There are three separate pieces of Horde Friday business today, so let’s start with the shiny book!
Giveaway Winner
The winner of the Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 collected edition from Subterranean Press is: Virginia Franco!
Congratulations, Virginia! I will contact you from the modr@ilona-andrews.com email address to make arrangements. Please check your spam folder if you see this but have not received the email. If we don’t hear back by Thursday, July 16, a new winner will be drawn next Friday.
Thank you to everyone who entered. If you did not win this time, do not despair: the blog will host more giveaways this summer! And if you had your eye on this particular prize, you can also download Clean Sweep, Innkeeper Chronicles #1, completely free from the Ilona Andrews Store.
Columbus Book Festival This Weekend
House Andrews are featured authors at the Columbus Book Festival in Ohio tomorrow, Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12.
None of the House Andrews events require tickets, yay!
Schedule
- Saturday, July 11 at 1:00 PM Spirits, Spells & Swoons: Romantasy | Stage 2
Joining them on the panel are BFF Jeaniene Frost, author of A Curse of Beasts and Magic, and Shalini Abeysekara, author of This Blade of Ours.
- Sunday, July 12 at 10:30 AM Speed Matching | Room 2A
During Speed Matching, readers meet authors in small groups for quick five-minute rounds, receiving a personal introduction to each book before the authors rotate to the next table.
- Sunday, July 12 at 3:00 PM God Complex: World-Building | Stage 2
Returning to Stage 2 for a conversation with John Chu, author of The Subtle Art of Folding Space, and K.X. Song, author of The Dragon Wakes with Thunder.
And, because this has become the most frequently asked question:
Yes, House Andrews will be signing books on both days
Ilona and Gordon will sign for one hour after each of their scheduled appearances. That means there will be a signing after Saturday’s panel and signings after both Sunday sessions.
House Andrews will also bring a few of the trial vellums, stickers, and a small quantity of presigned bookplates. These will be available first come, first served while supplies last.
The festival’s signing guidelines are:
- You must have a book to enter the signing line.
- You may bring a book from home or purchase one from the Official Festival Bookstore, which will be supporting local independent booksellers.
- There is a limit of two items per author.
- Posed photographs may be allowed in front of the signing table if time permits.
- Each signing lasts for up to one hour.
Festival Info & FAQ
For any questions and last-minute updates, the festival website and FAQ should be your first stop:
The main website is here.
The FAQ for the festival is here, part of a very well-organised and informative Event Information menu, with visitor information regarding full author lineup, schedule, parking information, accessibility guidance, and tickets.
House Andrews are guests of the festival. The authors themselves, the Ilona Andrews blog, me as the moderator, or the Ilona Andrews Facebook fan group do not organize the event and cannot override its policies, schedule or provide authoritative answers about festival logistics or the book stock of invited retailers. Thank you for your understanding.
For everyone attending: have a wonderful time, please be kind to the festival staff, volunteers, and the authors, and please send us pictures! The rest of the Horde would love to experience the weekend vicariously.
Achievement Victory Lap
Finally, the lovely Heather wrote in with a request after Ilona’s very concise announcement that the initial draft of Maggie 2 had been finished:
“Any chance we can get a celebratory thread for Maggie 2 being finished so we can give House IA all the praise and hopes?
Maybe… a thread where the BDH can post all their hardest efforts at getting something hard done?”
That seems like excellent Friday energy, thank you Heather!
There has also been a sneaky update on the Release Schedule page that did not create nearly the waves I expected.
Second half of 2027! Habemus release period for Maggie 2 – The Redactening.
So this is the BDH celebratory thread – tell us about something difficult you have recently finished, or survived, completed, submitted, repaired, organized, endured, or finally crossed off a very long list.
All victories count here!
Thanks! Amazing.
Holy cow, did I just score first?!
Certified Friday first 🙂
I’ll be there Saturday!
Am I first?
Congratulations! Very excited for Maggie 2!
Yaay!! Congrats House Andrews !! I finished an exam to become a civil servant in my country! Let’s hope I get in 🤞🤞🤞🤞
Congrats! WOOOOOOOO Maggie 2 this year! I’ve gotten my Divemaster certification and started working on scuba diving charter boats on the weekends.
Congratulations!
2027 is next year tho, but I totally get the spirit 😀
Oh no! I got super excited and now I have to w*it! Everyone, wish us all p*tience!
Congratulations on finishing Maggie 2! So excited to read it next year 😊
Very sneaky indeed, updating the release schedule! Truthfully, I just wait for the blog announcement. So excited that we have an estimated window for Maggie2!!
My difficulty has been ongoing for the last 2 1/2 years, starting when my mom moved into assisted living with Alzheimer’s as I am her only person she relies on. I’ve learned to be better at taking care of myself and my own medical issues and accepting that I can’t make things better for her.
caring for our aging parents is tough enough, but when you add any kind of dementia diagnosis it rapidly becomes more difficult. I’m glad you are making a priority to take care of yourself. We really can’t care properly for others if we haven’t cared for ourselves, burnout is real. Sending a fellow BDH member gentle hug to you!
Sending you a big BDH member hug. Caring for ailing parents is so hard, especially when you slowly lose them during the process. We see you.
