Stranger Than Fiction

The hot summer is winding down. I've been working on bouncing back from the year that was 2020. Not that 2020 has been the worse year ever but then its up there. We had the pandemic that has changed our lives forever. I got horribly sick. I lost a friend who interviewed me not long after I had Love Child published. It's an interview I've been looking for again without much luck. I guess its not important at this time. I only know how life has changed though it began to change before Covid took over our lives. Losing my dad to Alzheimer's had been hard to process. My therapist sudden death in his sleep. Then came Covid and the sudden death of this good man, the one who had interviewed me. A good man lost to this horrid virus. My first nephew lost his life after getting hit by a car almost two years ago this month. My close friend took his own life back in May. There has been so much loss. Ocean of tears. Feelings of angst, confusion. I must admit its been a struggle to write. I've been struggling even more with promoting my series of books. My Child series are fiction of course, but how can one prepare with the harsh realities of death? Lost income? Isolation from family? The possible loss of readers? Reality of the past few years has made reading difficult for many. I understand this but I have not been able to put down my pen completely. I'll never be able to do that as writing has been my refuge, my escape. But we are living in the most uncertain of times. I have heard this for countless of years and yet lately I have felt this as I've aged to fifty years. I can't help but think of "A Tale of Two Cities," by Charles Dickens of the worse of times, the best of times, the time of wisdom, the time of foolishness. Such times once again. Not all has been tragic. My young son Kristofer began Junior High School this past Monday. Thanks to my first son, I discovered my old love of painting and began to do that again. Oh that has been quite a journey. I have a lot to learn no doubt, but I have painted a few things. And, I plan to paint more. I've enjoyed sketching again including with colored pencils. I also completed reading George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series. I am currently watching the Game of Thrones series on HBO just to compare the two. I'll have something on that later. I will say this, I have joined those waiting for the next book of that series "The Winds of Winter." I'm excited as any fan of this series would be. I understand the frustration of the many who read the last book "A Dance With Dragons" back in 2011. That's ten years of waiting for the next one. But eager as I am to read "The Winds of Winter" I can understand Martin's delay in completing it. As an fellow author who has not enjoyed his kind of success and fandom, I feel his pain and frustration. Trying to complete a series is not easy espeically one with the many characters needing closure as these. Ten years is a long time. I have been re editing my own series even as I've been trying to complete my last two books. Its been taking me longer than I hoped, but I'm determined to get it finished. There is always life getting in the way and a pandemic never helps. Sometimes one needs to be in that frame of mind to write. Speaking for myself, that can't be forced. I think most writers would agree. George Martin doesn't need any help from me however. I'm a fan and fellow writer urging patience. The release of this book will be worth the wait. In the meantime if you love suspense fiction you can add my books to read. Love Child is the first book in my series. Just thought I'd mention it. And Autumn is here. Love my Autumn season.