Recap: Atlanta Book Signing with Ilona and Gordon Andrews

Posted August 10, 2014 by Jessica in Jessica, Miscellaneous / 94 Comments

SO. A lot of you have probably noticed that I haven’t been around a lot the past couple of weeks . . .

There’s a very simple reason for that . . . and that reason is—ILONA ANDREWS.

YEP. I’m not shy about sharing my Ilona love, and if you’re friends with me on Goodreads, you know the first half of my absence was due to my last minute decision to say, “Who cares that I’ve got a least a dozen books I should be reading? (<——NOT me.) I want to reread Kate Daniels  AGAIN, b/c Magic Breaks  is the last book in this story arc, and I’m not going to miss something, b/c I haven’t read the books in a year.”

So I did.

I’m sorry I’ve neglected some of the blogosphere (but not too sorry, b/c KATE). *shrugs*

Then I had to get over my EPIC book hangover, and after that . . . after that I had to get ready to MEET MY #1 FAVORITE AUTHOR, OMG.

Seriously guys . . . the second I started doing this blog thing, and learned about the book cons, it became my life’s ambition to make it to the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention next year, and meet Ilona Andrews. <——I need a new life’s ambition. 😀 😀 😀

OKAY. First you need to know how awesome the Andrews are. They didn’t even have to do a book signing in Atlanta. They were given the option of taking the day off, but they said, “NOPE. We don’t need no stinking day off. Six cities in six days . . . pfft. We got this thing.”

And not only did they sign on for six book signings in six different cities in six days, but (as they are apparently wont to do) they arranged “Meet and Greets” before the actual signings at nearby coffee houses to give fans a chance to just hang out in a casual environment.

And that’s what is going on here (ALSO—the chickypoo in the hot pink shirt is my bff Katy, who was awesome enough to drive 3 hours roundtrip with me, after only getting 3 hours of sleep the night before, b/c nightshift—can we get a round of applause for Katy!):

There were probably around 50 people who showed up for the Meet and Greet. We were arranged in an arc all the way around the Andrews, and how lucky for us that this particular coffee house had stadium seating, right?

Once the Andrews arrived, we had about an hour and half to ask questions, beg for spoilers, see the cover of Kate #8 (it’s amazeballs), and generally just fangirl the heck out.

By the time all of this—both Meet and Greet, and the book signing—was over, I had THREE HOURS of digital recording, which accounts for the second half of my absence. I’m not going to tell you how long it took to transcribe all of it, b/c it’s embarrasing, but trust me . . . it was a LONG time.

I really wish you hear them for yourself, b/c 1. they are hilarious, and 2. Ilona has a fairly thick Russian accent (which is just cool to listen to). Everything I transcribed, from the spoilers and whatnot, are word-for-word verbatim, so even if you won’t be able to tell when her voice goes all sing-song, if you read it with a Russian accent in your head, you can still get a pretty good idea of what it sounded like. PLUS it’s more fun that way.

The very first question was about Nick (Nolastname for those of you haven’t gotten around to reading Magic Breaks yet *looks down nose in condemnation* *taps foot*). Don’t read the spoiler unless you want to know both what Nick’s last name is, AND some spoilery background info that I don’t feel guilty sharing, b/c they shared a less detailed version on their blog.

View Spoiler »Ilona: What actually happened was . . . you know about Kate’s mom—that she had the talent to make people really like her. It worked really, really well. Greg really liked her. Greg was married at the time to Anna, and he had a son, his name was Nikolas, and . . . Kate’s mother is the reason the marriage broke up. Nothing actually happened with Kate’s mother and Greg, but b/c he wanted for something to happen, Anna left. This was before [Kalina] met Roland, and before Kate was born, before any of that. It just so happened that she worked with the Order periodically, Greg and her would run into each other, and you know, Greg was infatuated with her.

So what occurred later was, when Voron basically was running with Kate, Kate’s mother told him, she said, “Look—if you need help, this guy will help you.” And one of the names that she gave to Voron was Greg Feldman. So Voron eventually looked him up, and at that point Voron had little baby Kate, and Anna had really mixed feelings about it, b/c Nikolas was still very young at that point, so they were just doing the co-parenting/divorced parents type of thing, so it’s kind of complicated with them, b/c Anna never really liked Kate.

Anna wants to be a good person, right? But it’s very hard to like the daughter of somebody who broke up your marriage. It’s just a difficult thing for her. So she kind of grudgingly helps Kate sometimes out of sense of duty. But that’s part of the reason why she’s not so much in the series. It’s so hard to bring all of that stuff in. We probably will in the next couple of books, but that’s what happened there. Also, Nikolas figured out later who Kate was. He didn’t know who she was at time of Magic Bites, but later he got it, so he knows.

Kate fan: Does he blame her?
Gordon: Nooooo, I don’t think so. I think the thing would be, “Should I kill her? Can I kill her?”
Nick knows, obviously, what Roland is, and I think he would be worried what Kate will be, and “Should I kill her now? She hasn’t really done anything bad, but she could . . . ” And the thing is, what if she and Roland get together, and they team up? So I think that Nick is that person who thinks, “Should I do something bad for the greater good?” And he’s kind of okay with that. He’s got a certain moral flexibility.
Me: Does Kate know that her mom busted up Anna and Greg’s marriage?
Gordon: No.
Ilona: She has no clue. « Hide Spoiler

Before Kate #7 came out, there was a lot of discussion concerning certain aspects of the story arc, predictions about the answers to long-running questions, etc., and one of the questions I encountered the most was, “What are the longterm implications of Kate having a intimate relationship with someone?” ALSO—for those of you who are getting sick of people NOT dying, there’s an explanation for that in there as well.

