Personal post, do not read or you might get depressed.
With rising coronavirus numbers in Texas, I just wanted to know if you are alright.
Rita
Thank you for checking.
See that big red circle? That’s us. We made national news by going from 4 cases a day to 210 cases a day. For a county with not that many people, it’s not pretty.
Yup. Greg Abbot, our governor, removed the shelter at home restrictions. San Marcos is a college town. Once restrictions were lifted, the kids went to tube on the river and they went to the Square, which is like a tiny 6th street (Austin reference) in our town filled with bars. Nobody wore a mask. Because you can’t drink with masks on, and when you have surgery, your medical team only wears them because they make such lovely fashion accessories. So dumb. So very stupid. Everyone Kid 2 currently knows in her age bracket has COVID. Everyone.
We haven’t left the house in weeks. Groceries are delivered. I have sewn masks. I found this awesome pattern that fits really well, but is a bit fiddly to make. Right now we have Saharan dust and everyone’s nose is either clogged or running, so Kid 1 checks our pulse and oxygen every day. Kid 2 has moved to Austin and so she is isolating there. Our daughters have agreed that they might survive COVID but Gordon and I are hosed. They decided that we shouldn’t take chances, so we are under very strict supervision.
I don’t know what to tell you. Alright is a relative term. Everyone knows how much this whole thing sucks. It’s devastating if you have COVID and it’s awful even if you don’t, because you live in constant worry that people you love or you might get it. People are losing relatives. They are losing jobs and businesses.
Right now my coping mechanisms are failing a bit. I haven’t been able to read a single book. I can’t finish anything I knit. I’m trying to find a lawyer to remotely update our will. When that happens, most people get anxiety. I get fun physical symptoms for the reasons I won’t go into here. My chest hurts constantly – probably costocondritis rearing up after taking a 2 year break. Normal digestion is out the window. Sleeping patterns are completely off.
So yeah, it’s not fun. But we are all humans. We are designed to survive, so let’s do our best. We will keep writing Ryder as long as we can, you, hopefully, will keep reading it, and we will try to get through this mess together. đ
Oh, so I don’t end on a sour note. If you have Viki, check out Romance of Tiger and Phoenix. A screenwriter of a fantasy romantic drama gets stuck in her own script as an awful princess fated to die two episodes in on her wedding night.
I’ve laughed so hard! OMG. I don’t know how it will end – it’s ongoing – but what’s there is so funny. I want to watch it all in one sitting, because making people wait for the new episode is some sort of torture. Like I don’t know who came up with that or what kind of horrible monster even uses serial format for entertainment. Honestly. đ
I likely had it back in late February through early April (but was not eligible for the test at the time due to age group, lack of contact with a known case – so ridiculous a restriction when no one was being tested, and not having been hospitalized). I originally assumed I didn’t have it, because I didn’t have what everyone was saying were the main symptoms (I never had a fever, for example). I did eventually develop the shortness of breath, after foolishly thinking I was better and going for a jog– it snapped back then, with exhaustion, increasing shortness of breath, etc. I finally got a test through a study at the beginning of April, but, at that point, most of my symptoms were gone and it wasn’t one of the deep nasal tests… so I don’t place much faith in the negative results.
I’ve made some inquiries about getting one of the Abbott antibody tests (since those are the only relatively accurate ones), but I’m not eligible to get one of those, either.
It wasn’t a pleasant illness, is what I’d say. Weeks of exhaustion, on and off, with other symptoms coming and going. Since I can’t get an antibody test, and, even if I could, don’t know if it means I’m immune, I’m not comfortable visiting my parents. We have to move in a few months, and we feel like we can’t take the risk of getting sick (either again, or for the first time if I’m wrong?) and being quarantined or hospitalized because that’s just not going to work. I’m just repulsed that the philosophy appears to be, “Suck it up! If you or some member of the family dies, that’s OK, as long as you keep propping up the economy by spending as much money as possible!”
