Interview with Ilona Andrews

I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to corner the husband and wife writing duo known as Ilona Andrews earlier this year. Since we have not had them on our blog for far too long I took the opportunity to ask them if they would mind spending some time with us in casual conversation. Luckily they agreed so we are sharing with you…

BP: Where do your favorite myths come from? Why are they are favorites?

Ilona: My favorite myths are from Russia. I grew up with them and there is something so familiar and nostalgic about them.

BP: If you could pick a place to live, anyplace where would that be?

Ilona: Somewhere on the coast, maybe Greece or the Florida keys. Anywhere warm where there is clear water. I really like the sea.

BP: Keeping that in mind, we have noticed a slightly disturbing trend of your characters or worlds destroying perfectly good buildings, things, and places, are there any particular places that are showing signs of imminent destruction?

Ilona: Next on the menu is Houston for our new series with Avon. Pyrokinetic spoiled boy bikers and high rises mix with explosive results. Stay tuned. Hehe. ☺

BP: Out of your supporting cast, what character do you want to bring front and center?

Ilona: Well, Magic Breaks has a lot of Jim, but in the future, Derek. He is a fan favorite and it’s about time he had more page time.

BP: Dali and Jim? Please, and when? *puppy dog eyes*

Ilona: Eh, novella in an anthology with Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook and Lisa Shearin, sometime in 2014, if our luck holds. (BP – super excited to hear this)

BP: Derek and a possible Julie romance when she becomes an adult? *puppy dog eyes*

Ilona: That would have to be after Kate and Curran story. Whenever you guys are ready to give up on Kate and Curran, you let us know. 😉 (BP – zips mouth shut)

BP: Are you get to give us any details on your new paranormal romance series? We won’t tell anyone. We promise! (just our closest friends who read the blog)

Ilona: Just for you. ☺ The Avon trilogy is set in the world that’s very similar to ours with one exception: magic exists, people know how to use it, and it’s hereditary. Almost all of the large corporations are owned by families with serious magic punch. In essence, it’s a magic mafia kind of world.

Isabella Baylor kind of got the short end of the stick. She has magic, but she doesn’t want the kind of jobs she could get with it. Instead she works for the family business, a small detective agency that mostly deals in cheating spouses and insurance fraud. Her father started the business with her mother, but he died, and her mother, a former officer and a veteran, has a permanent injury from the war. It’s up to Isabella to make sure that her mother, her two sisters and two cousins, and her Grandmother are fed. Grandma builds tanks on the side and it helps some, but most of the responsibility is on Isabella’s shoulders.

The business is mortgaged to a larger detective firm and one fine day they call Isabella in. They want her to find and apprehend a man accused of murder. The man happens to be the treasured son of one of the most prominent magic families and he is a pyro. He can make a fire so hot, it melts metal. Now Isabella is stuck trying to get this guy to turn himself in. It doesn’t help that the scariest man in the city is hunting him as well.

Of course, neither of them realize that this is only the tip of a much larger iceberg and when it surfaces, neither they, nor everything they hold dear may survive.

Gaah, sorry that’s a terrible synopsis, but that’s the best I’ve can come up with on a short notice. (BP – oh don’t worry, we certainly enjoyed reading this! Thanks for sharing)

BP: If there was a way or chance for Kate and Curran could time-travel to any period and place on the planet for nice relaxing vacation (heh!) where would it be and why?

Ilona: Umm, Florida Keys. I’m staying with the Key theme here.

BP: Is there firm plans for a book or a novella for our favourite Eeyore pyjama wearing mage Roman? *Offers bribe of good tea and chocolate*

Ilona: Yes. It will likely be published in the Innkeeper format.

BP: Can you explain why Curran dislikes riding horses so much and is there a real story behind it?

Ilona: They are large but delicate. They freak out when they smell him and he can’t figure them out.

BP: What is the best bribe you have found to get a sneak peek at another author’s upcoming book? (takes notes furiously)

Ilona: Oy. This is going to sound terrible, but I usually just ask very nicely. Sometimes they want to trade ARCs, which is awesome. (BP – crumples up paper)

Thank you Ilona for spending time with us today. We loved your answers and can’t wait to read the stories :D. Also thank you for the great excerpt from Magic Rises that is coming up in our super late post today. It is always wonderful when you stop by for a visit!

They have a great website full of all sorts of other interesting information which you can reach by clicking here.