View Spoiler »Me: A lot of us want to know what the deal with Kate and sex is, b/c it’s supposed to be this big deal, and if Kate has relations with somebody, it changes them fundamentally, and I think . . . I don’t know how we got the idea that we were going to get an answer to that in this book, but . . .
Ilona: You have the answer, if you read the book carefully.
Me: See that’s what I said! That’s what I said, but everybody else was like, “Noooo, that’s not it. You have to ask,” so here I am. It’s the immortality thing, right?
Ilona: Yes.
Me: HA.
Ilona: Do you remember Magic Mourns? Where Teddy Jo brings the apples?
Me: Oh, I first thought about it with the tattoo fading and the scars fading . . .
Ilona: Yes, but Kate and Curran can eat the apples, and that is a huge, huge deal, b/c if she loves you, and in particular if you’re a man and she has sex with you, there’s transfer.
Me: So does that mean Julie is too now?
Ilona: Yes. And that’s dicey, that’s very, very dicey.
Gorden: Yes, it’s dicey with Julie. It’s also the fact that just by sheer force of will, if you’re in Roland’s court and he doesn’t want you to grow old and die, then you won’t grow old and die, which is what Ghastek wants from Kate.
Me: And that’s why a lot of people didn’t think that it was answered, b/c you could have extended life just by being in proximity, so it must be something more . . .
Gordon: If either of them wished you to be–
Ilona: Yes, but with Roland, you know, he’s enormously powerful. He’s been doing this for awhile, so all he has to do is just think it. Kate actually has to actively fight for it, and if you look at the track record of the books, right? This is where we get . . . [???]
Andrea should have died. Derek should have died. Several times. Curran should have died. Julie too should have died. So, you know, all those people are not dying, or almost dying, for a reason. They’re not dying b/c Kate, even though she doesn’t understand how she does it, holds on to them.
The one time where she actively tried to do it was with Bran—it didn’t work. B/c she was going to bring the undeath. So that’s why she can never sort of . . . that’s what Greg knew, b/c Voron told him, and he was trying to prevent her from being used. What he wanted to not happen was somebody coming along, realizing what she is, realizing what kind of power she has, and then being with her for the sake of her power. Which is really, really, really important.
Gordon: It also works the other way. For instance Voron aged rapidly once removed from Roland.
Ilona: Yep.
Gordon: So it had that . . . side effect, I guess. With the extended life, then kind of aging very rapidly [if removed].
Me: So, again, it’s the proximity.
Gordon. Yeah, it’s proximity.
Me: Well, that’s incentive.
Ilona: Yeah, it’s a huge incentive, and that’s why Roland comes across . . . He kind of comes across nice–he’s NOT. He has Hugh, and Hugh is wrecking ball. He deploys him liberally. I mean, Roland’s all, “I’m conflicted and making beautiful things.”–
Gordon: And he would regularly unleash, well, then Voron, and now, Hugh, and even Erra, and he would regularly unleash them to do . . . kind of horrible things, and then he comes in, and he’s a nice guy. It’s kind of like when you’re in the army, and the first sergeant is the bad guy, and the sergeant major gets to be the good guy. « Hide Spoiler

Other random Q & A’s:

1. YES, Gordon does intend to write more Curran POVs. The next one most likely will be from Magic Rises to give us some insight into his . . . *coughs* . . . . objectionable . . . *coughs* . . . behavior.

2. YES, the dragon from Magic Tests (the novella included at the end of Magic Breaks) is the same dragon from the Jim and Dali novella, Magic Mourns, and Magic Mourns takes place first in the timeline.

And the dragon question set off a whole slew of novella questions, and you remember how I said the Andrews were awesome? Check this out (it’s about halfway down):

Ilona: We try to do like one mythology per book and Magic Slays was our modern take sort of, and we took the whole idea of like an atomic bomb basically and covered our magical device. We actually got a really, really angry email [from some woman] who felt, even though it was not specifically stated that the creator was autistic.
Gordon: That the creator was what?
Ilona: Autistic.
Gordon: Oooh.
Ilona: She said that it was really unfair that he was treated that way, which is, we didn’t write the character as autistic. You know . . . I see how it could be taken that way, but it was . . . it’s very interesting what people get out of a book, but we also had somebody—we were actually in the copyedit stage—in the original draft of Magic Breaks Doolittle actually walks. B/c he healed. And at the copyedit stage we got this email from this gentleman who said, “You know, it’s so nice to see a disabled person portrayed as an able, functioning member of society. We have nobody, well, we have Professor Xavier, you know, and we just do not have those role models and I’m disabled . . . ” And we read that, and I was like ooohhh . . . Doolittle cannot walk.
Gordon: We gave him like, “I can wiggle my toes.”
Ilona: That’s right. The value of Doolittle to that person supersedes the value of Doolittle to us, so that was one of the cases where we altered the narrative. In general though we don’t do like people who like write us, “Can you wriiiiite where Derek and Julie get togeeether, and then they have babies . . . ” We don’t write to order.