Anyway, I like the perfect fit Jesse mask, which I’ve tried to make out of fun fabrics. I’ve also made the Fu face mask (which I think I need to add wire to in order to make it more practical) and some of the University of Florida Anesthesiology department masks (prototype 2).
We are living through crazy times and although we can not fully control what happens to us. We can control our thoughts and reactions to what happens to us. So, as we forge ahead my hope no matter how cliché it may seem is that your burdens begin to feel lighter, and each day becomes a whole lot brighter.
I understand how your kids feel. Here in Norway (where I live) things are almost back to normal and we have very few cases left. However, my parents and sister are back in Romania where cases have started rising as well. Same as in your town, restrictions got more lax and young people started going out and crowding the beaches. I haven’t seen my family in half a year and it’s terrible to sit here and worry about them. My dad has asthma and my mom is a cancer survivor so I am constantly terrified something will happen to them.
I wish I could wrap my family in bubble wrap and put them in an underground bunker until all of this is over. You guys are welcome to join btw. Plenty of bubble wrap to go around.
Bubble wrap????????sending love!????????????
Just make sure you take vitamin D3 Tablets to enhance you immune system.
You tube on effectiveness of vitamin D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyMFsLFAE5o&t=320s
Where i live in Western Australiav we have had hard border closures since March. We are extremely lucky as we hsve had no cfommunity trasmission. I feel for you and hope you keep safe.
Apologies for the bad spelling. My typing is not as accurate as my thinking ????????????
Thank you for this, honest thoughts on one of todayâs major disasters. I live in TX also, not in a college town but a prison town. That means we have a high number of cases but they are really quarantined. I hope people soon come to a realization that this virus is a lasting and serious thing.
I am so sorry you have to go through this. It must be very scary.
My life is swamped with many difficult problems right now, covid being just one of them. So, for me, all the worry and fear about and because of covid basically has to take a number đ
Ryder helps keep me going and keep me (relatively) sane through all of it – for which I cannot thank you enough.
Thank you, for writing for us in such difficult times. You are amazing, AuthorL… I mean House Andrews đ
Hang in there, and be safe.
Thank you.
I travelled from Michigan to Pennsylvania (both flattened the curve with slight upticks in recent weeks) with my young kids to see my mom and dad. The younger is toddler and there are some mobility issues on their end.
My uncle is coming up from louisiana. He chose to drive through New York (not on the way) and see as many friends and relatives as possible along the way. He’s over 60 and seriously lacking in the common sense department. Now there is really no choice but to interact with him and his family and I’m pretty ticked. I still hold a grudge for 6 years ago when he came up for christmas with a norovirus, didnt tell anyone, and gave it to me. It really sucks to be driving on highways outside of New York city and feel yourself become miserable over the course of an hour. I was sick at my in laws and can’t eat tortilla soup to this day.
Hi All,
Suggestion for our new worrisome normal, music. For me, it brings back happy times\thought that I want to dance around the house to and thatâs the best thing right now, focus on the good.
Stay safe and rock on!
I cant imagine how scary that situation is, I hope the situation locally ( and globally, but we will take what we can get) gets better soon.I hope you all stay safe and well. Its an anxious and uncertain time for all of us, but your updates and the Ryder story always brings a smile to my face and gives me a moment out of time where I can escape our current reality…So thank you, while your writing Ill be reading! Needless to say your mental and physical health has to be your first priority right now, so do whatever you need to do to look after yourselves first and foremost. Thank you again and good luck !
“The Romance of Tiger and Rose” was such a gem on Viki. I love ancient Chinese dramas, but not only was it well acted/produced for a short 24-episode web drama, it was also hilariously, amazingly, gender flipped. Men were told to be chaste and submissive, while women ran the city. Even the costuming was spot on – the royal women had the tight bun hairstyles of the ruling family/gender, and the entertaining men had the frivolously loose clothing and flirty loose hair.
