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Vellum Updates and a Bribe Giveaway

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We will start with a brief vellum update and then switch to the giveaway. I am bribing you.

Some people saw me testing things on Facebook this morning, and I wanted to explain it before any misunderstandings occured.

It’s our first time printing vellum so we made some decisions that slightly complicated our life.

Our original vellum, the one that is advertised in image below is printed on 40lb vellum. It’s thicker, the colors are brighter, and it is exactly 6×9 so it fits into US hardcover.

It fits in the book, but it is thicker and it is a bit of struggle to make it stay. It should have been printed slightly smaller.

We have now tried 5 different printers. At some point, I invited Grace Draven to the house to get unbiased opinions.

First, we dropped the white border and settled on the size that would fit both UK and US hardcovers.

Next we found a thinner vellum at 28 lbs that still shows the beautiful colors but is much thinner and lays better in the book.

We have one more batch coming to us before finalizing the no-border vellum. After that, the no-border vellum will be available as a separate product. We don’t want to throw it out there before we have pictures to show you.

We would like to give you options at the fulfillment.

  • You can choose to stay with the original vellum with white border. We printed a ton of it and we have it in stock.
  • You can switch to the no-white-border version at no additional charge. It is a one for one swap.
  • And those of you who would like to get both, border and no-border, will be able to grab a set of no-border vellum at a discount. We will just stuff it into the same envelope, saving you on shipping. The add-on pack will be available only with a regular order.

Once we have finalized this second variant, we will send you an email through the store explaining how to choose your options. If you run into trouble, please email us and we will sort it.

A little warning about the fulfillment: we expect it to take several weeks. We have in excess of 2,000 orders. Kid 2 is stuffing maps into the envelopes as we speak. We even put Rito to work.

We appreciate your patience.

We will start shipping after 07/08, and if you get worried, email me through the store and I will be able to tell you your place in line.

Also I now know way too much about vellum.

Giveaway Bribe

We have received beautiful collected editions of Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 from Subterranean Press. It is a gorgeous book, and we are very grateful to Subterranean for reissuing it.

(And also an unexpected gift of the wonderful Sencha Tea! A giant bag of it. Dear Geralyn, thank you so much! It is appreciated beyond all reason.)

This collector edition contains Clean Sweep, Sweep in Peace, and One Fell Sweep. Clean Sweep is currently available free in our store.

This is your chance to grab one of these copies. The giveaway will run until 07/09 and the winner will be chosen on 07/10.

  • US only – unfortunately, it is a massive book, and shipping it internationally will be a nightmare. House Andrews will host other international giveaways soon.
  • To enter, please let us know in the blog comments who is your favorite character from the Innkeeper Chronicles.

PS Mod R:

Ilona wrote this post, but I am changing author to myself so she doesn’t get the thousands of comments alerts – House Andrews are on the last scenes of Maggie 2 and they need full focus!

Please read the instructions before making your comment, I have had to void so many entries in the previous giveaway.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. It’s hard choosing a favorite because I love all of them but Orro has a special place… he’s hilarious with his pronouncements and his dramatic speeches lol. “What are you implying….” when Dina asked if he could handle all the cooking. 😂

  3. Besides Dina and Maud, I loved Orro. He’s so funny and I can still remember the tiny, perfect cupcake *drools*

    • I have to be basic and pick Dina!! I just love how she deals with absolutely all the crud she gets thrown her way.

  4. wow These are absolutely gorgeous 🤩. Also I don’t think you could ask me a harder question, the Innkeeper Series is one of my all time favorite. so while I absolutely love Dina, but Cookie and arland are great….

  6. While I love Orro, and so many others, I adore how Dina is so real-to-life which is a nice touch in a fantasy character.

  9. Other than the main characters, I love
    Drifan Liege Adira (the power, the restraint!)
    And
    Lady Wexon (Priestess of Revenge, seeker of balance in the universe, superb strategist and dancer)

    It is hard to choose, especially when I also love Maude. But I think I choose,

    Lady Wexon.

  10. I think I have to say my favorite character was Dina- I felt like I could relate to her so much when I read the series and I think her job is the coolest in all of House Andrews literature!

  11. Dina is my favorite, it’s been great watching her grow into her strengths across the series!

  13. My favorite character is her grace Caldenia ka ret Magren because you never know what she is going to say, and at first you believe she is as heartless and cold as she presents herself, but over the series you can catch glimpses of her true character through her actions.