In Magic Rises a beloved character dies, and there was discord in the Andrews home over it. *snickers* If you want to know the details . . .

View Spoiler »Question: I gotta know–does it hurt you when your character dies?

[Ilona glowers at Gordon]

Gordon: When . . . when I killed Aunt B, she was very mad at me. People ask if we fight over the books—very rarely—but we had heated discussion over the demise of poor Aunt B. She never wants to kill any character off. I always have to say yeah, this person or that person–
Ilona: I aggressively loaded the dishwater.

Hahahaha!!

Ilona: The discussion was happening in the kitchen, b/c . . . you know . . . when we’re not basically writing we’re cleaning or doing other household chores–
Gordon: Yeah, cleaning the kitchen—the kids aren’t gonna do it.
Ilona: Actually that is a lie, b/c the oldest one turned 18 . . . the house has never been so clean.
Gordon: Yeah, she’s terrified that we’re going to kick her out of the house. When she got the tattoo, right? We saw the tattoo, we’d been in San Antonio, she was still fussing about something, we were sitting down at Morton’s, which is this chain steakhouse—it’s actually good—so we’re sitting down and we see this thing, and I’m like oh, look at that, and ummm . . . she actually had her sister call us and be like, “You’re not gonna kick Cat out of the house, are you?” Nooooo, we are not kicking your sister out of the house.
Ilona: Some of her friends have been kicked out.
Gordon: Well, we know this b/c they live with us.

Hahahaha!! « Hide Spoiler

And finally someone did ask about Christopher. It’s not terribly spoilery, but yeah, it is a little bit, so, again, don’t click on it, if you don’t want to know. There also a brief explanation for why someone a lot of us REALLY wanted to die, didn’t die:

View Spoiler »Question: What happens to Christopher? Is he okay?

Ilona: Christopher is okay.
Gordon: He will slowly recover.
Ilona: Christopher was really, really, really powerful at one point. Christopher can actually fly.
Gordon: Yes, but he forgot. Has anyone read Douglas Adams? Do you remember Douglas Adams’ theory that all of us could fly? But we forgot, and if we were sufficiently startled, like in the act of falling, we would forget to fall, and float gently and learn to fly. He forgot . . . he has simply forgotten how to fly.
Ilona: There is . . . if you read Magic Breaks closely, you can kind of figure out what Christopher used to be. Because there’s a certain rivalry Hugh has with a different character. The rivalry is not so much between the two people, but the two opposites, b/c Roland is very shrewd.
Gordon: If you have two people below you, you want those two people to kind of compete with each other, instead of them ganging up and throwing you out.
Ilona: Yes. There are certain things, and Hugh’s tab is adding up.

I can’t figure out exactly what was said here b/c they’re both talking, but basically they seriously considered killing Hugh, but . . .

Ilona: Here’s the thing. You guys like Hugh.

Collective, “Noooooo.”

Ilona: Yes. You do.
Gordon: Some people do.
Ilona: You like to . . . hate him . . . and wait for him to die . . . which makes him a very good character to keep around. Hugh comes on the page and you’re like, “Goddammit somebody nuke this bastard!”

Hahahaha!!

If you want to know the master plan, you’re going to have to read the books. « Hide Spoiler

Thus concludes the Meet and Greet portion of this post.

So about two minutes before the book signing was supposed to begin, we all walked from the coffee shop to the bookstore where we more than doubled our number. Atlanta had the biggest turnout of any of the book signings. (*fist pumps*) ALSO—you may be surprised to learn that I am apparently NOT the biggest fangirl, b/c someone made the Andrews a picture book that catalogued all of the different versions of all the different covers of the Kate books . . . SO THERE.

That, of course, prompted them to show the cover to Kate #8 again, but this time we got a funny story to go with it:

Ilona: Here’s the thing—they asked us what we wanted on the cover, and since the book is not written yet, we said, “A girl, a sword, and a lion.” (<——*snickers*) And our editor actually got fussy with us, and she was like, “I will need a little bit more than that.” Okay. “A girl, a sword, a lion, and we want it to be green.” (<——*snickers AGAIN*)

Actually, the next book will be a little bit more about . . . umm . . . we’re hoping to do some Arabian Nights mythology in there . . . and here’s how weird they get, right? So we are, we’re discussing the cover and the fact that Arabian Nights are in there, and she’s like, “You know what we should do? We should have crumbled buildings on the cover again, ’cause that’s GREAT.” So I’m like, YES, okay, crumbled buildings. [Editor——>] “We should have a crumbled mosque.” I’m like NO, we shouldn’t.

Hahahaha!!

People, we will not have any crumbling houses of worship on the cover. We actually got a really nice email one time from a Rabbi . . . over the contents of Magic Bleeds. They were like, “while you research into Talmud is sound . . . here’s why the theory wouldn’t work in real life.” We were kind of not planning for it to work in real life . . .

SEE. She’s hilarious.

There were probably another half dozen anecdotal stories, as well as a lengthy introduction to their next book Burn for Me, but this post is already ridiculously long, so I’m forced to cut it short. (<——HA!)

If anyone is a crazy fangirl like me, shoot me an email (jessica@rabidreads.com), and I’ll send you the transcript.