In addition to many of the suggestions above, another drama I found surprisingly enjoyable on Viki was “Under the Power”. The two leads were excellent throughout the series. I tried some of the other newer ancient Chinese dramas, but couldn’t get past a few episodes. “Under the Power” had a good mix of cast, plot, and acting (although the initial 10 min scene was a bit graphic). I’d recommend giving it a try. I’m now a big fan of both leads.
When I have trouble finding a good ancient Chinese drama, or a good modern K-drama, I turn to online translations of Chinese web novels. Most c-dramas are based on web novels or mangas. The Chinese web novel market is huge and highly competitive in China, so some authors churn out extreme or repetitive content for views, so your mileage can vary. Fans or online companies then choose and translate some novels into English, chapter by chapter. I’d recommend “Ascending Do Not Disturb” on novel updates. It’s a wonderful, calm, happy novel that subverts a lot of fantasy cultivation tropes. “Ascending Do Not Disturb” is an easy read, and it’s almost done translating.
In Ontario, I’ve been home with my 3 little kids for the past 110 days/3.5 months. An adult goes once a week for groceries in a mask. Even though we’re in stage whatever of reopening, almost everyone wears a mask at the grocery store. Even with family members, we’re continuing to physical distance because we have different exposures/risk-level of activity in this Toronto area. The kids also have reusable masks for when we are walking on trails and have to pass someone in close quarters, or when we went back to school once to pick up their things.
The hardest part for me wasn’t being stuck at home. It was being stuck at home with the kids. After 3.5 months (and another 2 months until the school year starts in Sept), the kids are used to Netflix/Disney/Youtube/Minecraft/TocaWorld/etc. and we’ve settled into this new normal.
I’m sorry to hear about the dust and rising covid-19 rates in your area, I hope everything gets better soon. I’ve been reading your books for many years now (since Kate Daniels 2 came out), and wish you and your family the very best.
Oh, I’d also recommend Hyena on Netflix. It’s a 16-episode modern Korean drama about a low class, confident and bold woman who’s a smarter lawyer than all the rich privileged men at the best law firm in the country. The leads’ acting was amazing. I don’t even like lawyer dramas, but this one was great.
Only as a way to bring a tiny bit of, maybe, light.
I’m 68, my two friends in their 70s both tested positive at the same time. One had a previous issue (lobe removed from lung), the other had a husband on oxygen tank. Things seemed incredibly dire.
After 9 days the fever broke of the one with the lung issue. She’s feeling better, no longer sleeping all the time and actually eating.
The other one, her doctor told her take aspirin, drink plenty of fluids and rest. She’s feeling much better, and her husband never caught it (but also refuses to be tested).
So, I hope this little anecdote helps
Completely irrelevant post but I hope makes you smile!
So. Who would write a 2000 page book on firewood? I think that is bad. What would be worse is someone not only buying it, but READING it, AND then QUOTING it to their long suffering wife. Such a villain, if indeed they existed, would have invented a torture akin to the comfy chair. #johncleese should be alerted!
What chance we are about to set up a hardwood plantation?
Sigh.
As an Italian, I understand completely!
While we have been hit quite hard, my area wasn’t as affected but we still had very strict rules and mostly kept by them – I for example could only take my dog for walks with a 200 m limit and might have done 300 (alone!) but nothing mayor. Therefore we now have to use the masks only in close proximity (distances under 2 m) & the numbers are still declining.
I’m sure you will get there too, but the situation in the US seems quite bad right now….
Stay strong & stay healthy!!
My kids have said the same thing about me, so I’m under strict supervision as well. I’m pretty laid back and spontaneous. which makes the supervision feel confining, yet comforting, if that makes sense. I’m still able to read, but now it’s kind of obsessive, “Must finish book, must FINISH BOOK before I go to bed!” Still working part time from home so that helps. I figure we have a year of this, at least until a few months after we have a vaccine, so I’m kind of settling in for the long haul. My plans to take off and travel after a December retirement are shot to hell.
