The Magic I Love

Being an author has its disadvantages. One of the issues is that I don't look at a book quite the same way the average reader does. Most folks come to a story with the hope that it will let them "fall through the hole in the page" (as per Stephen King). I expect that as well, but I'm also all about craft, like a pro tennis player watching another pro do his/her thing, constantly analyzing each move to see how it works.

So when I find an author that allows me to switch off the writer brain for a time, I'm ecstatic. Such has been the case with the writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews (writing as Ilona Andrews). They have two series now, but by far my most favorite is their Kate Daniels series (MAGIC BITES, MAGIC BURNS, MAGIC STRIKES). Their latest endeavor (MAGIC BLEEDS) is debuting on May 25th and I am all over this book. To the point of knowing that I will devote hours I do not have (because of my own looming deadline*) to reading it because their stories are that compelling. They have hooked me so solidly into their world I must know what happens next.

Does that mean I don't try to figure out how they do the magic they do? Hell no. I've studied their prose, their plotting, the whole works. In the process I've grown a healthy case of envy because they seem to make it look so effortless. I know the process is anything but easy, still I admire pros at the peak of their game. So if you enjoy a top quality urban fantasy I highly recommend the Andrews' work. It's my joy to salute them for another story about the amazing Kate Daniels and the bizarre world in which she operates.

Sometime down the line I'll explain how their work inspired my own Demon Trappers Series and why, in their own way, they helped move my career further down the playing field. For this post, it's all about them.

Thanks for all your hard work, folks. It's mucho appreciated.

*Deadlines either lurk or loom. They don't seem to have any other method of operation and the switch between lurking and looming is sudden and often very ugly.