Authors

Rocket launching Jeeves in 3.2.1.chomp…

This should be interesting.

I doubt it.

gznorkzzzzzzzzzz

When shall we three meet again? Or…wait, this is Macbeth, right?

 

Prologue

From: A History of Northern Continent Education. Markus Adams (Certified Wizard).

There is no agreement, in the annuals of magical education, of just which magical school was the first to be founded. Academics argue constantly over whether or not Whitehall, Mountaintop, Golden (lost in the blighted lands) or even Heart’s Eye came first, setting an example that inspired the remaining first generation of schools. Even for the schools for which we have detailed and accurate historical records, such as Laughter or Stronghold, there are a great many questions that remain unanswered. It is difficult to trace the development of magical education, or to trace the thinking that led to communal schools. Far too many historical records have simply been lost or deliberately destroyed.

One thing that is clear, however, is that the development of magical schools led to clashes with wizards who followed the apprenticeship system. A wizard who had a number of apprentices, who in turn raised apprentices of their own, stood at the top of a hierarchy that was tilted in their favour, giving them power and prestige they were loathe to lose. The clear flaws of the system – senior wizards had considerable power over their juniors, some magicians never receive proper training at all – did not disabuse them of their determination to keep the system in place. Indeed, many junior apprentices preferred to keep it because eventually they would rise to become seniors themselves. The idea of a generalist magical education, which would give all comers the same basic knowledge, was understandably terrifying. It would not only limit the number of apprentices willing to devote their lives to a singular subject, but also ensure the apprentices knew their rights when they were accepted by a master. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the masters and many of their apprentices waged war on the concept of universal magical education. Historical records are vague, but it appears that several schools were in fact destroyed over the first century of magical education and Whitehall itself came very close to being destroyed too.

The events that led to the compromise that ended the dispute remain unclear, but eventually a compromise was reached. The schools would give everyone the same basic grounding, yet also serve as a recruiting ground for masters in search of apprentices. Students who did well would be offered a chance of further education, focused on a particular subject. In many ways, the compromise appeared perfect. The new students would know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, which subject they intended to specialise in, ensuring they could reach out to the masters best suited to educate them.

However, the compromise was also deeply flawed. There were far more apprentices than there were masters. Many students could not get the focused education they wanted, let alone the qualifications they needed to practice themselves. There was also no way to study multiple subjects after they left school, let alone conduct the studies on their own timetable. Indeed, after several decades development, it became clear that the master-apprentice relationship/hierarchy remained unchanged. The discontent this sparked, by contrast, remained unfocused. No one with the power to do so was interested in rocking the boat, let alone founding an institute of further education.

It was not until Lady Emily arrived on the scene that dreams of a university started to take shape and form. Lady Emily not only had the wealth and prestige to found an institution, but also largely unquestioned possession of Heart’s Eye, a school that was occupied by a necromancer and eventually liberated by Emily herself. Gathering a handful of friends and supporters around her, ironically in the months between her departure from Whitehall and her apprenticeship with Void, she set out to found a university.

She did not find it an easy task. The necromancer had left surprises behind in the rubble, surprises that came very close to destroying the entire university. Many of her allies had ambitions of their own, from the former students of Heart’s Eye to believed the school belonged to them to others who had dreams of power without restraint, and it is greatly to her credit that by the time she left the university under the control of Administrator Irene, and Deputy Administrator Caleb, the institution rested on fairly solid ground, and stood ready to receive the first collection of prospective teachers and students.

Naturally, matters did not go as smoothly as many had hoped.

Chapter One

Caleb stood on the podium and looked down at the audience, trying not to groan.

He had always known it would be difficult to attract top talent to Heart’s Eye, to the university Emily and he had planned over the last few years. Long planning sessions – his heart twisted at the memory of what had followed those sessions – had led to concepts that looked great on paper, yet were frustratingly hard to turn into something real. The vast majority of younger students went to the older magical schools, while the older and freshly graduated magicians tended to look for a master, so they could specialise in their chosen subject. It was never easy to find a master at the best of times, and it grew harder as the prospective apprentice grew older. There was no escaping the simple fact that the first students attending the university wouldn’t be the cream of the crop. They would keep going to masters until the university proved itself.

Caleb knew, without false modesty, that he had always been a dilettante. He hadn’t been interested in a single subject so much as he had been interested in them all, reading around magical topics in greater depth than they were covered at either Stronghold or Whitehall, if they were covered at all. It had made him something of a dabbler, and he’d said as much to Emily, but he’d learnt a great deal through combining the different magical fields into one. There was no inherent reason why a student couldn’t study both alchemy and enchantment, or construction and a dozen other subjects. The divide between them owed more to masters demanding their apprentices specialise in their fields, rather than studying magic itself. It was a two-edged sword, Caleb had often thought, although few agreed with him. The apprentice who became a master might be an expert in their field, but they rarely knew more than the basics of any other field. It was no surprise, not to him, that the different guilds treated each other with barely-hidden disdain, even when they were supposed to be united against a common enemy. There were feuds that went back hundreds of years, originating so far back that no one truly knew what had started them. No wonder cooperation was impossible.

He kept his face as blank as possible as he surveyed the newcomers. A handful of older masters, whose ambitions had outstripped their talents; a cluster of apprentices, some taught the basics at school and others largely self-taught, or taken into their master’s household years before their time. It was technically frowned upon to take on an apprentice who hadn’t had at least four years of generalist education under his belt, but like so many other magical customs it lacked an enforcement mechanism. They were flanked by a handful of young magicians who had the spark, but lacked the money or connections to attend a proper school, and a cluster of apprentice craftsmen, printers and engineers, lacking in magic but deeply steeped in the New Learning. It wasn’t going to be easy to keep them from leaving, Caleb reflected, when they realised how dangerous it could be for a mundane in a school of magicians. Emily had laid down the law, and he intended to enforce it, but it was just a matter of time until someone challenged him. The hell of it was that the challenge might not even be deliberate. Too many magicians saw a mundane in their territory as someone who was being uppity, someone who needed to be taught a lesson. But that rule didn’t apply here.

His eyes lingered briefly on a redheaded young woman, her pretty face set in a scowl that made her look like an overgrown child, and winced inwardly. She was here because of politics … and she didn’t want to be. A handful of aristocratic youths stood near her, looking so absurdly self-confident and entitled that it was hard not to feel a flicker of the old resentment and hatred. They thought the world owed them everything, but if that were true they wouldn’t be attending Heart’s Eye. The new tutors standing at the rear, by contrast, looked worried. They knew they weren’t good enough to get tenure at any other magical institution. Heart’s Eye was their last chance to be something more than independent teachers, moving from city to city and student to student. He hoped they’d be reasonable. Too many magicians were decidedly unreasonable.

He tried to see the hall through their eyes, feeling his heart sink still further. The famed mirrors were gone, some shattered and others removed, and the plain stone walls had been left largely unadorned, save for a handful of portraits of research wizards. The chamber had been swept repeatedly, but there was still a hint of dust in the air. He wondered what the newcomers were thinking, as they waited for him to speak. The events of the last few months, the crisis that had come very close to destroying the university and so much more, felt hazy and dreamlike even to him – and he had lived through it. Others seemed to have forgotten it completely, as if the whole affair had been so far out of their context that they refused to acknowledge it had happened. It was hard to blame them.

Caleb was not good at public speaking. He disliked it profoundly. But he was the Deputy Administrator and it was his duty.

“Welcome to Heart’s Eye,” he said, simply. “This is not a school. This is not a master’s workshop. This is not an institution focused on any one topic, magical or mundane. This is a university. Our goal is to allow students to study multiple subjects at once, be they magic or science, in hopes of expanding the sum total of human knowledge and developing newer and better ways to do things. We are gathering experts in every subject and students who are willing to learn, in the hope of creating a melting pot of knowledge. You may find it strange, if you have spent your early lives or careers in one of the schools or served an apprenticeship under a master before taking apprentices of your own, but we hope you will find it interesting as well as educational.”

He paused. “You’ll notice that a great many of our arrangements are fluid. We have no intention of slavishly copying tradition, at least when there is no clear reason for a given tradition to exist, and our willingness to keep any traditions is entirely dependent on their value and practicality. If one tradition is worthless, we will discard it; if it serves a valuable purpose, we will keep it. You may find it hard to grow accustomed to such changes, and to understand the importance of adapting to the ever-changing world, but we believe that there is no way change can be prevented forever. We aim to surf the waves of change, rather than letting them destroy us.

“In this place, titles don’t matter. Wealth doesn’t matter. Magical power or training doesn’t matter. We will not give you favour because your father is the King of Blank or your mother is the Grand High Witch of Somewhere. We will not look down on you because your father is a mystery, or your mother was a scullery maid; we will certainly not look down on you because you barely have enough magic to boil water, or don’t have magic at all. You will have the opportunities to learn from the tutors, regardless of your origins, and the opportunities to make use of what you learn.