You guys are definately a bright spot, as is the BDH. I still randomly chortle “What would Dobby do?” and am loving Julie as a grown up bad-ass. Thank you! We’ll make it, but it’s going to be a rough year.
Suggestion for procrastination: Sarah Millican – How to be Champion Storytime. It reduced my stress levels during quarantine and I had a little bit of comedy everyday that made me smile.
Yeah, I’m having to find new coping mechanism. I live in metro Atlanta, and our governor is a purposeful idiot. I have major headaches (have-to-work-in-darkened-rooms-or-my-head-will- explode type headaches), weird dreams that wake me up at 2:30am like clockwork, and squirrel brain. You know, you start to concentrate on work and then – “Squirrel!!”
Good luck getting through this and thank you for Ryder. Reading Julie’s story actually helps my anxiety because it feels normal, and I desparately need normal.
You are not the only one who redid their will, so did I. I am old, from Central NY State near Syracuse NY virus number and have more freedom since we are in Phase 3. Don.t be hard on yourself this isolation is getting to everyone. Maybe you guys could get in the car and drive out to the country or find a stream and fish. Just do something safe and different. Stay healthy and thanks for the snippets.
Stay safe and healthy (and definitely look after your mental health, too)! Thanks for the recommendation; if I had access, I’d even check it out. đ All my best from Istanbul.
Hang in there. Hold to the truth that most people even who get it will be fine. Dont watch the news bc they make it all doom and gloom. I am a doctor in az so yes it is insane but again i see most people mildly ill and better. You are doing all you can and we send you luv for the cheer you give as suicides anxiety and depression skyrocket.
For another very funny make u feel better about every bad choice you have ever made in life plz watch hgtv renovation island- family renovates bahama resort with no clue despite a supposed business to do this. Heeelarious!
This makes me want to get Viki because it looked hilarious
On Viki – Doctors is awesome, so is Descendants of the Sun, and Oh My Venus!
Praying for you and everybody Else caught in a Covid-19 hot spot.
You have my deepest sympathy. I live in Georgia. Yep. We are setting new records every day now. My daughter came to live with me for the duration and she won’t let me leave the house. We will make it. So sorry you can’t read. I have re-read all your books during the 114 days I’ve been home. Twice.
If reading doesn’t work, you may try video games đ Stardew Valley, and My time at Portia are quite relaxing (and time consuming… Bad idea in fact ????)
I don’t have covid-19, and it’s not close to me. But because of it, my symptoms which appeared a week ahead of the whole “stay the hell home” thing couldn’t be looked into because the hospital closed their labs. That was … what?… mid-March? Yeah, in mid-March, I weighed in at a whopping 132 pounds. Yesterday, I weighed in at a whopping 114 pounds. I was in so much pain that I couldn’t sleep, and because eating was causing the pain, I ate very little to keep it from crushing me. Then, things opened up a little. I had x-rays, I had a CT scan, I had an MRI. No real idea what they were seeing, so today, I had an endoscopic exam with ultrasound and an aspiration needle to grab 5 pieces of what was only visible on the MRI, and it came back with cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer is basically not curable. They can prolong life, but they can’t cure the cancer.
So let’s discuss depressing news, shall we? The pills to stop the pain of the pancreas not working cause diarrhea. I’ve had diarrhea since this all began, way back in March, but now it’s unreal. Nothing stops it. So in addition to having no energy because I can’t eat, I also can’t leave the bathroom, other than for short periods of time during the day.
On the bright side, the hospital required a covid-19 test before they’d let me into their operating room, and I don’t have that. But covid-19 has forced me to wait months for treatment, and we all know that waiting to treat it means it’s harder to beat into submission. Also on the bright side, that’s the only thing that’s wrong inside me. Nothing else is involved.
I’m hoping that Emerald Blaze will be released in time for me to read it. I’m waiting now because it’s a holiday and they have the day off on Friday, so I can’t see an oncologist until Monday. More delay.
Stay home. Stay safe from the virus. Keep writing. You give us all something to look forward to, and that ain’t hay.
