Once upon a time the Guild was an upscale hotel on the edge of Buckhead. Tall buildings didn’t weather magic well, and the hotel proved no exception. Its shiny tower had broken off and toppled, leaving a five-story stub. The guild put a makeshift roof on it, cleaned it up a bit, and called it a day.
A couple of years ago, as the Guild teetered on the edge of bankruptcy, a giant made some exciting modifications to the roof with his fists, which forced a remodel. About that time Curran and Barabas joined the Guild and eventually took it over. Barabas ran the admin side, and Curran served as the Guild Master, and a year and a half ago, the mercs unanimously voted me in as a Steward, which meant whenever mercs had problems and grievances with either of them, they ran to me and I fixed it. I’d needed the added responsibility like I needed a hole in the head. In fact, I wasn’t even at the meeting, because I got held up getting a boggart out of a local middle school. They conveniently voted in my absence and then presented me with the Steward’s scroll when I showed up, dripping slime and picking out trash out of my hair.
Bob of the Four Horsemen had held the unofficial stewardship before me and apparently put himself in the running, but after he tried to raid the pension fund, his street cred took a beating. He never did warm up to either me or Curran’s presence. His Furriness, never one to waste resources, sent him down to Jacksonville, to run the brand-new satellite Guild. Within three months Bob tried to stage a coup and declare independence, and the Jacksonville Guild expelled him. We had no idea where he was or what he was doing.
Bob? What are you doing, man? Why such foolery? Sorry for more pressure on you Kate but….you can do it!!!!
PS: CONGRATS ON THE HOUSE!!!
woah – foreshadowing with a vengence … nice!
Love this world! Congrats on closing on your new home!!
Wonderful! Thank you 🙂 I figured post-house stuff would prevent any snippets for a while. Delighted to be wrong.
?
Bob is going to end up a Roland minion and probably get hurt..
or a new herald.
Nah, even Roland has standards and has no use for spineless traitors.
Ya, Bob does not deserve anything above disposable minion. He has no loyalty and is to greedy for any position of authority or trust. Roland might recruit him but he would have to be bound so tightly as to be almost useless. Plus I doubt he can generate the loyalty Roland wants from his troops.
Yay! Thank you!
I don’t know how many more times I can re-re-read all the snippets before they are memorized.
Favorite,,,,Conlan challenging Robert
So, can the snippets now be twice as long and called Pages?
…and come in clumps called chapters…
?
I take what I can get – always brightens the day
I love the snippet with Conlan and Robert too! So cute!
Soooo cute. ???
Thank you for the wonderful snippet and congratulations on your new home 🙂
?
Congrats on closing on the house!
Bob …..I hear I revenge I-should-have-gotten-the position-story
She is going to get a phone call from some frantic home owner one day : “Help me! There is something large in my crawlspace and I don’t know what it is! I am afraid to go down there!” Kate will show up to save the day : Bravely opens the door and steps down inside with lantern raised! ” Bob? What the hell are you doing down here?” Bob dejectedly: “Growing mushrooms. Nobody wants to hang out with me anymore.” ?
?
*snort!*
*snerk!*
(This is totally not the time to go into “But that’s not how mushroom cultivation works…!” Not. Not!”)
It was for that sicko pharmacist on Hannibal….
Technically, if you control well enough for temperature and humidity, and gave them plenty of appropriate substrates (I’m assuming mycorhizal mushrooms, obvs.) it *could* work, but it’s unlikely to be optimal? There’s drama, and then there’s what’s actually practical.
I just snorted and chortled so hard reading this comment that my 12 year old came to check on me! Thank you.
Love it! 😀
House stuff and a snippet too, you guys are supernatural!
I think I’ll channel Seanan McGuire Aeslin mice, and say “Hail!” to our beloved authorlords!
Loving the snippets!
??? (Darn: my tablet doesn’t offer champagne among its keyboard emojis.)
Ah, heaven: a snippet! Happy packing, moving, settling…. Mantra: this too shall pass–and there’s a fine Chardonnay just waiting for a teapot and a jelly jar on top of a box.
Thanks for this! Congratulations on the new house.
Hmm? But he’s without the other three. As I recall they backed away when Curran took over. Yes it does sound like he’s going to pop up at some inappropriate event.
Congrats on the house and thanks for the update on the Guild.
Maybe he’ll go hang out with Hugh? He can run the bad attitude club.
If he does, the first time Bob rebels against Hugh……..bloody mayhem will happen, and Hugh coming out the victor.
What *is* it about Hugh that appeals to this bloodthirsty side I was only slightly aware of? I immediately want to pop popcorn and watch the carnage.
Thank you for the lovely snippet! I am beginning to have a visceral need for Kate X.
Better and better 🙂 Thank you so much!
These tidbits are great. Just leave me wanting more and can’t wait for the next one.
