My husband thinks I have two many pairs of glasses. 

I started wearing glasses after I turned forty and needed them specifically for reading. When I found out that I needed reading glasses I was so excited! I'd always been jealous of people who needed glasses, although everyone told me not to be ridiculous. But I love wearing glasses. Possibly because I have delicate features and my eyes are a little close together. Trying on and choosing frames was an absolute joy, and I definitely thought of them as a fashion accessory.

First, I only had reading glasses, and then went to progressives, since I was working at a pet store and needed to be able to read product labels, the POS screen, etc. and see my way around the store. I only needed a slight correction for distance vision but it made a difference, and the correction has gotten bigger since I received my original prescription.

Super expensive, I was able to find these multifocal glasses for less money at the Canadian online retailer,  Clearly, and then at KITS. I became an expert at choosing frames and indulged my yearning for differing looks by getting new glasses...fairly often...over the course of ten years. But they cost me less than half of what they would have at a 'proper' glasses store and they worked just fine.

Last June I was diagnosed with BPDD which is an inner ear disorder that caused me to have intense vertigo and nausea. Being multifocal, my progressives only exacerbated this condition, and I had to stop wearing my them and switch to single vision glasses. I've now fully recovered from BPDD but have decided to stick with single vision glasses, because I don't want to ever experience the vertigo issues I felt at that time again.

Single vision glasses are much cheaper than progressives, but now I needed distance, computer, and reading glasses. Normally I can get a pair of single vision glasses for under $100 from KITS and they frequently have BOGO deals, so I can get two for that price. If you are still purchasing glasses at optometry stores or retail stores, I'm telling you, you are being overcharged. I even tried out Specsavers but their prices and service wasn't as good as KITS, which is my go-to online store now. The owner of KITS is the guy who started Clearly, but Cleary was bought out and their prices are much higher now. I also tried Eye-Buy Direct which had prices comparable to KITS even shipping from the USA but I found their frames to be cheaper looking and not up to my standards.

My husband still decries my love of new glasses and need for different looks. But my argument is this. I don't wear makeup anymore, I don't buy beauty products, I use one face cream at bedtime, I don't have tons of shoes or clothes. My one thing is glasses. And, also, I don't complain about the expensive LEGO kits he keeps buying, even though they are of less use to him than my glasses are to me and way overpriced. He gets so much joy from them I don't begrudge him.

So let me have my glasses and I can admire your new Star Wars LEGO with happy eyes.