“That said, this is not a school. You will not be scolded for being late to class. You will not be caned for handing your homework in late, or not at all. You will not be expelled for failing your end-of-year exams. We offer you – all of you – equal opportunities. We do not promise equal outcomes. That would be silly. We offer you these opportunities, but what you make of them is up to you. If you study hard, read around your subjects and practice what you’re taught, you will do well. If you never attend class, and spend all your days drinking and carousing in Heart’s Ease,  you will do poorly. You will not graduate. You will do nothing with your lives.

“And it will all be your fault.”

He paused again, letting the words hang in the air.

“There are few rules here, but they do exist. You may not bully or assault other students. You may not disrupt class or impede the education of other students. You may not use your birth or power or both to put someone else down. You may not continue old feuds here. If you have problems with other students, we expect you to handle them maturity; if you have issues with your tutors, we expect you to bring them to the university board. If you are caught breaking these rules, there will be consequences. You will not enjoy them.

“I don’t expect you to like or love your peers, or your tutors. But I do expect you to treat them with respect.”

His eyes surveyed the newcomers again. Some looked pleased, others looked sullen. The red-haired girl managed to look both bored and irked at the same time. The tutors were far more practiced at hiding their emotions. Caleb hoped that didn’t mean they’d be trouble. A single poisonous tutor could do more damage than a dozen entitled aristocratic brats. He wondered, idly, how many would stay, when they realised their qualifications wouldn’t guarantee them tenure. Emily had been very set against any sort of permanent tenure, for reasons Caleb knew the tutors would not approve. The harder it was to sack any offending tutor, the greater the chance one would offend.

“If you want to leave at any moment, the door is over there,” he finished, pointing to the rear door. “If not … I hope you enjoy your time here, and that it benefits both you and our newborn university. The student assistants waiting in the next room will show you to your dorms and bedchambers, if you have any issues they can’t handle ask a tutor. Dismissed.”

A ripple ran through the air as he stepped off the podium, the majority of the students heading towards the next room. Caleb hoped they wouldn’t cause too many problems with the student volunteers, as they struggled to get used to the dorms. Whitehall didn’t have dorms, he knew,  and Mountaintop segregated its students by birth as well as sex. He wondered how long it would be until he heard the first complaint about the lack of private bedrooms, or demands to know why magicians had to share space with mundanes. Probably not very long, if he was any judge. He knew better than to believe mundanes were dirty and smelly brutes who couldn’t count past ten without taking off their pants – and uncouth enough to do it too – because his father was a mundane, but he’d heard magicians say just that and worse too.

Of course they do, his mother had said, years ago. They’re not smart. They’re not talented. The only thing that sets them apart from the mundanes is magic – and they don’t even have much of that. They put the mundanes down because they know, deep inside, that the only thing that separates them from the mundanes is magic – and without magic, they’d be no better than those they hate.

The red-haired girl stalked past him with nary a nod, her face set in a pinched line as she left the room. A handful of young men followed, no doubt intending to try to chat her up. Caleb suspected it wouldn’t go very well, not for them. The girl was a member of a high-ranking family and her would-be suitors were trying too hard, the very finery of their clothes suggesting they weren’t that high-born at all. And the very fact they were in the university was proof they didn’t have their pick of masters …

“You’re Caleb, Son of Sienna,” a student said. He shoved out a hand. “I’m Parson, of House Garland.”

Caleb hid his annoyance with an effort. His extended family hadn’t been too pleased about his mother’s choice of husbands, although they’d been reluctant to take the final step of actually disowning her if she refused to give up her partner and return home. Lucky for them they hadn’t, Caleb reflected. His parents had five children who were handsome, talented, and very strong in magic. His brother had died bravely, facing a necromancer, but the rest of his siblings were powerful assets. House Waterfall had to be glad they hadn’t disowned their wayward child. Her decision had worked out very well for her family.

“Pleased to meet you,” Caleb said. Parson was a little too handsome, a little too overdressed for his role. His handshake was very firm, disturbingly so. Caleb’s father had once noted that the more someone played up his honesty and openness, the more alarmed you should be … Caleb wished, not for the first time, that he’d listened more to his father as a child. “Welcome to Heart’s Eye.”

Parson smiled. “Is it true that you and Lady Emily are secretly married? And that you were given this post as a wedding gift?”

Caleb felt a hot flash of anger. He’d been dreaming of a university – or at least something along those lines – well before he’d known Emily as anything other than a name, let alone a friend and a lover. Their break-up had hurt, and he was honest enough to admit it had been partly his fault, but they’d managed to remain friends and stay in touch, eventually working together to lay the groundwork for a university. The idea that he was nothing more than Emily’s lover was not only insulting, but wrong. It was just frustrating to have people think of him as nothing more than a bit character in her life.

“No,” he said, flatly. “Lady Emily and myself, and a handful of others, devised the university and worked to put it into practice. I have this post because it is my responsibility to make the university work.”

Another student joined them, wearing the livery of a formally-acknowledged bastard. “Why didn’t Mistress Irene greet us?”

“Administrator Irene is currently dealing with a more important problem,” Caleb said. “The university is very new, as you know, and a great many issues were simply not recognised as problems until they came into the light. We are learning through doing here, and …”

Parson frowned. “We are high-ranking students,” he interrupted. “Should we not be welcomed by …”

Caleb met his eyes. It was hard to keep the irritation out of his voice. “There are no ranks and titles here. I told you that. If you are mortally insulted because Mistress Irene did not leave a problem to fester so she could greet you, you may leave at any moment. If not, I suggest you concentrate on your studies. We have a lot of work to do.”

He waited, wondering what Parson would say. Parson bowed instead and headed for the door, surrounded by a handful of other wealthy or well-connected brats. Caleb was sure he was going to be trouble. Some aristos got knocked down hard and learnt from the experience, growing into better people; others, he reflected coldly, didn’t get knocked down until they were too set in their ways to change. He made a mental note to look into Parson’s history. With that sort of attitude, it was very likely he’d never been to Whitehall. Or Stronghold.

“I thank you for your offer of employment,” an older man said. He bowed rather than holding out a hand. “Master Ballymore, at your service.”

Caleb bowed back, studying Ballymore thoughtfully. He was a short slender man, with a ratty face and a weedy little moustache that looked somehow wrong, as if it shouldn’t be there at all. He wore the outfit of a travelling tutor, but there was something about his attitude that suggested he was always one missed payment away from total disaster, a sense of quiet desperation that poisoned the air around him. Caleb tried not to show his concern. The contrast between Ballymore and the confident tutors he’d known at Whitehall could not be greater. If he hadn’t been able to find a permanent post …

It doesn’t prove anything, Caleb reminded himself. There were more candidates than there were posts. If someone could only find work by travelling from place to place, teaching a handful of students the basics and then moving on when their students went to school, it didn’t mean they were bad tutors. There hadn’t been any reason to worry about them, when references were checked. For all I know, this guy needs some stability to flourish.

“You are welcome,” he said, finally. “I hope you will do well here.”

“I will,” Ballymore promised. “My students always do well in their exams.”

Caleb nodded, curtly, as Ballymore hurried away. Exams weren’t everything, but they were a good indicator of a student’s capabilities. It had taken weeks of arguing to get Heart’s Eye accredited to offer the standard exams, let alone their more advanced counterparts, and the White Council wasn’t entirely happy with the arrangement. A failure now, even a relatively minor one, could cost the university the right to offer exams, which would cripple its future development and make it impossible to recruit the best students and teachers. And that would be disastrous.

He spoke briefly to the other tutors, trying to avoid the sense they were scraping the bottom of the barrel. It wasn’t easy. A couple appeared competent, and willing to believe in the university’s stated goals, but others were far less suitable. One was clearly reluctant to take orders from a young man who had been a student himself a couple of years ago. Another looked ready to leave at the slightest provocation. But they were all he had. They would have to do.

Give us five years and we’ll be solidly established, he told himself. And then we’ll be well on the way.

Sure, his thoughts countered, expressing doubts he dared not admit openly. Not yet. And if these tutors aren’t up to the task, they’ll take the rest of us down with them.

“I heard Realtors have to disclose if the house is haunted,” Leon said.
I looked at Mom in the driver’s seat. She gave me an amused smile. No help there.
“Apparently only four states require you to disclose paranormal activity,” Arabella reported. “Nine states require you to notify the buyer if a death occurred on the premises. And Texas does neither.”
“There were no deaths on the premises. Nobody died in the house, so it can’t possibly be haunted,” I told them.
“How do you know nobody died?” Leon asked.
“Because I checked the records,” Bern rumbled.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Arabella said.
Clearly, there were two teams in this vehicle: Team Facts and Team Facts Be Damned.”

Andrews, Ilona. Ruby Fever, Hidden Legacy 6. Avon HarperCollins, 2022. Kindle edition, page 3

The Book Devouring Horde, the name for Ilona Andrews fans, stand united as a force to belove. Our fluffiness lies in the way we balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses, quirks and extremes. We remind each other of what is real and what is absolutely, gloriously NOT. And in the end, all that matters is that we all come together in appreciation for the same wonderful books.

But a quick stroll in any BDH comment section will quickly make you understand the reality of the Baylors conversation above. Following several requests and fan group polls, let’s find out which brand of chaos you bring to the Horde table!