I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could do besides letting you know someone read your words and cares that you are suffering.
Know that you are loved and appreciated, even by a stranger. May you find at least slivers of peace and joy each day.
Please email me. đ I have an ARC for you, but your email is rejecting my messages.
OMG! Thank you for the show recommends!!! I just found out Japanese anime has a whole genre for people getting stuck in fantasy/fictional worlds, isekei (sp?) which is one of my faves. Currently here in the US it’s called LitRPG if you go to Amazon. But I’ve been reading this genre since the 70s and grew up calling it Lost Boys/Lost Girls referring to classics like Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, and Peter Pan. When I was grade school, I was grade school age I kept matches and a candle on me just in case I dropped into another world, and when I was old enough to obtain a proper dagger with a sheath (Ren Faire purchase) that went into my purse as well. I kept hoping… but so far haven’t had the luck. So, reading it is the next best thing (plus, old now, unless going means getting a young athletic body, no fantasy world adventuring for this roly poly olly)
So, the screen writer becoming a character in a fantasy series sounds absolute ACES đ Also, I just finished “My Next Life as a Villainess, All Pathways Lead to Doom” and “Ascendance of a Bookworm” on crunchy roll, and am on a binge kick for similar fare.
So sorry to hear it is so bad (virus wise) where you are @_@ If there is anything I can do to help let me know. Locally we are getting those things that were selling out for the last few months, like hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol, etc. Not sure how supplies are at your area, but if you need simple goods, give a holler.
Gonna go look for that series now. Much appreciation!
Bliss
So. July already, and we’re even deeper in the stink than when my company told me to go home to work remotely, on March 2. My company being an international telecom company, they set about enabling a remote workforce for so many companies in addition to itself. My own team set up 36,000 people internally in just a couple of weeks. Then…as this continued and the economy tanked, layoffs came even to us. I was able to take a severance package rather than involuntary layoff, and am now trying to figure out how to proceed. I went through a very financially tough time earlier in my life, and the anxiety is climbing. Also, our health insurance just went into limbo while things get transitioned, and I’m terrified of getting sick in the interim
I work in China. I was home for Christmas, and I went back in January, still on vacation- spent most of January working on a paper when I wasn’t on a 3-day dancing trip in the provincial capital. As I traveled home on the bullet train, I was coughing a bit, and some woman gave me the eye. I had no idea why. Home, I took my immune supplements (I always wage a war on colds in the winter), and they knocked my cough out within 24 hours (andrographis, reishi). But then I was really tired for the next three days and spent a lot of them asleep (well, I had been up until 3 a.m. dancing in the capital, so…) as well as having a headache for 2 days (not horrible, just unusual). After that period, I was fine. I spent about a month, alone, working on my paper in my apartment, and I started to hear news through social media about Wuhan. My international colleagues were all out of the country on vacation. I always wear an N95 in the outside air in China, and we were required to wear them. Then they started locking down the city and then even the village I was in. When I could no longer get to the Western grocery store, and flights started being cut from my city, and countries started closing more to Chinese flights, I took off to Cambodia. I was there for 2 months, and then I came back to the US, as we’re all teaching online now, and I could choose. I’m in a safe place, I keep my distance, used to masks, and I love the fresh air of the U.S., and I’ve managed to do a socially distanced hike with one of my best friends. Sleeping in in the morning and fresh air are two of the blessings of this time period for me. And enjoying this blog is something that I have done around the globe this year lol.
I’m so sorry that your coping mechanisms aren’t working. I hope you find something that does work.
If you want to explore distractions, Anime Expo is going virtual this year for its convention. Schedule starts tomorrow with various panels. Since some of the K and C dramas mentioned here were Japanese manga, I thought there might be some interest.
Hugs. You and Gordon take care of yourselves!
From the bigger red dot east of you that is Houston….I am a musician in the arts that have already lost their spring and fall income, possibly the entire 20-21 season. I too am toast if I get Covid, but am almost resigned.
