Category: Author’s Notes

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helping hands

I’m sitting in my stepmother’s kitchen, sipping on some coffee and contemplating the day ahead. I have a bunch of notes to write up for the incoming caregiver and I need to get myself packed up so I can leave for the airport around 1pm, with a stop to fill up the gas tank on the rental.

Before I leave I will walk across the street to meet the neighbors who have been so very helpful to give them my gratitude. I’m thinking I’ll craft something for them once I’m home as a thank-you gift. Not sure what yet.

There is still a lot to be done, so I’m looking at another trip down, possibly in early January.

The Keurig coffee maker seems to be one of the successes of this trip, making her coffee easier now that she’s got the hang of it.

And we did get 5 days/week, 4 hours per day with an in-home caregiver set up, plus Mobile Meals delivery 5 days/week, getting coverage for all 7 days out of the mix. Someone will visit and talk with her every day of the week, except on holidays, and I don’t have to worry about her getting food and stuff regularly.

It was good to touch base with her medical support team. The only doctors I didn’t meet were the oncologist (I met the oncology surgeon and their staff) and the neurologist. I did however talk to all of them.

I recognize this is a stop-gap measure, and that we need to start looking at what comes next. I just don’t want to push her into big decisions this close to such a major trauma. If we can keep her stable through to next year, we can come together as a family to help her transition into assisted living and deal with the house and such.

Yesterday was less than stellar and my exhaustion is beginning to make itself known in a short temper and crankiness, so I think it’s good I’m headed home today. It takes some special people to deal day in and day out with Alzheimer’s patients. I am not that kind of special, at least not long term.

I am, however, grateful my father was as prepared as he was, even if there are odd gaps in that preparedness. And I am grateful for neighbors who care enough to help, friends from afar who call to check in, and all of the folks I’ve been leaning heavily on in the last weeks.

I’m looking forward to the next 3 days at home in my own space with my cats and my dog. I have housework to do and laundry and the mindless good of walking Athena.

Okay, one last cup of coffee before I get myself organized for the day. Happy Turkey day to those who celebrate. Save me a slice of pie!

Photo by Maya GM on Unsplash

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leaving on a jet plane

I’m headed back to Tucson in just over an hour. I’ll be gone for four days, coming home Thursday evening. On the agenda is a couple of doctor’s appointments with my step mother, getting her set up with in home care and dealing with some paperwork.

I’m also working three of those days, so that could be interesting.

In other news, I’ve seen the cover for the third Blood Witch book, and it is stunning like the first two! Still waiting on edits, but should have those soon enough. I’ve even managed a bit of writing this week!

I also got around to processing the pics I took when I was in Tucson last, at the procession for the Day of the Dead. You can find the whole set here.

My heart hurts to hear the news out of Colorado Springs this morning. I can not comprehend the level of hate required to walk into a crowded nightclub and open fire on a crowd of people just because they are not like you (I’m assuming here that early reports about it being a hate crime are true).

This will be the first Thanksgiving I’m not with my brother and family. Not entirely sure how I feel about that, if I’m honest. But it’s also the first holiday my step mother won’t have my father and it just feels right that I spend at least some of it with her.

On that note, I should finish my coffee, take out the trash, pack up the work computer and get dressed. Should probably eat something too. Long day will be long.

Be kind, Readers. Love with all of your heart.

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finding the new normal

Wow, I didn’t mean to go AWOL on y’all. The last few weeks have been crazy busy and filled with the kind of things no one wants to have to deal with. From my father’s death on the 17th of October through his Celebration of Life and on into figuring out what comes next, my mind has been occupied with all the steps I needed to take to help my stepmother and sort out the things my father left behind.

It’s strange, how much work it takes to wrap up a life, even one who was as meticulous about things as my father was. He set up a living trust, had reams of paperwork on his estate planning, yet there were a lot of weird things we need to sort.

One of those is their credit cards. Every single one is in both of their names, but only his SSN is associated, thus as soon as we report his death, my stepmother ends up without them and has to apply for her own, but because she really doesn’t have a large credit history, that ends up being less easy than it should be.

He left no *will* that spells out what to do with the little things, even though the living trust has room for that, and his only life insurance policy that we could find was for $1000.

Complicating matters is the fact that they live in Tucson, and I’m in California, as well as my stepmother’s advancing dementia. She recently got very, very lost, to the tune of 3 hours away from home, and I’m not sure what would have happened if I hadn’t called her while she was trying to get home.