Take the quiz below and embrace your destiny.*

*Disclaimer: not your actual destiny. As usual, the results are just for fun because I’m not the real Sorting Hat, I just look like it #wrinklelife. Please don’t take the quiz if this month has taken everything out of you and it could make you real-life upset. Hug(h)s!
Also, the quiz plugin doesn’t play nicely with the newsletter. If you’re getting this in your email, you can click here to come straight to the blog and take it.

885

Which BDH team do you belong in?

Ah, the Book Devouring Horde. Whether you're sprinting off into the wilderness of speculation, hold firmly to the foundations of fact, vibrate with anticipation, or discuss everything into the ground- we are a force of nature. Where do you stand, when you stand with us?

1 / 9

Someone shipped Julie and Saiman. Your first instinct is:

Metal Rose Metal Rose Metal ROOOOOSE! That’s interesting. I want to hear them out. Burn it! With FIRE! Burn it with BEAVERS! Yu Fong? Sure. Ascanio? Maybe. Derek? Most likely, based on all the evidence. Saiman makes no sense. Explain yourself.

2 / 9

A BDH colleague posts a theory you don’t agree with:

That’s interesting, I like the way you think. I would even agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong. Your first mistake is that you haven’t taken this far enough! What you first need to understand is that every.single.shifter is a First... Live and let conspire. I’ll watch how it plays out, and maybe even get a House Andrews answer out of it. Ever considered doing the action known as “putting two and two together”?

3 / 9

How do you react to the three words most dreaded by the Horde: w*it, p*tience, d*lay?

Steady ON. You know there are kids around, right? It’s not the best, but life happens. We are still beloved. House Andrews have quit writing. It’s because of all the graphic novels. They'll never go back to real books. We will murder the words. Patience is futile! Waiting is the mind killer! Delays are the enemy!

4 / 9

A serial or snippet you want to reread has been archived on the blog. How do you react?

We wish to discuss! Vociferously! That’s what the Snippet Dark Web is for. I meet with the underground BDH in absconded corners of the internet, and we make the relevant snippet/spoiler trade off. The Void is darkness, the Void is peace, I am within it, wrapped in its cold embrace... The authors had their reasons. Hopefully we'll see a final edit of it published.

5 / 9

Ilona has posted an April Fools' joke about a new book. What do you do?

I’ve already requested it from my local librarians and added it to Goodreads, where it has over a thousand reviews so…good luck on keeping this a prank lol I immediately checked the date and figured out it’s a prank. But you know, they say in every joke there's a kernel of truth… I go on an emotional rollercoaster before realizing the truth. And another one after realizing the truth. No backsies. You said it, you write it, we read it. It is known.

6 / 9

House Andrews tell us that "The next Innkeeper book will be the end of the missing parents series arc". What does this mean to you?

There will never be any more Innkeeper books. We won't find out about Maud! Orro will never cook again! PAPERCUT TO MY SOUL! I told you they sold the series to the muskrats! End of the series arc doesn't mean the end of the series. They can have several adventures after that, it's a wide Galaxy out there. Proposal: You write several Gertrude Hunt novellas. Then a Klaus novel. Followed by Helen's series. How Dina met Beast. An Arbitrators Saga, the Jack Camarine spin off, heavily featuring Gaston’s Baha-char business ventures. How Caldenia came to the Inn and other Dominion misadventures and then a Drifen trilogy. Do you wish to discuss? I do want to know what happens and all the answers, but I don't want it to end. But I’ll preorder it as soon as it’s available!

7 / 9

There's a new snippet on the blog. How do you react?

I devour it immediately, thank you! I’m keeping it for a rainy day. What about the other series? Does this snippet mean there won't be any more from other series? Have you abandoned them? Nooooo, I forgot it was a snippet! I got so lost in it and then it was over! Please, House Andrews, may we have some more?

8 / 9

It’s release day of a new Ilona Andrews book, what do you comment?

I don't comment, I'm DEVOURING! A long review on the blog. Spoilers might slip. I'm emotionally compromised. Review on book review sites, questions on the blog release thread. When is the next one coming out?

9 / 9

House Andrews mention a new character in passing. What's your first thought?

I update my characters chart but wait for more concrete information before making any assumptions. Never heard the name before, so it's clearly Augustine’s long lost sibling. This means an Arabella trilogy is in the works, with this character as a love interest. And it sounds like an Innkeeper cross-over. I have to tell my friends! Does this mean a new book? Hope the wait won’t be too long! But aren’t you working on Hugh 2? If nothing else is put forth in the next 10 working days, I’ll be sure to drop a reminder on the blog. We must discuss! LinkedIn Facebook Twitter VKontakte

