I apologize for the lack of updates lately. I meant to post more, I had a plan, but things kind of just got out of control. Between catching that cold that’s been going around (I was coughing for a month afterwards, it was horrible), the usual holiday craziness, and trying to get the bridesmaid’s dresses done for my friend, there just was never enough time to post much less write.

And then things went from crazy to bad.

One of my cousins passed away after a sudden illness just after New Year’s. My cousins and I were all pretty close when we were younger. As we grew up, we kinda went our own ways – like you do – but we always saw each other at holidays and we always knew we would be there for each other.

Loosing someone is always hard, but I think loosing someone before their time is especially rough. Grieving over my husband’s grandfather passing was very different from this. He had lived a long and good life. My cousin still had many many years ahead of her. My heart just breaks for her husband and kids and my aunt. Everyone is reeling and in shock, and we probably will be for a long time.

I didn’t handle the stress from everything that was going on very well. I thought I was, and then my body went, hahaha, nope!, and hit me over the head (quite literally) with all these physical issues I had never experienced before. Jaw stiffness from clenching my teeth. Something called exploding head syndrome – which is where you hear sounds that aren’t real right before you fall asleep. And my very first migraine.

I’m finally in a better place now, but, man, oh man, do I feel just physically and emotionally drained. And that type of a mood doesn’t really lend itself to writing. So I’ve been sewing a lot instead. I thought it might help distract me and take my mind off things. Yeah, I was wrong again! The dresses I am making for my friend are beautiful. I am so proud of myself and I cannot wait to show them to you after she gets married. However, the fabric they are made of them is THE biggest pain in the butt. It’s stiff and slippery, and refuses to stay put unless there are a million pins involved.

I am so glad they are almost done.

And even though I haven’t felt like writing, I did, before everything went all catawampus, start on part 2 of The Undying Ones – Elusion. It’s proving to be a bit rougher to get down on paper than Revenants, partly because I lost my outline, and partly because I haven’t done much world building for this part of the story yet. I can see the castle in all it’s gloomy cobweb glory in my mind. The village, where most of Elusion is set, isn’t as clear. Also, some of my characters want to turn into medieval fantasy Mean Girls, and that’s just not going to fly. I mean, sure, a bit of snarkiness is to be expected from time to time because no one is perfect, but they’re just being difficult.

Even though I haven’t written since December, I do have a snippet to share with everyone.

Since today is the 31st of January, here are four paragraphs from Elusion (3+1=4). There may be some spoilers if you haven’t read Revenants yet, but it’s nothing huge. Basically Mattie has her first experience with a bath in probably over a century.

“No wonder your parents sent you to Mr Marley then. Well, he could do with some company.” Noya placed more food in front of Mattie – far more than she could ever stomach. She made a valiant effort though, but it tasted bland compared to the life that had coursed through her body after biting Liam. Thankfully, after she had spent enough time pushing it around on her plate, Noya seemed to be satisfied. “Would you like me to draw you a bath? Perhaps we can put some order to that hair of yours?”

“That would be nice, thank you.” However, Mattie soon came to regret agreeing to such an endeavour. She had expected that Noya would continue to dote upon her, but instead she was enlisted in helping the old woman lug in a copper tub from outside and set it by the fireplace in the sitting room attached to the kitchen. Then she had to fill it with water, which included heating up several pots on the fireplace so that it wouldn’t be so bone chillingly cold.

However, once she sank into the warm sudsy water, she had to confess that all the work was worth it. It warmed her bones in a way that she hadn’t felt in ages, and, judging from the layer of filth that quickly settled in the bottom of the tub, she had been in dire need of one. She scrubbed her skin with the lavender scented soap that that Noya gave her revealing skin that was paler than she had thought. Oh, there was a faint tint of color to it that suggested she might have been tan at some point in time, but aside from the raised bumps on her wrist she was pallid and wan. No wonder Noya had been so insistent that she stuff herself full.

Once her skin and face were spic and span, she ran the soap between her hands until it was nice and foamy and then rubbed the lather into her hair. Washing her skin was easy compared to trying to tame the mass of knots that the thick black locks had turned into. Brushing ones hair wasn’t exactly a priority when one was struggling to survive within the confines of the castle, and the thick curls had suffered for it. By the time she was done working every tangle free, the water had turned cold, and she had to clench her teeth together to keep them from chattering.

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