So that is it. Life should be getting back to normal now that I’m not spending several hours everyday transcribing, but honestly—I regret nothing. And seriously, don’t hesitate to shoot me an email if you want more Ilona and Gordon. I’ve got funny stories about their daughters, about the (in)accuracies of their alternate world maps, crazy doomsdayers in Savannah, HOW THEY MET AND THEIR FIRST DATE. Hit me, people!

Jessica Haluska

My name is Jessica and I live in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I’m trying my hand at writing, but mostly I read. My favorite genres are Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, and the YA versions of those genres, but if there is a book of a different color getting lots of buzz, I’ll read it too, just to be informed. If I’m not reading or writing, I’m probably on Goodreads or Pinterest or baking blueberry pies because I love them.

    

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Tags: Ilona Andrews

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94 responses to “Recap: Atlanta Book Signing with Ilona and Gordon Andrews”

1. 

   kindlemom1 @kindlemom1 

   Oh my gosh I am so very excited for you Jessica! And what an awesome friend you have to make the road trip with you on so little sleep, she does deserve kudos!

   Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!! I really do love this duo, they are amazing and so darn nice and funny!
   kindlemom1 recently posted…Sunday Post

   10th Aug, 2014 at 10:31am
   • 

     Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

     Thank you! And yeah, she really is great. Totally keep me from losing my mind/going fangirl crazy/etc. too 😉

     You’re very welcome, and they really are. It’s wonderful when the people you admire live up to your expectations, and even exceed them.

     11th Aug, 2014 at 4:00am
2. 

   AH from badassbookreviews @AHbadassbkblog 

   So lucky that you got to go to this event. I might just have to do a series reread soon!
   AH recently posted…Early Review: Henna House by Nomi Eve

   10th Aug, 2014 at 10:40am
   • 

     Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

     I would not blame you, if you did 😉 And YES—SO lucky!

     11th Aug, 2014 at 4:01am
3. 

   Melanie Simmons @mlsimmons 

   That is so great that you got to go to that signing. I’m so jealous. They are one of my favorite authors. I’ve read everything they’ve published so far. Great recap.
   Melanie Simmons recently posted…Ugly Love Audiobook by Colleen Hoover review

   10th Aug, 2014 at 10:48am
   • 

     Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

     Thanks, Melanie! And yeah, it was kind of awesome—you met them at RT Con, didn’t you? If you didn’t, I’ll wait in line with you next year 😉 I have too. EVERYTHING.

     11th Aug, 2014 at 4:03am
4. 

   Carmel @RabidReads 

   YAY Katy! Now, that’s a true friend. I’m SO jelly that you’ve already seen the cover of Kate #8!! And, WHAT!? You are not the biggest fan girl? Looks like you have some work to do, Jessica. 😉

   I’m glad you had a blast at your first signing. When I started reading your post, I was like ‘it’s not that long, why did it take her two weeks to write?’ Then, I expanded all of the spoilers and was like OOooh. LOL I met them at RT 2013, and they were so much fun on pannels! The back-and-forth between these two is priceless. You can tell that they’re married.

   Great post & pics. Look out Dallas, here you come!

   10th Aug, 2014 at 10:52am
   • 

     Jennifer from The Book Nympho @thebooknympho 

     I loved seeing them at RT in 2013. I’m going to one of the Kim Harrison signings this fall and I’m really thinking about doing the Houston one since the Andrews will be there with her.

     And if nothing comes up I’m going to RT in 2015 so I’m hoping they will be there since it’s in Dallas and would be easy for them to attend.
     Jennifer recently posted…Romping with Coreene Callahan. Take the Dragonfury Love Match Quiz

     10th Aug, 2014 at 3:02pm
     • 

       Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

       I can’t even fathom meeting Kim Harrison and Ilona Andrews at the same time, LOL. I really hope you get to do that.

       And yeah, it seems like they always hit RT Con, so hopefully I’ll get to see them again at that. *crosses fingers*

       11th Aug, 2014 at 4:51am
   • 

     Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

     Yes, she really is. And the cover to Kate #8 is fantastic. Kate actually looks like Kate for once. HA. Yeah, I’ll definitely have to get on that, LOL.

     Yeah, it was over 3000 words when I finally said enough, and that wasn’t even 1/3 of the material I transcribed. And I bet, there back-and-forth was great. I really enjoyed how obvious it was that it really is a close to equal split between them on the books. There are certain characters/aspects of the books that are completely Gordon’s jurisdiction, and prior to this, I had kind of thought that he pitched in on fight scenes/male dialogue, the end.

     Thanks, Carmel! *crosses fingers*

     11th Aug, 2014 at 4:10am
5. 

   Judy @museandramble 

   You lucky, lucky girl! I wish I had been able to go. Great job on the post, and I totally agree that it was time well spent!
   Judy recently posted…Review: Her Kilted Werewolf by Tabitha Conall

   10th Aug, 2014 at 10:53am
   • 

     Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

     YES, I was, and thank you! I hope you’ll be able to get to one some time b/c they really are great 😉

     11th Aug, 2014 at 4:14am
6. 

   tonyalee @tonyaleeh 

   I am kind of kicking myself because, well I live near Atlanta and didn’t know about this! >.<

   I love the interview questions. I'm glad you had so much fun! 😀

   10th Aug, 2014 at 1:05pm
   • 

     Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

     Oh no! If you friend request me on Goodreads, I post general updates anytime something like this is going on–when all the Kate books were on sale for $2 each, when they were having there live Booktalk Nation interview, when they posted their book tour dates and locations, etc. I don’t know if you’re on Goodreads, but I’m definitely enough of a fangirl to keep you from missing out in the future if you are 😉

     And THANKS—it was fantastic.