Congrats on the house. Have fun fixing it to your desires lol
Oh Bob. You had such potential. 🙁 I really hope the rest of the Horsemen stick around, I really like them.
Ohhhh snippet, love ❤️ stuff about the guild, brings back memories of your previous books. Loved that giant and Kate climbing up and then realizing how does she get down. And now I want something with Andrea , miss Andrea and Kate going on Greek food runs .
Thank you so much for your support of your fans, we always want more. Again , congratulations on your new house.
Bob. The horseman named Bob always did make me giggle, pure Pratchett. Although his horsemen had their horses stolen outside the pub, iirc, and became the pedestrians of the apokalypse.
Thanks for the snippet!
Congrats on the house!!
Thank you!!!
Love the new snippet I totally didn’t expect it because of your impending move. Thank you. Can’t wait to see what Bob gets up to!
And then there were three horseman……a tripod ?
Snippet..
House closing ..
You are beasts!!
Have I told you guys how much I adore you? Really! House closing, moving AND a snippet. I didn’t do anything during moving but moving. ?
Thank you for the snippet! Totally enjoyed catching up on the guild! Just goes to show that you should never miss meetings when elections are held ?
Thanks for the snippet! So dies that mean the Four Horsemen are now the Three Musketeers? Or the Three Stooges? Does that make Juke Curly?
Love his furriness. Love Kate and Derrick. Holding on for publication of this book. Trusting you great author Gods to give us a proper HEA, or a squael …….spin off….. just more
Yes – more, more, more!! Thank you for this though!! Love whatever you share!
Thank you for the snippet. Perhaps Bob hooked up with Hugh and is helping with his army. It’s very nice to read something of this world again.
All the allergy reports here scream about high levels of almost everything. You’re bound to be allergic to one or more of the triggers. Have you considered a new doctor?
Le Bob! Pride goeth before the fall. Thank you for this little piece!
Erp. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Internet: 1. Kat: 0.
So with Kate so busy (also poseible conflict of interests) who’s running Cutting Edge? Derek??
Oops, possible
Thank you for the snippet. And the boggart. *snigger* Poor Kate! Both for the boggart and the Steward role.
Well that’s not ominous at all.
Thank you!!
THANK YOU FOR THE SNIPPET.
Hmmm. So Curran has forgotten the adage about keeping your enemies close and sends Bob away from Atlanta AND gives him a position of authority? Methinks Curran has gone soft since leaving the pack….
Curran apparently gave Bob enough rope to hang himself.
Thank you for the treat. ???feel better.
? Thanks!!!
Snippet!
Squee!!
Thank you!!
Thank you for the snippet. 🙂
A satellite Guild with Bob at the helm?! Either Curran wanted to tear him limb from limb at the Atlanta HQ or wanted to see how Bob would react being in charge of the satellite. Didn’t Curran call Bob a “special snowflake” since he didn’t want to do any work in re-creating the Guild after the djinn attack? Oh Bob, Bob, Bob….how could you be so stupid?
As I said in an earlier response, if Bob does end up with Hugh and betrays Hugh, bye-bye Bob permanently.
Or Bob could end up with the Knights with Nick. Nick could do the deed of getting rid of Bob when Bob turns on Nick. Oh the possibilities of getting rid of Bob are endless. Hmmm……
Bob is too old to go to the Knights academy. Kate was accepted there at 17.
Kate was referring to Mark when she used the term special snowflake.
Now I’m wondering what Mark’s doing and if he’s insanely jealous that the Guild is doing good again?
Great snippet. Thank you! What happened to the other three horseman???
Sweet sweet snippets ♡♡ thank you!
Poor Bob! lolol
Amazing! Thx for taking the time 🙂
So how goes Kate 10?
Congratulations on the new house. Thank you for the snippet, it was greatly appreciated.
Bummers, I really liked Bob prior to his pension raiding sceme. Too bad his character had to turn to the dark side.
Bob Bob Bob! Such a mess he has made of himself. Gotta say I’m not surprised.
Thanks for the snippet!
CONGRATULATIONS on your house!
Thanks for the snippet guys ?brightened a very dull day!
SQUUUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love it!!!
Stupid Bob…. stupid stupid Bob… some people just can’t let their ego go…
Love the paint BTW! It’s gorgeous! Thank you so much for the snippets of the new Kate book. Waiting is so so hard. 🙂
Love the snippet! Some people just don’t learn. BTW— loved the new paint color.
Nice glimpse-thanks.Its like short visit to awesome friend-sweet and just a smidge bitter.
I CAN HARDLY WAIT!!!!!!!
Oh Bob. You’re a bad boy. And I can’t wait for the new book. Thanks for sharing!
Guess, he put on his square pants and went to the bottom of the ocean.
I love the Guild