I’ve been meaning to write this for a while, but…
On the 29th of May (I think; time is blurring), my father died. I had been spending more or less all my time looking after him for the past few months. He turned 91 on the 13th of May, and I was pretty convinced he was going to keep going for years. He had a major stroke on Sunday night, slipped into unconsciousness, and finally died on the Thursday. It was quiet and he was not in pain. With dementia and Alzheimer’s getting very steadily worse before he died, I admit it came as something of a relief. Really, the man who was my father ‘died’ months ago.
So, yeah.
Getting back into work is not going to be as easy as I’d hoped. We haven’t had the funeral yet, so things may improve after that. I plan to take a few days holiday after the service and wake. Then we’ll see what happens. I currently have no idea what my next book is going to be or when it’ll happen. I am starting to realise what being a carer for the past year-ish has done to my head. People who have to do that for years have my total respect; I’d need therapy. Possibly, my general state is partially because my sister is taking care of most of the work required after a death. I had to do it all for my mother (it was during COVID), so she’s taken it up for Dad. Left with nothing to do, I’m not doing anything. Maybe…
More news when I finally figure out what I’m doing. I have about two books started; I’m not sure whether either of them will be the next out.
Witches and Ray-Guns 
my condolences – and take your time.
My condolences. Don’t worry too much about your next book.
my condolences for your lost may he Rest in Peace.
Please take the time you need to grieve and heal. We will be here when you are ready and abel.
Damn, I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. Know that despite the memory loss, his spirit knows you were there for him.
I can understand how hard it is to even think of getting back to work. Take your time, get your mind clear. We will be here, waiting for whatever that next work is.
Respectfully
Mycroft
Take care of yourself first. You have the rest of your life to keep us happy.
My condolences. I agree with what all of the other commenters have said about taking care of yourself and not feeling pressurised to restart work before you are ready.
So sorry to hear about your dad’s passing. Dementia is a horrible disease not just for the person afflicted but for those who love them. Take as long as you need and have a longer holiday somewhere that doesn’t remind you of home and bad memories.
I’m planning to do just that, but not just yet. Later in the year, I’ll be taking a longer break, probably going back to Japan.
You have my condolences too, I lost my father young and can totally understand the loss.
I was also a caregiver to my grandmother for years until she passed away so I can completely understand the feelings there.
Take all the time you need to recover.
My condolences, it is always hard to lose a parent. Take care of yourself at this difficult time.
nothing can prepare for such a thing. I have done it twice and it never gets easier.
Take what time you need. We will be here for you when you are ready.
You have my thoughts and prayers.
my condolences – take your time
My wife and I are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. You are a good son. Don’t feel guilty for relief at his passing. Be happy that he is now with his wife.
Lorna was a nurse and helped many people pass over gently and with peace. She has an unshakeable faith I envy.
This chapter of your life is finished writing. Now is time to plan the next. Follow your heart.
My wife and I are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. You are a good son. Don’t feel guilty for relief at his passing. Be happy that he is now with his wife.
Lorna was a nurse and helped many people pass over gently and with peace. She has an unshakeable faith I envy.
This chapter of your life is finished writing. Now is time to plan the next. Follow your heart.
My wife and I are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. You are a good son. Don’t feel guilty for relief at his passing. Be happy that he is now with his wife.
Lorna was a nurse and helped many people pass over gently and with peace. She has an unshakeable faith I envy.
This chapter of your life is finished writing. Now is time to plan the next. Follow your heart.
Niall, I feel your pain. Even though I lost my parents many years ago, thinking about them still hurts. There are nights that I have dreams of my father sitting across from me, offering me advise on problems that may have crept into my life due to one thing or another. It is creepy, but he is still a lot smarter even in death than am I in life.
I’ll offer up prayers for you and your sister.
God bless.
dcm
Take all the time you need. I lost my mom to Alzheimer’s disease a few years ago. It does get easier.
Goddess bless you and your family. Take the time needed to greav and process your emotions and thoughts.
I was a home care aid for years before my wife died, and I burned out doing that. Taking care of others, not taking care of yourself, being there 24/7 is a toll mentally, emotionally, and physically. Remember to talk to others, especially your family, to make sure you are in a good head space. Take the time needed to recover and come back stronger than before.
Remember you have the support of your family, friends, and fans.
I know I already replied to this email once. But I have been meaning to say this since I read Gods and Monsters. I actually wasn’t going to send this email because of the things that you’re having to deal with in real life at this time, however, I have a problem with my memory and I get distracted easily as a result I keep forgetting to send this. So I apologize if the timing is terrible.
Once I finished reading it something occurred to me. If I’m correct in what I am thinking Nava is in extreme Danger!
