The following is an interview with Ilona and Gordon Andrews, the authors of "Magic Bites."
1. What made you decide that you wanted to write an urban/contemporary fantasy series?
Gordon: After reading several Urban Fantasy books, I thought we could do something similar in our own voice.
Ilona: I think people of every culture create folklore based on what is contemporary to them, probably because it’s in human nature to look for something extraordinary in the most mundane of circumstances. To us modern cities are at once mundane and fascinating. It felt natural to set a story in one. It takes so little: a dark alley and a strange noise, and imagination goes wild.
2. Why the decision to go with disgusting vampires?
Ilona: Why not? A smooth, elegant vampire has become somewhat of a norm in urban fantasy. We wanted to break free of the stereotype. Plus, in the world of Magic Bites, monsters might be impressive, but it is ultimately people, human beings, who are the most dangerous predators.
Gordon: Vampires are disgusting undead abominations. I don’t buy them as these smooth ancient Euro types pinning for their lost innocence and trying to find their place in a brave new world. If there were such things as vampires, ours would, I think, be closer to the real thing. Plus Ilona grew up in Russia, and the Slavs do not romanticize them as much as perhaps we tend to.
3. Who would you consider your major influences or inspirations?
Gordon: For me it is Robert B. Parker of the fantastic Spenser mystery series, John Irving, Barry Sadler of the Casca series, and perhaps most of all the late David Gemmell, whom I would have most wanted to meet.
Ilona: I draw a lot of inspirations from folklore, anima, and work of other writers. As far as major influences: Dean Koontz, Robert Parker, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, David Gemmell.
4. Can you give your readers a sense of where the series will go from here?
Ilona: We received a lot of mail asking us to talk a little more about the magic waves that batter Atlanta, so we wanted to move in that direction. The sequel, Magic Burns, takes place during a flare, a very strong magic fluctuation that warps Atlanta and opens the door to some unwelcome visitors. Kate makes a couple of friends and a lot of enemies and once again runs into Curran, who could be either.
Gordon: If there is a third book, we would like to take it out of Atlanta. Perhaps into the mountains of Western North Carolina, where I grew up, and also to reveal more of Kate’s history or lineage.
5. Will we get to find out more about Derek the werewolf? How about Mahon and Jim? (I certainly got the sense that there are back-stories waiting to be told there...)
Gordon: I like Mahon the Bear of Atlanta and would like to do a book where it is just him away from the city, either on a mission for Curran or even an episode from an earlier time in his life. He and Jim would make a good team. Derek will, no doubt, grow up and become the Alpha wolf. His ascension to that position could be an interesting story. Would he still be Curran’s errand boy, or would he become more independent?
Ilona: For the immediate future, Derek is in the sequel and so is Jim. Mahon, unfortunately, doesn’t take an active part, but I would love to tell his story.
6. Will we be finding out more about Curran and his rise to power?
Gordon: Maybe.
Ilona: That would be a very long book
7. Do you tend to write structurally (with a fairly organized plot outline) or do you write more organically (letting the story flow)?
Ilona: Yes and no. I like to know where we are going but at the same time one can overplan a story, killing any creative drive to actually put it into words. But yes, we definitely lean toward structured.
Gordon: I think we tend to be structured as a result of a stern but very caring English professor we had at Western Carolina University. Mrs. Nell Holtzclaw was strict, but both Ilona and I learned a great deal from her.
8. Have you written anything that really surprised you? (Had one of those "did that come out of MY head moments?)
Gordon: Once when I lived in Japan, I wrote a story for a local English language paper where the life-sized statue of Col. Sanders that was in front of a KFC in the market came to life, attacked me, and served my heart deep-fried to a smiling Japanese teenager. Not sure if it was symbolic or simply symptomatic of a deranged mind.
Ilona: … I’m not even going to attempt to follow that one.
9. How long have you been working with these characters? Have you got a lot of background story built around them?
Gordon: Conservatively, we've been working with this story at least six years, don’t you think, Ilona? Going back to the first ideas for Lost Dog?
Ilona: Six years sounds about right. Creating background is probably my favorite part of the process. We were at one point planning to have Nick have his own storyline, but it didn’t quite work out that way.
10. It seems like writers almost always have an odd job or two in their job histories, do you have any?
Ilona: I worked as a mad scientist’s helper. In a genetic research lab.
Gordon: I have been in the Army, the Navy, worked a summer at McDonalds, worked at a Gem mine and a Cherokee Casino, so to answer your question, no odd jobs, really.
11. What's your opinion of the current state of the urban/contemporary fantasy subgenre?
Gordon: There are a lot of really talented authors and it is a great time to be a fan of the genre.
Ilona: Urban fantasy is very popular and a lot of people are jumping into it, which has led to some elements of the genre, such as vampires, to be somewhat overused. But at the same time, because there is so much urban fantasy out there, there are some excellent books and incredible authors. Like Gordon said, it’s a great time to be a fan of the genre.
12. Is there a direction that you would like to take the subgenre or see it go towards?
Gordon: I would like to see non-European myths play a larger role.
Ilona: I want to see people push the boundaries a little. I want to see elements of lesser known mythologies and unusual heroes.
13. Was the collaborative process difficult?
Ilona: Actually, we work very well together.
14. If they made a movie out of "Magic Bites" who would you like to cast in it?
Gordon: Jennifer Connally and Daniel Craig
Ilona: I don’t know. I kind of have certain images of the characters in my head and I have hard time matching them to actors.
15. Are you reading anything now?
Ilona: I just read a wonderful book: an advance reading copy of Jeaniene Frost’s Halfway to the Grave, which will be out in November. I read it in a single sitting. It kicked butt.
Gordon: A Clock Work Orange by Anthony Burgess and The Mummy by Anne Rice
16. Do you have any book recommendations you'd like to share with your readers?
Ilona: There are so many. I’ll limit myself to the two most recent ones. I’ve already mentioned Ms. Frost. Besides her, I really, really enjoyed Nalini Singh’s Psy series. It’s more of a romance/futuristic crossover, but I think it’s fantastic.
Gordon: Anything by Robert B. Parker or David Gemmell would be good. Or graphic novels by Frank Miller.
17. When will your next book be out?
Ilona: Magic Burns will be out April 2008.
18. Is there anything else you'd like to share with your readers?
Ilona: Come and hang out with us at http://ilona_andrews.livejournal.com. We often post snippets and generally make total fools of ourselves.