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.ays_quiz_question { text-align: center ; margin-bottom: 10px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_quiz_question pre { max-width: 100%; white-space: break-spaces; } div#ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-questions-container .ays-field, div#ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-questions-container .ays-field input~label[for^='ays-answer-'], div#ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-questions-container .ays-modern-dark-question *, div#ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-questions-container .ays_quiz_question, div#ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-questions-container .ays_quiz_question *{ word-break: break-word; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-quiz-timer p { font-size: 16px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 section.ays_quiz_redirection_timer_container hr, #ays-quiz-container-8 section.ays_quiz_timer_container hr { margin: 0; } #ays-quiz-container-8 section.ays_quiz_timer_container.ays_quiz_timer_red_warning .ays-quiz-timer { color: red; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_thank_you_fs p { text-align: center; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .information_form input[type='text'], #ays-quiz-container-8 .information_form input[type='url'], #ays-quiz-container-8 .information_form input[type='number'], #ays-quiz-container-8 .information_form input[type='email'], #ays-quiz-container-8 .information_form input[type='tel'], #ays-quiz-container-8 .information_form textarea, #ays-quiz-container-8 .information_form select, #ays-quiz-container-8 .information_form option { color: initial !important; outline: none; margin-left: 0; background-image: unset; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .information_form input[type='checkbox'] { margin: 0 10px; outline: initial; -webkit-appearance: auto; -moz-appearance: auto; position: initial; width: initial; height: initial; border: initial; background: initial; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .information_form input[type='checkbox']::after { content: none; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .wrong_answer_text{ color:#ff4d4d; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .right_answer_text{ color:#33cc33; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .right_answer_text p { font-size:16px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .wrong_answer_text p { font-size:16px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_questtion_explanation p { font-size:16px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_cb_and_a, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_cb_and_a * { color: rgb(0,0,0); text-align: center; } #ays-quiz-container-8 iframe { /*min-height: 350px;*/ } #ays-quiz-container-8 label.ays_for_checkbox, #ays-quiz-container-8 span.ays_checkbox_for_span { color: initial !important; display: block; } /* Quiz textarea height */ #ays-quiz-container-8 textarea { height: 100px; min-height: 100px; } /* Quiz rate and passed users count */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_quizn_ancnoxneri_qanak, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_quiz_rete_avg{ color:#fff; background-color:#000; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-questions-container > .ays_quizn_ancnoxneri_qanak { padding: 5px 20px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 div.for_quiz_rate.ui.star.rating .icon { color: rgba(0,0,0,0.35); } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_quiz_rete_avg div.for_quiz_rate_avg.ui.star.rating .icon { color: rgba(255,255,255,0.5); } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_quiz_rete .ays-quiz-rate-link-box .ays-quiz-rate-link { color: #000; } /* Loaders */ #ays-quiz-container-8 div.lds-spinner, #ays-quiz-container-8 div.lds-spinner2 { color: #000; } #ays-quiz-container-8 div.lds-spinner div:after, #ays-quiz-container-8 div.lds-spinner2 div:after { background-color: #000; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .lds-circle, #ays-quiz-container-8 .lds-facebook div, #ays-quiz-container-8 .lds-ellipsis div{ background: #000; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .lds-ripple div{ border-color: #000; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .lds-dual-ring::after, #ays-quiz-container-8 .lds-hourglass::after{ border-color: #000 transparent #000 transparent; } /* Stars */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ui.rating .icon, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ui.rating .icon:before { font-family: Rating !important; } /* Progress bars */ #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .ays-progress { border-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.8); } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .ays-progress-bg { background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.3); } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-progress-value { color: #000; text-align: center; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-progress-bar { background-color: #27AE60; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-question-counter .ays-live-bar-wrap { direction:ltr !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-live-bar-fill{ color: #000; border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.8); text-shadow: 0px 0px 5px #fff; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-live-bar-fill.ays-live-fourth, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-live-bar-fill.ays-live-third, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-live-bar-fill.ays-live-second { text-shadow: unset; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-live-bar-percent{ display:none; } /* Music, Sound */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_music_sound { color:rgb(0,0,0); } /* Dropdown questions scroll bar */ #ays-quiz-container-8 blockquote { border-left-color: #000 !important; } /* Quiz Password */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-start-page > input[id^='ays_quiz_password_val_'], #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-quiz-password-toggle-visibility-box { width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; } /* Question hint */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_question_hint_container .ays_question_hint_text { background-color:#fff; box-shadow: 0 0 15px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.6); max-width: 270px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_question_hint_container .ays_question_hint_text p { max-width: unset; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_questions_hint_max_width_class { max-width: 80%; } /* Information form */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-form-title{ color:rgb(0,0,0); } /* Quiz timer */ #ays-quiz-container-8 div.ays-quiz-redirection-timer, #ays-quiz-container-8 div.ays-quiz-timer{ color: #000; text-align: center; } #ays-quiz-container-8 div.ays-quiz-timer.ays-quiz-message-before-timer:before { font-weight: 500; } /* Quiz buttons */ #ays-quiz-container-8 input#ays-submit, #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .action-button, div#ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .action-button.ays_restart_button { background-color: #27AE60; color:#333; font-size: 17px; padding: 10px 20px; border-radius: 3px; white-space: nowrap; letter-spacing: 0; box-shadow: unset; white-space: normal; word-break: break-word; } #ays-quiz-container-8 input#ays-submit, #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 input.action-button { } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 a[class~=ajax_add_to_cart]{ background-color: #fff; color:#333; padding: 10px 5px; font-size: 14px; border-radius: 3px; white-space: nowrap; border: 1px solid #333; } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .action-button.ays_check_answer { padding: 5px 10px; font-size: 17px !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .action-button.ays_download_certificate { white-space: nowrap; padding: 5px 10px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .action-button.ays_arrow { color:#333!important; white-space: nowrap; padding: 5px 10px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 input#ays-submit:hover, #ays-quiz-container-8 input#ays-submit:focus, #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .action-button:hover, #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .action-button:focus { box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px #333; background-color: #27AE60; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_restart_button { color: #333; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_restart_button_p { display: flex; justify-content: center; flex-wrap: wrap; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_buttons_div { justify-content: center; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .step:first-of-type .ays_buttons_div { justify-content: center !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8 input[type='button'], #ays-quiz-container-8 input[type='submit'] { color: #333 !important; outline: none; } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 i.ays_early_finish.action-button[disabled]:hover, #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 i.ays_early_finish.action-button[disabled]:focus, #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 i.ays_early_finish.action-button[disabled], #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 i.ays_arrow.action-button[disabled]:hover, #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 i.ays_arrow.action-button[disabled]:focus, #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 i.ays_arrow.action-button[disabled] { color: #aaa !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_finish.action-button{ margin: 10px 5px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-share-btn.ays-share-btn-branded { color: #fff; } /* Question answers */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field { border-color: #444; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-shadow: none;flex-direction: row-reverse; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-quiz-answers .ays-field:hover{ opacity: 1; } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .ays-field label.ays_answer_caption[for^='ays-answer-'] { z-index: 1; position:initial;bottom:0;} #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .ays-field input~label[for^='ays-answer-'] { padding: 5px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .ays-field { margin-bottom: 10px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .ays-field.ays_grid_view_item { width: calc(50% - 5px); } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .ays-field.ays_grid_view_item:nth-child(odd) { margin-right: 5px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .ays-field input:checked+label:before { border-color: #27AE60; background: #27AE60; background-clip: content-box; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-quiz-answers div.ays-text-right-answer { color: #000; } /* Answer maximum length of a text field */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_quiz_question_text_message{ color: #000; text-align: left; font-size: 12px; } div#ays-quiz-container-8 div.ays_quiz_question_text_error_message { color: #ff0000; } /* Questions answer image */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-answer-image { width:15em; height:150px; object-fit: cover; } /* Questions answer right/wrong icons */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field input~label.answered.correct:after{ content: url('http://ilona-andrews.com/wp-content/plugins/quiz-maker/public/images/correct.png'); } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field input~label.answered.wrong:after{ content: url('http://ilona-andrews.com/wp-content/plugins/quiz-maker/public/images/wrong.png'); } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field label.answered:last-of-type:after{ height: auto; left: 10px;top: 10px;} /* Dropdown questions */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .select2-container--default .select2-search--dropdown .select2-search__field:focus, #ays-quiz-container-8 .select2-container--default .select2-search--dropdown .select2-search__field { outline: unset; padding: 0.75rem; } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .select2-selection--single { border-bottom: 2px solid #27AE60; background-color: #27AE60; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .select2-selection--single .select2-selection__rendered, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .select2-selection--single .select2-selection__placeholder, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .select2-selection--single .select2-selection__arrow { color: #d8519f; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .select2-selection--single .select2-selection__rendered, #ays-quiz-container-8 .select2-container--default .select2-results__option--highlighted[aria-selected] { background-color: #27AE60; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .selection, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .dropdown-wrapper, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .select2-selection--single .select2-selection__rendered, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .select2-selection--single .select2-selection__rendered .select2-selection__placeholder, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .select2-selection--single .select2-selection__arrow, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field .select2-container--default .select2-selection--single .select2-selection__arrow b[role='presentation'] { font-size: 16px !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .select2-container--default .select2-results__option { padding: 6px; } /* Dropdown questions scroll bar */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .select2-results__options::-webkit-scrollbar { width: 7px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .select2-results__options::-webkit-scrollbar-track { background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.35); } #ays-quiz-container-8 .select2-results__options::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { transition: .3s ease-in-out; background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.55); } #ays-quiz-container-8 .select2-results__options::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover { transition: .3s ease-in-out; background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.85); } /* WooCommerce product */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-woo-block { background-color: rgba(39,174,96,0.8); } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-woo-product-block h4.ays-woo-product-title > a { color: #000; } /* Audio / Video */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .mejs-container .mejs-time{ box-sizing: unset; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .mejs-container .mejs-time-rail { padding-top: 15px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .mejs-container .mejs-mediaelement video { margin: 0; } /* Limitation */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-quiz-limitation-count-of-takers { padding: 50px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 div.ays-quiz-results-toggle-block span.ays-show-res-toggle.ays-res-toggle-show, #ays-quiz-container-8 div.ays-quiz-results-toggle-block span.ays-show-res-toggle.ays-res-toggle-hide{ color: #000; } #ays-quiz-container-8 div.ays-quiz-results-toggle-block input:checked + label.ays_switch_toggle { border: 1px solid #000; } #ays-quiz-container-8 div.ays-quiz-results-toggle-block input:checked + label.ays_switch_toggle { border: 1px solid #000; } #ays-quiz-container-8 div.ays-quiz-results-toggle-block input:checked + label.ays_switch_toggle:after{ background: #000; } #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_elegant_dark div.ays-quiz-results-toggle-block input:checked + label.ays_switch_toggle:after, #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_rect_dark div.ays-quiz-results-toggle-block input:checked + label.ays_switch_toggle:after{ background: #000; } /* Hestia theme (Version: 3.0.16) | Start */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .mejs-container .mejs-inner .mejs-controls .mejs-button > button:hover, #ays-quiz-container-8 .mejs-container .mejs-inner .mejs-controls .mejs-button > button { box-shadow: unset; background-color: transparent; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .mejs-container .mejs-inner .mejs-controls .mejs-button > button { margin: 10px 6px; } /* Hestia theme (Version: 3.0.16) | End */ /* Go theme (Version: 1.4.3) | Start */ #ays-quiz-container-8 label[for^='ays-answer']:before, #ays-quiz-container-8 label[for^='ays-answer']:before { -webkit-mask-image: unset; mask-image: unset; } #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_light .ays-field input:checked+label.answered:before, #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_dark .ays-field input:checked+label.answered:before { background-color: #27AE60 !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_light .ays-field input:checked+label.answered.correct:before, #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_dark .ays-field input:checked+label.answered.correct:before { background-color: #27ae60 !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_light .ays-field input:checked+label.answered.wrong:before, #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_dark .ays-field input:checked+label.answered.wrong:before { background-color: #cc3700 !important; } /* Go theme (Version: 1.4.3) | End */ #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_quiz_results fieldset.ays_fieldset .ays_quiz_question .wp-video { width: 100% !important; max-width: 100%; } /* Classic Dark / Classic Light */ /* Dropdown questions right/wrong styles */ #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_dark .correct_div, #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_light .correct_div{ border-color: green !important; opacity: 1 !important; background-color: rgba(39,174,96,0.4) !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_dark .correct_div .selected-field, #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_light .correct_div .selected-field { padding: 0px 10px 0px 10px; color: green !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_dark .wrong_div, #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_light .wrong_div{ border-color: red !important; opacity: 1 !important; background-color: rgba(243,134,129,0.4) !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_dark .ays-field.checked_answer_div.wrong_div input:checked~label, #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_light .ays-field.checked_answer_div.wrong_div input:checked~label { background-color: rgba(243,134,129,0.4) !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_question_result .ays-field .ays_quiz_hide_correct_answer:after{ content: '' !important; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-quiz-close-full-screen { fill: #000; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-quiz-open-full-screen { fill: #000; } @media screen and (max-width: 768px){ #ays-quiz-container-8{ max-width: 100%; } div#ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_modern_light .step, div#ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_modern_dark .step { padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; } div#ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_modern_light div.step[data-question-id], div#ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_modern_dark div.step[data-question-id] { background-size: cover !important; background-position: center center !important; } div#ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_modern_light .ays-abs-fs:not(.ays-start-page):not(.ays-end-page), div#ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_modern_dark .ays-abs-fs:not(.ays-start-page):not(.ays-end-page) { width: 100%; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays_quiz_question p { font-size: 16px; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .select2-container, #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field * { font-size: 15px !important; } div#ays-quiz-container-8 input#ays-submit, div#ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .action-button, div#ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .action-button.ays_restart_button { font-size: 17px; } div#ays-quiz-container-8 div.ays-questions-container div.ays-woo-block { width: 100%; } /* Quiz title / mobile font size */ div#ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-fs-title { font-size: 21px; } } /* Custom css styles */ /* RTL direction styles */ #ays-quiz-container-8 p { margin: 0.625em; } #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field.checked_answer_div input:checked~label { background-color: rgba(39,174,96,0.6); } #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_light .enable_correction .ays-field.checked_answer_div input:checked+label, #ays-quiz-container-8.ays_quiz_classic_dark .enable_correction .ays-field.checked_answer_div input:checked+label { background-color: transparent; } #ays-quiz-container-8.ays-quiz-container.ays_quiz_classic_light .ays-questions-container .ays-field:hover label[for^='ays-answer-'], #ays-quiz-container-8 .ays-field:hover{ background: rgba(39,174,96,0.8); color: #fff; transition: all .3s; } #ays-quiz-container-8 #ays_finish_quiz_8 .action-button:hover, #ays-quiz-container-8 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The post The Book Devouring Horde Quiz first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.

