The hill around the Compound was pitted with large holes, as if someone had tossed a handful of grenades about. A crushed metal wreck that might have once been a vehicle smoked slightly on one side of the road. On the other side, three other wrecks, wrinkled and smashed like discarded coke cans, formed a modern art installation dedicated to House warfare – one on its side, one upside down, and a third torn in half.
Arabella must’ve been angry. There was plenty of that to go around lately.
Patricia met us at the main house, flanked by a medical team and my younger sister. The moment the Bus doors slid open Arabella bounded inside.
“Mom!”
“It’s fine,” Mom answered. “It’s minor. Don’t freak out.”
“You smell like blood and smoke!”
I turned to Patricia. “Casualties?”
“None on our side.” She turned and pointed to the left.
A row of bodies lay on the ground, sealed in body bags. One, two, … Nine. An enormous metal club, covered with dark stains, rested next to them. Connor had given it to Arabella for her eighteenth birthday. That explained the ruined vehicles. Good. I was afraid she might have stomped on them. The last time she went on a stomping spree, she cut her monster foot and we had the devil of a time making her get the tetanus shot.
“Arkan deployed a pyrokinetic and a psionic, backed by a few professional killers,” Patricia reported. “Your sister informed me that she would handle it. She did.”
It would have taken a better psionic than anyone Arkan had to panic Arabella. When she raged out, there was no room in her for anything except fury. Trying to induce fear would have just pissed her off more.
I have to say that from the snippets that you give, your “Awful” book is sounding like an Awesome book. Thank you for sharing
Awful. You always say this and it always turns out fantastic.
Please accept an electronic group-hug for your pain. We love you!
As always, the snippet is great. I love that Arabella informed the head of security that she’d handle it, and she did. I love that the writing you know is perfect tells the story of what happened so clearly and in short order. I love that Connor gave her a massive club for her birthday! It’s very much like Nevada giving Leon his first gun. The perfect weapon for her to use!
I’m going to have to read them all again. I keep forgetting stuff. The one good thing about having had a brain haemorrhage 3 yrs ago (a part from the fact that I survived it and have most of my faculties of course!) is that I forget a lot of what I’ve read so I get the pleasure of reading a book again like its the first time.
I know you are frustrated with this book, House Andrews, but know we all eagerly await, we have the utmost faith in you and it will be brilliant.
But if I have to go back in for brain surgery again, they may give me a lobotomy so if you could get a move on that would be smashing!
One of my favorite comedies is The Awful Truth staring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. The story goes that Grant wanted to leave the film due to the director’s style, but it cemented his A-List star status. So I eagerly await your awful soon to be awesome book.
I suspect there will be an awesome take down scene where Alessandro or Catalina kill Arkan; but I keep seeing a giant Arabella monster foot squashing him into an oily, liquid mess in a Monty Python-ish scene.
Yay!!! I am so glad Arabella is featured in this snippit- thank you for sharing! I am sorry the book is arduous but appreciate your writing!
Love your snippets, thank you so much for them. I hate that you guys feel such pressure and dislike for some of your work. Please have a beautiful weekend. Enjoy. Cheryl
Thank you for this awesome snippet, I am excited to read the book and these glimpses are always a wonderful tease.
Awesome. I love that Connor would give Arabella a giant club. He’s such a practical man.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. If only my brothers-in-law would get me a club for Christmas. <3
I adore Arabella! What a brother- in- law Connor is! This is what I think the club looks like!
I tried to post a picture — it didn’t work!
U C, now here’s my d lm a . . .
what can a committed satisfied enthusiastic reader of your work say
The Awful Book…
The Book that never Ends…
The Ruby Nightmare…
‘you’re a perfectionist , it has to pass your perception needs wants & sense or you’re just going to keep on keeping on till it gets there … so be it
But since you were kind enough to let me know, what’s up AND why you’re keeping on, I feel the need to share my first thought upon finishing the snip pet.
You’re a meanie.