However…reading your books give me hope, something to look forward to…
Maybe this music will pull you into a different direction…
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ph0wd4vfbr53x12/soldier%E2%80%99s%20wife%20final.mp4?dl=0
Has anyone watched âThe Killing of Three Thousand Crowsâ (aka: Love of a thousand years). I absolutely loved it! It was beautifully filmed. The drama is about a princessâs quest to find a spirit lamp to save her people from slavery and the immortal who loves and safeguards her on her journey.
I donât think itâs on Viki yet but you can watch episodes on YouTube.
Links:
Theme song MV:
https://youtu.be/ADY1GSxIsO4
Drama review:
https://youtu.be/V0dGvb9KaEE
I live in Texas also, in Bell county. My city, Killeen, went from 138 cases to 450 in one month. I’m staying home, but I think I’ll get it anyway. Also, please tell your kiddos not to be complacent about the viruses. Young people are dying from it too. Not to make you worry (sorry!). But everyone needs to take as many precautions as they can.
I empathize with you so much. Here, in Kentucky, we donât have the escalating Coronavirus numbers that you all currently have in Texas, but my company still laid us all off and then fired most of us. So, as my chronic anxiety and depression spiked beyond my usual coping mechanisms, I have, also, been having lots of trouble finishing anything (books, tv series on Netflix, etc) and my sleeping ranges from 3-6 hours a night. Medication has helped some, but not entirely. Iâm in a better place than I was last month, though. That said, it may be a while until any of us (or anything, really) is back to normal. I hope that things even out for you soon and that you feel better. Take care!
Ilona,
Thanks for sharing what is going on in your neighbourhood, I’m from Ontario and we have been very lucky, we don’t have the numbers that you have in the US. I’m lucky that we are rural and have land to walk around on, and gardens to play in. In the city is must be so hard to have to stay in your home. I don’t know how people do it, and respect them for how hard that must be.
It is hard because we have to hunker down and follow the rules. Being selfless is really hard. Something our generation really hasn’t had to do. Mom is 89 and said a lot of this is like the war, following rules and doing for the community good. In fact we are getting more stuff delivered, and she laughs saying that is what is was like when she was a kid.
It was hard to read your post, but I love how protective the kids are of you both. I hope we learn a lot from this time, and never have to go through this again, but I hope that stronger families are a result for everyone.
Large hug to everyone, to read everyone’s feelings I find helps.
Barbara
Don’t worry, God only gives what our souls can bear. You will get through this because you can
I totally understand worrying about the health of relatives and friends, and I feel really sorry for people who are out of work and are worried about paying the rent or losing their businesses.
But I haven’t lost my job, and when I start feeling sorry for myself about the fact that I can’t go out to a bar or the beach or see my friends in person, I give myself a sharp kick up the backside.
We are so lucky in so many ways.
I once visited Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam. A tiny portion at the back of the house had been sealed off to create a secret place to hide her and 7 other Jews. 8 people in a space 450ft sq – for over 2 years. They couldn’t even make any noise for fear of being discovered.
WWII lasted for over 6 years in Europe. For a good portion of that time everyone in Britain had to lower their blinds and turn off any visible light as soon as it got dark – or bombs would be dropped on them. They could do nothing except listen to the radio (if they were lucky enough to own one) during the hours of darkness – which could last for 14 hours or more in Winter.
We live in an age where we have the internet. We can talk to our friends with zoom, even if we can’t see them in person. We have TV and on-line shopping and video games and so many other things that the older generation never had. So we can’t go to the bar or the beach for 3 months – put that in context with what previous generations had to put up with – and maybe we can stop feeling quite so sorry for ourselves and be grateful that we’re part of the internet generation.
“We will keep writing Ryder as long as we can.”
That is a chilling sentence to read. Wishing you health, happiness for many years, and asymptomatic cases if you do have to get the virus.
