Life

26 January 2016 | 5 Comments

The last time I posted here, we’d just launched Burn in July 2015. There’s been more than six months radio silence since then and I thought it was probably time I briefly explained why.

On 5 September 2015 my Dad unexpectedly passed away due to health issues. It was devastating and all-consuming. My Mum, who is frail and elderly and has her own health issues, immediately moved in with my husband and me.

The past few months have been all about in-home care (can I just say that Blue Care staff here in Queensland are wonderful people), residential care waiting lists, navigating the aged care system, hospital stints, and significant lifestyle changes.

I’m working full-time, and my wonderful husband has been there for Mum when I can’t be. It’s been a steep learning curve for all three of us, and we’re still right in the middle of it.

In the meantime, I’ve also been working on a new novel. Obviously progress has been much slower than I’d anticipated, but it’s steadily coming together. It’s under contract with Text Publishing and is scheduled for release 2017. It’s a stand-alone novel with a slight spec fic twist (totally unrelated from the world of the Rephaim).

Shimmer and Burn are set for paperback and ebook release in North America this year (Shimmer on 8 March and Burn on 7 June), and Shimmer will also be released in Turkish (in Turkey) later this year.

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns – joyful and sad. For fear of sounding like a footballer in a post-match interview, we’re taking it day by day, moment by moment.

Here’s one of my favourite pics of my Dad, taken a few years ago when he and Mum were still caravanning.

Here’s Mum belatedly celebrating her birthday after a two-week visit to hospital.