    • It’s hard to choose a favorite but Maude is my pick. She’s knows who she is and doesn’t take crap from anyone. She’s also smart, loving, and loyal.

  14. I really like Lord Sorren,

    My lord, why are you wearing trench coats?”
    “We must blend in,” he said. “This is a covert operation.”
    Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, don’t laugh…”It’s very hot,” I said. “Trench coats are a cold-weather garment.”

  15. I’ve read and re-read the Innkeeper series so many times, I feel like every time I have a different favorite.
    I think I’d have to pick Sean – his arc over the books from being supremely confident in his abilities to learning where he came from to exploring the universe and the impact of his time out in the ‘verse… to him settling into loving Dina and safekeeping her, Gertrude Hunt, their life together.

  16. I am having a hard time choosing between Maude for her fierceness & smarts and Orro for the comedy. They are both extremely passionate, but I think Maude wins just due to her general badassery!! I would want to be Maude, associate with Maude-alikes and, lastly, raise daughters to be as self-confident and self-sufficient as Maude.

  17. Arland is my favorite, hands down. Honorable, smart, clever, powerful, loyal, generous, and funny as hell. I really appreciated how as the books progressed towards and through his and Maud’s story, we get to see more and more of what makes Arland who he is. Love Arland for sure.

  18. My favorite character is Dina, but I love Oro, and love Officer Hector Marais. I love that Marais can tell something odd is goin on at the Inn! I love when he gets his upgraded car back, when he is introduced to Oro, when he get the intergalactic regulations about Earth, when he get an anti matter gun (?).

    Thank you! Such great books!

    Maryland, USA

  19. Oh, my favorite is absolutely Orro. There are plenty of great characters, but Orro stands out.

  21. My favorite character is Orro, especially as he is portrayed in the graphic audio books. The first time he came into a scene I had to pull over and park to give him my full attention and then when I finished the scene, I had to go back and listen to that part again.

    Also, Mod R will you let me know when the store is back open, please? Our dishwasher is eating the paint off of all of our favorite mugs.

  23. Too many great characters to choose from! All of them? Truly love Orro though

  24. Having just finished a couple days ago, I think Caldenia has firmly cemented her place as my favorite.

  25. Dina is my favorite because she appears nice and sweet but can quickly become the most dangerous one of the bunch

  26. Dina is who I want to hug; she is family-centered, thoughtful, perseverant, talented, assertive yet humble.

  28. Helen, of course! I can’t imagine how fierce she will be when she grows up.

  30. I have to say Orro is my favorite character. I’m a foodie and a cook and I am utterly fascinated by his masterpieces. I felt so sorry for him when he finally came to understand how TV chefs work. Poor Orro!

  31. George for me! Competence is catnip, and I love the dynamic Dina establishes with him.

  33. Maude! I love how awesome she is. Her book is also my favorite of all the innkeeper series

  34. While I often fall in love with the wonderfully rich side characters, my favorite is the innkeeper herself, Dina. Her caring, steadiness, and insight into her guests just speaks to me. Helen is, however, a very close second.

  39. Gertrude Hunt is my favorite character. No inn, no place for our friends to play.

  41. I know he doesn’t have a lot of scenes but I love the cat. Probably because I have one of my own. bit I get really excited when he gets page time.

  42. Dina is my favorite character from the Innkeeper series. She is a gentle, homely soul when left alone, but also loves with her whole heart, works hard to reach her goals, and fiercely stands up for her values and loved ones. She is a main character who show a woman can be both gentle and fierce, that being gentle doesn’t mean you can’t stand up and fight when needed, but don’t have to be a fighter all the time.

  43. I hate having to choose a favorite, but Maud is the one that I want to see more of, so I guess I’ll pick her.

  45. My favorite character is Dina of course, then Maud and Sean tied –but if looking beyond that I would say probably Helen. Or if going really off the rails, Brutus — because both my kids quote “Brutus was dead…” at me at least once a week LOL

  47. Its hard to pick my favorite character from the innkeeper series. Besides Dina, for me its a draw between Caldenia and Gutrude Hunt.

  48. My favorite character is a very hard choice, because they are all so special! If I must choose, it will be Beast! Beast is fluffy on the outside and a complete protector underneath. Hugs from Alaska!

