I've been looking through some old versions of Half Blood recently and came across this prologue, which never made it into the book. It's a little strange to look back on something I'd written so long ago (2011), but nonetheless, I thought I'd share it with you. 

It was written in the first person (something I hate!) and it's Indi who's speaking.

Enjoy!

In life, some people are dealt good hands, others are not. You can’t fold on your life, unless you wish to embrace death early. Sometimes though, you aren’t dealt a good or a bad hand. Sometimes you’re dealt the jokers and told to deal with it.  That is my life. In a world where fairy tales are supposed to be just that, tales, I am left wondering who in the hell had lied to me. Who had told me that there was no such thing as the monster under the bed, or the evil step-mother who would rather see you dead than alive? Whoever said that there is no such thing as creatures that go bump in the night are god-damned liars. I’m going to give you the advice that I was never given... Deal with it.