Woohoo!

Congrats! Exciting news!

Great news!Really looking forward to the third book, very interested to see what happens with Stephen. Looking forward to other news- cover, release date!

Very pleased that Book#4 is started and even more so that it is going well! I trust that sales of the series are holding up and that soon perhaps there will be a paperback version of An Instruction In Shadows. The Audio Books are superb with Will Watts but I still get a little extra when I read through the written word when the ‘Real’ book comes out!

Many thanks for the update, and hope that Book#4 continues to ‘flow’ well and remains enjoyable work…

December allowed me to have some extra brain time. Some of the crisis events of the previous six months had passed or been dealt with or are (even now) being dealt with. We’ve reestablished a rhythm in life, so I was able to read more in the midst of the usual holiday craziness.

I read holiday anthologies only in the holiday season, so sometimes it takes me years to finish one. There are two here that took years to finish, but I found stories I liked in both of them. And then there is the Library of America Christmas stories collection. I didn’t get far into it, but I will be reading it for several more years. It’s a slow read, because the stories are chronological and I can already see that I disagree with some of Connie Willis’s choices. (Prerogative for the heavy reader.) She leans more into sf/f than I would and of course, completely ignores romance. And also, much of the mystery oeuvre. Still, worth looking at, I suspect. I’ll know more in a few years.

Of course, I read a lot more than that as well. My schedule slowly freed up (as much as my schedule can) and I had some time for reading, leisure and otherwise. Here’s what I liked from the leisure.

December 2024

 

Brown, Leah Marie, “Finding Colin,” Winter Wishes, Zebra Books, 2017. This novella comes from a book with no attributed editor, something that always annoys the heck out of me. No matter. The stories were good enough, but “Finding Colin” was charming. It has a great voice, a great sense of humor, and a story problem that made me vaguely uncomfortable (and I think the author intended that). A hardcore fan spends her vacation dollars to track down the man of her dreams, an actor named Colin. She finds out where he’s filming his latest movie and…well, the story goes from there. And it didn’t go the way I feared it would. It’s a lot of fun, and well worth reading.

Dunne, Griffin, The Friday Afternoon Club, Penguin Press, 2024. I feel an affinity for Griffin Dunne. I was going to write that I have no idea why, but that’s really not true. Dunne is a survivor. His family was famously dysfunctional. His beloved sister was murdered. He dropped out of school (understandably, as he recites the incident), and yet has managed to have a major career in the arts. Given his history, he shouldn’t have survived, and yet he has.

His father, Dominick Dunne, came to my attention after he had lost his daughter and became a crusader for justice. He continually wrote about the way the courts and the justice system failed victims’ families. His aunt by marriage, Joan Didion, has been one of my favorite writers for my entire life. (That’s her on the left, arms around her daughter.)

So I wanted to read this book to read about the family, which I knew was interesting, but also to read about Griffin Dunne, whose work I’ve admired since he was the only memorable part of An American Werewolf in London. The book is well written (not surprisingly) although it clearly retools the stories that Dunne has probably been dining out on for years. Still, there were some surprises, particularly from his good friend Carrie Fisher, and some truly sad and heartfelt moments. The book ends with the birth of Dunne’s daughter, and it should end there. But that leaves another twenty years or more of his life to discuss at some point.

Even if you have no idea who any of these people are, you might want to read this. It really is a testament to survival and stubbornness and lots of other fascinating things.

Lipshutz, Jason, “In Control,” Billboard Magazine, November 16, 2024. This is a fascinating—to me, at least—article about a badly managed company (Warner Music Group) that turned itself around with new management. Considering that’s what’s happening with our WMG Publishing right now, this was an exceedingly timely and hopeful article. Dunno if you all will find it as interesting. Hope you do.

Meier, Leslie, “Candy Canes of Christmas Past,” Candy Cane Murder, Kensington, 2007. I have no idea when I first started this book, but I note that I recommended Laura Levine’s story in 2020. Which means I haven’t picked it up since then. So…four years later…I was in the mood for cozies again at holiday time, I guess.

Leslie Meier’s story features her regular heroine, Lucy Stone, in a story that takes place in two time periods—when she is a grandmother and her kids and grandkids come to visit, and when she’s a young mother, dealing with a new home and a toddler, while pregnant in a new town. The house is a fixer-upper and it’s falling apart around her, yet she makes time to solve an old crime involving glass candy canes. The 1980 details are marvelous, the discomfort of advanced pregnancy plain, and the stress on young parents also vivid. The mystery is meh, but I always find that with cozies. The read, though, was great.

Mitchell, Gail, “Quincy Delight Jones,” Billboard Magazine, November 16, 2024. It’s hard to believe that Quincy Jones is gone. He was perhaps the influence on all music in the last 60 years or more. If you don’t believe me, read this piece, and think about the choices Quincy made, the talent and creativity he brought to everything he did. Then maybe watch “We Are The World: The Greatest Night In Pop,” a documentary about something that just seems impossible now. It was impossible then too, but Quincy helped pull it off. If you’ve never thought about Quincy Jones, well, you’re in for a treat.

Oppenheimer, Mark, “The Gonzo Life and Tragic Death of ‘Heff'” The Hollywood Reporter, October 23, 2024. I found this to be an utterly fascinating character study of a…well, I don’t want to say tragic figure, but someone whose life didn’t turn out the way anyone thought it would. John Connery Heffernan III was one of the people behind the movie Snakes on a Plane. That ended up being his biggest success. Then after a few years of being somewhat famous, he disappeared from his friends’ lives. That led Oppenheimer to track him down only to learn that Heff was dead. So, Oppenheimer wanted to know what happened. This story is as strange as the movie.

Provost, Megan, “Teaching Possibility,” On Wisconsin, Fall, 2024. Apparently, the University of Wisconsin selects a book for every student at this incredibly large campus to read each year in the Go Big Read (for Go Big Red, a school saying) every year. This year’s book was by Rebekah Taussig, whose book is part of Carolyn Mueller’s class in disability and identity. The interview is with Mueller, but I also suggest you pick up the book…after you’ve read the interview, of course.

Walker, Joseph S., “Crime Scene,”  The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2023, edited by Amor Towles, The Mysterious Press, 2023. I think this is the only story that made it into both Best-of collections for 2023, and it deserves to be there. The crime scene in question is the scene of President Kennedy’s assassination. The story is smart and twisty, and like my notes on most smart and twisty stories, I can’t tell you much more than that without ruining it. Just pick it up and enjoy.

Willis, Connie, “Introduction,” American Christmas Stories: The Library of America Collection, Library of America, 2021. Connie’s introduction on the history of Christmas storytelling in America is fascinating. I knew much of it, and feel like she missed a few things (L.Frank Baum, for example), but overall, this is really worth the read. Well researched and well considered.

I’m absolutely giddy over finally getting to show off the beautiful covers for the 9th Dragon King book, DRAGON MARKED, designed by the brilliant Hang Le! It will be out in the world April 15th. I would sell my dragon soul to possess her… From the moment I saw her, she held me enthralled. It...

The post Cover Reveal- Dragon Marked appeared first on Donna Grant.

We’ve been getting a lot of questions in the comments and emails of Hughday snippets, and since not everyone reads the replies, here they are in one convenient place.

Hugh 2– when does it happen?

The action picks up right after Iron and Magic (three weeks later according to chapter 1).

As the notice in front of Iron and Magic says, the entire Hugh series happens before Magic Triumphs. That has not changed.

The chronological order is: Hugh series (all installments) – Magic Triumphs- Sanctuary- Wilmington Years (all installments)- Blood Heir series.

How long will Hugh’s series be?