     11th Aug, 2014 at 4:18am
7. 

   Bookworm Brandee @BookwormBrandee 

   Oh you lucky, lucky girl! I’m so glad you were able to accomplish your life’s goal so quickly, Jessica. And meeting the Andrews is an amazing experience. I ‘met’ them last year at RT but I didn’t go to a meet-n-greet because, um, I’m a dork and was too nervous. But then I talked to Ilona on the elevator and realized that was silly but it was too late. Oh well, I plan on going to RT next year so I’ll make sure to hang out with them. 😉 I’m very happy that you’ve spent the last few weeks in bliss. But I’m glad to have you back. 🙂

   10th Aug, 2014 at 2:59pm
   • 

     Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

     Right, LOL? Now what am I going to do?! And yeah, seriously not one thing to be nervous about, but at least you know now. And I hope you go to RT Con next year too, b/c even though I’ve met them, I still plan to go. See you in TX, lady!

     Thanks, Brandee! Glad to be back. I missed you too 😉

     11th Aug, 2014 at 4:21am
8. 

   blodeuedd @blodeuedd83 

   I am SO jealous!!!
   blodeuedd recently posted…Author Interview: Rhoda Baxter

   10th Aug, 2014 at 3:06pm
   • 

     Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

     😀 😀 😀

     11th Aug, 2014 at 4:21am
9. 

   Karen @teamsheltie 

   That is all kinds of awesome! Thank you for taking the time to sort through and share it with us!

   10th Aug, 2014 at 3:11pm
   • 

     Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

     I know!! And happy to share it, Karen. Extremely happy 😉

     11th Aug, 2014 at 4:22am
10. 

    Stephanie Faris @stephfaris 

    SO awesome. I love that you guys are all so supportive. It’s inspiring to see people gathered to support an author like that.
    Stephanie Faris recently posted…The Nickelbacklash

    10th Aug, 2014 at 3:28pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      When I love an author, I REALLY love an author 😉

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:23am
11. 

    miki

    oh my YES!! yes i want more if i can thank you for sharing!! they are my favourite too!!! love LOVE!!
    miki recently posted…Forgotten Sins (Sin Brothers 1) by Rebecca Zanetti

    10th Aug, 2014 at 4:28pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Yes, ma’am! I’m send it shortly 😉

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:24am
      • 

        miki

        thank you a lot, i really appreciate
        miki recently posted…Forgotten Sins (Sin Brothers 1) by Rebecca Zanetti

        11th Aug, 2014 at 9:53am
      • 

        Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

        You’re very welcome!

        11th Aug, 2014 at 10:20am
12. 

    Braine Talk Supe @talksupeblog 

    Yay to the BFF!!! You must love them so to make that trip. I’m almost caught up with Elemental Assassin, will do Kate Daniel next.
    Braine Talk Supe recently posted…Steampunk Sundays: Engraved by Karina Cooper

    10th Aug, 2014 at 4:52pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      GAH. I need to catch up on Elemental Assassin myself. I’m like 3 or 4 books behind. Can’t wait for you try Kate. Just remember to give it through the second book before giving up, if you don’t like it, b/c book 1 is a bit rocky on the world building front 😉 And yes, BFF is awesome, and so are the Andrews. Totally worth the trip.

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:26am
13. 

    Berls from Fantasy is More @BerlsS 

    OMG how great! I haven’t made it to a book signing yet, but my first one will be on October with Kim Harrison and a slew of other authors, so I’m not complaining too bad. But that casual meet and great is say too cool – if they do this everywhere they go by day 7 they must be beyond exhausted! Travel plus having to be “on” for all those hours? Yikes. They’re amazing!

    I actually have yet to even start this series… yes, I know, it’s on my list. I even own like two or three of the books!

    Kudos to hour friend, she gets like a best friend award or something. Is she at least a fan? Because if not, then her award just got bigger loo. I hope you’ll still plan on RT 2015 because it’s here on Dallas and there’s no way I’m missing that when it’s in my city! Woot!
    Berls recently posted…#COYER-SV Update | Sign-up Cut-Offs

    10th Aug, 2014 at 6:39pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      I’m sure the Kim Harrison (and others) signing will be fantastic. I’m actually really disappointed that she’s not hitting Atlanta this time, b/c she nearly always does, but there’s always future signings. And I can’t wait to see what she has next for us after THE HOLLOWS concludes. An YES, they are so amazingly friendly and down to earth. LOVE them.

      I’m not even going to say anything. I know you’ll get to them eventually, and when you do, and you’re all, “OMG, I can’t believe I waited so long to read this series!!” I’ll just sit there and smile knowingly 😉

      And she totally does, and yes, she is a fan (b/c ME), but she still deserves an award. And I am definitely still planning on going to RT Con 2015. See you there, Berls!

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:32am
14. 

    Andy l @alawler007 

    Thanks for sharing!

    10th Aug, 2014 at 6:49pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      You’re welcome!

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:33am
15. 

    Krista

    Wow, thanks for the transcript!