That sounds like how my town was in April. Hang in there and take precautions. It WILL get better but it’s a long way until we get back to pre-COVID comfort level.
ups!! en mi paĂs (Argentina) llevamos 105 dĂas de aislamiento, en mi ciudad estamos en fase 4 por lo que hay algunas actividades comerciales y recreativas con los protocolos de cuidado necesarios , algunos lugares cercanos a la capital estĂĄn en fase 1 (solo se permiten actividades esenciales) es difĂcil sobre todo para la economĂa. por suerte hay mucha conciencia y todos usan barbijos de tela y mantienen distancia social. tenemos relativamente pocos casos por ahora pero sabemos que llegara, es difĂcil porque aquĂ es invierno y eso no ayuda. tratamos de tomarlo con calma y de buscar la manera de sobrellevarlo y esperar lo mejor, deseo que los amigos de kid 2 y sus familias y vecinos superen este tiempo apoyĂĄndose unos a otros, mi filosofĂa es hacer todo lo que se puede hacer y tratar de no preocuparse por lo que no se puede. pero no siempre es tan fĂĄcil, si sirve de algo, ustedes nos estĂĄn ayudando mucho y nos estĂĄn alegrando con estas hermosas entregas. no es poco. gracias!!!!
Dam I’m sorry things are so rough for you guys. Reading your books helped get me through some rough patches. Stay safe and be well.
Oh wow – I truly cannot comprehend the numbers of active cases you have. I’m from New Zealand and we currently have 22 active cases in the WHOLE country. These are people who have returned to NZ from overseas, and have had a positive test when coming into the country. So they are on mandatory isolation for 2 weeks and have to pass testing before being allowed out in to the general population. We do not have any community transmitted cases currently.
We as a nation count our blessings every day.
Best wishes to you – our slogan during our lockdown period was “be strong, be kind – we will be OK” – it became a mantra that our prime minister made during her daily update.
In 2017 I got costochondritis while it law school, and almost failed out because of it. Most people, even doctors, didn’t really get how….horrible it can be, which almost made it worse, because it affects your life in such a unrelenting way. The only person who fully understood was my grandfather, who had it WWII. It was one of the only times we ever fully understood one another. Anyway, I don’t know if it helps, but as one costochondritis sufferer to another I just wanted to give you a massive virtual hug.
Your post made me want to cry and laugh! A truly gifted storyteller! Also I find the Kate Daniels books a prophetic read in light of current crises. Ever worry your fiction will become a little too real??? The Ryder series really is bringing me true happiness in dark times, thank you so much for that. Most of us are too spooked to even accomplish basic daily tasks, and here you are pushing yourselves and doing amazing work under pressure. Again, Thank you.
Keep on keeping on. Wishing you all safe & well x
I hope you and family are still healthy. I’m a longtime fan of your books and blog.
Just spent two days binge watching The Romance of Tiger and Rose- good stuff. I lived 2 years each in China and Korea, so it was good to have an excuse to return to a drama.
Dear Ilona,
My sincerest hope and prayers that you, your family and friends get through this with the least amount of heart ache.
There are so many things to fear, whether it is the health of our loved ones, the bank balance and debt, and even if someone might get deported to an even more dangerous situation. I know that there are so many people less fortunate than me, and I remind my self that despite everything, I am actually OK.
I am attempting to get through this by keeping my thoughts on the present and avoiding thinking about the looming future. I get through by trying to accomplish something everyday, even though it might be embarrassingly small. I try to keep my kids entertained and educate them at home. I try to reassure, comfort and support my wife, and accept it in return, even when I am so worried. I try to keep a positive outlook despite everything, and it is a struggle.
But there are several things that help me cope, and books are definitely some of the best. I can’t count the hours of happy distraction that books have given me, despite how hard it is to relax enough to read. Among the authors I follow, you are perhaps my favorite.
I can’t thank you enough, Ilona.
As a book addict, perhaps I am biased when I give my opinion that your work means so much to so many people. I want to add my voice to your many fans who have already expressed how your work is helping them cope.
I hope that it might help brighten you day. You certainly do brighten mine.