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Book Tour: Virtual Sitdown with Ilona Andrews

Husband and wife team Ilona Andrews opens up about life, love and the creation of Kate Daniels with interviewer Angela Wilson.

Who is Ilona Andrews?

Gordon: We are.

Ilona:  She is a dashing Russian spy with long blonde locks and smile sharp enough to draw blood… No, actually she is my husband Gordon and I.

Tell us about the evolution of your signature character, Kate Daniels.

Gordon: Kate changed over the years as our lives changed, as we went from college kids to grown folks with children and careers, certainly our experiences, especially the loss of a parent, are reflected in the final version of her as she appears in the first book.

Ilona:  In a more literal sense, Kate started out as just a mercenary with a big mouth.  But once we worked out her background and her particular magic, her family and her origin evolved to reflect those changes.  Now she has a purpose and a certain moral code, as twisted as it might be.

You have an incredible mix of mythology and magic throughout the first two books. How much is real and how much is Kate’s world?

Gordon: I have been fascinated since childhood with the Norse and Celtic myths and Ilona grew up with the Slavic tales from her childhood in Russia.  When we put things into the books, we go back to the original sources and try to keep things as close to accurate as we can. 

Ilona:  We used a bit of traditional Slavic myths for the first book, although we did have to modify upir a little bit in the interest of making a good story.  The second book deals heavily with Celtic mythology, its more brutal aspects, and the practice and origins of witches.

Gordon: For the third we wanted to go in a bit of a different direction and so we had to do a lot research on Hindu Mythology, incorporating some of the creatures and themes from the Ramayana.  The Hindu Mythology is less well known, perhaps, but we really enjoyed it and hope the readers do as well.

How long have you been developing this series?

Gordon: A long, long time, probably since we were in college before the Army, so at least ten years ago, Ilona, don’t you think?

Ilona:  Yes, we took several stabs at it, and this one turned out to be the best of all our attempts.

Was it difficult to create a unique universe among the plethora of sci-fi/fantasy series’ featuring shapeshifters, vampires, magic and tough-girl heroines?

Ilona:  Not really.  There is so much material available there in mythology and folklore.

Gordon: I think we just tried to translate our vision of what it would be like if magic did make a comeback.  What may set us apart is our take on the vamps.  It’s unusual for the genre.

I understand there have been pirated copies of Magic Burns on the Internet for months. How frustrating is that for a writer? What should readers know about these unauthorized copies?

Gordon: If you open one of these abominations, your computer, and then your head will explode, Scanners style.

Ilona:  It takes months to write books.  We worked almost a year on Magic Bites.  When you download it for free, we get no profit from it.  You are stealing.  Since writing is how we put food on our table, I’m not happy about it.  But ultimately, it’s up to each person’s moral code.  If they are comfortable with theft, there isn’t much we can or want to do about it.

How long have you been writing?

Ilona:  I guess, I really started to treat it as a career about seven or eight years ago.  I think.

Gordon: On and off since the late eighties, I started in high school and first published an article in an English language newspaper in Japan.

Why this genre?

Gordon: It is still wide open with room for new ideas and the fans are great.

Ilona:  It’s the new, modern day folklore.  And Gordon is right – the fans are awesome.

What are you reading?

Gordon: The Preacher, Robert E. Howard, The Goon, Henry V.

Ilona:  I just finished Captive of My Desires by Johanna Lindsey.  Must… have… more…

What inspires you?

Ilona:  Everything.

Gordon: Almost anything, movies, graphic novels, David Gemmell’s books.

Who is your greatest champion?

Gordon: Robert Parker’s Spenser.

Ilona: Gordon.

What is the top comment you get from readers?

Ilona:  “I stayed up too late reading your book.”

Gordon: My favorite is “I read the book in one sitting” that is the greatest compliment I think a writer can get.

What’s up next for Kate? (Please tell me hunky Curran will become a major part of her love life!)

Gordon: Well, all I am at liberty to divulge is that the events of the third book will bring Kate and Curran closer emotionally and physically than they have ever been.

Ilona:  Of course, that also could mean that they will finally decide to kill each other… You’ll just have to read on to find out.

Where can we find you on the Web?

Our website: http://www.ilonaland.com
Blog: http://ilona_andrews.livejournal.com
My Space: http://www.myspace.com/ilona_andrews