ILONA ANDREWS

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author

You are here: Home / Blog / Event Postponed

Event Postponed

Blog, Catalina, Hidden Legacy POST A COMMENT by

Going to start this morning with an apology. I know some of you were getting ready for a Zoom event with us and Grace Draven hosted by Ashland Library in conjunction with Bank Square Books, but there was an unexpected development in our schedule. We have to postpone it for a bit.

It’s not cancelled. Only postponed.

We apologize. We offer a very small snippet as a tiny bribe. They won’t let us give you large snippets at this stage.

Bern had bags under his eyes, and they weren’t clutches, they were totes. He was chugging a Red Bull and staring at his laptop. Next to him, Runa nursed an iced coffee, her expression grim. Halle, her sister, slumped in the chair next to her, with her face on the table. Past Halle, Ragnar had the pinched look and wide eyes of someone who was trying his absolute best to stay awake.

The door swung open, and Cornelius entered, his expression grave.  Matilda was next, her long dark hair gathered into a ponytail. She was carrying a fluffy Himalayan cat, whose full name was Go Mi Nam and who usually answered to “kitty.” Patricia Taft was the last to enter, carrying a trashcan. Some people had a stronger reaction to nightbloom than others. 

Matilda walked over to Ragnar and deposited the cat on his lap. Ragnar blinked at her, startled.

“Comfort,” Matilda explained.

Go Mi Nam dutifully purred like a runaway bulldozer.

“Do I not get comfort?” Leon asked sadly.

Matilda walked around the table, hugged him gently, and petted his hair as if he were a dog. “It will be okay.  You can shoot people next time.”

NEVER MISS A BOOK RELEASE

Join 30,000 Subscribers

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO
PUBLISHING NEWS

New book releases, give-aways, and appearances.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO
BLOG UPDATES

Free fiction, snippets, and funny stories.

Read our Privacy Policy.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. OMG…I love this family. The whole, extended, not blood-related, but still family, lot of them!

  4. How sweet when the baby of the bunch recognizes the need and gives comfort to all those around her.
    I love it! Thank you.

    I did get an email just before this with the postponment notification. I dont mind waiting as I only registered yesterday.

  7. Thank you for the snippet! It’s an unexpected but very welcome bright spot in a gloomy, cold, and snowy day.

  9. My condolences for the developments that caused you to postpone your Zoom event.
    It sounds like you’re going have fun when you do get to meet up.

    Also, thank you for the awesome snippet!

  11. Glad because of the wintery weather in San Antonio we are without power. Husband has generator going but hope CPS Energy figures out what is wrong soon. It is a repeat of last year.

    • Guess I’ll have to text my brother in SA and see if he lost power, too. And text my brothers in Dallas and Austin and see how they’re doing. And ask them how moving south to Texas worked for their plans to avoid snow. Mwahahaha

      • Been living in Texas 30 years after growing up in Michigan and living in Germany for 4 years. No power outage at my house.

        The cover on my scooter is a bit frosty-stiff. Everything else is wet. Currently, 30 degrees (f), high of 37 predicted for today. Tomorrow, high of 43, Saturday high of 52….next Wednesday high of 64.

        Last year’s freeze and snow lasted a WEEK, only. The neighbor’s kids were playing outside, wearing shorts and shirtless immediately after (all trace of snow gone). The news made it sound worse than it was. My husband worked for CPS Energy (retired last April). If you want the real story behind the power issues….that’s for another time and place.

        No need to worry about us when it comes to cold weather and winter. We’ve been wearing shorts and sandals until today. We BBQ and work outside all winter. A few days of cold weather is an inconvenience.

      • I have my electricity even though I prepared like heck to make sure I had everything just in case I didn’t.

        I don’t mind the snow. It’s the stupid ice and crazy people driving on the ice like it’s dry makes me stay at home. 🙂 Thank goodness I work from home.

        And no, I’m not originally from Texas. Missouri and then Oklahoma. You want to talk cold, go to Tulsa, Oklahoma where the wind chill can get to 40 degrees below zero. I was in that one year, and glad I had an artic parka and wrapped up like a mummy. That was brutal.

        • I live in Central Texas (Hill country). This morning it was 19F. Power is on and we are staying home until the roads thaw. I know it sounds unbelievable to those who have to drive in snow and ice on a regular basis, but there are many drivers who drive as if there is no difference between an ice covered road and the freeway on a hot summer day. Being on the road with these people is flat out horrific. (Patricia I think you understated the danger). So everyone, please stay safe!

  12. Thank you so much – postponement not a problem, and we are so happy to have a snippet of their lives to dream on. So happy the book is coming together – it will be awesome once done…

  13. It’s true. There’s little more comforting than being purred on. Good ol’ Matilda. She’s so delightfully practical.

  20. The only tiny comfort at this stage is “nothing lasts forever” even though it seems like three years of unending aggravation and turmoil; at least you are in the back stretch and headed for the finish line. We’ll be here after you reach your well-deserved “The End”.