Currently, House Andrews are thinking of it as a duology, but since the manuscript of volume 2 is being written as we speak, things may change.

Does Hugh 2 have a title?

Not yet. We’ve been calling it Hugh 2, Iron Covenant 2, Iron & Magic 2, Elara’s book, the d’Ambray Bake Off – at the moment, whatever you recognize works.

Will Steve West narrate the audiobook?

The manuscript for Hugh 2 has not yet been finished. That means there is no known exact date when it will be ready for publication, how many pages it will have etc. Which in turn means we cannot yet go to the very busy Steve West and ask whether he is free to take on the project, this is how long it would take, this is when it’s needed by, and all the other necessary details.

What I can guarantee is that House Andrews, the agency and everyone involved believe as much as we do that Steve West is perfect for the role of Hugh and no effort will be spared to book him if that is at all possible.

Will it be a blog serial?

I think House Andrews will be generous with snippets up to a point, but not a traditional serial that shares most of the book in regular installments, as updated this past Friday.

Yes, admin, very interesting, very interesting, I’m not snoring at all. What about spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler?

No one knows about spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler yet in Hugh 2.

Stop mentioning spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler in the comments and spoiling spoiling spoiling spoiling fellow Horde colleagues who want to follow the natural course of the story.

Your comment will be hidden asap, but it might be too late. W*it for questions to be answered by the book and PUT DOWN THAT SPOILER, you Dushegubs!

That’s a good point, what about Blood Heir and put down that cow?

Blood Heir is currently the furthest in time KD World has ever gotten, and it’s roughly a decade after Hugh 2. Whatever bovine developments took place will require our p*tience.

The story was published somewhat out of schedule, because of the pandemic, and the similarities between what we were going through and what Julie was called to do. Like us, she couldn’t go home and see loved ones, or risk losing them. House Andrews wrote it and shared it with us in weekly chapters, as another loving hug in hard times, and I am very grateful it came when it did, even if it jumped the publication queue.

It will be followed by Blood Heir 2, which will be a sequel.

Let me clarify that: Blood Heir 2 will not be the story of Derek’s missing years and Julie’s time with Erra. That rumor started around the fire pits of my people, the proud pioneers of Team Facts be Damned. Love you guys, but no.

What House Andrews said was that it will explain what happened to Derek, but it will take place after Blood Heir 1. That’s why we need Wilmington 3 to come first, so we can fully understand some of the developments in Atlanta. ::cough Pack cough cough:: Oh dear, I really must have that seen to.

Yes, what about Wilmington Years?

The Wilmington Years series, in its entirety, happens between Magic Triumphs and the Blood Heir series.

There is a Wilmington 3 in plan, but not in progress. We have been given a tiny snippet from it here.

Currently, though, IA are working on Hugh 2. As much as we want all these books at once, and that once better be right now, and actually with Maud’s Innkeeper wedding on top, and you know Puffles … – we must attain fluffy awareness that they each take time and effort to be written.

What about Sanctuary 2?

Not on the schedule right now.

Where can I find any extras to tide me over?

All of them can be found on the Free Fiction page, organized by series.

For Kate’s World, they are :
A Questionable Client – prequel to the main Kate series
A bit more Roman – prequel scene to Sanctuary
Purpose, No Heroes – Wilmington Years extras
King of Fire– prequel to Blood Heir
Sandra – Kate’s POV during Blood Heir
Damian Angevin– the Order’s report of the events from the main series

And the fun fan service fiction of Kate and Curran texts, Luther and Roman’s Frinnterviews, Don’t Mess with Fate (Hugh and Roman).

I have a very important final Hugh question. Very very adminy, you have to answer. Don’t think too hard though, first thing that comes into your head, just tell us. Does Puffles fly home?

Nice try.

The post Hugh’s Question Corner first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.

Polish publisher Vesper has revealed the cover for Godzina Wilka, their upcoming translation of The Wolf’s Hour, to be published in April 2025! The art is by Maciej Kamuda, and the translation is by Janusz Skowron.

The book has not been added to the Vesper website yet, but details can be found here.

Is it too late to say Happy New Year? Since this is the first newsletter of 2025 and the theme of today is being a happy writer, I’m okay with it.

I’m also more than happy to announce that today is the day that THE HAPPY WRITER book is out in the world!

THE HAPPY WRITER: GET MORE IDEAS, WRITE MORE WORDS, AND FIND MORE JOY FROM FIRST DRAFT TO PUBLICATION AND BEYOND!

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and the creator and host of the popular podcast, The Happy Writer, comes the ultimate guide to writing with less stress and more JOY.

If you aren’t suffering, you aren’t creating. Right?

Wrong!

Writing can and should be joyful, fulfilling… even fun! Applicable to writers in all genres and disciplines–from screenwriters to novelists, journalists to picture book authors, aspiring to many-times published–The Happy Writer is a heartfelt and optimistic guide that will show you the way to a happier writing journey.

Part craft guide, part writing coach, and part cheerleader, this book offers useful advice on a slew of common writing and publishing ailments, such as how to end procrastination, how to build a social media platform that reflects your personality, how to get your imagination to overflow with new ideas, how to listen to your intuition when receiving a critique on your work, how to overcome impostor syndrome, what to do when you’re stuck in the query trenches, and so much more.

No matter where a writer might be on their creative journey, Meyer encourages them to tap into their own personal sources of joy and to celebrate every milestone, all while confronting challenges (writer’s block! rejection! burnout!) with a reservoir of resources for every temperament, budget, and career.

Known in writers’ circles as a generous mentor, Meyer shares stories from her own writing path to help every writer discover the ultimate joys of living their best writing life.

Buy Links: Bookshop | Barnes and Noble | Indigo (Canada) |

Also available in audio, read by ME! Wherever you get your audio books.

More buy links and audio/ebook excerpts here.

To celebrate, I’m giving away finished copies and swag. To enter, fill out this form:

Happy Writer Final Episode Giveaway

In bittersweet news, now that the book is out in the world, it’s time to wind down the Happy Writer Podcast. It’s been an amazing nearly five years, filled with amazing authors, inspiring conversations, personal stories, and, of course, fantastic books, but it feels like the right time to turn to other things. I’m incredibly proud of every one of the 225 episodes, including this week’s final sendoff, and will be keeping them all available indefinitely so you can catch up and return to your favorites.

I hope the podcast, that started as a pandemic project to help authors get the word out about their books, has been inspiring and valuable to you as a reader and writer.

We’ll continue to post on Instagram and Facebook for the foreseeable future – writing tips, clips from past episodes, writing prompts, and more (maybe even some giveaways?)!

Follow on Instagram and Facebook.

WITH A LITTLE LUCK

If you’ve been waiting to pick up this companion to INSTANT KARMA, it’s now available in paperback.

Purchase Links: Bookshop | Barnes and Noble | Indigo (Canada) |

Upcoming Appearances

Feb. 8, 12:00pm PST – Online Webinar with Jessica Brody and the Writing Mastery Academy. Sign up at https://www.writingmastery.com/

Feb. 11, 6:00pm PST – Fireside chat with J. Ann Thomas. Grit City Books, Tacoma, WA. This is a free event but is ticketed. Reserve your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launch-event-for-j-ann-thomas-tickets-1131364263969

Feb. 12, Time TBD, Barnes & Noble Grand Opening, Issaquah, WA

Feb. 21-22, StoryCon, Salt Lake City, UT. More info: https://www.storycon.org/

Don’t forget, you can get all your official Marissa Meyer/The Happy Writer merchandise at our shops: Etsy, Spring, and Teepublic.

Until next time, stay inspired and keep writing.

With love,

Marissa

The post The Happy Writer Book is Finally Here! first appeared on Marissa Meyer.

A Tide of Black Steel – Book One of The Age of Wrath trilogy- is published today in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Thanks to everyone at Orbit for making it happen. 

The winners of the signed books and bookplates giveaway have now been chosen and notified – check you spam folders to make sure you haven’t missed out on a prize. Many thanks to everyone who entered and for all the kind comments – sorry I couldn’t reply to everyone individually. 

Reviews:

‘These wonderful characters and story arc complexity matched with Ryan’s ability to build you up to–and deliver–epic moments (including an ending twist that is just chef’s kiss), wonderfully showcases the author’s skills as a fantasy storyteller.’ – Grimdark Magazine.

‘Rich world building, well-developed characters, and shocking betrayals are precisely what readers expect from Anthony Ryan as he kicks off the Age of Wrath trilogy.’ – Booklist.

‘A gripping epic… Ryan distinguishes himself with deep dives into his characters’ psyches and motivations. This is an exciting start.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘A grim, gritty, glorious Norse epic that begs to be devoured by fans of John Gwynne and Michael Hirst’s ‘Vikings’. You will come away with a taste of the salt sea and the smell of blood in the air, and characters you can’t wait to read more about. Grimdark at its finest.’ – FanFiAddict

Book description:

A NEW AGE HAS DAWNED. AN AGE OF BLOOD AND STEEL.
AN AGE OF WRATH.