    I always thought it was weird that Kate and Anna were not close, but I guess that back story makes sense.

    10th Aug, 2014 at 7:19pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      You’re very welcome! And doesn’t it. Never saw it coming though . . . 😉

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:34am
16. 

    LilyElement @LilyElement 

    It looks like you had a blast at the book signing. I keep forgetting about the Dallas one (next year?). That’s local for me 😀

    10th Aug, 2014 at 7:36pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Dallas or Houston. I can’t remember, but TX either way. And I REALLY did 😉

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:35am
17. 

    Amir @lilradrad 

    Because I’m lame and have not read a book by Andrews (I really do need to get started on that) I skimmed the event just in case I read it soon, I don’t want to get spoiled 😛 but man, that’s awesome you get to meet the fantastic duo! I have notice you’ve been quiet and I figured you have a pretty good reason…and you do! I think if Nalini Singh and Kresley Cole end their series, I would probably do the same so I support this cause. Sometimes we just have to read for ourselves. The author is like this power couple! I’m so glad you had a great time Jessica! And thank you Katy for being an awesome BFF 😀
    Amir recently posted…Review: Manga Classics: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, Stacy King and Po Tse

    10th Aug, 2014 at 7:59pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Man, Amir . . . I really hope you check it out sometime, and I hope even more that you LOVE it, b/c it is my FAVORITE UF series. The first book is a little rough with some confusing world-building, and the Bad Guy is GROSS, but with your love of horror, I don’t think that will bother you much 😉 And Kate and Curran have the slow burn/antagonistic romance to end ALL slow burn/antagonistic romances. And I did have an awesome time—both with the reread AND the book signing. Glad to be back though!

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:40am
18. 

    Danya @danyafineprint 

    Katy is a gentlewoman and a scholar. Every fangirl needs her bff to keep her in line at these epic moments, am I right? It sounds like you had a BLAST! I’m so happy that meeting Ilona and Gordon was everything you thought it would be! Next life’s ambition…to be the next Ilona Andrews?!?! I could see it 😉 And you better believe that I’ll be emailing about that transcript. I NEED to hear all about their first date! 😀
    Danya recently posted…Review: Skinwalker by Faith Hunter

    10th Aug, 2014 at 8:17pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      She is, and YES, lol. I’m pretty sure if she hadn’t been there to keep me in line, I’d have acted a fool. Especially b/c it WAS everything I thought it would be. And that would be a worthy ambition, for sure. Consider the transcript sent 😉

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:43am
19. 

    Finley Jayne

    Oh my gosh, how exciting! They’re one of my favorite authors too!
    Finley Jayne recently posted…New Feature {Baking with Finley Jayne} Beautiful Blueberries!

    10th Aug, 2014 at 8:32pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Oh wow, so they’re one of the few series for follow? Very cool 😉

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:44am
      • 

        Finley Jayne

        I still follow three series and they’re one of them, lol 😀 Love Kate Daniels!!
        Finley Jayne recently posted…New Feature {Baking with Finley Jayne} Beautiful Blueberries!

        11th Aug, 2014 at 6:34am
      • 

        Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

        Me TOO. I follow more series than you do, but Kate Daniels is #1, and anything they write is immediately put into that top bracket.

        11th Aug, 2014 at 7:22am
20. 

    Lupdilup @lupdilup 

    Sounds like you had a blast! They are such a fun couple , she’s hilarious. I hope you can make it to RT 15, I’d love to meet you 🙂
    Great post Jessica.
    Lupdilup recently posted…Ugly Love Audiobook by Colleen Hoover review

    10th Aug, 2014 at 8:58pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Thank you! And I’m definitely planning on it. It’d be lovely to meet you 😉

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:46am
21. 

    kimbacaffeinate @kimbacaffeinate 

    You couldn’t have picked a better first signing..they sound wonderful and hilarious . I so need to read her books Jessica! Congrats I am so glad you had fun and appreciate you fangirling and sharing with us!
    kimbacaffeinate recently posted…Sunday Post #120 Live, Laugh, Love

    10th Aug, 2014 at 10:19pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      You really do, b/c they are FABULOUS. And thanks! It was awesome, and I’m always happy to share the Ilona love 😉

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:48am
22. 

    Mogsy from BiblioSanctum @MMOGC 

    Oh how awesome! I know how big a fan you are of Ilona Andrews…for me it would be a dream come true to have this experience with an author I adore. Glad you had fun!
    Mogsy recently posted…Character Appreciation Post: Ista and The Bastard

    10th Aug, 2014 at 11:07pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Thanks, Mogsy—it was EPIC.

      11th Aug, 2014 at 4:49am
23. 

    Jennifer Bielman @JenniferBielman 

    OMG, OMG, OMG, I so wish they came closer to me this year because I totally would have went. I can’t believe this was your first signing. You couldn’t have chosen better authors. These two are freaking hilarious. When I saw this last year, I was cracking up the whole time.

    Thank you so much for writing this all down. I love hearing all the spoilers. I never thought too much about the no one dying around Kate thing, so that was new to me. How did I miss that!
    Jennifer Bielman recently posted…Kindle & Nook Freebies #92

    11th Aug, 2014 at 6:54am
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      I really couldn’t have—it was fabulous AND hilarious too.

      And I didn’t really notice it either, LOL. I don’t pay attention unless people start dying. People living doesn’t make much of a dent beyond, “YAY! They survived!”