    Love the snippet.

  22. Ohhh, lovely Snippet surprise.
    Just love those domestic scenes, it is what makes Hidden Legacy so special- thank you.

  23. I love this snippet!
    I’m about to go outside and shovel the driveway and sidewalks. Now I will be outside smiling like a loon (do loons smile?).

  24. Leon and Matilda are my two favorite characters in the whole series.

    Thank you. Please postpone more things.

    • Sorry, that didn’t come out right. I’m not hoping you’ll NEED to postpone more things. Shoveling, ice chopping, shoveling, ice chopping, more shoveling, plows keeping me up all night- my brain is mush.

  26. I love this glimpses in. I was not going to the zoom but really appreciate any morsel you sprinkle!!

  30. I would love to see future books with grown up Matilda working in the agency, the Baylors are basically extended family at this point.

  31. I love love love Matilda. She is amazing ❤️.

    Thank you for the snippet. I hope the family is doing well and you’re prepared for any inclement weather. Much love.

  32. So sweet, but then Matilda is very sweet.
    The family interaction is one of the things I love about “Hidden Legacy” books. (Family meaning found family as well as genetic family. The Baylors’ family is much larger than just the folks named “Baylor”.)
    This book is going to be so much fun!
    Thank you so much for the snippet. I wish it could be longer, but you gotta follow instructions at least part of the time…

  35. Ok maybe I missed it but what zoom meeting with Grace Draven? Was the event posted in the Blog to register?

    • No, the event has not been shared on the blog, for just such considerations of scheduling. It has however been made public on social media by other parties and some fans had already registered 🙂

      • Thank you Mod R for clearing that up!! This blog is the closest I get to social media lol. I will wait to see it reported her ????

  37. I continue to absolutely adore Matilda. She is so sweet and wholesome and just makes me want to snuggle up forever.

  39. Now we’re going to want a Matilda trilogy and a snippet from the cat’s POV …. Lol just kidding … love this !

  45. Is this the same cat that Matilda had in earlier books or is this a later version? It is no wonder the Baylors need a compound as their family grows. If Rogan and Nevada joined they would need more then a compound. I wonder where Shadow is. I look forward to this book and know you look forward to it being finished. Sometimes things just fight when they don’t want to be finished. I remember some clothes that I have sewn that almost ended up with the cutting shears. To this day I cannot look at them. Everyone else thinks they are wonderful. I hope you are able to avoid the truly nasty weather.

  46. I hope everything is ok!
    Also, that was a very sweet snippet. I adore that little girl and her fluffy cat <3

  52. I wonder if this kitty is inspired by a member of HA like Shadow was. Tuna had a “off-screen” cameo in the safe room disaster.

  54. Well, I didn’t even know there was an event happening lol, so yay, free snippet!

    Dont worry, life happens 🙂

  58. Hope all will be back to normal soon.

    Go Mi Nam is the main character from one of my my favorite Korean dramas!! Thank you, I love it! And I love Matilda, she’s such an interesting character.

  59. Kitty comfort – such a wonderful thing. Thanks for the Thursday snippet – love seeing Bern and Leon bonding with Runa and her family!

  61. I think “It will be okay. You can shoot people next time” is now a new favourite quote up there with “Here kitty kitty”.

    Thank you for snippet and hope all is ok on your side of the pond.

  63. I knew I wanted to read more about Matilda for a reason!!????????
    Also: Runa’s siblings!! ????
    Thank you HA ????

  64. Thank you for the snippet. I loved how Matilda was so calm when she told Leon that he can shoot people next time. She is sounding more like her dad.

    I wonder what was causing everyone to have a rough night? We’ll find out when Ruby Fever comes out. 😉

  66. While of course not being *fully* satisfying (because snippet), this is still *so very* satisfying. Like the best amuse-bouche. Fascinatingly flavorful and yummy for such a small tidbit. Additional confirmation that we are in good hands as the wielding of formidable expertise continues behind the scenes. Thank you!

    I love these characters so much.

  67. Waiting for the Friday chapter but I still like to come on to see what else is up and to read things that make me laugh. I need laughs. We all need laughs. Thank you from a Proud Member of the BDH.

  69. Hahahaha, poor Leon. Maybe next time, huh?

    Man, I would love to know what the heck is going on and what is nightbloom?

    Thank you for the snippet!

  70. Hi BDH,

    A gentle reminder please that we do not ship children in this house 🙂

    Couples where the age difference is bigger than 10 years, one is underage/minor and the other one an adult will not be featured in the books, because grooming is an ugly concept. For more details, please see https://ilona-andrews.com/2021/busy-busy/

    Thanks all 🙂

    • I absolutely knew shipping Matilda would rear its ugly head with that snippet. If you know of anyone personally who has experienced the particular trauma of grooming and abuse, you will not find it cute or funny.

