One publisher rejected it on the basis that it was too similar to the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Ilona started writing what would eventually become the first entry in the Kate Daniels series as early as 2002, but it went through multiple edits before they managed to find a literary agent and get published. Similarly, Andrew stated that he wrote a failed 'James Bond-y fantasy' series that eventually ended up partially inspiring parts of their future novel Bayou Moon (2010). In one interview, Ilona recalls attempting to write a 'horrible ninja hobbit novel' that ended up being rejected for publication. In a recollection of their publishing journey on their website, Ilona recalls that after completing drafts of two novels, she attempted to get traditionally published with very little prior knowledge and it went very poorly. Early career Īccording to interviews and their own recollection of their early publishing history, Ilona and Andrew were interested in publishing novels as early as their college years.

Ilona usually writes the lines of the female characters and Gordon the lines of the male characters. Gordon's studies in history and mythology and Ilona's knowledge of Slavic folktales went on to influence the world building and inspiration behind their bestselling novels. He attended Western Carolina University to study history and political science where he met Ilona in a writing course and they began collaborating and editing one another's work and essays. Andrew served four years in the United States Navy as a communications officer. Beauregard who fired on Fort Sumter and started the American Civil War, but most often chooses to goes by his last name 'Gordon' since that is what he went by during his military service.

He explained in one interview that he was named after the confederate general P.

Īndrew Beauregard Gordon was born in Florida, U.S., and spent part of his childhood in the Appalachia region of North Carolina. She attended Western Carolina University, majoring in biochemistry and it was there she met her future husband and writing partner, Andrew Gordon. Ilona Gordon was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States as a teenager to attend private school. Ilona Andrews is the pen name of Ilona Gordon and Andrew Gordon, an American husband-and-wife duo who write urban fantasy and romantic fiction together under a portmanteau of their first names.

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews