Me, last Tuesday: Columbus write up, a cursory mention that one of the authors present was dropped by the publisher.
BDH: What does drop mean?
Mod R, to me: They want to know what dropped means.
Me, this Monday: Explanatory post of what dropped means.
BDH: Are your series getting dropped? Are your publishers not happy? What are the sales numbers? Do you not have enough sales? What are the sales numbers?
Mod R, to me: No good deed goes unpunished.
Dear Horde,
Right now I’m looking at not one but two congratulatory emails in my inbox, one from Tor US and the other from Tor UK, both of which express happiness with sales. We have just received three new offers from foreign publishers.
Going along with my CIA stance, I can neither confirm nor deny that This Kingdom has exceeded expectations. It is safe to say that this is the best debut we ever had. This is due in part to incredible support from our publishers, but most of all, this happened because of you.
Thank you! You are amazing.
In Depth Sales Numbers
While I can’t tell you the specific sale numbers, I can tell you the Kindle ranks, because they are public record.
Beast Business, published January 29, 2026:
- On sale for: 6 months
- Price: $5.99
- Ebook rank: 10,887 in Kindle Store
- Amazon reviews: 3,865
- Goodreads reviews: 6,065
Inheritance, published August 10, 2025:
- On sale for: 11 months
- Price: $6.99
- Ebook rank: 22,578 in Kindle Store
- Amazon reviews: 9,007
- Goodreads reviews: 11,341
This Kingdom, published March 31, 2026
- On sale for: 4 months
- Price: $14.99
- Ebook rank: 1,201 in Kindle Store
- Amazon reviews: 9,266
- Goodreads reviews: 32,781
Not only has the rank held for 4 months, but the sheer number of Goodreads reviews indicates that the book is being widely read.
Now here is where I level with you:
Sweep of the Heart, published December 13, 2022
- On sale for: 3.5 years
- Price: $6.99
- Ebook rank: 53,830 in Kindle Store
- Amazon reviews: 12,383
- Goodreads reviews: 19,279
This Kingdom costs twice what Sweep of the Heart does, and it’s been out for only 4 months, yet you can see by the number of reviews that it was able to reach a much wider audience.
I’ve been trying to explain before why sequels to existing series are bonus releases for us. This is why. The publishing landscape always changes, and in its current form, books greatly benefit from the presence in stores and the backing of a great publishing partner. Not being in print is hurting us. This is partially why there is no Arabella trilogy – we need a publishing partner. The first two trilogies were in print.
It seems Amazon has beaten us to Hidden Legacy announcement we said we couldn’t share yet. Yes, Catalina’s trilogy will be released in trade paperback, matching the new edition of Nevada’s books. The first will be SAPPHIRE FLAMES on February 16. We will have an official announcement and share the new covers as soon as we have Avon’s go-ahead.
Before some of you panic again, we love the Innkeeper world just as much as we love This Kingdom, and we will be continuing it. More news to come soon.
State of House Andrews
I know Horde gets antsy, when we don’t update. To keep you in the loop, this is what we are working currently:
- Bonus material for the trade cover release of This Kingdom. (I
can neither confirm nor deny that this edition might have special stuff. Screw it. It will have special stuff! They can’t really come after me, they are happy with the sales numbers!) - Orders from the store – we anticipate a 4-6 weeks timeline for vellum fulfillment due to the large number of orders and personalization requests. If you get nervous, the store page shows some of the progress. We can only do between 100-200 orders per day and sometimes less. It’s the bookplates, guys. They are slowing us down.
- Edits for This Redacted will not Redacted Me, which we are told will land today or tomorrow. (Not nervous about this. Not at all. #sarcasm.)
Things that we will be working on shortly:
- Additional bonus material for Guide to Kair Toren
- Sticker sheets availability for the store – please be chalant, we promise, we will make stickers available
- Additional bonus material for I cannot tell you because contractual obligations
- Map for Maggie 2
- Bonus art for Maggie 2 – starting early here, because we will need a lot
- Bonus content for the blog: short stories and deleted scenes, possibly a serial
The app is due to go live in 8 days and we also will need beta testers. If you would like to help us a little bit, please drop your favorite quotes from our work in the comments with the book they are from. As in “If sky could dream, it would dream of dragons. – Fate’s Edge.” Right now the app has placeholder quotes and we need it to have ours instead.
PS. Jeaniene Frost has read the draft of Maggie 2 and has texted me with words like WOW and !!!!!! and then some threats, and then followed that with a 2 hour phone call. She called me evil – for some reason, Gordon was exempt – and demanded spoilers for Book 3, because quote “if redacted redacted endgame, I will not be able to handle it.”
