Author's Note


Hey guys. I really hoped I would make it through this story without needing to post a note like this. Unfortunately, something major happened in my family that has necessitated me taking some time off from this fic.

So, the month of July was designated as "vacation month" for my family. My brothers (I have six), my sister (just the one), my parents, all my in-laws (five sisters-in-law, so far), and their kids (three nephews, two nieces, and counting) all went up to Idaho and Oregon for a family reunion, and on our last day in Idaho, we went out on ATVs and dirt bikes. It was an absolute blast, but right at the end, my mom (who has never ridden an ATV before) lost control of her vehicle and slammed into a deep crack in the very dry ground. The ATV flipped forward and rolled over her before coming to a stop several feet away.

Everyone there, including me, watched it happen, and yes, it was the most horrible thing I have ever seen. I thought for sure she was dead. Fortunately, she wasn't; she wasn't even unconscious. My dad and brothers helped her into my car, and I drove with my mom and one of my sisters-in-law who—thank God—had nursing training to the nearest hospital, which was forty-minutes away (which, by the way, is extremely stupid.; if people go out on those trails regularly, you would think there would be at least an urgent care closer by).

Anyway, very long story short, my mom was hospitalized for a week for a broken clavicle, cracked ribs, and severe hematoma running up her left leg. She was also stuck in Idaho with my dad while my siblings and I had to relocate to Oregon because there was no place for us to stay in Idaho. It was all very harrowing, to say the least.

So, the point to all of this is that I am planning to move home for the fall semester (which I am fortunately able to do online) to help take care of my mom. For any normal person, just my dad and kid brother (16) would be fine, but my mom is the president of a national organization and a semi-public figure, so I'm going to be doing a lot of work travel with her as her PA for the next few months. The travel—on top of my schooling, moving, being published, working on the next book in my series being published, as well as my actual job that I get paid for by the hour—is going to keep me very, very busy for the next several months.

That said, I am not abandoning this fic! I absolutely swear! I just wanted to warn you that my posting may be even more sporadic in the coming months. I do hope to post at least one more chapter before school starts in September, but after that, chapters may be a month or two in between.

I apologize to those of you who are enjoying this story. It has been a blast to write, and I hope to finish it as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience in the interim.

All the best,

Kaliea