So, let’s start with Nava is human now. Completely human there are no longer any Harbinger genes in her DNA. This immediately places her in danger when somebody finds out about this because now Down will work on her. It won’t put her into a coma.
Next, early on in the series Nava once made a comment that she was unable to have children one because she was sterile, no eggs in her ovaries, and the genetics that she was mixed with prevented her womb from being able to carry a child. This is no longer true as she is now completely human if a embryo was implanted in her womb she could probably carry a child to term.
Next item, then Nava went and created active recovery rank 6. If I am correct as to how active recovery works, I think it enables healing based on your genetic layout, when Nava died her consciousness was tossed into the Q field and active recovery rebuilt her body from scratch using her DNA. Literally her entire body was rebuilt from nothing, as though she was just born. If I’m right, Unless Nava’s DNA calls for her ovaries to be empty, then she now has a pair of ovaries that are full of eggs! Millions upon Millions of potential magicians of her type of power. If any of this is true and correct, if this is discovered, every father in every family in every clan in the alliance is going to want her eggs. In my opinion this places her in the greatest danger that she has ever been in!
On the bright side, if Suki and Nava decide at some point they want to have children then I suppose Suki could get that foursome that she’s been wanting with Melissa and Naomi and he could father their children. After all I suspect he has pretty good genetics and this would tie the Trenton and Himura families together quite nicely!
Anyway, I finally got this email done. Again, I do apologize if the timing is really horrible, but with my memory problem I really needed to send it while I remembered.
Sincerely Mycroft
Hm…
Well, she’s probably in danger in some way or form. I mean, this is fiction; she kind of ha to be in danger.
However, the ability of Active Recovery to rebuild healthy bodies isn’t about DNA. It’s more like it takes a snapshot of your form and structure, and then it rebuilds according to that plan. It’s magic!
Really, DNA is a bad way to go with something like this. People tend to think that DNA controls exactly how you appear and function, but there are a huge number of other factors affecting how your body is NOW rather than how it was as an egg. To ‘rebuild from your DNA’ you would also have to somehow capture all the environmental stuff that happened when your were growing up, plus a bunch of other factors.
So, no reverting Nava to how she WOULD have been if she’d always been human. Active Recovery is more like restoring from a recent backup than a build-a-Nava-from-scratch system. (I now have images of a shop where kids can to to Build-A-Nava plushie… I hate my brain.)
With nothing new on the horizon (I’ve lost both parents and we sold my boyhood home; it hurts) I reread all of Fox Meridan and am now starting on Anneka Jansen in between new stuff from bookstore and library. Selfishly, I hope you can immerse yourself in your storytelling to help live with your new reality.
My Condolences,
I unfortunately know your pain. What small crazy world it is, My father passed on May 29th as well. He died peacefully in his sleep, He was 70. I’ve been working a lot harder to be there for my mom. I wish you the best.
Anton
Dear Niall, My condolences. I saw this post several months ago, but somehow it took me untill now to be able to reply… I do hope your writing is able to give you some solace. (that said, nothing wrong with doing absolutely nothing…emptying one’s mind can also be a comfort). A few years back, when I started doing genealogy, my original plan was to have something finished to show to my gran (who was about 90 at the time). But, as things go, my gran never got to see the finished product (she passed away on new years day 2021 at the age of 93). One of the last things she told me about her family was the name of her grandmother… Altough she didn’t get to see it, I’m still glad she knew I was doing it (and I’m still doing it).
On another topic : a short while ago I started tinkering with DAZ studio…it has been fun thus far. Your cover art makes it look easy to do…it is not. (which makes it all the more impressive, I think). It IS fun to tinker with tough…
PS: If you ever start selling Nava plushies as merch, I will most definitely buy one. (something tells me I’m not going to be the only person). Maybe do an expanded universe merch series or something…
Thanks, and sorry for your own loss.
Nava plushies… Well, Suki would buy a dozen, but Nava would probably never speak to me again.
In case you didn’t know, there are some pretty good tutorials on the DAZ YouTube channel. Lighting is key.
Been taking care of my grandfather for nearly 8 years, 3 months ago he stopped being able to walk and slowly ate and drank less and less. he ended up passing away bedbound 2 weeks before charismas. thought he would recover and just keep on going like he did everything he has for the last 8 years. he had dementia and Alzheimer’s both of which had there highs and lows. haven’t had time to check this site for what feels like a lifetime and the first thing i see is this. small world.
I’m sorry to hear of your loss.
We finally finished sorting out Dad’s estate at the start of December. I hadn’t realised how much it was all weighing on me until it was over. It takes time.
Been working me behind off ever since. Finally, I can work properly again.
Anyway, welcome back.