Well, it’s Friday December 4, 2020, and I have to face the reality that nothing will be the same this year, no matter how much I wish it could be. At the moment, the cases of Covid 19 in my region are more or less stable, placing us in code yellow, the protect mode, where we have to follow standard hygiene procedures of hand washing, masking, and maintaining social distancing. Our stores, restaurants, and bars are open, with reduced capacity and shorter hours, and out indoor gatherings are limited to ten people in our so-called bubbles. For me, it means I’ll be able to celebrate Christmas with part of my family–the ones I’ve been close to since this started. It also means that I’ll be having a COVID test on the 17th, so that I can visit my mother in her long-term care facility on Christmas Eve. Sadly, it also means that I won’t attend the Christmas Eve service at church in person, although I will watch it on You Tube. It’s not the same, but this year so much isn’t.
Today is Ugly Christmas Sweater and Hat Day at school. Here’s my eleven-year-old grandson all set to enjoy the day. What stands out is the matching face mask. Who would’ve believed it would become an essential part of the Christmas or any outfit?
But what I see most is the twinkle in his hazel eyes. It’s been a rough year for kids. They were out of school from March to September–the longest school break on record. This missed out on team sports, summer camp, vacations, sleepovers, playdates and so much more. They struggled with online curriculum and weeks stuck inside, and yet, that little guy is happy and raring to go.
This will be a different Christmas. No school concerts, no Christmas fairs, no cookie sales, but they’ll manage with the resilience I admire.
While we all look forward to a vaccine in the new year, few people may realize that there won’t be one available for children. They can’t be given any of the ones developed for adults, and most companies won’t even start looking at a vaccine for children until next summer which means that cute little mask may decorate his face again next year. You can check it for yourself here.
But, despite COVID 19, life moves on.
This week, I took an older book and revised it. Yesterday marked the rerelease of Secrets and Lies as part of my Vengeance is Mine Series. The fist four deal with a killer out for revenge. This year, it’s the heroine looking for a little payback.
DEA agent, Emily Shepherd, is after the Chef, a crystal meth cook, who sets up labs for the Mexican cartel and walks away—the same man responsible for the deaths of her husband and unborn child. Her search leads her to Braden, Iowa, a small town just right for the Chef’s specialty. But identifying her quarry won’t be easy when she’s up against a woman who sees her as a threat, a male chauvinistic deputy sheriff, and an attractive school principal who might just be at the center of it all.
Jackson Harris has sworn off women. Life is satisfactory, if lonely, until he meets a hazel-eyed damsel in distress who gets under his skin, and triggers that protective instinct of his. There’s a killer in town, one who may or may not be a notorious drug lord. Finding him, and keeping his town, his students, and Emily safe, may be harder than he thinks.
The book was originally published as a standalone in a series called Hearts of Braden. I’m hoping that with its nice new cover and joining the Vengeance Is Mine Series, it will attract readers who missed it the first time around.
So, whether you like a book in your hand, e-books on your devices or read in Kindle Unlimited, I hope you’ll give Secrets and Lies a second chance.
Living the Dream 