We’ve received many requests and questions about Kid 2’s work and what is it about and when can it be available.
Once in a while, there will be a successful writer who will come out with “My child wrote a book!” and they will use their platform to promote their child’s book. Full power to them. When you have a platform, why not help your child out?
That probably won’t be us. At least in the beginning.
Now don’t get me wrong, we’ll help with advice, we’ll allocate money for ads, and we will use whatever knowledge we have to help her write a good query and sign with a good agent. We are very proud of her.
But people are mean. They will call her a nepo baby, they will say that we wrote the books for her, and they will compare her work to our work, and on and on. Yes, advertising her work here would likely give her a big jump in sales, but at what cost? It is far better for her to launch without the baggage of Ilona Andrews attached.
Thank you so much for your interest. She was very touched that many of you asked, and she sent over a small snippet of an older work, not connected to anything, as a thank you. She says, “This is what I put mom and dad through while in school.”
Yes, she was that bad. Don’t ask me about the time she performed an exorcism.
“Are you mad at me?”
I put my stress ball in my lap and turned to my niece in the chair beside me, staring at her over the brim of my red-tinted shades. “I’m not thrilled.”
She slumped back against her seat, groaning. “Can we just get it out of the way now, please? I hate when you brood.”
“Okay. First of all,” I started. “I don’t brood.”
“I don’t want to fight. I had a really bad day.”
“Oh no! What happened?”
“Nessie. Don’t tease me.”
“This is the second time this month that I have had to drop what I’m doing, rush here from the Circle, and sit in this chair – awaiting to be informed of what a lousy guardian I am.” I straightened my cloak. “You can suffer my teasing.”
“Everybody’s overreacting! It wasn’t that serious!”
“Mhm.
“Nobody here can take a joke,” she grumbled. “Too bad their rich parents can’t buy the kids at this school a sense of humor.”
“Haley.”
“They’re so soft! I have to walk on eggshells around everyone!”
“Haley,” I tried again.
“And for being one of the ‘top performing Arcane Art academies in the world,’ this place is so behind! All the stuff we’re learning right now, you taught me and Griff when we were in freaking pull-ups!”
“Haley.” My stern voice came out. “You chased the headmasters’ son down the hall, with blood dripping from your hands. Whose blood, frankly, I’m scared to ask.”
“It was ketchup.”
“Well, they all thought it was blood. Probably because you were maniacally laughing and chanting, ‘I am blood mage, the madness calls for blood! I am blood-
I saw the lady at the front desk staring, the warmth draining from her face.
Damn it.
I smiled and waved. “Go Vampire Bats!”
She turned away, shaking her head.
“Great,” I hissed under my breath. “Now the front office at your expensive new school thinks I’m a blood mage. Friday’s PTA meeting is going to be a blast.”
“It was just a joke,” Haley muttered. “Everybody didn’t need to freak out.”
“Kiddo, you were frothing at the mouth.”
She threw her hands up, auburn curls bouncing around her freckled face.
“I already told them- it was soap!”
I blinked. “Soap?”
“Hand soap. The foaming kind, from the dispenser in the girl’s restrooms.”
I dragged a sweaty palm down my chin. “You poured soap in your mouth?”
“Sugar Citrus Breeze- blech.” She made a sour face. “Didn’t taste like sugar.”
“No, I don’t imagine that it would.” I sighed. “And you did this, willingly?”
“Yup,” she replied, popping her lips.
“To make it look like you were unhinged?”
“You’re always saying Dad’s problem is he can never commit to anything.” She looked me dead in the eye. “I committed.”
“I’ll be committed, if you keep this up. Between this charming, little stunt you pulled here today, and your brother terrorizing his classroom last week with the reanimated corpse of their beloved pet hamster -“
“It was a bunny.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, bunny -“
“Sir Hops-a-lot, Duke of Carrotown.”
