C-Change . . .

I’m a sporadic blogger at best, but the last post here was April 13, seven months ago. As Doodle would say, “Whoa.” The blog was titled, “Times, They Are A’ Changing.” That turned out to be sadly prophetic in a way I couldn’t have possibly foreseen. Our lives have undergone a sea change, or, as I prefer to say, a C-change.

Merriam-webster.com defines sea change as “a marked change; transformation,” and dictionary.reference.com calls it “a striking change. . .often for the better.”

Our life and that of all my family underwent  what I call a “C-change”–C for Cancer-– when one of my daughters was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, shortly after the birth of her fifth child..She is only 33. [Note: if you’re over 50 or have a history of colon cancer in your family, GET THAT COLONOSCOPY NOW! And read this.]

Since the diagnosis, we have traveled back and forth from Virginia to Utah in order to help her and her wonderful husband care for their children. It has been a difficult  time for all of us–an unspeakable one for my daughter and her family–but one made easier by an overwhelming outpouring of support by my daughter’s friends and family. People have cooked meals, cleaned the house, kept up the yard, and babysat the kids so my spouse and I could get breaks. They have donated money and food and all sorts of wonderful, useful things to help my daughter, and they have done this for almost six months.

That’s the Very Bad News ( the cancer part of it, not all the wonderful help we’ve received.)

The Not So Nearly Bad News is that the next Doodlebugged mystery, scheduled for this September, will be delayed until sometime next year, probably late spring or summer. But there will be several sales of the existing Doodlebugged books, including a promotion Nov 12-15 of Bad-Mouthed, normally priced at $4.99, on sale for only $0.99. The sale is good on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo. (To find out about future sales, subscribe to my newsletter.)

Meanwhile, Doodle’s alter-ego, Shadow, has had a host of new experiences, since he has accompanied us on some of our trips. Some have been positive such as living in a household with five kids under nine (aka, his new minions), exploring the dry hills of the Utah mountains, and attending events like soccer games. Some have been not so positive—such as having to stay in a fenced yard and having to be on leash much of the time.

And surprisingly—I say this because he IS the quintessential country dog, used to roaming the neighboring woods in search of dead things to bring home—he has adapted beautifully to city life.

To say he was a hit with the neighborhood kids is an understatement. Somehow, this super-energetic, high-strung dog has matured into one with Inner Calm. Who knew?

Finally, while we’re speaking of changes, we’re closing in on the fifth anniversary of my first ebook publications, three Christmas stories that were released in December 2010. Laurel Fork Press is planning to update the covers of two of them, the acclaimed “Walter’s Christmas-Night Musik” and the romantic “Courtesy Call.” (The third, “Gabriel & Mr. Death“, got a cover update a few years back.)

But first, I’m offering coupons for free downloads of those stories to all my newsletter subscribers. You can sign up for my newsletter HERE and be the first know when new books are released. I’ll never share your information and I’ll only contact you when I have new releases.

Meanwhile, we’re hoping the future brings us a sea change–“the striking change, often for the better”–that leads to my daughter’s recovery and good health, and leaves the terrible C-change as something she endured and conquered.