, but for the moment, Publix, Walmart Neighborhood Market, and Aldi’s are my go-to for various things. (WNM can best Publix’s prices by up to and over $1.00 in some cases – and they’re literally across the street from one another.)
Wegmans – best grocery store ever.
Founded in 1916 in Rochester, NY and finally has found it’s way south of the Mason Dixie Line into the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia)
Only came across a Wegmans a couple of times, but would love to have one here in the SC Midlands. Not that we lack for stores, but yes, Wegmans is totally wonderful.
1000 % and my favorite thing about moving back to the northeast after being away 20 yrs
Wait…signed book plates? Did I miss being able to purchase a signed copy? I have the others signed and would love a signed hardcover of Ruby fever to go with my others. Will you guys release what bookstore will have signed copies? Please let me know.
I ordered a paperback with bookplate from Blue Willow in Houston. I don’t recall if the book plates are available anywhere else.
I looked at Blue Willow but did not see. I think I will call. TY
I like the House Andrews bookplates. Regardless of the genre classification, you write great characters and fascinating worlds that suck me into every book. The scene that sticks most in my mind from Gunmetal Magic was when Andrea’s neighbor brings her a carrot cake to thank her for rescuing the woman;s husband and hugs Andrea in her furry form.
Great post as usual! Personally I will follow HA no matter what genre they wrote. I just enjoy it all. But then I read a lot of different works.
I don’t know what part of Florida you were in but South Florida having such a diverse population, Publix has tons of spices, marinades, etc. my favorite being Mojo. But my Publix had an entire aisle dedicated to it.
Not even one teensy-weensy ritual against the unknown paint contractors? Pretty please? You know they deserve it….Ok, fine: since it’s HA asking, no rituals will be done. (I guess it’s the thought that counts anyway.) We (BDH) love you, too!!!! Glad you seem in better spirits. ????????????
I don’t care what genre you guys decide, just keep writing! I love the fullness of your world description, character introductions, general use of language. Please throw me whatever crumb you have! Thank you for the word and story crafting.
Thank you for being so candid. I love that even though you are amazing writers that your work isn’t the sum and total of who you are. I wish you great success in finding your next amazing home adventure.
Thank you, Ilona Andrews for the post.
Book series are like babies that grow and change into kids then adults to my way of thinking. So I understand where you are coming from. ????
Even in Ohio, I could find dozens and dozens of spices, hot sauces, and marinades. In fact, now that I think of it, I’ve found them in Naples, FL, too. But not at Publix – probably Whole Foods. You can also find stuff like that at Trader Joe’s, which are in Florida. Maybe not where you were, though. But I’d be willing to bet that Florida has a lot of Mexican, Cuban and ethnic markets.
LOL. I owe you a thanks for the nod to HEB in the Innkeeper where Orro meets the HEB ads. We were visiting Austin as part of a trip to a Formula One race. We had a motor home and were trying to find a supermarket as we fought our way through some truly unbelievable traffic. Yowsa! We could find nothing when out of the snarl there was a sign HEB, I remembered the mention in the book and we executed a quick, for a motor home, turn and were saved. Nice people too. tanks for the help.
When I was a 13-yo the BFD was Zefferelli’s Romeo & Juliet because he cast young Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey as the leads–and they were the same age as the characters in the play! Not 40-something like most previous versions. I just read that Leonard Whiting is 72. Am I old?
60 is the new 40, though maybe not in Shakespeare. I saw that as a freshman in HS – still remember marching down the street to the theatre in our school uniforms – and it was wonderful except for, you know, the whole tragedy thing. I wanted to shake them.
I’m in Ontario, Canada and feel spoiled for grocery choices. Walmart and No Frills for cheap, Food Basics for ethnic foods, Fortinos for variety, Metro and Sobeys (occasionally good sales) and Costco for bulk buys.
Never seen an HEB but if I’m ever in Texas I’ll be sure to go. In Florida I liked Winn-Dixie as a cheaper alternative to Publix, but that was some years ago. Tops Friendly Markets in New York is usually cheaper than Wegmans, we go there for the hot sauce selection!!!
Now….who the heck is Maggie?
Like the test of the BDH, I’ll read anything by House Andrews, no HEA required.
’nuff said.
following forever, in any direction. Yeah on a second Hugh novel…
May your writing outlive my reading!
Fun! Thanks! I missed Publix when I left Florida until Wegmans came to Northern Virginia!
I think Sweep of the Blade was your best swipe of romance to date.
Thanks for the update I am still with you….
I did take your kind advise and try and read a larger variety if authors…
Query from the UK is HEB a food store or a general store?? Means nothing to me.
It sells a range of general groceries, deli, frozen foods, pharmacy and petrol. No electronics or clothes like some of our supermarkets here.