Congratulations! 👏👏👏👏🎊🎉
It took me months to remove 30 rows of 70cm of difficult acrylic thread on my crochet poncho because of a motif I accidently skipped. But I finished, and can continue my poncho normally again 😊
oh wow, that is some dedication!
Congrats on finishing Maggie 2! I’m beyond excited to read it!
Recently, I had surgery and finally saw positive test results for an ailment I’ve been dealing with for about a year and a half. So happy to be feeling better again!
Glad that you are feeling better. Hope recovery road only gets better!!!
Does being in the 1st 10s count? lol
Congratulations again on finishing Maggie 2…. Now to p*tiently w*it for second half of 2027 (could be anywhere from July to December but who’s counting months?!)
It’s not over yet, but successful breast surgery against cancer… Treatment next, but I am celebrating every small victories, including first kid HS graduation!
Much love to HA, Mod R and the Horde
Same boat, I’ll help you row😁 start mine next week.
Congratulations on Maggie 2 being done! Whoo-hoo! 🎇🎊👏👏👏👏👏👏💃💃
Second half of 2027? My guess is anywhere from June to December. I realize Tor is the one who dictates when the book comes out. However, the Horde is going to do what the Horde is going to do, and that’s speculate on the timing. 😉😁
I decided to not renew my lease on the apartment I’m living in right now. So, last month I made an appointment with a home builder in Fort Worth not really expecting anything to come out of it. About 2 and half hours later, I was in the process of buying a house! Almost a month later (yes, it went that fast), I’m about to get final approval on a mortgage, closing costs are going to be paid (hopefully) by the home builder, and from what I understand, closing is sometime Tuesday. My lease isn’t up until October, but I can start moving things into the new place as soon as I get the keys. 🎊🎇🎆🏠
Yaaaaay! Big move! Congratulations!
🏠🗝️🎉
So excited for more Maggie!! I managed to get the tattoos that I wanted to honor those special people that I’ve lost in the last few years. Plus I can finally think about, talk about, and dream about my Mom again after losing her.
Sending big hugs. Lost my mother recently, too.
Yea!! We have an ballpark date! So I’m starting my own countdown to 6/1/27. 🙂 Will happily modify as we get closer and more official.
Recently just finished emergency restoration and mold removal from a leak in our kitchen. Ugh. But it gave me the chance to clean out a bunch of drawers!
Congratulations on finishing Maggie2!
I my achievement for 2026 is getting 95% done of a quilt for my sons wedding next year.
If curious it’s alchemist crystals by Quiltworx, it gorgeous and huge!
Yippee!!
This felt (through our rosy, outside view) like a much more stressful write than others. Hugs and congratulations on finishing M2! Now, to pack for the festival- which will be relaxing I’m sure 🙃
——-
Achievements: After losing my mom last year, I’m trying to make time to visit my dad (5 hrs away), in-laws (7 hrs), and assorted sibs (between 4-11). As well as our adult children (11 hrs approx). Losing her and reading “Being Mortal “ helped me truly realize how few visits I may have with them. My success is stymied by my inability to drive far (medical) But, this year has so far been more successful in prioritizing visiting! So, that counts as a win!
On a less morbid note, we also have only so much time left to read! (Patiently waiting…)
Congratulations to the winner!
I hope everyone has fun at the festival!
I made the decision a few months ago to start working out again. Walking and Yoga with weights, simple but doable. Ive been struggling to get a full 5 days in because life, kids, work, parents etc. I shoot for 5 days but get 3 mostly, on a great week 4 days.
This morning before work I got in the elusive day 5!
I know its a small win, not sure if I’ll get 5days in next week, but I was so excited to reach that milestone this morning!
Holy Cow 2md half of next year??? We the Horde are spoiled!! I was definitely expecting a 2028 release.
As for something I am surviving or enduring, I am fighting the dreaded squash and cucumber bugs that are trying to decimate my amazing vegetable garden. The struggle is real.
I am in a medieval reenactment Society many know of as the SCA. We are two weeks away from our biggest event Pennsic War in Pennsylvania.
I have sewn 5 short-sleeved medieval gowns for myself, and just finished a commission of 6 men’s Saxon tunics. All of them have fancy necklines with metallic trim and/or braid. While much of the work was done by machine, the finishing touches were by hand.
I am feeling Very Accomplished right now. 😀
I’m getting Clover vibes after reading your post, Kathy. 😊
Finally got myself referred to a therapist. I’ve known for two decades that I should probably go to therapy and deal with various mental health issues, and I finally did it.
Small win with hopefully a big positive impact.
Tanja
Taking care of yourself is a big win.
Huge win! Starting a hard, but rewarding journey is a BIG deal! Huzzah!!
Congrats on Maggie 2!! Looking forward to it!
I was diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome. I’ve revamped my diet, started exercising, and lost 12 lbs!
My husband Tom has come out the other side of Breast Cancer. He is doing well and we are now going just every six months for checkups! Our oldest son Tom, was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer, he was told to get his affairs in order. He was put on Immunotherapy and it has retreated to just a couple of cells! He is done with chemo and is now just getting the Immunotherapy once a month. A HUGE win!! So two things my family is celebrating!