So, I am headed back to Tucson in a week, hopefully to get her set up with some in-home health care, some meal delivery, and start the conversation about a more permanent solution. With any luck, that gets us safely through the end of the year, and we can start considering what comes next.

Whatever normal is, this isn’t it.

Hopefully, I’m on the right road to find it. Happy Monday, Readers! Be kind, be gracious and love one another (and while you’re at it make a will, add beneficiaries to your accounts, let your wishes be known).

Photo by Perfectus Photography & Design Co. on Unsplash

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when the veil is thin

Samhain seems a fitting time to be closing out a life, remembering a man who was strong and vibrant and saying goodbye. My relationship with my father was not always an easy one. We are both headstrong and opinionated, and when those opinions differed, things could get heated.

I had a period in my life where I blamed him for everything. I went years not spending time with him. Ultimately though, I grew up and realized that most of what I blamed him for wasn’t his fault at all.

I have spent a good chunk of the time between his passing and now looking at his life through music and pictures. There are a lot of memories tied up in music for me, and the images of his life remind me of how much I loved to see him laugh and smile.

I’m also reminded what a handsome fella he was back in the day.

My belief about what comes after this mortal life is a bit in flux, whether we come back to try again, or take our rest among those who came before…or whether we fade to black. I guess I’m more invested in what we do with this life than I am in some ethereal eternity. But I do hope that whatever it is, my old man is at peace.

I hope I can make him proud as we move through the Celebration of Life this weekend, and find our way out to the “new normal”…the one without him on the other end of a phone call.

Tomorrow morning I get on a plane and head back to Tucson to say goodbye. I anticipate a lot of tears and hugs and warm words from people I didn’t know, but my dad did. He was a gregarious guy and he made friends everywhere he went.

I’m going to miss him. A lot.

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in the time of serial killers

So, in case you haven’t heard, Stockton, CA has a serial killer currently out there shooting mostly Hispanic men. Six victims are dead (one in Oakland) and one, the only female victim so far, was wounded.

Now, if you know anything about me, I’m a true crime junkie and I am fascinated by the psychology of serial killers. But, this is something very different.

I don’t scare easily. I do my best to stay safe. However, I do like to walk in the early morning hours. The idea that someone is out there just ambushing people in the dark has strongly curtailed that.

I’m still fascinated by the minds of serial killers and I want to know the what/why/how of this guy’s head…he seems to be maybe on a mission…why?

Also, given the technology we have in this time and place, it seems weird that this kind of crime got this far without the person getting caught. Why did it take 6 deaths to tie these crimes together? How many more will it take to find this person?

There’s a task force in place and they released a surveillance video of a “person of interest” but considering that it’s only of the person from the back walking in what looks like an apartment complex, all it tells us is he’s tall and slender and was dressed in dark clothing.

The reward has been raised to $125K for info leading to arrest and conviction.

So, yeah. That’s the state of things where I live right now. I hope y’all are somewhere safe and sane and stay that way, Readers! Puppy picture above is your palette cleanser. Look at that face!

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life in my world

Hey, Readers! Happy Saturday! I hope life is treating you well. I feel like a chew toy, but I guess that’s what happens when you bring a new puppy into your life. She’s been here a week and I’m a mess of scratches and bruises from playing with her.

Meet Athena

This is Athena! She’s a Pyrenees and Australian shepherd mix and just about 4 months old. She’s a bit timid but is starting to come out of her shell. So far she’s afraid of the stairs and walking on a leash, desperately wants the cats to be her friends (they are not so interested), and is learning sit and stay.

She’s had her first vet visit (she was terrified, but did very well) and went to my mother’s house to meet the family and their pets.

Needless to say, I’m completely in love with her!

Just got her settled down after morning playtime, so it’s editing/writing time. I’m deep into edits on Hêalic (The Blood Witch Saga Book 3) and have found what was missing in the plot for book 4 (as yet unnamed).

That’s all for now, Readers! Go out and initiate some kindness today!

Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

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Mörderin: The Blood Witch Saga Book 2

Seeking to reunite her family, Thána and her mother Alaina head back to the world where Daria lives with her husband and son.

The once vibrant city where people traveled freely through a collection of portals has been reduced to rubble, and Daria is now a prisoner of the invading army. With her magic still in nascent stages, Thána agrees to a daring and dangerous rescue mission with Daria’s husband and friends, once again putting her life on the line for a family she barely knows.

To make it work she has to push her magical skills to their very limit and rely on those she’s only just met, not to mention breaking into a prison camp and getting out again in one piece. How hard could it be?

Mörderin: The Blood Witch Saga Book 2

I’m excited to share this with you, Readers! Now available in ebook and paperback on Amazon.com and in ebook from Google Books. I’ll be sure to update y’all when other marketplaces come online.

I also currently have two hardcover and six paperback copies of Thanátou available for purchase. Hit me up if you want a signed copy!

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meet Xen

In Mörderin we meet a number of new races, including the Pixin who are agender. Xen is a Pixin who is friends with Thána’s sister Daria. Pixin are long-lived and they reproduce through a process they call the joining.

Pixin are good with languages, but not at magic. They each choose several areas to study over the course of their long childhood. Xen chose Pixila, which is a form of martial arts, cooking, painting, and sculpture.

While the Pixin have called Vaneesh home for a number of generations, they originally came through a portal from their homeworld when a volcanic eruption caused widespread destruction. They prefer tropical climates such as the one on their homeworld and the place where they go to reproduce is in such a climate in Vaneesh.

We meet Xen shortly after arriving in Vaneesh, and they are intriguing to Thána from the start. Xen’s eyes are black and so is their hair, which they wear shaved on the sides, but longer on top. Xen is also the mastermind of the plan to rescue Daria.

Xen is not expressive, but is a deep well of emotion nonetheless. They are drawn to Thána first by her relation to Daria, then by her willingness to go into danger for her sister. When that danger threatens to get them all killed, it is Xen who finds a way to break them out.

The only question is, will it be enough?

Mörderin: The Blood Witch Saga Book 2 is coming soon, Readers!

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meet Daria Alizon Delnar

Today, I want to introduce you to Daria, Thána’s younger sister.

Despite the fact that they were not raised together, Daria has always lived in Thána’s shadow in one way or another. When they were young, Daria’s life revolved around keeping Thána out of the hands of the Brotherhood. Later, it was about keeping their secret safe.

Daria is a talented potion maker and garden witch, with a gift of prophecy that is equal parts helpful and frustrating. In Vaneesh, where she and her mother settle after secreting Thána away, Daria comes into her own, growing into her gifts and experimenting with new magic whenever she has time.

Daria married a native Vaneesh man named Habros Delnar and has one son, a sensitive young man named Kota. When we meet Daria, she’s been taken by an invading army, forcing Thána once more into the role of family savior.

It’s been nearly twenty-three years since the girls were together and circumstances with push them to overcome the distance to survive.

Mörderin: The Blood Witch Saga Book 2 is coming your way, Readers!

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meet Alaina Alizon

I woke up to find my edits for book 2, so it’s time to start introducing you to a few new characters!

We’ll start with Thána’s mother, Alaina. We first meet Alaina in book 1, but we don’t really get to know her. In Mörderin we get more time with her.

Alaina and her husband moved from Spítia to an ancestral home in California before Thána was born, certain that her child would be born a blood witch. The activity of the Brotherhood convinced her they’d be safer there, and for a while they were.

When the Brotherhood finds them and kills her husband, her magic can no longer hide them, Alaina flees with her two daughters, trying to stay one step ahead of the men sent to kill Thána. When that gets too hard, she tries something desperate.

Using complicated magic, Alaina blocks Thána’s magic and her memory before leaving the ten-year-old where she would be found and cared for before fleeing once more with her younger daughter, Daria, leaving a trail of Thána’s blood for the Brotherhood to follow.

Still, Alaina doesn’t stay in one place long and eventually goes back to Spítia before finding a portal to someplace new where the Brotherhood has never been seen. Alaina and Daria settle into a quiet life in Vaneesh. As much as she misses her daughter, she knows Thána is safer where she is.

One day, Alaina decides it is time to find Thána, and despite Daria warning her of some dire visions of a disaster to come if Alaina leaves, she does exactly that. Stepping through the portal, Alaina envisions traveling back to California and from there to embark on a search for her eldest child.

That didn’t happen, however, as the Brotherhood picked up her trail as soon as she was on the soil of her homeworld, capturing her and imprisoning her at the Mano Kourt, where they tried to get her to tell them where Thána was hidden.

Alaina held her silence though, determined to protect Thána even if it cost her her life. When Thána and Cambious show up to rescue her, Alaina doesn’t believe it at first. She’s frail from starvation and torture, but still alive as they make their escape.

Reunited with her daughter, Alaina slips easily back into mothering mode and joyously introduces Thána to their extended family, something Thána has never really known. All that’s left then is to go to Vaneesh and introduce the two sisters, which is where we pick up the story in book two of The Blood Witch Saga.

I can’t wait to share this book with you, Readers. Now I’m off to the day job.

Photo by Jennifer Marquez on Unsplash