The land of Ascarlia, a fabled realm of bloodied steel and epic sagas, has been ruled by the Sister Queens for centuries. No one has dared question their rule.

Until now.

Whispers speak of longships of mysterious tattooed warriors, sailing under the banners of a murderous cult of oath-breakers long thought extinct. A tide of black steel that threatens to vanquish all in its path.

Thera of the Blackspear, favoured servant of the Sister Queens, is ordered to uncover the truth. As Thera sails north, her reviled brother, Felnir, sets out on his own adventure. He hopes to find the Vault of the Altvar – the treasure room of the gods – and win the Sister Queens’ favour at his sister’s expense.

Both siblings – along with a brilliant young scribe and a prisoner with a terrifying, primal power – will play a part in the coming storm.

The Age of Wrath has begun.

A Tide of Black Steel begins a new blockbuster epic fantasy series from international bestseller Anthony Ryan, whose books have sold more than a million copies worldwide.

Buy here:

Ebook:  Amazon.com –  Amazon.co.uk –  Nook –  Kobo –  Google Play

UK Hardcover:  Amazon.co.uk –  Waterstones –  Blackwells

Special Edition Signed Hardcover: Goldsboro Books. – The Broken Binding

US Paperback:  Amazon.com –  Barnes and Noble

Audiobook:  Audible.com –  Audible.co.uk –  Barnes and Noble – Google Play

Did a little bit of signing yesterday at The Broken Binding. If you’ve ordered from them, I’m told the books should ship this week. I’m off to Goldsboro Books next week to sign their stock. 

Some people have been asking when or if this book will be published in their language / country. So far, the series has been sold to publishers in France, Germany, Czechia, and Poland. I don’t yet know the publication date for each country but will update as and when I’m told. 

 

HELL OF A WITCH
coming out Oct 1, 2024!The hotly anticipated sequel to HELL FOR HIRE...

One month ago, Bex, the demon queen, and Adrian, witch of the Blackwood, pulled off the upset victory of the century. Now, they find themselves facing the question all unexpected champions must answer: what next? They declared war on Heaven, but how do you actually bring down a divinely powerful tyrant when your army’s still in the single digits and your magical fortress is an illegally modified Winnebago?

It seems like a hopeless situation. As always, though, Adrian Blackwood has a plan, and this time, he’s going big. He’s got an idea to take down the Seattle Anchor, the giant magical fortress that houses the Anchor Market and every other bit of critical infrastructure that connects Heaven to Earth.

How the Anchors work is a closely guarded secret, and getting to the good stuff will require going deep into the heart of Gilgamesh’s power. There’s a reason even the Queen of Wrath has never attacked one directly, but now that Adrian’s on her team, Bex thinks they can do it. She’s finally got the power she needs to actually move the needle on this war, and she’s going to hit that Anchor with all the fire she’s got.

But the enemies of Heaven aren’t the only ones making plans. After the fiery return of his most persistent annoyance, Gilgamesh has ordered his princes to take care of the demon queen problem personally. It’s time to roll out the big guns and show these rebels what divine wrath really means, starting with the Hell of a Witch who made it all possible.

Coming out October 1 in ebook, Kindle Unlimited, paperback, hardback, and an absolutely incredible audio edition!Preorder Now!Boston, what are you doing? Get out from in front of the title!

*Attempts to push familiar away with broom. Broom and cat team up. The author is forced to retreat.*

Ahem... It's sequel time! Y'all made HELL FOR HIRE one of my best new launches ever, and now the second book is almost here. HELL OF A WITCH has more of everything you love, and it's coming out all formats on October 1! Hooray!

Thank you all so much for making this series such a success. I'm so grateful you're enjoying the story, because I love these misfits to death. So much that I've already written book 3, which will be coming out in early 2025! So many books! It's the best of times.

I really hope you'll give HELL OF A WITCH a try, and if you haven't cracked into my Tear Down Heaven series yet, what are you waiting for? It's awesome! The audio book in particular is *chef's kiss*. One of the best things we've ever done. Highly recommended. 

Again, thank you all so so much for being my readers and listeners. I hope you love this book as much as I do. It's just so much fun and I can't wait for you to get into it. This series is going to be a truly epic ride.

Thanks again for making my dreams come true! Yours always and forever,

Rachel AaronWitch Career Counselor Assistant to the Familiars
HELL OF A WITCH is the second book in the Tear Down Heaven series. If you're new, start from the beginning with HELL FOR HIRE. I promise you won't be sorry!

In a few short days, Prince of Thorns becomes a teenager and will be the same age as Jorg himself for the first few pages of the novel!

I never expected to be an author. I certainly never expected this guy to pay off my mortgage. And I absolutely didn't expect to still be signing copies of the book in my local Waterstones 13 years after it was published.

The shelf life of an author is typically one book. Fantasy authors more often get a trilogy, because that's how fantasy rolls. But yup, not many of us hang around for long, and the past 13 years are littered with the bright flashes of many fine writers who came along about the same time as me.
I've said - so often that I'm bored of hearing myself say it - that all forms of writing success require large doses of luck. Skill at writing and at story telling are what buys you the lottery ticket. After that you need the stars to align.
It's easy to focus on the hyper-rare examples where the celestial alignment has been of atonishing proportions, and to feel a measure of discontent. But I'm constantly aware that so many fine writers have failed to flourish where I've been fortunate enough to make a living for over a decade now.
So, in part this post is a big thankyou to all you readers who've made that possible.

It's scary to look back at my bibliography and think that (with the exception of the Impossible Times books) each of those novels represents a year of my life. I have grown significantly older doing this...
People often talk to me about pride and about legacy, as if these stories are somehow more of an achievement than the myriad things everyone else has spent the last 13+ years on. I don't subscribe to that point of view, at all. Almost every book is a line drawn in wet sand and if the wave that will wash them away hasn't arrived in 13 years, then it's certainly going to hit the beach at some point, and sooner than most folk think.
I'm pleased and grateful that I've been able to share these stories, but 'proud' isn't a word I'd use. It's ... complicated.
Anyway, enough navel gazing. Just as I had no idea what the 13 years after Prince of Thorns hitting the shelves would look like, I have no idea where we'll be when the book reaches 18 or 21. Will anyone remember Jorg on the 25th anniversary in 2036 ... who knows. 
For now though, the ideas keep coming and the itch to write continues to require scratching. I've finished three books this year, and hopefully will have a 4th done by Christmas.
Thanks for reading!


Join my Patreon.Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter.  #Prizes #FreeContent
 

This is the city of Las Fables. I work here. I’m Detective Peter Peter. I put ‘em in the pumpkin shell.

Las Fables is a land of fairy tales and rhymes. Sure, it used to be made of sugar and spice, but Mother Goose flew the coop and hasn’t been seen in years. Darkness has settled over the town, whiffling and galumphing down the yellow brick lanes.

When the Seven Dwarves are gunned down in the Old Woman’s Shoe Bar, Detective Peter Peter and his partner Jack Horner are on the case. No matter how over the hill and far away the clues take them, they’ll see that justice is served–not too hot, not too cold, but just right.

Of course it isn’t just crime on Peter Peter’s mind. There’s a dame named Muffet who’s got him in a tizzy. And it’s gonna take all of his willpower to keep his heart from tumbling down after her.

Amazon Apple Barnes and Noble Kobo

Yes! Nursery Crimes is a short, fun standalone book set in the storybook land of Las Fables. I am so excited to finally get to share it with you! Just like the description says, it’s a smashup: hard-boiled mystery, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and lots and lots of ridiculous jokes.

I hope you enjoy! (print will be available soon!)

 

"Featuring a motley crew of loveable demons, a chaotic male forest witch with a sassy talking cat familiar, snarky sentient weapons, wicked warlocks, and plenty of magical mayhem, Hell for Hire is a bewitching and diabolically fun urban fantasy that is as thrilling as it is wholesome." - Before We Go Book Blog

"Rachel Aaron has never ever failed to deliver an effortlessly engaging story filled with lovable characters, and an amazing, yet accessible, worldbuilding that is uniquely hers. It came as no surprise that Hell For Hire has all her usual winning trademarks and is possibly her best first book in a series so far." - Novel Notions

"Hell for Hire is an urban fantasy tale that follows a ragtag group of demons and the outcast witch they're hired to protect. Boasting loveable characters, unique lore, and a whole lot of heart, this urban fantasy romp is an absolute delight." - Simple Reads

"Hell For Hire is an absolute blast to read as it combines action, comedy, and lots of magic for a unique story. Rachel Aaron with her eighth (or ninth) series opener showcases exactly why she has no peers in the urban fantasy genre. If you want to have lots of fun, thrills and action, look no further. Hell For Hire is available to fulfill all your needs and more." - Fantasy Book Critic

"Aaron has done it again, giving us a whole new world in which to enjoy her outstanding craft. While many of the themes will be familiar, Aaron has created something fun and wonderful that delighted me. I blazed through this book, sacrificing sleep and productivity. Loved the world building and as usual with Aaron, loved her characters and the obstacles they face, overcome, and the new crises that arise from the ashes to challenge the protagonists anew. Can’t wait for the next book! This is already a must-read." - J Graham (audiobook review)Get your copy now in ebook, print, audio, or KU!The time has finally come! I finally get to share the book that's consumed my last year with you, and I can't wait for you to read/listen to HELL FOR HIRE, which is available right now in ebook, print, audio, and Kindle Unlimited!