What wonderful news!! Modern medicine is AMAZING!!!
Woo hoo! Break out the celebratory beverages! The confetti! The happy dance! The dance of joy!
Break out the ferrets! . . . wait no . . . maybe not the ferrets.
Hardest thing? Complicated work thing. It’s a bang-your-head, pull-out-your hair, eat ALL the chocolate, complicated. But also job security complicated. 🙂
But we are the BDH! We persevere! If we can w@it, we can do ANTHING! — including things we probably shouldn’t . . . (file under “Steve Shenanigans”). Yay us!
I think we may have missed the “release schedule” goodness because we are all too busy obsessing about merch . . . vellum, stickers, and will that cool design be on mug/tee/tote/random other thing.
Ahhh!!!! This excites me so much! I read This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me to my 10 year old (I edited some of the more gruesome bits as I read) and she’s as excited as me!
I am currently surviving a massive influx of summer registrations for the school I work at. I feel you on the eye twitch.
I finally (after 8 years, many ups and downs, and much trial and error) got my first college degree!
Starting work on the next one in the fall! 🙂
Woot!!! Congratulations on finishing a non-traditional route!
Congratulations House Andrews on finishing Maggie, we’re all SO pleased to hear it and unspeakably excited about the page count 🤤
I am in 3 job application processes, one of which sent a rejection today after interview last week. So I guess that’s good because after so many “nos” there will be a “yes”, right? … Right???
Yesterday I managed to successfully change a flat tire by myself in the heat that occurred on a steep winding road in a place without cell service after working a 10 hour day. Then using the spare tire I successfully drove the two more hours to get home. For me this is a great victory.
My Victory lap will begin in 53 days. I may have to put another * in wa*t and pa*tience, because the wedding at the Castle will most likely not be presented before TKWNKM # 2 is published in 2027. Oh, my Victory lap: The first day into the beginning of my tenth generation.
Woohoo!! Excited to have a release date for Maggie 2 and congratulations on finishing it!!! Now for the w*it
I had a difficult conversation in my professional life and it went really well. I got really good advice on how to frame it from my good friend (and past-job work wife), and I really thought about it and practiced. And I am proud of myself for coming from a place of calm and peace vs frustration and defensiveness.
My accomplishment has to be traveling with my grandmother. She is ninety, has dementia and mobility issues, and while I do not have kids, I imagine it is a similar experience. I have to bribe her to wake up early, ensure she has snacks and takes her meds, lay out the day in small increments so she knows what to expect, and find creative solutions to juggle her wheel chair, her luggage, and myself.
I have Crohn’s disease, but have been very lucky throughout my life, not needing surgery, even though I am 47 and have had the disease since I was 18. Unfortunately, repeated flares in the same spot in my intestines did actually build up a lot of scar tissue, forming what are called strictures. They made it such that even though I completely restricted cruciferous vegetables from my diet (they stay mostly whole until they pass this part of the intestine that is most often affected by Crohn’s), I still had a couple of visits to the hospital a year for blockages.
Last year, a friend of mine passed away from post-surgical complications at a very young age. She was only 31, had completed her doctorate at Cornell, just gotten married and was a bright, intelligent, kind, beacon in an often dark world. I was gutted and suddenly rationally much more afraid of my own looming surgery.
Also last year, while helping my mom fight aggressive terminal lung cancer, I ended up in the hospital again. My doc said I really needed to get the surgery done, so I scheduled it for November of last year. Unfortunately, my mother received a three to six month terminal prognosis in October, so I cancelled that surgery to take care of her at home and help her through hospice in her (our) own home.
She passed away at the end of January this year. After some time for grief and recovery, (during which I read TKWNKM multiple times) I faced the inevitable and rescheduled my surgery for June. I was so scared and so sad to be missing my Mom during this time, as she also had Crohn’s disease, had experience multiple surgeries and really wanted to be present for my first one. I ended up back in the hospital for another blockage a week before the surgery and almost cancelled again.
But I didn’t cancel it. I went through with it. Despite my grief, my fear and the complications for my working life, I had surgery at the beginning of June and all in all it has gone remarkably well. I have had broccoli for the first time since my 23 year old son was 18 months old and it was so delicious! My doctors were so incredible and caring and competent and my family and friends were so supportive. Despite a difficult year, I am so incredibly lucky.
Thanks for the venue to pat myself on the back! Great idea, Heather.
And congratulations to House Andrews! I am so looking forward to diving back into Maggie’s world.
I have came back to university to study after completely failing the first time a decade ago, and I passed all my exams! It’s soooo validating to have evidence that I was not stupid during my first try, just utterly depressed and unable to process any information thrown at me, haha.
*chanting chalantly* H.A.! H.A.! H.A.! Maggie! Maggie! Maggie!
Congrats and a huge thank you!!! I am living independently for the first time in 35 years. I was so scared and unsure, but I’m doing it!
Throughout a lot of HA books (especially in the Innkeeper series) characters assure each other the “It will be ok”, I took that to heart. HA and GA audiobooks on repeat helped tremendously. Y’all rock!