      And statistically, if you are an adult, you *do* know someone who has experienced it. They’re probably not going to retraumatize themselves by telling people, especially people who think it’s cute or funny. You can’t tell who has been through this by the way they look or act. Just stop.

    • I agree. Do not ship any child/adult. It’s disturbing and makes my skin crawl. 🙁

  71. This happened in the earlier book also – when I see “Ragnar”, I think of Uhtred’s brother in The Last Kingdom (Netflix), and Brida….

    Which is a bit incongruous since if I remember correctly, in this case he’s a young kid, but that’s what always comes to mind!

  72. So glad to see the Ettersons and Harrisons have become part of the extended Baylor clan. Love scenes of them all working together. I know this has been a hard writing journey for HA, but the fans will love seeing all these characters together again!

  73. Love the line “It will be okay. You can shoot people next time.”! Thank you for the snippet!

  76. Sorry you’re having a bit of a day, but thank you for the unexpected treat! We all need a Go Mi Nam at times ❤️

  82. This is not a complaint! I am always happy for snippets. I love the Baylor family. I was just curious since I never thought about it before in general how much material are authors allowed to release during the book writing/editing/ publishing process? I have several authors I follow that release snippets or a few chapters, for instance chapter 1 several months before book release and maybe chapter 2 a month before the release. I understand marketing and PR would influence how much can be released and when. I just was wondering if there is a general format that authors/publishers follow on what/how much can be pre-released and at what time. This was just something that I was thinking about. I do not know much, if anything, about the writing and publishing process. I just appreciate the end results. It occurred to me that there is probably a set of guidelines for authors/publishers and was curious how that works. I reiterate this is not a complaint, I am not critiquing authors or publishers I was just curious about the process.

  84. I hate this book has been such a battle for you. Love that it looks like it’s going to be every bit as amazing as all the others.

  85. Thanks. Wonderful treat. Looking forward to spending time with the whole cast when Ruby Fever comes out. Hope you get to de-stress often till then. We are so grateful for all your hard work.

  87. There is nothing, but nothing on this planet that is as comforting as a purring cat in one’s lap. Until one has to use the bathroom that is. But until then, nothing is as comforting as a purring cat.

  91. Thank you — It’s like looking at a photo of old friends you haven’t seen in a while and who you really miss 🙂 .

  92. Matilda bringing purrs and kindness and not a drop of snark. She is growing up to be her parent’s daughter. Loved it.

  97. Tiny snippet….yayyyy.

    Ohhh Leon… Do I not get comfort? Matilda is growing up so much (and knows him so well)!

  100. Pardon me for asking, but if it isn’t too much trouble, what are Matilda’s and the younger Etterson’s ages in this story? I know how old they were when they were first introduced, but I am not sure of the timeline with regard to their ages.
    Thanks.

  102. Lol! I just adore Matilda!! She’s so cute!!

    Thank you for the snippet and I hope everything is ok with the family!!

  103. Nam Go Mi is the purr-master 3000 we all need. Poor Leon, having to wait to shoot someone.

    Mission accomplished; I was completely distracted and my book appetite has whetted. Well done! ????????

  114. Loved the snippet! I remember the time Matilda brought Ragnar a much, much larger kitty to purr at him!

  115. I am being slowly driven insane by these snippets. First the innkeeper thing n now this.
    Keep it up! Sanity is over- rated.

    • Around 9/10 ???? (very loosely, official word on timeline will ofc be the book when it’s published)

  119. Rogan commented his powers manifested when he was 5 or 6. Matilida apparently has powers that manifested earlier. Not only can she control animals, but it appears she can tell when people need some assistance. Can she control people as well animals? That power can be more than frightening.

    • Henry,

      We meet Matilda when she is already 5 years old ????. We are not told that she manifested at a younger age, but each person with magic is different. Matilda is a Prime animal mage and there have been fan suppositions that she inherited a dual minor talent from her Empath mother.
      The Animal mages make pacts with their animals, they bond and the relationship is a give and take ????, not one of coercion.
      In short, no, she does not control people’s minds ????.

  121. Fabulous! So much love for the Baylors and their extending family. Extending because I’m sure they will gather more on the journey.
    Thank you so much. Can’t wait for this book.

  122. Thank you!!!! Any snippets are greatly appreciated! Another piece of the puzzle! You guys rock!

  126. Preorder for Ruby Fever ebook is now available from Barnes & Noble’s Nook. Glade you finally solved the problem. This snippet shows the family growing nicely with love.????

  129. OMG…. I LOVED THIS!!!! I keep re-reading and re-listening to these books (I also have the audiobooks), and I never get bored of them! I mean… I love ALL of the books House Andrews writes, but these are just so damn entertaining to listen to!

Skip to content