Horde, if this ending survives the edits, we shall have to contract Hugh d’Ambray to build us a moat around our house. Just in case.
Oh wow! So much happy news. Very glad for House Andrews. You deserve all the success!
Congrats on First! 🤗
Ooh, Maggie #3?
Fight for your right to end your books as you see fit! You are the overlord.
And build a moat if you need one!
Mugs?
I am so hoping for the “Survive – get paid” on a mug!
…not because I work in IT, but…
And I am so looking forward to Maggie 2 🙂 I have already made one in my bookclub read Maggie 1 and two more wish to!
The word keep spreading!
Please wait till it is cooler to dig the moat. It is too hot for the Horde to launch any sortie in Texas and we value your health.
Excited for book 3 and alllll the things on the docketz.
My quote:
“It was like walking into a medieval version of one of those fireman pet-charity calendars, except that everyone kept their clothes on and there was a distressing lack of kittens.” This Kingdom
Re: the “news I cannot tell you yet” is it that Catalina’s trilogy will be releasing in trade paperback? Because that amazon listing is already up for Sapphire Flames with a release of February 16.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0063596393/
Re: Innkeeper, I’m guessing you sold print rights to a publisher, maybe Tor. I hope new readers will discover the series! But I am a little sad we won’t get a serial for future books.
The Horde sees all!
Such exciting news! Thanks so much for all your work and sharing your stories (and all the extra goodies)!
We will be as chalant as possible (I may be rereading TKWNKM again while I attempt to maintain the chalant)
I’ve asked too much of you already. I will break my vow today. It is a weight I will have to bear. You are a good person and I will show you mercy. Please accept my sacrifice.”
Adira, in Sweep With Me (innkeeper chronicles)
Thanks again for all the ways in which you humor the Horde. I’m sorry about our reading skills. You’d think a Book Devouring Horde would be better with reading comprehension.
Oh!! All the cool things coming! So much! Thinking fluffy, p@tient thoughts.
It sounds like Maggie 2 may be very cliffy. I’m terrible with cliff-hangers, so I tend to wait to read the book until the next installment is out. (I get that purchasing is important. The purchasing happens. The reading waits.) But then if I wait, I miss out on the BDH-wide obsessing.
Decisions, decisions.
“Perspective. He wasn’t trying to impress me. He was just sitting in a chair.”
TKWNKM. Every time I read this, it makes me laugh.
I’d be delighted to beta test. In fact, more than delighted. Ecstatic, etc.
Here kitty kitty kitty. Magic Bites. Great first meeting.
Also. While not a book quite. I’m pretty sure “We Are Challant!” hits pretty high.
I can’t believe I have to say this. You there, dashing male secretary! Drop the frying pan.”
Wildfire
I saw her post about reading it on Threads and my jealous was SO. INTENSE.
I am so excited for 2027. Frost and Andrews sequels!
Let’s. GOOO!
I can’t wait for all the wonderful things!?!? Here is my quote to be entered to be a beta tester!
“You’re more like a crazy aunt who only gets called when somebody needs bailing out of jail,” Derek said. – Magic Burns
I am an aunt and this is so me 😂😂😂😂
and btw, speaking about Hugh
😈😈😈
She mentioned Hugh!!
Then the scary old knight came and told me that if I challenged the boy, there would be ripper cushions.
Ilona Andrews, Sweep of the Blade (Innkeeper Chronicles, #4)
Quote: “Birds were assholes.” Magic Binds
I have no idea why I love that quote so much, but I giggle every time I read it.
So… where did the final % land at for the vellum sales? Anywhere close to my 6000% estimate?
“Green suits you, Maggie.”
The foreshadowing! 🤪
Start digging the most. The BDH is the most chalant group ever. We demand Maggie 3 on the same day as Maggie 2 release. 🤣 In special order leather bound with art and sprayed edges.
As for quotes: Here Kitty Kitty Kitty.
There will be riper cushions.
“I can’t give you the white picket fence, and if I did you’d set it on fire.”
Magic Bleeds
This is to say that I loved This Kingdom so much I bought the hardcover after listening to the audiobook. Which led me to dive into your back catalog and absolutely devour The Innkeeper and Hidden Legacy series. Love them both just as much. Hoping others do the same. Also, do you get numbers from StoryGraph? curious if their ratings are similar to Goodreads.
Welcome to the Horde, Kimberly!
This whole post just made my day. Thank you.
“Here kitty kitty” – Magic Bites
so much awesomeness happening!! I’m thrilled for you two and your entire team. I think you should include this as a quote:
“Barsa! Barsa, barsa, barsa. Barsa.”
never fails to make me laugh like an idiot.
This always makes me giggle. Andrea being a best friend:
“I’ve got news for you, it wasn’t your apple pie Curran was interested in.”
Congratulations on everything. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
So exciting!
One of my favorite quotes from innkeeper:
“Live. Join me or not, but live, gods damn you, because I cannot stand the thought of you slowly aging here like some dusty fossil under glass. Take my hand and bring your sword. The universe is waiting.”
I’ve followed you for so long (LiveJournal days). I got my sister to read/obsess along with me. We have a friend who is a Dungeon Master and whose nickname is Gandalf.
Anyway, suggested TKWNKM and he read it (from the library). When asked, he liked it enough to look up something else you wrote. It was something about this woman who protects Atlanta 😀
OOOooooo a possible blog serial! (insert wistful tone) could it possibly be Puffles? whatever it turns out to be, it will be wonderful!
Did someone say Puffles!!!!!
I braced myself against the pressure. He wouldn’t break me. “Eat dirt and die.”
Burn For Me
Oooh, it’s tough to choose. How about Kate to the Coucil, “If you come, you better come in force because I will kill every single one of you. My hand won’t shake, my aim won’t falter. My face will be the last thing you’ll see before you die.” And Hugh’s commentary, “You’re hilarious.”
“Then the scary old knight came and told me that if I challenged the boy, there would be ripper cushions.” Helen from Sweep of the Blade, Innkeeper Chronicles Book 4, approx page 90 of my Kindle version.
If it helps, I have an android device (new, Samsung) and would love to beta test!
Thank you for the updates and I’m so very excited for all that’s to come! Also, wouldn’t your sales numbers for BB and Inheritance be higher than just from Kindle? I know I buy from your store whenever possible. (It’s easy enough for me and I want you to have allll the money you can from them!) 🤗
Yayyyyyy!!!! Thanks for all the details! So exciting that we’re expanding the BDH by that much! Also very happy to hear that other series will still happen. Squeeeee!
Please take care of yourselves more than you take care of us.
Some much exciting news!!
A (very small) sampling of my iBook highlights.
“Bargains with dragons never end well.”
– Nevada, White Hot
“Yes, I’ll take it to the evening news, because I always wanted to be seen as a complete madman.”
– Sean, Clean Sweep
“My lords! I’m not a castle. You don’t have to storm me.”
– Dina, Sweep in Peace
“I don’t want him to be happy. I want him to be an adult!”
– Lord Soren, One Fell Sweep
“Good, because the city needs you, and you don’t have a costume, so sending bat signals with floodlights is right out.”
– Kate, Magic Triumphs
“It’s funny how you use logic in an argument and think it will persuade me.”
– Kate, Magic Triumphs
“If a cultural reference flies over a man’s head, does it make a sound if nobody else gets it?”
– Kate, Magic Burns
“If the sky could dream it would dream of dragons.” Faye’s edge- I think.
Congrats on being the super-awesome authorlords that you are! You deserve all the attentions.
I’m currently comfort re-reading Innkeeper, but the quote I really empathize with is a Sapphire Flames classic. “My ability even has been severely compromised”.
If I dare say so, I’m would be an awesome beta tester,. In any IT test project, I always bump into the strangest bugs and that always gets giggles out of me.
So much good news!! Bring on all the books!!
Sky/dream/dragons is one of my favorite quotes – I have the t-shirt from the merch store and wear it frequently.
This blog is one of my happy places, along with numerous alpaca farms on FB. 🦙📚💖
Unfortunately, all I can focus on at the moment is Jeanine saying, “If so and so endgame, I will not be able to handle it.” Jeanine is me, and I am her.
No- thank you! You are amazing!
She said there was a unique beauty to the imperfection. No other cup would ever be chipped in quite the same way. It reminded her to pay attention, for every moment could offer an experience that would leave her forever changed. —Magic Shifts
Like I said on FB:
I didn’t chose the Horde Life,
The Horde Life chose me.
high five to the world for finally catching on to what the Horde has already known forever.
I’m a teacher in a middle school, and this one had a big impact: “Hate is a very powerful tool. Don’t waste it. People who don’t like you because of what you are may change their minds when they get to know you. But some people will hate you because of who you are. If they were honest with themselves, they would admit that they don’t like you because something about you makes them feel inferior.” (Sweep of the Blade, Chapter 10, pg. 176)
The law is the law whether you like it or not. —Magic Shifts
Nothing kills a party like an oversized metal hedgehog. —Magic Burns