      11th Aug, 2014 at 7:24am
24. 

    Kat Stark from NotYetRead @kbcarrigan 

    OH MY GAWD JESSICA!! So exciting and amazing!! It’s like a dream come true. I didn’t understand all the stuff about the books, so I’ll have to come back to this post, but I’m so happy you had fun and got to meet a favorite author, that’s SO awesome.
    Kat Stark recently posted…Review: Visions by Kelley Armstrong

    11th Aug, 2014 at 8:13am
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      YEP. It kind of was, LOL. And you WILL come back, b/c before Anne and I are through with you, you’ll love this series too. You haven’t seen snark until you’ve seen Kate snark 😉 *plots and schemes*

      Thanks, Kat!

      11th Aug, 2014 at 8:19am
25. 

    kim { Book Swoon } @BookSwoon 

    How Awesome – your first book signing with none other than the Ilona and Gordon Andrews! How did you contain yourself – lol … I love the fact that they actually had those “Meet and Greets” at the local coffee houses. I’m avoiding those spoilers, so tempting though. So happy you were able to do this and that you had such an amazing experience, Jessica! 🙂
    kim { Book Swoon } recently posted…Adult Book Review: Maplecroft by Cherie Priest

    11th Aug, 2014 at 10:18am
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      SO AWESOME. And the only reason I was able to contain myself was b/c bff was there to rein me in, LOL. Thanks, Kim!
      Jessica recently posted…Black Ice Haiku by Susan Krinard #StompvsRomp

      13th Aug, 2014 at 6:31am
26. 

    Amanda @BookBender 

    Ooooh. They were in the Minneapolis area on the 1st, but I couldn’t make it. =/ You make me wish I’d been able to!
    Amanda recently posted…Tempting Fate by Alissa Johnson {Amanda’s Review}

    11th Aug, 2014 at 11:46am
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Booooo. Sorry you didn’t make it, Amanda—it was awesome 😉

      13th Aug, 2014 at 6:36am
27. 

    Cristina @CristinasBR 

    You KNOW that I love this post! And you know why I do, right? *nods head* That’s because you turned me into an Ilona Andrews fan! I so wish I could have been there! They really do sound like a down to earth couple aaaaaaaaaaand I can also tell you had a great time. Seriously, there was no one more deserving to meet them than you! <— True story. ♥
    Cristina recently posted…Is The Movie Ever Better Than The Book?

    11th Aug, 2014 at 12:24pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      I did, I did!!<------and that makes me at LEAST as happy as it makes you. I wish you could have been there too, but we'll totally see them at RT Con, and that will also be epic 😉 Thanks, Cristina! MUAH!

      13th Aug, 2014 at 6:49am
28. 

    Jenny from Supernatural Snark @sprntrlsnark 

    YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!! THIS IS SO AWESOME JESSICA! And look at your face! You’re so adorably happy, it just makes me smile. What a truly amazing opportunity this was, I’m so envious that you got to meet them, but I could hug you for this recap as it allowed me to be there vicariously through you.

    And more Curran POV? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. So excited:)

    11th Aug, 2014 at 12:29pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Haha, THANKS, Jenny! It WAS awesome, and I’m glad you liked it. How could I not share?—it’s Ilona 😉

      And YES. More Curran POVs are always a good thing.

      13th Aug, 2014 at 7:02am
29. 

    Danielle @DanielleCRomero 

    OMG I love you for sharing all of this and I am so so jealous because like you, I am an Andrews junkie. Gordon and Ilona are by far my absolute favorite authors in the universe! I’m thrilled you were able to meet them!
    Danielle recently posted…Release Day Blitz: First & Forever by Alyssa Rose Ivy

    11th Aug, 2014 at 5:25pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      You’re welcome, Danielle! Nice to meet another Ilona and Gordon fangirl 😉

      13th Aug, 2014 at 7:31am
30. 

    Michele from A Belle's Tales @ChelesBells1 

    Jessica!! We missed you, and we’re glad you’re back! So happy for you — your very first book signing! This is amazing! Thank you for sharing with us; everything sounds perfect — from a great and selfless BFF to all the neat spoilers and insight you got… just a perfect day! We’re fangirling in spirit!!
    ~Michele and Mckenzie
    Michele recently posted…Review: Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

    11th Aug, 2014 at 6:10pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Happy to be back, ladies! And it. Was. EPIC.

      13th Aug, 2014 at 7:49am
31. 

    Katie @katayla 

    Hi, if you’re willing to send a complete stranger a transcript, I’d love to read it!

    I love what you have here! Especially the answer on Kate and intimate relationships because I was wondering about that.

    11th Aug, 2014 at 6:50pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Thanks, Katie! I’m glad you liked it, and I’ll get that transcript to you shortly 😉

      13th Aug, 2014 at 7:49am
32. 

    Naomi from Nomi’s Paranormal Palace @NomisPP 

    Wow! I am so jealous you got to meet Ilona and Gordan! I love the Kate Daniels series! What a fantastic post Jessica, and a great insight into the writing Duo!

    Naomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace
    Naomi recently posted…Teaser Tuesday #104 – Come Back by J.A. Huss

    11th Aug, 2014 at 10:18pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Thanks, Naomi! It was awesome 😉 I hope you get to meet them too some time.

