Restarting from Scratch
Medicine, paperwork, and Lightsabers
It’s been five weeks and two days since my mother’s passing. Since the initial shock wore off, Fred and I have dived head-first into a mountain of her files and paperwork. I am so thankful for my husband for taking the reins to sort out which files are important and which aren’t. There are so many files that we ended up taking them in large lawn and leaf bags to analyze them at home.
My mom lived in a retirement community with strict rules that covered everything from watering the lawn to selling the apartment. I won’t go into the details except to say that we’re caught between a: the community’s regulations, and b: the stipulations spelled out in the trust that was authorized by my mom, and my stepdad before her. We managed to bring her computer and other devices home, engaging in a bit of Mission Impossible sneakiness to do so. We will need to make multiple trips to get everything sorted out so we can sell the unit, but first we need to resolve the legal standoff between the community management and our lawyer regarding the trust. Right now it’s a case of hurry up and wait.
Aftershocks
In addition to the sometimes severe fatigue I’ve had to endure due to my chemo medication, I’ve had tremors that come from nowhere, flashbacks from when we found Mom, and trouble sleeping for the entire month. I was able to get a prescription for insomnia a week ago, and it’s done wonders to help me get enough sleep. Because of everything that’s happened and all the emotions attached to them, I haven’t moved forward with finalizing my eBook, or setting up my account with Ingram Spark. The one thing we did do was take a vacation that we’d paid for a year in advance.
The Wilder Life
Fred and I attended Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim this year. We stayed in a hotel so we wouldn’t have to commute each day to the convention center like I did years ago. I had a four-day pass, while Fred had a day pass for Saturday. Unfortunately I was unable to attend any of the panels, because I had medical appointments on Thursday and Friday. My regular convention buddy couldn’t attend this year, so I had to go it alone. One big problem: Our hotel was three long blocks away from the convention center. Luckily I had my walker with a built-in seat. I wouldn’t have made it up to and back from the venue without it, especially with my many bouts of fatigue that day.
On Saturday, Fred and I both went to the convention center. If traveling three blocks with my rolling walker was tough, that was nothing compared to pushing a large man in a wheelchair. We had to stop for frequent breaks while other guests in their elaborate costumes walked on by like they were wearing swimsuits at the beach.
When we finally reached the convention hall, we didn’t travel much inside, because the hall was absolutely overwhelming and we probably would have got lost within half an hour. So instead we hung out by the front entrance and watched all the amazing cosplayers on parade.
Afterward, we had to travel the long three blocks back to the hotel. Fatigue was really kicking in, and I wondered if we would make it back. Somehow my legs kept working, and we made it to the hotel room, where Fred and I slept for many an hour.
Writing and Business News
Mark of the Champion is ready to send to Ingram Spark. The eBook is also ready to be formatted. But as I mentioned above, I’ve put off both tasks due to legal matters after Mom’s passing, plus PTSD and and the fatigue caused by my oral chemo medication.
Checklist Update:
Continue outlining Book Two in The Champion Tales series
Rewrite script for MOTC Book Trailer
Renew our DBA and make a new DBA for our publishing imprint
Apply for my Real ID
Apply for new business license after receiving updated IDs
Our taxes were filed in April, so that was a substantial accomplishment. I also took the first step to getting my Real ID by submitting a form to amend my birth certificate. I have no idea how long it will take for Sacramento to get back to me - I will probably have to renew my license before my birthday, and then renew it yet again to make it a Real ID. Aaaaahhhh, bureaucracy!
I’ve been gathering bits and pieces, i.e. photos and video, to put together the MOTC book trailer. Needless to say, that has also been slowed down because of all the legal and emotional stuff we’re dealing with. But I’m not giving up - I’ll get that trailer done, no mater what it takes!
Highlight of the Month
Faerie Fruit
By Charlotte E. English
Faerie Fruit is a tale about what happens when the mortal world and the Fae world cross paths. Townsfolk start to have cravings for fruit growing from trees that haven’t fruited in ages. Villages established for hundreds of years disappear with no explanation. People find themselves in mysterious locations where the sun won’t set - and some of those folks discover they are developing powers of their own. Throughout all this change, a strange gentleman named Pippin Greensleeves appears, who has his own reasons to visit the towns and villages that are vanishing from the mortal world…
This is an enchanting book that has an interesting take on relations between humans and the Fae. A thoroughly delightful read.
Thank you for reading!
You can read the Prologue and chapters 1-3 of Mark of the Champion at my author website, candyglynnwilder.com/books.
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