I sharply inhaled. “I can’t keep doing it, Haley. The Circle has been falling apart at the seams for weeks, now. You got to help me out.”
She looked away, her upper lip quivering. “… Sorry.”
I stared at the stress ball in my lap. Thin, purple fabric, all faded and torn. Yellow, stiff foam seeping out from decades old cracks. It had taken a lot of abuse in the last two months.
“So why’d you do it? “
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m hormonal. Or I really am crazy.”
“Hormonal? Definitely. Crazy? Eh… too early to say.” I would tackle the topic of not calling people crazy another time.
“But I probably am. It runs in the family.” She frowned. “He started it. He’s always calling me a blood mage. Says I’m gonna turn Corrupt. Like Mom.”
Little bastard.
“You won’t.” I draped my arm over her. “I won’t let you. Either of you.”
She rested her head on my chest. “But if I did… would you still love me?”
I held her tight. “Yes. We’d just put a muzzle on you and carry on. We are Cowls. Like you said, it runs in the family.”
So fun! I will definitely read anything she publishes!
Thank you!
It’s good. She definitely inherited the family artistic creativity gene. 😉
If this is an indication of her style, I am definitely interested.
Wow, really nice. More Please
Good snippet; thanks!
We’ll have to organically watch for and pounce on the book, then. (And not be mean, natch.)
Fab snippet, well done kid 2! I hope you have a very successful publishing career and I hope I’m able to discover your books even if I don’t know who you are when I read them.
Tell Kid 2 that I would definitely read this book and I hope I can find her book when it gets published!!
That was fun! Will you be telling us her name, or her nom de plume?
Very nice! Of course, Kid 2, now we want more. Because that’s how we roll. We’re committed. 🙂
OK I enjoyed that. hope I find her published soon!
I wish this was a whole book! I actually laughed out loud which I don’t often while reading.
I get your reasoning but I hope her books will fall into my hands by chance anyway!
Love that spirit! 😁 Interesting glimpse to say the least.
All the best to Kiddo2 in her chosen path. You go Gal 💪🏻
And cudos for making your parents use that tone still when remembering your antics 😂😂😂😂
Oh I would so read that! <> Love love this line. She is obviously very talented! And the ending paragraph totally tugs on the heart strings. Wow. I so want to read this book.
I gotta say- that was excellent and I would love to read the entire story!!!
Best of luck to Kid 2!
Ok, now I want to read her book!
This is very good!! Such nice realism to the interaction, not stillted at all but instead you can feel the frustration born of love and the ability for it to be met head on BECAUSE the kids have been allowed to communicate honestly and share their own opinions and thoughts. Very nicely done, “kid 2” (sorry, I do not know your name). I’d be intrigued and want to read more.
I would read this. Definitely has potential. Wishing Kid 2 much success in her career!
That was delightful! Without a doubt better than the opening pages of many published books I have tried. I too understand and support your approach to supporting Kid 2, though as a complete outsider I know I can’t even begin to understand the trials and tribulations of breaking into the publishing world, not to mention the role chance plays. I’m sure your guidance will benefit her enormously, without the can of (ravenous) worms that is hinting at things to the BDH. 🙂
My only fear is that she may one day have an excellent book published and I will never learn of it. I can only hope that you will employ your considerable wiles to let us know the book exists without letting us know the author is Kid 2.
Oooh that was fun. Did she write anymore because I could get invested lol.
You definitely are your mother(&faters child. Loved it. Has the same kind of humor in it that house Andrew’s is famous for
Great job !
This is so great! I love the concept. Thanks for sharing and I wish you the best in your journey of writing (whether you write for your enjoyment or for others). And to be fair, I would totally buy this book if it were developed.
Its Good! Id read more of that. Keep it up and good luck.
Loved it! Only problem is, now I want more… Kid 2 doesn’t by any chance post weekly serials on a blog as well? 😀
Well… call me crazy, but I would read it! Sooo… can I devour? Pretty please? 😀
Oh, I would definitely read this!! Go kid 2!
