Q&A: Ilona Andrews, Authors of ‘Blood Heir’

After ten successful books in the Kate Daniels Series, Ilona Andrews return with a much anticipated spin-off series Blood Heir. The neew novel features two prominent characters from the original series and explores their future that promises magic, madness and perhaps even glory.

We spoke with the husband and wife writing duo, Ilona and Andrew Gordon, to gain a little perspective on their thoughts on their new book and how writing works for them.

Hi Ilona and Andrew! Can you tell our readers a little about yourselves?

Andrew: Not too much to tell. I was born in FL, grew up in the Smokey mountains of NC, joined the Navy, came home, went to school at Western Carolina University, met a person much smarter than me and, somehow, successfully wooed her.

Ilona: Wooed! Hehehe. I was born in Russia, in a southern city, came to the US on scholarship, got another scholarship to college in the mountains of North Carolina, met my future husband, and the rest is history.

Your new novel, Blood Heir, is out now! What can readers expect?

A: An Atlanta that has seen better days, a prodigal daughter’s return, grisly murders, a mystery, monsters, a mad God King, and returning cast of fan favourites. It’s not a Kate book, per se, but we wanted the book to feel familiar to long-time fans and accessible to new readers.

I: And some funnies. There are always funnies.

What was the most challenging part of diving into a familiar world but with a different character perspective?

A: Making sure that Julie had her own unique voice and wasn’t just Kate 2.0. We also had to think about the years between Magic Triumphs and Blood Heir. What’s happened to the people who left Atlanta and to the people who stayed? Has the city changed for the better or worse? Also, math. We had to sit down and figure out how old everybody was, how old we wanted new characters to be. Did the timeline make sense?

I: It was a challenge to recap events of the previous eleven books while at the same time trying to retain a fresh feel to the narrative. We’ve seen a few reviews that said the book can be read without first reading Kate Daniels series, and I am very proud that it stands on its own.

Each and every plot of your books are unique and well explored. Where do you get your inspiration from?

A: Because we are giant nerds, everything. TV shows, movies, anime, books we read as children, cartoons we watched. The biggest common, influencer I guess, for both of us, was without a doubt, the classic Greek myths. Despite being raised in very different places, we had that in common. Our very first argument or bet was about who, in Greek myths, pulled the sun around the sky. Seriously, it was about Helios vs Apollo. I am, some twenty years later, pretty sure I was right.

I: I was right. It was Helios. We read and watch very widely, everything from noir detective novels to Chinese comics.

Which character was both a favourite and a little challenging to write in your experience so far?

A: I would say Jim Shrapshire or Saiman. Jim is a very self-contained man who shows very little emotion. Because the books have almost always been from another’s character’s POV, we don’t really know what he’s thinking or why he does things. It can make him a bit unlikable. Saiman because he is largely devoid of any redeeming qualities. Kate may have a soft spot for him but he’s not her friend. Curran doesn’t like or trust him for very good reasons.

I: I agree on Jim. He is a character who is driven by a sense of duty and he will sacrifice his relationship on the altar of that duty. It makes him an effective leader but somewhat unlikeable to people who are trying to befriend him. Writing a very intelligent character is always a challenge.

Can you tell us about both of your processes of writing and how you co-author?

A: We have an office that is on the property but separate from the main house. After we have our coffee or tea, we drag our butts down to the office in put them into the two chairs we have in front of the one computer. We talk through the scenes and type them out. We used to have two desks and send the manuscript back and forth, but the one computer, two chairs thing has been our system for the last several books. Writing with a partner is like being in a marriage. You have to take your ego out of it. You learn to compromise and trust the other person.

I: Yes, because periodically the other person will dramatically sag in her chair and say things like, “I’m done. Let’s just give the advance back!” There was no advance for Blood Heir, since it was self-published, so that battle cry didn’t quite work.

The book you thought was your personal best?

A: I really liked Magic Strikes, Bayou Moon, and the last Hidden Legacy book, Emerald Blaze. We usually write a mystery but EB was more of a creature feature, which I really enjoyed writing.

I: They are all our best in a sense that each book is the absolute best we can make it at the time. Some are easier to write, some are very difficult, but our personal favorites rarely line up with what the readers like.

A character or a book you wish you’d written?

A: As far as older books or characters, Conan, Thundarr, (fine barbarians of a pre-history and post-apocalyptic Earth), Casca, the Eternal Mercenary, the Roman centurion who pierced the side of Christ, more recently, Jackal from Jonathan French’s The Grey Bastards. The world building is amazing, and if you’re a D&D fan, The Grey Bastards is must read.

I: Three Musketeers. But we would make it cooler.

Is there a genre you wish to explore?

A: For me, epic fantasy or alternative historical fiction. We are both huge fans of Harry Turtledove’s Civil War and WWII books. I’m currently re-reading and enjoying Harry Harrison’s The Hammer and the Cross series which is set in a dark or middle ages Europe. It probably helps that I’m also playing a lot of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Same setting, very similar time period.

I: I am not going to comment because we have a future project in the works that I am very reluctant to discuss.

Being such fantastic authors, you would often be approached for advice. What’s the most challenging part about giving writing advice?

A: We have to be very careful with this. We don’t claim to be experts, we’re not. We can only give advice based on our own experience and what worked for us. We didn’t go to school to be writers; we don’t have degrees in literature or creative writing. Some things we can safely say are read widely in the area you want to write in. Know the rules and tropes before you break them. Don’t edit while you write. Put words on page, then fix them. Lastly, stick with it, don’t give up. Nobody said it would be easy, the only easy day was yesterday. Embrace the suck and drive on.

I: It is so easy to crush someone by giving advice. Even if you come at it with all the tact you can muster, there is still a strong possibility that you will short circuit their creative process. We try to avoid giving advice as much as we can. If there is anything I’ve learned, it’s that the internet and aspiring writers can survive without the benefit of our “wisdom.”

Are you able to choose a favourite character from Blood Heir?

A: For me, it’s Julie’s “uncle” Namtur. I don’t want to be spoilery but he’s a funny old guy and one of the few survivors of the old Shinar. He’s seen a lot “stuff” man, and very little of this new world or its so-called power players impresses him.

I: I love Namur. I also love Lucifer. And Robert… And Erra… ::gathers the characters into a giant hug:: I love them all.

Lastly, what book recommendations do you have for our readers?

A: I read way too much Bigfoot and cryptid fiction, so I’m going to pass this on to the boss. Ilona?

I: This is hard because the last book I tried disappointed me to no end and now everything is still tainted by that disappointment. I will throw some names at you instead: Jeaniene Frost, Thea Harrison, T.A. White. If you happen to drop by our website and click on the blog, there is link in the menu to “Books we like.”  That’s where we put our recommendations.  We take them very seriously, so if a book is there, one of us had read it and enjoyed it.

Will you be picking up Blood Heir? Tell us in the comments below!