  51. My favorite is Orro. Trying and failing to recreate the fast food burger was awesome!
    But Caldenia is a very close second 😊

  53. Hmmm. Thought I would be the only one fixated on a cook, but it appears quite a few are of the same opinion. So Orro is my favorite character. I would love to meet him in real life and sample a meal he has made. Plus, he is such a larger than life character that I would love to just plain give him a hug!

  55. Hi! I have been reading your beautiful words since the very beginning! Thank you♥️ I love Dina, she is so heartfelt in her convictions!

  56. Orro is my favorite, because all the drama! And believing the TV shows and movies are documentaries!

  59. So hard to choose just one character! So many wonderful ones in this series. But if I absolutely *had* to choose, it would probably be Sean Evans. Ruthless, but still has a wonderful sense of humor.

  61. Favorite character from the Innkeeper Chronicles is hard. First name that came to mind was Orro with Arland a close second.

  62. I love Jack and George making special appearance from the Edge series. Also the fox-like friend in the Inheritance who must have cousins that appear in the Innkeeper chronicles.

  64. Innkeeper is filled with fantastic characters, but the best one is obviously Orro.

  65. It’s so hard to choose a favorite! I’ll narrow it down to the entire Nuan clan.

  67. I am entering the giveaway for the Innkeeper Chronicles Volume One. My favorite character is Dina. Orro was a close second, but Dina is awesome.

  70. Helen is my favorite character. She never fails to lift my spirits with her antics and comments.

  72. Oof, how to choose?! I guess I’ll go with Dina. But it really depends on which book I’m reading, the current state of the world, and the mood I’m in…

  74. My favorite character from the Innkeeper Chronicles… As cliche as it is, it’s Dina. She is soft with patience and grace as I could never be, but when she has had enough, she fucks shit up. She’s a secret badass and I love it.

  77. Honestly? I love the Inn! But I haven’t finished the series yet. Pacing myself 🙂

  78. I’m in the US and my favorite character from the Innkeeper Chronicles is Orro. Fire!!!

  80. My favorite character from the Innkeeper series is Maud. I wish there were more (or any) occasions for me to use the line “Did you get all that or do you need me to translate it for you into your backwater gibberish?”

  81. It’s hard to pick 1. However I love Dina. She is fierce, intelligent and a little innocent. She has a set of morals and standards and sticks by them. After that I would choose Helen and The Ripper of Souls (the cat). I named my cats after them so they have a special place in my heart.

  83. Picking a favorite character is so hard! I think mine is Orro, just because he is so dramatic. People forget how important food can be, but Orro would never.

  86. My favorite character of The Innkeeper Chronicles is simply Dina. but I do have a soft spot for Officer Marais, and was so happy to eventually meet his wife! (please pick me! 😀 )

  87. My favorite character?! So hard to pick, but I’d have to say Gertrude Hunt. She’s so central, loving and protective and I just feel she’s going to be pivotal to Dina’s search. The new door and cutting doesn’t hurt, either! ;⁠)

  89. Dina is my favorite. Glad you didn’t ask for second favorite because I would be frozen with indecision. All the books by House Andrews are wonderful. The Innkeeper Chronicles are my first and best beloved because of all the fun and fascinating characters.

  92. love Dina and that is my favorite but Maud and Helen are also fantastic characters.

  93. I have trouble picking a favorite, but I’m going to go with Caldenia. I love her ability to plan ahead way pat everyone else.

  94. Dina is my fave, but difficult choice, as there are SO many amazing characters in the Innkeeper Chronicles. Thanks, again, wonderful HA & Mod-R. Appreciate y’all!

  95. I love Dina and the Inn. They have a special connection and I sometimes feel for the Inn when things happen to Dina.

  96. I really love them all and reread the whole series, but Maud is my favorite, for some reason I just keep going back to her.
    I think it’s her arc of personal growth.
    Her fierce love of her child, and her determination to be valued for what she can contribute, not to be seen as just someone else’s “plus 1.”

  97. Dina but also Beast. How can you not love a dog who will turn into a monster for you? (*hearts*)

  98. My favorite character has got to be Dina. I absolutely love the way she manages chaos and her empathy!

    can I buy this somewhere if I don’t win??