I’m in. I found the snippet from Kid2 amusing and want to know what happens next. Thank you.
May I propose that a sign up website be made where we can ask for more info (and snippets) as they become available? Or would trolls sign up, too….?
Oooooohhhh I like it!
I think kid2 should run her own snippets/weekly site.
I’m feeling the pull to know what happens next 😁 Honestly, it’s really good
It’s good. Really good. If I grabbed a book of the shelf and it starts like this I d buy it immediately. Would you please consider to share the name of this new author when he/she publishes? Don t want to miss it. Fully get your reasoning, too – but name sharing is not marketing. Love the Andrew’s Family x
I would relish a full book of It Runs In The Family. So wonderful & entertaining!
Well, that was intriguing. I’d read it.
You’re good parents. Thinking long term for your kid is hard sometimes when you can give them a boost immediately.
Tell her Thank You! for sharing. This was really intriguing and made me want more. I understand and respect you guys not wanting to expose her as your kid, but I really hope whatever she gets published finds it’s way into my hands. I would very much like to read whatever she ends up publishing. Wishing her the best of luck!
I’m definitely keeping an eye out for debuts though I suppose it won’t be out for a while yet. Thank you and Kid 2! I love your work to tiny little bits and pieces and eagerly await the Friday special :-D.
OK – I am now really sad that this is a snippet that will never be finished, because I want to read the rest of the Story!!!
I would absolutely buy that story. Regardless of parents. Love it!
sounds good. I’d read it. I completely understand why you don’t want to advertise on here, and why she wants to stand on her own. however I do hope that we learn her pen name here. so we can look for her on our own. because of my fixed income I can only buy a few books. so I would like to at least know that the book I’m buying is good aquality. After what I just read I’m sure it would be.
please provide more information about “Don ’t ask me about the time she performed an exorcism”
Love the humour, the snark, and the underlying sense of family!
Where’s the rest of it? :)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
yess, KID 2 can write, I loved it, I want more
And the BDH cries MORE!!!!!!!!!! MORE!!!
Yes she has definitely inherited your talent and snark. I should know, I had a brain tumor (benign) that removed a lot of memories, and have just finished rereading KD and Innkeeper Series. And I once was given a Christmas mug by one of my bosses that says Professional Smartass.
That is really good! Love the humor.
And I totally get that you don’t want to tie her work to yours. That is wise, for all of you.
I will buy what she publishes. I am not sure I will like it, of course, but I will buy it and be honest in a review.
I enjoyed Kid2 ‘s writing. I would definitely buy her book. I have 3 daughters and when I could I helped them to reach the next level they needed to be successful. But I could not help them in the way you can. Help her with the agent and publishing Love her and bask in her success as a parent. There is nothing wrong in doing so. Plus give us her writing name and the book title. I’m ready to buy it. Not because of you but because I think I will like her story.
Oh my. I do hope your daughter finishes this book and I am able to find it. Totally fascinated by it. Not just saying this because hey it’s your daughter. Really enjoyed the Aunt / Niece relationship. Especially the Aunt
Now I can’t wait to read Kid 2’s work!!!
I was not one of the commenters calling for your daughters book title ect, but after reading the snippet, PLEASE!!! When she has her first book published, let the book devouring hoard (that I am an über proud member of) know????!!!
Also, the interrobang really does need to be a character on my keyboard 🙂
Love it!! Can’t wait to read a full novel! Thank her for us!
Love it!
I love it. Ahh, youth, I remember my own crazy stunts and my mom called me a “damn Salisbury” (her mother’s side of the family, lol.)
Damn it! Now I totally want to read this!!
Kid 2 is talented — I would read that in a heartbeat. Not sure how you can let us know when she is actually published and under what name without it sounding like nepotism (and it’s NOT) but please let us know. Just from the snippet I want to read the entire book. And series because that is definitely a series
Hear, hear!