Friday Randomness
It is the Friday before Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and a lot of things are happening. At last count I have three thanksgivings to prepare for which means I have to figure out something easy to bring for each since the twins aren’t likely to let me spend hours cooking.
The first draft for Firebird 6’s cover is due today. It might not arrive though since I got an email earlier this week detailing how swamped the designer is with commissions right now. Originally, the release was planned for the second week of December, but that’s coming up awful fast with all the things I still have to do. Any later in the month and I’ll have to seriously consider pushing the release until after January 1st.
Gus’s novella is coming along nicely. I’m five chapters deep. About 20,000 words. And halfway through an outline I keep adding scenes too. I can’t say how refreshing it is to see this world from another perspective.
I’m a fan of webnovels and serials so this is fun on several levels. Though a touch stressful since I know I won’t be able to go back and make sweeping changes once each section is live. Hence my attempt to work a little in advance.
On that note, I think a sample of Gus’s novella is in order. Just so you have a taste of what was to come.
Snippet
The first man sighed, pretending at resignation as he advanced on Gus. “It’s your bad luck you ran into us today.”
His bare forearm brushed against the orchid’s leaves as he reached for Gus.
“Oh dear,” she said, letting him grab her. “That was decidedly unwise.”
The man’s leer changed to that of a grimace. Every muscle in his body locking as he started seizing.
“Ricardo?” one of his companions called.
Confusion appeared on their faces as Ricardo remained frozen in place. Unable to move except for the tiny jerks his limbs were making.
“I’m afraid he can’t answer you,” Gus said, examining the man’s expression with interest.
She’d known the orchid was one of the top ten most toxic plants known, but she’d never seen it in action as it was also one of the rarest.
The conditions that were necessary for a Nawana orchid to thrive were very particular. It grew in cool climates and could only endure semi direct sunlight for up to two hours a day. In addition, it required a strong source of calcium like that which could be found in animal bones.
Or human.
Even with all those components present, it was almost impossible to cultivate. That was why she counted herself extraordinarily fortunate to have encountered it by chance.
The orchid, and others like it, were a big part of why Gus never told Ryan to go fuck himself when he came to her with his missions. She always encountered the most delightful flora while doing his bidding.
One of the child’s captors shoved the boy toward the other to rush toward them. “What did you do to Ricardo?”
Ricardo finished frothing at the mouth. His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the ground, finally dead.
“Not me,” Gus corrected, lifting the orchid to show him. “My new friend.”
The man’s face flushed. “You bitch!”
He barreled toward her with his head down.
Gus glided out of his way, whacking him on the back of his neck with her orchid as he charged past.
She might not possess the same level of physical prowess as her siblings, but she still received much of the same training. It was enough to deal with people like them.
As they had with the first, the second man’s muscles locked, leaving him unable to move except for the tiny jerks that marked the seizures currently wracking his body.
“Shoot,” Gus complained. “I was supposed to question him.”
Hitting him with the orchid hadn’t been her intention. It had just happened. When a large man charged at you, instinct took over.
The last human gaped, looking caught somewhere between incredulity and horror.
“Are you okay, dearest?” Gus crooned at the orchid, looking it over with a discerning eye.
There didn’t appear to be any damage done, but she probably shouldn’t do that again.
Humans could be replaced. Her orchid could not.
Some of the orchid’s roots escaped the pot, extending toward the bodies.
“Stop that,” Gus scolded, slapping them away. “Wait until I get you settled.”
The roots curled back into their pot, sulking.
Seeing the look of horror on the last human’s face, Gus smiled politely. “Children, they get into everything.”
Recent Posts
Responses to “Friday Randomness”
-
I’m so excited about Gus’s short story. Thanks so much for the lovely snippet.
Hope you find an easy quick recipe. I usually bring bread to gatherings but that’s not quick. Everyone loves this dessert that is quick and also freezes well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH_oezQG_kI -
Ooh, so looking forward to this👍🏻🤗
-
Happy Thankgiving!
-
Really looking forward to the serial and Firebird.
For pot lucks, I’d recommend a galette. You can make them fancy or…
Get a Pillsbury pie crust, put it on a cookie sheet (greased or with a silpat) dump a can of pie filling of your choice. Crimp the edges up around the filling. Brush with an egg wash or melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar. Cook in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
(More fancy, mix 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar with fresh ripe fruit like blueberries or apples or a combination like peaches and raspberries. But really the cheap pie filling from Aldis is excellent and they look fancy.)
-
-
Fantastic snippet! I’m looking forward to it (as well as Firebird 6, of course)! Happy Thanksgiving!
-
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope the book comes out before Christmas as I feel like I can’t wait any longer 😅 but even January would be amazing.
Gus… I love her. I look forward to see the troubles she gets in
-
Oh, Gus’s story seems to be really fun. I’m really looking forward to the next Firebird book and Gus’s. I hope we will learn so much more about the 43! Right now I’m reading all the books again 🥰
-
Love the snippet. Thank you.
Easiest appetizer: Buy frozen puff pastry, package of frozen spinach, crumbled feta cheese.
Defrost pastry overnight in fridge or on counter an hour before using.
Defrost spinach and squeeze all the liquid out (do it by hand and pat it down w/paper towel)
Spread spinach on 1/2 of puff pastry + sprinkle with feta cheese. Fold puff pastry over and pinch edges together.
At this point, you have a rectangle.
Take a sharp knife, and 1/2 inch from the edge of the long side of the rectangle, make ~12 thin slices along the short length.
Then take each individual sliced piece (~width of a large asparagus) and twist each 2x.
To brown nicely, brush with sugar water or egg white (optional)
Bake according to puff pastry instructions.After baking, run a sharp knife along each twist (which will hav converged while baking), so that folks can pull off a stalk and eat it with their hands.
-
I’m so excited to have another book from a new perspective in this world! I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds!
I love a good ambrosia salad and they’re so quick to make!
-
Exciting news! Hope to see a preorder link soon, I’d literally do the Futterwacken! Hehe I love how everyone is posting recipes with instructions! I unfortunately do not get paid until black friday, but I’m planning to go all out on Sunday. Sending warm hugs to you and the babies <3!
-
I’m so excited for Gus’s serial!!! I love how her personality shines through even in the short snippets you’ve gifted us.
I wanted to address what you said about not being able to make sweeping changes once you’ve posted the serial. I am a member of the Book Devouring Horde (The BDH) which is the collective name of the fans of Ilona Andrews who have most famously written the Kate Daniels series. They occasionally publish serials. When they have finished the serial they remove it from their website, edit and change some aspects of it, then republish the finished work. Some people prefer to read along as the serial is published, but others prefer to wait for the finished product. Some love watching the writing process live, but others don’t have the time for it.
Just some insight into how other authors navigate publishing a serial. I might be telling you something you already know, in which case ignore me.
Anyway, all of this to say, I’m so excited for Gus in whatever way you choose to release it. Thank you for creating a beautiful world that us readers get to peek into and experience. It’s always a magical adventure!
Sign up for my mailing list
Subscribe to T.A. White’s newsletter for updates on the latest release, excerpts, news and more.
Start reading now!
Leave a Reply