It was bound to happen…

Sooner or later, I knew I would be writing about just how much I love my favorite urban fantasy writers, Ilona Andrews. With the upcoming release of their newest, self-published novel, this is my excuse to sing their praises once again. I will try to keep the gushing to a minimal.  #nopromises #notsorry

What makes me such a die-hard fan (in addition to their awesome storytelling, complex and captivating characters, and sarcastic humor balancing out dire situations) is also what they choose to share about themselves through their blog. They are really quite transparent, and the way they reach out and relate to their readers is rather endearing. They are REAL, and they are honest. In raising two teenage daughters, they show how trying life can be but also how precious and fun. Never short on humor, their posts give us glimpses into the life of a writer(s) and the challenges that come with it.

Despite their being a couple of my favorite authors, I am still not an auto-buy kind of gal. There is no guarantee that just because you love a certain writer, you will love everything they write. This is true for me for all the authors I love. Past and current life experiences comprise your frame of reference and influences how you will connect with a book (or not). Not to mention what the author(s) was going through when they wrote their book. Their experiences contribute to their creativity and subsequent writing as well. Having said that, though, the Kate Daniels series is my favorite from Ilona Andrews and one that I do collect. 🙂

I love that I have found authors whose work I love and are also people I admire. Who are some of your favorite writers? Share in the comments below!

Here’s to more great stories, real and fictional!

I’ve never read their work (?!) and would like to give them a try, the Innkeeper Chronicles is a good one to start with (Clean Sweep), since the first book came out just last year. My review of it on Fantasy-Faction is here. The second book in the series, Sweep in Peace, is due out November 13th, and my review of that is here.

Image credit: Doris Mantair