I know it's not the DFZ and there aren't any dragons (yet), but I still hope you'll give it a try, because this book was an absolute blast to write! I've never had so many great critic reviews right off the bat. And if you're worried about starting a new book 1, I've got you, because book 2 is already written and going through proofreads, which means it will be available later this year. This series, she is rolling!

And speaking of rolling, you should give the audio edition a try on this one, because our new narrator, Nicholas Cain, narrated the hell out of it, pun entirely intended. ;) The audiobook is also available in stores other than Audible this time! Here's a list of all places you can find it, I hope you'll give the story a listen :D

If print is more your thing, we have hardbacks, and they are sexy! I mean, just look at this.



Ah, the sight fills my book-hording heart with joy <3 

I think that's enough promo for one morning. Thank you all so, so much for coming along with me on this crazy journey! I couldn't do any of this without your support, and I hope from the bottom of my heart that you love HELL FOR HIRE as much as I do. Thanks again, and I'll see you for the next book!

Yours sincerely,
Rachel AaronProfessional Familiar Consultant, talk to me about talking cats!
HELL FOR HIRE is the first book in the new Tear Down Heaven series, which will be five books in total. The second book will be out in Fall of 2024. I hope to see you then!

 

Introducing...HELL FOR HIRE coming out June 4!The Crew
A hulked-out wrath demon who eats gamer rage and loves cats, a shapeshifting lust demon who enjoys their food a bit too much, and a void demon who doesn’t see the point of any of this. They’re not the sort of mercenaries you hire on purpose, but Bex wouldn’t trust her life to anyone else.
 
Ever since the ancient Mesopotamian king Gilgamesh decided death wasn’t for him, killed the gods, and conquered the afterlife, times have been rough for a free demon. But the denizens of the Nine Hells aren’t the quitting sort, and Bex and her team have been choking a living out of the Eternal King’s lackeys for years. It’s not honest work, but when Heaven itself declares you a non-person, you smash-and-grab what you can get.
 
This next gig looks like more of the same…until Bex meets the client.
 
The Job 
Adrian Blackwood is a witch with a problem. His family has skirted the edges of King Gilgamesh’s ire for centuries, but thanks to a decision he made as a child, Adrian is personally responsible for putting his entire coven in Heaven’s crosshairs.
 
Determined to set things right, Adrian drags his broom, caldron, and talking cat thousands of miles across the country to Seattle where he can fight the Eternal King’s warlocks without bringing the rest of his family into the fray. But witchcraft--like all crafts--takes time, and if the warlocks catch him before his spells are ready, he’s dead. So Adrian does what any professional witch would do and hires a team of mercenaries to keep the warlocks off his back. He didn’t expect to get demons, but when you’re already on the killing-edge of Heaven’s bad side, what’s a bit more fuel on the fire?
 
Sometimes you get more than you paid for.
Neither Adrian nor Bex knew what to expect when they signed their contract, but witch-plus-demon turns out to be a match made in the Hells. With this much chaos at their fingertips, even impossible dreams start to come back into reach, because Bex wasn’t always a mercenary. She used to be the Eternal King of Heaven’s biggest nightmare, and now that she’s got a witch in her corner, it’s time to put the old magics back on the field and show Adrian Blackwood just how much Hell he’s hired.
 Preorder Now!Big day in book-land! 

First up, BY A SILVER THREAD is on sale this week for $0.99, so if you haven't given my new DFZ Changeling series a try, now's a great time to pick it up for cheap!

Second (and way more excitingly), I've got a brand-new book for you to dive into! Introducing HELL FOR HIRE, the first in the Tear Down Heaven series and a return to the classic Rachel-Aaron-style of big ensemble casts full of funny characters, crazy magic, world-ending stakes, and epic swordfights. If you liked my Eli Monpress fantasy books or the original Heartstrikers series, this is going to be right up your alley. There's a new magical system, demons with weird immortality issues, witch-family drama, and terrifying heavenly princes who will murder you while looking gorgeous. It's just a ton of fun and I can't wait for you to read it!!

HELL FOR HIRE comes out June 4, 2024 in all formats, including ebook, print, KU, and audio. If any of that changes, I'll be sure to let you know. Thanks for being my readers/listeners! I couldn't do any of this without you. 

Yours always,

Rachel AaronDivine Orchestrator Professional Demon Herder

Want to see all of my books in order, read samples, and know which series are finished? Visit www.rachelaaron.net!

No Victor lasts forever.

Victor thought he won when he became the Hero. He thought he won when he took over the DFZ. He thought he’d made himself untouchable.

He’s wrong.

Lola isn’t the sad little monster she used to be. She has a plan, she has allies, she has more magic than she ever dreamed possible. Killing one blood mage should be easy with an entire fairy kingdom at her fingertips, but Victor didn't make himself a god by playing fair, and his bag of tricks is far from empty. Taking him down will require everything Lola and her friends can bring, but if there’s one thing Lola’s always been, it’s determined. No matter the cost, no matter what it takes, she will see this through.

To the bloody end.

Get your copy now in ebook, KU, print, or audio!This was an extremely satisfying book to write. I don't think I've ever enjoyed wrapping a series so much. It's epic, it's awesome, and I cannot wait for you to read it in ebook, print, or KU or listen on audio, cause they're all out today!

Thank you so much for coming with me on Lola's journey. This wasn't the sort of story I ever thought I'd write, but when the book needs to happen, it needs to happen, and I'm very glad this one did. I hope you enjoy this series as much as I do and that you'll join me for what comes next.

And speaking of what comes next...

This is going to be a very exciting year for new releases! Lola's series is done, but I've got a brand new Urban Fantasy set in a brand new world that I think you're really going to enjoy.

The first book will be called HELL FOR HIRE and it's all about a team of demon mercenaries who get hired by a witch. There's tons of action, mystery, ancient Sumerian sorcery, a loveable snarky cast, a know-it-all talking cat, magical sword fighting, and overall hijinks in modern Seattle. It's just the BEST. I'm so in love that I'm already working on the draft for book 3. It's THAT GOOD, and as soon as I have a cover, you will be seeing a lot more of my new favorite thing. This is the most fun I've had with a series since Heartstrikers, and I just know you're going to love it.

So yeah, gonna be a lot of reads coming in 2024. :) As always, mailing list gets first dibs on everything, so sign up if you're not already and keep an eye on your email box, 'cause it's going to get wild!

Thank you again so much for being my reader/listener. You are the reason these stories exist, and I hope you'll come along with me for many more novels to come. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and please enjoy TO THE BLOODY END!

Yours always,

Rachel AaronMother of Dragons Bethesda's Unpaid Intern
TO THE BLOODY END is the third book in the DFZ Changeling trilogy. If you're new, start from the beginning with BY A SILVER THREAD. I promise you won't be sorry!

No Victor lasts forever.

Victor thought he won when he became the Hero. He thought he won when he took over the DFZ. He thought he’d made himself untouchable.

He’s wrong.

Lola isn’t the sad little monster she used to be. She has a plan, she has allies, she has more magic than she ever dreamed possible. Killing one blood mage should be easy with a fairy kingdom at her fingertips, but Victor didn't make himself a god by playing fair, and his bag of tricks is far from empty. Taking him down will take everything Lola and her friends can bring, but if there’s one thing Lola’s always been, it’s determined. No matter the cost, no matter what it takes, she will see this through.

To the bloody end.

Preorder Now!Happy 2024 everyone!

I've got a lot of good books lined up for y'all this year, but first... The end is nearly upon us! The third and final book in Lola's epic quest to punch Victor in the face comes out on February 2, 2024 in ebook, print, KU, and Audible audio book! Hooray!!

Mailing list subscribers have already seen this (not on the list yet? Sign up now! It's free, there's no spam, and you get first dibs on everything!) but here's the cover for TO THE BLOODY END featuring the art of the amazing Luisa Preissler! I love the torn up Hero poster behind her and the glowing crown on her head (which IS in the book, and it's GREAT!).

This series has been a wild ride and I'm so pumped for you to finally read the ending. It's one of the most exciting and strange final battles I've ever written. I think you're going to really like it, so if you haven't already, please preorder the book or add it to your KU to read list so you don't miss out!

This is hopefully just the first of many books I'll have for you this year. I don't want to overshadow Lola (poor little changeling has been through enough) but I've got a brand new Urban Fantasy in a brand new world involving witches launching this summer, and it is SO much fun! Mailing list people will be getting everything first, so sign up if you haven't yet, and I promise you'll hear all kinds of cool things from me soon!

Thank you again for being my fans. I couldn't do any of this without you!

Yours sincerely,

Rachel AaronMayor of the DFZ
TO THE BLOODY END is the third book in the DFZ Changeling series. If you're new, start from the beginning with BY A SILVER THREAD! I promise you won't be sorry!