Did I mention that I'm slowing down? I'm almost 57 so do consider myself semi-retired although I don't ever plan to stop writing, at least while I have the mental and physical capacity to continue. I realized that I had been really pushing myself for five years, mistakenly believing that if I put out more and more books I'd start earning more and more money. My modest goal was to earn enough money to equate to what I might pull in with a part-time retail job. Lol, well that didn't happen. And I worked my arse off. I had so many books published between 2020 and 2025 I astounded myself. But the payoff never came. My earnings remained at a steady and disappointing trickle barely worth mentioning.
Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that people are actually reading my books. I'm with small publishers who take the majority of my earnings but I can't see my way to self-publishing for many reasons. And I don't do this for the money. I would have stopped a long time ago if that were the case. 
But my goal was to feel like I was contributing to the family income, even by a little bit. Unfortunately, I can't even cover all of my author expenses, because there are so many (website, Bookfunnel, professional email, purchasing paperbacks to sell at events, event registration, occasionally hotel fees). Luckily, my husband is advanced enough in his career that he can support me and our two adult kids who are still living at home (mostly), but I have always felt a bit shitty about this writing gig not being more of a help. 
Now that I'm over 55 and living with a serious chronic disease, I feel less guilty about not working outside the home and not having a job that contributes to our income. I realized that my older brother retired at 55 and lots of folks do if they can afford it (he is partially supported by his wife who has a very important job in the government, and he also receives a modified pension). My husband and I have enough investments that he can probably retire at 60, as long as the kids are supporting themselves by then (fingers crossed).
The third and probably final book in The Arrow and The Flame series, Mist and Snow, is signed with NineStar Press. I imagine I'll be doing edits in the fall as it will be out sometime early next year. 
As for current projects I'm working on, I'm writing what will be a free reader magnet involving my pirate universe right now, and when that's finished (by end of summer or sooner) I'll be writing either a vampire novel or a sci-fi android novel - I haven't decided yet. 
Now that I'm off social media completely, I feel like I'm coming back to myself and I'm fully immersing myself in the present moment. I'm reading actual books again, which was always one of my greatest joys. I didn't realize how less satisfying reading ebooks feels to holding an actual book in my hands. I'll still be reading ebooks, for sure, but I'm rediscovering the joy of physical things, which is delightful. I only have a limited amount of time left on this planet and I feel very intentional and fulfilled right now.
I recently disconnected from Google as well, which took a few weeks as I had three Gmail addresses that I'd been using for years and had to update so many services with my new email address before I could make such a huge change. Please be advised that you can no longer reach me at any of my three gmail addresses ([email protected], [email protected], [email protected]). If you need to get in touch you can contact me at [email protected] or [email protected].
Posteo is a German based email service that costs a handful of euros a year (around $20 CAD) and prides itself on privacy, sustainability, and excellence. I also have a personal email address at Posteo as they allow up to three alias addresses as part of the paid service. They also have an easy email migration service and collection service, so that I can get all of my emails in my one inbox. It's brilliant.

My May newsletter went out this morning. You can access it HERE or, better yet, click on the button below to subscribe.

If you didn't know already, I have multiple sclerosis. Diagnosed at the end of 2008 when my youngest child was 18 months old and my oldest was four. Those were...tough times. Parenting very young kids is challenging at the best of times, let alone when your body is not functioning as it should. BUT I immediately went on disease modifying therapy which I still take today, and it has kept me from any sign of physical disability, at least so far. Although I struggle with fatigue and heat sensitivity, and still have some residual nerve damage in my toes and fingertips, life has been pretty good.

So good that it's been years since I've had a routine MRI. Which has been...great. There's a blood test that measures disease activity and I've had several of these which all came back normal.

But my neurologist thought it would be a good idea to have a look at a scan, so there I was at the MRI department at the Ottawa Hospital at 10pm since they mostly do these at night now and must save daytime appointments for more urgent cases. Unfortunately, I am at my least functional at that time of day, but the other option was going in for 1:30 am, which truly did not appeal to me. So my husband and I got tickets to see a showing of The Mandalorian and Grogu at 7:10 in order to keep my mind off the upcoming test and help me to stay awake. Unfortunately I didn't factor in the fifteen minutes of ads and trailers that affected the runtime and we had to leave before the movie ended. It wasn't the greatest movie so I didn't really care but my husband was disappointed.

Anyway, I made it on time and there was no wait, so I was able to get in there and get it done and was heading home by 10:45. Not my favourite test to undergo but the technician was very comforting and didn't click in the head coil because she could tell it was freaking me out (it's like a cage for your head). And she talked to me between each 1-5 minute scan so I knew she had my back. At least they give you a panic button so you know you can get out of the machine if you really need to. But I did okay, and now just glad it's over for awhile.

Now I'm just nervous about what it might show. I guess I'll find out in a week or two.

A companion show to The Vampire Lestat has just been announced.
The Vampire Lestat: After Dark is an add-on show which will feature teasers, previews, and discussion about each episode, starting on May 31st on AMC (although earlier if you already have AMC+), with the second episode on June 7th on AMC, and the final episode on July 19th on AMC. All other episodes of The Vampire Lestat: After Dark will be shown on AMC+ following each The Vampire Lestat episode.