      13th Aug, 2014 at 7:51am
33. 

    Tabitha (not yet read) @pabkins 

    That is so amazing about the coffee shop meet and greet. And hey I’m jealous of you for just deciding to say screw the reading schedule and just reading what you want! I’m jealous of your ability to do that!

    I’ll have to come back and read the transcription after I’ve read the books.
    Tabitha (not yet read) recently posted…Review: Visions by Kelley Armstrong

    11th Aug, 2014 at 11:07pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Wasn’t that awesome of them? And don’t be jealous, LOL. I get myself into ALL kinds of trouble doing that . . .

      13th Aug, 2014 at 7:52am
34. 

    Christy @loveofbooks409 

    How fun! Now I want to read the KD series even more. The authors sound so cool, that’s great that they listen to their fans.
    Christy recently posted…Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson

    11th Aug, 2014 at 11:36pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      The authors are even more awesome than their books, and their books are the BEST. Just sayin’ . . . 😉

      13th Aug, 2014 at 7:56am
35. 

    anna (herding cats & burning soup)

    OH my gosh. How stinking FUN! Totally jealous! I hope to meet them at an event one day 🙂
    anna (herding cats & burning soup) recently posted…Kitten Confessions w/ Pat F!

    12th Aug, 2014 at 1:32pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      I hope you get to as well, b/c they are just freaking great.

      13th Aug, 2014 at 7:58am
36. 

    Angela from Angel's Guilty Pleasures @angels_gp 

    OMG you lucky lucky girl…I loved this post… I love the Andrews team. I hope to meet them one day…They are my most favorite authors and there books are a must read…I’m jealous Jessica!

    12th Aug, 2014 at 8:41pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      I hope you get to meet them too, Angela—they are SO nice, and they’re my favorite authors too. SO. Much. Fun.

      13th Aug, 2014 at 8:00am
37. 

    Roxanne

    Love your summary! Will probably be emailing you with the transcript request – I’ll be sure to put in the subject heading. Thank you very much for sharing!

    13th Aug, 2014 at 1:13am
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Thanks, Roxanne! I’ll be sure to get that transcript to you when you do. You’re very welcome 😉

      13th Aug, 2014 at 8:01am
38. 

    Pili @pili28 

    YAY!! I don’t think anything can’t get any better than your first signing being with your very favourite authors!!

    And your bff Katy is a real trooper! I know how tough night shifts can be!

    And having the meet & greet before the actual signing… that’s such a cool thing!
    Pili recently posted…Waiting On Wednesday #55!!

    13th Aug, 2014 at 2:33pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      You know, I can’t either, LOL. It. Was. FANTASTIC.

      She really is. She was on night shift that entire week, and doesn’t usually work nights, so it was even worse than usual.

      Yeah, they are very fan-friendly 😉

      14th Aug, 2014 at 5:57am
39. 

    Rebecca @rebeccajaycox 

    Fantastic post! I’m so jealous you got to me them. Love the in-depth spoilers!

    13th Aug, 2014 at 2:49pm
    • 

      Rebecca @rebeccajaycox 

      Meet not me, sheesh. 🙂

      13th Aug, 2014 at 2:50pm
      • 

        Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

        *snickers* Got you 😉

        14th Aug, 2014 at 5:58am
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Thanks, Rebecca!! I’m glad you liked it.

      14th Aug, 2014 at 5:57am
40. 

    Chanzie from Mean Who You @chanzies 

    Awe!!!! I am so happy to hear you had a great time… If I could meet Cassandra Clare or Lauren Kate… Yes I would also not apologise for going MIA *tee hee* I really wish I could attend awesome events like these!
    Chanzie recently posted…Mini Book Review: First Frost (Mythos Academy #0.5) by Jennifer Estep

    14th Aug, 2014 at 10:39am
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      I wish you could too Chanzie! This was my first, but it will NOT be my last 😉

      16th Aug, 2014 at 4:04am
41. 

    BookaholicCat @BookaholicCat 

    I’m dying of envy after reading your recap. I want to meet them… I’m dying to meet them. I love their books and for what you tells us they are as great as their books.
    I want your transcript… please, pretty please with a cherry on top.
    Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

    16th Aug, 2014 at 7:14am
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      You would LOVE them, Marcela! I hope you get the chance to meet them someday too. You are very welcome 😉

      20th Aug, 2014 at 6:54am
42. 

    Sharon - Obsession with Books @SharonBooks 

    Ooh, lucky duck! I have a Kate Daniels obsession, I’ve just read the first book in their new series (Hidden Legacy) and its going to be just as amazing. How wonderful they were your first signing, I enjoyed your recap.
    Sharon – Obsession with Books recently posted…Review: The Winners Curse (The Winner’s Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski

    18th Aug, 2014 at 5:59am
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      I loved Burn for Me too 😉 Thanks, Sharon! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

      20th Aug, 2014 at 6:57am
43. 

    Barbara

    Hi Jessica! Thanks so much. I’m a HUGE Andrews fan and I loved the transcript. Could you email me the rest of it? I’d love to read any thing Kate Daniels related.
    Thanks in advance!

    19th Aug, 2014 at 2:04pm
    • 

      Jessica @jessicadhaluska 

      Yes, ma’am! I’ll send it to you shortly, and you’re welcome 😉

      20th Aug, 2014 at 6:58am