Because impossible dream, it may seem, the awful book can not be unending … dag nab it
PS thank you for sharing
I’m so sorry it’s become “that awful book” to you. Your pain comes through, yet I know it’s going to make me (and many others) very happy when you finally sign off, because your work always does. Please know I appreciate the slog.
Thank you for sharing. I, too, regret the awful bookhood of this one. I suspect this will be a read and re-read and re-read book.
Had to reread Hugh and the latter KD books after a recent blog post. Thank you, IA.
I saw a house for sale that you’ve got to see! I immediately thought of the Inn.
https://www.har.com/homedetail/520-county-road-703-west-columbia-tx-77486/798903
Thanks for sharing. Would Arabella get a trilogy? Or a standalone book?
Oooooh please say yes!! ????????????????
So cool!!!! Thank you!!!
I am really looking forward to reading this new masterpiece. I seldom reread books. Yours are the exception.
Just out of curiosity: how does the us american vaccination system work? I often read or see in a movie that after sustaining an injury the affected person gets/needs a Tetanus shot. Why? Here in Germany you get three shots of Tetanus vaccine as an infant and then every 10 years. And then your safe when you get hurt, I have never known anyone who needed a shot after an injury. Is there a different Tetanus vaccine in the US than in Europe?
Hi Stefanie,
The snippet never said vaccination ????.
The tetanus immunoglobulin shot is used for those wounds that are tetanus prone and high risk as vaccination alone may not provide enough protection if the incubation period is faster than the host’s own immune response.
It is a fast response, emergency protection for wounds that are deemed at risk and is administered in European countries as well, ontop of our vaccination program or to people who have not completed it fully. Here for the National Health Service website in England for example https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tetanus/
I hope this helps.
Ah, ok! I just assumed imcorrectly, that “shot” meant vaccination. I never knew there was a immunoglobulin shot for Tetanus. Thanks for clearing that up for me! I have had this question for a long time, but clearly I searched the internet for the wrong thing ????.
Mod R is correct. I live in southern USA on a working farm and my doctor says “go get tetanus booster” every time I step on a rusty nail or get cut of unknown origin especially when it requires sutures. Or when rooster attacked my legs and spurred me. Hurts same as regular tetanus shot. Still have to get regular tetanus shots. Sigh
I used to injure myself badly enough for the staff to ask about a tetanus booster roughly once every ten years. It was very convenient, except for the injury part. Those were just regular booster vaccinations though, not immunoglobulins.
America does not have universal health insurance the way most European countries do. All infants and youth are eligible for childhood vaccines, whether insured or not, through public health programs. Once you’re an adult though, you’re on your own. If you can afford health insurance, it will pay for routine vaccinations like tetanus. So will Medicaid, which covers some healthcare costs for low-income citizens.
The trouble for vaccinations comes when an adult’s income is too high to qualify for Medicaid, and that individual also cannot access health insurance through their employer, for whatever reason. Employers with below a certain number of employees are not required to provide insurance. Nor are they required to provide insurance to part-time workers in most cases. Employers are also not required to provide insurance to workers who are classified as individual contractors, and some big companies like Uber try to classify almost all their employees that way.
The Affordable Care Act was intended to address these workers who fall through the gaping crevasses of our healthcare system, but it was hamstrung by a bunch of compromises that were required to get any kind of relief passed at all. So there are still a significant number of Americans who forego preventive care because of the upfront costs, and hope nothing happens to make them regret it.
Yes, it is a ridiculous system. Most of us are well aware that an ounce of prevention is worth sixteen ounces of cure. Too many forget that at the ballot box though. My newly-elected state delegate sent around an email newsletter with the quote “Take care of the pennies, and the pounds will take care of themselves.” I emailed him back with the reminder “Penny-wise and pound-foolish.” No signs of intelligent life yet though.
A way to go for Arabella. Though no nice new vehicles for grandma Frida, sadly.
Thank you for the snippet. The AB is going to be a terrific addition to the House Baylor saga! Can’t wait!
Usually when something is super hard, I’m pushing something that isn’t right. Maybe give yourselves a week to imagine a different book? Different story line, everything. Making it fun makes a HUGE difference. Something fun takes a fraction of time to create and is always worth it. Good luck!
