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.”
Nice! I’d read it.. Looks like she inherited you’alls sense of humor. 🤣
I loved the snippet. I admit I was invested. Than you for sharing.
Loved the snippet; I would 100% read that book. I understand wanting to keep your professional distance, and that the Horde can be overwhelming. I also hope that you might mention her the way you mentioned Jessie Mihalik (whose work I love and would not have tried if you hadn’t recommended it), when her stuff comes out, because I’d hate to miss it.
Now, about that exorcism… 🤣
Guys, I loved it, I laughed so much just at this little bit, and I was waiting for a little more. Kid 2, apparently, has your sense of humor, when you said she was terrible, she was prepared for something really bad but that’s not what happened. I’m also a reader of young adult books (especially adventure ones) and I wanted to read something more mature by her. (By google translate, so it might have been a little strange)
Made me smile which is always a worth reading indicator. Thank kid two for sharing her work.
Thanks for sharing Kid 2! I’m invested! I wonder what happens next? what is the Circle? So many questions ha!
i love it! definitely looking forward to reading her works!
Can you at least recommend her when her first book comes out without saying she is your daughter? Otherwise how will we find her????😢
Thank you! I hope kid 2 will 1 day be able to finish this story. I liked what she wrote and think the snippet has quite alot of potential. Good luck to her.
Great job to Kid 2 and being willing to share with the BDH. I’m sure it can be daunting. Wasn’t she alpha Mod R?
We will at least need the name she is publishing under. Give us a hint? Will begging help?
Oooh I would read that. I feel very engaged with these characters for such a brief snippet. Kid 2, we are all rooting for you – you are clearly very thoughtful of your work and career. Wishing you a ton of success!
She is takented. More please.
Kid 2 is very snarky. I like it. I have questions about the exorcism.
Tell kiddo 2 that I loved this and really wanted to see more. This was something I would definitely read! Good going #2!!!!!
Yep, I think it does run in the family. You’re at least going to throw us some hints, yes?
Or no, I get it, but still – it’s going to kill us all, you do know that, right?
Hand up if you think Kid 2 has accused her mother of brooding at some point.
The banter, magic school, family dynamic all made this something I’d want to read!
Totally get the wanting to avoid the baggage…but would hate to miss out on a good new book! I find it hard to find things that hit the banter/feel good note
People will be mean whether you help or no matter how much you don’t help. Be who you are–kind, generous and doing it your way. Don’t change who you are or make decisions based on someone else’s mean because mean will always be there.
I enjoyed the snippet. Thank you for sharing. Give it your all like you do everything! Commit!!! 🙂
I would absolutely read it! Thanks for the snippet, Kid 2!
I absolutely get what you are saying about not wanting to burden her with the IA name, but maybe you can at least give us a heads up when her book comes out and the name she uses as her pen name. Then, if we all go and buy it on our own accord, without any recommendations on your part, how is that anyone’s fault?
You know we are all pulling for her. First, it feels as if House Andrews (and all its members) are family to us. Second, we are the BDH and that means we need MORE books to devour! Way more than any one super-talented writing couple can keep up with alone.
I.loved it.Now I want more.
She writes very well and would love to read her whole book! Hmm- maybe have her start her own blog and if we beg enough, you’ll put it in a link ?
Yes, I foresee a lot of begging in my future after reading that teaser. LOL
“Yes, she was that bad. Don’t ask me about the time she performed an exorcism.”
hahahha thats a riot. Good luck to Kid 2!
This is great! I would love to read the entire thing. I respect that you wouldn’t want kid 2 to go through the Nepo baby craziness.
But on a totally selfish note, am I the only one here who’s going to obsessively look for her work after reading that awesome snippet? LOL
I’m hooked! Wish I could keep reading. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Kid 2!!!!
This may be an early work, but I’d like to meet these characters.
#1 Mom, Can you please, pretty please wrapped in silk/alpaca/Shetland wool (enough for a light shawl), give a hint on how to find her book?
Thank you
I will second this request, pretty please!
Clever! Nice world building, and accomplished a lot in a snippet, good job. Thanks for the piece, and I hope you have more for us.
Please let her know, that I love this snippet and would very much love to read more! Writing runs in your family and I will be delighted to get my eyes on her writing as well. Thanks so much for sharing.
One of my sons is a male version of your kid2. Strangely enough he is my kid2 as well. Very similar sense of humor. This was an actual dinner conversation when our older sons were in their teens.