Butterscotch Bitch, a new (original) song by (presumably) Daniel Hart dropped on The Vampire Lestat's Spotify profile yesterday. I found out by accident when I was playing the three songs I already new about on my Spotify on the Roku, and when Dancing with Myself (a total banger) finished, it went to the new song.
I was like, wait, is this real? As soon as Sam Reid starting singing, I knew it was. 
It is a great song, very Lestat coded with lots of references to pertinent themes of love, betrayal, the supernatural (witches) etc. It's my favourite of Daniel Hart's compositions (and Sam's deliveries) so far, except for the cover of Dancing with Myself which is sooo good (and I say that as a former 80's teenager and Billy Idol fan). Like, Billy Idol, move the fuck over, because Lestat's in town.
Whoop! This season is going to be amazing.

Had a lovely Mother's Day yesterday. Now that the kids are adults, the gifts are better, lol! 
Pretty cushion is from 21, book is from 19, and chocolates are from my husband.

Honestly did not expect anything from my husband but he remembered my favourite chocolates! I also received a beautiful bouquet from 21's girlfriend on Friday, as well as some cookies & cream drops from 21 as a prelude to her Sunday gift.
​
I feel very, very, lucky to have the family that I do, and I am so proud to be a mother to these two wonderful young people who amaze me every day.

I had to give up coffee.
I know, I know, it was such a huge part of my brand! I used to put 'coffee addict' in my social media profile descriptions. And I LOVED it so much.
But I thought I had asthma because I started experiencing shortness of breath and was prescribed an emergency puffer. Then I noticed it was generally after I drank a caffeinated beverage. I was drinking very strong black coffee - two large mugs full every day - plus tea in the afternoon.
I stopped drinking coffee first and noticed a HUGE improvement. Then I noticed the same thing but not so severe after drinking tea. So I cut out all caffeinated beverages and I haven't needed to use my puffer since.
Whether it was anxiety increased by the caffeine, or another kind of caffeine sensitivity, I had to cut out coffee and caffeinated tea which was a really hard thing to do. But when it's breathing vs a great drink, well you decide you can do without the drink. 
I'm not a fan of decaffeinated products because of the methods they use to take the caffeine out, so now I drink chamomile tea in the morning and a really yummy coffee substitute made from barley and chicoree in the middle of the morning. It's called Uncoffee and it's really good.
I definitely feel a drop in my 'cool' factor, as drinking strong black coffee made me feel ruthless and capable for some reason, lol. But I have to say the gentle soothing taste of chamomile tea has grown on me and I do quite like it.
I may try drinking caffeinated coffee and/or tea at some point in the future, but for now I'm happy with my coffee substitute and herbal tea. The funny thing is that I still make strong coffee for everyone else in my household every morning, because it's become a habit and I love them and I like to do it.
Still trying to find out what has been causing coughing and lung irritation since the end of November, but so far we have determined that I don't have asthma or a lung infection. My doctor has put in a requisition for allergy testing, but my husband also stopped using some new laundry rinse he had started just before I developed these issues, so I'm hoping that's it (yes, he does the laundry). I really, really hope that was the issue because I'm worried I've developed an allergy to our dog and my doctor seems to think that's quite possible, if not even likely. And I don't know what I'm going to do in that situation.

...is the title (for now) of a free reader magnet I’m working on in The Arrow and The Flame universe. It’s delightful to be back with Captain Dinesh Martin and Simon White, Squid, Domingo, and the rest of the crew. I realized that I haven’t composed a free story for readers and potential readers in a while, and that introducing folks to the Arrow and her crew might be a good idea to increase sales of the books in my pirate series. 

This story will primarily feature Simon, Squid, and Domingo on an excursion to the markets of Port Royal while Captain Martin supervises repairs of his ship. Domingo is hopeful of finding clothing more suitable to his gender bending sense of fashion, and he has the idea to convince Simon that Dinesh might enjoy some scanty garments in the bedroom if Simon were to purchase and wear them for him. This takes some persuasion but ultimately results in Simon giving it a try and dressing like an 18th century working girl to seduce his beloved captain.