Heh -> “Modern art installation to House warfare.”
I love Arabella, although she does rather terrify me in a way that Nevada and Catalina do not.
Fantastic snippet, thank you.
Thank you, Ilona Andrews for the post. We enjoyed the snippet.
I had a really strange conversation with sibling this morning about audiobooks. I have been listening to audiobooks for a good 10 years now and I have read some articles about issues authors have with Audible and I know that authors have to eat the production costs for the audiobooks. So, I felt I had some knowledge about the subject. Well, of course my sibling, who has never listened to an audiobook, does not own one, is the expert. He told me that folks make thousands of dollars a month being audiobook narrators. That all you have to do is get a writer to write a script, narrate it, uploaded to Audible/Amazon and POW you are selling like hotcakes. So the next step is to google this topic and there are lots of YouTube videos about the tprocess, claiming you can make $40,000 a month narrating audiobooks. This one lady, Hurricane Liz, tells you the process and discusses trying to find a writer and to be careful of outsourcing to the Philippines. I did like the comment that some writers like to write and will give you free samples of their work just because they like to write. Anyway, this sounds like a bit of a scam with folks offering expensive “how to” courses, and selling “how to get rich flipping houses” audiobooks with out really having the experience in the field. It just sounds really off to me, what do you think?
PS: love your blog and thank you for the snippet.
Your “awful” is better than 99% of the books out there. Heck, your blog is better than most of the stuff out there. I am eagerly awaiting this “awful” book.
you do awful as though it was awesomeness. love ya!
Such a great distraction today! Rough day but got an attitude adjustment waiting at pharmacist. Woman next to me trying to get fentanyl for her 22 yo daughter in hospice . Husband also in hospice and so is mom in law. I need to stop whining. Hugs all, looking for rainbows….. melody
Awesome snippet! I’m happy that Connor understands Arabella. Looking forward to this book, like some others said, the Baylor’s are nice to read during chaotic times. ????
So looking forward to the “awful” book
Now I have a vision of Connor playing ball with Arabella and her club. He throws a tank at her, she bats it back at him and he catches it. Barely.
Thank you for the snippet!
Gods, I love Arabella.
If this is the book that shall not be named, then I must tell you that I really enjoy reading the snippets that you have treated us with so far. I really can’t wait for the opportunity to purchase it.
yeah, Arabella
Love love love
Can we have more details on the club? Like how big vs the vehicles.
The “awful book” is sounding (reading) great!
Thank you!! I love the HL world & can hardly wait for the next book????
Yay! Thanks for the snippet. Looking forward to reading it when it comes out. Can wait patiently so whenever the timing is good for you is good for me. ????
Thank-you for your awesome books and little snippets!
Oohhhhh sooooo ready…..looks/sounds amazing ???? ???? ????
Thanks for pushing through the awful book ☺️
And thanks for the snippet! I’m excited to see things with Arkan coming to a head and to see Arabella taking care of bid’ness. You’ve done such a good job teasing her backstory. I’m so intrigued.
Oh this isn’t impossible…it’s promising. I just hope the writing will flow better than the spice going forward to ease the pressure on our poor stressed writers !
Why is this an awful book. The snippets make it sound like the best book in Hidden Legacy.
So appreciate that even though this is a difficult book for you that you guys are continuing to plow forward. I am looking so forward to reading it in its entirety. But love the snippets.
I always enjoy and look forward to the snippets. Always enjoy the blog. PLEASE keep writing on! and on possible names for THE CLUB? How about Smith . . . short for Smithereens
Wow! 0.0 Arabella with a club. She-hulk smashes.
I’m curious. Why is this book so difficult to write? I don’t recall you having so much trouble with any of your earlier books.
You are not recalling it because I don’t typically share when a book is difficult to write. It leads to reader speculation and comments like “I could tell this was a hard book for them.” No, you can’t, because we’ve written difficult books before and released them to rave reviews. The only reason why you guys know this book is difficult is because it is seriously delayed and we had to explain why that is.