The boys had been fighting and I did not want them to end up like my two brothers who pretend neither exists to this day. I reminded my two sons that above all else they were family. OUR family. Friends will come and go but we as a family will always be here for each other. They could not change the fact they were all from the same gene pool.
My Kid2: “Yes, but I’m from the deep end”
I cannot wait to purchase your Kid2’s book. I have great faith in her gene pool! Congratulations!
WOW, great snippet now we will all want to read more! She is totally a” chip off the old block” as the saying goes!
Delightful! Keep it going!!! Soon you’ll have your own BDH. And not all of them will have come from HA. 🙂 Some of us will, sorry. 🙂
I loved it. Looking forward h
to more of her works.
Have a love/hate relationship with snippets!!!
Wow, That really grabbed me and kept my attention. It also left me wanting more! I think it brings up the question is writing talent inherited or is it taught?
As the member of the book devouring Horde, I Must ask the question, when’s the next chapter coming out?
She did a great job of grabbing my attention and getting me interested in the storyline. I guess it’s true that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Where can I get the full story? Tell your kid to take my money now.
Kid 2 is good. I wish her all the best! I will buy her book when available (I think I will be able to find her pen name 🙂 ).
I’ve finished books on Kindle Unlimited that started way less interesting than that. Looking forward to reading her debut when it comes out!
There are very few authors that I read that write in the first person, I am not a writer, but I find that it is perhaps the most difficult to do. It doesn’t always come out right.
I don’t know if the story attached to the snippet is good, it was after all only a snippet, but, the writing is good, I would continue to read the book based on the ability to write in the first person without the “I said – she said” etc.
Good luck to Kid 2, I hope to read one of her books soon, the snippet is good and interesting enough that I would want to read the rest.
BTW – I would love to hear about the exorcism
I’m already following this blog so long, that I still remember the first snippet Kid2 posted years ago and now she’s publishing a book…crazy how time passes. I’m really happy for her and wish her all the sucess!!
I can’t wait to read her book(s) one of these days
all I’m going to say is, if I ran across this in a store I’d get it…only problem I can see is running across it at all, no store near me and recommendation in the online store aren’t intresting or already have it. mainly find new stuff from your recommendation
regardless this snippet seems interesting…and good luck
I’d keep reading that! Engaged me right from the start, I want to know more about the characters and the interaction between the two seemed genuine and was very fun to read.
This was really good, she should definitely continue it.
Congratulations Kid 2 on creating an engaging snippet at such an early time in your career.
It was funny, well rounded, and left everyone including me, wanting more.
Looking forward to reading more from you in the future!!!
Ilona & Gordon, totally understand you not wanting to push her under the bus that the trolls and the BDH can be, but if the writing is that good, I doubt that she’ll have much trouble.
It was so good! loved the humor and the peak into their family. wish it were on its way to being published.
That is wonderful. And I want to hug the little girl and her guardian.
i understand that you can’t make it right any way you do it, so this might be the best solution.
but reading the snippet:
1. your kid won’t need “nepo” support, it’s great!
2. BDH will identify your kid’s book in seconds, the humor you write runs in the family (that’s a good thing). looking forward to their books!
But I want to read all of this! I would buy the rest of the story. Please?
You recommend other authors, you could recommend Kid 2 without saying it was Kid 2.
Love your work and your blog. Thank you.
xox
Honor
Well they have my interest peaked. I don’t care if they’re my fav Auths kid or not.I’m hella picky about my reads and I want to read more of their work
Question: if I wanted to find “the book by Kid2” how would I? No name for privacy reasons, yet she does not publish as “Kid 2” I am sure.
Perhaps you could do the same for her that you do for all of these people
https://ilona-andrews.com/category/blog/news/friends/
Let her be a friend whose work you like, all of which I am sure is true. I have bought many books in your friends category, some of them I liked, some of them I bought every title they have published (thank you for Will Wight!) some of them I bought one book of and will pass on the rest. I am willing to do that same test for whomever you put up, if they are your kid or not. I personally vastly prefer a good story that has some romance to a good romance that has some story. I am a proud BDH member because I think you write great stories that have romance in them, if kid 2 does the same I will gladly buy her catalog as well.
Definitely want to read her work when she’s ready!! And I want the rest of this story. 🙂
Could we have one low key announcement when her book is out? Please!?
I’ve been going through Kindle Unlimited books lately… And there are so many boring, stilted writers out there… She’s already better than 99.9% of them. I want something fun like this.
*****
5 stars